Language
  • Sign In
  • Create an Account
My Cart
Toggle Nav
Search
Advanced Search
  • Compare Products
Menu
Account

Culturally Relevant Trade Books

Reycraft Books Culturally Relevant Trade Book Libraries

Reflecting the Voice and Vision of All Children

Connect children to the world around them through books that inform, inspire, and reflect their experiences.

  • Authentic stories by authors and illustrators from underrepresented communities
  • Award-winning picture books, early chapter books, middle grade books, and graphic novels that call out to be read again and again
  • Curated collections and teacher support for every book that empower educators to affirm the unique identities of their students and build bridges to the world
  • Teacher support for every title!

Every child needs to know that his or her story is important—that it has value. We want to publish stories that have not yet been told, and the stories of children whose voices have not yet been heard.

—Sera Reycraft, Publisher

Engaging, exquisitely illustrated books, sometimes funny, sometimes touching, captivate young readers as they see themselves portrayed in print. These are books they will want to read again and again—providing them with mirrors, windows, and sliding doors to the world. 

Spotted Tail 

written by David Heska Wanbli Weiden and illustrated by Jim Yellowhawk & Pat Kinsella

This biography of Spotted Tail traces the life of the famous Lakota leader who expertly guided his people through a pivotal and tumultuous time in their nation’s history as they fought and then negotiated with the U.S. government. Spotted Tail is remembered for his unique leadership style and deep love for his people. Today, a university is named in his honor. 

AICL (American Indians in Children's Literature) Best Books of 2019

Finalist in the 2020 Colorado Book Awards Juvenile Literature

2020 Spur Western Writers of America Best Western Juvenile Nonfiction

2020 Best Books of the Year by Bank Street College of Education (Outstanding Merit Award)

The Library of Congress's Discover Great Places Through Reading Book List 2020

Dandan's Dream
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 and Bank Street Best Book of 2021

written by Xiaowen Zhu and illustrated by Yanling Gong

Dandan has always dreamed of visiting her father, who is away studying icebergs at the South Pole. Now, thanks to a new post office policy, she can mail herself there—but not without a few adventures along the way.

 

Woodpecker Girl
School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 and Bank Street Best Book of 2021

written by Chingyen Liu & I-Tsun Chiang and illustrated by Heidi Doll

A little girl was born with cerebral palsy, a condition that rendered her wheelchair bound. One day, her art teacher affixed a paintbrush to her forehead with a headband. From then, the little girl was able to express herself and freely explore the world through her paintings.

 

Call Me Max
American Library Association Rainbow Book List Selection

written by Kyle Lukoff and illustrated by Luciano Lozano

Max and Teresa, one of his best friends, are always finding adventure—even the kind that might get them into trouble. But Teresa doesn’t mind. When their class goes on a field trip to a local farm, Teresa convinces Max to sneak out after dark to see the baby piglets. When the mama pig voices her unhappiness, the squeals wake up the farmer and the entire class. How will Max and Teresa get out of this big, muddy mess?

 

More of Our Award-Winning Books:

·      Call Me Max

·      Dear Abuelo

·      Rice

·      Black Cat, Yellow Bunny

·      The Powwow Thief

·      Let’s Swap for a Day

·      The Reluctant Storyteller

·      One Afternoon

·      Grandma and the Rooster

·      My Big Family

·      Soraya & the Mermaid

·      Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls

·      It’s Okay

·      Storm Warning

·      Dolley Madison, the White House, and the Big Tornado

Reycraft Books feature award-winning authors and illustrators from underrepresented communities.

These authors and illustrators represent a vast tapestry of cultures, lifestyles, and experiences, and they share their unique voices and visions through their craft. They enrich children’s literature with their talents, opening new horizons to readers with their thoughtful and enlightening perspectives.

Featuring:

Christine Taylor-Butler is the author of more than 80 books and short stories for children. A graduate of MIT, she holds degrees in Civil Engineering and Art and Design. The mother of two, she lives in Kansas City with her husband, Ken, a tank of fish, and a cat who thinks she is both servant and head of the pride.

 

Kyle Lukoff has worked at the intersection of books and people for over half his life, first as a bookseller, then as a school librarian, and now as a writer. His is a Stonewall Award-Winning author. Kyle is transgender, like Max, and lives in a small Brooklyn apartment with six overflowing bookshelves.

 

 

 Joseph Bruchac is the author of more than 120 books for children and adults. His work includes poetry, short stories, novels, anthologies, and music, all reflecting his Native American heritage. Bruchac has received numerous awards for his writing, including the American Library Association Young Adult Fiction Award and the Western Writers of America Spur Award.

 

Rashin Kheiriyeh is an award-winning artist, author, and animation director who has illustrated over eighty children’s books internationally. She won the Sendak Fellowship Award in 2017 and the Bologna Book Fair Ragazzi Award in 2009. Rashin was born in Khorramshahr, Iran, in 1979. Since she was a little girl, her great passion was to become an artist. The beauty of Persian rugs and her interest in astrology inspired her to write and illustrate Bahar, the Lucky. She now lives in Washington, D.C., where she teaches art at the University of Maryland and enjoys illustrating for The New York Times, Google, and many amazing publishers around the world.

 

 

Wook Jin Jung was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is an illustrator and storyteller, as well as a graphic designer in the field of children’s education. He has illustrated many picture books, including Black Cat, Yellow Bunny, Robot, Go Bot!, I Am SuperKid!, and This Foot Needs a Shoe.

 

 

Ángeles Ruiz was born in Barcelona, Spain. When she was a child, reading was her favorite subject at school. That was where her passion for creating magical stories and picture books started. Ángeles paints with both traditional and digital brushes using textures and colors in her work to evoke magical environments and emotions. She has illustrated several books for children, including The Lost Kitten by Leyla Torres. Valentina and Monster is the first children’s book she both wrote and illustrated.

 

 

Teacher Support Included for Every Title!

Read-aloud Teacher’s Guides invite students to engage in conversation as they respond to, reflect on, and react to the books, and as they research to deep understanding.

  • Book Talks provide engaging summaries to captivate students’ imaginations.
  • During Reading Conversation Starters cite text evidence to spur discussion and foster deep thinking.
  • Social-Emotional Perspectives align to CASEL core competencies.
  • Book Recommendations suggest related titles to build thematic collections.
  • Respond, Reflect, or Research activities connect to social studies, SEL competencies, and the writer’s craft.
  • Real World Action promotes the exploration of perspectives and equity inside and outside the classroom.

Diverse titles provide a robust selection for whole-group and independent reading. 

Plus: A Teacher’s Guide for every title—available exclusively with Reycraft Books Collections!

Grades K-2

Engage, entertain, and enlighten young readers with wonderful writing, lovely artwork, and most of all, great stories. 

Featured topics in this collection include: 

  • Social-Emotional Learning
  • Cultures Around the World
  • Families

Grades 3-5

Inspire older elementary readers with authentic fiction, captivating stories, and dazzling illustrations.  

Featured topics in this collection include: 

  • Indigenous Peoples
  • Mysteries
  • Animal Facts

Grade-Level Collections Include:

Knowledge Strand Collections

Our exclusive grade-level collections for your school and classroom libraries are linked to the knowledge strands in your units of instruction. Supported by idea-filled Teacher’s Guides for every title, these collections provide reading opportunities that deepen content knowledge, broaden perspectives, and enrich your core curriculum. Collections are available in hardcover or paperback for Grades K-6.

10 Knowledge Strands:

Grade 1 Knowledge Strand Collection

Collections Also Include:

Brochure
Reycraft Books Knowledge Strand Collections Brochure

Celebrate diversity with deliberate collections centered around underrepresented groups. 

Plus: A Teacher’s Guide for every title—available exclusively with Reycraft Books Collections!

Collections Include:

African and African American Collection

Asian Collection

Family and Community Collection

Graphic Novels Collection

Hispanic and Latin American Collection

Identity Collection

Kindness Collection

LGBTQ+ Collection

Middle Grades Collection

Native American Collection

Nonfiction Collection

Transitional Chapter Books Collection

And More!

Native American Collection:

Sample Collection

Collections include:

Identity:

·      Native American Collection – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

·      Asian – 61 Titles, 61 Teacher’s Guides

·      Asian (Middle Grade) – 7 Titles, 7 Teacher’s Guides

·      Hispanic and Latin American – 13 Titles, 13 Teacher’s Guides

·      African and African American Collection – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

·      LGBTQ+ – 6 Titles, 6 Teacher’s Guides

·      Children with Disabilities – 4 Titles, 4 Teacher’s Guides

·      Girl Power – 15 Titles, 15 Teacher’s Guides

·      Identity – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

Social/Emotional

·      Family & Community – 52 Titles, 52 Teacher’s Guides

·      Kindness – 25 Titles, 25 Teacher’s Guides

·      Friendship – 23 Titles, 23 Teacher’s Guides

·      First Day of School – 4 Titles, 4 Teacher’s Guides

·      Bedtime Stories –14 Titles, 14 Teacher’s Guides

 

Identity:

·      Native American Collection – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

·      Asian – 15 Titles, 15 Teacher’s Guides

·      Asian (Middle Grade) – 7 Titles, 7 Teacher’s Guides

·      Latinx – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

·      African & African American Collection – 5 Titles, 5 Teacher’s Guides

·      LGBTQ – 3 Titles, 3 Teacher’s Guides

·      Children with Disabilities – 2 Titles, 2 Teacher’s Guides

·      Girl Power – 9 Titles, 9 Teacher’s Guides

·      Identity – 10 Titles, 10 Teacher’s Guides

Social/Emotional

·      Family & Community – 18 Titles, 18 Teacher’s Guides

·      Kindness – 15 Titles, 15 Teacher’s Guides

·      Friendship – 14 Titles, 14 Teacher’s Guides

·      First Day of School – 4 Titles, 4 Teacher’s Guides

·      Bedtime Stories –5 Titles, 5 Teacher’s Guides

 

1-10 of 290 results

Sort By
  8. Oil-Paper Umbrella Trade Book (Hardcover)
    Oil-Paper Umbrella Trade Book (Hardcover) WW-NL6011

    A boy and his family flee their southern China town during wartime. With the Japanese army not far behind them, the mother falls ill. She forces the family to continue on without her and gives the boy one final gift—a red, oil-paper umbrella. Years later, the umbrella’s delicate beauty floods the boy with memories of his mother who, to him, was the most beautiful mother in the world.

    $18.95
    Number Level 30
Page
Show
Shop By
Shopping Options
Series
  1. Reycraft Books 151 items
Configuration
  1. Trade Book Set 147 items
  2. Single-Copy Set with Support 2 items
  3. Grade Level/Range Set 2 items
Genre
  1. Animal Fantasy 40 items
  2. Biography 25 items
  3. Fables 25 items
  4. Fantasy 49 items
  5. Fiction 86 items
  6. Graphic Story 45 items
  7. Historical Fiction 31 items
  8. Informational/Explanatory 12 items
  9. Informational Texts 54 items
  10. Legends 21 items
  11. Memoirs 2 items
  12. Myths and Legends 21 items
  13. Narrative 41 items
  14. Novel 49 items
  15. Nursery Rhyme 2 items
  16. Poetry 4 items
  17. Realistic Fiction 75 items
  18. Science Fiction 13 items
Grade
  1. K 60 items
  2. 1 82 items
  3. 2 104 items
  4. 3 116 items
  5. 4 90 items
  6. 5 94 items
  7. 6 30 items
Lexile level
  1. NP 92 items
  2. 310L 2 items
  3. 320L 20 items
  4. 330L 17 items
  5. 400L 24 items
  6. 460L 6 items
  7. 470L 36 items
  8. 480L 4 items
  9. 490L 52 items
  10. 500L 52 items
  11. 510L 22 items
  12. 520L 36 items
  13. 530L 40 items
  14. 540L 68 items
  15. 550L 3 items
  16. 560L 86 items
  17. 570L 80 items
  18. 580L 2 items
  19. 590L 32 items
  20. 600L 68 items
  21. 610L 4 items
  22. 620L 76 items
  23. 630L 38 items
  24. 640L 8 items
  25. 650L 28 items
  26. 660L 52 items
  27. 670L 36 items
  28. 680L 28 items
  29. 690L 19 items
  30. 700L 24 items
  31. 710L 13 items
  32. 720L 39 items
  33. 730L 40 items
  34. 740L 25 items
  35. 750L 50 items
  36. 770L 11 items
  37. 780L 23 items
  38. 790L 62 items
  39. 810L 30 items
  40. 820L 27 items
  41. 860L 2 items
  42. 870L 34 items
  43. 880L 22 items
  44. 890L 15 items
  45. 920L 17 items
  46. 960L 26 items
  47. 970L 28 items
  48. 1030L 32 items
  49. 1070L 13 items
  50. 1550L 31 items
  51. 1570L 4 items
  52. AD40L 19 items
  53. AD50L 17 items
  54. AD140L 15 items
  55. AD160L 10 items
  56. AD190L 23 items
  57. AD300L 23 items
  58. AD350L 2 items
  59. AD390L 2 items
  60. AD430L 19 items
  61. AD490L 30 items
  62. AD500L 47 items
  63. AD510L 19 items
  64. AD520L 35 items
  65. AD530L 10 items
  66. AD540L 33 items
  67. AD550L 41 items
  68. AD560L 37 items
  69. AD620L 17 items
  70. AD630L 2 items
  71. AD700L 25 items
  72. AD710L 17 items
  73. AD1170L 2 items
  74. HL370L 29 items
  75. HL660L 18 items
  76. GN430L 2 items
  77. GN630L 4 items
Theme
  1. 19th Century Communities 2 items
  2. 20th Century History 4 items
  3. A Changing Nation 2 items
  4. American Experiences 27 items
  5. Ancient Civilizations 7 items
  6. Animal Adaptations 2 items
  7. Animal Behavior 18 items
  8. Animal Life Cycles 25 items
  9. Animals 81 items
  10. Animals in the Neighborhood 2 items
  11. Arts and Culture 50 items
  12. Biography 19 items
  13. Biology 2 items
  14. Celebrations 25 items
  15. Civics and Citizenship 2 items
  16. Civilizations of the Americas 37 items
  17. Communities 57 items
  18. Counting 31 items
  19. Courage in Hard Times 41 items
  20. Culture 75 items
  21. Dreamers and Inventors 35 items
  22. Earth and Sky 19 items
  23. Earth and Space 21 items
  24. Economics 2 items
  25. Exploring the Sea 19 items
  26. Fairness and Equality 2 items
  27. Fairy Tales All Around 45 items
  28. Families and Friends 105 items
  29. Food for Health 22 items
  30. Food for Life 21 items
  31. Goods and Services 4 items
  32. Growing and Changing 35 items
  33. Growing Things 2 items
  34. Growing Up in Tough Times 37 items
  35. Health and Nutrition 24 items
  36. Historical Communities 6 items
  37. History 6 items
  38. Historical Biographies 23 items
  39. How To 4 items
  40. Invention and Technology 4 items
  41. Justice for All 2 items
  42. Life Cycles 17 items
  43. Life on Earth 15 items
  44. Living in Communities 6 items
  45. Looking Back, Looking Ahead 15 items
  46. Money 2 items
  47. My Body, My Emotions 32 items
  48. Myself and My Family 13 items
  49. Myths from Long Ago and Far Away 45 items
  50. Narrative Fiction 101 items
  51. Native American Voices 41 items
  52. Native Americans 32 items
  53. Neighborhoods and Communities 2 items
  54. Numbers and Operations 17 items
  55. Numbers in Real Life 2 items
  56. One World, Many Cultures 25 items
  57. Oral Traditions 25 items
  58. Our Changing Earth 11 items
  59. Past and Present 25 items
  60. People Who Changed Our World 2 items
  61. Plants 27 items
  62. Plants and Animals 11 items
  63. Process of Science 17 items
  64. Regions of the United States 2 items
  65. Revolutionary Times 2 items
  66. School 25 items
  67. Scientific Achievements 2 items
  68. Scientific Investigation 2 items
  69. Settling America 2 items
  70. Stories from Many Times and Places 23 items
  71. Stories of American Life 4 items
  72. Storybook Lessons for Life 32 items
  73. The American Revolution 19 items
  74. The Civil War 2 items
  75. The Colonies 2 items
  76. The Environment 21 items
  77. The Human Body 21 items
  78. The Solar System 2 items
  79. United States History 6 items
  80. We Get Along 19 items
  81. Weather and Seasons 21 items
  82. Words Shape Our World 37 items
  83. World Communities 6 items
  84. World Cultures 51 items
  85. I Have Feelings 17 items
  86. I Get Along with Others 18 items
  87. I Believe in Myself 1 item
  88. I Communicate and Collaborate 15 items
  89. I am Self-Aware 15 items
  90. I Build Positive Relationships 20 items
  91. I Treat Others Well 17 items
Book Format
  1. Hardcover 68 items
  2. PaperBack 68 items