CCBC Booklists

CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.

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My Mother's Tongues: A Weaving of Languages

by Uma Menon

CCBC Review:

“My mother has two tongues. With one tongue, she speaks Malayalam. With the other, she speaks English.” Young Sumi (Indian American) explains that her mother changes the language she speaks depending on who she’s with and what she’s doing. With Sumi’s grandmother, she speaks Malayalam, her first language. To the cashier at the store, she speaks English. And to Sumi, she speaks a combination, “the two tongues . . . now woven together like fine cloth.” Sumi tells about her mom’s childhood in Kerala, India, speaking Malayalam at home. Her mom learned English in school, before coming to America, and speaks it with an accent. “A person’s accent holds hints about what their first language might be, or where they might be from.” Sumi’s first language was also Malayalam; she’s learned English, her second tongue, in her neighborhood and at school. She has other family members who speak even more languages. “My family reminds me that each language is like a muscle. It needs exercise and practice to grow strong.” One day, Sumi hopes to have a “tapestry of tongues,” to speak to people around the world. This welcome, purposeful story offers an accessible metaphor for the ability to speak multiple languages while matter-of-factly affirming the value in doing so. Warm, vibrant mixed-media illustrations are full of lively details of Sumi’s family and experiences. ©2025 Cooperative Children’s Book Center

Illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

CCBC Age Recommendation: Ages 5-9
Age Range: PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7) Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format: Picture book
Subjects: Asian Americans Families Immigration and Immigrants Indians and Indian Americans Malayalam Language Mothers
Diversity subject: Asian

Publisher: Candlewick
Publish Year: 2024
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781536222517
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Menon

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