The materials on this page have various degrees of LGBTQIA+ representation and would generally appeal to students in kindergarten to 3rd grade. Click on blue hyperlinks to see availability at the UNLV Teachers Development & Resources Library.
Hocus and Pocus and the Spell for Home
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From award-winning author A. R. Capetta comes a new first-chapter-book series delivering plenty of puppies, magic, and charm. Puppies Hocus and Pocus are still waiting to be adopted from the Shelter for Slightly Magical Pets. Even though Hocus can see two minutes into the future and Pocus can turn bad feelings into bubbles (which he eats!), nobody seems to want them. This could be because the two keep causing mischief so they won't be separated. When Jinx the witch uses a "spell for home" potion to help a color-changing tortoise find his match, the puppies know what to do: sneak both their hairs into the mixture to ensure they get adopted together. But with these two, anything can happen--from a shrinking spell to giant bees! Can the puppies, along with Jinx and her young apprentices--witch Archer (he/him), wizard Ofelia (she/her), and warlock Tam (they/them)--fix the magical mess? And will they finally find a home, maybe even right under their noses? This adorable new series takes readers to a vibrant world full of magic, community, surprises, and welcoming homes.
Mehndi Boy
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"Delightful . . . the world needs more 'mehndi boys!'" --Vivek Shraya, author of The Boy & the Bindi and God Loves Hair "I was totally charmed by it." --Ali Sethi, musician and author An artistic, fashion-loving boy unlocks a new talent--and learns to stand up for it--in this chapter book perfect for fans of the Sadiq series and Meet Yasmin! The first time Tehzeeb tries mehndi, his passion for the art form blossoms. Soon, he's creating designs for all his friends and family, and dreams of becoming the most in-demand mehndi artist in town. So Tez is hurt and confused when his favorite uncle tells him mehndi isn't for boys. His art brings people joy. How could it be wrong? Tehzeeb doesn't want to disappoint his uncle. But when a crisis before his cousin's wedding puts his talents to the test, Tehzeeb must find the courage to be his true creative self. Jani Balakumar's expressive, vibrant illustrations bring Tehzeeb's designs--and his community--to life. This charming, affirming story by debut author Zain Bandali will have you celebrating creativity, artistic expression, and being unapologetically yourself. Readers can learn more about mehndi at home with activities at the end of the book. "A triumph." --Danny Ramadan, author of Salma the Syrian Chef and the Salma series
Riley Reynolds Conquers Spring Cleaning
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Nonbinary fourth-grader Riley is ready to clean out their room, and Riley never does anything on a small scale. So it's no surprise when a room declutter turns into a full house declutter, which turns into a full neighborhood sale with everyone involved. By the end of the day, Riley and their friends learn that sometimes memories are priceless, but it's important to let go.
Riley Reynolds Pumps up the Party
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Friends Marco and Maddie are having a shared birthday party, and nonbinary fourth-grader Riley is ready to celebrate! Marco's moms make the best homemade ice cream for the party, but it takes a long time to make. Riley can't wait for it to be ready! In the meantime, though, there are races and games and a bouncy house to keep everyone busy.
Riley Reynolds Slides into Summer
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Mama's extended family is ready for their annual summer softball game, and nonbinary fourth-grader Riley can't wait to see everyone. But this year, the start of summer is even busier than the end of school! There are T-shirts to print, empanadas to fold, cousins to play with, and desserts to taste test--and that's all before the big softball game!
Riley Reynolds Takes Care of Business
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Fish, snakes, horses, cats, guinea pigs--you name an animal, and nonbinary fourth-grader Riley loves it! But nothing is better than a big, fluffy dog, and Riley would love to have one. Since that might never happen, Riley is more than happy to watch one for a week. Riley is ready to do the work, but they are sure it will be more fun than work. After all, how much work can a big, fluffy dog really be?
The Talent Show
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In this book in the popular Confetti Kids series, Henry is nervous about sharing his dance moves at the school talent show. Five friends from diverse backgrounds learn how to navigate common childhood challenges, new experiences, and the world around them in the realistic and kid-friendly Confetti Kids early chapter book series. In this story, everyone at school is excited about the upcoming talent show--except for Henry. His friends assume he'll play the drums, but Henry has a secret talent that he's never shared with them before. With the help of his mom and her partner, Joy, Henry learns that sometimes you must be brave and show the world all the things you love.
Wednesday Wilson Connects the Dots
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When Wednesday Wilson and her best friend, Charlie, get an unexpected day off from school, they plan to work on a new business idea. But their day gets upended when they find out they have to spend it with Ruby Beautiful, their former best friend who dumped them for the Emmas. Things get even stranger when Ruby comes to Charlie's defence after the Emmas make fun of his freckles. Ruby tells the Emmas that, according to her cool older brother, Raj, freckles are popular, and, in fact 'People spend tonnes of money to get freckles tattooed on their faces.' Wait, could this be the perfect new business idea Wednesday has been searching for? And, even more important, could this mean she and Charlie have their best friend back?
Riley Reynolds Crushes Costume Day
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It's book week at school, and nonbinary fourth grader Riley and their best friends craft hard for the Dress Like Your Favorite Character Day. Colorful fabric! Paint! Glitter! They are ready to make the biggest and best group costume ever! But most of the other kids are having trouble coming up with costumes. Riley is ready to use their creativity and vision to help as many kids as possible so dress-up day will be a big success!
Riley Reynolds Glitterfies the Gala
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Mama is throwing a fundraiser gala at the library branch where she works. Nonbinary fourth grader Riley is there, with streamers to hang from every bookshelf, bannister, and door. Riley glitterfies the entire library! But will anyone come? And if they do, will they raise enough money to repair the library's broken elevator? In a neighborhood like Riley's, you know this will be a night to remember.
Riley Reynolds Rocks the Park
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Nonbinary fourth-grader Riley and their friends explore one of their favorite parks, but it isn't as fun as they remember. There isn't fancy new equipment or food trucks or a soccer pitch. But this small park has something other parks don't have, and by the end of the day Riley and their friends realize why it's so special.
Riley Reynolds Slays the Play
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It's one hour until the curtain goes up, and nonbinary fourth-grader Riley and their classmates just had a disastrous dress rehearsal. How can they fix everything in time? Riley and their classmates find out that there are many ways to solve a problem, especially when the clock is ticking and fun is on the line!
Wednesday Wilson Fixes All Your Problems
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In this second title in the early chapter book series about everyone's favorite young entrepreneur, Wednesday Wilson is only trying to help her brother when her latest business idea strikes! Sometimes the best business ideas pop up when you least expect them. Or that's what happens to Wednesday Wilson, anyway, the morning her brother, Mister, locks himself in the bathroom because he's nervous about a school presentation. When classmate Emmet convinces Mister that a worry stone will calm his nerves, Wednesday offers Mister her marble -- with the promise that a Worry Marble will fix all his problems! But then Wednesday starts thinking about just how many things kids get nervous about. And, hmm, she does happen to have a whole collection of marbles. Has Wednesday just hit entrepreneurial gold? This is the second title in the early chapter book series by Bree Galbraith that follows the ever-evolving, but always entertaining, antics of girl entrepreneur Wednesday Wilson. The highly engaging series encourages ingenuity, creative thinking and resourcefulness. It's also loads of fun! Wednesday's enthusiasm and energy and her one-of-a-kind take on the world will delight and inspire. Short chapters enhanced by Morgan Goble's illustrations along with lists and clever business-themed definitions help bridge the gap for emerging readers. Wednesday has two moms, one is Black and one white, and the story features an expanding diverse cast of BIPOC and disabled characters. It also contains character education lessons on initiative and perseverance.
Wednesday Wilson Gets down to Business
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The most important thing to know about Wednesday Wilson is that she's an entrepreneur. She hasn't started any businesses yet, but she's pretty sure today is the day. She and her best friend, Charlie (Wednesday's future Vice President of Operations), with some help from her little brother, Mister, have made a list of potential businesses. But before they get to move forward on one, there's an unfortunate incident in class with the Emmas (whose last initials happen to spell M.E.A.N.) It figures that Wednesday's archnemeses would be the ones to mess up her plans! But maybe this is just the opportunity Wednesday and her friends needed to come up with a brilliant business idea that will save the day and make them millionaires. Or... not?
Genius Jolene
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On her annual trip in her father's 18-wheeler, eight-year-old Jolene is headed to Los Angeles on a six-day road trip to deliver some newsprint with her dad. Just like last year, they tell each other stories and listen to music. They also keep up their favorite tradition: critiquing one type of food at every stop. This time it's onion rings. But this year is also different. Unlike last year, Jolene's parents are no longer together. They split up when her father came out as gay. These are big changes for Jolene, but she is spunky and smart and has a good heart. She's ready for new adventures and to stand up for what's right--both on and off the road.
Sink or Swim! (Batcat Book #2)
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Batcat is back in an original graphic novel about facing your fears and making new friends along the way. Batcat and Al the Ghost are great roommates--Batcat even shares their eye scream occasionally--but sometimes Batcat still craves solo them time. When Batcat visits the Mermaid Lagoon for a relaxing day of reading all by themself, they discover the local mermaids in hysterics all over the beach--so much for quiet day on the sand! It appears that something has drained the color from all the mermaid's tails, and they won't leave Batcat alone until the half-bat, half-cat reluctantly agrees to help find out what happened. With a bag of the mermaid's famous fish tacos on the line, Batcat will meet more zany inhabitants of Spooky Island and overcome their greatest anxiety in order to solve this colorful mystery! In Batcat:Sink or Swim!, cartoonist Meggie Ramm has done it again, crafting a fantastic story about friendship and finding the courage to face your fears. Batcat series: Batcat (#1) Batcat: Sink or Swim! (#2)
Batcat (Batcat Book 1)
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First in a full-color graphic novel series for emerging readers about accepting yourself and others from up-and-coming author-illustrator Meggie Ramm, creator of the comic strip The Littlest Dungeon Guard and cohost of the Pop! Whiz! Bang! comics podcast. Batcat loves being all alone in their home on Spooky Island. Up in their tree house, they pass the time playing video games and watching TV. But when Batcat suddenly finds themself haunted by an annoying, ice cream-stealing ghost, they visit the local Island Witch for a spell to remove their ghastly guest permanently! With their Ghost-B-Gone spell in hand, Batcat travels across Spooky Island to gather ingredients--to the Cavernous Caves where the bats tell them they're too round to be a bat, and to the Whispering Cemetery where the cats will help only if they commit to being a true cat. But Batcat is neither and that's what makes them special, right? From up-and-coming author Meggie Ramm comes a sweet and fun story about accepting yourself when you're perfectly in between here and there.