This Day In June

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This book is the story of a pride parade that is full of color and wonderful imagery. Readers of all ages will enjoy reading this story that is written in verse and gives an amazing picture of this community. This book also includes fact pages as well as discussion and talking points for teachers and families. At times discussion about the LGBT community can be uncomfortable, however, this book is a wonderful tool to use to have discussions with children about this important group of people.

A book that would be a great accompaniment to this one would be I AM JAZZ, which is the story of a transgender child, which is based on the life and experiences of a real person, Jazz Jennings. Having a book where the main character is a young child can help children identify with and make connections to these stories. Reading these books together can spark some great discussion.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Filled with saturated colors and vivid illustrations, this picture book uses rhyming couplets to convey the fun and exuberate feelings associated with a pride parade for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and families. The cartoon artwork is richly detailed and capture the "Banners swaying/Children playing." The diversity shown at the pride parade is realistic; both homosexual and heterosexual people, young and old, are depicted as well as individuals, couples, and families. At the end of the book, a "Reading Guide" provides explanations for the images and allusions in the book. Additionally, a "Note to Parents and Caregivers" offers suggestions for talking to various age levels of children about LGBT families. This beautifully illustrated book is a great addition to a school or personal library to add diversity in a responsible manner without contributing to stereotypes about LGBT people.—April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

Citation

Pittman, G. (2014). This day in june. New York, NY ILL by Kristyna Litten: Magination Press.

Does My Head Look Big In This

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In the life of a teenager there are many different things that are of great importance, but for many, defending their beliefs is not usually one of those things. This story follows the life of a young teenage girl, who has decided to wear a hijab all of the time. This creates some tension in her life as many people do not seem to agree with her choice. This story shows her bravery in standing up for what she believes in as well as many misconceptions that people may have about this culture.

This story would spark great discussion about how we treat others, as well as acceptance of people from cultures and belief systems different from our own. A book that would be a great companion to this one is ASK ME NO QUESTIONS, which follows the story of a young Muslim girl whose life is turned upside down after the events of 9/11. Both of these books bring up thought provoking discussion points, and would be great reads for high school students.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Amal is smart, funny, outspoken, a good student, and a loyal friend. She is also a devout Muslim who decides to wear the hijab, or head covering, full-time. The story tells of her emotional and spiritual journey as she copes with a mad crush on a boy, befriends an elderly Greek neighbor, and tries to help a friend who aspires to be a lawyer but whose well-intentioned mother is trying to force her to leave school and get married. Amal is also battling the misconceptions of non-Muslims about her religion and culture. While the novel deals with a number of serious issues, it is extremely funny and entertaining, and never preachy or forced. The details of Amal's family and social life are spot-on, and the book is wonderful at showing the diversity within Muslim communities and in explaining why so many women choose to wear the hijab, by the end of the story, she and readers come to realize that "Putting on the hijab isn't the end of the journey. It's just the beginning of it."—Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ

Citation

Abdel-Fattah, R. (2006). Does my head look big in this?. London: Marion Lloyd Books.

Rules

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This book, from the amazing author Cynthia Lord, follows the stories of a brother and sister. David is a young boy who has autism, and Catherine, his sister, has taken it upon her self to teach David the rules of everyday society. Simple things, such as when to and not to pull your pants down. Catherine records rules for David in a notebook, and is constantly adding rules as situations arise. One day while attending therapy with David, Catherine makes an unlikely friend and she discovers more about herself and her personality than she would like.

This book is wonderful for describing not only compassion and understanding for those with disabilities, but an understanding for those who may have family members with a disability. This book shows what everyday life is like for those with a disability and what hardships they have to overcome.

A book that would be great to pair with this one is THE MAN WHO LOVED CLOWNS, by June Rae Wood. This book follows the story of Delrita as she lives with an uncle who has Down's Syndrome. This book has a similar feel to RULES and would be a great story to bring up discussion as well.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. This sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME

Citation

Lord, C. (2008). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Paperbacks.

Year of the Dog

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This chapter book follows the story of a young Taiwanese girl who is the only one of her culture in her school, not counting her sister. But one day another girl moves to town who is of similar heritage. Our main character is quick to explain that while at home her name is Pacy, at school her name is Grace. Throughout the story the reader learns how important different cultures are, and how at times cultures can be dampened in order to fit in.

Readers will learn about not only the Taiwanese culture, from taking red eggs to celebrate a birth to planting vegetables in order to have certain foods, but how at times these cultures are merged or changed when people move to America. This story is one that shows daily life in the Taiwanese culture, as well as cultural traditions and holiday celebrations. Something that stands out is that at times people of different cultures are treated differently or mistreated for their culture, and they feel like they need to change or hide their culture. 

This book has a sequel, YEAR OF THE RAT, that follows the continuation of Pacy's story that began in this story. Readers will be interested to see how Pacy has continued her adventures as well as how her relationship is with her new best friend Melody.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

A light hearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist. At the end of the year, the protagonist has grown substantially. Small, captioned, childlike black-and-white drawings are dotted throughout. This is an enjoyable chapter book with easily identifiable characters.–Diane Eddington, Los Angeles Public Library Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Citation

Lin, G. (2006). Year of the dog. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group USA.

Drawing From Memory

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DRAWING FROM MEMORY follows the story of artist Allen Say as he realizes that his dream is to become an artist, and the journey he took to get there. This story could be confusing for younger readers to follow, as the storyline does not follow a clear path from page to page. The story is a mixture of paragraphs, comic boxes, drawings, and captions. Readers will be interested in the culture of this artist, as well as how his choice to become an artist was viewed by his family.

This story shows aspects of the Japanese culture in the regional literature theme. Readers are shown how children are raised in this culture, as well as what is expected of them. School customs are also shown in this book. Since the story is a biography readers will get a true sense of life in this culture, from daily chores, food, and family relationships.

A book that is similar to this one is one that is also reviewed on this blog, THE HOUSE THAT BABA BUILT. This story also follows a young artist in his culture, but this one is about China. Students can compare and contrast these two stories and the cultures they represent. They can also compare and contrast their culture with the ones in the stories, creating a three part venn diagram. This could be a perfect time for students to share interesting points about their cultures and their dreams.
This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

This "journey through memories" uses a scrapbook format featuring the author's photographs, sketches, drawings, and comic-style panels. Say shares his love of comics and the important influence they have in his art. The book is a poignant tribute to his mentor, Japanese cartoonist Noro Shinpei.α(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.

Citation

Say, A. (2011). Drawing from memory. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

The House that Baba Built

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This story follows the interesting story of a childhood in China. The illustrations in this story are a mixture of drawings and photographs pieced together. Almost every page of this story includes a pull out page that provides a larger illustration in key aspects of the story. Readers will see how children in Shanghai grew up and how they spent their time.

The theme in this story centers around regional literature. Readers will see the specifics of this region from someone who grew up in this area. Readers can see how in this area and time what was important to families, and what was important in this culture.

A great companion story to this book is DRAWING FROM MEMORY, which is also reviewed on this blog. This book also follows the story follows the story of a young artist in an Asian culture, but this time in Japan. Students could compare and contrast the similarities and differences between these two stories as well as the cultures the two artists grew up in.


This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Young's father builds a house for his growing family and for others who join them. Against the background of World War II, the author shares childhood memories of changing seasons, raising silkworms, and picnicking by the pool. This oversize book with foldout pages is illustrated with photos, drawings, and collage. Includes a timeline and a diagram of the house.α(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.

Citation

Young, E. (2011). The house that baba built. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group USA.

Rain is Not My Indian Name

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Cassidy Rain thinks that her life is perfect. She is about to, hopefully, have her first kiss, with who she has decided is the love of her life. She is a wonderful photographer and tonight is the eve of her birthday. After an interesting encounter with her best friend/love, she goes home. That night her friend dies, and Cassidy is plunged into a depression that lasts almost six months. Rain learns how get back to herself, a little at a time, through making new friends, getting closer with old ones, and getting back to her original interests.

While the main character of this novel is a Native American girl, and one of the main conflicts of this story centers around an event called "Indian Camp" there is very little representation of this culture in this story. The main area where the culture is represented is when Rain attends "Indian Camp" to take pictures for the local paper. 

An amazing young adult novel that represents Native American culture in a teenage perspective is Sherman Alexie's ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN. This story follows a main character who decides to get a better education through going to a school that is not in his reservation, a "white" school. Through this decision he is seen as deserting his culture and is shunned by his friends and other community members. This story is a great one for young adults to get a better perspective of the Native American culture in a contemporary realistic fiction novel.

This book was reviewed by School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Grade 5-9- There is a surprising amount of humor in this tender novel. It is one of the best portrayals around of kids whose heritage is mixed but still very important in their lives. As feelings about the public funding of Indian Camp heat up, the emotions and values of the characters remain crystal clear and completely in focus. It's Rain's story and she cannot be reduced to simple labels. A wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her "patchwork tribe."-Carol A. Edwards, Sonoma County Library, Santa Rosa, CA Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Citation:

Smith, C. L. (2001). Rain is not my indian name. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's Books.