This bibliography suggests a selection of quality children's books to support and extend the themes of each Postcards from Buster episode. Most of these books should be available in your school or local library.

Phoenix, Arizona

America's Champion Swimmer: Gertrude Ederle by David Adler. Harcourt, 2000. An award-winning picture book biography of a talented, determined young swimmer.

Dear World by Takayo Noda. Dial, 2003. Thought-provoking "poems of address" and stunning artwork celebrate the beauty of the world around us.

Which Would You Rather Be? by William Steig. HarperCollins, 2002. Would you rather be a stick or a stone? A cat or a dog? A kid or a grown-up? Conduct surveys and create graphs, or create an original class version of this book.

Tucson, Arizona

De Colores and Other Latin-American Folk Songs for Children by José-Luis Orozco. Dutton,1994. Traditional folk songs come to life with colorful illustrations. (Bilingual: Spanish/English)

Desert Giant: The World of the Saguaro Cactus by Barbara Bash. Little, Brown, c1989. The giant saguaro cactus is home to a host of desert animals. (Also available in Spanish.)

¡Fiesta! by Ginger Foglesong Guy. Greenwillow, 1996. A simple counting book that starts with one basket ("una canasta") and ends with a "fiesta" (party)! (Bilingual: English/Spanish.)

Hooray! A Piñata! by Elisa Kleven. Dutton, 1996. Clara loves the piñata dog she picks out for her birthday party. How can she stand to see him whacked and cracked open? (Also available in Spanish)

Just Us Women by Jeannette Caines. Harper & Row, 1982. A young girl looks forward to a coming road trip with her Aunt Martha ("just us women"). She is excited about shopping with her aunt, taking walks wherever they please, maybe even finding ripe peaches before going home.

East Los Angeles, California

Angels Ride Bikes/Los ángeles andan en bicicleta by Francisco X. Alarcón. Children's Book Press, 1999. Bilingual poems celebrate the author's childhood experiences in Los Angeles.

My Diary from Here to There/Mi diario de aquí hasta allá by Amada Irma Perez. Children's Book Press, 2002. Amanda's family is leaving Mexico and moving to Los Angeles where greater opportunity awaits. Amanda records her sadness, excitement, hopes, and fears in her diary as her family makes the journey and begins to create a new life for themselves in LA.

The Red Racer by Audrey Wood. Simon & Schuster, 1996. Nona is sick and tired of her ugly old bike. She sees a shiny new Red Racer in the window of the hardware store, and decides she will do anything to get it-even if it means doings some things she shouldn't do.

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Los Angeles, California

Maxi, the Star by Debra and Sal Barracca. Puffin, 1999. Jim, a New York City taxi driver and his dog Maxi meet a Hollywood producer who thinks Maxi has what it takes to be the new star of the Doggie Bites TV commercials.

Rhinos Who Skateboard by Julie Mammano. Chronicle, 1999. Dude! These Rhinos really know to grind those curbs, rip through tunnels, and do some slick flips. See them tear up the town on their 'boards, and learn some of their lingo.

Skateboard Mom by Barbara Odanaka. G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2004. A young boy can't believe it when his mom skates away on his new skateboard. How will he ever get it back?

San Francisco, California (Dance)

I See the Rhythm by Tyomi Igus. Children's Book Press, 1998. With timelines and playful text, this book explains the history of African American music and how "the rhythm lives on" in hip hop.

Let's Dance by George Ancona. Morrow, 1998. All around the world, people love to dance. Find out about many different kinds of dances in these colorful photographs.

The Sound That Jazz Makes by Carole Boston Weatherford. Walker 2000. Art and poetic text presents the origins and influences of jazz, from ancient Africa music to urban rap.

San Francisco, California (Lucky)

Buster Changes His Luck by Marc Brown. Little, Brown, 2006. When Buster visits San Francisco's Chinatown, his luck goes from bad to worse. Will things ever go right for him again? Find out in this book, based on the Postcards from Buster episode "Buster's Lucky Year."

Fortunately by Remy Charlip. Parents' Magazine Press, 1964. A party invitation sends Ned on a big adventure. His luck keeps changing (from good to bad, and from bad to good) until finally he makes it to the party.

Lion Dancer by Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low. Scholastic, 1990. Colorful photos and simple text follow 6-year-old Ernie and his older sister Jenny as they celebrate the Chinese New Year and prepare to perform the Lion Dance on the streets of New York City.

My Chinatown: One Year in Poems by Kam Mak. HarperCollins, 2002. A boy from Hong Kong begins to feel at home in New York's Chinatown. Illustrated with stunning paintings, the poem cycle begins and ends with Chinese New Year.

Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn. Lee & Low, 1995. Sam has received lucky money for Chinese New Year. Now he must decide how to spend it. (Also available in Chinese.)

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Boulder, Colorado

Buster Climbs the Walls by Marc Brown. Little, Brown, 2005. Buster thinks he could never be a rock climber like his new friends in Boulder. When they take him to an indoor climbing wall, he quickly changes his mind. This book accompanies the Postcards from Buster episode, "Rock and Roll."

Courage by Bernard Waber. Houghton Mifflin, 2002. There are many kinds of everyday courage, like not eating a candy bar right away, or being the first to make up after a fight with a friend.

The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. Platt & Munk, 1990. In this classic tale of determination and hard work, Little Blue Engine manages to pull a stranded train full of toys and food over the mountain, chanting to herself: "I think I can. I think I can."

Hartford, Connecticut

Aunt Elaine Does the Dance from Spain by Leah Komaiko. Delacorte Press, 1992. When Katy's Aunt Elaine takes her backstage, she meets the other Spanish dancers. At show time, things take an unexpected turn.

Let's Dance by George Ancona. William Morrow, 1998. All around the world, people love to dance. Find out about many different kinds of dances in these colorful photographs.

Moses Goes to a Concert by Isaac Millman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Moses and his classmates are deaf. They go to a concert where they "listen" to the music with the help of balloons. Afterwards the percussionist, who is also deaf, invites them to try some of her instruments.

Mrs. Katz and Tush by Patricia Polacca. Bantam, 1992. Young Lionel and his elderly neighbor Mrs. Katz work together to care for a scraggly young kitten. It is the beginning of a long close friendship between two people of two different generations and cultures.

Cocoa Beach, Florida

Buster Catches a Wave by Marc Brown. Little, Brown, 2005. Surf's up for Buster when his new friends Joe and Forrest, from the Postcards from Buster episode "Riding the Wave," teach him all about surfing at Cocoa Beach in Florida.

Mrs. Armitage and the Big Wave by Quentin Blake. Harcourt Brace, 1997. When Mrs. Armitage goes surfing with her dog, Breakspear, quite a few surprises follow.

Rhinos Who Surf by Julie Mammano. Chronicle, 1996. These rhinos have no fear of mondo waves. They like to go vertical, slam the lip, and shoot the tube. A glossary helps explain the surfing lingo.

Miami, Florida

How My Family Lives in America by Susan Kuklin. Aladdin, 1998. Three children of different cultural backgrounds (Puerto Rican, Senegalese, and Taiwanese) share aspects of their daily life. At the end of the book, there is a simple kid-appealing recipe from each culture.

I Love Saturdays y domingos by Alma Flor Ada. Atheneum, 2002. Two sets of grandparents make this granddaughter feel extra special. On Saturdays, she visits her Grandma and Grandpa. On Sundays, she spends time with "abuelito y abuelita," her Mexican grandparents. Her birthday brings all her family together.

My Day/Mi día by Rebecca Emberley. Little, Brown, 1993. A simple description of a child's day in English and Spanish, with cut-paper art labeled in both languages.

My Grandmother Is a Singing Yaya by Karen Scourby D'Arc. Scholastic, 2001. Lulu's Greek grandmother loves to sing. She sings on the street and in the car- it can be a little embarrassing.