Inclusive Literature Book Reviews

 

Clare LeZotte, Ann. 2020. SHOW ME A SIGN. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 9781338255829

Plot Summary: A young girl, named Mary Lambert, is living in Martha’s Vineyard in 1805 in a predominantly deaf community.  When a young scientist comes to visit their small town, she discovers that not everyone is open the deaf culture.  The scientist uses Mary as his experimental subject to try to discover why there are so many deaf people in this community.  Mary learns a lot about how the world views the deaf community.

Critical Analysis:

          LeZotte does a great job of showing a community that embraces the deaf community without a second thought.  The hearing characters all seem to speak in sign language and automatically change over to signing when the deaf characters are present.  LeZotte also touches on some racism issues when it comes to the English immigrants living alongside the Wampanoag, Black, and Irish residents.  LeZotte does a great job of sharing a story filled with community, adventure, and some personal tragedy that shares a new perspective on the deaf community for the readers.

Review Excerpts:  

Kirkus Starred Review: “A vivid depiction of Deaf community along with an exciting plot and beautiful prose make this a must-read.”

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “LeZotte (Here Comes Julie Jack), who is deaf, deftly connects the islanders’ prejudice against the Wampanoag to the mainlanders’ view of deaf individuals as lesser; Mary’s progressive attitudes feel modern while aligning with her character’s sensibilities.”

Connections:

          At the end of the story, the author offers some extra information including history of deaf communities in Martha’s Vineyard, a question-and-answer series with the author, the American Manual Alphabet, and the British Two-Handed Alphabet. This gives a chance for the readers to access a little more insight into the deaf community.  Students could use this to launch further research into the Martha’s Vineyard history and the history of sign language and how it came about. 

          Students could also check out LeZotte’s companion book SHOW ME A SIGN.  What a great way for readers to learn more about the deaf community and learn to appreciate another language and culture.

Budhos, Marina. 2006. ASK ME NOW QUESTIONS. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781416949206

Plot Summary: Budhos tells an incredible story of a fourteen-year-old, Nadira Hossain, who is an immigrant from Bangladesh living in New York City right after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Her family’s Visas expire, so they travel to Canada to seek refuge where the father is arrested and the mother lives in a shelter.  Nadira and her sister move back to New York to live with their aunt and uncle and struggle in fear every day of being noticed. 

Critical Analysis: This is a powerful novel for scholars to check out in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Budhos showcases how a teenage immigrant feels the fear and terror of being “labeled” and “assumed” as a terrorist in the wake of a historical event.  Budhos also brings to light the number of illegal immigrants that Nadira sees everywhere.  In a big city like New York that offers promises to immigrants, it’s no wonder that the main character was seeing illegal immigrants all around her.

          This book is still significant for young readers to interact with because I have seen young adults still placing the stereotype of “terrorist” on Muslim/ Arab Americans to this day mostly because of the 9/11 attacks.  It’s important for the readers to realize that just because a few people of a cultural group commit terrorist acts, doesn’t mean everyone from that culture is terrible.  

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Review: “A perceptive peek into the lives of foreigners on the fringe.”

Publishers Weekly Review: “…the events of the novel are powerful enough to engage readers' attention and will make them pause to consider the effects of a legal practice that preys on prejudice and fear.”

Connections: This would be a great book to lead students to research our country’s foreign relations before and after the 9/11 attacks.  Students could also include research on the Patriot Act of 2011 to see how it might have affected Arab and Muslim immigrants at the time.  Students could further find out if certain stereotypes are still being applied to present day Arab and Muslim Americans.

          Another book for students to enjoy is TELL US WE’RE HOME, also authored by Marina Budhos.  This will allow readers to have an extension of authentic inclusive literature.

Brock, Rose (Ed). 2018. HOPE NATION. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN: 9781524741853

Plot Summary: This book is a great collection of short stories by some of the top young adult authors.  The stories include a Muslim living in the world post 9/11 attacks, a young girl feeling rundown from life experiences including the death of her grandfather, and an African American living in Mississippi describing a present-day bigotry that she sees in her everyday life.  Each story offers a different perspective with the underlying theme of offering just a little bit more hope to young readers of today.

Critical Analysis: This short story collection is one of the best ways to offer a variety of perspectives with a connecting theme to the readers.  Sharing the stories from the perspective of young adults allows for more young adult readers to relate and see themselves in the stories.  The ease of the reading and the real-life examples offered allow for this book to go beyond the teenage or young adult reading range.  These are some powerful stories that will also influence any adult reader. 

          Since we all experience moments of struggle, whether it be small or large, these stories offer ways to push through, handle, or even deal with certain struggles.  

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Review: “This work comes at a crucial time, as many people struggle to find hope in a confusing and disappointing world.”

Goodreads Review: “To help embolden hope, here is a powerhouse collection of essays and letters that speak directly to teens and all YA readers.”

Connections: The minute I started to read this book, I immediately thought of the CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL series.  These books showcased short stories that were easy to read and each book in the series had the same underlying theme like “pets” or “moms.”

          After reading this short story collection, teachers could have students think of a time where they had to push through or learn to live with some type of struggle.  Students would work to share this experience in a simple story.  The teacher could then compile their stories into one book.

LaCour, Nina. 2017. WE ARE OKAY. New York: Penguin Random House. ISBN: 9780142422939

Plot Summary:  Marin is a college freshman who has a left a rough past.  She left San Francisco to head to New York after the sudden passing of her grandfather.  Secrets about her mother’s death and Marin come to light.  She’s now about to share her troubles with her best friend, Mabel, who is set to visit over Winter Break.  Marin fights to accept feelings of grief along with what might be more than friendship with her childhood confidant, Mabel.

Critical Analysis:  WE ARE OKAY is an excellent novel for older teens to explore the grief process along with rediscovering friendship and relationships with those around them.  LaCour keeps her readers on her toes as it isn’t explicitly said until later what secrets Marin holds involving the death of her grandfather.  Readers are also enticed to see what happens between the relationship of Marin and Mabel and Marin and Hannah, a newer friend.

          LaCour tells Marin’s story using flashbacks and weather metaphors.  When Marin flashes back to San Francisco, it’s sunny and bright where the reader can tell that Marin feels happy and safe. As the story moves forward, Marin’s grief sets in along with the dark, wintry, and wet weather in New York that showcases Marin’s sadness and loss.

          Despite some of the language, this is a great novel to help older teens move through a significant grief period. 

Review Excerpts:

Goodreads Review: “Mabel is coming to visit, and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.”

Kirkus Starred Review: “An elegantly crafted paean to the cleansing power of truth.”

Connections: This book could be used in a bibliotherapy (using books as a therapy source) treatment plan for a group of teenagers that have experienced an extreme loss.  Grief is hard to understand at any age, but especially difficult for teenagers.  Students in this situation could relate to Marin.  They could also use the events in the story to discuss how she handled her sudden grief and if this can be applied to their own lives.

          The publisher, Penguin Random House, offers a very useful teacher’s guide here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/311368/we-are-okay-by-nina-lacour/9780142422939/teachers-guide/

          Discussion questions are included along with some suggestions of future books to enjoy and connect.

Asian Pacific American Book Reviews

 

Choi, Yangsook. 2001. THE NAME JAR. New York: Dragonfly Books. ISBN: 9780440417996

Plot Summary: THE NAME JAR tells the story of a young Korean girl who moves to American and attends school there.  When she first tells other students her name, they make fun of her and can’t pronounce it correctly.  She tells her classmates she hasn’t picked a name yet, so the kids create a jar that they fill with name suggestions.  By the end of the story, Unhei not only makes a very special friend, but decides her Korean name is the best name for her.

Critical Analysis:

          Choi does a great job of using her personal experience to tell a story of a young Korean girl immigrating to America.  Facing hardships when arriving is a story shared in multiple pieces of multicultural literature, but Choi focuses on a simple memory of a name.  Choi shares how Unhei is afraid at first and nervous about American children trying to pronounce her name correctly, but she quickly learns about friendship and taking pride in her family and the country in which she originates.

          The illustrations are beautifully done in oils showing a variety of ethnicities in the classroom and town Unhei lives.  The illustrations show some Korean décor in their home to show the reader that even though this family has moved to America, they are keeping ties to their home country.

Review Excerpts:  

Kirkus Review: “Choi draws from her own experience, interweaving several issues into this touching account and delicately addressing the challenges of assimilation. The paintings are done in creamy, earth-tone oils and augment the story nicely.” 

Amazon Review: “A heartwarming story about the new girl in school, and how she learns to appreciate her Korean name.”

 Connections:

          This story would be a great introduction to a “Name” project.  Students could research with their families the origins of their names.  Students could showcase name meanings, relatives, or friends in which they are named for, and how their name is important in their families’ cultures. 

          This book and project could be completed at the beginning of the year when students are learning each other’s names. 

Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. New York, New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547237473

 

Plot Summary: Say tells the shares the story of his mother, May, who is a young girl living in San Francisco where she speaks Japanese and eats Japanese food at home. When she visits with her friends, she eats pancakes and muffins.  Her family decides to return to Japan where she must repeat high school to learn English.  There she meets her future husband and finds work as a translator. 

Critical Analysis: This book shares some great examples of expectations and stereotypes of both women, and specifically, Japanese women.  They are expected to wear kimonos, sit on the floor for a long time, and act like a proper lady.  The main character, May, fights her family’s culture and traditions because she’s uprooted from the life that she knows.  However, she finds value in living in Japan and eventually blending the American and Japanese cultures.

          Say also illustrates the book traditional Japanese clothing and customs such as the kimonos and learning about a tea ceremony.  By the end of the story, Say illustrates the married couple in clothes that would be considered “modern.” The change in clothing shows the reader that the couple have blended both their Japanese heritage with their new American traditions. 

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Review: “Painted with characteristic control and restraint, Say’s illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress.”

 Publishers Weekly Starred Review: “Say's masterfully executed watercolors tell as much of this story about a young woman's challenging transition from America to Japan as his eloquent, economical prose.”

 Connections: Students could research clothing across a variety of cultures.  Students may have a specific clothing tradition from their family, or they could choose a new cultural clothing to research and present to classmates.

          Students could also interview parents or grandparents to find out the stories of how they met and decided to start a family.  Students could focus on any family traditions that may have made these connections possible.

          Teachers could also share Allen Say’s Caldecott winning book GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY.  Students could compare the stories and make connections to the two plots.

Lin, Grace. 2009. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New York, Boston: Little, Brown Company. ISBN: 9780316038638

Plot Summary: This book tells the story of Minli, a poor Chinese girl, who decides to leave her parents and set out on an adventure to meet the Old Man of the Moon to bring good fortune to her family.  Along the way, she meets some interesting characters including a talking goldfish, a dragon, an evil tiger, and some friendly twins.  What she discovers along the way is something that most people only hope to realize- your good fortune is already found in the family and things you have.

Critical Analysis: Lin is able to include not only Chinese traditions such as the food Minli eats (her rice and tea), but also shares the loyalty to family and friends.  Chinese folktales to explain how things came to be are interlaced throughout the story so the reader feels like they are immersed in these Chinese characters. 

          Lin adds to the readers’ experiences with colorful Chinese illustrations throughout the book to add more detail of Minli’s travels and the characters she meets.  The illustrations are very simple and vibrant, which I think adds to the authenticity of the culture presented.

Review Excerpts:

Newbery Honor Book

Kirkus Starred Review: “With her “lively and impulsive spirit,” Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey.”

Amazon: “Grace Lin, author of the beloved Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat returns with a wondrous story of adventure, faith, and friendship. A fantasy crossed with Chinese folklore, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a timeless story reminiscent of The Wizard of Oz and Kelly Barnhill's The Girl Who Drank the Moon. Her beautiful illustrations, printed in full-color, accompany the text throughout. Once again, she has created a charming, engaging book for young readers.”

Connections: This book could be used for upper grades when introducing a unit on Folklore, or Folktales.  Students could use the library to locate Folktales across a variety of cultures and compare the different stories.

          Teachers will also want to share other books by this amazing author including WHEN THE SEA TURNED TO SILVER, STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY, and DIM SUM FOR EVERYONE. Students will enjoy looking at more aspects of the Chinese culture presented in these books.

Oh, Ellen. 2020. THE DRAGON EGG PRINCESS. New York: HarperCollins Children’s Books. ISBN: 9780062875808

Plot Summary: Jiho Park lives in a magical kingdom, yet his family is unaffected by magic.  Jiho comes from a family of rangers and struggles with the expectancy of following in his family’s footsteps.  Jiho embarks on a journey as a guide to do what is expected of him, even though his father disappeared inside the forest years ago.  Jiho encounters special characters on his adventure including a princess, but must figure it if he can be successful even though he is magicless.   

Critical Analysis: Although Oh wanted to share a Korean inspired mythological tale that would excited fantasy readers, I had trouble enjoying the characters.  As each character is introduced, there were too many underlying or secondary characters for each of their stories that it got confusing at times.  Not all the main characters were fully developed. 

          Since the book was meant to be more of a Korean mythology, I didn’t really feel a tie to the Korean culture that I feel could have been presented.

          I also know not to judge a book by the cover or the title, but I was hoping for more dragons to be a part of this adventurous tale.  Once the reader gets through the first few chapters, there is enough action to entice the reader to continue and see what happens at the end of the adventure. 

Review Excerpts:

Publishers Weekly: “Slight characterization and inconsistent pacing lead to a hasty climax and abrupt conclusion. Nevertheless, this enjoyable read should appeal to fantasy fans.”

Kirkus Review: “With its quick pace, modern heroes, and choreographed action, this is a strong fantasy title with K-pop undertones.”

Connections: Young adults who enjoy this book might enjoy other adventure and magical stories like the Harry Potter Series or the Wings of Fire Series. 

          Students will also want to check out Ellen Oh’s Prophecy trilogy which includes PROPHECY, WARRIOR, and KING.

Native American and Indigenous People Book Reviews

 

Driving Hawk Sneve, Viginia. 2011. THE CHRISTMAS COAT: MEMORIES OF MY SIOUX CHILDHOOD. Illus. by Ellen Beier. South Dakota: South Dakota Historical Society Press. ISBN: 9781941813256

Plot Summary: THE CHRISTMAS COAT tells the story of a young Sioux girl, Virginia, living on a reservation during Christmas time.  Virginia realizes that her coat is getting too small, which is a problem in the South Dakota winters.  The children on the reservation wait for boxes from the East for clothing and shoe donations in hopes they contain what they want, but more importantly what they need.  Virginia seems to always get the short end of the donations because Virginia’s mother always encourages her to give to those who need more first.  The end of the story shows the reader that true kindness comes around when Virginia and her brother receive some special surprises.

Critical Analysis:

          Sneve gives her readers a great insight into life on a Sioux reservation.  The title is the first indication to the reader that there is more than just Native
Americans when she includes “Sioux.”  A lot of children consider Native Americans, or “Indians” as they are called frequently, as one lump of people.  Children often don’t think about different tribes and languages.  She focuses on daily life during the winter, but then concentrates on a special holiday, Christmas, for most children.  Sneve shows the reader that Native Americans can experience things like jealousy and sadness just like all children.  Unlike a lot of Native American books that children are exposed to, Sneve specifically mentions that children wearing headdresses is something that “only the wise leaders and the elders of the tribe could wear,” (Sneve 2011).  A lot of children think Native Americans wear feathers and headdresses daily.  Sneve is an experienced author who is sharing one of her personal stories when she lived on an American Indian Reservation in the 1930’s.  She shares at the end how one of her teachers encouraged her with his personal book collection.

          Beier matches Sneve’s characters to the true culture very well.  The complexions of the characters are not what most readers would expect to see of Native Americans. It seems that most readers would expect very dark brown skin on all the characters, however, Beier illustrates lighter brown skin. This is a great way to show the readers that not all Native Americans look the same.  The reader only sees headdresses in the illustrations when the children are putting on the Christmas pageant.  This shows the reader that this type of clothing isn’t what is worn every day.

Review Excerpts:  

Goodreads Review: “Based on an event from the author's childhood, this picture book captures the true spirit of Christmas.”

Publishers Weekly Review: “Beier’s detailed, pastel-dominated watercolor and gouache paintings affectingly convey Virginia’s swirling emotions as she tries to reconcile her longing for the coat, her jealousy of the girl who gets it, and her obedience to her mother, which is eventually rewarded.”

Connections:

          This story could lead students in a research project on a variety of Native American tribes including the Sioux.  Locating non-fiction books in the library as well as virtually will help students to understand that Native American doesn’t mean all the same.

          Students could also work together to donate time and items to a local charity that gives clothes, and other goods to people in need.  If students cannot find a local place that offers donations, students could work to research an organization in need of donations.  Using resources like the school counselor, students could create a donation drive. 

Leitich Smith, Cynthia. 2001. RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780380733002 

Plot Summary: This book shares the story of Cassidy who battles loss that not many young adults have had to experience.  Her mother passed away, and she loses her best friend in a car accident when they had just decided to move their friendship to a romantic level. Her older brother suggests she visit her great-aunt’s “Indian” camp where she discovers photography as an outlet to her grief and an insight to her Native American heritage. 

Critical Analysis: The book seems to have some confusing plot lines as the reader begins, but is able to understand and enjoy most of the book to find out how Cassidy learns about herself and her heritage. Some readers may be reluctant to recommend the book since not all of the plotlines have closure.  Smith makes the reader feel like he or she is hearing from Cassidy’s personal experience as each chapter begins with an excerpt from her journal.  It’s a nice, personal touch. Cassidy battles her mixed heritage as the story goes on, especially when the more popular stereotypes of Native Americans are brought up at Thanksgiving time.  She starts off by hiding behind the camera, so she doesn’t have to initially address these issues.  Readers that are of non- Native American descent or experiences will still find this book enlightening when it comes to how the Native American culture is portrayed.

Review Excerpts:

Publisher’s Weekly Review: “Multiple plot lines and nonlinear storytelling may make it difficult to enter Smith's (Jingle Dancer) complex novel, but the warmth and texture of the writing eventually serve as ample reward for readers.”

Goodreads Review: “In a voice that resonates with insight and humor, Cynthia Leitich Smith tells of heartbreak, recovery, and reclaiming one's place in the world.”

Connections: Using an actual camera is most likely a foreign concept to most young adults these days.  This book might give scholars jump starts to research the history of photography and how it has evolved to most people using their phones as their primary cameras.  Students could practice using tablets and their phones to take artistic pictures using different lighting and angles. 

Tingle, Tim. 2013. HOW I BECAME A GHOST. Oklahoma City: The Roadrunner Press. ISBN: 9780763671648 

Plot Summary: This book begins what should be a great trilogy sharing just a portion of a Trail of Tears experience.  Tingle begins by telling the story of a 10-year-old boy who tells the reader that he isn’t a ghost yet, but will be a ghost by the end of the story.  Isaac is Choctaw and has some strange experiences before the treacherous walk begins where he sees people in flames and dying. Ghosts also guide him as he prepares for his death. 

Critical Analysis: Tingle shares with his readers a depressing time in our nation’s history that allows the reader some insight into the belief system and life of the Choctaw.  Most Native American stories share the stereotypical images of Native Americans with spiritual Gods that seem magical.  Tingle shares not only spiritual aspects of the Choctaw, but Christian elements are combined as well.  Tingle is able to share an often-forgotten piece of our history in the way of a ghost story that isn’t your typical, scary ghost story.  The fact that the young boy will become a ghost is eloquently shared as other spirits guide him on this trail and lead him to death.

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Starred Review: “The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective.”

Goodreads: “The first in a trilogy, HOW I BECAME A GHOST thinly disguises an important and oft-overlooked piece of history.”

Connections: This would be a great book to lead into a research project on the Trail of Tears.  Students could discover other books about different tribes who experienced the Trail of Tears like TRAIL OF TEARS: THE RISE AND FALL OF THE CHEROKEE NATION by John Ehle. 

          Reader will definitely want to continue reading the trilogy with the second installment: WHEN A GHOST TALKS, LISTEN also by Tim Tingle.

Bruchac, Joseph. 2005. CODE TALKER. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN: 9780142405963

Plot Summary: Code Talker gives readers an insight into a role that Native Americans, specifically Navajo, played during World War Two.  Ned Begay attends a “White” school of his reservation where he is forced to “forget” his Navajo language, culture, and traditions.  However, he does his best to celebrate his Navajo family in secret from the White teachers.  This actually works out for Ned because his Navajo language is needed to use as secret code during World War Two.  The reader follows Ned as he goes through basic training, code talker training, and even into his experiences during the war.

Critical Analysis: Although this is a fictional tale, the historic accuracy of these brave Navajo Marines is an incredible story that sheds light on the role of Navajo Marines along with other Native American soldiers who helped during wartime.  Throughout the story, Ned uses Navajo words that are not always explained, but the reader is able to use context clues to deduce what the words mean.  Bruchac uses his Native American heritage and experiences to share with the reader who ironic it is that the Navajo language and culture that was literally beaten out of some of the Navajos in boarding school became the necessity to save lives and win the war.  What also resonated with me is that despite what the American government may have done to the Navajo people, the men still wanted to serve and protect their country in any way possible.  Readers will grow to understand a true definition of bravery, loyalty, and respect for the Navajo people after reading this story.  

Review Excerpts:

Goodreads: “This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.” 

Kirkus Starred Review: “With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience.”

Connections: Young adult readers will be interested in conducting research on the actual Navajo Marines who helped create and conduct the secret codes of World War Two.  Students might want to check out CODE TALKER: THE FIRST AND ONLY MEMOIR BY ONE OF THE ORIGINAL NAVAJO CODE TALKERS OF WWII by Chester Nez.

Teachers could challenge scholars to create their own codes that military could possibly use during wartime.

Hispanic/Latinx Cultural Book Reviews

 This blog post and information was created for a class at Sam Houston State University.

Morales, Yuyi. 2018. DREAMERS. New York: Neal Porter Books. ISBN: 9780823440559

 Plot Summary: Dreamers tells the story of a mother and a son immigrating from Mexico and finding their way as immigrants and new citizens in America. They discover the public library where they can take books off the shelf for free and utilize those books to better their lives. The mother and son see themselves in the stories and use then to learn how to read and write English.

 

Critical Analysis:

          What a great story Dreamers is that is easy to read and will resonate with a variety of readers.   A lot of readers do not think about the process of immigrants coming to the United States.  They might dismiss the fact that a lot of immigrants don’t know how to read or write English.  It’s very scary.  Morales explains in very simple terms the journey of coming from Mexico to the United States including finding a new home, making mistakes, and ultimately stumbling upon the public library.  Morales weaves in some Spanish words that the reader may not know the true meaning, but the reader is able to use context clues to figure out the words. 

          Morales offers vibrant and colorful illustrations to tell her story.  At the beginning of the story, the only colorful pieces to her illustrations are the mother and the son. The reader feels a sense of fear and darkness as they encounter their new world (the United States), but as the story goes on, more pieces of the illustrations are laced with bright colors.  This is a great way to show the reader that as the mother and the son becoming more entwined with the American culture and living, they are becoming happier and are more hopeful for the future. There are also pieces of their Mexican culture on every page including a guitar from home, a Mexican skeleton, and a Mexican dog.

Review Excerpts:  

Kirkus Starred Review: “A resplendent masterpiece.”

 Publishers Weekly Starred Review: “Many books about immigration describe the process of making new friends and fitting in; this one describes what it’s like to become a creative being in two languages, and to learn to love in both.”

 Connections:

          When learning about the immigration process, this book is a great addition.  A lot of picture books or young adult chapter books that share immigration focus on the main character trying to make friends and navigate school.  Dreamers gives the reader a new outlook on learning how to read, write, and understand new rules.

          Readers can use Morales’s story, which she shares at the back of the book, to research her story further and how she came to America.  Students could also research their own families’ histories.  Each student may not necessarily be an immigrant, but somewhere in their family line a relative had to have come from another country.  This would give a great opportunity for students to share and learn about other cultures.

Mora, Pat. 2007. YUM! MMMM! QUE RICO!. Illus. by Rafael Lopez. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781584302711

 Plot Summary: This book shares information about America’s favorite foods before it was divided into different countries including peanuts, pineapples, chocolate, and many others.  Mora presents each food in a Haiku poem and then offers a small paragraph of factual information about the food sharing where the food originated from, how the food is used, and other fun facts.

Critical Analysis: This book takes into account not only foods that are native to one specific Hispanic country, but offers light to foods from a variety of Hispanic countries.  Presenting the initial information in the form of a Haiku brings a new form of writing to the reader.  Instead of stopping there, Mora offers the reader more information with the factual paragraph on each page. 

          Lopez adds to the appeal of this book with his vibrant and colorful illustrations.  His illustrations really show the joyful and fun side of the Hispanic culture with the smiling foods, and happy children.  He includes Hispanic characters on almost every page that look native to the country where the food originates.  By the end of the story, the reader feels like he or she understands a little more about the origin of some of the most popular foods that we eat in America.

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Review: “More interesting as social science than as poetry, but visually gorgeous.”

 Amazon: “Exuberant illustrations bring to life the delicious spirit of the haiku, making Yum! ¡Mmm! ¡Qué Rico! America's Sproutings an eye-popping, mouth-watering treat. Open it and dig in!”

 Connections: This book would be a great way to introduce Haiku poetry to students of all ages.  Students could work in groups to create their own Haiku poems or work individually.  Classes could create their own books like Yum! MmMm! Que rico! by writing their own Haiku poems, completing some research on the poem topic, and then writing a factual paragraph to accompany the poem.  Completing a project like this would be a great cross-curricular activity to touch on Social Studies, Writing, Science, and Language Arts.

Medina, Meg. 2013. YAQUI DELGADO WANTS TO KICK YOUR ASS. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN: 9780763671648

Plot Summary: Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass shares the story of Piddy Sanchez who moves to a new school and has an enemy from day one.  Piddy struggles to figure out why Yaqui Delgado is mad at her and wants to hurt her.  Piddy works very hard in school and works weekends at a salon shop to save money for extra clothes and things her mom can’t afford.  Yaqui ends up attacking Piddy while Yaqui’s friends record the beating and putting it online for all the school to view. Piddy ends up down a road where she skips school, lets her grades plummet, and she must decide whether to tell the school administration about Yaqui’s beating.  In the end, Piddy finds out more about herself and discovers help where she didn’t think she would have found help.

Critical Analysis: Despite some of the foul language, starting with the title, this is a great novel that many teens will relate.  Yes, this story is primarily about the bullying incidents and how teens should or shouldn’t handle these types of situations, but Medina does an incredible job touching on other issues like body image, teen friendships, and teen romances.  These are all current issues that teens seem to be dealing with at even earlier ages than ten years ago.

          Along with attacking pressing teen issues, Medina weaves in a variety of Spanish words that the reader may not understand but can deduce meaning based on context clues.  Piddy’s mother’s expectations of her actions, and the way she dresses showcase many Hispanic values and traditions.

Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Starred Review: “Far more than just a problem novel, this book sheds light on a serious issue without ever losing sight of its craft.”

Goodreads:  “In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is.”

Connections: A large majority of young adults will be able to find value in this novel.  Finding oneself and navigating challenges as a young adult are very difficult.  Medina highlights resources within schools and home that students will be able to utilize to help them solve their problems. 

          After enjoying this novel, students would also enjoy Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina where she tells the story of a sixth-grader who is trying to navigate other difficult changes with friends and family.

Engle, Margarita. 2013. THE LIGHTNING DREAMER: CUBA’S GREATEST ABOLITIONIST. Boston/ New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 9780544541122

Plot Summary: The Lightning Dreamer tells the story of Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda, nicknamed Tula, who is an abolitionist in Cuba in the nineteenth century.  Since opposing slavery was so risky, using free verse poetry was a way to share your story, but in a hidden way.  Although the story is slightly fictionalized, Engle includes poems written by Tula, Tula’s brother, the housekeeper, orphans, and nuns who try to give Tula an outlet through books in the library.  Part of the experiences Tula faces include being married off at the age of 14 to better her family’s life.

Critical Analysis: Engle writes in free verse poetry using a variety of characters’ perspectives.  First, using poetry to write about a poet showcases to the reader what the main character might have been feeling during his or her life.  Second, providing the reader with a range of viewpoints helps the reader to better visualize this time in history because the reader sees and hears from all areas.  Free verse poetry is a great way to engage young readers because they can better understand the author’s intentions. 

          As hard as it might be for young readers of today to understand, it’s very interesting to include a forced betrothment because it’s just one of many traditions that might have been encountered in the Cuban culture during this time period.

Review Excerpts:

Goodreads: “In passionate, accessible verses of her own, Engle evokes the voice of this book-loving feminist and abolitionist who bravely resisted an arranged marriage at the age of fourteen, and was ultimately courageous enough to fight against injustice.”

Kirkus Review: “Fiery and engaging, a powerful portrait of the liberating power of art.

Connections: Most young adults are taught that slavery is an issue and an act that only occurred in early American history.  This book is a great introduction to slavery in another country. Students could work in groups to research slavery in Cuba, how it started, if and how it ended, and enjoy learning about heroes like Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda who used writing to make a difference. 

          Students would also enjoy The Poet Slave of Cuba, also by Margarita Engle.  Another book by Margarita Engle that students would enjoy is The Wild Book where the main character struggles with dyslexia and navigates how to learn with this learning difference.

African American Book Reviews

 This post was completed for a Masters class at Sam Houston State University.

Lester, Julius. 1994. JOHN HENRY. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. New York: Puffin Books. ISBN: 9780140566222

 Plot Summary: John Henry tells the legend of a mountain of a man named John Henry who has the strength and power of ten men or more combined.  He spends his days using his strength to chop down woods, smash boulders and make roads, and carves space through a mountain faster than a machine. 

 Critical Analysis:

          This retelling of a famous African American ballad shares a hero with the literature world.  As far as the author knows, John Henry wasn’t a real person, but there are some that believe a version of John Henry existed.  Lester uses incredible figurative language that weaves beautiful imagery throughout the story including referencing some African American history such as sg “the boulder shivered like the morning when freedom came to the slaves.”  Using the imagery of a rainbow shining over John Henry and even wrapped around his arms when there wasn’t enough room to shine in the sky above him shows the reader how much of a hero John Henry was to the people in his community. As hard as it might be to actually believe that a person who can chop down a whole forest by himself, race on foot against a man on a horse and win, hammer a boulder the size of a mountain and create a road existed, Lester gives the African American community a hero to look up to and emulate.  No, we can’t do the same tasks, but John Henry worked for his community with an open heart, didn’t let himself get discouraged, and attempted the impossible. 

          Pinkney, as a Caldecott award winning illustrator, does an incredible job of showcasing John Henry and other African Americans with accurate skin tones and features.  John Henry is illustrated as being larger than all the other characters in the story, which adds to his larger-than-life personality and incredible strength.  His illustrations were created using watercolor and add vivacious realistic details to the story.

Review Excerpts:  

Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “This carefully crafted updating begs to be read aloud for its rich, rhythmic storytelling flow, and the suitably oversize illustrations amplify the text.”

Kirkus: “Pinkney's watercolors walk a smart and lovely line between ephemerality and sheer natural energy.”

Connections:

          I would definitely include John Henry in a tall tale/legends unit.  Students could read about other legends like Paul Bunyan or Pecos Bill.  Students could compare and contrast. 

          Students could also compare other stories about John Henry such as John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats or Steel Drivin’ Man-John Henry- the Untold Story of an American Legend by Scott Reynolds Nelson.

King, Martin Luther &  Nelson, Kadir. 2012. I HAVE A DREAM. New York: Random House Children’s Books. ISBN 9780375858871

 Plot Summary: Readers get to enjoy some of the highlights, or most important words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speech in I Have a Dream.  The book is accompanied by gorgeous paintings that explain in a visual way some of the words from the speech.  The book is also accompanied by the speech in its entirety and a CD with a recording of the original speech.

 Critical Analysis: I have read a lot of books about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. including helping students locate the books in the library for research projects.  This book seems to have topped almost all of them.  Breaking apart his speech can be difficult for young scholars because understanding the time period might be difficult.  However, the story starts with breaking apart the speech into smaller chunks and focusing on some of the most important words.

          Accompanying this most famous speech are the oil paintings from Kadir Nelson.  Each page adds a visual representation of the words that matches perfectly.  Nelson focuses ono sharing children of all colors including accurate paintings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and his family.  Nelson even shares different scenery from across our great nation to add even more value to the words.  The reader feels like he or she was present for the speech because the paintings depict the March on Washington so well.  Using the doves at the end to represent freedom and hopefully peace make this book even more valuable.  Young readers will be able to understand the importance of this historical event after reading this rendition of this most famous speech.

 

Review Excerpts:

Coretta Scott King Honor Award, Parents’ Choice Foundation Silver Honor

 Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “A glorious interpretation of a bedrock moment in 20th-century history.”

 Kirkus Starred Review: “An award-winning artist captures the passion and purpose of this most notable 20th-century American speech in beautifully realized oil paintings.”

 Connections:

After readers have enjoyed this story, I would highly encourage them to conduct their own research on not only Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy, but to also find information on other Civil Rights leaders.

Students could also look at I have a Dream with a foreword written by Coretta Scott King to compare and gather more information. Another book that might be good to compare to is Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport.

Zoboi, Ibi. 2017. AMERICAN STREET. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 9780062473059

Plot Summary: American Street shares the story of a young Haitian immigrant, named Fabiola Toussaint, who may have been born in America, but has spent her life in Haiti.  On her way to meet her aunt and cousins in Michigan, her mother is detained, and Fabiola must navigate a new home, new school, and new romance by herself.  Fabiola learns along the way that freedom seems to come at some heavy costs as she works to try to free her mother.

Critical Analysis: This novel will pull at the heart strings and engage almost any young adult or adult reader.  Zoboi can connect the reader with the life of an immigrant as she draws on her own experiences as an immigrant come to New York.  When most readers read about or hear about VooDoo, they immediately think witchcraft and evil.  However, Zoboi can show the reader that this is another form of faith and part of the Haitian culture as Fabiola relies on her lwas, or Haitian spirits, to support her as she tries to locate her mother.  Young adults will be able to relate to the themes of friendship and romance that Fabiola encounters as she builds her new home and family in America. 

          One thing to be aware of is the crude language throughout the story, but the life of drugs and struggling in poverty seems to be where this kind of language would be predominant.

 Review Excerpts:

Kirkus Starred Review: “ Filling her pages with magic, humanity, tragedy, and hope, Zoboi builds up, takes apart, and then rebuilds an unforgettable story.”

 Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review:  “Mixing gritty street life with the tenderness of first love, Haitian Vodou, and family bonds, the book is at once chilling, evocative, and reaffirming.”

 Connections: Students may not know much about immigrant laws and the process of becoming an American citizen. This could be a research project for students.  They could compare and see how often it is that immigrants are detained due to improper paperwork.

          Students could take the project further and research the first immigrants to come to the United States. Where did our founding fathers come from?  What ideals and motives drove them to start our country and create the Constitution and laws?  Some students may even connect this to the recent theater performance of Hamilton that has been showing on television. Students could make plans to help immigrants set up their own businesses and start their new lives in America. 

          Students could also complete a research project on the Haitian culture.  How much is VooDoo still practiced?  When Haitians immigrate to the United States, how many continue the practice?  This would be a great opportunity for students to complete research on a new culture.

Reynolds, Jason. 2017. LONG WAY DOWN. New York: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division. ISBN: 9781481438261

 Plot Summary: Long Way Down shares the gripping story of Will after he has seen his older brother, Shawn, shot and killed.  Will must follow the rules of the impoverished: no crying, no snitching, and that he must get revenge.  Reynolds uses free verse poetry to tell Will’s story as he meets various characters from his past on his journey to make amends with his brother’s death.

Critical Analysis: This book is a great way for young adults to stop and focus on choices they are making in their daily lives.  Hopefully, daily choices won’t include revenge for a family member’s death, but the message of thinking about what you do and how it will affect others down the road is important.  Reynolds shares the anguish of the main character, Will, using free verse poetry that reads freely and easily.  Any young adult will be able to follow the story and understand the African American dialect that Reynolds “speaks.”

          One of the main focuses that Reynolds wants to portray to his readers is that of gun violence and how not only your actions will affect your future, but serious actions such as ones that involve guns will be life altering. 

Review Excerpts:

Newberry Honor Book, Printz Award Honor Book, Coretta Scott King Honor Award

Kirkus Starred Review: “Throughout, readers get a vivid picture of Will and the people in his life, all trying to cope with the circumstances of their environment while expressing the love, uncertainty, and hope that all humans share.”

 Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review: “Written entirely in spare verse, this is a tour de force from a writer who continues to demonstrate his skill as an exceptionally perceptive chronicler of what it means to be a black teen in America.”

 Connections: Older students will be able to connect gun violence issues from the story with current events happening now.  Most recently, the Uvalde elementary school shooting has prompted politicians and citizens alike discussing gun violence and future gun laws.  Students could present current events including current laws along with offering their ideas for what should be put in place for the future. 

          Students might also enjoy Jason Reynolds’ graphic novel version of Long Way Down. Comparisons could be made between the two versions.  Student could also complete a survey of students reading both versions to see which one had more of an impact: the poetry/novel version or the graphic novel version. Students could discuss and compose ideas of why that version is more popular.