For María Isabel Salazar López, the hardest thing about being the new girl in school is that the teacher doesn't call her by her real name. We already have two Marías in this class, says her teacher. Why don't we call you Mary instead? But María Isabel has been named for her Papá's mother and for Chabela, her beloved Puerto Rican grandmother. Can she find a way to make her teacher see that if ...

Miriam and her Jewish family leave New York City for a new life in a small town upstate. Her parents have bought a sad, run-down motel and plan to turn it around, but Miriam is struggling to face the challenges this brings. Two friends come alongside to help her, Uncle Mordy who comes for repairs, and Maria, the housekeeper. Another eleven-year-old, Kate, makes friends with Miriam, and together th ...

Everyone in the Yang family is a talented musician except for nine-year-old Yingtao, the youngest Yang. Even after years of violin lessons from his father, Yingtao cannot make beautiful music. Now that his family has moved from China to Seattle, Yingtao wants to learn English and make new friends at school. Still, he must make time to practice his violin for an important family recital to help his ...