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.

Code Talker

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From the beginning of this novel the reader is pulled into the story of a young Navajo boy, who at school is given the last name of Begay. The reader follows this boy as he grows into a young man and follows his dream of joining the Marines. Through this man's adventures and trials readers will see a side of WWII that is not much shown, the real story of Code Talkers, as well a the hardships they faced.

When reading this story, people will see a different side to Native Americans, specifically Navajos, that is not usually seen. Readers will learn about tribal rituals for different circumstances, including how the rituals are performed and how the different members of the community participate in these rituals. Also portrayed in this book is how these people were treated by "white people" when at school, and how their culture and customs were stripped from them upon entering school. Something else that will be learned about this culture in reading this story is how the Navajo people were treated even after fighting for this country and how their sacrifice saved our country.

To accompany this story students could research Code Talkers and how they helped in WWII. Another crucial item to research is the Navajo culture. Students need to understand both the Navajo culture as well as the contributions of this culture. Each student, or group of students could present their findings to the class in unique ways to demonstrate their understanding.

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

Grade 5 Up–In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac assumes the persona of a Navajo grandfather telling his grandchildren about his World War II experiences. Begay's lifelong journey honors the Navajos and other Native Americans in the military, and fosters respect for their culture. Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima. Nonsensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring, this is an eye-opener.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation:

Bruchac, J. (2005). Code talker: A novel about the Navajo marines of World War Two. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Crossing Bok Chitto

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Two young children become unlikely friends. After a short river crossing a young Native American girl and a slave boy meet while she is trying to pick berries for her mother. Over the years these two young people grow up in their respective cultures, continuing the friendship. One day, the young slave boy finds out in a sale his family will be broken up, so he turns to the only friend he has that can help him, the young Native American girl. She, along with her village, help the young boy and his family safely cross the Bok Chitto river.

This story shows the culture of both a Choctaw family, as well as a slave family. The reader, through the wonderfully drawn pictures, can see what the clothing and villages looked like for the Choctaw people, as well as the slave families. The theme of acceptance is one that is profoundly visible throughout this whole story.

To accompany this story, students could research the real Bok Chitto river and create a diorama of the area using the characters from the story. They could also research both Choctaw culture and the culture of the African American slaves featured in this story to better understand what is happening in this story. Each class can be broken into groups to research different aspects of this story to create one big project about this story.

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

Grade 2-6–Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s Mississippi. Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers. The layout is well designed for groups as the images are large and easily seen from a distance. This is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated, though the ending requires a somewhat large leap of the imagination.–Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Citation:

Tingle, T. (2006). Crossing bok chitto: A choctaw tale of friendship and freedom. El Paso, TX Ill by: Jeanne R. Bridges: Cinco Puntos Press.

Neighborhood Odes

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In this short book of poems Gary Soto paints a picture of a Mexican neighborhood. Each poem is filled with imagery, bringing the reader straight into the neighborhood. The poems are about things like the snacks that children like to eat, what mothers are doing while the children are playing, and how wedding ceremonies go. Some of the poems are illustrated with large, page filling black pictures, showing the reader what is in the poem.

This is a book where children of this culture can see themselves in the poems. This book depicts daily life in the Hispanic culture, such as a mother rolling out tortillas, children sneaking Chicharrones for a quick salty snack, and descriptions of folk tales told to children. Readers that are unfamiliar with this culture can see the markers within this book and begin to recognize what is important to this culture and what makes this culture unique.

An activity that could go along with this book could be for students to write poems about their neighborhood and/or culture. Then they could share their poems with the class and share about their cultures with the class. When all the children have shared their poems the poems could be put together into a book so that the students can look back at their work and the work of their classmates and gain some understanding of their peer's cultures.

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

Through Soto's keen eyes, they see, and will be convinced, that there is poetry in everything. The odes celebrate weddings, the anticipation of fireworks, pets, grandparents, tortillas, and the library. Although Soto is dealing with a Chicano neighborhood, the poetry has a universal appeal. A minor drawback is that the Spanish words are not translated on the page, but in a glossary; to consult it interrupts the reading. Still, children will surely recognize the joy, love, fear, excitement, and adventure Soto brings to life. Black-and-white illustrations blend well with the astute verbal imagery. Each selection is an expression of joy and wonder at life's daily pleasures and mysteries. --Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Citation: 

Soto, G. (1992). NEIGHBORHOOD ODES. Ill. by David Diaz. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc.

Separate is Never Equal

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This picture book follows the true story of Sylvia Mendez family and their fight to get the schools in their area desegregated. When Sylvia and her family moved to a new area for her father to run a farm and her aunt takes her up to the school to register the children in the family, they are informed that there is a Spanish school. After hearing this Sylvia's father is outraged and tries to find a way for her to attend the other school with all of the other children. He goes to many different people, hearing the same answer from everyone. By the end of the story, with help from other cultures and their groups, Sylvia and her family win two lawsuits, bringing in the law that everyone can attend the same school, no matter their race or skin color.

This book shows how, even during World War II, Hispanic people were still being segregated in the United States. The reasoning that the Hispanic students were not allowed to attend the school with the other students are unfounded, but show the example of how Hispanic people were treated in this time. At the end of the book the author includes pictures and a short description regarding the real Sylvia Mendez.

Even though it is a great deal longer, Echo is a great companion story for this book. Within Echo, one of the three stories is about Ivy, a young girl who is going through the exact same issue as Sylvia Mendez. When reading Echo, this story would be a great one to bring in more detail about this specific issue and time period.

This book was reviewed by Booklist, an excerpt of the review follows:

Grades 2-5. Pura Belpré Award–winning Tonatiuh (Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, 2013) makes excellent use of picture-book storytelling to bring attention to the 1947 California ruling against public-school segregation. The concise, informative text, with occasional and always translated Spanish lines, discusses how being banned from enrolling in an Orange County grade school because of her skin tone and Mexican surname inspired Sylvia Mendez’ family to fight for integrated schools. Soon they were joined by many others, including the NAACP and the Japanese American Citizens League, which led to their hard-won victory. Tonatiuh’s multimedia artwork showcases period detail, such as the children’s clothing and the differences between the school facilities, in his unique folk art style. An endnote essay recapping the events, photos of Sylvia and her schools, and a glossary and resource list for further research complete this thorough exploration of an event that is rarely taught. This would be a useful complement to other books about the fight for desegregation, such as Deborah Wiles’ Freedom Summer (2001) or Andrea Davis Pinkney’s Sit-In (2010).

Citation: 

Tonatiuh, D. (2014). SEPARATE IS NEVER EQUAL. New York, NY: Abrams.

Listen to the Desert/Oye al desierto

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This short picture book highlights common desert animals, as well as the sounds they make. Each phrase is repeated once in English then twice in Spanish. All of the illustrations are in a wonderful style that clearly represents the animals as well as their surroundings. 

This story highlights the Hispanic culture by introducing Spanish at an early age to young children through an easy book with repeating phrases. 

A connecting activity that can be done with this book could be for students to create a book of their own that includes animals from either their area or their culture. Students could use a similar phrase to introduce the animals on their pages. 


This book was reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, an excerpt of the review follows:

A rhythmic, lyrical bilingual chant suggesting the onomatopoeic powers of both tongues. Owl, dove, toad, snake, fish, mice, and rain complete a roster, supplemented by spreads whose pleasingly spare designs feature handsomely stylized figures beneath a mellow sky. A brightly decorative geometric motif runs through the pages to tie it all together. An attractive book for introducing the desert- -and a second language--to young children. (Picture book. 2-7) -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Citation: 

Mora, P. (1994). LISTEN TO THE DESERT/OYE AL DESIERTO. Ill. by Francisco X. Mora. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

The Crossover

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This novel tells the story of a young man and his brother, through elegantly written poems. While reading, this gave me a sense of hearing someone rapping the verses in my head. This was both a good and bad thing at the same time. While entertaining and interesting, for someone who does not follow this style of music, they may have trouble following this story line. The reader follows teenage twins Josh and Jordan as they learn about growing up when they are not playing basketball. At times the story follows the brothers as they make difficult decisions as well as near the end when they have to come to terms with a difficult loss.

This story is a contemporary realistic fiction with main characters who show the importance of family in this culture through poetry. By using poetry this novel shows the cultural marker that people see in Hip Hop, as mentioned in MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE AND RESPONSE, (p. 105)

Another novel that is similar to this one is BOOKED which is by the same author and is told in the same style. This novel centers on a main character, Nick, and deals with many issues that teenagers deal with today, along with many of the same cultural markers as in CROSSOVER. After reading these novels students can practice writing their own stories in the style of this talented author.

This novel was reviewed in School Library Journal, an excerpt of the review follows:

Despite his immaturity, Josh is a likable, funny, and authentic character. Underscoring the sports and the fraternal tension is a portrait of a family that truly loves and supports one another. Alexander has crafted a story that vibrates with energy and heart and begs to be read aloud. A slam dunk.—Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal.

Citation: 

Alexander, K. (2014). THE CROSSOVER. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Smolen, L. A., & Oswald, R. A. (Eds.). (2011). Multicultural literature and response. Santa Barbra, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

One Crazy Summer

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Like, SIT-IN: HOW FOUR FRIENDS STOOD UP BY SITTING DOWN, ONE CRAZY SUMMER is a story that represents an important aspect of African American cultural history. This novel is told in the perspective of a young girl named Delphine who is eleven years old. The novel starts out with Delphine watching her two younger siblings as they take a plane ride to see their biological mother in California. When the girls were very young their mother left and they to be raised by their paternal grandmother and their father. Instead of the exciting reunion that the girls thought that they were going to have with their mother, the girls are pretty much abandoned, and then they are sent to Black Panther meetings. Later in the story the girls see their mother, along with some Black Panthers, arrested. In the end they learn exactly what their mom is doing, what she is fighting for, and they gain a new respect for her.

This story illustrates an important time in African American history, and the historical perspective is very accurate. Even though the story is told through the eyes of an eleven year old girl, the reader can see the important cultural markers, including how families functioned within this culture, some language that is used by the African American culture, as well as how this young lady is perceived by others outside their culture. 

A book that is related to this one is BROWN GIRL DREAMING by Jacqueline Woodson. This story follows Jacqueline Woodson as she is growing up in different parts of the country, and through this story she learns the difference between growing up in the northern states and growing up in the southern states. She records her experiences of seeing marches and what she sees happen afterwards. This would be a great novel to illustrate these times in African American history through poetry.

This novel was reviewed in School Library Journal, the excerpt follows:

Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.—Teri Markson, Los Angeles Public Library

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Citations: 

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York, NY: Amistad.

Woodson, J. (2014). BROWN GIRL DREAMING. New York: Penguin.

Sit-In

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This amazing story tells of four African American men who staged a Sit-in at a Woolworths, where a sign on the front door stated "Whites Only". This book, told in simple sentences and short pages the author shares an important movement in African American history with audiences of all ages. This story includes the story of these four friends, as well as how this movement was effecting other areas of the nation. At the end of the story there is a timeline of the Civil Rights movement that is also creatively illustrated by Brian Pinkney. Lastly, there is a note from the author that discusses the actual people the book is based on, along with a black and white photo of the four friends.

As is discussed in MULTICULTURAL LITERATURE AND RESPONSE, this picture book cleverly illustrates a historical perspective of the sit-in portion of the Civil Rights movement. From the elementary age up, students will be able to learn about this important part of African American culture. This story, while written for younger students, does not dampen the importance of what was happening in this movement, but brings the language down to a level where students at a young age can understand what is happening, so they can understand the struggles that the African American culture endured.

A book that is related to this would be FREEDOM ON THE MENU: THE GREENSBORO SIT-INS. This story follows a young girl, Connie, as she witnesses the sit-in discussed in this book. Students can compare and contrast the two books and can have discussions on the differences in the perspectives.

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

Through effectively chosen words, Andrea Pinkney brings understanding and meaning to what four black college students accomplished on February 1, 1960, by sitting down at a Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. With swirling swabs of color that masterfully intertwine with sometimes thin, sometimes thick lines, Brian Pinkney cleverly centers the action and brings immediacy to the pages. Both the words and the art offer many opportunities for discussion. The book concludes with a civil rights time line and an update on the aftermath of the lunch-counter struggle.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.

Citations: 

Pinkney, A. D. (2010). SIT-IN: HOW FOUR FRIENDS STOOD UP BY SITTING DOWN. Ill. by Brian Pinkney.  New York, NY: Little, Brown, and Co.

Smolen, L. A., & Oswald, R. A. (Eds.). (2011). MULTICULTRUAL LITERATURE AND RESPONSE. Santa Barbra, CA: Libraries Unlimited.

Weatherford, C. B. (2005). FREEDOM ON THE MENU: THE GREENSBORO SIT-INS. Ill by Jerome Lagrrigue. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Koala Lou

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Readers will love this touching story of a young Koala, her mother, and her sadness over not being the apple of her mother's eye any longer. At the beginning of the story Koala Lou is the only child, and thusly, the favorite. Everyday she hears from her mother how much she is loved, and she cherishes hearing this. However, one day, when she has many siblings, she is feeling left out when her mother no longer has the time to tell her how much she is loved everyday. To fix this situation she decides to enter the Bush Olympics, which she is convinced will make her mother tell her how much she is loved once again. 

This story is set in Australia, where it's author is from. The reader is transported to the bush where they meet all of the animals that they would traditionally meet, and they are all drawn appropriately. Many different animals are represented and all are shown correctly, which shows the talent of the illustrator. The illustrator also shows some of the animal habitats so that the reader can get a sense of this environment.

Students can use this book as an introduction to a research project over the Australian bush. Students can create models of the habitats of the animals represented within the pages of this story. Also, students can research the different animals that are represented within this story to gain a better understanding of the Australian bush. 

This book was reviewed by Publisher's Weekly and an excerpt of the review follows.

Publisher's Weekly Review: Lofts's colored-pencil drawings portray the Australian flora and fauna beautifully, including a few of the more exotic species. Fox's book sends out a positive message to children about the wonders of being human: Koala Lou celebrates the eternal love of a mother for her child without the sentimentality of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever. Ages 3-6.

Citation:

Fox, M. (1988). Koala lou. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Naomi Emory

Dog in Boots

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When readers open this book they are greeted with a very adorable dog who is concerned with his shoes, or rather, lack thereof. In this story this dog encounters different situations and he decides that he needs different shoes for each situation. He then goes to the shoe maker and requests the shoe that he thinks he needs and the shoe maker creates it, but in the end, he figures out, with the shoemaker's help, that he had what he needed all along. The illustrations follow the story perfectly and they illustrate the feelings that the reader gets from the story as well. The illustrations create a sense of playfulness, and the reader is given a sense of what is going on very vividly.

This story includes cultural markers from its author, Greg Gormley. The story, while mainly focused on the precious dog, is given a glimpse of a shoemaker and his life. This glimpse shows readers what a shoemaker does and can do, as well as the culture involved.

Students can use this story during a unit on jobs, and they can discover the different ways that different shoes are made through making their own shoes. Also, students can research shoemakers and the developments that have occurred in the shoemaking industry.

This book was reviewed by Booklist and the review follows.

Booklist Review Excerpt: Dog bounds about happily and humorously with what he had all along, until the final spread and back endpapers, which hint at another sartorial adventure ahead that involves a red hood for riding. With a repetitive text filled with sly, kid-friendly jokes and comical, expressive acrylic paintings, this title exudes storytime fun.

Citations:

Gormley, G. (2011). Dog in boots. Ill by Roberta Angaramo, Great Britain: Gullane Children's Books. ISBN 9780823423477

Naomi Emory

Mister Orange

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At the beginning of this junior novel, the reader meets young Linus Muller. Linus lives in New York City, and the country is in the middle of World War II. In Linus' family there is some upset, turmoil. His older brother, who he calls Albie, has signed up for the Army and is about to be sent to war. With this, there are many changes in Linus' family. Everyone passes their shoes down to the next child, each child inherits the job of the child previous, and room assignments change. When Linus' job changes he gets to become friends with an older gentleman who he calls Mr. Orange, due to the fact that from Linus' family shop, he orders only oranges. Through this story the reader follows Linus through his daily life and his delivery route, hearing from Albie through his letters, and through Linus' visits with his new friend Mr. Orange.

While unlike many other multicultural books, this novel, translated from Dutch, is set in the United States. However, through this novel, readers will learn about a famous Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, who came to the United States during the war to escape oppression. While this artist is not the main character it is from him that the reader sees the cultural markers from. This character will show readers his vision, and the reasons for his coming to the United States shows the reader a great deal of what was going on during that time period in other parts of the world.

This book was reviewed by both Booklist and School Library Journal. Excerpts of the reviews follow.

Booklist: "Several appended pages supply information on the artist, his work, and his years in New York. Children’s novels translated from other languages are rare in the U.S., but even more uncommon are those with an American setting. A Dutch writer whose Departure Time (2010) was a Batchelder Honor Book, Matti offers a compact middle-grade novel that is involving and informative. Written with clarity and simplicity, this accessible book features deftly drawn characters and a nuanced view of family life on the American home front, as well as insights into Mondrian’s personality and paintings. An original. Grades 4-6". --Carolyn Phelan

School Library Journal: This is Linus's coming-of-age story for the most part, but it also brings to light the life of Dutch painter Piet Mondrian (1872-1944), who evolved the Neo-Plasticism style and was working on a painting known as Victory Boogie-Woogie during Linus's visits. An afterword offers factual information about the artist. The story is enough of an interest catcher for readers to explore further.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NYα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC

When working with this novel librarians can use this as a great novel to make connections to World War II that does not solely deal with the Holocaust. Students could do activities that relate to the art of Piet Mondrian, such as creating their own interpretations of this art. Students can also use this novel during a World War II unit to better understand the feelings of people around the world during the war.

Citation

Truus, M. (2012). Mister orange. Brooklyn, NY: Enchanted Lion Books.

Naomi Emory

George

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George is a fifth grade boy who feels like he is a girl. He has felt like this for as long as he can remember, but he doesn't know what to do about it. George has researched transgender people since he found out what the word was, and since he found out how to clear the browser history on his mom's computer. When George's class is putting on a production of Charlotte's Web he decides that it is his mission to be Charlotte. After his teacher decides that she will not let him be Charlotte, George and his best friend Kelly come up with a plan for him to sneak into the part during the play. Afterwards George's mom comes to terms with his gender identity and they discuss getting a therapist for both of them to talk to, and the book ends with George, as Melissa, having the best day of her life dressed as a girl at the zoo with Kelly and her uncle.

One of Havighurst's Developmental Tasks, as described in the textbook, discusses adolescents learning to get along with their peers. The book that comes to my mind when thinking about this topic is George, where a transgender boy is trying his best to find where he fits in. His best friend, a girl named Kelly makes sure that he knows that she is still his friend, no matter what, and she helps him solve his problem by letting him take her part in the play and dressing him up as a girl for their trip to the zoo.

Citation

Gino, A. (2015). George. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Persepolis

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Author Marjane Strapi discusses her childhood growing up in Iran during a war. She discusses issues that she had growing up such as having to wear a viel during school, and not understanding why this would be required since she did not always have to wear one. She also discusses her parents participating in demonstrations to show their contempt for what is happening in their country. Strapi discusses feeling helpless when her country is being bombed and there isn't anything that she can do about it. During the whole story Strapi discusses what his happening in her country and with her country's army, including her's and her parents feelings on the matter and what was happening to her during these times. At the end of the story her parents send her away to France, reminding her to be true to herself.

This story is very powerful. This could be used to teach the effects of war on families as well as children. With the topics that are explored and some of the events of the story I would recommend that this book would be most applicable in a high school setting where the students would not only understand what all was happening, but be able to handle the details of the story.

Reading Persepolis made me realize that all children have different battles that they are going through. This book could be beneficial in teaching students that everyone has a different journey. In our textbook it talks about how culture is constantly changing and how everyone has a different culture that they grew up in. I think this describes this book perfectly.

Citation

Satrapi, M. (2003). Persepolis. France: L'Association.

It's Perfectly Normal

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The general subject of this books is getting to know your body during a time when it is constantly changing. This book walks teens through what sex is, going through different aspects of it to answer questions that young people may have, through what changes are happening to their bodies, inside and out, what puberty is, keeping themselves healthy and what decisions they may need to make in regards to abortions, birth control, and how families are made. This book has cute little characters, a bird and a bee, that are present throughout the whole book, and follow along with the content, asking and answering questions. Throughout the entire book there are pictures to illustrate parts of the body and other things that the book is discussing. This book has a detailed table of contents and index that will help readers find the exact information they are looking for.

Teens have questions about their body. Most of the time they get the answers to their questions from their peers who do not always have the correct information. This book would be valuable for health classes to give students information in a way that they will understand and that will be interesting to them. 

All children will develop differently and at different times, as is mentioned in the textbook, (p. 20). Sometimes children will have questions that they are too scared to ask their parents and they will end up asking their peers, which will get them some crazy answers at times. The book It's Perfectly Normal will help give students answers to those embarrassing questions, but with the correct information.

Citation

Harris, R. (2014). It's perfectly normal. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.