DL Vol 20 #1 Fall 01 - Reading and Language Arts Department

Transcription

Notable books for
a global society
2001
The Dragon Lode
Vol. 20 • No. 1 • Fall, 2001
©2001 IRA Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group
T
he Notable Books for a Global Society
Committee, part of the Children’s
Literature and Reading Special Interest
Group of the International Reading
Association, has selected this year’s list of
outstanding trade books for enhancing student
understanding of people and cultures throughout
the world. For the 2001 list, the Committee
reviewed fiction, nonfiction, and poetry published
during 2000 and written for students in grades K12. The books selected must have met one or more
of the criteria from Part I and all the criteria from
Part II.
Part I
(Meet one or more criteria from this section.)
√ Portray cultural accuracy and authenticity of
characters in terms of (a) physical characteristics,
(b) intellectual abilities and problem solving
capabilities, (c) leadership and cooperative
dimensions, and (d) social and economic status;
√ Be rich in cultural details;
√ Honor and celebrate diversity as well as common
bonds in humanity;
√ Provide in-depth treatment of cultural issues;
√ Include characters within a cultural group or
between two or more cultural groups who interact
substantively and authentically;
√ Include members of a “minority” group for a
purpose other than filling a “quota.”
2001 Committee Members
Diane E. Bushner, Chair
Salem State College, MA
Evelyn B. Freeman, Co-Chair
The Ohio State University, OH
Marcia Baghban
Queens College, CUNY, NY
Fran Levin
New Jersey City University, NJ
Part II
Lawrence Sipe
(Meet all criteria from this section.)
University of Pennsylvania, PA
√ Invite reflection, critical analysis, and response;
√ Demonstrate unique language or style;
√ Meet generally accepted criteria of quality for the
genre in which they are written and
√ Have an appealing format and be of enduring
quality.
Glenna Sloan
Queens College, CUNY, New York, NY
Kenneth Weiss
Nazareth College, Rochester, NY
Junko Yokota
ALL
Book levels identified after each ISBN as (A
L) All Ages,
PR
ME
MS
(P
R) Primary, (M
E) Middle Elementary, (M
S) Middle
YA
School, or (Y
A) Young Adult, indicate suggested audience
interest, not reading levels.
National-Louis University, IL
Terrell Young
Washington State University, WA
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2001 Notable books for a global society
35
36
ACROSS TWO CULTURES
CARMI, DANIELLA
A. (2000). S a m i r a n d
Y o n a t a n. Translated by Yael Lotan. New York:
Scholastic. 183 pages. ISBN 0-439-13504-4. M S
S;
Realistic Fiction.
Reviewed by Diane E. Bushner
Samir, a Palestinian boy, injures his knee in a
bicycle accident. To receive medical treatment and
surgery to repair his shattered knee, Samir finds
himself in the children’s ward of an Israeli hospital.
Samir feels trapped among the very people he
blames for his brother’s death. As he waits for a
doctor from America to come to operate, Samir’s
attention is drawn to the other patients in the ward
and their visitors. Samir bonds with the other four
Isreali youth in the ward. The various maladies and
eccentricities of the youth in the ward touch off
flashbacks to events in Samir’s life that mirror the
strife faced by his family. The novel also details the
experiences of the other youth in the ward.
Another boy in the ward, Yonatan, is mesmerized
with Mars and the stars and helps Samir look at
the world beyond his war-ravaged experiences.
When Samir is ready to go home, he waits for his
father to come for him, but will he find the
hospital?
Teaching suggestions
√ Think of a time when you had to be with people
you did not like. Compare what happened to
you with what happened to Samir.
√ Look in the newspaper for articles about the
people from Israel and Palestine. What are the
issues that the Israelis and Palestinians face?
Write a summary of the news articles you find
and present them to the class.
√ Compare the hospitalized youth in S a m i r a n d
Y o n a t a n with the hospitalized youth in
Vanishing
g. What effect does the hospitalization experience have on the bonds of
friendship among the youth?
THE DRAGON LODE Fall, 2001 20/1
Press. 32 pages. ISBN 0-89239-162-6. P R
R; Picture
Book.
Reviewed by Glenna Sloan
Eight-year-old Juanito’s family of migrant
workers settle in the city so he can go to school
for the first time. At first, Juanito is a confused
and bewildered upside down boy. He mistakes
recess for lunchtime and eats his burrito while
the others play, then plays while they eat lunch.
On the chalkboard, he sees a row of alphabet
letters and wonders: “If I learn them/will they
grow like seeds? If I learn the English words/will
my voice reach the ceiling, weave through it/like
grape vines.” During finger-painting, he writes
his name by drawing seven chiles bent to form
the letters, but when his teacher asks, “What is
that?” his tongue “is like a rock.” Gradually, with
the help of an understanding teacher, a loving,
supportive family at home, and his own creativity
and positive outlook, Juanito begins to adapt to
the new culture and eventually to feel a part of it.
The biographical story is told in lyrical parallel
Spanish and English texts in this second bilingual
book for children by the noted Mexican-American
poet. The book is lively with playful, imaginative
language that is matched by vivid acrylic paintings
on rag paper. The story and pictures, both
radiating warmth, bring a message of hope to
young children—immigrants, migrants, all—who
struggle to find a place for themselves when they
first venture into the alien world outside their
homes.
Related books
R u n n i n g o n E g g s by Anna Levine. Front Street,
1999.
T h e S i n g i n g M o u n t a i n by Sonia Levitin. Simon
& Schuster, 1999.
V a n i s h i n g by Bruce Brooks. HarperCollins, 1999.
Teaching Suggestions
√ Read other bilingual books with the children.
√ At first as a whole-group exercise, translate a
simple verse or nursery rhyme into one or more
of the first languages of the children in the class.
Then encourage the children to work alone, with
partners, or in small groups to translate all or a
few lines of a familiar verse or song.
√ For a storytelling activity, have children plan and
tell a story that tells of a time when they felt out
of place or alienated and what they did in the
situation.
√ Have children work in groups to plan and to
role-play scenarios wherein a new child joins
an established play group or enters a new school.
H E R R E R A , J U A N F E L I P E . (2000). T h e U p s i d e
D o w n B o y , E l N i ñ o d e C a b e z a . Illustrated by
Elizabeth Gomez. San Francisco: Children’s Book
Related Books
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a
M i g r a n t C h i l d by Francisco Jimenez. University
of New Mexico Press, 1997.
S i s t e r A n n e ’ s H a n d s by Marybeth Lorbiecki.
Dial, 1998.
Voices from the Fields: Children of Migrant
F a r m w o r k e r s T e l l T h e i r S t o r i e s by S. Beth
Atkin. Little Brown, 1993.
KURTZ, JANE
E. (2000). F a r a w a y H o m e
e.
Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. New York: Harcourt
Gulliver Books. 32 pages. ISBN 0-15-200036-4.
PR
R; Picture Book.
Born in America, young Desta knows her
father’s Ethiopian homeland only through his stories.
Now her grandmother, her father’s mother, is ill and
Desta’s father will travel to be with her. The child
dreads his going so far away to this strange place
where wild flamingos, hippos, and crocodiles are
commonplace and the hyenas’ strange coughing cry
disturbs the night. “Don’t leave us to go there,” Desta
tells her father. “Your home is too wild.” But she hears
the longing in his voice as he tells of his life in Ethiopia
when he was her age and at last she understands
how he misses his faraway home and his mother, just
as Desta will miss him when he leaves her. She is
content in the end to “hold his stories in her heart”
until he returns. E.B. Lewis’s watercolors of Ethiopian
scenes vividly illustrate the father’s stories while the
interspersed pictures of Desta and her father in
America dramatically contrast the two settings; the
glowing paintings resonate with the warmth of the
loving relationship between daughter and father.
Teaching Suggestions:
√ Encourage children to gather stories of childhood
from older family members and to retell these in
a classroom storytelling festival of family stories.
√ Invite parents or grandparents who were raised
in homes far away from America to come to class
and tell stories of life in those countries.
Related books
A b u e l a by Arthur Dorros. Puffin, 1997.
G r a n d f a t h e r ’ s J o u r n e y by Allen Say. Houghton
Mifflin, 1993.
H a l m o n i ’ s D a y by Edna C. Bercaw. Dial, 2000.
I s l a by Arthur Dorros. Dutton,1995.
T e a w i t h M i l k by Allen Say. Houghton Mifflin,
1999.
T h e T r i p B a c k H o m e by Janet Wong. Harcourt,
2000.
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O S B O R N E , M A R Y P O P E . (2000). A d a l i n e
F a l l i n g S t a r . New York: Scholastic. 170 pages.
ISBN 0-439-05947-X. M S / Y A
A; Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Marcia Baghban
The author Mary Pope Osborne is well-known
for her retellings of myths and legends. She writes
that while researching her book American Tall
Tales, she read that the scout Kit Carson had
married Singing Wind, an Arapaho woman, and
that they had a daugher. This book begins with the
birth of their daughter whom her father names
Adaline, and her mother, after giving birth during
a meteor shower, names Falling Star. Thus, the baby
girl and the book are named “Adaline Falling Star”.
When Adaline is 11-years-old, her mother and
grandparents die of a fever that sweeps through
the tribe. Her father must go on an expedition with
John C. Freemont, the Pathfinder. As her father
leaves her with his relatives in St. Louis, he promises
to return for her. Knowing his daughter’s observant
and outspoken personality, his last warning is that
she hold her tongue. Left in a foreign environment
with strange, narrow minded people, Adaline
refuses to speak. Historical records call Adaline
Falling Star, a “wild child”. Osborne gives the
readers of her story sympathetic insight into the
reasons for this label and an understanding of what
it is like to live between races and cultures.
√ Students may research meteor showers and see
if any major showers happened around the time
of Adaline Falling Star’s birth.
√ The class may investigate Native American
naming customs acr oss tribes, rename
themselves, and write explanations for their new
names.
√ Students may write letters to Kit Carson from
Adaline Falling Star’s point of view after
Freemont arrives and tells everyone Kit Carson
went to New Mexico forever.
√ Have students revisit the book and map Adaline
Falling Star’s journey with her father
to St. Louis and from St. Louis when she runs
away to find him.
√ The riverboat described in the book is a
steamboat. Why were children hired? What
made the steam? Why did it explode? Have
students investigate riverboat life.
R e l a t e d b o o k ss:
D a n c e f o r t h e L a n d by Clemence McLaren.
Atheneum, 1999.
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T h e D o u b l e L i f e o f P o c a h o n t a s by Jean Fritz.
Viking, 1987.
Forbidden Love: The Secret History of
M i x e d R a c e A m e r i c a by Gary B. Nash. Henry
Holt, 1999.
F u l l M o o n S t o r i e s by Eagle Walking Turtle.
Disney Press, 1999.
A Newer World: Kit Carson, John C.
Freemont, and the Claiming of the
A m e r i c a n W e s t by David Roberts. Touchstone
Books, 2001.
Kit Carson and the Indians by Thomas Dunlay.
University of Nebraska Press, 2001.
What Are You? Voices of Mixed Race Young
P e o p l e by Pearl Fuyo Gaskins. Henry Holt, 1999.
RYAN, PAM MUÑOZ
Z. (2000). E s p e r a n z a
Rising
g. New York: Scholastic Press. 262 pages.
ISBN 0-439-12041-1. UE/MS; Historical Fiction.
Reviewed by Terrell Young
Born into wealth, Esperanza lived a life of great
privilege and opulence on El Rancho de las Rosas
near Aguascalientes, Mexico. The world seemed
to revolve around her desires; yet, all of this
changed on the eve of her thirteenth birthday when
she learned of her father’s death. Esperanza and
her mother immigrate to the United States when
her uncles and a fire force them to flee from their
home. Life in migrant labor camps presents a great
contrast to the life she once led. Yet, her new home
allows her to grow in ways she never could have
experienced on El Rancho de las Rosas. As her
grandmother said, they were “like the
phoenix…rising again, with a new life ahead of
us.”
Nory Ryan’s Song by Patricia Reilly Giff. Random
House, 2000.
Riding Freedom by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic,
1998.
W O N G , J A N E T S . (2000). T h e T r i p B a c k
H o m e . Illustrated by Bo Jia. San Diego, CA:
Harcourt. Unpaged. ISBN 0-15-200784-9. PR.
Picture Book.
Reviewed by Junko Yokota
A young Korean American girl visits her
mother’s homeland with her, spending time with
extended family members. She delights in joining
her Haraboji ( grandfather) and Halmoni
( grandmother) go about their daily chores.
Explicit details of everyday life in text and
illustration offer enriched insights to readers: the
charcoal-warmed air under the floor boards of
the house, the outdoor market where food is
purchased, and the changpan oiled paper floor
where the family plays hato, a game of cards. The
preparing of food is naturally described: the
kimchi in the clay jar, the seaweed sheets that are
passed over an open flame, and the persimmons
sandwiched in the straw on the roof. Illustrations
ground the story with a strong sense of place –
that of rural Korea in contemporary times. Her
reflections on the experience will ring true for all
who have returned to their parent’s homeland
where relatives remain, and for whom the
negotiating of cultural differences comes with the
ease of belonging to both cultures.
√ Invite the students to learn of the challenges that
face current immigrants and migrant workers.
These contemporary challenges can then be
compared with those Esperanza encountered.
√ Compare and contrast Esperanza’s status and
living conditions in Mexico and the United
States.
√ Esperanza Rising presents many opportunities
for discussing stylistic devices with students.
√ Invite first generation immigrant adults to talk
about the experience of embracing a new home
while longing for the childhood home.
√ Invite immigrant children to talk about their
experiences, including visiting relatives in the
home country.
√ Make comparisons between the experiences of
daily life in Korea with experiences in the
children’s own lives.
√ Bring in artifacts described in the stor y,
obtaining them from Korean stores or borrowing
them from people from Korea.
Related books
B l e s s M e , U l t i m a by Rudolfo Anaya. Warner,
1972.
L u p i t a M a ñ a n a by Patricial Beatty. Morrow,
1981.
Related books
G o i n g H o m e by Eve Bunting. HarperCollins,
1996.
G r a n d f a t h e r ’ s J o u r n e y by Allen Say. Houghton
Mifflin, 1993.
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40
CULTURAL AND PERSONAL HERITAGE
DELACRE, LULU
U. (2000). S a l s a S t o r i e ss. New
York: Scholastic Press. 105 pages. ISBN: 0-59063118-7. ME; Realistic Fiction.
Reviewed by Lawrence Sipe
On New Year’s Day, Carmen Teresa’s
extended family gathers at her house for the
celebration. She receives a book full of blank pages
as a gift from her favorite aunt, and the family
suggests that she collect family stories in it. Seven
relatives tell their stories that day, each one
featuring a particular food. At the end, Carmen
Teresa decides to fill her book with recipes. Each
of the stories is illustrated with a black-and-white
linocut illustration, and the book ends with
Carmen Teresa’s collection of family recipes as
well as a Spanish-English glossary. The stories
themselves revolve around family and community
customs from seven different locations
(Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico (two stories),
Buenos Aires, Mexico and Peru) and range from a
brother-sister dispute to a miracle among the slaves
of Lima during the eighteenth century. This book
provides a valuable introduction to the many
Spanish-speaking cultures of the Americas.
Teaching suggestions:
√ This book can be used as part of a social studies
unit on immigration to the U.S. with an emphasis
on diversity within groups which are normally
spoken of in a homogeneous manner (e.g.
“Latino” or “Hispanic”).
√ Students can talk about the relationship of food
to social gatherings in their own lives and then
write and illustrate a class cookbook with recipes
from relatives or friends.
Related books
B r e a d , B r e a d , B r e a d by Ann Morris. Lothrop
Lee & Shepard, 1988.
E v e r y b o d y C o o k s R i c e by Norah Dooley.
Houghton Mifflin, 1995.
G o i n g H o m e by Eve Bunting. HarperCollins,
1996.
J O S E P H , L Y N N . (2000). T h e C o l o r o f M y
W o r d s. New York: HarperCollins. 138 pages.
ISBN 0-06-028232-0. UE/MS; Realistic Fiction
Reviewed by Kenneth Weiss
What can be said of a lyrical book that begins
with the main character, Ana Rosa, writing
“Sometimes you have no control over what will
happen next, as I discovered the year I was twelve
years old—but sometimes you do. And when you
do, that’s when it is time to take charge because
you sure don’t know when the chance will come
again.” Living in a poor village in the Dominican
Republic, Ana Rosa discovers that being a part of a
community is a very important thing in life. Ana
Rosa faces constant struggles as she tries to find
her own voice and avenues for that voice to be
heard. Ana Rosa comes to discover that her words
do have power as she explains the pain behind the
meaning of being part of a family, finding one’s
place in the world, and being an author. Each
chapter opens with wonderful, engaging poetry that
brings the reader into the world of Ana Rosa, her
joys, her conflicts, and the realities of life in the
Dominican Republic.
√ Have students use multiple texts and/or websites
to discover information about the Dominican
Republic
√ Engage children in authentic reading and
writing activities to explore social issues in the
local community.
√ Invite a city editor or feature writer from the
local or regional newspaper to class to talk about
freedom of the press and the personal costs that
are sometimes associated with that freedom.
Related books:
E s p e r a n z a R i s i n g by Pam Muñoz Ryan.
Scholastic, 2000.
T h e M o s t B e a u t i f u l P l a c e i n t h e W o r l d by
Ann Cameron. Random House, 1993.
Parrot in the Oven: Mi vida by Victor Martinez.
HarperCollins, 1998.
KAJIKAWA, KIMIKO
O. (2000). Y o s h i ’ s F e a s tt.
Illustrated by Yumi Heo. New York: DK Ink. 32
pages. ISBN: 0-7894-2607-2. PR; Picture Book.
“Long ago in the city of Yedo,” fan-maker
Yoshi lived next to Sabu, who sold broiled eels.
Sabu had few customers and therefore often had
food left over, while Yoshi wanted the leftover eels
but was too fond of the sound of the coins in his
box to spend any of them. One day Sabu sends
Yoshi a bill for all the eels that Yoshi has enjoyed
smelling, and in payment Yoshi dances to the sound
of the coins he shakes in his box. This only makes
Sabu more upset with Yoshi, but they eventually
resolve their dispute and turn to good-natured
cooperation instead. The clever and amusing story
is illustrated in a traditional Japanese style with
wonderful pencil, oil, and collage illustrations
rendered on handmade Japanese papers. The
pictures are full of color and motion, and when
Yoshi dances they are choreographed with the text.
The end papers have a beautiful dark green
texture, and the entire book has a lovely
harmonious design.
√ This book may be used as part of a text set or
unit on relationships with neighbors. Students
may talk about their relationships with their
own neighbors and then write and illustrate
stories for a class anthology.
√ This book may also be used as part of a lesson
on conflict resolution. Although Yoshi is a
“trickster” in the same way as literary characters
such as Anansi and Rabbit, in this story the
emphasis is on conciliation and not on winning.
Related books
T h e F i v e - D o g N i g h t by Eileen Christelow.
Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
L i t t l e C l i f f a n d t h e P o r c h P e o p l e by Clifton L.
Taulbert. Penguin Putnam, 1999.
Y o k o by Rosemary Wells. Hyperion, 1998.
MADRIGAL, ANTONIO HERNÁNDEZ
HERNÁNDEZ. (2000).
B l a n c a ’ s F e a t h e rr. Illustrated by Gerardo Suzán.
Flagstaff, AZ: Rising Moon. 26 pages. ISBN 087358-743-x. PR; Picture Book.
In Mexico, Saint Francis of Assisi’s Day is
celebrated on October 4th when people come to
church in order for the priest to bestow blessings
upon their animals. This story focuses on the
relationship between one girl named Rosalia and
her pet hen named Blanca on Saint Francis of
Assisi’s Day. As Rosalia is leaving to go to her church,
she cannot find Blanca. She sadly leaves the house
and happens upon one of Blanca’s feathers, which
she decides to take with her to church. When she
returns home, Rosalia finds Blanca with four new
baby chicks. The beautiful illustrations reflect
Mexican culture with bold colors of landscape,
architecture and people using a folk-art style. This
book is a beautiful depiction of life in Mexico and
describes an important holiday for the Mexican
culture.
41
√ This book would be a good extension of a social
studies unit that focused on Mexican culture or
holidays around the world. It teaches about a
Mexican custom and holiday and students can
learn about an important yearly event from this
story.
√ This would also be a good book in a friendship
unit. Students could write about their own
friendships, including memories or reflections of
relationships they have with animals in a journal
and share with the class.
Related Books:
Borreguita and the Coyote: A Tale from
A y u t t a , M e x i c o by Verna Aardema. Knopf, 1991.
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie DePaola.
Putnam, 1997.
M a g i c W i n d o w s by Carmen Lomas Garza.
Children’s Book Press, 1999.
M e x i c o : T h e C u l t u r e by Bobie Kalman. Crabtree
Publishing, 1993.
T h e P i ñ a t a M a k e r /E l P i ñ a t e r o by George
Ancona. Harcourt, 1994.
T o o M a n y T a m a l e s by Gary Soto. Putnam 1993.
MARRIN, ALBERT
ALBERT. (2000). Sitting Bull and His
W o r l d. New York: Dutton. 246 pages. ISBN 0-52545944-8. MS/YA; Informational/Biography.
Albert Marrin, chairman of the history
department at Yeshiva University in New York City,
is author of a long list of distinguished biographies
and histories. Sitting Bull and His World is another
outstanding example of the meticulous research he
employs in revealing major historical figures within
the context of their times. As a Horn Book reviewer
said of another of his books, this makes for “addictive
reading.” Marrin brings the reader into the midst of
each scene through detailed description, quotations
from speeches and letters, and exposition gleaned
from the broadest and most comprehensive primary
and secondary sources available. R aised on
Hollywood images of Native Americans and their
world in the mid 1800’s, readers are sure to be
shocked at how the so-called Indians and their
culture have been misrepresented. Professor Marrin’s
aim is to set the record straight. Accepting a Horn
Book Honor Award for Sitting Bull and His World,
he acknowledges that he too was misled by the myth
of Little Big Horn, with its tale of the massacre by
savage hordes led by a demon in human form, Sitting
42
Bull. “It turns out that the truth is far different,”
Marrin said. “ Now I imagine Sitting Bull returning
to life and doing an American thing: suing for libel.
As I began to see the world through his eyes, I came
to admire—no, love—him. No demon, he embodied
all the virtues we admire.” Archival photographs,
drawings, and maps provide a visual perspective for
the text. Notes, sources, suggested readings, and an
index are included in a book designed to give young
readers “a better understanding of our shared
humanity” with all people.
Teaching suggestions:
√ Encourage students to read more of Marrin’s
outstanding biographies, such as S e a K i n g : S i r
F r a n c i s D r a k e a n d H i s T i m e ss; U n c o n d i tional Surrender: U.S. Grant and the Civil
W a r; Terror of the Spanish Main: Sir Henry
Morgan and His Buccaneers.
√ Study the ballad form with the students. Have
them select incidents from Sitting Bull’s life and
recast the narrative as a story in verse.
√ Select some of Sitting Bull’s sayings and speeches.
Write narration to link them and perform the
whole as Readers Theater.
Related books:
A B o y C a l l e d S l o w by Joseph Bruchac. Philomel,
1995.
I n d i a n C h i e f s by Russell Freedman. Holiday
House, 1988.
STAPLES, SUZANNE FISHER
R. (2000). S h i v a ’ s
F i r ee. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. 276 pages.
ISBN 0-374-36824-4. MS,/YA; Realistic Fiction.
Shiva, the Hindu god of destruction and recreation is also the Lord of the Dance. In this book,
Shiva has chosen a strong disciple. On a day when
fish leap among the stars and birds soar beneath the
water because of a terrible storm, the infant girl
Parvati is born in a small village in India. As an infant,
her eyes are piercing and wide open. As a toddler,
she is thought to have supernatural powers. At age
six, she dances through a fire and is unharmed.
Eventually, a famous dance teacher hears of her talent
and offers her a position in his dance school in
Madras. While she hates to leave her family, she
realizes that she loves to dance more than anything
else and that the money she receives can help her
family. She becomes the most talented student at her
school and the raja from her home province invites
her to give a recital at his palace. During this time
she gets to know the raja’s son and romance blossoms.
In a reversal of the Cinderella tale, she refuses his
marriage proposal and returns to her school to
become a master teacher of dance. She cannot resist
the fire of Shiva that burns within her, for she knows
that she was born to dance. Parvati’s story presents a
powerful picture of Indian life through its
descriptions of villages, tiger hunts, fading palaces,
and traditional methods of teaching. Most of all, it is
an inspiration for all of us to follow our hearts’ true
desires.
T e a c h i n g s u g g e s t i o n ss:
√ Have students study village life and raja’s palaces
in India and make dioramas.
√ Invite a dancer who knows Indian classical dance
to demonstrate some steps.
√ Have students organize a debate about Parvati’s
final decision: dance or marry. Revisit the text to
find arguments for either side.
√ Have students write to the Indian Embassy and
cultural offices for information on India and make
a class book.
Related books
The Dance of Siva by Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy.
Dover Publishing, 1985.
H o m e l e s s B i r d by Gloria Whelan. HarperCollins,
2000.
Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance by Iris J. Stewart.
Inner Traditions Ltd., 2000.
Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the
S t o r i e s o f I n d i a by Uma Krishnaswami. Linnet,
1999.
A Yoga of Indian Classical Dance by Roxanne
Kamayani. Gupta. Inner Traditions Ltd., 2000.
WHELAN, GLORIA
A. (2000). H o m e l e s s B i r d.
New York: HarperCollins. 216 pages. ISBN 0-06028452-8. MS/YA Realistic Fiction.
Reviewed by Diane E. Bushner
This novel tells the story of thirteen-year-old
Koly, whose parents have arranged a marriage for
her. Unknown to her parents, the boy, Hari is sickly
with TB and his parents want Koly only for her dowry,
so they can take Hari to the Ganges River to get well.
Hari dies and leaves Koly a widow, a position of
disfavor in Indian society. By Indian custom, the wife
becomes part of the husband’s family and forsakes
her own family. Koly’s mother-in-law dislikes her
and makes her work hard cleaning and cooking
43
and even cheats her of her widow’s pension. One
pleasure Koly derives is her father-in-law teaches
her to read and gives her a book of Tagore’s poetry.
After Koly’s father-in-law dies, her mother-in-law
takes Roly on a journey and abandons her in Delhi,
a city overrun with widows. A rickshaw driver, Raji,
assists Koly and takes her to a home for widows,
where Koly has shelter and is helped to find a job.
First she makes garlands and later she works for a
sari maker doing embroidery. Koly learns that she
can be an independent, working woman who has
a choices to make about her life. A secondary plot
in the novel revolves around literacy and how this
ability enables Koly to become more independent.
The use of Hindu words in the story add to the
story line.
√ Research the country of India. Find where it is
located, the important cities, rivers, and
√
√
mountains, the population, the type of land, and
the dominant religious groups.
Locate someone living in your area who was
born in India and recalls living there. Invite this
person to speak to your class and provide a first
person account of life in India.
Compare Koly ’s character with another
dominant female characters from another book
about the Indian sub-continent, listed below.
Construct a character web to compare the two
characters.
Related books
S h a b a n u , D a u g h t e r o f t h e W i n d by Suzanne
Fisher. Knopf, 1989.
S h i v a ’ s F i r e by Suzanne Fisher. Farrar Straus
Giroux, 2000.
Shower of Gold: Girls and Women in the
S t o r i e s o f I n d i a by Uma Krishnaswami. Linnet,
1999.
44
FREEDOM AND SOCIAL ISSUES
G O L D , A L I S O N L E S L I E . (2000).. A S p e c i a l
Fate: Chiune Sugihara: Hero of the
H o l o c a u s t. New York: Scholastic Books, 175
pages. ISBN 0-590-39525-4, UE; Biography/
Informational.
Reviewed by Fran Levin
This is a story that proves that one person can
make a difference. That person was Chiune
Sugihara, a Japanese diplomat serving in Lithuania
during the Second World War. At a time when
prejudice and hatred was rampant in Europe,
Sugihara defied the wishes of the Japanese
government and wrote transit visas for thousands
of Lithuanian Jews who wanted to escape Hitler’s
armies. He wrote visas until his fingers were numb.
He persevered with the help of his wife who
massaged his fingers as he slept. This book was
well-written and offered information and personal
stories of the many people Sugihara helped. The
stories helped the reader understand the
magnitude of his actions and the tremendous risks
that Sugihara faced.
√ Using a map of the world, examine Lithuania’s location in relation to the other
countries of Europe. What would have been
the best way to escape Nazi-controlled
countries?
√ Ask the students to try and empathize with the
Jews in Europe. Have the students write an essay
considering what must it have felt like to be a
Jew in 1939.
√ Have students write two journal entries that
Chiune Sugihara may have written during the
time he was writing transit visas.
Related books
The Children of Topaz: The Story of a
Japanese Internment Camp: Based on a
C l a s s r o o m D i a r y by Michael O. Tunnel and
Greg Chilcoat. Holiday House, 1996.
Passage To Freedom: The Sugihara Story
by Ken Mochizuki. Lee & Low, 1997.
In Search of Sugihara: The Elusive Japanese
Diplomat Who Risked His Life to Rescue
1 0 , 0 0 0 J e w s f r o m t h e H o l o c a u s t by Hillel
Levine. Free Press, 1996.
H E R S C H L E R , M I L D R E D B A R G E R . (2000).
The Darkest Corner. Asheville, North Carolina:
Front Street. 240 pages. ISBN 1-886910-54-5.
MS/YA; Realistic Fiction.
In the darkest corner of the human soul lives
evil. In this chronicle of the Civil Rights Movement
through the eyes of a young girl in 1960’s
Mississippi, the story begins with a lynching. The
father of Theodora’s best friend returns from service
in Vietnam where he has been a decorated sergeant
presiding over integrated troops. Townsfolk find him
too uppity for his own good and the Klan hangs him.
The night it happens, Teddy sees a cross burning,
grabs her and runs toward the light. When she
arrives, her friend’s father is already dead but
Teddy’s own father is standing with his white hood
pulled back so that she can see his face. Their eyes
meet. Armed with clear moral outrage, coupled with
guilt over her father’s behavior, Teddy, over the next
year and a half, pulls herself clear of the prevailing
practices of injustice. She goes to meetings,
participates in demonstrations, organizes a local
children’s sit in and joins the march on Selma. Along
the way, she gets hosed and arrested, and endures
taunts and isolation from her white classmates. Her
mother also begins to speak up and become more
active, following her daughter’s example, but Teddy’s
father refuses to change. In the background of this
family’s struggle, we follow references to the broader
national struggles with a chronology of sit-ins,
assassinations, and bombings. The Darkest Corner
presents an absorbing portrayal of what has been
called America’s twentieth century civil war, a
revolution made more poignant and personal by
Teddy’s story.
Teaching Suggestions:
√ Make a class timeline of the important events
that happened in the background of the story
and research the importance of each event.
√ Have students read about the life of Gandhi and
outline which aspects of his philosophy and
lifestyle influenced Martin Luther King.
√ Since Teddy cannot talk to her father, have
students write letters to him explaining how
she views him after the lynching, when he
brings home a birthday present for Lizzie, when
he wakes Teddy up and tries to enter her room,
or at the end of the book.
√ Have students make a Venn Diagram to contrast
how Teddy’s mother treats Teddy and how
Lizzie, their housekeeper, treats Teddy. What
are some of the valuable traits that mothers
should exemplify?
Related books
The Civil Rights Movement for Kids:A History w
wiitth
h AAccttiivviittiieess by Mary Turck. Chicago
Review Press, 2000.
C r o s s i n g J o r d a n by Adrian Fogelin and Suzy
Schultz. Peachtree Publications, 2000.
Oh Freedom!: Kids Talk about the Civil
Rights Movement with the People who
Made it
H a p p e n by Casey King and Linda Barrett Osborne.
Knopf, 1997.
T h r o u g h M y E y e s by Ruby Bridges. Scholastic,
1999.
W a l k e r ’ s C r o s s i n g by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor.
Atheneum, 1999.
Z a c k by William Bell. Simon and Schuster, 1999.
LEVITIN, SONIA
SONIA. (2000). Dream Freedom
Freedom. San
Diego, CA: Harcourt. 178 pages. ISBN 0-15202404-2. UE/MS; Realistic Fiction.
Reviewed by Evelyn B. Freeman
Based on a true story, this novel juxtaposes the
story of Marcus and his fifth-grade classmates in
the western U.S. with stories about the lives of
contemporary slaves in Sudan. Chapters alternate
between the US and Sudanese settings. Marcus
learns about children of the Dinka and Nuba people
45
who have been sold into slavery. His classmates
decide to raise money to purchase the freedom of
these children. With strong themes of freedom and
social justice, this book is a testament to the concept
that individuals can make a difference in the world.
An author’s note provides “The History of Sudan”
and an afterword by the teacher who founded, with
her fifth-grade students, S.T.O.P. (Slavery that
Oppresses People) explains the basis of the book.
An extensive bibliography is also included.
√ Students refer to “What You Can Do” at the end
of the book and select a way that they can
contribute to the anti-slavery movement.
√ View one of the many videos dealing with the
situation in Sudan to gain other perspectives.
√ Students write another chapter to the book from
the perspective of either a US child or an
enslaved child in Sudan.
Related Books
The Lost Boys of Natinga: A School for
S o u t h e r n S u d a n ’ s Y o u n g R e f u g e e s by Judy
Walgren. Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
The Return by Sonia Levitin. Fawcett Books, 1991.
S u d a n ( C u l t u r e s o f t h e W o r l d ) by Patricia
Mar jorie Levy. Benchmark Books, 1997.
46
REFLECTIONS OF YOUTH
COLLIER, BRYAN. (2000). U p t o w n . New York:
Henry Holt. Unpaged. ISBN 0-8050-5721-8. ALL.
Picture Book.
Reviewed by Junko Yokota
A young African American boy introduces
readers to his neighborhood – Uptown Manhattan.
He explains how the Metro-North train crosses the
Harlem River and enters Harlem, where things that
appear to be contradictory to outsiders really work
for those who understand it. Chicken and waffles
are served around the clock, and people live in rows
of brownstones. Uptown is where shoppers move
to their own rhythm in the 125th street area, The
Apollo Theater is among the places where one can
hear jazz and the Boys Choir of Harlem. In Uptown,
the barbershop is where community members
might gather to discuss the previous night’s ball
game. The narrator ends with a nostalgic reference
to watching the sunset over the Hudson River. The
lyrical text is paired with richly collaged
illustrations composed of paper printed with
images of chocolate bars, fabric, rattan, and
architectural details. This book exemplifies the
power of what it means to belong to a community.
√ Research the work of artists who have depicted
Harlem in a variety of ways – through visual
arts, through music, and through poetry, and
other writing.
√ Find Harlem on a map and discuss how its
location influences the lives of the people who
live there.
√ Create visual images of the neighborhood in
which the students live. Write accompanying
text that echoes what it means to live in that
community.
Related books
H a r l e m by Walter Dean Myers. Scholastic, 1997.
A S t r e e t C a l l e d H o m e by Aminah Brenda Lynn
Robinson. Harcourt, 1997.
G O V E N A R , A L A N , (Ed.). (2000).. O s c e o l a :
M e m o r i e s o f a S h a r e c r o p p e r ’ s D a u g h t e r.
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. New York: Hyperion
Books, 63 pp, ISBN 0-7868-2357-7, ME;
Biography/Informational.
This book contains memories, anecdotes, stories,
songs and poems from fifteen years of conversations
with Osceola Mays about her youth. As the
granddaughter of a slave and the daughter of a
sharecropper, her fascinating story offers a powerful,
transcribed oral history of an African American
woman born in 1909. Osceola’s detailed and
compelling discussion of slavery and the separation
of blacks and whites provides a devastating
perspective of what life was like for her and others
during that period in history. The illustrations are
vibrant and unique and help you imagine her life in
the early twentieth century.
√ Write a letter to Osceola Mays about her
experiences, her memories and your reaction to
the book and mail it to Hyperion Books.
√ Use this book for a literature circle. Invite each
student in each group to write 5 questions or
areas for discussion. After completing the
discussions, students may visually represent this
book in any format.
√ Research other first hand memoirs and accounts
of slavery as a basis for comparison.
Related books
Let It Shine: Stories of Black Women
F r e e d o m F i g h t e r s by Andrea Davis Pickney.
Harcourt/ Gulliver, 2000.
Only Passing Through: The Story of
S o j o u r n e r T r u t h by Anne Rockwell. Knopf Books,
2000.
V i r g i e G o e s T o S c h o o l W i t h U s B o y s by
Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard. Simon & Shuster, 2000.
PRESSLER, MIRJAM
M. (2000). A n n e F r a n k : A
H i d d e n L i f ee. Translated by Anthea Bell. New York:
Dutton. 176 pages. ISBN 0-525-46330-5. MS/YA;
Biography
This biography of Anne Frank provides insights
into Anne’s life, her personal and physical growth
during her years in hiding, and information about
the people who helped the Frank family. Award
winning German author, Mirjam Pressler is an
expert on Anne Frank and explains to readers about
the different versions of the famous diary. Originally
written in German, the biography is translated by
the highly regarded Anthea Bell. Pressler
incorporates excerpts from Anne’s diary to tell the
story of the teenage girl who went into hiding in
Amsterdam during the Nazi occupation of the
Netherlands. This biography focuses on the historic
context of Anne’s life, relationships among the
inhabitants of the attic, and Anne’s personal
thoughts and feelings. A section of black and white
photographs, a chronology of events, and an index
are included.
√ Students assume the r ole of one of the
inhabitants of the attic and write a series of diary
entries from that person’s perspective.
√ Students create a diorama of a hiding place that
would have been used by a hidden child during
the Holocaust.
√ Students find information about other Jewish
47
children who were hidden during World War II.
Related books
A n n e F r a n k : T h e D i a r y o f a Y o u n g G i r l by
Anne Frank. Translated by B. M. Mooyaart. Bantam
Books, 1993.
Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary: A
P h o t o g r a p h i c R e m e m b r a n c e by Ruud Van der
Rol and Rian Verhoeven. Puffin, 1995.
Behind the Secret Window: A Memoir of a
Hidden Childhood During World War Two
by Nelly S. Toll. Dial, 1993.
T h e H i d d e n C h i l d r e n by Howard Greenfeld.
Ticknor & Fields, 1993.
48
THE WRATH OF WAR
AND THE HOPE OF SURVIVAL
B A G D A S A R I A N , A D A M . (2000). F o r g o t t e n
F i r e . New York: Dorling Kindersly Publishers. 272
pages. ISBN 0-7894-2627-7, U E / M S
S; Historical
Fiction.
Vahan Kendarian, the 12 year old son of a
wealthy and respected Armenian, has his world
destroyed overnight as he is forced to watch his
father taken by the Turkish police, his brothers shot
to death in their backyard, his grandmother killed
by a guard and his sister take poison rather than
be raped by soldiers. This book is a graphic account
of the massacre of almost three-quarters of the
Armenian population of Turkey. Forgotten Fire is
based on the experiences of the author’s great uncle
during the Armenian Holocaust. It is a difficult book
to read because of the compelling, heart wrenching
episodes of genocide related from the point of view
of a 12-year-old, who becomes an orphan, and
survives by sheer perseverance.
DEEDY, CARMEN AGRA. (2000). The Yellow
Star: The Legend of King Christian X of
D e n m a r k. Illustrated by Henri Sørensen. Atlanta:
Peachtree Publications. Unpaged. ISBN 1-56145208-4 M E / M S
S; Folklore
During World War II, Nazi soldiers entered
Denmark “like dark clouds.” They encountered
the brave king who rode along the streets of
Copenhagen unarmed. A king so loved that all
Denmark would stand in his defense. In turn, King
Christian loved all of his people and desired to
protect the Jews from Nazi internment and death
camps. Eventually all Jews were ordered to wear
yellow stars. King Christian devised a plan to protect
them but it would require the strength and courage
of all Denmark. Carmen Agra Deedy skillfully
retells the legend of King Christian X of Denmark
and explains, in the afterward, why this story is
classified as a legend and not fiction. Her rich text
harmonizes with Henri Sørensen’s beautiful
paintings to illustrate the tension and gravity facing
the Danes.
Teaching uggestions
√ As an introduction to this book, create a KWL
√
√
chart to see what students know about the
Armenian Holocaust. Invite students to discuss
what they would like to learn from this book.
After completing the book, use unanswered
questions to develop research questions.
Using three resources, do a historical research
project about the Armenian Holocaust. (History
books do not adequately explain this horrific
chapter of world history.)
Discuss with students the reasons for hatred;
what makes people hate strangers they’ve never
met and what makes people act on those feelings.
After discussion, ask students to write their ideas
in the form of an essay.
Related books
The Freedom Writers Diary: How a Teacher
and 150 Teens Used Writing to Change
Themselves and the World Around Them
by the Freedom Writers. Doubleday, 1999.
Reading, Writing, and Rising Up: Teaching
About Social Justice and the Power of the
W r i t t e n W o r d by Linda Christensen. Rethinking
Schools, Ltd, 2000.
Z l a t a ’ s D i a r y : A C h i l d ’ s L i f e i n S a r a j e v o by
Zlata Filopovic. Penguin, 1995.
√ As a class, brainstorm ways children can safely
stand up to injustice in the school and
community.
√ Invite students to research ways the Jews were
helped in other countries during the Holocaust.
√ Have students conduct research to learn
additional information about King Christian X.
Related books
Darkness Over Denmark: The Danish
R e s i s t a n c e a n d t h e R e s c u e o f t h e J e w s by
Ellen Levine. Holiday House, 2000.
N u m b e r t h e S t a r s by Lois Lowry. Houghton
Mifflin, 1989.
ISSACS, ANNE
E. (2000). T o r n T h r e a d
d. New
York: Scholastic Press. 188 pages. ISBN 0-59060363-9 U E / M S
S; Historical Fiction
Twelve-year-old Eva witnesses as two Nazis
capture her frail older sister, Rachel. Later, Eva
leaves her beloved father in Poland to voluntarily
join Rachel at Nazi work camp in Czechoslovakia
where they spin thread to make blankets and
clothing for the German army. The sisters struggle
to protect one another as their love enables them
to endure the harsh realities of their two-year
imprisonment. Indeed, Eva utilizes her knitting and
candy making skills to obtain additional food and
privileges to ensure R achel’s survival. This
compelling novel is based on the experiences of
Anne Issacs’ mother-in-law, Eva Buchbinder.
√ Have students locate and mark on a map the
various countries the Nazis occupied during
World War II.
√ Invite students to create character maps to
describe Eva and Rachel.
Related books
H a l i n k a by Mirjam Pressler. Henry Holt, 1998.
T h e K e y I s L o s t by Ida Vos. HarperCollins, 2000.
My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto
by Frank Dabba Smith.Harcourt/Gulliver, 2000.
N o P r e t t y P i c t u r e s by Anita Lobel. Greenwillow,
1998.
T h e o by Barbara Harrison. Clarion, 1999.
POLACCO, PATRICIA. (2000). The Butterfly.
New York: Philomel Books. 48 pages. ISBN 0-39923170-6. ME/UE; Historical Fiction
Reviewed by Kenneth Weiss
This story, based on fact, serves as an eyeopening introduction to the terrors of Nazism,
racism, and the Second World War. The underlying
theme of friendship and quiet, reserved heroism
allows children to relate to the choices two friends
have to make in the face of prejudice. When
Monique wakes thinking that she has seen a ghost
at the foot of her bed, she soon learns that the ghost
is a young Jewish girl who is living in a hidden room
in Monique’s basement. The girls become secret
friends even in the face of adversity. Through
careful use of author’s craft, readers are already
prepared for the anxiety felt by the villagers. Readers
are also witness to the humanity of Monique’s
mother as a part of the French Resistance. Polacco’s
use of color help to evoke the underlying emotions
presented in this well-written and important book.
√ Introduce children to the issues of Nazism and
racism through the poetry of children caught
in the concentrations camps (see related book
below).
√ Engage children in differing points of view
concerning the Holocaust by exposing them to
other relevant pieces of literature.
49
√ Contact local Jewish speaker’s bureau to arrange
for a Holocaust survivor to visit with the children.
√ To bring home the concept of the number of
victims of the Holocaust, have students collect
soda can pop tabs to represent the numbers of
human lives taken by the Nazis. It is often
difficult for children to understand what 6
million Jewish lives means. Collecting the tabs
to equal that number is a graphic but telling
visual effect.
Related books
T h e D e v i l ’ s A r i t h m e t i c by Jane Yolen. Puffin,
1990.
Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl
Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin
by Susan Goldman Rubin. Holiday House, 2000.
I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s
Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concentration Camp, 1942-1944
4, edited by Hana
Volavkova. Schocken Books, 1994.
N u m b e r t h e S t a r s by Lois Lowry. Houghton
Mifflin, 1989.
Passage to Freedom: The Sugihara Story by Ken
Mochizuki. Lee & Low Books, 1997.
A Picture Book of Anne Frank by David Adler.
Holiday House, 1993.
RUBIN, SUSAN GOLDMAN
N. (2000). F i r e f l i e s
in the Dark: The Story of Friedl DickerBrandeis and the Children of Terezin
Terezin. New
York: Holiday House. 48 pages. ISBN 0-8234-14612. UE/MS; Biography.
This inspirational biography chronicles the life
of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis, the Czech artist, art
therapist, and teacher, who was sent to Terezin
concentration camp in December, 1942. She lived
there until she was deported to Auschwitz in October,
1944 where she died. While at Terezin, Friedl helped
the children maintain hope and beauty in their lives
by teaching them art. Since schools were not
permitted, Friedl taught in secret. Of the 15,000
children who passed through Terezin, only 100
survived. However, five thousand drawings by the
children did survive and have been displayed
throughout the world. Meticulously researched from
primary sources and interviews, the book includes
extensive acknowledgments, a list of references, and
an index. Artwork by the children and archival
photographs illustrate this beautifully designed
volume.
50
√ Students create a response to the book through
art using a medium of their choice such as paint,
crayon, charcoal, collage, etc.
√ Have students work in small groups to research
additional information about the Terezin camp
and share what they have learned with each other.
√ The book lists many websites which students can
visit to find out more about the Holocaust.
Related books
I Never Saw Another Butterfly: Children’s
Drawings and Poems from Terezin Concent r a t i o n C a m p , 1 9 4 2 - 1 9 4 4 edited by Hana
Volavkova. Schocken Books, 1994.
My Secret Camera: Life in the Lodz Ghetto
by Frank Dabba Smith. Harcourt/Gulliver, 2000.
We’re Alive and Life Goes On: A Theresienstadt Diary by Eva Roubícková. Henry Holt, 1997.
THE IRA-CL/R SIG’s NOTABLE BOOKS
FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY COMMITTEE
The International Reading Association
Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest
Group invites applications for membership to the
NOTABLE BOOKS FOR A GLOBAL SOCIETY
COMMITTEE
E. The Committee chooses 25
Notable Books for a Global Society annually.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
√
√
Membership in the SIG for Reading and Children’s Literature and the
International Reading Association
Interest in Multicultural Issues in Children’s Books
REQUIREMENTS
√
√
√
Attendance at both SIG meetings held during the IRA and NCTE annual
conferences
Reading and Evaluating Books
Writing Annotations for Publication
If you are interested, send a l e t t e r o f i n t e r e s t and
your c u r r i c u l u m v i t a e by January 1, 2002 to:
Sue Chase, SIG President
3355 Henderson Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44112

DL Vol 20 #1 Fall 01 - Reading and Language Arts Department

Transcription

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