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My first author is Kwame Alexander and I am going to talk about his book The Undefeated.
Alexander, K. (2019). The Undefeated. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Summary: The text of this book is basically a poem that touches on some of the most important moments and people from black history. The message of the poem is that all of the hardships endured by black people have been worth it because of the progress that has been made. Additionally, the author touches on specific people who did extraordinary things such as Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, LeBron James, etc. At the end, the author writes to regular people in today’s time, letting them know that they are all important too.
Book Strengths: The color illustrations are extremely large and graphic within this book. The wording used by the author is very powerful and touches on many important historical events.
The next book I am going to discuss is Marsupials by Nic Bishop.
Bishop, N. (2009). Marsupials. Scholastic Nonfiction.
Summary: This is a nonfiction book about different kinds of marsupials. The author traveled to Australia to capture pictures of the animals in the book. There are nonfiction text features such as bold words, captions, an index, and a glossary. Some of the animals included in the book are kangaroos, koalas, possums, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and other lesser-known marsupials. The information included is educational and interesting.
Strengths: This book has really great photographs of all the marsupials that are discussed. Since the author actually took the pictures in person himself, he has added knowledge that makes the book fun. There are lots of text features that are useful for finding information.
Connections: This author has written many other nonfiction books about other animals.
My next book up for discussion is by the fabulous Eric Carle! It is his book Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth.
Cale, E. (2002). Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth. Philomel Books.
Summary: Just like other Carle books, this one has lots of repeating phrases, especially “slowly, slowly, slowly.” In the story, the sloth always stays in the tree, no matter what time of day or no matter the weather. Many different animals ask it why it is so slow, so boring, so quiet, and so lazy. The sloth answers by saying it is not lazy but just likes doing things slowly. At this point in the story, Carle uses many adjectives to describe the sloth such as “languid, impassable, lackadaisical, stoic, tranquil, etc.” The pictures in the book are bright and beautifully colored.
Strengths: Carle uses some very interesting words to describe the sloth. This is a great way to introduce young children to big vocabulary words. The pictures in this book are very bright and colorful.
The next book I am going to talk about is Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats.
Keats, E. J. (1964). Whistle for Willie. New York, NY: The Viking Press.
Summary: Cute story about Peter, who wishes he could whistle. One day he sees a boy whistling and his dog coming to him. Peter wants to do the same thing with his dog Willie. He tries and tries to whistle but can’t. He starts doing other things such as spinning, drawing with chalk, and pretending to be his father by wearing his hat. All the while, he keeps trying to whistle with no progress. Finally, he goes out with his father’s hat on and spots his dog Willie. Peter hides in a box and tries to whistle. This time, it works and his dog comes to find him. He and the dog go home to show his parents how he can now whistle.
Strengths: This story teaches children a good lesson about how to be determined and not give up. The wording is clear and the plot is easy to follow.
Connections: Ezra Jack Keats is also the author of some other well-known books such as The Snowy Day and Peter’s Chair.
You may recognize Mo Willems as the author of Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus, but he has also written several other books. The one I am going to talk about is his book Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.
Willems, M. (2012). Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. Balzer and Bray.
Summary: A different take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this story has 3 dinosaurs instead of bears. They make bowls of chocolate pudding and leave them in their unlocked house to attract a little girl. Goldilocks comes along and eats all the pudding and feels tired. However, she can’t sit down because all the chairs are too tall and she can’t lie down because all the beds are too big. She realizes that she is not in a bear’s house and leaves through the back door right in time. The dinosaurs come back in through the front door, finding their house empty of the little girl.
Strengths: This story is similar to the fairy tale that children probably already know, but this version has some humor to it.
Connections: Can be used to compare to the original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
The next author up for discussion is Margarita Engle and her book titled Drum Dream Girl- How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music.
Engle, M. (2017). Drum Dream Girl- How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: This is a story about a girl who loves music and wants to play the drums. Everyone on her island, though, tells her that drums are only played by men and boys. Everywhere she goes, she hears music and feels the beats of an imagined drum. She uses her hands to pretend-play the drums at home on the table. Despite everyone telling her that she can’t play drums, she starts to play conga and bongo drums as well as timbales. Her older sisters invite her to join their all-girl band but her father said “No.” So, she continues to dream and play alone. Finally, her father hires a music teacher to help her learn the drums. The teacher taught her a lot until she was good enough to play at a cafe. Everyone who heard her said that girls should be allowed to play the drums. Her dream came true.
Strengths: This book has beautiful illustrations that children will love. The author touches on a different culture and weaves the story around a girl working hard to accomplish her dreams.
Teaching Ideas: This book could be used to teach about determination, plot, and character development.
The next book I am going to discuss is A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin.
Lin, G. (2018). A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Little, Brown, and Company.
Summary: This is a story about a little girl and her mother. When her mother makes a mooncake, she tells the little girl, Little Star, to not eat it, but to go to bed. Little Star goes to bed but wakes up in the middle of the night. She sneaks out and takes a bite of the mooncake. She continues to do this night after night until the mooncake is no more. Her mother realizes what she’s done and they decide to make a new mooncake.
Strengths: This story is interesting because the little girl and the mooncake represent the moon and a star. As the little girl “eats” the mooncake, its diminishing shape represents the phases of the moon. At the end, when there are only crumbs left, they look like little stars.
My next book up for discussion is After the Fall- How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat.
Santat, D. (2017). After the Fall- How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Cute story about what happens after Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall. The story is told from his point of view. He says that he becomes afraid of heights and that he isn’t able to enjoy some of his favorite things because of this. He can’t climb a simple ladder to get something off of a high shelf or watch the birds from a high wall. Then, he decides to make a paper plane that looks like a bird so that he can “feel” like he is flying high with the birds. His bird plane starts to fly over the wall and he then decides to conquer his fear to climb up the tall ladder to get it. By the time he gets to the top, he no longer feels scared. However, something else starts to happen. His shell starts to crack and all of a sudden, he turns into a bird. He is now free to fly!
Strengths: This book is a good choice for teaching the universal theme of “Keep Working to Achieve Your Dreams.” Additionally, the illustrations are spectacular.
The next book I am going to talk about is Gravity by Jason Chin.
Chin, J. (2014). Gravity. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Cute book about gravity. On most of the pages, there are only a few words or a sentence. The author gives a simple explanation of what gravity is and what it does. The illustrations help the reader to understand the concept. At the end of the book, there is a sort of glossary that has more definitions.
Strengths: The color illustrations are big, bright, and add to the concept of the book.
The next author I am going to look at is Faith Ringgold and her book Harlem Renaissance Party.
Ringgold, F. (2015). Harlem Renaissance Party. Amistad.
Summary: Story about a man who takes his nephew Lonnie to Harlem to witness the Harlem Renaissance. While there, they meet all kinds of famous people such as W. E. Dubois, Jack Johnson, Marcus Garvey, and more. Additionally, they visit well-known restaurants, art exhibits, and dance clubs. It is Lonnie’s dream to meet the writer Langston Hughes and eventually he does. Langston tells him that he can be a writer too. Good story about the rising up of black people and their demonstration of all their talents.
Connections: Faith Ringgold has several other books about black Americans, some famous and some not. Examples are: Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, We Came to America, Tar Beach, and My Dream of Martin Luther King.
My next book up for discussion is by Carmen Loman Garza and is titled Magic Windows.
Garza, C. L. (1999). Magic Windows. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
Summary: Book where the author showcases different pictures made from cut-paper art. She learned to do them when she was young from her grandmother. All of the pictures in the book represent something from Mexico or from her life. Some of these include her grandfather’s garden, Day of the Dead, her mother making tortillas, horned toads, hummingbirds, the Mexican flag, Mexican dancing, etc.
Strengths: The artwork portrayed by the “windows” is beautiful and eye-catching. The story about the process of creating the art is very interesting.
I am now going to talk about Walter Dean Myers’ book titled Muhammad Ali- The People’s Champion.
Myers, W. D. (2010). Muhammad Ali- The People’s Champion. HarperCollins.
Summary: Biographical account of Muhammad Ali’s life starting from when he was born. The author discusses when he began training in boxing when he was young, how he won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome, how he changed his religion and name, how he won numerous fights against different champions, and how he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease during his retirement years. Also talked about was Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War because of religious beliefs. Because of this refusal, many people around the world really started to believe in him and he became known as the “People’s Champion.”
Strengths: This is a good account of Muhammad Ali’s life, especially because there are details that are not as well-known. The story is easy to understand and the illustrations help bring this historical figure to life.
My next book up for discussion is a chapter book by Kelly Yang. It is titled Front Desk.
Yang, K. (2018). Front Desk. New York: Scholastic.
Summary: Chapter book about a girl named Mia who lives with her parents in a motel where they work. Mia is only 10 but soon learns how to run the front desk, checking people in and out, tending to issues that arise, and becoming friends with the “weeklies” who live at the motel. Despite her parents working themselves to the bone, they are barely making ends meet, and the hotel owner who is their boss is constantly making their lives worse. For fear of not finding other jobs because of their immigration status, Mia’s parents stay with the hotel. Mia, however, hoping for something bigger, enters a writing contest where the winner receives a hotel in Vermont. To her dismay, she does not win the contest but comes up with another idea when Mr. Yao, her parents’ boss, decides to sell the hotel they work at. In the end, her idea pays off and her family plus lots of other people, put in money to become part owners of the hotel. Her hopes and dreams come true at last.
Strengths: Good story that teaches many universal themes such as “No matter one’s age, important things can be accomplished,” and “When working towards a goal, it is important to not give up when things get tough.” Additionally, this book represents Asian characters, which is important for students to see.
The next book I am going to talk about is Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper.
Draper, S. (2016). Stella by Starlight. Atheneum.
Summary: This is a story about a girl named Stella who lives with her brother Jojo and her parents in the colored part of town. When she and her brother accidentally see a meeting by Ku Klux Klan members, all of her neighbors decide that something needs to change. Stella witnesses one of these changes when she sees her father and other black males register to vote. Despite this, bad things continue to happen when she sees her friend get beat up by a white boy, a white doctor refuses to treat her mother for a rattlesnake bite, and the KKK burns down one of her neighbor’s houses. By the end, though, Stella realizes that not all white people are mean/racist and she discovers that she can escape many of her fears through writing.
Connections: Sharon Draper has written many other books that represent African Americans such as Blended, Copper Sun, and Fire From the Rock.
The next book I am going to discuss is Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.
Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons Over Broadway. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Summary: Biographical account about a man named Tony Sarg, the man who invented the floats for the Macy’s Day Parade. He always liked building things and when he grew up he made marionettes for children in London. After a while he moved to New York, where his marionettes became very popular. Macy’s asked him to decorate their store windows with his moving puppets. This was a huge success, so they then asked him to create a parade to celebrate all of the immigrants who worked there. He did this and even added animals from the zoo to the parade. It was terrific and Macy’s decided to make it an annual event. Some of the animals scared the children, however, so Tony had to come up with another idea. He made some huge puppets that were filled with air and were carried on sticks. From there, his idea only grew until the final product of extra large floats filled with helium and moved by strings became the norm for the Macy’s Day Parade.
Strengths: This is an interesting book because it is actually the story of a real person. Students need to be exposed to biography books.
NIkki Grimes wrote the book I am discussing next and it is called Poems in the Attic.
Grimes, N. (2015). Poems in the Attic. New York: Lee and Low Books.
Summary: A little girl finds a box of poems that her mother wrote when she was a little girl and was moving around all the time because of her father being in the army. Grimes uses the book to have a poem by the little girl on one page and a poem by the mother on the next page. Each poem by the mother is written from a place where she was stationed with her dad, and they discuss something specific that she did in that place. At the end of the book, the little girl creates a book with copies of her mother’s poems and copies of poems that she writes. She puts the original copies of her mother’s poems back where she found them and then places the originals of her poems in a new hiding place. When her mom comes to pick her up from her grandma’s house, the little girl excitedly gives the book of combined poems to her.
Strengths: This author uses this book to expose students to poetry while telling a beautiful story.
The next book I am going to talk about is Ghost by Jason Reynolds.
Reynolds, J. (2016). Ghost. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Chapter book about a young black student named Castle who likes to be called Ghost. One day while watching students practice for the track team, he realizes that he can run faster than any of them. When he shows off his ability, the coach quickly asks him to join. Little does Ghost know that being part of the track team will earn him friends, a father figure, and self-respect. This book by Jason Reynolds shows that with hard work and determination, tough situations can be overcome.
Connections: There are several other books by Jason Reynolds that are about characters from this book. These are titled Patina, Lu, and Sunny. Besides these, Reynolds has also authored various other books featuring black characters.
Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virginia Hamilton is the next book I am going to discuss.
Hamilton, V. (2003). Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl. Blue Sky Press.
Summary: This is a folktale about a rabbit and a wolf. The wolf always plants things in a garden so that he will have food to eat. The rabbit is too lazy and just eats the wolf’s food. This happens for a few years before the wolf decides to catch the rabbit stealing his food. He makes a scarecrow to ward off the rabbit but the rabbit realizes that it is harmless and destroys it. When the wolf finds it, he decides to make a rabbit figure out of tar. When the rabbit sees it the next night he tries to talk to it. When the figure doesn’t talk, he starts to fight with it and ends up getting stuck in the tar. The wolf finds him and threatens to eat him. The rabbit tells the wolf to do anything to him except throw him in the briar patch. The wolf does just this and the rabbit escapes, having been born in a briar patch.
Connections: Hamilton has written several other books, including some that are collections of folktales.
The next book up for discussion is a book by Jon Scieszka called The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales.
Scieszka, J. (1992). The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales. Viking Penguin.
Summary: This is a book where the author takes well-known fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Chicken Little, The Princess and the Pea, etc. and transforms them into shorter, sillier versions. The illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and funny.
Connections: This would be a good resource to use for a compare and contrast lesson. The teacher could use the regular fairy tale versions and could show the students how the author changed them up in this book.
Bud, Not Buddy is the next book on this list, and it is by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Curtis, C. P. (2002). Bud, Not Buddy. A Yearling Book.
Summary: This book is set in Flint, Michigan in 1936, during the times of the Great Depression. It is a sad, funny, and heartwarming story of a 10 year old boy, Bud Caldwell, who is running away from time he spent in an orphanage and a bad experience in a foster home. As he runs, he encounters some good and bad people and gets involved in many adventures. Bud’s mom died when he was six years old, but he carries special memories of her in an old suitcase, that he doesn’t let out of his sight. In the suitcase, are some flyers about a musician called Herman E. Calloway. Bud is convinced that his mother had these flyers because they meant something special to her, and he has concluded that Herman is his father. So his goal as he runs away is to get to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to find Herman E. Calloway. In the end, Bud finds the family he’s been looking for and has an even deeper bond with his deceased mother.
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Hi!
This part of my blog is dedicated to authors of children’s books. I will talk about specific authors whose books I have read and enjoyed. Thanks!
KWAME ALEXANDER
My first author is Kwame Alexander and I am going to talk about his book The Undefeated.
Alexander, K. (2019). The Undefeated. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Summary: The text of this book is basically a poem that touches on some of the most important moments and people from black history. The message of the poem is that all of the hardships endured by black people have been worth it because of the progress that has been made. Additionally, the author touches on specific people who did extraordinary things such as Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, Serena Williams, LeBron James, etc. At the end, the author writes to regular people in today’s time, letting them know that they are all important too.
Book Strengths: The color illustrations are extremely large and graphic within this book. The wording used by the author is very powerful and touches on many important historical events.
NIC BISHOP
The next book I am going to discuss is Marsupials by Nic Bishop.
Bishop, N. (2009). Marsupials. Scholastic Nonfiction.
Summary: This is a nonfiction book about different kinds of marsupials. The author traveled to Australia to capture pictures of the animals in the book. There are nonfiction text features such as bold words, captions, an index, and a glossary. Some of the animals included in the book are kangaroos, koalas, possums, wombats, Tasmanian devils, and other lesser-known marsupials. The information included is educational and interesting.
Strengths: This book has really great photographs of all the marsupials that are discussed. Since the author actually took the pictures in person himself, he has added knowledge that makes the book fun. There are lots of text features that are useful for finding information.
Connections: This author has written many other nonfiction books about other animals.
ERIC CARLE
My next book up for discussion is by the fabulous Eric Carle! It is his book Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth.
Cale, E. (2002). Slowly, Slowly, Slowly Said the Sloth. Philomel Books.
Summary: Just like other Carle books, this one has lots of repeating phrases, especially “slowly, slowly, slowly.” In the story, the sloth always stays in the tree, no matter what time of day or no matter the weather. Many different animals ask it why it is so slow, so boring, so quiet, and so lazy. The sloth answers by saying it is not lazy but just likes doing things slowly. At this point in the story, Carle uses many adjectives to describe the sloth such as “languid, impassable, lackadaisical, stoic, tranquil, etc.” The pictures in the book are bright and beautifully colored.
Strengths: Carle uses some very interesting words to describe the sloth. This is a great way to introduce young children to big vocabulary words. The pictures in this book are very bright and colorful.
EZRA JACK KEATS
The next book I am going to talk about is Whistle for Willie by Ezra Jack Keats.
Keats, E. J. (1964). Whistle for Willie. New York, NY: The Viking Press.
Summary: Cute story about Peter, who wishes he could whistle. One day he sees a boy whistling and his dog coming to him. Peter wants to do the same thing with his dog Willie. He tries and tries to whistle but can’t. He starts doing other things such as spinning, drawing with chalk, and pretending to be his father by wearing his hat. All the while, he keeps trying to whistle with no progress. Finally, he goes out with his father’s hat on and spots his dog Willie. Peter hides in a box and tries to whistle. This time, it works and his dog comes to find him. He and the dog go home to show his parents how he can now whistle.
Strengths: This story teaches children a good lesson about how to be determined and not give up. The wording is clear and the plot is easy to follow.
Connections: Ezra Jack Keats is also the author of some other well-known books such as The Snowy Day and Peter’s Chair.
MO WILLEMS
You may recognize Mo Willems as the author of Don’t Let Pigeon Drive the Bus, but he has also written several other books. The one I am going to talk about is his book Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs.
Willems, M. (2012). Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs. Balzer and Bray.
Summary: A different take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this story has 3 dinosaurs instead of bears. They make bowls of chocolate pudding and leave them in their unlocked house to attract a little girl. Goldilocks comes along and eats all the pudding and feels tired. However, she can’t sit down because all the chairs are too tall and she can’t lie down because all the beds are too big. She realizes that she is not in a bear’s house and leaves through the back door right in time. The dinosaurs come back in through the front door, finding their house empty of the little girl.
Strengths: This story is similar to the fairy tale that children probably already know, but this version has some humor to it.
Connections: Can be used to compare to the original version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
MARGARITA ENGLE
The next author up for discussion is Margarita Engle and her book titled Drum Dream Girl- How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music.
Engle, M. (2017). Drum Dream Girl- How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: This is a story about a girl who loves music and wants to play the drums. Everyone on her island, though, tells her that drums are only played by men and boys. Everywhere she goes, she hears music and feels the beats of an imagined drum. She uses her hands to pretend-play the drums at home on the table. Despite everyone telling her that she can’t play drums, she starts to play conga and bongo drums as well as timbales. Her older sisters invite her to join their all-girl band but her father said “No.” So, she continues to dream and play alone. Finally, her father hires a music teacher to help her learn the drums. The teacher taught her a lot until she was good enough to play at a cafe. Everyone who heard her said that girls should be allowed to play the drums. Her dream came true.
Strengths: This book has beautiful illustrations that children will love. The author touches on a different culture and weaves the story around a girl working hard to accomplish her dreams.
Teaching Ideas: This book could be used to teach about determination, plot, and character development.
GRACE LIN
The next book I am going to discuss is A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin.
Lin, G. (2018). A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Little, Brown, and Company.
Summary: This is a story about a little girl and her mother. When her mother makes a mooncake, she tells the little girl, Little Star, to not eat it, but to go to bed. Little Star goes to bed but wakes up in the middle of the night. She sneaks out and takes a bite of the mooncake. She continues to do this night after night until the mooncake is no more. Her mother realizes what she’s done and they decide to make a new mooncake.
Strengths: This story is interesting because the little girl and the mooncake represent the moon and a star. As the little girl “eats” the mooncake, its diminishing shape represents the phases of the moon. At the end, when there are only crumbs left, they look like little stars.
DAN SANTAT
My next book up for discussion is After the Fall- How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again by Dan Santat.
Santat, D. (2017). After the Fall- How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Cute story about what happens after Humpty Dumpty fell off the wall. The story is told from his point of view. He says that he becomes afraid of heights and that he isn’t able to enjoy some of his favorite things because of this. He can’t climb a simple ladder to get something off of a high shelf or watch the birds from a high wall. Then, he decides to make a paper plane that looks like a bird so that he can “feel” like he is flying high with the birds. His bird plane starts to fly over the wall and he then decides to conquer his fear to climb up the tall ladder to get it. By the time he gets to the top, he no longer feels scared. However, something else starts to happen. His shell starts to crack and all of a sudden, he turns into a bird. He is now free to fly!
Strengths: This book is a good choice for teaching the universal theme of “Keep Working to Achieve Your Dreams.” Additionally, the illustrations are spectacular.
JASON CHIN
The next book I am going to talk about is Gravity by Jason Chin.
Chin, J. (2014). Gravity. Roaring Brook Press.
Summary: Cute book about gravity. On most of the pages, there are only a few words or a sentence. The author gives a simple explanation of what gravity is and what it does. The illustrations help the reader to understand the concept. At the end of the book, there is a sort of glossary that has more definitions.
Strengths: The color illustrations are big, bright, and add to the concept of the book.
FAITH RINGGOLD
The next author I am going to look at is Faith Ringgold and her book Harlem Renaissance Party.
Ringgold, F. (2015). Harlem Renaissance Party. Amistad.
Summary: Story about a man who takes his nephew Lonnie to Harlem to witness the Harlem Renaissance. While there, they meet all kinds of famous people such as W. E. Dubois, Jack Johnson, Marcus Garvey, and more. Additionally, they visit well-known restaurants, art exhibits, and dance clubs. It is Lonnie’s dream to meet the writer Langston Hughes and eventually he does. Langston tells him that he can be a writer too. Good story about the rising up of black people and their demonstration of all their talents.
Connections: Faith Ringgold has several other books about black Americans, some famous and some not. Examples are: Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky, We Came to America, Tar Beach, and My Dream of Martin Luther King.
CARMEN LOMAN GARZA
My next book up for discussion is by Carmen Loman Garza and is titled Magic Windows.
Garza, C. L. (1999). Magic Windows. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.
Summary: Book where the author showcases different pictures made from cut-paper art. She learned to do them when she was young from her grandmother. All of the pictures in the book represent something from Mexico or from her life. Some of these include her grandfather’s garden, Day of the Dead, her mother making tortillas, horned toads, hummingbirds, the Mexican flag, Mexican dancing, etc.
Strengths: The artwork portrayed by the “windows” is beautiful and eye-catching. The story about the process of creating the art is very interesting.
WALTER DEAN MYERS
I am now going to talk about Walter Dean Myers’ book titled Muhammad Ali- The People’s Champion.
Myers, W. D. (2010). Muhammad Ali- The People’s Champion. HarperCollins.
Summary: Biographical account of Muhammad Ali’s life starting from when he was born. The author discusses when he began training in boxing when he was young, how he won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Rome, how he changed his religion and name, how he won numerous fights against different champions, and how he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease during his retirement years. Also talked about was Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War because of religious beliefs. Because of this refusal, many people around the world really started to believe in him and he became known as the “People’s Champion.”
Strengths: This is a good account of Muhammad Ali’s life, especially because there are details that are not as well-known. The story is easy to understand and the illustrations help bring this historical figure to life.
KELLY YANG
My next book up for discussion is a chapter book by Kelly Yang. It is titled Front Desk.
Yang, K. (2018). Front Desk. New York: Scholastic.
Summary: Chapter book about a girl named Mia who lives with her parents in a motel where they work. Mia is only 10 but soon learns how to run the front desk, checking people in and out, tending to issues that arise, and becoming friends with the “weeklies” who live at the motel. Despite her parents working themselves to the bone, they are barely making ends meet, and the hotel owner who is their boss is constantly making their lives worse. For fear of not finding other jobs because of their immigration status, Mia’s parents stay with the hotel. Mia, however, hoping for something bigger, enters a writing contest where the winner receives a hotel in Vermont. To her dismay, she does not win the contest but comes up with another idea when Mr. Yao, her parents’ boss, decides to sell the hotel they work at. In the end, her idea pays off and her family plus lots of other people, put in money to become part owners of the hotel. Her hopes and dreams come true at last.
Strengths: Good story that teaches many universal themes such as “No matter one’s age, important things can be accomplished,” and “When working towards a goal, it is important to not give up when things get tough.” Additionally, this book represents Asian characters, which is important for students to see.
SHARON DRAPER
The next book I am going to talk about is Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper.
Draper, S. (2016). Stella by Starlight. Atheneum.
Summary: This is a story about a girl named Stella who lives with her brother Jojo and her parents in the colored part of town. When she and her brother accidentally see a meeting by Ku Klux Klan members, all of her neighbors decide that something needs to change. Stella witnesses one of these changes when she sees her father and other black males register to vote. Despite this, bad things continue to happen when she sees her friend get beat up by a white boy, a white doctor refuses to treat her mother for a rattlesnake bite, and the KKK burns down one of her neighbor’s houses. By the end, though, Stella realizes that not all white people are mean/racist and she discovers that she can escape many of her fears through writing.
Connections: Sharon Draper has written many other books that represent African Americans such as Blended, Copper Sun, and Fire From the Rock.
MELISSA SWEET
The next book I am going to discuss is Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet.
Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons Over Broadway. New York: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.
Summary: Biographical account about a man named Tony Sarg, the man who invented the floats for the Macy’s Day Parade. He always liked building things and when he grew up he made marionettes for children in London. After a while he moved to New York, where his marionettes became very popular. Macy’s asked him to decorate their store windows with his moving puppets. This was a huge success, so they then asked him to create a parade to celebrate all of the immigrants who worked there. He did this and even added animals from the zoo to the parade. It was terrific and Macy’s decided to make it an annual event. Some of the animals scared the children, however, so Tony had to come up with another idea. He made some huge puppets that were filled with air and were carried on sticks. From there, his idea only grew until the final product of extra large floats filled with helium and moved by strings became the norm for the Macy’s Day Parade.
Strengths: This is an interesting book because it is actually the story of a real person. Students need to be exposed to biography books.
NIKKI GRIMES
NIkki Grimes wrote the book I am discussing next and it is called Poems in the Attic.
Grimes, N. (2015). Poems in the Attic. New York: Lee and Low Books.
Summary: A little girl finds a box of poems that her mother wrote when she was a little girl and was moving around all the time because of her father being in the army. Grimes uses the book to have a poem by the little girl on one page and a poem by the mother on the next page. Each poem by the mother is written from a place where she was stationed with her dad, and they discuss something specific that she did in that place. At the end of the book, the little girl creates a book with copies of her mother’s poems and copies of poems that she writes. She puts the original copies of her mother’s poems back where she found them and then places the originals of her poems in a new hiding place. When her mom comes to pick her up from her grandma’s house, the little girl excitedly gives the book of combined poems to her.
Strengths: This author uses this book to expose students to poetry while telling a beautiful story.
JASON REYNOLDS
The next book I am going to talk about is Ghost by Jason Reynolds.
Reynolds, J. (2016). Ghost. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Summary: Chapter book about a young black student named Castle who likes to be called Ghost. One day while watching students practice for the track team, he realizes that he can run faster than any of them. When he shows off his ability, the coach quickly asks him to join. Little does Ghost know that being part of the track team will earn him friends, a father figure, and self-respect. This book by Jason Reynolds shows that with hard work and determination, tough situations can be overcome.
Connections: There are several other books by Jason Reynolds that are about characters from this book. These are titled Patina, Lu, and Sunny. Besides these, Reynolds has also authored various other books featuring black characters.
VIRGINIA HAMILTON
Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl by Virginia Hamilton is the next book I am going to discuss.
Hamilton, V. (2003). Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl. Blue Sky Press.
Summary: This is a folktale about a rabbit and a wolf. The wolf always plants things in a garden so that he will have food to eat. The rabbit is too lazy and just eats the wolf’s food. This happens for a few years before the wolf decides to catch the rabbit stealing his food. He makes a scarecrow to ward off the rabbit but the rabbit realizes that it is harmless and destroys it. When the wolf finds it, he decides to make a rabbit figure out of tar. When the rabbit sees it the next night he tries to talk to it. When the figure doesn’t talk, he starts to fight with it and ends up getting stuck in the tar. The wolf finds him and threatens to eat him. The rabbit tells the wolf to do anything to him except throw him in the briar patch. The wolf does just this and the rabbit escapes, having been born in a briar patch.
Connections: Hamilton has written several other books, including some that are collections of folktales.
JON SCIESZKA
The next book up for discussion is a book by Jon Scieszka called The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales.
Scieszka, J. (1992). The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Fairy Tales. Viking Penguin.
Summary: This is a book where the author takes well-known fairy tales such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, Chicken Little, The Princess and the Pea, etc. and transforms them into shorter, sillier versions. The illustrations are vibrant, colorful, and funny.
Connections: This would be a good resource to use for a compare and contrast lesson. The teacher could use the regular fairy tale versions and could show the students how the author changed them up in this book.
CHRISTOPHER PAUL CURTIS
Bud, Not Buddy is the next book on this list, and it is by Christopher Paul Curtis.
Curtis, C. P. (2002). Bud, Not Buddy. A Yearling Book.
Summary: This book is set in Flint, Michigan in 1936, during the times of the Great Depression. It is a sad, funny, and heartwarming story of a 10 year old boy, Bud Caldwell, who is running away from time he spent in an orphanage and a bad experience in a foster home. As he runs, he encounters some good and bad people and gets involved in many adventures. Bud’s mom died when he was six years old, but he carries special memories of her in an old suitcase, that he doesn’t let out of his sight. In the suitcase, are some flyers about a musician called Herman E. Calloway. Bud is convinced that his mother had these flyers because they meant something special to her, and he has concluded that Herman is his father. So his goal as he runs away is to get to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to find Herman E. Calloway. In the end, Bud finds the family he’s been looking for and has an even deeper bond with his deceased mother.