Sunday concludes Long Beach Reads One Book, where all over Long Beach, people have been reading and discussing The Soloist by Steve Lopez. While this book is aimed at an adult audience, The Soloist has many themes that can be shared with children.
Themes:
Friendship, Music, Art, Homelessness, Mental Health, Journalism
by Chris Raschka
by Stephanie Calmenson
by Lloyd Moss
by Judy Cox
by David McPhail
by Lloyd Moss
by Catherine Cowan
by Thacher Hurd
by Bill Martin Jr. and John Archambault
by Jan Brett
More Picture Books to Share:
Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting; illustrated by Ronald Himler.
A homeless boy who lives in an airport with his father, moving from terminal to terminal and trying not to be noticed, is given hope when he sees a trapped bird find its freedom.
The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern; illustrated by Marni Backer.
When Lizzie and Ben discover a homeless lady living in their neighborhood, they must reconcile their desire to help her with their mother's admonition not to talk to strangers.
(Also available in Spanish:)
La Señora de la Caja de Carton por Ann McGovern; illustraciones de Marni Backer; traduccion de Ana Peluffo
Mutt Dog! words and pictures by Stephen Michael King.
A lonely dog finally finds a home after he makes friends with a woman who works at a homeless shelter.
Sometimes my Mommy Gets Angry by Bebe Moore Campbell; illustrated by E.B. Lewis.
A little girl copes with her mother's mental illness, with the help of her grandmother and friends.
The Teddy Bear written and illustrated by David McPhail.
A teddy bear, lost by the little boy who loves him, still feels loved after being rescued by a homeless man.
You and Me and home Sweet Home by George Ella Lyon & Stephanie Anderson.
Third-grader Sharonda and her mother help volunteers from their church to build the house that will be their very own.
Books for Older Kids:
Darnell Rock Reporting by Walter Dean Myers.
Thirteen-year-old Darnell's twin sister and the other members of the Corner Crew have doubts about his work on the school newspaper, but the article he writes about a homeless man changes his attitude about school.
The Dream Bearer by Walter Dean Myers.
During a summer in Harlem, David relies on his mother and a close friend and on an old man he meets in the park to help him come to terms with his father's outbursts and unstable behavior.
How to Steal a Dog: a novel by Barbara O'Connor.
Living in the family car in their small North Carolina town after their father leaves them homeless and virtually penniless, a young girl persuades her younger brother to help her in an elaborate scheme to get money by stealing a dog and then claiming the reward that the owners are bound to offer.
Monkey Island by Paula Fox.
A classic by Newbery author Paula Fox. Forced to live on the streets of New York after his mother disappears from their hotel room, eleven-year-old Clay is befriended by two people who help him survive.
The Song Shoots Out of my Mouth by Jaime Adoff; illustrated by Martin French.
An illustrated collection of twenty-four poems that celebrates the power of music, and its integral role in the lives of teenagers
What a Song Can Do: 12 riffs on the power of music edited by Jennifer Armstrong.
Twelve stories describe the power of music in young people's lives, from forming a community of individuals in a high school band to helping a young man connect to his Indian heritage through ancient songs.
