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