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