(4) K-3 Illustrated by Rodney S. Pate. Sammy, a young African-American boy growing up in the 1930s, wants to be a boxer like his hero Joe Louis, but his skills don't match his ambition. Eventually Sammy learns that it is persistence, not talent, that matters. Expressive, colorful illustrations accompany the worthy but heavy-handed story. A one-page historical afterword is appended.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) K-3 Translated by Eida De la Vega. Illustrated by Gregory Christie & Gregory Christie. This is the Spanish edition of Richard Wright and the Library Card, a story based on a fictionalized episode from Wright's autobiography. Seventeen-year-old Richard longs to read but is barred from the library because he is black. This doesn't serve as an introduction to the author, but the translation flows well, and the impressionistic illustrations are captivating. A brief note is appended.

Reviewer: Ana Maria Muniz-Leen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. Facing eviction because his mother has lost her job, Sonny contemplates leaving school to pay the bills but meets Smilin' Jack, a street jazz trumpeter, who organizes a rent party in Sonny's apartment. Set in a 1930s New Orleans black neighborhood, this upbeat and moving story with historical roots is effectively complemented with bright color illustrations that expressively depict the action.

Reviewer: Jack Forman

(3) 1-3 Illustrated by Cedric Lucas. Young James finds an old rusted golf club and starts practicing in an empty field, but his father tells him there is no room for a black man in golf in the 1950s. Undeterred, James gets a job as a caddy, and mentored by an older black man, he learns to play by the light of the moon. When his great skill is revealed one day, the white golfers start asking James for lessons. Gentle pastel and pencil illustrations support this quietly powerful story.

Reviewer: Deborah L. Thompson