Title: Smoky Night

Author: Eve Bunting

Illustrator: David Diaz

Copyright date: 1994

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company

Summary: Smoky NIght is one young boy's account of the LA riots. During the night, his building catches fire, and his family is forced to evacuate. The boy's cat is lost in the confusion. Finally, at a shelter for those dispaced by the fire, a fireman brings the boy's rescued cat to safety. The boy also makes some new friends and helps everyone around him learn a valuable lesson about friendship and tolerance.

Media for illustration: Acrylics, watercolor, composite photography

Perfect student: This book is perfect for younger readers because the language is not very difficult to understand. It would also be good for students learning about history and multiculturalism.

Common Core State Standard: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas. This standard is for first grade, but I believe there are similar standards in other elementary grades as well and probably even higher grades. This standard works well with this book because the illustrations are award-winning.