Diverse Families

The Diverse Families bookshelf was created and funded through numerous grants. Due to lack of additional grants and the loss of key personnel, the project has come to an end. We have tremendously enjoyed creating this database and hope that it can help bring readers and books together.

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Mask of Shadows

Linsey Miller

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class, and to the nobles who destroyed their home. When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand -- the Queen's personal assassins, named after the rings she wears -- Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge. But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.
Masquerade (Micah Grey, #3)

Laura Lam

Micah and his friends have won the magician duel against Maske’s age-old rival—yet despite this glory, trouble still looms. Imachara is under attack by either the anti-monarchy Foresters, or a group even more dangerous. One blast damages the Kymri Theatre, forcing Micah and the others to flee to dingy rooms in a bad part of town and perform street magic to keep their skills sharp. Micah has a vision of the end of the world, and strange dreams of a grave robber stealing bodies. He that discovers many people in his life are lying to him, and he has no idea who he can trust. The Chimaera and the Alder’s powers have returned, and it’s up to Micah to stop the storm of the past from breaking.
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History

Art Spiegelman

An autobiographical and biographical cartoon in which the author explores his strained relationship with his father, an Auschwitz survivor, while also relating the story of his parent's experiences as Jews in wartime Poland, as told to him by his dad during a series of conversations they had years later in New York and Vermont.
Max: Best Friend. Hero. Marine

Jennifer Li Shotz

When Justin's older brother, Kyle, is killed in Afghanistan, Justin can't believe that his brother is really gone. Except there's one thing that Kyle left behind...Max is a highly trained military canine who has always protected his fellow soldiers. But when he loses his handler and best friend, Kyle, Max is traumatized and unable to remain in the service. He is sent home to America, where the only human he connects with is Justin, and he is soon adopted by Kyle's family, essentially saving his life. At first Justin has no interest in taking care of his late brother's troubled dog. However, the two learn to trust each other, which helps the four-legged veteran become his heroic self once more. As the pair start to unravel the mystery of what really happened to Kyle, they find more excitement--and danger--than they bargained for. But they might also find an unlikely new best friend--in each other.
Max's Fun Day

Adria F. Klein

Max and his good friend Don, who is in a wheelchair, have a lot of fun together, whether they are at the park, in the library, or at a restaurant.
Max the Champion

Sean Stockdale and Alexandra Strick

Max spends his day dreaming about competing in world class sporting events, and when he and his classmates--some of whom are disabled--prevail in a soccer match, he imagines they have won the World Cup.
Max, the Stubborn Little Wolf

Marie Odile-Judes

Papa Wolf expects his son Max to be a hunter, like other wolves, but Max has different ideas about his future.
Maxwell's Mountain

Shari Becker

After preparing to be an outdoorsman, Maxwell sets out to climb the mountain in the park.
Maybe Days: A Book for Children in Foster Care

Jennifer Wilgocki and Marcia Kahn Wright

Introduces the people and procedures involved in foster care, and the feelings, reactions, and concerns of new foster children. Includes an afterword for caregivers. Will I live with my parents again? Will I stay with my foster parents forever? For children in foster care, the answer to many questions is often "maybe." Maybe Days addresses the questions, feelings, and concerns these children most often face.
McKenna (American Girl)

Mary Casanova

Seattle fourth-grader McKenna Brooks, who lives for gymnastics, struggles with school work until Josie, a tutor confined to a wheelchair, helps her with reading comprehension and much more.
Me

Ricky Martin

In this New York Times bestseller, international superstar Ricky Martin, who has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide, opens up for the first time about memories of his early childhood, experiences in the famed boy band Menudo, struggles with his identity during the Livin' la Vida Loca phenomenon, reflections on coming to terms with his sexuality, relationships that allowed him to embrace love, and life-changing decisions like devoting himself to helping children around the world, and becoming a father. Me is an intimate memoir about the very liberating and spiritual journey of one of the most iconic pop-stars of our time.
Me and Mr. Mah

Andrea Spalding

Ian learns to adjust to his new home when he meets Mr. Mah.
Me And My Fear

Francesca Sanna

When a young girl has to move countries and start at a new school, her fear tells her to be alone and afraid. How can she hope to make friends if she doesn't understand anyone? Surely no one else feels the same way... From the award-winning author and illustrator of The Journey, this insightful and delicately told story shows that we can all find friendship and comfort when we share our fears.
Me & Emma

Elizabeth Flock

Eight-year-old Carrie Parker and her little sister, tired of living in an abusive environment, concoct a plan to run away, but their escape is thwarted by a shocking revelation that will change their lives.
Meeting my CASA: A Story with Activities

Adam D. Robe and Kim A. Robe

Designed to help foster children adjust better to changes in life, promote communication, and gain insight into a child's feelings and interpretation of the world around him.
Meet Polkadot

Talcott Broadhead

Meet Polkadot, big sister Gladiola, and best friend Norma Alicia, as they introduce young readers to the challenges and beauty that are experienced by Polkadot as a non-binary, transgender kid. Readers learn that gender identity is found "between the ears, not between the legs" and that biological sex and gender identity are not always the same.
Me, Frida and the Secret of the Peacock Ring

Angela Cervantes

Paloma Marquez is traveling to Mexico City, birthplace of her deceased father, for the very first time. She's hoping that spending time in Mexico will help her unlock memories of the too-brief time they spent together. While in Mexico, Paloma meets Lizzie and Gael, who present her with an irresistible challenge: The siblings want her to help them find a valuable ring that once belonged to beloved Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. Finding the ring means a big reward -- and the thanks of all Mexico. What better way to honor her father than returning a priceless piece of jewelry that once belonged to his favorite artist! But the brother and sister have a secret. Do they really want to return the ring, or are they after something else entirely?
Megan's Book of Divorce: A Kid's Book for Adults: As Told to Erica Jong

Erica Jong

Irrepressible, four-year-old Megan gives her own views on divorce.
Mei-Mei's Lucky Birthday Noodles: A Loving Story of Adoption, Chinese Culture and a Special Birthday Treat

Shan-Shan Chen

On her sixth birthday, Mei Mei puts on a special new dress and helps her adoptive mother make a traditional birthday dish from Mei Mei's home country, China, to share with her loving family. Includes recipe for Lucky Birthday Noodles.
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968

Alice Faye Duncan

This historical fiction picture book presents the story of nine-year-old Lorraine Jackson through prose and poetry. In 1968 she witnessed the Memphis sanitation strike--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s final stand for justice before his assassination--when her father, a sanitation worker, participated in the protest.
Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Meg Medina

Merci Suárez begins the sixth grade and knows things will change, but she did not count on her grandfather acting strangely, not fitting in at her private school, and dealing with Edna Santos' jealousy.
Merrow

Ananda Braxton-Smith

Enduring whispers about her absent mother's alleged merrow origins after her father drowns, twelve-year-old Neen questions her identity as she becomes increasingly torn between the worlds of the sea and her island home.
Mexican Whiteboy

Matt de la Peña

Sixteen-year-old Danny searches for his identity amidst the confusion of being half-Mexican and half-white while spending a summer with his cousin and new friends on the baseball fields and back alleys of San Diego County, California.
Mi abuelita tiene ruedas

Silvia Molina

No todas las abuelitas resultan tan simpáticas y cariñosas como la de María. Hay algunas que gruñen como ogros, otras que no dicen ni "pío". La de María, además de ser alegre, tiene ruedas sin ser bicicleta ni patín. A young girl describes what makes her grandmother special to her.
Mia's Family (All Kinds of Families)

Elliot Riley

Easy reader introduces a young girl and her two moms, highlighting their family dynamics, volunteer work, and celebrating diversity.