American Library

“The People Could Fly,” the title story in Virginia Hamilton’s prize-winning American Black folktale collection, is a fantasy tale of the slaves who possessed the ancient magic words that enabled them to literally fly away to freedom. And it is a moving tale of those who did not have the opportunity to “fly” away, who remained slaves with only their imaginations to set them free as they told and retold this tale.

Claudie Wells wants more than anything to be a person whose imagination can fly, instead of a person whose feet are stuck on the ground. She believes everyone has a talent except for her. She’s growing up in the neighborhood of Harlem in New York City during the 1920s, surrounded by writers and poets, painters and sculptors, actors and dancers, singers and musicians. When an eviction notice threatens her family, friends, and the beloved boardinghouse they share, Claudie has an idea that just might save the day.

Leif Erikson was born to be an explorer. His father, Erik the Red, had established the first European settlement in present-day Greenland, and although he didn't yet know it, Leif was destined to embark on an adventure of his own. The wise and striking Viking landed in the area known as Vinland almost five centuries before Christopher Columbus even set sail! "Leif the Lucky" and the other fierce, sea-fearing pirates were accomplished navigators who raided foreign lands for resources, hunted for their food, and passed down Old Norse myths from one generation to the next.

Meet Rico: high school senior and afternoon-shift cashier at the Gas 'n' Go, who after school and work races home to take care of her younger brother. Every. Single. Day. When Rico sells a jackpot-winning lotto ticket, she thinks maybe her luck will finally change, but only if she—with some assistance from her popular and wildly rich classmate Zan—can find the ticket holder who hasn't claimed the prize. But what happens when have and have-nots collide? Will this investigative duo unite...or divide?

For her tenth birthday, Rebecca is invited to visit her cousin Max’s movie studio! When the cameras begin to roll, she finds herself unexpectedly presented with a part to play. Rebecca doesn’t have the courage to tell her family, but is it wrong to keep such a big secret? Later that summer, on a visit to the factory where her uncle and cousin work, Rebecca is horrified. Is this the life that’s in store for cousin Ana? There must be a way to improve conditions at the factory, and Rebecca is determined to do her part—even if it means marching straight into danger.

When her cousin Ana’s family needs money to leave Russia, Rebecca puts on a sidewalk show, but all she earns is a scolding. Once Ana arrives in New York, Rebecca shares her room and her clothes and helps her cousin learn English. But when Ana is assigned to sing with her in a school program, Rebecca’s heart sinks. Ana’s Russian accent will ruin the show! Rebecca realizes her performance is one thing she does not want to share with her cousin. But how can she explain that to Ana?

Kaya’s beloved horse, Steps High, has been captured by enemy raiders. Kaya fears she’ll never see Steps High again, until she hears of a herd of spotted horses running wild in the mountains. As she travels with a hunting party into the mountains, Kaya is troubled by the smoke she smells on the wind—smoke from mountain fires. While searching desperately for Steps High, Kaya has to face a fear greater than any she’s ever known.

Kavi Sharma loves singing and dancing, so when her middle school announces a musical revue, she and her friends Sophie and Pari decide to perform a dance together. If only they could agree on what dance style to do! Soon, all Kavi can think about is the revue, and her schoolwork starts to slip, which has never happened to her before. Kavi's little brother Rishi says she has a bad case of "Broadwayitis." Can she find a way to stay on top of on her schoolwork and get her dance moves down before the curtain goes up?

Giving herself a haircut doesn’t go quite the way she expects—and when she draws a cartoon of her teacher on the first day of fourth grade, she draws more attention than she wants! At least her drawing skills help her make an interesting new friend. Together, they might be able to win the Geography Bee—but only if Maryellen can find a way to help her old friends get past their prejudice.

Maryellen is in charge of planning her tenth birthday, designing a flying machine, and—most important of all—taking care of the family dog, Scooter, on a camping trip. One night, while she’s holding down the fort, Scooter disappears. Maryellen is desperate to find him before the others return, so she and her bossy big sister, Joan, set off to search the woods. Suddenly, Joan disappears. Now Maryellen’s really in charge, whether she wants to be or not! Can she find Scooter, rescue her sister, and figure out how to make something fly—all in one night?

When the surf’s up, Joss pops out her hearing aid, hops on her board, and paddles into the waves. Joss is stoked to enter a surfing video contest with her surf sister Sofia and Murph, the surfing bulldog. If she can master a killer aerial like the frontside air and get her brother Dylan to catch it on video, maybe she’d even have a shot at winning. But Dylan throws her a curve: he dares her to try out for the cheer team. No way—Joss can’t see herself as a cheerleader. (What’s with those ginormous hairbows, anyway?) She’s 100% surfer girl, and Dylan knows it!

Though much of his early life remains a mystery, Blackbeard most likely began his life as Edward Teach in the sailing port of Bristol, England. He began his career as a hired British sailor during Queen Anne's War. He eventually settled in the Bahamas under Captain Benjamin Hornigold who taught the young sailor to go "a-pirating." Soon enough, Blackbeard was commanding his own fleet and stealing ships around the Caribbean and up and down the Eastern seaboard. The legend of Blackbeard has influenced pirate legend and lore for more than 300 years.

Since it was first published in 1964, Whistle for Willie has delighted millions with the story of Peter, who longs to whistle for his dog.

When Julie finds out that her new school has a basketball team, life starts looking up—until the coach tells her girls aren’t allowed to play. Julie decides to fight for a place on the team, and almost loses her best friend in the process. Meanwhile, a school project forces her to face some hard truths about her family—and herself. Growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s, Julie begins to realize that sometimes the best way to cope with change is to make a few changes of her own.

It’s 1976 and the entire country is celebrating America’s 200th birthday, including Julie! She can’t wait to camp in a horse-drawn wagon for the Bicentennial, but pioneer life turns out to be a lot harder than she expected. Back in school, Julie looks to make some history herself after she lands in detention for helping a friend, and decides to run for student body president to make some much-needed changes. But as the election heats up, Julie’s on the brink of dropping out. It’s her big chance to prove that one girl can change the system—but does she have the nerve?

Melody Ellison can’t wait to sing her first solo at church, and she wants to pick a song that’s special. She gets advice from her big brother, who has his sights set on becoming a Motown star, and inspiration from her older sister, who’s home from college with new ideas about marches and protests and making things fair. When Melody experiences discrimination for herself, she decides to stand up and speak out about civil rights, too. As her solo approaches, an unimaginable tragedy leaves her silent. Can Melody find her voice to speak up for those who can’t?

Things have changed for Samantha. She leaves quiet Mount Bedford for the bustle of New York City and the company of Aunt Cornelia's ten-year-old twin sisters. Agnes and Agatha are good at getting into mischief—and at bringing Samantha with them. When the three girls visit Grandmary's summer home, an adventure leads to danger on Goose Lake—the same lake where Samantha's parents drowned! Then word comes that Nellie and her sisters are in serious trouble. It's up to Samantha to save her friends before it's too late.

Corinne worries about how she’ll keep up Flurry’s training without snow. Luckily, she meets a dog trainer who agrees to become her mentor if she and Flurry can master some new skills. But learning them turns out to be harder than Corinne thought, thanks to interference from her sister Gwynn. Corinne thinks moving into her own room is the answer—that is, until Mom shares a huge update that will change their family forever. Suddenly, their annual camping trip becomes Corinne’s last hope for mastering new skills with Flurry.

Crystal is brave and bold and doesn’t back down. Courtney tries to be the same in real life. When Courtney meets Isaac Wells at the arcade, they form an epic friendship. Isaac has awesome ideas to add to Crystal Starshooter’s game world, and he gets along great with Sarah and Kip, Courtney’s two best friends. When Isaac needs help fighting a real battle called HIV, Courtney is quick to support him. But doing so puts her friendship with Sarah at risk. Being brave and bold is complicated. What would a superhero do?

It’s Melody’s birthday, and she’s excited to turn “double digits” on January 1, 1964. She’s also eager to answer her pastor’s New Year’s challenge and make her community better. Melody decides to fix up the neighborhood playground and plant a garden. Her friends pitch in to help, but after a series of setbacks, Melody realizes that being a leader isn’t easy. But it is easy to say yes when her brother asks her to sing backup for him. Melody gets to go to the Motown music studio and add her voice to a real record! Can she find a way to make her voice stand out?