LSSL 5361

Book Reviews

Culture 6

Book #1

Abdel-Fattah, R. (2008).Does my head look big in this? New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439922333

The full review can be found at  https://www.giraffedays.com/?p=427

a)      The story in this book is about a young Australian-Palestinian girl by the name of Amal.  Amal lives in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia and is struggling in her decision of wheter to wear the hijab, a Muslim head scarf, full time.  When she attended Hidaya, an Islamic college, the hijab was part of the uniform; but now that she will be attending McCleans Grammar School; the decision is all hers.  While going over the pros and cons; Amal decides to wear the head scarf to school.  At first the students were quite unaccepting; but when they were able to ask Amal question about the hijab and Amal answering back; they were more accepting and their friendships began to blossom. 

b) This book would be ideal for students that must struggle from  following the heart or trying to please others.  Amal’s struggle to whether to wear something that is part of her life; or risk ridicule from her peers and strangers.  She proudly stands by her own decision and is able to teach those around her the reason for her wearing the head scarf. The book also teaches us a little bit about a custom and heritage that we might not be familiar with. 

c) A great many stereotypes and misconceptions are confronted, questioned and explored in this humorous book. Amal’s voice is natural and believable, and her story is an open window onto what many young Muslims deal with – and others. Her elderly neighbour, Mrs Vaselli, has estranged herself from her only child when he converted to Jehovah’s Witness; Josh has certain Jewish traditions to contend with; Adam’s mother left when he was young without so much as a word – all he gets are postcards on his birthday. Eileen’s Japanese parents have their own expectations of her, and Simone’s mum constantly tells her she has to lose weight if she ever wants boys to notice her. There’s a whole gamut of what teens go through and put up with in this book, and it may sound like it would be crowded, but it’s not. It may seem kinda pushy and too in-your-face, too, but it’s handled with both delicacy and Amal’s flair which gives things a very fresh look.

d) Readers also enjoyed American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang; Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper; and p0 by Sharon Flake

Book #2

Lazebnik, C. (2018).Things I should have known. S.l.: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 97813328869340

a)      The story of the book is of a 17 year old High School student named Chloe.  Chloe is a popular girl who is dating the most attractive guy in school.  Chloe seems to be living the perfect life.  Chloe has an older sister, Ivy, who is autistic; whom Chloe protects and cares for.  Chloe feels that her new mission in life is to find Ivy a boyfriend.  She ends up setting her sister up on a date with Ethan who is also autistic.  Unfortunately, Ivy and Ethan can not go on a date by themselves; so Chloe and Ethan’s older brother David.  David is in the same English class as Chloe, but is seemed as an arrogant jerk.  David has no social life and had never dated anyone because he takes great care of brother.  Chloe develops feelings for David and must ultimate decide her own romantic choices and become aware of what is normal. 

b) This book is quite refreshing to read.  Mainly because it deals with a young girl and her autistic sister; that is not depressing and tells it how life is when someone has to take care of a family member with a disability.  It is very relatable and heartwarming.  The characters seemed real, ones that you can look up their address and go visit.  The reader will get a sense of what life is like to live with someone with a disability

c) The complete review can be found at https://www.silverpetticoatreview.com/2017/04/10/things-i-should-have-known-book-review/  

Released in time for Autism Awareness Month, the new YA novel, Things I Should Have Known, is a lovely and engaging book about sisters (one of whom is on the autism spectrum), romance, and coming of age. This YA Contemporary is a page-turner that also works as a window into a world of people who are different.

What I loved most about the book was the bond between the two sisters and just how realistic the portrayal is. There’s no sugar coating here. Chloe will do anything for her sister, Ivy, but it’s not always easy. LaZebnik previously co-wrote non-fiction about Autism in books like Overcoming Autism and her experience shows. The knowledge, attention to detail, and research presented on every page of Things I Should Have Known is clear from the beginning to the end. Not that one should mistake this book for non-fiction or even a documentary like style. Make no mistake, the book is also a fun fictional read with quite a bit of romance. LaZebnik has an appealing writing style which will only help her continue to grow in popularity.

d) Readers also enjoyed By Your Side by Kasie West; When We Collided by Emery Lord; and We are Okay by Nina LaCour

Book #3

Levithan, D. (2013).Boy meets boy. New York: Ember. ISBN 9780375832994

a)      The story of this book is of a High School sophomore by the name of Paul.  Paul is openly homosexual and is well supported by his family and friends. He lives in a town that is LGBTQ friendly.  Paul ends up falling in love with a new boy in town named Noah.  The book follows Paul’s intention of becoming Noah’s boyfriend.  Throughout the story we also get to know some of Paul’s ex-boyfriend (Kyle); his gay best friend (Tony) who lives in a nearby town with homophobic parents and his female friend Joni. 

b) This story is a perfect read for students that part of the LGBTQ community because it deals with issues that most are going through. The only thing that might be different; is that the story takes place in a town in New Jersey that embraces homosexuality, bisexuality and people that are transgender.  While this is an ideal place to live; most kids live in towns and community that are not quite as accepting as that in this novel.  Most kids will be able to relate to the story; because it’s a year in the life of a typical teenager who just happens to be gay. 

The complete review can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2005/apr/16/featuresreviews.guardianreview29

 The story's central figure is Paul. He's our fallible narrator taking us through his falling in love with new boy Noah, his non-sexual love for gay Tony, his strug­gles with the end of an affair with bisexual Kyle and the loss of friendship with Joni, who is herself in perpetual stop-go with high school king Ted. The blossoming relationship with Noah is a fragile flower, easily threatened by Noah's suspicions of infidelity. Kyle is all mixed up. He broke it off with Paul. He seemed to be ashamed of his gayness but now needs some kind of reassurance and comfort from Paul. Tony has religious, anti-gay parents and seems to have difficulties in finding a boyfriend. Perhaps his very close brotherly relationship with our narrator is an impediment. Walking in and out of the many scenes of stop-go are Zeke the gaystafarian and Infinite Darlene, the drag queen and the school football team's quarterback.

The book is intimate, feel-good and quick-fire. We dart from kitchen to street, to phone call to bedroom to school. The dialogue is snappy and full of the kind of therapy-talk that is the bread and butter of middle-class American life: "I'll deal with it." "You don't have to deal with it by yourself." The book is full of echoes of Judy Blume and the late Paula Danziger with its loving accounts of private jokes, memories and slang.

d) Readers also enjoyed Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green; Geography Club by Brent Hartinger; and Every Day by David Levithan

Book #4

Baldacchino, C., & Malenfant, I. (2016).Morris Micklewhite and the tangerine dress. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press. ISBN 9781554983476

a)      This book tells the story of Morris Micklewhite.  Morris is a young boy who enjoys life. He loves to paint, to do puzzles, and of course snack time. He also loves to wear a tangerine dress.  He loves the way it makes noises as he walks and sits down; and he loves the color because it reminds him of tigers and his mothers hair.  Unfortunately, some of his classmates (both boys and girls) are not as accepting of Morris wearing the dress.  They exclude him from playing with them or eating at the snack table with them.  They state that astronauts do not wear dress on space ships and boys do not wear dresses.  Morris is hurt; and ends up missing school one day because of how the students in his class made him feel.  Morris decides to take things in his own hands and when his friends do not him ride in their spaceship; he creates his own.  He invites his classmates to take a ride in his new ship; and they realize that what they are missing and invite him back into their circle of friends.  And once again when told that boys do not wear dresses; he simply replies “this boy does.”

b)  This book is a great book for young students to know that they can be what ever they want to be.  They can be brave and stand up to those that are not accepting.  Morris endures pain when he is ostracized from his friends and made fun of by his peers.  While we are trying to have a world that is bully free; there are still students out there that are unintentionally bullying other kids.  Morris is a great example of turning things around.  And not to let others bring down your joy.  The illustrations are wonderfully done that help convey a vibrant life. 

c) This review can be found at https://houseofanansi.com/products/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress

Morris is a little boy who loves using his imagination. He dreams about having space adventures, paints beautiful pictures and sings the loudest during circle time. But most of all, Morris loves his classroom’s dress-up center — he loves wearing the tangerine dress.

But the children in Morris’s class don’t understand. Dresses, they say, are for girls. And Morris certainly isn’t welcome in the spaceship some of his classmates are building. Astronauts, they say, don’t wear dresses.

One day when Morris feels all alone, and sick from the taunts of his classmates, his mother lets him stay home from school. Morris reads about elephants, and puts together a puzzle, and dreams of a fantastic space adventure with his cat, Moo.

Inspired by his dream, Morris paints the incredible scene he saw, and brings it with him to school. He builds his own spaceship, hangs his painting on the front of it and takes two of his classmates on an outer space adventure.

With warm, dreamy illustrations Isabelle Malenfant perfectly captures Morris’s vulnerability and the vibrancy of his imagination. This is a sweetly told story about the courage and creativity it takes to be different.

d) Readers also enjoyed Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah Hoffman; 10,000 Dresses by Marcus Ewert; and I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel

LSSL 5361

Book Reviews

Culture #3

Book 1

Sánchez, E. L. (2017).I am not your perfect Mexican daughter. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9781534700492

a)      The story of this book deals with a young Mexican American by the name of Julia Reyes.  Julia Reyes’ life is turned upside down when her older sister Olga dies.  Julia is now the only daughter to a family that is in the United States illegally.  Her mom is grieving heavily always referencing Olga; while her communication with her dad is non existence. They do have a relationship but he hardly ever speaks.  Julia must now face life without her sister, whose life she really did not know; to the aspect of an upcoming quincenera that is being forced upon her by her mother.  During this time; Julia meets and falls in love with a young man named Connor who comes from an affluent family. 

Life gets complicated for Julia who ends up trying to commit suicide by slitting her wrists.  Julia seeks treatment for her mental health.  She is sent to live with her grandparents in Mexico during the summer to try to heal.  She is able to learn about her parent’s past and is able to heal.  When she returns home she is able to find out about her sister’s life; revealing that she was pregnant during her death.  Julia continues to go to counseling and take the medication that is prescribed by her doctor.  In the end, Julia is accepted at a New York University on a full ride scholarship.  The book ends with her leaving to start her new life at the university. 

b) This book is a great book for any young Hispanic student.  It brilliantly describes the life of a typical Hispanic family.  Students will be able to relate in how you might have a huge family of support, but still be able to feel alone.  Julia’s friendship with her closest friends is one that many will relate to; and her finding love will resonate with the readers.  Seeing her get the help is one that will hopefully speak to students that are struggling. 

c) The following review can be found at http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2017/11/i-am-not-your-perfect-mexican-daughter-by-erika-l-sanchez/

Julia is blunt, funny, sneaky, and also fairly miserable. Her sister, Olga, was recently killed and Julia feels more off-kilter than ever. She’s grieving, of course, but also intensely feeling her parents’ disappointment in her and trying to find ways to get a little breathing room, especially in respect to her judgmental and strict mother. All Julia wants to do is graduate and move to New York City to pursue her dream of becoming a writer, but it’s hard to feel like that dream could become a reality since her parents think a good daughter would be happy to continue living at home and attending community college. That’s what Olga did, and especially as far as her mother is concerned, Olga was perfect. Julia, who talks back, is unabashedly a feminist, and isn’t particularly concerned with consequences, knows she is far from her parents’ ideal. She carries that weight while trying to just live her life in spite of her grief and her increasing depression. And while Julia certainly doesn’t think she has her own life figured out, she did think she had Olga’s nailed: boring secretary who attends one class at a time and was her parents’ pride and joy. But while trying to get to know her now dead sister a little better, Julia must face the fact that she didn’t actually know her sister at all–that no one in their family did. Julia assembles clues based on her limited findings and follows them until she is able to put together a more realistic picture of who Olga was. 

Overall, I liked this book. Julia is a complex character. Her struggles as a first generation American teenager and as someone living in poverty are just as complex and well-drawn as she is. However, once I realized the part mental health would play in her story, I wanted more from it: I wanted it woven in throughout, instead of just kind of dropped in, and explored more fully. The plot suffers a bit from being overstuffed—not that she can’t have multiple things happening in her life at once (friends issues, grieving her sister, her first real boyfriend, mental health stuff, a trip to Mexico)—I kept wanting Julia to either really hone in on the mystery with her sister OR explore her grief and hopes for her own life more fully, something to make the plot feel tighter to me. Maybe it just needed to cover less time. At any rate, as a character-driven reader, Julia’s emotionally complicated journey held my attention even when the plot meandered. Her desire for something bigger in life as well as the reveal that people aren’t necessarily what they seem will resonate with teen readers. 

d) Readers will also enjoy Far from the Tree by Robin Benway; Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds; and Turtles all the Way Down by John Green.

Book # 2

Mora, P. (2010).Dizzy in your eyes: Poems about love. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375945656

a)      This book is a collection of love poems.  The poems narrators are teenagers that explore love, loneliness, unrequited love.  Some of the topics include a girl’s love of swimming while another poem talks about a young man’s love of flowers.  There are 50 poems in this collection, each one different from the other. 

b)      The book offers different types of poems; from sonnets to a villanelle to a lyric to a triolet.  This book speaks to kids offering different themes that students will have a great understanding of it.  The book is written by Pat Mora is also when known for his children’s books. 

c) The following review can be found at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/pat-mora/dizzy-in-your-eyes-poems-about-love/

A lovely collection of poems about the uncertainties of teenage love in all its greatness and through all its varied forms of expression.  Mora explores the first love between a girl and a boy, the filial love between a daughter and her father, the fraternal love between sisters, the love of family, friends and teachers, picturing each variation as a strong force that strikes, blesses, empowers and beautifies the lives of the ones touched by its light. The poet’s voice is multifaceted: tender, humorous and joyful but also profound, as when she immerses her readers in the solitude and sadness of a day of school in an unknown country, with an unknown language (Spanish is the love-object here). The author employs an extraordinary diversity of poetic forms, from blank verse to a tanka, a cinquain to an anaphora, a haiku to a triolet and more, short notations adding a learning component for budding poets. The poems are complemented by abstract designs, the circles, rectangles and other geometric shapes repeating pleasingly. A must read for lovestruck teens, whether they’re poets or not. 

d) Readers will also enjoy Gossamer by Lois Lowry; Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman; and All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

Book #3

Medina, M., & Dominguez, A. (2017).Mango, Abuela, and me. Sommerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763695132

a)      The book tells the story of a young girl’s grandmother who moves in with her family during the winter months.  Unfortunately, there is a language barrier; where the grandmother’s English is limited and the young girl’s Spanish is limited as well.  Slowly they begin to teach each other and they begin to learn each other's native language.  The young girl begins to help her grandmother learn English by placing word cards on everything in the house.  The two begin to play the game of “Hear and Speak” to help each other learn. 

One day, while out shopping with her mom, the young girl convinces her mom to buy a parrot for her grandmother to keep her company during the day while she is alone.  The parrot is a great tool that helps both Abuela and the young girl to learn each other’s language.

b) This book is a marvelous book that showcases the love that a grandmother and granddaughter have for each other.  It is common in Hispanic families to have a grandparent move in with the family in their later years of life.  It is endearing to see the main characters of the book help each other to be able to communicate better with each other.  The young girls uses tools that she learned from her school when they helped a LEP student learn English. 

c) The following review can be found at https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-6900-3

Abuela has left her house in a sunnier place and moved to the wintry city to live with Mia and her family in their small apartment. Even though Mia and Abuela share a room, the older woman still feels like a “far-away grandmother” because her English is “too poquito” for Mia to speak with her. But Mia won’t give up; embracing the role of teacher and enlisting the help of a bilingual pet parrot (the “Mango” in the title) she and Abuela are soon “full of things to say.” With its emotional nuance and understated, observant narration—especially where Abuela’s inner state is concerned—Medina’s (Tia Isa Wants a Car) lovely story has the feel of a novella. Dominguez’s (Knit Together) broader, more cartoonlike art initially seems like a mismatch, but she captures the doubt in Abuela’s eyes, and her sunny colors and simple characterizations keep the story from sinking into melancholy before it bounces back to its upbeat ending. A Spanish-language edition is available simultaneously. 

d) Readers would also enjoy My Tata’s Remedies by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford; Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant’s Tale by Duncan Tonatiuh; and Hoot Owl, Master of Disguise by Sean Taylor

Book #4

Medina, M. (2013).Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your ass. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9781489819727

a)      The book tells the story of Piddy Sanchez; a young Hispanic girl who is struggling between her job at a hair saloon with her honor classes.  One day, Piddy finds out that another girl at her school, Yaqui Delgado, doesn’t like her and wants to kick her ass.  It turns out that Yaqui can not stand Piddy because of her good grades; her strutting around and because her skin is too white for her taste. Piddy is constantly being harassed by Yaqui; that she does not want to leave her home.  Piddy ends up being hurt by Yaqui and her gang; leaving her with bruises and scabs. She confides in one of her co-workers who councils Piddy to stand up for her self and fight back. The story concludes; when Yaqui actions are reported to the principal; who ultimately expels her.  But Piddy is still being harassed by members of Yaqui’s gang.  Piddy ultimately transfer schools and is able to adjust well and live a better life.

b)      The story is relevant to today’s times where young kids are being constantly being bullied by their peers.  Piddys’ actions to not fight back are similar to most kids decisions.  Luckily for her; someone else reported what was going on the principal who intervened was able to help her.  But unfortunately, in real life some kids are afraid to step up.  One of the reasons for Yaqui not liking Piddy was because her skin was not dark enough for a Latina.  Unfortunately, this kind of discrimination happens within one own culture.  Because someone is too dark or to white are reasons some kids are being bullied.  This book showed a true representation of what our kids are going through on a daily basis.

c) The following review can be found at https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/yaqui-delgado-wants-to-kick-your-ass-by-meg-medina/2013/05/07/41354c8a-ab5f-11e2-a8b9-2a63d75b5459_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.4107807bbdff

Books about bullying are on the rise as adults grapple with its causes and impact — and young people struggle to deal with it.  The gritty novel manages to transcend the usual earnest fictional treatment by delivering a protagonist who is more than a mere victim and an ending that rings complicatedly true. At her new high school, Piddy Sanchez is surprised to find herself targeted by tough Yaqui Delgado, a fellow Latina who objects to Piddy’s good grades and “wiggly” walk. Piddy tries, by turns, to avoid, ignore and reason with Yaqui to no avail, and her terror mounts as Yaqui’s small cruelties intensify. What can Piddy do? She’s sure that turning to adults will only further enrage Yaqui and her friends. While this situation is certainly compelling, Meg Medina widens her story to involve readers not just in Piddy’s problem but also in her larger life. Piddy’s curiosity about her absent father and her evolving relationship with a scraggly neighbor boy add depth and intrigue. Her pithy accounts of her neighborhood in Queens, her “worried face” mother and a glamorous family friend contain humor and insight. This unflinching novel, with its richly developed main character, deserves a place with two other nuanced bully books for teens: Rita Williams-Garcia’s “Jumped,” a 2009National Book Award finalist that explores the mindsets of bully, victim and bystander; and Adam Rex’s “Fat Vampire,” in which a main character confronts her guilt as a cyberbully.

d) Readers would also enjoy Monster by Walter Dean Myers; Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein; and Winger by Andrew Smith

   

LSSL 5361

Book Reviews

Culture # 4

Book #1

Alexie, S., & Forney, E. (2015). The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. London: Andersen Press. ISBN 9780329653165

a) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian follows the story of 14 year old boy, Junior, who lives with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Washington State.  Junior suffers from hydrocephalus, which is the reason for his short stature, seizures, poor eye-sight, stuttering, and lisping.  Because of this condition, Junior has been picked on for most of his life.  The story is written in a diary form which starts at the beginning of the school year and ends at the beginning of summer.  The main plot of the story is that Junior is frustrated with poor conditions his school is; which comes to light when Junior receives a geometry textbook which his mother had used when she was in school.  Angry and upset, Junior lashes out by throwing the book at his teacher, which breaks his nose.  When his teacher, Mr. P. visits Junior at his home; he convinces Junior to transfer to a high school that is 22 miles away, which is wealthier than his own school.  The majority of the story deals with how Junior interacts and deals with his new classmates where Junior; which have different rules and values compared to the those he had witnessed in the reservation.  The book also examines the family struggles that Junior faced during his year in school; which include the death of his grandmother by a drunk driver and a family friend being shot in the face after a fight over alcohol.  

b) The book is written in an episodic diary format.  It is told through Juniors written account of what occurred along with cartoon drawings that comically depict on his situations and other illustrations that are more serious in nature depicting important people in his life.  The story is a modern realistic novel that is contemporary and uses humor to convey its message.  This book is a great example for students to explore a different culture, other than one that they are familiar with.  They can also experience consequences vicariously through Juniors decisions.  This is a great book that helps transmit culture; and Sherman Alexie does an excellent job in portraying Native American life.  

c) The following review excerpt can be found at https://www.theguardian.com/books/2008/oct/04/teenage.sherman.alexie

Some books are like living organisms. They seem to breathe, laugh, weep, joke, confront, meet you eye to eye. Maybe it's the combination of drawings, pithy turns of phrase, candour, tragedy, despair and hope that makes this more than an entertaining read, more than an engaging story about a North American Indian kid who makes it out of a poor, dead-end background without losing his connection with who he is and where he's from. The writing occasionally relies too heavily on the cartoonesque quip, but mostly it is muscular and snappy with a knack for capturing the detail and overview with wrenching spareness. One chapter is a gem of love and heartbreak. "And a Partridge in a Pear Tree" covers barely two pages and yet it evokes so much as it describes Junior's dad's return from a drunken binge over the holiday period, then the offer to his son of a five-dollar bill scrunched in his boot: "Man that thing smelled like booze and fear and failure." Opening this book is like meeting a friend you'd never make in your actual life and being given a piece of his world, inner and outer. It's humane, authentic and, most of all, it speaks.

d) Readers also enjoyed If I Ever Get Out of Here by Eric Gansworth; After Tupac and D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson; A Step from Heaven by An Na; American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang; and Claudette Calvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillp M. Hoose

Book #2

Sneve, V. D., & Himler, R. (1993).The Navajos. New York: Holiday House. ISBN 09780823410392

a)      The book tells the story of how the Navajos came to be.  In the beginning there were four gods, the Water Bearer, the House God, the Fire God and the Talking God.  These four gods were the ones that together created the earth and the first man and woman.  Man and woman had a child who was responsible for creating four clans of people from which the Navajo descended.  The entire book tells different aspects of the history of the Navajo; from their meeting with the white man; to family life; to the battles they endured.  We are also able to see where the Navajos are today.

b)     The book tells stories that were passed down from generation to generation as well those that are written in history books.  The pictures are inviting and uses colors that are soothing and be found in the southwest.

c) The following review can be found at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10677670-the-navajos

The Navajos: A First Americans Book is a brief but broad overview of the history and culture of the Navajos. I found it informative and interesting, and all of the facts matched up with what I have learned about the Navajos from other sources. The illustrations, too, seemed well-researched. It takes twenty minutes tops to read, and would be very good for elementary kids learning about the Native Americans.

d) Readers will also enjoy Sioux by Kevin Cunningham; The Navajo by  Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; and How the Stars Fell into the Sky: A Navajo Legend by Jerrie Oughton.

Book #3

Bruchac, J. (2006).Geronimo. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780439353601

a)     The book tells the story of famous Native American Geronimo.  In this book Geronimo is telling his life story to his grandson. He recounts stories from his entire life; that include his time fighting Mexican and American Soldiers; his time appearing in President Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration parade; and his time in prison trains. He also recounts how he was betrayed by “White Eyes” as well as his forced removal from the southwest to Florida.

b)     The book tells the life of one of the most famous Native Americans.  We lay witness to the treatment of the Apache Indians by Americans.  Though not flattering, it is important that we see how the United States government at the time treated them. 

c) The following review can be found at https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/joseph-bruchac/geronimo/

“You will remember it all,” Geronimo says to his grandson at Fort Sill, Okla., in 1908. Imprisoned there, Geronimo is at the end of his long life, and Willie is to remember and tell Geronimo’s story: the prison trains and the forced moves, betrayals by the White Eyes, fighting against Mexican and American soldiers, removal of the Apaches from the Southwest to Florida and Geronimo’s ride in Theodore Roosevelt’s inaugural parade. But for Willie to narrate the tale is limiting, distancing the reader and sometimes making Geronimo himself seem peripheral to Willie’s own story; any potential drama is sapped from the narrative. It’s a story told rather than brought to the great, dramatic life it could have lived on the page. Also, since the heart of the narrative is the journey to Florida, maps would have helped readers follow the trek. Overall, though, this is an important, carefully researched work that will fill a gap in most collections

d) Readers also enjoyed Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis, The Extra by Kathryn Lasky; and No Easy Answers by Donald R Gallo.

Book #4

Dorris, M. (1997).Sees Behind Trees. Livonia, MI: Seedlings. ISBN 9780786802241

a)     The book tells the story of a young Native American by the name of Walnut.  Unfortunately Walnut has a sight problem; which is a problem with an upcoming test to see if he is ready to be an adult.  The test consists of shooting arrows to a specified target; and with his visual impairment; Walnut is worried that he will not succeed.  He is able to incorporate the use of his other senses and is able to pass the test to become and adult; and in doing so receives the name of “Sees Behind Trees”.  Though he passed the test, Sees Behind Trees has a hard time believing in himself.  The books takes in a journey where Sees Behind Trees faces a difficult task but we are witness to his triumph in this journey into manhood. 

b) The story is marvelously written that is a coming of age story.  Traditions, customs and folklore are abundant throughout this book that takes place in the 16^th century.  This is a great book for young girls and boys that are about to take their own journey of maturity. 

c) The following review can be found at  https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7868-0224-1

Dorris's (Morning Girl) eloquent, beautifully crafted coming-of-age tale centers on Walnut, a near-sighted Native American boy whose uncanny ability to use his other senses earns him the adult name Sees Behind Trees. Set in the distant, pre-colonial past, the story finds the boy moving hesitantly into adulthood--gradually gaining confidence in himself and his perceptions; learning humility when he prizes his talents too highly; earning the respect of his tribe when he escorts an elderly wise man on a dangerous journey. Both sharply and lyrically observed, fraught with emotion, the first-person narrative should connect strongly with a young audience, who will quickly learn that, no matter the century or the culture, the fundamentals of growing up remain very much the same. The authenticity of the characterizations and setting will ease readers toward acceptance of the quasi-mystical adventure that crowns the story. It's a thrilling read, with the pleasures compounding at every turn of the page. 

d) Readers will also enjoy Enemy Pie by Derek Munson; Morning Girl by Michael Dorris; Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls and Children of the Longhouse by Joseph Bruchac

LSSL 5361

Book Review

Culture #2

Book #1

Yoon, N. (2016). The sun is also a star. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 9780385683685

a) The Sun is also a Star tells the story of 17-year-old Jamaican-American Natasha who leaves her family’s home to help her find a way to evade deportation.  The reason for the deportation because her father, after being stopped for a DUI, informed authorities that he and his family were in America illegally.  While speaking to a U.S. Customs and Immigration Service agent; she is directed to meet with an immigration attorney.   At the same time, this was happening; Korean-American Daniel is getting ready to go to an interview with a Yale University.  Daniel decides to take a subway to get ready; where the subway conductor urges his passengers to find GOD, like he just did.  Daniel decides that he will look for signs of God.  During his search for signs; he and Natasha meet for the first time at a record store where they instantly hit it off.  The two are total opposites on their beliefs; where Natasha is more focused on reason, science and logic; and Daniel is more passionate, creative and faithful.  The day goes by, the two spend every moment together.  The learn more about each other and at the same time they begin to positively change each other’s lives.  Daniel decides that it is O.K not to do what his parents want him to do; while Natasha want to find some passion in her life.  By the end of the day they realize that they have fallen in love.  At the end of the day; Natasha calls USCIS to leave thanks and Daniel ends up at his Yale University interview; coincidentally with the Immigration Attorney that Natasha was directed to meet.   Unfortunately, Natasha and her family end up being deported back to Jamaica.  Daniel and Natasha try to keep in touch in hopes of their romance blossoming; but distance hinders this and their love falls apart.  Years later; they accidentally meet and recognize each other.  

b) The Sun is also a Star is a Young Adult novel written by Nicola Yoon.  The book is a contemporary, romance-fiction novel that deals with various questions and issues.   The story looks closely at questions about love, fate, and God. It also tackles race relations and prejudices among ethnic groups that are non-white.  The book is written where the two main protagonists narrate each chapter; with a third person narrator scattered (believed to be God) in between.

c) The following review can be found at https://www.hbook.com/2016/11/choosing-books/review-of-the-week/review-of-the-sun-is-also-a-star/

New York City high school senior Natasha believes in science and rationality. An undocumented immigrant from Jamaica, she and her family are facing immediate deportation thanks to her father’s DUI arrest. Daniel believes in destiny and poetry. Burdened with his Korean-immigrant parents’ expectations, he is appeasing them by applying to Yale, where he will study to become a doctor. But when Natasha’s and Daniel’s paths cross unexpectedly, and repeatedly, over the course of a day, Daniel is convinced: he is experiencing “love at second sight…the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them.” Soon, it’s a twelve-hour race against the clock: can Daniel get Natasha to fall in love with him before their time together ends? Can Natasha get the help of an immigration lawyer to stay her deportation? And what will happen if she really does have to leave the country that night? The teens’ alternating first-person narrations are fresh and compelling, and interspersed throughout are relevant third-person omniscient musings on various histories, from the past and future histories of some of the book’s secondary characters to the chemical history of love to a quantum theory of multiverses. Fans of Eleanor & Park (rev. 5/13) and The Fault in Our Stars (rev. 3/12) are destined to fall for Daniel and Natasha as quickly as they fall for each other.

From the November/December 2016 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.

d) Readers also enjoyed Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven; The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli; Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett; The Names They Gave Us by Emma Mills; and The Twelve Days of Dask and Lily by Rachel Cohn

Book #2

Tate, D., & Christie, R. G. (2012).It jes happened: When Bill Traylor started to draw. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781600602603

a) The book tells the story of 85 year old man by the name of Bill Traylor. Bill’s life is examined through the book and the memories he kept deep inside.  The memories shared began when Bill was a slave before the civil war; working the land owned by the Traylor family; to when they were freed after the civil war and decided to stay on the land and share in the profits with their previous owners. We are witness to his life which at age 81 he decided to move to Montgomery where he was able to find a job; but due to his ailments was forced to quit.  His life took a turn for the worse in that he could not get a job to help pay the bills; which caused him to become homeless His life was full of memories; which he used to draw his pictures at 85.  Bill made friends with a young artist by the name of Charles Shannon who supported Bill’s painting by providing him with art supplies.  With the help of Mr. Shannon; Bill’s art work would end up being displayed in galleries. 

b) The picture book is full of pictures that evoke the times during Bill’s life in which he lived as a slave, a family man, and his time in the city.  The pictures help tell the story of the struggles African American men went through before and after the civil war.  The book is marvelously written and illustrated and is one that its readers will find enjoyment and learn a thing or two.  

c) The following review can be found at https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-60060-260-3

In 1939 Montgomery, Ala., 85-year-old former slave Bill Traylor began to draw. In understated prose, Tate imagines the wellspring of memories that might have contributed to Traylor’s outpouring of art so late in life: jumping in the Alabama River as a child, witnessing the Civil War and its aftermath, and caring for animals on the farm where he lived after emancipation: “Bill saved up these memories deep inside.” After the death of his wife, Traylor moved into Montgomery, where, homeless, he began drawing on sidewalks and assorted objects. Soon after, an artist named Charles Shannon took an interest in his work, arranging for an exhibit of Traylor’s work. Christie’s acrylic and gouache illustrations nod toward Traylor’s own style, with bold color blocks and naïf figures, in this thoughtful reflection on the nature of creative inspiration and a man who “has come to be regarded as one of the most important self-taught American folk artists.” 

d) Readers would also like A Splash of Red: The life and art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant; Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate; and Radiant Child: The Story of young artist Jean-Michael Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe

Book #3

Arkhurst, J. C. (1992).The adventures of spider / West African folktales. New York: Little, Brown Young Company. ISBN 9780673817631

a) If you are a fan of spiders; you will want to read this book.  This book tells the you why spiders are the way they are.  Through West African folktales we are able to learn why spiders live in ceilings, are found in dark corners, how they became bald and why they have thin waists.  The reason for thin waste was because Spider was being greedy and wanted to feast on food from two different villages.  But because he was greedy his plan to eat at both festivals back fired and end up becoming thin.  There is also a great story about spider helping the fisherman.  Spider was hoping to be able to eat the fish with little work; but the fisherman ended up out-smarting spider who did all the work and was rewarded very minimally. 

b) The story is an origin story about a spider.  The folktales are rooted in West African folktales.  The reader gets a sense of how these stories are past from generation to generation.  But one of the problems that I see is the reader might have trouble understanding the translations; because they do not seem to follow the rules of the English language. 

c) The following review can be found at: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-jes-happened-don-tate/1110792134?ean=9781600602603

The Adventures Of Spider: West African Folktales as retold by Joyce Cooper Arkhurst and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney is a wonderful book of folktales that bring the culture and values of Africa to the reader in a simple yet charming fashion. The collection includes 6 folktales that star Spider, a lazy, yet clever, spider that is always searching for the next easy meal. The stories are told in a simple language that is easy enough for young children to understand but contains powerful messages of community, integrity, and wit. I would recommend this book as a read aloud in 2nd grade through 4th grade classrooms. One lesson that could be derived from the collection is to focus on the culture, specifically the cultural values, of the West African people. These stories are an excellent example of the presence of the culture of the people. Each tale is rich with examples of how West Africans value hard work, community, and integrity. Another lesson could be used in the younger classrooms is to discuss the use of personification. Spider is an actual spider, yet displays many human characteristics and actions in each story. The students could point out examples of how the spider is acting like a person in each story. – Adam Jaison

d) Readers would also enjoy Anansi: The Trickster Spider by Lynne Garner; Firefly Mountain by Patricia Thomas and The Memory String by Eve Bunting

Book #4

Thomas, A. (2017).The Hate U Give. Balzer & Bray/Harperteen. ISBN 9780062498533

a) The book tells the story of 16 year old Starr Carter.  Starr lives in a poor African American neighborhood; but is able to attend a fancy prep school.  While attending a party,  Starr gets a ride home from a childhood friend; when they are stopped by the police.  The police officers force Starr’s friend, Khalil to get out of the car and end up shooting him dead.  The murder of a black male teenager makes national headlines; with the media painting Khalil as a thug, drug dealer, and gang banger.  Needless to say Starr’s neighborhood becomes a war zone with protests happening trying to get the police to investigate the crime.  Starr is thrust in to the national media’s attention when she tries to clear up her friends’ reputation and bring light as to what really happened that fateful night.

b) The story told is one that speaks volumes to the kids.  It is one that most will find relatable to what has been occurring the past couple of years; with police officers shooting and killing innocent young black men.  The story also is similar in that young teen agers must stand up for their rights and begin to create a movement; similar to the teenagers from Parkland High School in Parkland Florida.  Most readers will become emotional especially with end results of the book.

c) The following review can be found at https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/03/the-hate-u-give-angie-thomas-review/521079/

“They finally put a sheet over Khalil. He can’t breathe under it. I can’t breathe.”
The last words of Eric Garner, adopted and amplified by the Black Lives Matter movement, echo again in the early pages of Angie Thomas’s young-adult novel The Hate U Give. By the time she’s 16, Starr Carter, the protagonist of the book, has lost two of her childhood friends to gun violence: one by a gang drive-by, and one by a cop.
As the sole witness to her friend Khalil’s fatal shooting by a police officer, Starr is overwhelmed by the pressure of testifying before a grand jury and the responsibility of speaking out in Khalil’s memory. The incident also means that the carefully built-up boundary between Starr’s two worlds begins to crumble. For years, she has spent her weekdays at a private, majority-white school, where she explains, “I’m cool by default because I’m one of the only black kids there.” Back at home, she lives with her father “Big Mav,” a former gang-member who wants to make their crime-ridden neighborhood a better place, and her mother Lisa, who wants to move away in order to keep her family safe.  Now in its third consecutive week at number one on The New York Times bestseller list for young-adult novels, Thomas’s debut novel offers an incisive and engrossing perspective of the life of a black teenage girl as Starr’s two worlds converge over questions of police brutality, justice, and activism.

This question of appearance versus reality recurs throughout The Hate U Give. Starr, familiar with perceptions of her neighborhood, community, and herself, code-switches to adapt to her environment and others’ expectations. After the shooting, a new narrative—one that paints Khalil as a drug dealer threatening a cop—surfaces, but an emboldened Starr challenges this simplistic framing of her friend. The novel goes on to raise cogent and credible counter-arguments to the flattening narratives often presented by authorities and echoed by many media outlets in shooting cases involving young black males.  As a book written for teens, The Hate U Give reminds readers of just how often racialized violence is carried out against that age group (Michael Brown was 18 when he was killed; Trayvon Martin was 17; and not-yet teen Tamir Rice was 12). And it illustrates how young people of color who might speak out to defend their late friends are unfairly criticized, as happened to Rachel Jeantel when she testified against her friend Martin’s killer, George Zimmerman. Thomas’s novel keenly understands the dangers of defaulting to the cop/vigilante versus “thug” framing device: The deceased get put on trial, rather than their killers.

d) Readers will also enjoy One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus; Turtles All the Way Down by John Green; and This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp