guide to laura's books by grade
Book List
Laura Resau's Literary Novels
These novels fit in beautifully with Reading, English, Spanish, Geography, ELL, and most Social Studies curricula (Hispanic, Immigration, and Indigenous Peoples themes). These novels won awards and starred reviews, and were selected for prestigious lists.
Stand as Tall as the Trees: How an Amazonian Community Protected the Rain Forest (co-authored with Patricia Gualinga, picture book, Gr. K-5) An inspiring true story about how an activist in the Amazon worked with other Indigenous communities to protect and preserve their sacred lands and forests. Charlesbridge Press, also available in Spanish as Con la cabeza en alto. (July 18, 2023 release)
Star in the Forest (Gr. 3-6, Lexile 780, 150 pgs) When 11-year-old Zitlally's father is deported to Mexico, she takes emotional refuge in her trailer park's "forest" of rusted car parts. With the help of spunky neighbor Crystal, she tries to save her father by aiding a stray dog who she believes is her father's spirit animal. Delacorte/Random House, Spanish edition available as Estrella en el bosque with Scholastic en espanol.
Tree of Dreams (Gr. 4-9) When Coco fears her life in the family chocolate shop is crumbling, a dream leads her deep into the Amazon rain forest. There she discovers how far and wide her heart can grow. Scholastic, Story Water Press (audiobook available)
The Lightning Queen (Gr. 5-9, Lexile 790) An indigenous boy and a Romani (Gypsy) girl form a friendship in rural Mexico that spans the rest of their lives and embraces magic, music, and predictions of impossible destinies. Scholastic, Story Water Press (audiobook available)
What the Moon Saw (Gr. 5-9, Lexile 750) 14-year-old Clara Luna travels to Oaxaca, Mexico to visit the mysterious grandparents she's never met before. In their remote village, she discovers a part of the world and a part of herself she never knew existed. Delacorte/Random House and Yearling
Red Glass (Gr. 6-12, Lexile 800)-- 16-year-old Sophie takes a road trip from Tucson to southern Mexico and Guatemala with four unlikely companions, and finds herself opening up to love and adventure along the way. Delacorte/Random House (audiobook available)
The Queen of Water (Gr. 7-12, Lexile 890) Co-written with María Virginia Farinango, this true story begins in an impoverished community in the Ecuadorian Andes. As a seven-year-old, Virginia becomes an unpaid servant in a mestizo household, where she struggles to hold on to her spirit. At age sixteen, after escaping, she must rebuild her life and reclaim her indigenous identity. Delacorte/Random House
Laura Resau's Series Novels
These travel-adventure novels are great for fun, independent reading or book clubs.
The Indigo Notebook (Gr. 6-12) 15-year-old Zeeta and her flighty mother live in a different country every year. This year, in the Ecuadorian Andes, Zeeta helps an American boy search for his birth parents. With him, she encounters adventure, mystery, love, and ultimately, the truth about what she really wants. Delacorte/Random House (audiobook available)
The Ruby Notebook (Gr. 6-12) 16-year-old Zeeta's adventures continue in the French city of Aix-en-Provence, where the streets are full of musicians, mystery, and romance. Delacorte/Random House
The Jade Notebook (Gr. 6-12) The third and final book of Zeeta's travel adventures is set in a beach town in Oaxaca, Mexico where rare sea turtles nest. Delacorte/Random House