Tales that inspire

9 Kilometers

Claudio Aguilera
(Eerdmans 2023)

Aguilera’s personal experience inspired this story of a boy who leaves home when it is still dark to travel 9 ­kilometers on foot to school. As the boy walks, he passes the time by trying to count his steps and ponders questions such as how long it would take a puma, a snail, or a ray of light to travel the same distance. The conclusion offers vignettes of other children around the world who must travel long distances to school, and can remind Western students they are blessed to have access to school in the home or via a car or bus ride. Gabriela Lyon’s illustrations extend to the front and back end­papers, providing an aerial view of the boy’s journey. Ages 5-9

How Do You Spell Unfair?

Carole Boston Weatherford
(Candlewick 2023)

MacNolia Cox wasn’t like other children her age: She enjoyed reading the dictionary and studying the meanings and spellings of words. In 1936, her fascination with words helped her win her school’s spelling bee and then place first at the Beacon Journal’s bee in Akron, Ohio. Her prize included $25 and a chance to compete in Washington, D.C., at the National Spelling Bee. There she faced repugnant racism and prejudice, but her journey would pave the way for future black spellers to overcome the barriers of discrimination. Frank Morrison’s oil paint illustrations add richness to the story, while a prologue and epilogue provide helpful background material related to MacNolia’s story. Ages 6-10

Zap! Clap! Boom!

Laura Purdie Salas
(Bloomsbury 2023)

In poetic verse, Salas uses vivid description and strong action verbs to show the unfolding and progression of a summer thunderstorm. As children listen to the rhyming lines, they will be delighted with Elly MacKay’s mixed media illustrations, which offer a beautiful mix of colors to capture the intensity of a storm and the post-storm lushness. “Flicker, flitter, skitter, flash! Pounding, sounding distant, crash! Sky is churning. Breeze blows stronger. Dry for now, but not much ­longer.” For children fearful of storms, the story (along with the concluding author’s note explaining the science behind storms) could help them replace fear with healthy awe for God’s weather ­wonders. Ages 3-6

Food for Hope

Jeff Gottesfeld
(Creston Books 2023)

What started as a search to answer the question of who invented food banks led Gottesfeld to the story of John van Hengel, an unassuming man who overcame personal hardship and renewed his faith before starting the first U.S. food bank. The story traces van Hengel’s innovative idea to take discarded food from grocery stores and other suppliers and then redistribute it to those in need. Some donations were odd (5,000 live chickens) and others memorable (1 million chocolate Easter bunnies), but the food bank was so effective that van Hengel would later create the Second Harvest network to establish more food banks around the country. An inspiring story showcasing how God uses willing ­servants. Ages 6-10