Karen Lynn Williams

Nothing seems to be going right for Julie Dorinsky. Her best friend, Abby is hanging with the gifted crowd, while Julie's struggling to keep up in school. She can't even read the notes Abby passes her in class. It seems as if everybody, from her snooty older sister, Alexia, to her baby brother, Bean, is smarter than she is. There must by one thing she's good at. In One Thing I'm Good At, Karen Lynn Williams has created a warm and winning portrait...

Young Roblay runs through his Somali village practicing for the big race, where only the fastest runners will be, declared men. He turns for advice to his grandfather, who tells Roblay of the mighty Shabelle River, which is strong and swift like a cheetah. Roblay must capture that spirit if he is to finish among the winners of the race and become a man. Inspired by her father's storytelling, Khadra Mohammed joins Karen Lynn Williams in retelling this...

Two young Afghani girls living in a refugee camp in Pakistan share a precious pair of sandals brought by relief workers. Includes author's note about refugees.

Beatrice, a thirteen-year-old orphan who lives with her older brother in Kibera, a slum in Nairobi, Kenya, describes her life at home and at school, including the daily walk, the overcrowded classrooms, housework, and her hope of becoming a nurse. There are approx 2.5 million slum dwellers in about 200 settlements in Nairobi representing 60% of the Nairobi population, and occupying just 6% of the land. Kibera houses almost 1 million of these people....