Habibi by Naomi Shihab

1. Bibliography
Nye, Naomi Shihab, 1997. Habibi. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-689-80149-1
2. Plot Summary
14-year-old Liyana Abboud was born and raised in a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, Kamal; called Poppy by Liyana and her brother Rafik, is a Palestinian from Jerusalem who came to American 20 years earlier to study medicine and escape the ongoing war between the Israelis and the Palestinians. He remained in the U.S. after falling in love with Liyana’s mother, Susan, and starting a family. However, Poppy feels the tensions in the West Bank have lessened and it is time for the family to move to Jerusalem and meet the Arab side of the family they have never known. And so, knowing no Arabic and with overwhelming reluctance, Liyana boards a plane in American, and lands several hours later on the other side of the world. The Abboud family soon discovers relations between the Israelis and the Palestinians remain very tense. Everything is so strange Liyana feels as if she living “on the moon,” as Rafik put it.
3. Critical Analysis
Winner of the Jane Adams Children's Book Award Habibi is the story of a typical teenager, 14-year-old Liyana Abboud, living in America. But, when she arrives in her father’s homeland, Palestine to him but now called Israel, Liyana enters a strange topsy-turvy world. She doesn’t know the language and armed soldiers, hostile to them simply because they are Arabs, single the Abboud family out at the airport; questioning them and searching their luggage. When Poppy’s family comes into Jerusalem to visit the newly arrived family at their hotel they too are treated with suspicion and hostility. Liyana is relieved she won’t have to wear a head scarf, “the older (women) had long white scarves draped and knotted firmly over their hair. The younger ones had bare heads.” The Arab relatives kiss and hug and when they first meet Poppy’s mother, Liyana’s grandmother, Sitti, “threw back her head, rolled her tongue high up in her mouth, and began trilling wildly.” Liyana is startled but the aunts simply “began clapping a rhythmic beat.” Liyana dressed in a plain, black, pleated skirt, because the culture she has entered doesn’t allow women to wear slacks, begins to feel drab beside the women whose “long dresses were made of thick fabrics, purple, gold, and navy blue, and stitched brightly with fabulous, complicated embroidery.” The women all wear gold bangles on their wrists and “touch (Liyana’s) earlobes (because) she wore no gold earrings, as they did.” On their first visit to Sitti’s house Liyana and Rafik are spellbound by their surroundings; “olive trees planted in terraced rows up hillsides, walls of carefully stacked stones, old wells with real wooden buckets…and when the cars climbed the steep hill into the village, children popped out of front doors to look at them, as if cars didn’t drive up there very often.” The food is strange but delicious, “hunks of baked lamb surrounded by rice and pine nuts,” eaten communally from one huge platter (so that) “Poppy asked if his family could have individual plates since they weren’t used to eating communally” a request that isn’t easily granted due to the fact that individual plates aren’t used or needed. But despite all the strangeness of their new country, Liyana finds herself beginning to feel at home even after witnessing the death of a live chicken she has gone to the shop with her mother to buy. The one thing Liyana can’t seem to get used to is the hatred felt by some of the Palestinians and Israelis for each other; and when she falls in love with Omer, a Jewish boy, she realizes she can no longer remain outside the conflict, but must come to terms with what she can do to help the peace process. Eleven to sixteen year olds will enjoy the exotic setting and the interpersonal conflicts of Habibi.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 5-9. An important first novel from a distinguished anthologist and poet. When Liyana's doctor father, a native Palestinian, decides to move his contemporary Arab-American family back to Jerusalem from St. Louis, 14-year-old Liyana is unenthusiastic. Arriving in Jerusalem, the girl and her family are gathered in by their colorful, warmhearted Palestinian relatives and immersed in a culture where only tourists wear shorts and there is a prohibition against boy/girl relationships. When Liyana falls in love with Omer, a Jewish boy, she challenges family, culture, and tradition, but her homesickness fades. Constantly lurking in the background of the novel is violence between Palestinian and Jew. It builds from minor bureaucratic annoyances and humiliations, to the surprisingly shocking destruction of grandmother's bathroom by Israeli soldiers, to a bomb set off in a Jewish marketplace by Palestinians. It exacts a reprisal in which Liyana's friend is shot and her father jailed. Nye introduces readers to unforgettable characters. The setting is both sensory and tangible: from the grandmother's village to a Bedouin camp. Above all, there is Jerusalem itself, where ancient tensions seep out of cracks and Liyana explores the streets practicing her Arabic vocabulary. Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside."

The New York Times Book Review: “Adolescence magnifies the joys and anxieties of growing up even as it radically simplifies the complexities of the adult world. The poet and anthologist Naomi Shibab Nye is meticulously sensitive to this rainbow of emotion in her autobiographical novel, Habibi…. Habibi gives a reader all the sweet richness of a Mediterranean dessert, while leaving some of the historic complexities open to interpretation.”
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Habibi:
An Ancient Heritage: The Arab-American Minority by Brent K. Ashabranner
The Arab Americans by Alixa Naff

Split Screen: Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies by Brent Hartinger

1. Bibliography
Hartinger, Brent. 2007. Split Screen: Bride of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-082409-9
2. Plot summary
Best friends Russel and Min are suffering the many slings and arrows of being teenagers. But in addition to high school cliques, acne, and boyfriend/girlfriend trouble Russel and Min are gay and bisexual respectively. Min’s parents know and are relatively accepting of Min’s bisexuality, however, when Russel’s parents hear through the parental grapevine that Russell has “come out” at school, they hit the roof and order him to “stop being gay.” While volunteering as extras on a movie, Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies; shooting at an abandoned high school in their city, Min must try to decipher the mixed signals she is getting from another extra on the set and Russell must choose between two guys he is really attracted to; or not, if his parents have anything to say about it.
3. Critical analysis
Author Brent Hartinger writes about teens like he’s been there, done that. As the characters go about the business of trying to survive high school and discover who they are; the two main characters, Russel and Min, must deal with the added burden of being bisexual and gay in an unaccepting world. The authenticity of their voices, especially Russel’s, as he comes to the realization that his parent’s love and acceptance is conditional, is sometimes heart breaking. When Russel explains that being gay is more isolating that being a minority because “at least when minority kids go home their family’s are like them” his pain at being different and alone is palpable. And yet, even though he is alone, he trusts his own insight and feeling. Min is not so lucky in this respect. Min’s parents are more accepting of her feelings than Russel’s parents, but she is not quite as certain of her feelings, or her judgments of others, especially a girl she likes who happens to be a cheerleader at another high school. Min discovers, upon realizing being a cheerleader could change her feelings for the other girl, she may have a few prejudices of her own. Funny and insightful; Split Screen is two books in one. Told from Russel’s perspective throughout one-half of the book; flip the book over and read the same story told from Min’s perspective. Both stories, the same yet different because the frame of reference has changed, demonstrate how much we are alike and how little we actually know or notice about each other as we go about the business of living. For 9th grade and up.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 9 Up—In this sequel to Geography Club (2003) and Order of the Poison Oak (2005, both HarperCollins), told in flip-book format, Russel and Min answer a casting call for extras for an upcoming horror film. Russel's parents have just discovered that he is gay, and he is devastated by their reaction. Also, an old boyfriend who dumped him turns up at rehearsals and wants to get back together; while the attraction is still there, Russel loves his current boyfriend. On the flip side, Min is lonely and wants a new relationship, but she can't decide if she's willing to have one with Leah, who has chosen not to come out for fear of losing her friends. All of this is played out against the backdrop of movie rehearsals. What is intriguing about the book is how very differently these two characters interpret the same events, and how oblivious each one can be to what is happening to the other. Hartinger handles a number of fairly serious issues here with a lighter touch than in The Order of the Poison Oak, and there is a lot of humor in this book. The characters' narrative voices sound authentically teen, and the section in which Russel tells about his coming out to his parents, their reaction, and his subsequent talk with the family priest particularly rings true. Min Wei's story is equally well told. Libraries owning the first two books will definitely want this one.”
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Split Screen: Attack of the Soul-Sucking Brain Zombies:
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
Tale of Two Summers by Brian Sloan
The God Box by Alex Sanchez

Looking Out for Sarah by Glenna Lang

1. Bibliography
Lang, Glenna. 2001. Looking Out for Sarah. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 0-88106-647-8
2. Plot summary
Perry, a black Labrador retriever, is a Seeing Eye dog. He looks out for Sarah who lost her eyesight to diabetes. Each day he wakes and carefully leads Sarah through her daily routine; shopping at the grocery store, to the train station and onto the train to one of the many schools they visit, to restaurants, the park, and then home again; through the crowds and safely across the streets. Perry loves Sarah and he loves his job. He has done it all his life; from the time he was a little puppy. Sarah loves Perry too; and she couldn’t get along without him.
3. Critical analysis
Winner of the 2004 Schneider Award Looking Out for Sarah is based on the true story of Sarah Gregory Smith and her black Labrador retriever Perry. Full of interesting facts about guide dogs such as how they are chosen from just puppies for their “pleasing dispositions”, “placed with families who…(teach) basic obedience, and later paired with a companion in need of the services of a guide dog who is then “taught the commands” that Perry already knows. Each day, patient and calm, Perry waits for Sarah’s commands such as “forward, Perry.” Before proceeding, however, he checks to make sure there are no hazards. When Sarah visits a school the children are allowed to pet Perry but only after being taught about guide dogs. They are told when a guide dog is working “they shouldn’t pat or distract him,” and that yes, she and Perry really walked “from Boston to New York to show the world what a guide dog can do for a blind person.” The book is arranged so the gouache on Arches watercolor paper illustrations tell the story. A few lines of test are relegated to the bottom of each page while full-color, double spread illustrations draw the eye to Perry and Sarah as they go about their day. Perry waking up, waiting patiently while Sarah buckles on his harness, riding on the train, and lying stretched out at her feet while she plays the guitar and sings for a group of children. The cut-paper like illustrations are solid and definite, much like Perry himself, full of bright yellows, greens, and blues; in sharp contrast to black Perry. Children preschool to 3rd grad will enjoy reading about guided dogs and the relationship between Perry and Sarah. Included is an afterward about the selection and training process for guide dogs.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “K-Gr 3-Readers follow a guide dog and a blind woman through a typical day. There are bits of information about guide dogs throughout, such as the fact that they are allowed in restaurants and stores and that people should not pet and handle them while they are working. An interesting incident that only gets two sentences is the fact that Sarah and Perry once walked the 300 miles from Boston to New York to show "what a guide dog can do for a blind person." A concluding note explains that the book is based on a real dog and a real person. While this is a charming and informative look at the life of the guide dog, it is not without some minor flaws. At times, Perry has too many human characteristics. Also, the text states that when Sarah puts on her purple sweater, Perry knows they are going to a school, but dogs are color-blind. The full-page illustrations are in soft-toned gouache that looks almost like cut paper.”Booklist: “Ages 3-8. Based on a true story, this handsome picture book tells of a day in the life of a guide dog, Perry, a black Labrador retriever who looks out for his blind owner, Sarah. Every page shows the close bond between the strong, active woman and the beloved companion who helps her be independent. Walking in the street, shopping, working, and relaxing at home, they are together. The narrative is true to Perry's viewpoint, whether he's enjoying the soft carpet and the crumbs under the table or leading Sarah up the steps of the post office or feeling the wind flattening his ears as he runs in the park. The gouache art, in bold, saturated colors and flat, well-defined shapes, is both childlike and sophisticated, with Perry at the center of the big pictures. Once Sarah and Perry walked 300 miles, from Boston to New York, and children will be caught up by the excitement of the journey as well as by the depiction of what a guide dog can do.”
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Looking Out for Sarah:
Guide Dogs: From Puppies to Partners by Diana Lawrenson
Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog by Eva Moore
My Buddy by Audrey Osofsky

The Firekeeper's Son by Linda Sue Park

1. Bibliography
Park, Linda Sue. 2004. The Firekeeper’s Son. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0-618-13337-2.
2. Plot summary
Sang-hee’s father is the firekeeper in their small village. He lights the fire on the mountain top to signal the next village that all is well. And that fire signals the firekeeper in the next village to light a fire on their mountain top to signal the village next to them that all is we; and so on to the next village until the signal fire reaches the king. If Sang-hee’s father sees enemy ships he will not light the fire and when “the king sees only darkness...He will know that trouble has come to our land, and he will send soldiers to fight the enemy.” Sang-hee’s grandfather was a firekeeper too. “We live in an important village,” declares Sang-hee’s father. “Our fire is the first fire.” But the village does not seem important to Sang-hee; until one evening when his father starts up the mountain to light the fire. Sang-hee waits, but the fire doesn’t appear. When Sang-hee’s starts up the mountain to find out what is wrong he discovers his father has fallen and broken his ankle. Now it is up to Sang-hee to light the fire so the king will know all is well. Will Sang-hee light the fire in time? And will he come to understand why his father believes their village is so important.
3. Critical analysis
Set in a small village in Korea in the early 19th century The Firekeeper’s Son tells the story of the villages’ dependence on each other, and the king’s dependence on the villages to ensure the entire country’s safety. The bonfires were used throughout Korea to signal not only invasions but how large the force and how well-armed. The signal bonfires were used in Korea to communicate information for almost 100 years. “Our part of Korea is like a dragon with many humps. The humps are the mountains-the first hump facing the sea, the last hump facing the king’s palace,” explains Sang-hee’s father. While the text tells the story of Sang-hee’s developing understanding of the importance of his village and the firekeeper’s place in the village; the full-page watercolor and pastel illustrations by Julie Downing tell the story of life in a Korean village during the early 19th century. Thatch-roofed houses, and enclosures made of long sticks are nestled between sandy cliffs, the blue sea, and evenly-rowed green fields sloping up to the blue-green mountains; their tops poking out of the clouds. Cows are tethered next to houses and chickens roam the village. Women squat on the ground separating the grain from the wheat stalks and Sang-hee, dressed in a blue, roughly woven smock and rattan slippers, plays with hand-carved, wooden soldiers and horses. When Sang-hee must start the fire after his father is injured he carries coals in a cast iron kettle and starts the pile of sticks, left ready the night before, at the top of the mountain by placing the coals in the sticks with tongs. Sang-hee “ wished he could see soldiers” their swords and pointed helmets gleaming in the orange glow from the fire, but after racing up the mountain to light the fire for the first time on his own he realizes the importance of not only the village, but his family as well. “The village will be pleased to hear another trustworthy firekeeper has been born to our family,” declares Sang-hee’s father. K-3rd graders will identify with Sang-hee’s wish for excitement and feel his pride when he joins his father in the very important work of the firekeeper. Included is an afterward detailing the history of the bonfire signal system used in 19th century Korea.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “School-Grade 3-Park's command of place, characterization, and language is as capable and compelling in this picture book as it is in her novels. Set in 19th-century Korea, this story centers around an actual bonfire signal system. Every night, when Sang-hee's father sees that the ocean is clear of enemies, he climbs the mountain to light his fire, setting in motion a chain reaction of blazes that eventually reaches the peak closest to the palace and assures the king that all is well in the land. When Father breaks his ankle, his son must ascend alone into the darkness with a bucket of burning coals. During a dramatic pause, he contemplates the consequences of inaction and his secret desire to see the king's soldiers. Lyrical prose and deftly realized watercolors and pastels conjure up the troops in a vision linked to the glowing coal clasped in the boy's tongs. In the next scene, a close-up of the last coal illuminates Sang-hee's eyes, his face a study of concentration. Upon the child's descent, his father shares the memory of his own youthful desires and his pride in his son's accomplishment. A sense of inherited mission pervades the conclusion as Sang-hee learns that he, too, is "part of the king's guard." Children will be intrigued by this early form of wireless communication, caught up in the riveting dilemma, and satisfied by the resolution.

Booklist: Park, who won a Newbery Medal for her novel A Single Shard (2001), tells a picture-book story set in Korea in the early 1800s about a young boy in a remote village who suddenly finds himself serving his country. At sunset Sang-hee's father always climbs the mountain and lights a fire that signals to another firekeeper on the next mountain to light his fire, and so on, all the way to the mountain at the palace of the king, who knows from the fire signals that all is well in the land. Then one evening Sang-hee's father breaks his ankle, and the boy must keep the light burning. Downing's handsome, watercolor-and-pastel double-page pictures personalize the history, showing realistic close-ups of the child, who plays soldiers and dreams of the excitement of battle. In contrast are the panoramic views far across the country as the boy tends the flame that preserves peace from mountain to mountain. Add this to those lighthouse stories about the brave child who must take over for adults.
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who liked The Firekeeper’s Son:
The Green Frogs: A Korean Folk Tale by Yumi Heo
Bee-bim Bop! by Linda Sue Park
Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo (poems) by Linda Sue Park

Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

1. Bibliography
Say, Allen. 2005. Kamishibai Man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0-618-47954-2

2. Plot summary
On the outskirts of a large Japanese city live an old man and his wife. Although childless they call each other “Jiichan” and “Baachan”, Grandpa and Grandma. Retired, Jiichan has grown restless and “miss(es) going on my rounds.” He comments that his bicycle is still in good working order and Baachan replies that “one day won’t hurt, I suppose. Should I make some candies?” And so, his homemade candies packed in a drawer of the large wooden box strapped to his bicycle, he peddles “down the hillside in the first light of morning” and over the “rickety old bridge.” When he gets to the city he finds it greatly changed; trucks blasting their horns, tall buildings, and many, many cars. Still, he finds a vacant lot, props up his wooden stage, checks the picture cards inside, and opens the drawer containing Baachan’s “good candies, just like the old days.” He begins to reminisce, out loud, about the children who used to listen to the stories of the “kamishibai man” and buy the candies “red ones and green ones and the soft ones on sticks.” Sadly, he remembers how they drifted away as television became popular until one day not one child came to listen to the stories of the kamishibai man, and so, he packed up his wooden picture box and his candies and never returned. When he looks up from his recollections he is surprised to see a crowd of adults listening raptly; the children-now grown-who always gathered to hear the stories of the kamishibai man. “Will you be going out tomorrow?” Baachan asks that evening; and the kamishibai man smiles.
3. Critical analysis
Kamishibai (paper theater) and the kamishibai man himself are cultural markers. A well-known sight in the cities of Japan before World War II, kiamishibai means paper theater in Japanese. The kamishibai man traveled the city on his bicycle telling his stories in installments using picture cards that slid out from a wooden box one-by-one and always ended “with the hero or heroine hanging from a cliff or getting pushed off it.” Introducing the kamishibai man to readers who weren’t lucky enough to grow up in Japan author Allen Say enhances his story with full-page watercolor illustrations in the same style as the kamishibai paintings; so perfect, precise, and detailed they resemble photographs. He opens his story with the kimishibai man, wearing wooden sandals, sitting, sadness in his posture, on the porch of his wooden, stilted house; his wife kneeling behind him holding a paper fan while his bicycle sits idle beneath a bamboo screen. The kamishibai man misses telling his stories and seeing the children’s faces light up. Deciding he has been retired long enough, he straps the kamishibai stage to his bicycle, packs the homemade candies Baachan has made and sets out across the bridge into the city where everything has changed. Huge trucks drive menacingly close behind him while on every post and building signs advertise in Japanese. He hunches over the handlebars of his bicycle, going as fast as he can while “a car horn blasted at him, then another. Why are there so many cars all of a sudden? Look at these tall buildings! You’d think I was in another country1” Finding a vacant lot he opens his wooden case to organized his pictures and inspect the candies his wife has made, “Thank you Baachan-you make good candies, just like in the old days.” He smiles, his eyes brightening behind his thick, round, glasses then “from the top drawer he takes out two wooden blocks, and holding one in each hand hits them together. A sharp, loud clack rang out.” And so, just like in the old days the kamishibai man begins his story. However, this time his story is about his memories of telling stories to the children. The illustrations take the reader back to another time, the children gathered round him, some on tip-toe to see, girls in skirts and ankle socks, the boys in short pants; their dark eyes and black hair shining in the sun, all turned toward the kamishibai man, listening raptly. He tells sadly about the coming of television, “It wasn’t long after that when television antennas started to sprout from the rooftops like weeds in the springtime.” And the children “started to act as though they didn’t know me anymore.” When he comes to himself, a crowd has gathered; not children, but adults; some in business attire, some of the women in kimonos, and they shout for the old stories; “tell us Little One Inch again! and The Bamboo Princess! The Peach Boy.” And then they begin to applaud and buy his candies; hungry for the old days and the old stories. A man with a movie camera approaches and bows; and as the story closes Jiichan and Baachan sit on the floor at a low table drinking tea from cups with no handles, chopsticks lay horizontally below the individual bowls containing the evening meal of fish and vegetables. They both smile gently and talk quietly about the story of the kamishibai man on the evening news. “Will you be going out tomorrow?” Baachan asks. “You need more sweets.” And Jiichan replies, “could you make it twice the usual amount?” The Kamishibai Man has found a new audience; the same children, now grown and nostalgic for the old days; just like the kamishibai man. Children of all ages will love Kamishibai Man and the story of his comeback. An afterword is included by Japanese folklore scholar Tara McGowan on the history of kamishibai.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 1-5–An elderly kamishibai (paper theater) man decides to return to the city and spend the day on his former rounds. His wife makes candies for him, just as in the past, and he sets off on his bicycle. Things have changed–there's traffic with honking horns and he wonders, Who needs to buy so many things and eat so many different foods? when he sees the shops and restaurants replacing beautiful trees that have been cut. He sets up his theater and begins to tell his personal story of being a kamishibai man in a flashback sequence. Soon he is surrounded by adults who remember him and his stories from their youth. Ironically, that night he is featured on the news on television–the very technology that replaced him. Say's distinctive style and facial expressions are especially touching. A foreword gives readers a glimpse of the importance of the kamishibai man in the author's early life, and an afterword provides a historical look at the forgotten art form. The power of the story and the importance of the storyteller are felt in this nostalgic piece that makes readers think about progress. Those interested in storytelling and theater will be especially impressed with this offering, but it will have broad appeal.”
Booklist: “Gr. 1-3. In a foreword, Say explains that Kamishibai means "paper theater" and that years ago Kamishibai men were itinerant storytellers who traveled around Japan on bicycles with a big, wooden box mounted on the back seat. The box contained a miniature theater, and beneath it were drawers of candy that the performer sold to eke out a living. As a storyteller spun his tale, he used picture cards to illustrate dramatic points, finishing each time with a cliffhanger designed to entice the children in his audience to come back another time to hear the continuation of the story. Say's lovely new book is about an elderly Kamishibai man, long retired, who, missing his rounds, decides to pedal back to the old neighborhood for one last performance. The story-within-a-story that emerges reveals why this unique type of performance art has all but disappeared. The quietly dramatic, beautifully evocative tale contains a cliffhanger of its own, and its exquisite art, in the style of Kamishibai picture cards, will attract even the most jaded kid away from the TV to enjoy a good, good book.”
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who liked Kamishibai Man:
The Bicycle Man by Allen Say
Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say

The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island by Laurence Yep

1. Bibliography
Yep, Laurence. 2008. The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-027693-5.
2. Plot summary
Although a work of fiction The Dragon’s Child is based on the coming-to-America experience of author Laurence Yep’s father and grandfather in 1922. 10-year-old Gim Lew leaves his small province in China and, with a father he barely knows, endures a long and difficult voyage to San Francisco; made more grueling by the knowledge that upon arriving in San Francisco he will be subjected to a difficult test administered by U.S. customs officials who do their best to make anyone from China fail. Handicapped by a stutter and the left-handedness he attempts to hide, Gim Lew is torn between his desire to please his father and his wish to remain in his small village in China.
3. Critical analysis
While doing genealogy research on the Yep family, the author’s niece came across the transcripts of the immigration interviews of Gim Lew Yep, the author’s father. The Dragon’s Child grew out of what he learned from those interviews. Cultural markers in The Dragon’s Child are of both Chinese culture and Chinese-American culture. Laurence Yep’s grandfather straddled both cultures and although he came to identify more with Chinese-American culture; he was a man without a country feeling not truly at home in either the United States or China. When Gim Lew’s father returned to China and announced he would be taking ten-year-old Gim Lew back to San Francisco with him, Gim Lew has no choice but to obey. He didn’t want to go to America but his father “said I had to go. So I went. I didn’t have a choice.” Cultural markers are viewed through the eyes of Gim Lew as he says goodbye to the life he has known and prepares to travel to America. In order to pass the grueling examinations he will be subjected to by U.S. immigration officials he must memorize every detail of his village, its people, his house, and his family. America, called the “Golden Mountain” by the Chinese who have traveled there and whose first view is the Golden Gate into San Francisco Bay, is very prejudiced against those coming from China and the tests are made as difficult as possible. Gim Lew, already unsure of himself due to his left-handedness and stutter, frowned upon in both Chinese and American culture, is drilled for months by his father on the proper answers to give. And although his father dislikes the culture of his old village in China and has become accustomed to the spicy and “fancy” food and leather shoes and suits of Chinese-Americans in the west, Gim Lew can only think of all he will miss as he is drilled over and over. He loves his cloth shoes and soft cotton pants. He knows he will miss his sister’s breakfasts; gruel made from left-over rice flavored with onions, eggs, and sometimes pork and the occasional treat of fried donuts. He will miss watching his uncle planting and harvesting the rice crop and hearing the "crisp sound the scythe made" when cutting down the rice plants. He will even miss his school master and classmates even though his school master often smacked his palm with a bamboo stick for using his left hand and stuttering. He will miss his village where everyone is related and all the surrounding villages he can see from the hilltop that are exactly like his own. Spending time with his father, Gim Lew learns he is perhaps not so different from his father as he thought. He discovers his father has struggled with the stigma of being left-handed also, and is not an important business man in America, as everyone in the village believes, but the houseboy for a wealthy American family. As he leaves his village for perhaps the last time Gim Lew reads the sign over the school, “The Family is Everything,” and hopes this at least won’t change for him when he reaches the Golden Mountain. Anyone who has ever had to leave somewhere familiar for someplace unknown will identify with Gim Lew and cheer when he triumphs over the immigration exams. Included are photographs of the author’s grandfather and father at the time of their immigration to the U.S., the Angel Island detention center where all Chinese immigrants waited to be tested, and web resources for readers who are interested in learning more about Angel Island and the Chinese immigrant experience.
4. Review excerpts
Kirkus Review: “Historian Kathleen S. Yep teams with her uncle Laurence to craft a compelling tale based on transcripts of his father's 1922 immigration interview. The Yeps relate the harrowing experiences of ten-year-old Gim Lew, who, after crossing the Pacific with his father, is interned on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay, where he must submit to lengthy detailed interviews about his home, village and neighbors, in order to prove he is who he claims to be. The boy's frustration and anxiety rise from the page, as does this particularly xenophobic and unjust moment in U.S. history. Fiction based on facts and the authors' smooth narration vividly evoke the past and its inhabitants.”
Children's Literature: “Newbery Honor winner Laurence Yep is legendary for his Chinese American narratives; he breathes life and depth into stories many readers only experience in history books. In The Dragons Child, Yep teams up with his niece, Dr. Kathleen Yep, to tell the story of ten-year-old Gim Lew, who must leave China and move to America with his father. Will he pass the difficult tests administered by the officials of Angel Island? Will he find a new home and friends in America? The Dragons Child is partly autobiographical. Yep based the novel on conversations with his father and research relating to his family's immigration history conducted by his niece. Readers who have enjoyed Yep's previous novels will find this new work fascinating.”
5. Connections
Reader’s advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed The Dragon’s Child: A Story of Angel Island:
American Dragons by Laurence Yep
The Earth Dragon Awakes: the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 by Laurence Yep
The Traitor: Golden Mountain Chronicles, 1885 by Laurence Yep

Dog People: Native Dog Stories by Joseph Bruchac

1. Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph. 1995. Dog People: Native Dog Stories. Golden, Colorado: Fulcrum Publishing. ISBN 1-55591-228-1.
2. Plot summary
10,000 years ago in a place we know today as New England between Lake Champlain and the Connecticut River the Abenaki Indians lived; they called it Ndakinna (Our Land). Life is good, food is plentiful and the Abenaki are helped by “their most faithful friends, their dogs.” These are the stories, separate yet intertwined, of six children and their dog companions; Azeban (Raccoon), Awasosis (Little Bear), Kwaniwibid (Long Tooth), Mikwe (Squirrel), Moosis (Little Moose), and Soksemo (Good Nose). Whether hunting, visiting with friends and family, or escaping certain death these dogs remain by the sides of their human friends, sharing in the adventure whatever that may be.
3. Critical analysis
Author, storyteller and Abenaki Indian Joseph Bruchac takes us back 10,000 years to a time when the Abenaki people called themselves the “Only People.” Bruchac’s flowing narrative makes the characters, both human and dog, come to life. His emphasis on the very different personalites, hopes, and dreams of each character lets the reader see them as individuals not as generic “Indians”; brave and smiling Hummingbird companion to Awasosi, tall, lanky, and curious Muskrat companion to Kwaniwibid, persevering hunter Keeps-Following-the Trail and his companion Soksemo, Sweetgrass Girl who loves stories and her companion Moosis, Rabbit Stick the pest who secretly admires Sweetgrass Girl and his companion Mikwe, and Cedar Girl who often visits from the village of the Salmon People and her companion Azeban. Although the stories are from thousands of years ago many cultural markers can be found in the six stories; respect for elders, the importance of friends and family, and the use of storytelling to keep the tribe’s history alive. Tradition and respect for all creatures is also emphasized; “Remember, only hunt when you need food for your people. Always say thanks to the animals that you hunt and you will always have success. That is the way we hunt.” Food is highlighted in the form of hunting and fishing; salmon, caribou, deer, and the hare are all important in sustaining the Abenakis. Leisure takes the form of time spent with family and friends around the fire in the large wigwam, built to hold everyone in the village, listening to the stories of Stands-in-a-Hole. At the beginning of each story is a full page black and white sketch by Cherokee painter and pipemaker Murv Jacob. The illustrations; the children running with their dogs, Keeps-Following-the-Trail hunting white hares with Soksemo, Muskrat and Kwaniwibid fighting a giant white bear, resemble ancient wood cuts and add to the long-ago flavor of the stories. Bruchac incorporates Abenaki words and phrases throughout the stories and provides a glossary in the back of the book for translation. Children 8-12 will enjoy reading these stories of long ago and will surely find someone to identify with in the many different characters presented.
4. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: “Grade 3-6 Five highly readable, engaging tales of Abenaki Indian children and their dogs. Long ago, canines were thought of not just as animals, but as important members of the family, and were given names that epitomized their value and loyalty to their owners. As in Flying with Eagle, Racing the Great Bear (BridgeWater, 1993) and Native American Animal Stories (Fulcrum, 1992), Bruchac fills these short stories with details of daily life and symbolic explanations, but the bonds between dogs and humans will be familiar to today's young people. The homes he describes are welcoming and warm and readers will identify with the people. A full-page pen-and-ink drawing accompanies each selection”

Midwest Book Review: “In Dog People: Native Dog Stories, the voice of an Abenaki storyteller takes children back 10,000 years to the days when children and dogs had especially close relationships. In these Native American adventure stories, children and dogs together must use their wits to survive the dangers of the natural world. Young readers will meet muskrat, and his dog, Kwaniwibid, who cannot resist folowing bear tracks deep into the woods. They will find out what happens to Cedar Girl and her dog, Azeban, when they try to outwit a stranger. And then follow Sweetgrass Girl and her dog, Moosis, on their journey to find her lost parents. The line drawings and illustrations of Murv Jacob provide a perfect visual counterpoint to Joseph Bruchac's engaging stories.”

5. Connections
Reader’s Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Dog People: Native Dog Stories:
Keepers of the Animals: Native American Stories and Wildlife Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac
Native American Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac
Between Earth & Sky: Legends of Native American Sacred Places by Joseph Bruchac
The Journey of Tunuri and the Blue Deer: A Huichol Indian Story by James Endredy

Ma'ii and Cousin Horned Toad by Shonto Begay

1. Bibliography
Begay, Shonto. 1992. Ma`ii and Cousin Horned Toad: A Traditional Navajo Story. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 0-590-45391-2
2. Plot summary
Ma´ii (Coyote) is lazy, but always hungry; “He liked his stomach full, not noisy.” So, he decides to visit cousin Horned Toad who works hard at weeding and watering his cornfield. Rudely Ma´ii interrupts cousin Horned Toad and begs him to “share his corn with his poor, hungry, long-lost cousin.” Being a “nice fellow” cousin Horned Toad agrees to feed Ma´ii. But, Ma´ii is never satisfied and decides what he really wants is cousin Horned Toad’s entire cornfield. Luring cousin Horned Toad into his mouth by claiming to be in need of help loosening some corn caught in his teeth he swallows him whole and settles back to take possession of the cornfield Horned Toad has worked so hard to cultivate. However, the joke is on Coyote as Horned Toad settles comfortably into Coyote’s stomach; prepared to literally live off him.
3. Critical analysis
This traditional Navajo story includes two characters present in many Navajo stories; Coyote the trickster and mischief maker and Horned Toad, an honored character in Navajo culture. Begay explains in the afterward, “Whenever we come upon a horned toad, we gently place it over our heart and greet it. Ya ateeh shi che (Hello my grandfather). We believe it gives strength of heart and mind. We never harm our grandfather.” Writer and illustrator Shonto Begay of the Navajo Nation grew up in Shonto, Arizona located in north eastern Arizona where Ma´ii and Cousin Horned Toad is set. Begay’s watercolor, gouache, color pencil, and “magic” on color illustration board echo this area of Arizona; cedar and pine tree covered mountains tower over the valley, rolling in sage-brush, below. The double-page spread illustrations are awash in earth colors of red-brown, green, purple, and turquoise creating a soft-focus backdrop for grinning Coyote as he gobbles up the delicious steamed and roasted corn and hard-working Horned Toad. Lizards scurry below and bird’s of prey soar above as Horned Toad, wanting to tend his cornfield, his mind on the harvest, demonstrates the Navajo traditions of hospitality to visitors and sharing with family and friends. Included in the text are Navajo words, expressions, and songs of praise from Horned Toad for the bounty of the earth, “Working every day in my cornfield/Tending it with care/Praying every day in my cornfield/That rain will fill the air.” A glossary for translation and pronunciation is included in the back. Preschoolers to early elementary children will enjoy this traditional Navajo story where the little guy triumphs.
4. Review excerpts
Publishers Weekly: “Coyote, the trickster of Native American legend, gets his comeuppance in this strikingly illustrated and humorous morality tale. Coyote, or Ma'ii, visits his cousin Horned Toad and decides to take advantage of his hospitality. Stuffed with roast corn and squash stew, Coyote is too lazy to help tend the crops but wants the farm anyway. He tricks his cousin into climbing into his mouth, then swallows him. Horned Toad, however, swiftly proves that he who tricks last, tricks best. Begay (illustrator of The Mud Pony ) seasons his forceful language with spontaneous songs and Navajo phrases. Faintly drawn lines pull the eye to the focal points of his boldly colored, dynamic full-spread illustrations, which, like the text, pay equal tribute to the charming rogue Coyote and his earnest but resourceful cousin. Ages 4-7.”
Booklist: “Ages 4-8. When lazy Ma'ii the coyote gets hungry, he pays his cousin Horned Toad a visit, knowing that Horned Toad will feed him well. But Ma'ii becomes greedy and plans to trick Horned Toad out of his farm. His plan backfires, however, and so, to this day, Coyote leaves his cousin alone. Begay retells this traditional Navajo teaching tale, one of his personal favorites from childhood, with wit and humor. His softly colored illustrations, rendered in watercolor and pencil, are especially appealing when the characters' expressions reflect human emotions and foibles. A note about "Coyote out walking stories" is included, as is a glossary of Navajo words with pronunciation guides.”
5. Connections
Reader’s Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Ma`ii and Cousin Horned Toad:
Turtle’s Race with Beaver by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac
Raccoon’s Last Race by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac

1. Bibliography
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2001. Rain Is Not My Indian Name. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-688-17397-7.
2. Plot summary
On the eve of her 14th birthday Rain Berghoff is surprised to discover she is in love with the boy who has been her best friend since grade school. She decides that her birthday, New Year’s Eve, will be the perfect time to show Galen how she feels by kissing him. The evening arrives and Rain and Galen run breathlessly to the playground where they spent so much time as children. At the stroke of midnight they kiss and, worried they will be late, go their separate ways home instead of staying together as they had promised their parents. When Rain wakes up on New Year’s Day, excited about the future, she learns that Galen is dead; hit by a car as he ran across the street on his way home the night before. Rain shuts down. She continues to go through the motions of living, but she is no longer interested in participating in anything she did when Galen was alive. She refuses to talk, see her friends, or take part in the Indian Camp her aunt Georgia sponsors each year. When the mostly white community threatens to cancel funding for the camp due to the small number of Native-American teens in the population; Rain must decide if she can find a way to honor her responsibilities as a Native-American without losing her memories of Galen.
3. Critical analysis
Cynthia Leitich Smith has written a contemporary story of a teenage girl with teenage problems. However, Rain Berghoff’s problems are more intense than the average teen. Her mother, a full-blood Ojibway, is dead; leaving her motherless and feeling disconnected from her heritage. Her best friend, the boy she may have been falling in love with, is also dead; leaving her feeling disconnected from life. The cultural markers in Rain Is Not My Indian Name center on Rain and the mostly white community where she was born and is growing up; how she feels about being Native-American and how the white community feels about her. Rain is often told she does not “look Indian” and is unsure how to respond. She wonders why Native-Americans must look a certain way when others cultures are not judged in this way. Flash, the newspaper intern who is working with Rain on a story about the summer camp for Native-American youth, has many stereotypical ideas. When Rain tells him they must ask the Native youth involved with the summer camp if it is alright to take pictures of the camp activities Flash assumes it is because they do not want their pictures taken “because it will steal their souls.” Rain is dumb-founded that she must explain to him the reason they must ask is because it is “the polite thing to do.” Mrs. Owen, Galen’s mother, is determined to be elected mayor and is using the Indian camp as one of her platforms. She feels community funds should not be spent to support a program geared toward a cultural group with so few members. There are only nine Native-Americans in the town, she argues, and it would be a waste of taxpayer’s money to fund an event that benefits so few. She does not understand the need for the Native-American teen’s to stay connected to their heritage; something all Native-Americans have been struggling with since white settlers invaded their land. Rain’s own father hinted that her older brother Flynn should not mention his Native-American heritage on his college application. Rain has fond memories of traveling to tribal get-togethers with her mother, talking with her brother, and her uncle Ed. And while the food involved with these memories may be chili-cheese dogs, corn chips, and McDonald's take-out the importance of food and the tribal community is at the center of her memories. Rain learns that it is not important to “look like an Indian”, and huge numbers are not necessary to maintain the tribal community; knowing and valuing her heritage will ensure the community’s survival. Teens will identify with Rain as she deals with prejudice and loss while attempting to find her place in the world.
4. Review excerpts
Publishers Weekly: “Multiple plot lines and nonlinear storytelling may make it difficult to enter Smith's (Jingle Dancer) complex novel, but the warmth and texture of the writing eventually serve as ample reward for readers. The sensitive yet witty narrator, 14-year-old Cassidy Rain Berghoff, grows up in a small Kansas town as one of the few people with some Native American heritage. That experience alone might challenge Rain, but Smith creates a welter of conflicts. Rain's mother is dead (she was struck by lightning), and as the novel opens, her best friend is killed in a car accident just after he and Rain realize their friendship has grown into romance. Readers will feel the affection of Rain's loose-knit family and admire the way that they, like the author with the audience, allow Rain to draw her own conclusions about who she is and what her heritage means to her. Ages 10-14.”
School Library Journal: “Grade 5-9-Rain and Galen have been friends forever, but for Rain's 14th birthday, the thrill of finding that her burgeoning romantic feelings are being reciprocated puts the evening into a special-memory category. The next morning, she learns that Galen was killed in an accident on the way home. Plunged into despair, Rain refuses to attend the funeral and cuts herself off from her friends. Skipping to six months later, the main portion of the story takes place as she thinks about Galen's upcoming birthday and summer plans are complicated by the girl's Aunt Georgia's Indian Camp and political efforts to cut its funding. It is one of the best portrayals around of kids whose heritage is mixed but still very important in their lives. As feelings about the public funding of Indian Camp heat up, the emotions and values of the characters remain crystal clear and completely in focus. It's Rain's story and she cannot be reduced to simple labels.”5. Connections
Reader’s Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed Rain Is Not My Indian Name:
Looking for Alaska by John Green
The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines by Pat Mora

1. Bibliography
Mora, Pat. 2002. A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Inés. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-375-90643-6.

2. Plot summary
Juana Inés loved books. Even before she learned to read she loved to “make a nest with (her grandfather’s books) all around her” and wonder about the words and what they meant. Born outside Mexico City in 1648 when Mexico was still known as Nueva España; Juana was curious about everything; “Why do volcanoes smoke?” and “Mamá, why are leaves green?”. She made up rhymes about everything she encountered, “Luna, cuna. Bella, estrella.” At three years old she followed her sister to school and begged the teacher to let her stay and learn. When she discovered there was a library with thousands of books at the university in Mexico City; she begged her mamá and abuelo to let her go to Mexico City to study. When her mother told her, “only boys can go to the university, Juana Inés,” Juana dressed like a boy. At age ten she moved to Mexico City to live with her aunt and uncle. And although she was not allowed to attend university she was able to use the palace library and read its thousands of books. In order to continue her studies Juana became a nun and changed her name to Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz. She died in 1695, caring for those sick from a plague that spread through Mexico, but not before publishing her own book of poetry; an amazing feat for a woman of the 17th century.

3. Critical analysis
Pat Mora brings to life the story of a remarkable woman; Juana Inés. Her love of books and belief that women were just as capable as men of learning made her far ahead of her time. The English text is intermingled with Spanish words, phrases, and Juana’s poetry. The importance of family to Mexican culture is very prominent in the text and in the excerpts of Juana’s poetry; “Mi mamá es una estrella bella/Mi Mamá es una rosa hermosa.” The vivid illustrations by Argentinean-born artist Beatriz Vidal, using an ancient technique involving a magnifying glass and tiny paint brushes, are done in watercolor and gouache. Many cultural markers of Mexican life are included in the illustrations. The surroundings include houses with tiled floors and large open windows, colorful tapestries, tablecloths, and fans. Many different types of people are pictured in the crowd scenes; pale-skinned women in bright, colorful dresses with bell-shaped skirts and sleeves, brown-skinned women in hoop earrings, their shoulders wrapped in rebozos, a courtyard full of people; some dark brown, some very pale, peasants balancing baskets of bread and vegetables on their heads and aristocrats dressed in the height of European fashion. Cooking and food is also vividly portrayed in the illustrations; Juana’s Mamá cookson a clay oven with baskets of vegetables standing nearby; squash and peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and Juana, helping in the kitchen, carrying a clay platter of tortillas to the dinner table while a huge plate of whole fish sits in the center of the table; waiting for the whole family to arrive and sit together. Children ages 7-10 will enjoy learning about the life of Juana Inés. Spanish speakers will enjoy the interlingual text and non-Spanish speakers will want to check out the glossary in the back of the book for translating from Spanish to English.

4. Review excerpt
Publishers Weekly: “Mora (Tomas and the Library Lady) concisely traces the rise of spirited Juana Ines from inquisitive youngster to a 17th-century Mexican scholar. Insatiably curious Juana, age three, follows her older sister to school and asks to join the class. Mora laces her narrative with lively anecdotes, as when the determined Juana shows up for dinner dressed as a boy after her mother announces that only boys can attend university. At 10, the girl's mother sends her to live with family in Mexico City, and by age 15, Juana takes up residence in the viceroy's palace there, as a lady-in-waiting. Vidal's (Rainbow Crow) meticulously detailed, small-scale watercolor-and-gouache art details the bustling city as well as the finery of the palatial residence, where Juana immerses herself in the library and becomes an accomplished writer of poems, plays and songs. A standout spread shows Juana flanked by 40 scholars assembled by the viceroy at a giant round table; small insets depict the topics of their quiz (a harp, a caduceus, the planets in orbit around the sun). The narrative, unfortunately, appears in an uncommonly small font, but this story of persistence and pioneering will inspire youngsters. Even with the book's rather abrupt ending, the heroine's journey, coupled with Vidal's depiction of expressive faces and lovely renderings of flowers that spill from the borders of the pictures make for a memorable volume. Ages 5-8.” School Library Journal: “Grade 2-4-Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz died in 1695 in a convent in Mexico. Despite the passage of more than 300 years, she is still considered one of Mexico's most brilliant scholars. An internationally known bibliophile and poet whose works are studied in university Spanish literature courses, she was a Renaissance woman in the most complete sense of the word. Mora's beautifully crafted text does credit to its subject, following her from birth to death. Sor Juana Ines comes across as intelligent, headstrong, humorous, and kind, and her retreat to the convent as a place of learning seems natural. The use of one of her riddle poems, both in Spanish and in a witty English translation, gives young readers a taste of this eminent poet. The text is perfectly complemented by Vidal's brilliant, detailed illustrations that have the look and exactitude of Renaissance miniatures. This is an exceptional introduction to an exceptional woman, and would enhance any collection.”

5. Connections
Reader’s advisory read-alike suggestions:
Dona Flor: A Tall Tale About a Giant Woman by Pat Mora

Isabel Allende: Recuerdos para un cuento / Isabel Allende: Memories for a Story by Raquel Benatar

Frida: Viva la vida! Long live life! by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand

1. Bibliography
Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. 2007. Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!. Tarrytown, New York: Marshall Cavendish. ISBN978-0-7614-5336-9.

2. Plot summary
Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderón, was born in Coyoacán, Mexico in 1907. Mexican on her father’s side and German on her mother’s, she preferred to be called by the German Frida; meaning peace. Crippled by polio at age six she would always be self-conscious of her shriveled right leg. A free-spirit and voracious reader Frida began to paint after a bus accident at age 17 left her “enclosed in a cast/it hurts a lot to laugh with carcajadas/Spinal column broken in two places/pelvis in three/ ribs in two/ right leg in seven/left elbow dislocated/deep abdominal wounds.” Married twice to her mentor Diego Kahlo, 21 years her senior, and suffering her entire life from the painful effects of polio and the bus accident, Frida Kahlo painted through her pain the beauty and degradation by outside influences of her beloved Mexico. She is remembered today as one of the greatest; most recognized painters who ever lived.

3. Critical analysis
The life of Frida Kahlo comes alive in Bernier-Grand’s free-verse poetry. Spotlighting the main turning points of Kahlo’s life; the poetry is highlighted with full-page reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings and photographs of the artist. Although she moved to the United States and painted there for many years, Frida loved Mexico and its culture. She continued, throughout her life, to paint what she saw as the American misunderstanding and exploitation of Mexican people and their culture. Many cultural markers are included in the text and in the reproductions of Kahlo’s paintings. The author uses Spanish phrases throughout to emphasize Kahlo’s life as a transplanted Mexican. Frida half-jokingly calls her mother “mi jefe” (my chief) and describes her as a “dark-skinned Tinker Bell from Oaxaca.” The paintings used in the book are vivid depictions of all things Mexican; Frida dressed in a beautiful black and gold Tehuana dress, the Mexican people themselves from peasants to the very wealthy, food, flowers, and animals native to Mexico, and the peaceful landscapes and buildings of Mexico set in contrast to the U.S. with its machinery and factories pouring smoke into the air. In one poem the author describes the difference between Frida and the American women she meets when she arrives in San Francisco; “women in slinky dresses and pert little hats/stare at my frilly skirts, my sun-shaped earrings/ the ribbons of purple light adorning my braided hair.” A 2008 Pura Belpré honor book Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life! includes a chronology of Frida Kahlo’s life and a glossary for translating the Spanish phrases used in the text to English

4. Review excerpt
Booklist Online: “As in her Pura Belpré Honor Book Cesar: Sí, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! (2005), Bernier-Grand introduces a famous life with lyrical free-verse poems. Nearly every double-page spread pairs a well-reproduced painting by Frida Kahlo with an original poem that defines turning points in the artist’s life. Bernier-Grand’s words expertly extend the autobiographical imagery so evident in the art. A poem about Kahlo’s family tensions appears opposite a painting of a very young Kahlo, standing naked and vulnerable beneath portraits of her family. Later pages focus on Kahlo’s tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera. The lines of poetry capture the images’ themes of anguished love with the rhythm of an obsessive chant, alternating with a colder, more rational voice: “Diego my child Diego my lover Diego my husband. / (Diego has never been and never will be anyone’s husband.) / Diego my mother Diego my father Diego my son.” Readers who aren’t familiar with Kahlo’s life will want to begin with the appended quotes from Kahlo, the prose biography, and the chronology to glean more meaning from the poems’ sometimes oblique references. As in Stephanie Hemphill’s Your Own, Sylvia (2007) and Margarita Engle’s The Poet Slave of Cuba (2006), the poems here artfully imagine a famous figure’s heart and mind and push readers to wonder how words can capture the essence of a life.”

5. Connections
Reader’s advisory read-alike suggestions:
My Name Is Gabito/Mi Llamo Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Marquez/La Vida De Gabriel Garcia Marquez by Monica Brown
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle

Buried Onions by Gary Soto

1. Bibliography
Soto, Gary. 1997. Buried Onions. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-15-201333-4

2. Plot summary
19-year-old Mexican-American Eddie has grown up on the mean streets of Fresno, California. He has watched as his father, uncles, and best friend have died working on dangerous, back-breaking jobs. Now his primo (cousin) Jesús is dead; stabbed through the heart in the bathroom of a dance club for commenting on a “cholo’s” (boy gang member) shoes. Eddie’s aunt wants him to kill whoever killed Jesús, Eddie’s mother, nina (godmother), and tía (aunt) want him to find a nice girl and settle down; which would be fine with Eddie, but between trying to find work and avoiding the gangs who populate his neighborhood Eddie feels lucky to still be alive. He wonders what causes the sadness and tears that seem to radiate from the ground with the heat affecting everyone he knows. He imagines there must be acres and acres of onions buried underground. What else could cause so much sadness?

3. Critical analysis
In Buried Onions Gary Soto introduces the reader to life in the barrio. Only 19, Eddie has seen and lived the bad side of the Mexican experience. Soto shows us the barrio world of poverty; rusty, broken down cars, gang tattoos, fathers in prison, not to mention crime and violence against each other. Buried Onions is the story of being left out of the American dream with gang membership, early death, or the military as the only option for young, Mexican-American men and “chola” (gang-girl), low-paying jobs, and motherhood; sometimes all three simultaneously, the only options for young Mexican-American women. The author paints a picture of old people, fearful and distrustful, sitting on front porches as the young people engage in revenge against each other. Brown skin is looked on with suspicion by whites and Eddie is constantly on the lookout for attacks from both other Mexican-Americans and the white people and police he fears. However, in the midst the powerlessness to escape the life of gangs and poverty he feels Eddie enjoys all of the good things his culture has given him. The food; helado, paleta, pan dulce, papas, raspadas, chile verde, and the tortillas his tía bribes him with, and friends and family are central to the story and Eddie’s life. He is torn between the life he has, “For me, there wasn’t much to do except eat and sleep, watch for drive-bys, and pace myself through life” and the life he wants, “The good life is one where you go to work, do an eight-hour shift, and return home to your family where your kids are wild for you. After all, you’re the daddy. Mountains rise from your shoulders, coins jingle in you pocket, and the food on the table is your doing.” Soto remains true to his stories realism, so don’t expect a happy ending. Buried Onions is the story of being left out of the American dream and trying to finding a way in without losing your cultural heritage along the way.

4. Review excerpts
Booklist Online: “Soto’s clear, finely honed poet’s voice shines in this tale of barrio life in Fresno, California. Nineteen-year-old Eddie has dropped out of junior college and is attempting to support himself through the occasional gardening job and painting curbside numbers in the wealthier parts of town. However, he’s relentlessly followed by the unbearable heat of the Central Valley summer and a wholly believable run of bad luck: his cousin is killed, his employer’s truck is stolen, and his buddy is stabbed right in front of him. On top of that, his aunt urges him to avenge his cousin’s murder. The broad and easy humor of Crazy Weekend (1994) is lacking here, but Eddie’s wry observations in the face of his many predicaments provide welcome relief. Although the coach at the neighborhood playground offers Eddie material assistance and moral support, there is no upbeat ending. The “buried onions,” which Eddie imagines as the underground source for the world’s tears, pervade the tone and plot, but the unvarnished depiction of depressed and depressing barrio life is as important as the positive images of Latinos Soto has created in his other works.”

Publishers Weekly: “This bleak, claustrophobic novel perfectly captures the cyclical despair of its [19-year-old, Hispanic protagonist], said PW; Soto leaves this bitter street tale unsweetened to the end. Ages 12-up.”

5. Connections
Reader’s advisory read-alike suggestions:
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson

1. Bibliography:
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2004. Behind You. New York: G. P. Putman's Sons. ISBN 0-399-23988-X.

2. Plot summary:
Fifteen-year-old Jeremiah Roselind, Miah to his friends and family, is dead; shot in the back by a policeman while running through Central Park; on his way home from seeing his girlfriend Ellie. However, Miah is not gone. His spirit lingers, trying to find a way to relieve the pain, anguish, hurt, and feelings of hatred and anger his death has left behind; his girlfriend Ellie, a white girl whose parents did not approve of her relationship with a black boy, his mother Nelia and his father Norman, separated from each other and dealing with the pain of losing their only son, his basketball teammate Kennedy, angry and blaming the fear and ignorance of white people for his friend's death, and Carlton who has lost the only friend who knew he was gay and accepted him. Can Miah, in death, ease the pain of the people he loved and bring them together so they do not grieve alone?

3. Critical analysis:
Woodson's story deals not so much with a single culture as it presents the reader with a group of people from many different cultures; all individually linked to Miah and brought together by his death. Ellie, Kennedy, and Carlton attend the same prep school as Miah; they are all wealthy except Kennedy who attends Percy Prep on a basketball scholarship. Kennedy speaks in a black dialect. Angry at losing their first basketball game after Miah's death Kennedy lets loose, "even if Miah's dead, that ain't no reason to get your booty slammed...show a dead brother some respect...don't be just straight up losing like that." Acknowledging that he comes from a poor neighborhood he points out that teen pregnancy and dropping out, "goes on where I live, but it be going on where everybody else be living too." What Kennedy eventually discovers however, is that he, the scholarship kid, is not the only outsider. They are all outsiders; Ellie, because she is a white girl dating a black boy against her parents wishes, Carlton because he is gay, and Miah the black kid with a famous father. They blunder around trying to find a way to communicate with each other; Kennedy angry at Miah's death and the racism that caused it, Ellie wanting to be close to Kennedy because he reminds her of Miah, yet afraid to get too close for fear of what her parents will say about her relationship with another African-American boy, and Carlton needing friends but afraid of the reaction he might get if he admits to anyone else that he is gay. Through it all Woodson reminds us we are really all the same underneath. Our skin may be different colors, we may have sexual preferences outside the mainstream, we may not be the person our parents want us to be, but we all want to belong, we all want to be accepted for who we are, and we all want to have friends we can talk to. Teens will identify with and understand Ellie, Kennedy, and Carlton as they all struggle with the pain of loss, the emptiness of being the outsider, and the need to belong.

4. Review excerpts:
Library Journal: "Grade 8-10–In this poignant, stand-alone sequel to the wrenching romance, If You Come Softly (Putnam, 1998), Woodson's characters are dealing with grief and picking up the pieces of their lives after the death of 15-year-old Jeremiah (Miah) Roselind. The impact of their loss is revealed through the alternating voices of his white girlfriend, Ellie; basketball teammate, Kennedy; childhood friend, Carlton; and his separated parents. With tenderness and compassion, the author exposes the characters' vulnerabilities and offers the hope that they will emerge and grow from this tragic loss. Readers who savor tough reality stories as much as happy endings will appreciate this thought-provoking, satisfying novel that offers hope but no easy answers."

Booklist: "Gr. 7-12. "Even if you turn your back on the world you left, you're still pulled toward it, you're still turning around--always--to look behind you. To make sure everyone's o.k.," says teenage Jeremiah, who first appeared in Woodson's If You Come Softly (1998). In this moving sequel, Jeremiah is dead, killed by New York City police bullets. Jeremiah watches over the people he has left behind--his girlfriend, Ellie; his friends; his divorced parents--as each struggles through grief and tries to "keep doing what the living do," ultimately finding new connections with one another and themselves. Still, Woodson writes with impressive poetry about race, love, death, and what grief feels like--the things that "snap the heart"--and her characters' open strength and wary optimism will resonate with many teens."

5. Connections:
Reader's advisory suggestions for library user's who enjoyed Behind You:
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Hush by Jacqueline Woodson
Afterlife by Gary Soto

Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me by Ann Grifalconi, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

1. Bibliography:
Grifalconi, Ann. 2007. Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me. New York: Hyperion. ISBN 978-07868-1857-0.

2. Plot Summary:
Waving hello to everyone he passes an elderly African-American man, a former slave, walks with his granddaughter to the apple orchard he planted himself; from seeds he saved as a young man, " to keep myself believing that when the great day of freedom came, I could plant 'em in my own soil, on my own farm." Wondering aloud how her grandpa can know so many people he replies that he "don't know 'em by name-just by heart" and explains that he came by his philosophy of knowing no strangers when he, his wife, and baby daughter, on the run from slavery, were fed, sheltered and directed to the route of the Underground Railroad by a white man who saw, not color, but people with a hungry baby who needed help.

3. Critical analysis:
Based on a true story, author Ann Grifalconi's narrative presents a story of desperation, fear, and the kindness of strangers. Brought to life by Jerry Pinkney's beautiful, full-page water color illustrations; the brown, gray, and dirty-yellow depictions from the past of the man, his wife, their baby, and the stranger who helped them, their faces etched with fear and desperation as they travel by night through unknown territory, alternate with the joyous ganddaughter and her smiling grandfather as they stroll down country lanes lined with green meadows and dotted with fat, black-and-white spotted cows, yellow and orange wild flowers and, upon reaching their destination, a riotous profusion of pink, rose, and white apple blossoms.

Pinkney's illustration incorporate many cultural markers. In the escape flashbacks the brown skin and broad noses show clearly the African lineage of the runaway slaves. The distrust and worry in the eyes of the man and woman indicate how very hard it is for them to believe any white person would help them even as the Quaker man, his beard and flat-brimmed hat delineating his culture too, helps to paddle the boat across "the river to freedom". The man and woman's patched and shabby clothing indicate their poverty; in sharp contrast to the future when the elderly man, clearly the same man from before only older and carefree, dressed in a tie, sweater vest, and suit walks contendly with his granddaughter; his long slender brown fingers gesturing to the peaceful, prosperity around him. And, as visual proof that running away was the right thing to do, his granddaughter; her hair in neat, multiple, black braids, her face a younger, mirror image of her grandmother, walks beside him, gazing at him with admiration as he tells his story.

4. Review excerpts:
School Library Journal: "Kindergarten-Grade 3–In this story set in the early 20th century, a young African-American narrator recalls a special moment shared with her grandfather. As the two walk together, Gran'pa greets passersby with warmth and friendliness. The source of his joy, of course, is freedom; that longing and fulfillment are made tangible through his explanation of the apple seeds he carried in his pocket while still a slave–and the orchard he owns now. He relates the story of his escape, with his wife and infant daughter, describing the kindness and safe passage shown to them by a white farmer, a member of the Underground Railroad. Later, as Gran'pa planted each seed in his own soil, he thought of someone who'd helped us on our way. Pinkney's signature pencil-and-watercolor earth tones serve well for the escape scenes; his palette lightens with an infusion of pink, and his style becomes looser and more impressionistic as the pair peer into the blossoms at the conclusion."

Booklist: "An exciting Underground Railroad escape is detailed in this handsome picture book, framed by the title's message of community and connection. A former slave takes his small granddaughter to his apple orchard, and when she asks how come he waves "hello" to everyone, he answers that he knows them not by name, but by heart. He talks to her of slavery times, when he carried apple seeds in his pocket and dreamed of planting them in his own soil. Then he escaped with his wife and baby (the grandchild's mama), and he describes how a brave white man, Quaker James Stanton, helped them cross the Ohio River to freedom. Pinkney's watercolor double-paged spreads contrast the sepia-toned gloom of slavery and hiding with the abundant light-filled apple orchard today."

5. Connections:
Good books to include in storytime with Ain't Nobody a Stranger to Me:
The Other Side of the Fence by Jacqueline Woodson
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Goin' Someplace Special by Patricia McKissack

The Red Rose Box by Brenda Woods

1. Bibliography

Woods, Brenda. 2002. The Red Rose Box. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 0-399-23702-X.

2. Plot Summary

On her tenth birthday Leah Hopper receives a gift from her glamorous Aunt Olivia. Although she has never met her aunt, due to a falling out between Leah's mother and her Aunt Olivia before Leah was born, the gift, a beautiful traveling case covered with red roses, inspires a reconciliation. Leah, her sister Ruth, their mother and their grandmother travel from rural Louisiana to suburban California for a visit that will change Leah and Ruth's view of the world forever. In California there are no Jim Crow laws; no drinking from separate water fountains, no eating at separate restaurants, no sitting at the back of the bus. Leah wonders why anyone would choose to live in Louisiana when they could live in California and feel free. Leah wishes she never had to return to Louisiana, segregation, and the blatant racism that exists in the south. When tragedy strikes and her wish comes true; she learns too late that you should always be careful what you wish for.

3. Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)
Leah and Ruth's story opens in rural Louisiana during the 1950s when southern states used the Jim Crow laws to enforce segregation, perpetuate racism, and prevent African-Americans from achieving equality with whites. Careful to follow the rules aimed at maintaining the separation of the cultures; the girls' fear of accidentally crossing the line that keeps them in their place is palpable. In one telling encounter Leah and Ruth are walking with two young African-American boys, neighborhood friends and classmates Nathan and Micah, when two white men in a pickup truck drive past them; then stop and back up. The men call the children the "N" word and dare them to respond. "Nathan and Micah cowered, hunching their shoulders, the way colored boys had to when this kind of danger came around. Ruth and I looked straight down into the dust and we all kept walking. Fear walked with us. The man behind the wheel spat on the ground, laughed, and drove on...Micah stood up straight and whispered, "I woulda said somethin....Iwoulda but I don't wanna wind up hangin from no tree, burned to a crisp" (Woods, 21) The difference in the way of life when they arrive in California is eye-opening for Leah. "We drove past a movie theater but there was no colored entrance, and we passed shops and restaurants, where there were no Whites Only signs. I started to think about the word freedom" (Woods, 27).

Cultural markers are also evident in the descriptions and speech of the characters who, with a few exceptions, are African-American. Leah describes her Aunt Olivia as "the color of sweet praline (with) dark brown hair, pressed and perfect" (Woods, 27). Aunt Olivia's husband, Bill Chapel, remarks often and with pride about how nice it is to have "a house fulla beautiful colored women-folk" (Woods, 33). And though one has lived in Louisiana all her life under the thumb of Jim Crow and one has escaped to California and a life free from the harshest racism, both Leah and Ruth's mother and their Aunt Olivia are concerned that the girls use proper grammer, watch their manners, and keep their hair neat and pressed. The adults instill in the girls the importance of education and self-respect.

Food also plays an important part in Woods' description of life in an African-American family. Mealtimes include "collard greens, corn bread, every kind of gravy, red beans and rice, fried cabbage, catfish, bread pudding, oxtail soup, black-eyed peas and neck bones, grits, okra gumbo," (Woods, 36) and when money is tight; the occasional possum.

Leah and Ruth's story is a universal story of tragedy and triumph. The story of underdogs with the deck stacked against them who persevere against a system designed to make them fail. And through it all they maintain their culture and identity

4. Review Excerpts
Publishers Weekly: "Woods's moving first novel opens in sleepy Sulphur, La., in June 1953, when Leah receives a 10th birthday present from her estranged aunt in Los Angeles: a traveling case covered with red roses. The gift holds treasures the likes of which Leah has never seen: costume jewelry, a pink silk bed jacket ("like what rich white women wears b'fore bed at night," her grandmother tells Leah and her sister), pink satin slippers, nail polish, lipstick. A letter of apology from Leah's aunt to Leah's mother occasions a visit to L.A. with her mother, grandmother and younger sister, and Leah revels in the luxuries of her aunt's privileged world, a stark contrast to the subsistent lifestyle the child knows. Exposure to the freedom from segregation that exists south of the Mason-Dixon line also makes a dramatic impression on the heroine. Though the repetition of similar reflections occasionally slackens the pace of Woods's narrative, she creates some memorable characters, especially Leah, and probes historical events in a personal context that may open many readers' eyes. Ages 10-up."

School Library Journal: "Grade 4-6-Leah Hopper and her younger sister, Ruth, live in segregated rural Louisiana in the early 1950s. For her 10th birthday, the older girl receives a traveling case-a "red rose box"-from her mother's wealthy sister. Among other treasures, it contains train tickets for a family visit in Los Angeles. A long-lasting rift between Aunt Olivia and the children's mother is finally mended during the reunion. In L.A. there is no sign of the racial prejudice that the Hoppers are so accustomed to as a black family in the South, and the girls reluctantly return home. This is a bittersweet story with good descriptions of settings; a skillful use of figurative language; and well-realized, believable characters. Ruth is the embodiment of a sassy eight-year-old and the adults are genuine, loving, and supportive."

5. Connections
Reader's Advisory suggestions for those who enjoyed The Red Rose Box:
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Francie by Karen English
Heaven by Angela Johnson

Shoes From Grandpa by Mem Fox

A. Bibliography
Fox, Mem. 1989. Shoes From Grandpa. Sydney, Australia: Ashton Scholastic. ISBN0-531-05848-4

B. Plot Summary
It is late summer and Jessie's Grandpa has come for a barbeque. Astonished at how much Jessie has grown since the last time he saw her; he declares she will need new winter shoes that he will happily buy for her. So begins the purchase of a whole new wardrobe for Jessie; "socks from the local shops" from her dad, "a skirt that won't show the dirt" from her mom, even "mittens that are softer than kittens" from her uncle. Jessie loves them all and hates "to be mean" but what she really wants someone to buy her are "some jeans" which Grandpa obligingly adds to the mix.

C. Critical Analysis

The combination of Mem Fox's funny, rhyming, narrative and Patricia Mullins' torn-paper collage illustrations depicting Jessie's increasingly outrageous wardrobe additions, courtesy of her friends and family, will keep preschoolers engaged and laughing as Jessie deals with the univeral problem of what to do about unsuitable gifts. Originally published in Australia, Shoes From Grandpa could be set almost anywhere English is spoken. However, the author's use of the term shops rather than stores indicates the setting is outside the U.S. The author suggests reading Shoes From Grandpa with an Australian accent and pronouncing 'laugh' as 'larf' to make the most of the rhyming narrative.

D. Review excerpts

Publishers Weekly: "A lilting, cumulative text accompanies Mullins's vibrant torn-paper artwork in this apparel-buying spree. Ages 3-6."

School Library Journal: "PreSchool-Grade 2-- Jessie, an active girl of nine or so, is growing out of her clothes, and the members of her large and loving family get carried away in their eagerness to provide her with a new wardrobe. In this humorous suburban variation on "The House that Jack Built," Grandpa gets things started off with a pair of new shoes, Dad offers "socks from the local shops," and Mom buys "a skirt that won't show the dirt." As each of Jessie's relatives gets into the act, the rhythmic cumulative tale builds momentum. Brightly colored torn-paper collages fill appealing double-page illustrations portraying Jessie increasingly laden down with everyone else's idea of the perfect addition to her outfit. Either in story hour or reading on their own, youngsters will enjoy seeing Jessie's free spirit triumph over her family's overly enthusiastic good intentions."

E. Connections

Books for use in storytime with Shoes From Grandpa:

Grandpa's Teeth by Rod Clement

Ain't Nobody A Stranger to Me by Ann Grifalconi

Tiger on a Tree by Anushka Ravishankar

A. Bibliography
Ravishankar, Anushka. 1997. Tiger on a Tree. Chennai, India: Tara Publishing. ISBN 0-374-37555-0

B. Plot Summary
After swimming a wide river and chasing an antelope; an inquisitive tiger quickly climbs a tree to escape when the antelope charges. Soon a man with a net spies the tiger amongst the high branches and calls to his friends. The tiger is trapped as more men gather to ogle him. Astonished, excited, and a little afraid of the tiger that is stuck in a tree; the men soon begin discussing what to do about the unusual circumstances. "Get him! Net him! Tie him tight!" they shout. After they capture the tiger the men are at a loss as to what to do next. "Send him to the zoo? Stick him up with glue? Paint him an electric blue?" What will the men do with the tiger? And who is more afraid; the men or the tiger?

C. Critical Analysis
Ravishankar's simple, rhyming text emphasizes the story being told through the double-page-spread, award winning illustrations of Pulak Biswas. Done entirely in tiger-colored orange, white, and black the Indian setting of the book is emphasized by the ink-black men, some with bamboo wind instruments, some with drums. Dressed only in white cloths tied loosely at their waists, the orange sun blazing overhead, the excitement and astonishment at finding the tiger comes alive in the men's faces and the thick black words run up, down and over the pages as, fear showing plainly in his eyes, the tiger paces, looking for an escape route. Preschoolers will join in the excitement of the capture in this American Library Association Notable Book, and cheer when the men set the tiger free to swim back across the river to safety.

D. Review excerpts
School Library Journal: "PreSchool-Grade 2--A curious tiger swims across a river and roams the forest looking for adventure. Frightened by the cry of a small animal, he climbs a tree. A group of dhoti-garbed village men discovers him and decides to capture him. After placing a large net around the tree, they blow horns and bang drums to create a racket, eventually scaring the creature down. Now the men have a problem: What should they do with the animal? "Send him to the zoo?/Stick him up with glue?/Paint him an electric blue?" Finally, they decide to set him free. The appealing illustrations are naive, childlike, and dramatic. Biswas uses a limited palette of black, white, and orange to create vivid scenes. The faces of the human characters are filled with personality and expression, while the tiger's emotions are conveyed through his body language and eyes. The simple text curves playfully across the pages, adding to the sense of motion in the artwork. This tale from India can be paired with Helen Bannerman's The Story of Little Babaji."

Booklist: "PreS. First published in India in 1997 and an international prizewinner at the Bratislava Biennale of Illustrations, this very simple chanting story is perfect for reading aloud with young preschoolers. A tiger lopes along the shore until a deer suddenly scares him, rousing him to take shelter in a tree, where the villagers find him. They are scared of him ("Will he bite? He might!"), but they trap him in a net ("Get him! Net him! Tie him tight!"). Now what? Someone suggests they set the tiger free, and they agree: "Let him go!" The words in thick, black type are part of the action, and the thickly stroked illustrations, mostly black and white, have occasional splashes of orange: in the sun, on the tiger's back, and in the net that traps him. The comedic drama blends smoothly with the conservation message in deliciously scary sound words and pictures that will make this a favorite for sharing again and again."

E. Connections
Books to use in preschool storytime with Tiger on a Tree:
Excuse Me, Is This India by Anushka Ravishankar
The Road to Mumbai by Ruth Jeyaveeran