Hispanic/Latino Literature Reviews

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings

Mora, P. (2007). Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico! Americas' Sproutings. Ill Rafael Lopez. New York, NY: Lee & Low Books.

Book Summary:

This is a lovely picture book collection of different poems about colorful foods from different parts of the Americas. It is written in Haiku poems on each page and then a non-fiction side bar with facts and information about that certain food. Each poem describes the food item in a way that children will enjoy and they create wonderful images for young readers. For example she describes a pineapple by starting the poem saying “A stiff, spiky hat”. The author Pat Mora writes about a wide variety of foods in this book ranging from fruits, and vegetables, to flavors like vanilla. The book ends by putting all the foods together for a fun little rhyme.

Cultural Analysis:

This is great book to celebrate different Hispanic/Latino cultures that originate in the Americas. The author Pat Mora chose foods to represent several different countries and families. She was also able to incorporate a few Spanish words to add to the cultural experience of the book. The illustrator Rafael Lopez also did a wonderful job of displaying all different skin tones and environmental backgrounds on each page. He captured the place of origin for each food with bright and vibrant colors that will engage and please young readers. He incorporated several Hispanic/Latino tradition items to each pages as well like maracas.

Editorial Reviews:

School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 3—This concept book serves as a delicious introduction to 14 types of food, all of which have their origins in the Americas. Snippets of information and a haiku poem accompany each one, ranging from blueberry and chili pepper through papaya, prickly pear, and vanilla. Using English and a smattering of Spanish words, Mora crafts a playful introduction to each one, as in "Pumpkin": "Under round luna,/scattered tumblings down the rows,/autumn's orange face." The sense of whimsy is further underscored in López's colorful acrylic on wood-panel illustrations. Artful compositions and brilliant complementary colors bear out the book's multicultural themes. The art conveys an infectious sense of fun, as smiling suns and moons beam down upon happy children and animals, along with a trumpet-wielding peanut-butter sandwich and a dancing pineapple. Teachers will find this a welcome addition to their social-studies units, but it should also win a broad general audience for its inventive, fun-filled approach to an ever-popular topic: food.—Marilyn Taniguchi, Beverly Hills Public Library, CA

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"This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas." --Booklist

"Mora's descriptive poetry features wonderful word choices and gets it right to the essence of each food...Perfect for sharing as part of the curriculum or just for fun." --Book Links

"Teachers will find this a welcome addition to their social-studies units, but it should also win a broad general audience for its inventive, fun-filled approach to an ever-popular topic: food." --School Library Journal

"In this cross-curricular treat, imaginative...acrylic illustrations...are paired with playful haikus and a paragraph of information to introduce 14 foods indigenous to the Americas..." --SLJ Curriculum Connections

Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez & Her Family's Fight for Desegregation

Tonatiuh, D. (2014). Separate is never equal: Sylvia Mendez & her family's fight for desegregation. New York, NY: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Book Summary:

This is the story of a very brave little girl Sylvia Mendez and her family. The Mendez family moved to California in the summer of 1944. When Sylvia and her brothers went to register at the school close to the house they were denied and told she had to go to the “Mexican” school. This upset her and her family so her father went to the school’s superintendent demanding answers and he couldn’t give him one. Mr. Mendez couldn’t find anyone to give him an answer so he then created the Parents’ Association of Mexican-American Children hoping other families would join in and fight for the right for their children to go to the same school. The other families didn’t join right away until Mr. Mendez hired a lawyer, Mr. Marcus. With Mr. Marcus’ help, Mr. Mendez was able to find other families fighting for the same thing. Together they went to court and fought the public school system for equal rights for all students. After five days the trial was over and the waiting began. It took the judge almost a year to deliver his decision but when he did he decided in favor of the Mendez family. However the school board appealed and they had to take their case to the state court. This time they had more support from several different culture groups. The Mendez family won again and then in June of 1947 the Governor of California signed a law saying that all children were allowed to go to school together regard less of race and ethnicity. Sylvia had a hard time at the beginning but quickly learned to ignore the kids who picked on her and she made several friends.  

Cultural Analysis:

This is a very moving book of one families fight to end segregation against the Hispanic/Latino people and the ability to send their children to a good school. The author, Duncan Tonatiuh, was able to add touches of the Spanish language into the story as the voice of Mrs. Mendez and other families in the story. It adds to the story by demonstrating the native language. Duncan Tonatiuh is also the illustrator and he did a wonderful job showing the different skin tones and even in the direction he face the characters heads. In the pictures on the pages where Sylvia is going to the “white” school her face is tilted down where the white students have their heads held high. I also like how the illustrations help support the story describe the horrible conditions of the “Mexican” school. The story does not say that it smells and is probably hot but the pictures have flies swarming the students creates the image that their school is in a cow pasture with an electrical fence and they are treated like animals and not children. The pictures also show that the school didn’t have a playground and there was nothing to make it even look like a school. The illustrations on the pages with the pool also created a very moving image abour how unfair and horrible they were treated. The pictures showed the Hispanic/Latino children behind the bars of the pool because they could not swim. There was even a sign posted saying “No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed”. Overall this was a very powerful book that my students really enjoyed and felt moved by, the sign of a great book.

Editorial Reviews:

School Library Journal

Gr 2–5—When the Mendezes moved to Westminster, CA, in 1944, third-grader Sylvia tried to enter Westminster School. However, the family was repeatedly told, "'Your children have to go to the Mexican school.' 'But why?' asked Mr. Mendez……'That is how it is done.'" In response, they formed the Parents' Association of Mexican-American Children, distributed petitions, and eventually filed a successful lawsuit that was supported by organizations ranging from the Japanese American Citizens League to the American Jewish Congress. Younger children will be outraged by the injustice of the Mendez family story but pleased by its successful resolution. Older children will understand the importance of the 1947 ruling that desegregated California schools, paving the way for Brown v. Board of Education seven years later. Back matter includes a detailed author's note and photographs. The excellent bibliography cites primary sources, including court transcripts and the author's interview with Sylvia Mendez, who did attend Westminster School and grew up to earn the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Tonatiuh's illustrations tell a modern story with figures reminiscent of the pictorial writing of the Mixtec, an indigenous people from Mexico. Here, the author deliberately connects his heritage with the prejudices of mid-20th century America. One jarring illustration of three brown children barred from a pool filled with lighter-skinned children behind a sign that reads, "No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed," will remind readers of photographs from the Jim Crow South. Compare and contrast young Sylvia Mendez's experience with Robert Coles's The Story of Ruby Bridges (Scholastic, 1995) to broaden a discussion of school desegregation.—Toby Rajput, National Louis University, Skokie, IL

Booklist

Pura Belpré Award–winning Tonatiuh (Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote, 2013) makes excellent use of picture-book storytelling to bring attention to the 1947 California ruling against public-school segregation. The concise, informative text, with occasional and always translated Spanish lines, discusses how being banned from enrolling in an Orange County grade school because of her skin tone and Mexican surname inspired Sylvia Mendez’ family to fight for integrated schools. Soon they were joined by many others, including the NAACP and the Japanese American Citizens League, which led to their hard-won victory. Tonatiuh’s multimedia artwork showcases period detail, such as the children’s clothing and the differences between the school facilities, in his unique folk art style. An endnote essay recapping the events, photos of Sylvia and her schools, and a glossary and resource list for further research complete this thorough exploration of an event that is rarely taught. This would be a useful complement to other books about the fight for desegregation, such as Deborah Wiles’ Freedom Summer (2001) or Andrea Davis Pinkney’s Sit-In (2010). Grades 2-5. --Francisca Goldsmith

Other books that are recommended:

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist

Engle, M. (2013). The lightning dreamer: Cuba's greatest abolitionist. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Book Summary:

This is the very moving story of Tula a young girl growing up in Cuba where girls are not seen as equals with men. This is very upsetting to Tula because she loves to read, imagine and wants so badly to go out and explore the world and write poems. In Cuba though she is not able to do any of those things and is expected to be a proper young lady who does not have a mind, as Tula sees it. She is expected to marry and live with the husband her grandfather arrangers for her. As Tula waits for the arrangement she spends a lot of her time with the Nuns because there she is able to read books and especially the poetry of Heredia. She is also able to write plays for the orphans to act out and dreams of living them out. She sneaks to a storyteller to hear stories and meets a man named Sab who is in love with a woman Carlota who is in love with a wealthy man who is only interested in her money. Together Sab and Carlota teach Tula about love and what it is and what it really isn’t and that marriage without love is just another form of slavery. Tula then catches a ride to Havana and learns to become independent and continues to write poetry. In the end of the story Tula is happy and has traveled to the French river port of Bordeaux and writes poetry in the window with a feather pen.

Cultural Analysis:

This is a novel written in prose.  Margarita Engle the author uses her words to create imagines of what it must have been like to grow up in Cuba as a young girl. The feeling of being trapped comes across as you read the story. Her word choice and use of free verse poetry help the reader get a feel of the culture and what life was like in Cuba during these times. The culture is also described in the food that Caridad was making, the way she inserted Spanish words into the text, and the description of farm that her grandfather owned. This is a powerful story told in an interesting way.

Editorial Reviews:

Booklist

*Starred Review* Engle’s historical novel in verse is a fictionalized biography of the nineteenth-century Cuban abolitionist poet Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, known as Tula. Told in multiple voices, Engle’s elegant verses, rich in simile and metaphor, focus on the poet’s life as a teenager. Forbidden access to books because her mother believes reading and writing make women unattractive, Tula escapes to a nearby convent. There, she discovers volumes by the rebel poet José María de Heredia, whose words feed her own rebellious spirit, which is exemplified by her rejection of two arranged marriages. I long to write like Heredia, she muses, but what do I know of great cities and the wide lives of men? I’m just a silenced girl. My stories are simple tales of emotion. Seen as an outcast and a madwoman, she is sent to the country, where she falls in love with Sab, a freed slave, and continues to write about equality for slaves and for women. Engle’s richly evocative verses conjure up a time when women, like slaves, were regarded as property to be sold into loveless marriages. This is the context for a splendid novel that celebrates one brave woman who rejected a constrained existence with enduring words that continue to sing of freedom. Grades 7-12, --Michael Cart --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Reviews

A Pura Belpré Honor Book

Winner of the 2014 PEN Literary Award for Best Young Adult Book

VOYA Top Shelf for Middle School Readers 2013 list

2014 International Latino Book Award Honorable Mention

An NCTE Notable Book for the Language Arts

An ALSC Notable Children's Book for 2013

YALSA 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults

* "This is the context for a splendid novel that celebrates one brave woman who rejected a constrained existence with enduring words that continue to sing of freedom."

—Booklist, starred review

"An inspiring fictionalized verse biography of one of Cuba's most influential writers. . . . Fiery and engaging, a powerful portrait of the liberating power of art."

—Kirkus

"In these poems, their longings for freedom, their fears, their loves, and their heartaches are elegantly crafted through images that make the island of Cuba and its people vividly real and connect them to the hearts of contemporary readers."

—Bulletin

"A quick and powerful read worthy of addition to any collection. The verses speak of tolerance and acceptance beyond the context of this story."

—VOYA 4Q 2P M J S

"Engle adds another superb title to her lengthening list of historical novels in verse. . . . This is a must-have for . . . anyone in need of a comparative study to our own country's struggle with slavery."

—School Library Journal

Other books that are recommended:

African American Literature

Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down

Davis Pinkney, A. (2010). Sit-In How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down. ILL Brian Pinkney New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0316070164

Book Summary:

This is a historical fiction story about the famous Sit-In that took place at the Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina in the early 1960s. Four college students who were inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King’s words decided that they have the right to be served at the lunch counter just like the “whites”. After they ignored the white only signs they were still not served. They sat there the whole day until Woolworth closed. They came back every day for several days and more of their friends would join them. As they sat there quietly waiting to be served they peacefully read and studied. News of their Sit-In spread and it encouraged many other sit-ins across the country.  The story then goes on into the beginning of the end of segregation. Throughout the story the author includes fun recipe like references like “a double dose of peace, with nonviolence on top. Hold the hate. Leave off the injustice” and ends the story with the right recipe for integration and the steps needed. The author also includes a very useful Civil Rights Timeline in the back of the book.

Critical Analysis:

The illustrator uses simple drawings to represent the emotion felt be the people in the story. There are faces in the illustrations that show worry on some and the seriousness on others. There is even a page with a police officer that illustrates the hate felt by the whites against the blacks. The author also uses the text size to emphasize the point she is making on the page. The illustrator was able to show the importance of “we must meet violence with nonviolence” by showing the ones sitting at the counter trying to be served close up while the violence was small and happening behind them. To me this showed how it wasn’t important what they were doing to them, it was important to show that the people fighting for change were not being violent they were just sitting there peacefully.  

Editorial Reviews:

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 3–6—Through effectively chosen words, Andrea Pinkney brings understanding and meaning to what four black college students accomplished on February 1, 1960, by sitting down at a Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, NC. Her repeated phrase, "Their order was simple. A doughnut and coffee with cream on the side," along with other food metaphors, effectively emphasizes the men's determination to undo the injustices of segregation in a peaceful protest, which eventually led up to the 1966 Supreme Court ruling against racial discrimination. With swirling swabs of color that masterfully intertwine with sometimes thin, sometimes thick lines, Brian Pinkney cleverly centers the action and brings immediacy to the pages. Both the words and the art offer many opportunities for discussion. The book concludes with a civil rights time line and an update on the aftermath of the lunch-counter struggle.—Barbara Elleman, Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This compelling picture book is based on the historic sit-in 50 years ago by four college students who tried to integrate a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Food-related wordplay adds layers to the free verse, as in the lines about the protesters’ recipe for integration: “Combine black with white / to make sweet justice.” The double-page spreads in watercolor and thick ink lines show both the scene in Woolworth’s and across America as blacks and whites organize sit-ins and watch coverage of protests on TV. Finally, the young people at the counter get what they order, “served to them exactly the way they wanted it––well done.” The recipe metaphors are repetitive, but at the core of the exciting narrative are scenes that show the difficulty of facing hatred: “tougher than any school test.” Closing pages discuss the role of adults, including Ella Baker and then presidents Kennedy and Johnson, and include a detailed civil rights time line, “a final helping” about the historic struggle, and a bibliography. Even young children will grasp the powerful, elemental, and historic story of those who stood up to oppressive authority and changed the world. Grades 2-4. --Hazel Rochman

Connection/Activities:

There are a lot other books you could partner with this story. One book that would be good is “Freedom on the Menu” by Carole Weatherford. You could also have the student research more about different Sit-Ins. You could also read the story of Rosa Parks and compare and contrast the two stories.

 

 

 

 

Brown Girl Dreaming

Woodson, Jacqueline. (2014). Brown Girl Dreaming. New York: Nancy Paulsen Books, Print. ISBN978-0-399-25251-8

Book Summary:

“Brown Girl Dreaming” is written by Jacqueline Woodson about her childhood in the ‘60s and ‘70’s.  Woodson was born in Ohio and has relatives who were slaves.  She had family in the south and would make trips to South Carolina to visit her Grandma Georgiana and Grandpa Gunnar.  Her parents fight often about their trips to the south.  Eventually her parents’ divorce and she moves to South Carolina to live with her grandparents, her mom and her two siblings, Hope and Odella.  Jackie is aware of the racism but still loves her new home and its beauty.  Jackie’s mother then decides to move to New York City and leaves the three children with her parents. Her mother comes back for them but it has been a while because she has a new baby with her.  Jackie then moves with her mother to New York City and makes friends in her new home and it is there that she realizes she was meant to be a writer.  Writing is the one thing that she loves to do and knows she is good at it. Jackie returns to visit her grandparents each summer.  After the death of her grandfather, her grandmother moves to New York City to join the rest of the family.  Jackie finally has a teacher, Ms. Vivo, tell her that she is indeed a writer and encourages her to pursue her love of writing and telling stories.  She feels confident in her future.

Critical Analysis:

This is a very touching tale of an African American girl growing up in the height of the Civil Rights Movement.  Jacqueline Woodson writes in a style that allows the reader to really feel the emotion with her as she experiences different things in her upbringing. As I was reading I found myself using a different dialect that I assume is what I think she would sound like as a young girl. This story also discusses the family’s history with slavery and how close her grandfather came to being owned. The author uses great word choice to describe the places and experience she goes through and adjective to describe skin color and physical appearance like on page 181 “dark brown like mine or lighter like Dell’s? Did he have Hope and Dell’s loose curls or my tighter, kinkier hair? One example that I found very moving was on page 228 when she says “I’d never have believed that someone who looked like me could be in the pages of a book, that someone who looked like me had a story”.

Editorial Reviews:

* “The writer’s passion for stories and storytelling permeates the memoir, explicitly addressed in her early attempts to write books and implicitly conveyed through her sharp images and poignant observations seen through the eyes of a child. Woodson’s ability to listen and glean meaning from what she hears lead to an astute understanding of her surroundings, friends, and family.” — Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
* “Mesmerizing journey through [Woodson’s] early years. . . . Her perspective on the volatile era in which she grew up is thoughtfully expressed in powerfully effective verse. . . . With exquisite metaphorical verse Woodson weaves a patchwork of her life experience . . . that covers readers with a warmth and sensitivity no child should miss. This should be on every library shelf.” — School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
* “Woodson cherishes her memories and shares them with a graceful lyricism; her lovingly wrought vignettes of country and city streets will linger long after the page is turned. For every dreaming girl (and boy) with a pencil in hand (or keyboard) and a story to share.” — Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
* “[Woodson’s] memoir in verse is a marvel, as it turns deeply felt remembrances of Woodson’s preadolescent life into art. . . . Her mother cautions her not to write about her family but, happily, many years later, she has and the result is both elegant and eloquent, a haunting book about memory that is itself altogether memorable. — Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
* “A memoir-in-verse so immediate that readers will feel they are experiencing the author’s childhood right along with her. . . . Most notably of all, perhaps, we trace her development as a nascent writer, from her early, overarching love of stories through her struggles to learn to read through the thrill of her first blank composition book to her realization that ‘words are [her] brilliance.’ The poetry here sings: specific, lyrical, and full of imagery. An extraordinary—indeed brilliant—portrait of a writer as a young girl.” — The Horn Book, STARRED REVIEW
* “The effect of this confiding and rhythmic memoir is cumulative, as casual references blossom into motifs and characters evolve from quick references to main players. . . . Revealing slices of life, redolent in sight, sound, and emotion. . . . Woodson subtly layers her focus, with history and geography the background, family the middle distance, and her younger self the foreground. . . . Eager readers and budding writers will particularly see themselves in the young protagonist and recognize her reveling in the luxury of the library and unfettered delight in words. . . . A story of the ongoing weaving of a family tapestry, the following of an individual thread through a gorgeous larger fabric, with the tacit implication that we’re all traversing such rich landscapes. It will make young readers consider where their own threads are taking them.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW
* “Woodson uses clear, evocative language. . . . A beautifully crafted work.” — Library Media Connection, STARRED REVIEW

Connection/Activities:

I think that this would be a great read aloud to partner with a nonfiction unit on the Civil Rights Movement and then compare and contrast fiction vs nonfiction. The books “One Crazy Summer” and “P.S. Be Eleven by Rita Williams-Garcia would also be great reads for students who enjoyed this wonderful story.

 

Poems in the Attic

Grimes, N. (2015). Poems in the Attic. ILL Elizabeth Zunon New York, NY: Lee & Low Books.ISBN 978-1620140277

Book Summary:

This is a very sweet story about a little girl who finds a box of her mother’s poems in the attic while she is staying at her grandmother’s house. The poems were written by her mother when she was young and tell the story of how she grew up and was able to travel the world because her father was in the Air Force.  The poems represent the memories she had of each place she lived. When the daughter read her mother’s poems she felt closer to her and it built a connection between them even though they were not together at the moment. In the end the daughter had written her own poems and then put them together with her mother’s poems in a book to give to her mom as a gift when she got back. She then added her poems to the box for someone else to find in the future.  

Critical Analysis:

The illustrator of the book has created a beautiful African American girl character that is easily relatable to any reader. The book also shows the love of three generations with the grandmother taking care of her granddaughter while her daughter is away. The illustrator has helped the author tell the story of these two experiences, the daughter and the mother, by putting the daughter’s poem on one side of the page with a plain background and on the other side of the page it is fully illustrated with the details described in the mother’s poems. This story also demonstrates how an African American family traveled the world without prejudice. Not only does this book tell the story of a mom and daughter through poems but it also exposes the reader to other places and cultures around the world through the mother’s poems.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 1–4—During a visit to Grandma's, a seven-year-old girl discovers a stash of poems in the attic written by her mother as a child. Each subsequent set of pages pairs a poem written by the girl with one by her mama. An air force brat, Mama wrote a different entry in each new place her family was stationed, showcasing the experiences of her "childhood on wings," from painting luminarias in New Mexico to kayaking in Virginia to catching cherry blossoms like snowflakes in Japan. Her writing also touches upon painful situations, such as leaving her friends behind when she moved and missing her father when he was away. The daughter's poems compare her and her grown-up mother's lives with the experiences detailed by Mama as a girl ("It's funny to think of Mama/making a mess with arts and crafts"). Sweet and accessible but never simplistic, this collection captures the experience of a military childhood with graceful sophistication. Grimes uses different styles of poem for each voice (free verse for the daughter and tanka poems for the mother), a choice that she discusses in an explanatory note on poetry forms that will serve budding poets and teachers alike. Rendered in acrylic, oil, and collage, Zunon's warm, vibrant illustrations complement the text perfectly. Readers with an especially keen interest in the locations highlighted can look to a complete list of Air Force Bases appended. VERDICT A gem of a book.—Jill Heritage Maza, Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, NJ

Connections/Activities:

This would be a great book to add to any poetry unit. I would partner it with another book that shows different points of view similar to this one (side-by-side story). I think it would be a great time to get parents involved and ask them to write a poem about when they were young and then have the student write a poem in response to their parent’s poem. I am also excited to use this book as part of the Texas Bluebonnet book list for this year!

International Literature

The War Within These Walls

 

Sax, A. (2011). The War Within These Walls. Ill. Caryl Strzelecki. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-8028-5428-5

This is the story of a young Jewish boy, Misha, who lived in Warsaw in the midst of World War II. Because of his Jewish faith his family is forced by the Nazis to live in a very crowded ghetto where there is a lack of housing and food. He cannot stand to watch his friends and neighbors starve to death so he tries to find a solution and he climbs down the sewer drain and sneaks under the wall to seal food to provide for his family. He does this a few times and even his younger sister attempts to go and find food until he witness the Nazis killing people for doing it. He then has to find another way to save his starving mother so he joins up with other Jews in the ghetto to create a plan to attack the Nazis. They fought bravely for a few months until they were over taken and many lives lost.

I personally found this book to be a powerful story about how Jewish people and families were treated in World War II. It is a story that demonstrates how the Jews were forced to starve to death and how they had to fight to be treated as humans. The author Aline Sax wrote a book that can really move the reader and make them feel for the characters and the culture of the time and people involved.

Editorial Reviews:

From School Library Journal-

Gr 8 Up-Told from the point of view of a Jewish teen, this short, illustrated novel begins with the invasion of Poland in 1939 and goes on to describe the limits placed on the Jewish population and their eventual incarceration in the Warsaw Ghetto. The narrator describes the daily humiliations, depravations, despair, and deaths at the hands of the Nazis. When his family runs out of food, the narrator descends into the sewer system to cross to the Polish side of the Ghetto walls, where he is able to buy or steal food. When the Nazis employ flame throwers to kill those in the sewers, he loses his nerve. Unfortunately, he isn't able to stop his younger sister from traveling the sewers, and one day she doesn't return. When it becomes clear that everyone in the Ghetto is going to be resettled in the East, the narrator is ready, when approached by Mordechai Anielewicz, one of the actual leaders of the uprising, to join the resistance. The last portion of the book describes the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from the narrator's point of view. The pen, ink, and pencil artwork serves to extend and clarify the story. The combination of the illustrations and the author's spare prose make this a good choice for reluctant readers and an outstanding example of Holocaust fiction.-Nancy Silverrod, San Francisco Public Libraryα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist-

Teenage Misha narrates the story of what happened during WWII when Nazi forces took over Poland and walled off a part of Warsaw in 1940 to hold all the Jews in that city. Misha rebels against the inhumane conditions of meager rations and the tremendous overcrowding in the Warsaw Ghetto by smuggling food until his younger sister disappears while on a run through the sewer system. Then, in 1943, when he learns that the Nazis plan to kill all the Jews by transporting them to concentration camps, he joins a rebel group determined to fight back no matter how hopeless their cause might be. Everything about the format of the book—its tall and narrow shape, the somber blue-and-white illustrations that work together with the spare prose, the alternating white and black pages—makes the reader pause and take notice of what is happening. This very personal viewpoint of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising makes a powerful impact that will last long after reading. Grades 9-12.

Connections:

I would use this book in a High school class and partner it with an Anne Frank or similar novel and compare and contrast the different points of views. I think it is also a great book to provoke writing prompts.

Related books:

“My Family for the War” By Anne C. Voorhove

“The Man from the Other Side” by Uri Orlev

 

 

 

 

Hello Baby!

Fox, M. (2009). Hello Baby! Ill. Steve Jenkins. New York, New York: Beach Lane Books. ISBN 978-1-4169-8513-6

This is a cute guessing game type of story for young children using an array of different African animals. It starts out by saying Hello and the reader sees a human hand and it then asks “Who are you” and the child sees a small part of an animal and the reader has to guess what the animal is. When they turn the page they are shown the whole image of the animal and then given another small picture to guess from. It takes the child through different animals and different animal body parts and actions and then ends back with a human hand.

This book is great for young children and has great illustrations to show texture and vibrant colors. Even with text meant for young children the author Mem Fox’s words provide a great visual, for example one page says “Are you a lion with dust on its paws” to make the reader connect to the lions environment in Africa. The story also teaches children about the animal’s habits, for example a leopard dozes at dusk, and an eagle explores the skies.

Connections:

I feel that this book can be used with any animal unit for kinder through fourth grade. In the older grades they can use it as spring board to making their own animal book that has the same idea of guessing what the animal might be by giving clues and then more description on the next page. It would be great to use in a kinder class to introduce different animals and vocabulary. It would also make a great book to launch a virtual field trip on an African Safari using google earth or another similar technology devise.

Related/Similar Books:

“Time for Bed” by Mem Fox

“Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?” Bill Martin Jr.

 

 

 

 

Arto’s Big Move

Arnaldo, M. (2014). Arto's Big Move. Berkeley, CA: OwlKids Books. ISBN 978-1-77147-066-7

Arto is a young boy who has lived in the cold north his whole life, seven years, and loved it. One day he comes home and notices that there are cardboard boxes by the front door and his mother told him that they were going to be moving for one year. Not just any move but a move to the south! He was not happy about moving to the south because he loved his cold weather where he could wear his boots, mittens and his favorite hat. When his family made it to the south he noticed a whole new world. He saw roofs that where flat instead of pointed and strange birds he had never seen. He also felt a heat that he had not felt before. He refused to give up his northern ways and kept his favorite winter layers on even in the heat. Things started to change for Arto though when he met Ana at school. She wore sandals, a dress and handkerchief around her neck. With the help and friendship of Ana, Arto starts to accept the southern ways. One day Ana even gave him a wide-brimmed hat to replace his winter hat. Arto was excited and starting to settle in when the cardboard boxes appear again and it is time to return to their house in the north. Arto was happy to be back in the north but kept his wide-brimmed hat on even in the winter to remember his time in the south.

This is a great book about the different ways of life between the north and the south. The author, Monica Arnaldo did a great job of describing the difference between north and south with the description of the houses and animals. The illustrations also helped the reader make the comparisons. This book was able to show the difference is clothing as well. The reader is able to look at a different world through this book. If a student from the south reads the book they will know what it is like to get dressed for the cold winter weather in the north and if a student from the north reads the book they will know what it is like to need a wide-brimmed hat to provide shade for your eyes. I also like how the author should the differences in the roofs. It leads to a good class discussion about why they are like that.

Editorial Reviews:

From School Library Journal-

Gr 1–3—When Arto's family moves from the cold North to the South for a year, the seven year old is very resistant to the idea. In fact, despite being surrounded by cacti, adobe houses, and sand, he refuses to give up his former garb—wool hat, winter coat, boots, and wooly socks. He spends his days sweating and brooding until a classmate approaches him. Ana's family has moved often, and her knowledge of living in the North connects her to Arto immediately. As the friendship blooms, Arto begins to shed his layers, a great metaphor for opening up to change and new friendship. As the year comes to a close, Arto has mixed feelings about leaving his new home. In the end, he learns that he can take a bit of his Southern life with him. This story will resonate with many children, especially those who have experienced a move. The boldly colored, expressive illustrations adequately reflect the cold Northern climate, with its snow and bulky clothing, and the heat and desert landscape of the South.—Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA

Connections:

There are so many compare and contrasts lessons that can be done with this book. You can also bring in clothing items from each part and have the classes sort them. If you live in the north bring in different clothing items from the south and let the children wear them and vice versa for the north. You can also have a class discussion about having to move and make new friends and how hard it is to move to a new place that you don’t know about. There are also writing prompts that you can generate.