Books like 'Thunder Cake'
Readers who enjoyed Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
historical realistic family culinary historical-fiction children poc-mc season-summer classics outdoors
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Kukum by Michel Jean
Rated: 4.61 of 5 stars · 18 ratings«C'est un de ces soirs où je trayais les vaches dans la lumière du soleil couchant que je l'ai vu pour la première fois. Un canot est apparu, descendant en silence la rivière. Un homme torse nu, à la peau cuivrée, ramait sans se presser, se laissant pousser par le courant. Il paraissait à peine plus âgé que moi. Nos regards se sont croisés. Il n'a pas souri. Et je n'ai pas eu peur... -
Watercress by Andrea Wang
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsGathering watercress by the side of the road brings a girl closer to her family's Chinese Heritage.Driving through Ohio in an old Pontiac, a young girl's parents stop suddenly when they spot watercress growing wild in a ditch by the side of the road... -
Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsGreat-aunt Runfio was once a little girl who loved the sea, longed to visit faraway places, and wished to do something to make the world more beautiful...Categorized as:
children classics family historical-fiction outdoors realistic season-spring action-adventure -
Let the Children March by Monica Clark-Robinson
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsI couldn't play on the same playground as the white kids.I couldn't go to their schools.I couldn't drink from their water fountains.There were so many things I couldn't do. In 1963 Birmingham, Alabama, thousands of African American children volunteered to march for their civil rights after hearing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak...Categorized as:
historical-fiction children poc-mc family realistic friendship children-books social-commentary -
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The Empty Pot by Demi
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAn IRA-CBC Children's Choice.An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists."When Ping admits that he is the only child in China unable to grow a flower from the seeds distributed by the Emperor, he is rewarded for his honesty... -
Farmhouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsTwo-time Caldecott Medalist Sophie Blackall invites readers to peek through windows that shine like real glass on this lavish book’s cover, and explore the dollhouse-like world of a beloved farmhouse where twelve children were born and raised.Over a hill, at the end of a road, by a glittering stream that twists and turns stands a farmhouse...Categorized as:
family historical-fiction realistic children children-books fiction historical multigenerational -
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsTwo boys—one black, one white—are best friends in the segregated 1960s South in this picture book about friends sticking together through thick and thin.John Henry swims better than anyone I know. He crawls like a catfish, blows bubbles like a swamp monster, but he doesn’t swim in the town pool with me. He’s not allowed. Joe and John Henry are a lot alike...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic season-summer black-mc -
My Powerful Hair by Carole Lindstrom
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsFrom the award-winning and bestselling author of We Are Water Protectors comes an empowering picture book about family history, self-expression, and reclaiming your identityOur ancestors say our hair is our memories,our source of strength and power,a celebration of our lives.Mom never had long hair—she was told it was too wild. Grandma couldn’t have long hair—hers was taken from her... -
Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.39 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsAfter being initiated into a neighbor's family by a solemn backyard ceremony, a young Russian American girl and her African American brothers' determine to buy their gramma Eula a beautiful Easter hat. But their good intentions are misunderstood, until they discover just the right way to pay for the hat that Eula's had her eye on. A loving family story woven from the author's childhood...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic season-spring -
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale by John Steptoe
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsA Caldecott Honor and Reading Rainbow book, this memorable retelling of Cinderella is perfect for introducing children to the fairy tale as well as the history, culture, and geography of the African nation of Zimbabwe.Inspired by a traditional African folktale, this is the story of Mufaro, who is proud of his two beautiful daughters... -
The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.35 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsThis 25th anniversary edition of a beloved and bestselling classic about family and tradition includes fifteen pages of bonus material.“We will make a quilt to help us always remember home,” Anna’s mother said. “It will be like having the family in backhome Russia dance around us at night.” And so it was... -
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Arthur Pober
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsFollowing Sterling's spectacularly successful launch of its children's classic novels (240,000 books in print to date),comes a dazzling new series: Classic Starts. The stories are abridged; the quality is complete. Classic Starts treats the world's beloved tales (and children) with the respect they deserve--all at an incomparable price... -
The Gardener by Sarah Stewart
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsBy the author-and-illustrator team of the bestselling The LibraryLydia Grace Finch brings a suitcase full of seeds, plenty of stationery, and a passion for gardening to the big gray city, where she goes to stay with her Uncle Jim, a cantankerous baker. There she initiates a gradual transformation, brightening the bakery and bringing smiles to customers' faces with the flowers she grows...Categorized as:
children family friendship historical-fiction outdoors realistic season-spring season-summer -
Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA lavish new picture book from Caldecott-winner Sophie Blackall that will transport readers to the seaside in timeless, nautical splendor!Watch the days and seasons pass as the wind blows, the fog rolls in, and icebergs drift by. Outside, there is water all around...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction outdoors realistic season-summer -
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Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsAn international bestseller: Grace learns that she can be anything she wants...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic action-adventure -
New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsElla Mae is used to wearing her cousin's hand-me-down shoes—but when her latest pair is already too tight, she's thrilled at the chance to get new shoes.But at the shoe store, Ella Mae and her mother have to wait until there are no white customers to serve first...Categorized as:
historical-fiction realistic poc-mc friendship children family historical children-books -
Eleven by Tom Rogers
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsAlex Douglas always wanted to be a hero. But nothing heroic ever happened to Alex. Nothing, that is, until his eleventh birthday. When Alex rescues a stray dog as a birthday gift to himself, he doesn't think his life can get much better. Radar, his new dog, pretty much feels the same way. But this day has bigger things in store for both of them. This is a story about bullies and heroes...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction realistic action-adventure book -
Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFriends from different backgrounds come together in a heartwarming picture book that is perfect for Passover, from beloved children's book author Patricia Polacco!Larnel doesn't know his neighbor, Mrs. Katz, very well, until he asks her to adopt an abandoned kitten. Mrs. Katz agrees on one condition: that Larnel helps her take care of the kitten she names Tush... -
A Daughter’s Return by Josephine Cox
Rated: 4.36 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFlorence Stanville is a woman with a past. When she moves to Guisethorpe on the east coast of England, the townsfolk are intrigued by the glamorous and mysterious stranger. Florence doesn’t care about the gossips – she’s drawn to the peaceful seaside town by the pull of her childhood, when she lived for a brief but happy time with her beloved late mother... -
Madeline and the Bad Hat by Ludwig Bemelmans
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Spanish Ambassador has moved next door, and Madeline knows right away that his son, Pepito, is bad news... -
Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey, Frank Scardino
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsWith their mothers, a little girl and a bear cub pick blueberries in the country. Wandering astray, however, each one mistakes the other's mother for her own... -
Paddle-to-the-Sea by Holling Clancy Holling
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA 1942 Caldecott Honor Book A young Indian boy carves a little canoe with a figure inside and names him Paddle-to-the-Sea. Paddle's journey, in text and pictures, through the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean provides an excellent geographic and historical picture of the region...Categorized as:
animals children classics historical-fiction outdoors poc-mc realistic action-adventure -
When I Was Young in the Mountains by Cynthia Rylant, Diane Goode
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsFor twenty years, Cynthia Rylant's story of childhood in the Appalachian Mountains has been an enduring favorite. Growing up in the mountains is depicted with a spare, lyrical text and beautiful, tender illustrations by Diane Goode. The book was awarded a Caldecott Honor Medal... -
Then There Were Five by Elizabeth Enright
Rated: 4.26 of 5 stars · 19 ratingsWith Father in Washington and Cuffy, their housekeeper, away visiting a sick cousin, almost anything might happen to the Melendy kids left behind at the Four-Story Mistake. In the Melendy family, adventures are inevitable: Mr...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century -
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Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months by Maurice Sendak
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 43 ratingsMaurice Sendak, the Caldecott Medal-winning creator of the iconic Where the Wild Things Are, created a warmly loved classic book of months, in verse, with Chicken Soup with Rice.This rhyming book cleverly uses a little boy’s love for soup to teach children the months of the year and features Sendak’s imaginative drawings and lyrical verses... -
Rechenka's Eggs by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsOld Babushka, known throughout all of Moskva for her beautifully painted eggs, is preparing her eggs for the Easter Festival when she takes in an injured goose. She names the goose Rechenka, and they live happily together until one day when Rechenka accidentally overturns a basket, breaking all of Babushka's lovingly crafted eggs... -
Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeanette Winter
Rated: 4.29 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsIllus. in full color. "Winter's story begins with a peg-leg sailor who aids slaves on their escape on the Underground Railroad. While working for plantation owners, Peg Leg Joe teaches the slaves a song about the drinking gourd (the Big Dipper). A couple, their son, and two others make their escape by following the song's directions... -
The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 28 ratingsA VERY classic from Eric Carle, creator of The Very Hungry CaterpillarEarly one morning a little spider spins her web on a fence post. One by one, the animals of the nearby farm try to distract her, yet the busy little spider keeps diligently at her work... -
Peek-A-Boo!: 9 by Janet Ahlberg, Allan Ahlberg
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe classic children's game book, now in a delightful miniature edition. Busy scenes of family activity alternate with pages featuring a die-cut hole and a cheerful baby overlooking the familiar chaos. Full-color illustrations throughout...Categorized as:
children classics family historical-fiction book children-books female-author fiction -
The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsPing was an adventurous duck who lived on a beautiful wise-eyed boat on the Yangtze River. He liked his life on the riverboat just and liked his large family and his kind master. He didn't like to be the last in line to board the boat at night, for that unlucky duck got a loud spank... -
Flower Fairies of the Summer by Cicely Mary Barker
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsExperience the beauty and the magic of Cicely Mary Barker's famous Flower Fairies, with a new edition of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies of the Summer.The magic and loveliness of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairies is being reissued with an updated, contemporary look that is a perfect gift for Flower Fairies fans and a new generation of readers... -
Betsy-Tacy and Tib by Maud Hart Lovelace
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThree of a Kind Betsy and Tacy are best friends. Then Tib moves into the neighborhood and the three of them start to play together. The grown-ups think they will quarrel, but they don't. Sometimes they quarrel with Betsy's and Tacy's bossy big sisters, but they never quarrel among themselves.They are not as good as they might be...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction poc-mc realistic 20th-century -
The Story That Cannot Be Told by J. Kasper Kramer
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA powerful middle grade debut that weaves together folklore and history to tell the story of a girl finding her voice and the strength to use it during the final months of the Communist regime in Romania in 1989.Ileana has always collected stories... -
Fiona's Lace by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAn Irish family stays together with the help of Fiona’s talent for making one-of-a-kind lace in this heartwarming immigration story from the New York Times bestselling creator of The Keeping Quilt.Many years ago, times were hard in all of Ireland, so when passage to America becomes available, Fiona and her family travel to Chicago...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc season-spring realistic children-books historical -
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Nell Plants a Tree by Anne Wynter
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsThis gorgeous picture book shows how one little girl’s careful tending of a pecan tree creates the living center of a loving, intergenerational Black family. For Earth Day and every day! Perfect for fans of Matt de la Peña and Oge Mora...Categorized as:
outdoors family children poc-mc historical-fiction realistic season-spring children-books -
Overground Railroad by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsA window into a child's experience of the Great Migration from the award-winning creators of Before She Was Harriet and Finding Langston . Climbing aboard the New York bound Silver Meteor train, Ruth Ellen embarks upon a journey toward a new life up North-- one she can't begin to imagine...Categorized as:
historical-fiction family children poc-mc realistic children-books historical fiction -
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWhen Mary Ellen gets bored with her reading, Grandpa knows a hunt for a bee tree is just what she needs. Half the town joins the exciting chase, but it's not until everyone returns home that Mary Ellen makes a discovery of her own: Sometimes, even the sweetest of things must be worked for...Categorized as:
animals children family friendship historical-fiction outdoors realistic season-spring -
The Seven Chinese Brothers by Margaret Mahy
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA magnificently illustrated and authentic retelling of the classic Chinese folktale of the seven brothers and their supernatural gifts. "Exceptional... -
John Henry by Julius Lester
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThis review is from: John Henry (Caldecott Honor Book) (Hardcover)The story of John Henry fleshed out and made magical at the same time. The paintings are evocative watercolors, beautifully done. The language is an interesting mixture of puns and idioms. The story of John Henry is so compelling to my little boy that he resists reading the part where John dies because he just can't stand it... -
Queenie by Jacqueline Wilson, Finty Williams
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsIt’s 1953, the year Elizabeth is to be crowned Queen of England. Elsie Kettle can't wait to go to London to see the celebrations on Coronation Day. Elsie lives with her Nan—her mum works as a showgirl, so she's not around very often. Spirited and imaginative, but often lonely, Elsie longs for a best friend... -
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie dePaola
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThick clusters of vivid blue flowers, which resemble old-fashioned sunbonnets, cover the Texas hills in the springtime every year. These lovely wild flowers, known by the name of bluebonnet, are the state flower of Texas.This favorite legend based on Comanche Indian lore, tells the story of how the bluebonnet came to be... -
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by Tomie dePaola
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn spring, the hills and meadows of Texas and Wyoming are ablaze with the reds, oranges, and yellows of the Indian Paintbrush. How this striking plant received its name is told in an old Indian legend... -
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered by Gary Paulsen
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA young boy spends his tenth summer on his aunt and uncle s farm, where he is constantly involved in crazy escapades with his cousin Harris. On the Larson farm, readers will experience hearts as large as farmers appetites, humor as broad as the country landscape and adventures as wild as boyhood imaginations. All this adds up to a hearty helping of old-fashioned, rip-roaring entertainment... -
The Year of Miss Agnes by Kirkpatrick Hill
Rated: 4.17 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsA year they'll never forget Ten-year-old Frederika (Fred for short) doesn't have much faith that the new teacher in town will last very long. After all, they never do. Most teachers who come to their one-room schoolhouse in remote, Alaska leave at the first smell of fish, claiming that life there is just too hard... -
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Betsy and Tacy Go Over the Big Hill by Maud Hart Lovelace
Rated: 4.15 of 5 stars · 20 ratingsBetsy, Tacy, and Tib can't wait to be ten. After all, getting two numbers in your age is the beginning of growing up—exciting things are bound to happen. And they do! The girls fall in love with the King of Spain, perform in the School Entertainment, and for the first time, go all the way over the Big Hill to Little Syria by themselves...Categorized as:
children classics family friendship historical-fiction realistic season-summer 20th-century -
Flower Fairies of the Garden by Cicely Mary Barker
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsCelebrates and introduces children to the flowers and plants that grow in the garden by making them magical... -
LOS PREHISTORRATONES 10: ¡LLUEVEN MALAS NOTICIAS, STILTONUT! by Geronimo Stilton
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsGeronimo Stiltonoot and The Stone Gazette are in the running for the Stone Age Ratitzer: the award for the best prehistoric journalism! But their main competition is Sally Rockmousen, the ruthless host of Gossip Radio -- and she'll stop at nothing to win...Categorized as:
animals children friendship historical-fiction action-adventure book children-books fiction -
Flower Fairies of the Spring by Cicely Mary Barker
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsSuitable for all Flower Fairy enthusiasts, this title celebrates the annual rejuvenation of the natural world at spring and introduces children to the season's flowers by making them magical... -
Christopher Robin: The Novelization by Elizabeth Rudnick
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCapturing the heartwarming magic of Walt Disney Studios' upcoming Christopher Robin film, this novelization pulls fans back into the world of Pooh through a book that enables them to relive the story and revisit their old pals whenever they please...Categorized as:
animals children classics family historical-fiction myths action-adventure audiobook -
Babushka Baba Yaga by Patricia Polacco
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsBaba Yaga is a witch famous throughout Russia for eating children, but this Babushka Baba Yaga is a lonely old woman who just wants a grandchild?to love."Kids will respond to the joyful story of the outsider who gets to join in, and Polacco's richly patterned paintings of Russian peasant life on the edge of the woods are full of light and color...
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