Tamara Pizzoli

Nur and her grandmother Phoebe are searching for just the right place to scatter Nur's grandfather Benjamin's ashes. A quest for the perfect spot proves to be not only a walk down memory lane for Nur's grandmother, but a lesson in hope and destiny for the pair.

A 2023 Jane Addams Children's Book Award FinalistAn awe-inspiring autobiographical picture book about a young African American girl who lived during the shutdown of public schools in Farmville, Virginia, following the landmark civil rights case Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka. Most people think that the Brown vs. Board of Education decision of 1954 meant that schools were integrated with deliberate speed. But the children of Prince Edward County located in Farmville, Virginia, who were prohibited from attending formal schools for five years knew differently, including Yolanda. Told by Yolanda Gladden herself, cowritten by Dr. Tamara Pizzoli and with illustrations by Keisha Morris, When the Schools Shut Down is a true account of the unconstitutional effort by white lawmakers of this small Virginia town to circumvent racial justice by denying an entire generation of children an education. Most importantly, it is a story of how one community triumphed together, despite the shutdown.

Tam and Tiff have been best friends since before they were born. Their favorite pastimes are riding bikes and window shopping at the toy store. When the pair want to purchase new playthings, they come up with a unique idea to make money, but an unexpected lesson awaits them both.

Since he was little, Spencer has always had a weakness for sweets. Years and years of sneaking candy and gum has done quite a number on his primary teeth, and before the damage goes any further, Spencer's family decides to tackle the candy conundrum once and for all--for the sake of Spencer's smile.

Paloma and her father have a weekend tradition. Every Saturday afternoon they have lunch together at Osteria da Fortunata, a traditional Roman restaurant in the center of Rome, Italy. The year 2021 marks 100 years that the restaurant has been open, and Paloma has the idea to celebrate. But a shortage of pasta proves to be a pickle that takes an entire community to resolve.

Unlike all of their girl cousins, Phoenix isn't that interested in pastimes that some would think girls like. When their favorite older cousin chooses them to be the flower girl in her wedding, Phoenix is surprised. They do, however, end up making the role fit perfectly in their very own beautiful way.

Black is More than Just a Color is a celebration of Black culture, people, traditions. Based on a poem the author wrote in 2020, both the words and the art in the book are a love letter to all things Black and beautiful.

Elijah Everett is an elementary school student who's full of questions and comebacks, but if you ask the faculty at McPherson Elementary, he's full of trouble. When Elijah wins the chance to be Principal of the school for one whole week, some changes are made that shake up the school, staff, and students for good.

Gillian the giant is the youngest of a long line of BIG people. When she inherits land and properties, she finds that sometimes dealing with people who disagree with her is more trouble than what it's worth, so she packs up her belongings and moves to a mansion in the sky. To reach her, it's necessary to take a hot air balloon ride. Genevieve Gibson, a young girl who's curious about just who Gillian the giant is, makes an unexpected journey to find out just that.

Corona Soup is a heartwarming tale about a young girl named Gaia who lives with her family in Rome, Italy. When a global pandemic strikes, and everyone in the country is ordered to stay home and keep their distance from others, Gaia comes up with an innovative way to check on a neighbor who is dear to the entire community.

Spencer Stanford is a curious kid, and he spends a lot of time pondering. Whether or not Santa really exists is a question he's asked himself for quite some time. As the holiday season approaches, Spencer decides to find out just who Santa is, and what he's all about.