Authors: Yenner Rengifo Chaverra, Mich Hernandez, Jonatan Castillo-Turcios

Illustrator: Yurieli Otero-Asmar

This bilingual story uses whimsy and adventure to explore a challenging subject — migrating by foot to the United States.

Este cuento bilingüe usa la fantasía y la aventura para explorar un tema difícil: la migración a pie hacia Estados Unidos.

Meet Guz, our outgoing Central American protagonist, who transforms an immigration journey into an adventure in this compelling bilingual book, told in Spanish and English. Shortly after leaving home, Guz is separated from their loved ones. With the help of a friendly Torogoz, Goz, they navigate hunger, wild animals, and the strange terrain before reconnecting with their family and continuing the journey. This colorful book, told through the eyes of a young child, shares part of a frightening story that isn’t often depicted in children’s books while making it accessible to young readers.

Conoce a Guz, nuestro extrovertido protagonista centroamericano, que transforma un viaje de migración en una aventura en este cautivador libro bilingüe –contado en español e inglés. Al poco tiempo de abandonar su hogar, Guz se separa accidentalmente de sus seres queridos. Con la ayuda de Goz, un amistoso pajarito torogoz, juntos enfrentan el hambre, animales silvestres y un terreno desconocido, antes de reconectarse con la familia y continuar el viaje. Esta pintoresca historia, contada a través de los ojos de un niño, presenta un aspecto de una experiencia aterradora que no suele contarse en los libros infantiles, de una manera que resulta accesible para los pequeños lectores.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-65-9

• Age: 4-9

• Page Count: 40

• Publication Date: Oct 2023

• “Poignant and powerful . . . the students write with fresh power about loss, about the failures of the system around them, and how to decide when, how and where they should speak out.” —Publishers Weekly

• “Our young people are asking that we sit with them, that we listen to them, and that we see their lives in all of their complexity. The stories in What It Cost Us must be read. They must be remembered." —Clint Smith, author of How the Word is Passed: Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America

• “Authentic and sincere.” —Kirkus Reviews

• “A momentous account of a time we must remember.” —Wendy Wan-Long Shang, author of The Secret Battle of Evan Pao

Foreword by Candice Iloh

In this collaborative novel, ten diverse young writers from Washington, DC recreate the historic year 2020 from their perspectives, through fictional stories inspired by their own lived experiences. Told chronologically from the onset of the pandemic to the insurrection of January 6th, their stories of change and resilience are accompanied by maps, social media, original artwork, and real-life headlines to create an immersive experience of an unprecedented coming of age. 

You’ll meet Faiza, a Muslim high school student, who struggles to celebrate Ramadan during the worst of the COVID-19 shutdowns. You’ll protest with Roman, the only Black student in his class, whose relationships are challenged in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. You’ll face the fraught 2020 election with Dennis, a young Nigerian immigrant, as he questions a democracy that seems to count him out. 

By examining the shards of this shattered year, these authors explore “what it cost us” through stories that both acknowledge loss and celebrate what got us through.

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-55-0

• Age: 12+

• Lexile: 780L

• Page Count: 329

• Published: Spring 2023

Authors: Andy Pina, Antonia Marisol Garcia, Pedro Reyes, Yunior Jose Garcia

Illustrator: Ian L. Springer

In Jasmín Pictures Home, Andy, Marisol, Pedro and Yunior wanted to write a book that explores what it’s like to be different in a new country. In this book, a group of friends are the only kids in their school who are not from the same town. These four best friends are all immigrants --from four different countries!--and they all speak Spanish. Though they bond over their shared language and their shared love of soccer, it’s not always easy being different from everyone else. The newest arrival, Jasmin, is having the hardest time and she spends all her time drawing. Hector, Manolito, and Jorge don’t like seeing Jasmin struggle. Can they work together to help Jasmin see the beauty in being different?

En Jasmín ilustra su hogar, Andy, Marisol, Pedro y Yunior quisieron escribir un libro que explorara cómo es ser diferente en un país nuevo. En este libro, un grupo de amigos son los únicos en la escuela que no son del mismo pueblo. Estos cuatro mejores amigos son inmigrantes —de cuatro diferentes países— y todos hablan español. Aunque forman lazos a través de su idioma compartido y su amor hacia el fútbol, no siempre es fácil ser diferente a los demás. A la recién llegada, Jasmín, es a quien más le cuesta, y pasa todo su tiempo dibujando. A Héctor, Manolito, y Jorge no les gusta ver a Jasmín sufrir tanto. ¿Podrán trabajar juntos para ayudar a Jasmín a ver la belleza de ser diferente?

• ISBN: 978-1-950807-41-3

• Age: 4-9

• Lexile: AD580L

• Page Count: 40

• Published: Fall 2021