Title: “The Oregon Trail – The Wagon Train Trek” 

Author: Jesse Wiley 

Age:  8-12–year–olds 

This “choose your own trail” book has more than 20 possible endings. It is based on the 1970s Oregon Trail Game.   

The reader is leading a wagon train to Oregon in 1855 and must make decisions about illnesses, forging rivers, facing wild animals, overcoming the weather, providing food and other dangers.   

How much do you trust your instincts? Can you keep the wagon train together?   

There are eight books in this series, and they are fun to read.    

Hope to see you soon at the library! 

Title: “Sulwe” 

Author: Lupita Nyong 

Illustrator: Vashti Harrison 

Reviewer: Sarah Laughmiller 

Sulwe’s skin is darker than anyone in her family and anyone in her school. All she wants is to be lighter and brighter, like her mama and her sister.  

Sulwe does everything she can to try and make her skin lighter – until one night when she goes on an adventure in the night sky and everything changes.  

Sulwe learns there is something special and important and beautiful in being dark. She learns she is gorgeous, and her dark beauty has purpose. 

The images in this book are magnificent and breathtaking. The message resonates with young girls tremendously: It is OK to be different.  

Our differences give us meaning and purpose. We all have our own unique gifts and looks that make us all special, and that is what makes each young lady beautiful.  

Sulwe embraces how dark she is when she sees how special that makes her.