After accidentally being thrown away, a beloved toy drummer boy goes on an adventure that eventually brings him back to a warm home, where he is placed near baby Jesus in a manger scene.

Li'l Dan, a slave on a Southern plantation, loves to play his drum. When a company of Union soldiers announce that the slaves have been set free, Dan has no place to go, so he follows the soldiers, who make him their mascot. But Confederate soldiers attack, and Dan discovers that he is the only one who can save his friends. The only children's book ever written and illustrated by legendary American artist Romare Bearden, Li'l Dan, the Drummer Boy was just recently discovered. Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. has written a personal introduction to the book, describing his own memories of the artist while Bearden created this memorable tale. On an accompanying CD, Dr. Maya Angelou, three-time Grammy Award winner for spoken word recordings, reads the text.

Carnival is coming, and the villagers of John John, Trinidad, are getting ready to jump up and celebrate with music, dancing, and a parade. Best of all, the Roti King has promised free rotis tasty fried pancakes filled with chicken, herbs, and spices for the best band in the parade. Young Winston dreams of feasting on those delicious rotis. But there's a problem: he's not in a band! Pondering his predicament as he wanders through the village junkyard, Winston makes a curious musical discovery that may be just the ticket to realizing his dream. With ingenuity and the help of his friends, Winston takes on the Carnival bands, drumming his way to victory and to the Roti King's prized treat. Musical text and sun-drenched paintings joyously transport readers to the Caribbean in this exuberant story inspired by the early life of Winston "Spree" Simon, a pioneer in the development of the steel drum

Would you ever run off to join the army, leaving your family behind? That's what nine-year-old John Lincoln Clem does in 1861. Determined to fight for his country, Johnny sneaks onto a train filled with men from the 3rd Ohio Union Regiment. Taken in by the older soldiers, Johnny becomes a drummer boy, and later, takes up his own musket. As the war rages on, Johnny experiences the brutalities of battle as well as the rampant illness and gnawing hunger in between. But the most dangerous part of Johnny’s journey is yet to come. Based on a True Story books are exciting historical fiction about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This title has Common Core connections.

Fred lives in New Orleans, where music fills the air and sounds out a beat that leaves everyone tapping their feet. It's no wonder that he dreams of becoming a musician and practices the drums every chance he gets. The only thing Fred loves more than practicing the drums is playing music with his friends, JT and EV. But to complete their band, the friends need a bass player. When they meet Little B, they know their band is complete, but Little B has a big problem. He has stage fright! Can the band learn to work together and overcome their fears?

The world-famous Christmas carol, retold and illustrated by the legendary European artist Bernadette Watts. A poor boy owns nothing but his precious drum, which he humbly plays for the people of his town. But when news comes of a newborn king, shepherds, strangers, and even common townsfolk travel from far and wide to honor him. The little boy hesitates to visit, convinced he has nothing with which to honor the child… Until the sounds of his drumming fill the winter night with wonder and happiness. Bernadette’s atmospheric illustrations depict this Christmas story with a charm that is second to none.