A Long Walk to Water

A Long Walk to Water

Specifics

APA Citation: Park. S, L. (2010). A Long Walk to Water. Boston, Massachusetts: Clarion Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Engage middle school students, Diverse protagonist

Lexile Level: 720L

Audience: Middle School Students

Summary

This book follows two young children living in difficult and different time periods in South Sudan. One, is a boy named Salva, is forced to leave his hometown by himself when it is under attack. He begins walking with a bunch of strangers trying to find a safe place. In the end, he became one of the Lost Boys who traveled to America and was able to make a life here. He also raises money to get clean water for the people of South Sudan. This is how he ends up meeting Nya, a young girl who walks everyday to find clean water for her family, which is a huge struggle in this area of the world. 

Evaluation

This book is great for middle schoolers because it is not too long, but also touches on alot of themes such as culture, perservereance, and family. This book is also a true story, so it can lead to incredible class discussions and research for further information. When a story is true, it seems to spark children in a different way than ficiton novels. 

Park does an interesting thing by having two stories going in one novel, something that is not done often and as a class we can talk about how she does that and has the characters meet in the end. 

Mini Lesson

I would have the students try to create their own two story-short story with a partner. Each could write a story, then together they find a way to connect the two characters. 

Luna

Luna

Specifics

APA Citation: Peters, J. A. (2004). Luna: a novel. New York: Little, Brown.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Middle school readers, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: 500L

Audience: Middle School Readers

Summary

Luna is about a young transsexual teenager and her journey in transitioning from male to female. The story is told in first person from Luna's sister, Regan's, point of view. Regan is a typical high school student who struggles in school, meets boys, babysit's for work, and argues with her parents. The only difference between Regan and the average teenager, is that her older sibling is transsexual and she is the only one who knows and supports Luna. 

Evaluation

This book is a great read for middle school because it brings up a subject that is becoming more and more popular, but not everybody truly understands it. The author uses many literary devices throughout the novel, such as a butterfly being a symbol for Luna breaking out of her cocoon and becoming who she truly is. 

The author does portray some stereo types throughout the novel, but it is done with a purpose. For example, the parents are both quite sexist, such as the boy needing to play sports and only the girl can cook dinner. Also, the teacher that is portrayed is also sexist and quite stereotypical a jerk as well, as many teachers are portrayed in novels. Also, Regan's teenager actions tend to be a bit on the extreme side, such as sneaking out of babysitting to go on a date, which shows lots of immaturity and paints a bad picture of hormonal teenagers. 

Mini Lesson

I would like to have a Socratic Seminar on this novel. Although it would be quite difficult for me to stay quiet, I'd really like to watch the students work though this text together, without my opinion and input. 

Monster

Monster

Specifics

APA Citation: Myers, W. D., & Myers, C. (1999). Monster. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Diverse Protagonist, Engage Middle School Readers

Lexile Level: 670L

Audience: Mature Middle School Readers

Summary

Steve Harmon is on trial for murder when a drug store robbery goes wrong. As Steve goes through this difficult time, writes about his experience in a screenplay format. Readers watch Steve go through a trial that will change his life forever, also wondering if he is innocent or guilty. 

Evaluation

This book would be a great read for middle school readers because not only does it bring up an important topic of racial discrimination, it also is written in a way that is different from most other books. I believe this could introduce a new type of reading to some students, which might be exactly what they need to discover reading is great. 

The author lets the reader decide for themselves if they think Steve is innocent or guilty, giving us just enough information for us to question it. He is a likable and relatable character, so most will want to assume he is innocent. 

The author does not shy away from detail, and wants the reader to truly see what Steve is experiencing during this time. The book deals with a lot of social justice themes like crime, race, and truth. Athough there are stereotypes in this book, the author does this on purpose to make a point against these stereotypes.

Mini Lesson

We might have a class discussion about a time where the kids were accused of something that they didn't do and how it made them feel. 

Mr. Harrison is Embarrasin'!

Mr. Harrison is Embarrassin'!

Specifics

APA Citation: Gutman, D., & Paillot, J. (2011). Mr. Harrison is embarrassin'! New York: Harper.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Early Chapter Book

Lexile Level: 560L

Audience: 2nd-5th graders

Summary

Mr. Harrison is basically the school handy man--he can fix anything and even invents his own things. However, Mr. Harrison is a bit of a strange guy. Well on the day they are celebrating a teacher's 50th year teaching, the major and the newspaper are coming to the school to meet the teacher and to celebrate. However, when the power at the school went out, everyone is counting on Mr. Harrison to save the day. Suddenly, he's not so odd afterall. 

Evaluation

I believe this book teaches a great lesson not to "judge a book by it's cover" or not to judge people before you really know them. Students will enjoy the novel because of it's humor, while also hoping that Mr. Harrison is able to fix everything on time to save the day. 

Mini Lesson

I would have each kid choose a book for a friend, even if it's not a book cover the friend likes, they have to read it together and give it a fair chance. Maybe they will realize not all covers can give you a great sense of if you'll like it or not. 

Miss Child Has Gone Wild

Miss Child Has Gone Wild

Specifics

APA Citation: Gutman, D., & Paillot, J. (2011). Miss Child has gone wild! New York: Harper.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Early Chapter Book

Lexile Level: 600L

Audience: 2nd-5th grade.

Summary

This is a story about a boy named A.J. and how he and his class won a trip to the zoo. While there, they meet a crazy zookeeper, Miss Child, who thinks animals are smarter than humans and walks around with a snake on her. Everybody in the class needed a buddy at the zoo and got paired up with random people, and A.J. did not like his partner. After some free time, they realize they've lost a student, Emily. She ended up falling into a lion's cage, and a new student, Alexia, saved Emily by skating into the cage, grabbing her, and skating out. After their trip to the zoo, some of the students realzied that animals have feelings too, and we should not kill them, not even mice. 

Evaluation

This was a great story for readers who are starting to want to read longer books. The story was funny, but also suspenseful at times, like when Emily went missing or when they found her with the lion.

This author uses a lot of dialogue to keep the story moving. Students could learn a lot about how to write out conversations by reading this book. 

There are a few illustrations throughout the book that are a great addition to the story. I believe readers will enjoy looking at the pictures to supplement the text in this book. The illustrations follow the story well. 

Mini Lesson

This would be a great introduction before going to the zoo. Also, we could talk about do's and don'ts while on field trips. 

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas

Specifics

APA Citation: Litwin, E., & Dean, J. (2012). Pete the cat saves Christmas. New York: Harper.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Published in the last four years.

Lexile Level: AD510L

Audience: For younger readers.

Summary

Pete the cat is called to deliver presents on Christmas Eve because Santa is sick. He delivers presents to all the boys and girls on Santa's list, even though it seems like an impossible task, Pete perserveres and saves Christmas.

Evaluation

I liked this book for a few reasons. First, it shows children that even if they are small, they can compete big tasks. The author uses the phrase, "although I am small, at Christmas we give, so I'll give it my all" throughout the book. Not only does this teach perseverance, but also touches on a big part of Christmas--giving. Many children get caught up with receiving rather that sharing the love on Christmas. 

The illustrations are great in this book too. They are colorful and appealing to the eye. The only thing I don't agree with is that Pete never changes his facial expression, even when he's happy and singing his face looks bored. Although that is how cats are in real life, because this is a fictional story, I believe the illustrator could have allowed the cat to at least look excited.

Mini Lesson

This would be a good read right before the winter break. We can talk about what we are giving for the holidays rather than what we are receiving or hoping to receive.  

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons

Specifics

APA Citation: Litwin, E., & Dean, J. (2012). Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons. New York, NY: Harper.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Published in the last four years.

Lexile Level: AD350L

Audience: For younger readers

Summary

Pete the cat starts the day off with a shirt that has four buttons. Then, one by one, the buttons fall off and we subtract with Pete to see how many buttons he has left. He never once gets upset about his buttons falling off, he just keeps singing his button song. By the end of the day, he loses all of the buttons except one...his belly button.

Evaluation

I liked this book for a few reasons. First, it teaches young readers not to sweat the small stuff. Although Pete lost all of his buttons, he never got upset over it. The author also uses repetition from beginning to end of the book, so students can guess what will happen next, and get excited when they are right. Additionally, the book teaches simple subtraction, and shows the equation after asking how many buttons Pete has left, "3-1=2"

The illustrations are great in this book too. They are colorful and appealing to the eye. The only thing I don't agree with is that Pete never changes his facial expression, even when he's happy and singing his face looks bored. Although that is how cats are in real life, because this is a fictional story, I believe the illustrater could have allowed the cat to at least look excited.

Mini Lesson

I would only use this book for a lesson in a very young classroom, no higher than 2nd grade. We would do a subtraction activity, and we could even use buttons that I could bring in from home to count and practice our math. This is a good book to introduce subtraction. 

The Reader

The Reader

Specifics

APA Citation: Hest, A., & Castillo, L. (2012). The reader. Las Vegas, NV: Amazon Children's Publishing.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Published in the last four years.

Lexile Level: AD480L

Audience: For younger readers

Summary

This story is about a boy who climbs to the top of a snow hill with his dog, a sled, and a brown suitcase. When they get to the top, they play in the snow and share special warm treats together. Then, it is story time, and the boy reads a story to the dog. When it is over, they sled to the bottom of the hill and they are home together. 

Evaluation

This book is adorable. First, the author places an importance on reading, as the boy is called "the Reader" and the climax of the story is the boy reading the book to the dog. She also uses a lot of repeition, which gives the book a good flow to it, "The wind blows. Snow blows. The hill is very very tall. The top is far, far away." She also uses this to create a bit of suspense, especially because readers don't know what is in the brown suitcase and are axious to find out. Then when it is revealed, students will get excited like, "Wow...that must be a great book for him to go through all that work to read it at the top of the hill." Hopefully it excites the reader.

My favorite part of this book was the illustrations. Normally, I read the text first then look over the pictures, but for this book I couldn't help but look at the pictures first. They are bright because of the snow, you can see the dog and boy's love for each other, and overall the pictures are just gorgeous. Readers can practically feel the chill in the air that it portrays.

Mini Lesson

Because the photographs were my favorite part of this story, I would have the class draw a picture of a special event in their life. This will also help them realize that this event doesn't have to be a "once in a lifetime" thing like a vacation, a birthday party or a trip to an amusement park. It can be something as simple as taking your dog for a walk to the top of a snow hill. 

White Socks Only

White Socks Only

Specifics

APA Citation: Coleman, E., Cohn, S. B., & Geter, T. (1996). White socks only. Morton Grove, IL: A. Whitman. Accessed online from http://www.storylineonline.net/white-socks-only/

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, Online materials

Lexile Level: AD630L

Audience: Anybody can read this, however I think to understand the story well, it would be better suited for an audience who was at least in the 3rd grade and with an adult. 

Summary

This story is about a young black girl who sneaked into town by herself, even though her mother says she's not old enough to do any good so she can't go into town. When she gets there, she goes to drink from a water fountain labled "Whites Only". She was in luck, she bent down, slipped off her shoes, and stepped on to drink from the fountain in her white socks. This is when a white man walked up and started yelling at her and taking off his belt to beat her with it. A crowd formed. An older black lady from the young girl's church walked up, took off her shoes and stepped up to the fountain to drink as well. It became a movement, many black folks walked up, took off their shoes to reveal many colors of socks, and drank from the "Whites only" water fountain. In the end, the sign was removed from the water fountain and anybody could drink from it. 

Evaluation

I loved this book. The text was brilliant and beautiful and the illustrations were colorful and appealing to the eye. The author, Evelyn Coleman, uses many literary devices throughout the story such as similie, "His face got as red as fire" and hyperbole "And child was it hot! On that kind of a day a firecracker might light up by itself."

This book has a theme of racism and the young girl ended up taking a stand against it, without even realizing it. Then, many people stood by her and followed her lead, which ended up getting the sign removed. 

This author did a fabulous job, I would absolutely read more of her books. 

Mini Lesson

For this book, we would have a class discussion about racism and the civil rights movement. 

No Mirrors in My Nana's House

No Mirrors in My Nana's House 

Specifics

APA Citation: Barnwell, Y. M., & James, S. S. (2005). No mirrors in my Nana's house. Orlando, FL: Harcourt. Accessed online from http://www.storylineonline.net/no-mirrors-in-my-nanas-house/

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, Online materials

Lexile Level: NP

Audience: This book can be used for all kinds of audiences. I would use it all the way through 8th grade depending on the lesson. Because it is also a song, even music teachers could use it in their class. 

Summary

This is a short but sweet book about a girl's nana not having mirrrors in her house so she couldn't see all of the "imperfections" she has, but there was beauty in everything. 

Evaluation

Although this book was short, it was rich with literary elements. First, she uses a similie again and again throughout the book, "So the beauty that I saw in everything, the beauty in everything, was in her eyes like the rising of the sun." The author, Ysaye M. Barnwell, also uses repetition throughout the book. 

The book was also adapted from a song. The author is a part of a singing group and she turned their music into this book. 

Mini Lesson

I would have the students listen to the song that this book was adapted from, and then have them investigate to find other books that are from songs and we could share them as a class. 

Catching the Moon

Catching the Moon

Specifics

APA Citation: Hubbard, C., & DuBurke, R. (2005). Catching the moon: the story of a young girl's baseball dream. New York: Lee & Low Books. Accessed online from http://www.storylineonline.net/catching-the-moon-the-story-of-a-young-girls-baseball-dream/

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, Online materials

Lexile Level: AD70L

Audience: This book is great for any grade level of students. I would read it to a class through middle school. 

Summary

This story is about a young girl, Marcenia, who loves playing baseball, but her parents are not as supportive because they would rather her focus on school. One day a man named Mr. Street told the kids that he is hosting a baseball camp, but it is for boys only. Marcenia tries again and again to prove to him that she is good enough for his camp, and eventually he agrees to let her go, but she cannot afford the cleats she needs. In the end, Mr. Street bought her a brand new pair of cleats, her father said she can go to camp, and she swears she will grow up to become a professional baseball player. 

Evaluation

This story is a good story to read to encourage students to follow their dreams, no matter how many obstacles are in their way. However, there are some stereotypes in the book that are difficult to ignore. First, her father says to her mother that Marcenia will grow up to be like all of the other girls around them, either a teacher, a nurse or a maid. Then Mr. Street is being sexist throughout much of the book and although Marcenia was a great player, he wouldn't take her right away like all of the other boys, she had to prove herself. Mr. Street is a also a white, middle class looking in charge. Lastly, the family is too poor to afford to send her to baseball camp, even though it is free all she would need is new cleats. The hero was first Mr. Street who bought cleats for Marcenia, and then her father her simply gave her permission. Of course none of that would have happened if Marcenia wasn't persistent, but the real heroes were men. 

The writing itself was beautiful. The author uses a lot of similes throughout the text, "As if the moon would drop into it like so many fly balls had before." "[The moon] was so round and bright like a brand new baseball." The illustrations really show how much fun Marcenia has on the field.

The story is also a great one to read because it is a true story, and the girl is now a professional baseball player. This will excite and encourage students to want to push themselves, no matter how hard, to chase their dreams. 

Mini Lesson

I would have the students write about their dreams or goals and how they are going to achieve them. I'd also like them to write about if they ever have been told they can't or if they've been discouraged by an adult to follow their dreams. 

Sleep Like a Tiger

Sleep Like a Tiger

Specifics

APA Citation: Logue, M., & Zagarenski, P. (2012). Sleep like a tiger. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Written in the last four years, diverse protagonist

Lexile Level: Not Available

Audience: This is a good book for younger readers.

Summary

This book is about a little girl who was not sleepy, but her parents told her to get ready for bed anyways. When she got tucked into bed, she asked if the whole world sleeps. Her parents said yes, and they began to talk about how all kinds of animals go to sleep. Then she says she still not sleepy and her parents tell her she can stay awake all night if she wants and they leave her tucked into bed with the lights off. She then falls asleep and sleeps like all of the animals they had talked about.

Evaluation

This book is not one I would read to my students, but I'd be happy to have it in my classroom. I believe this story serves better as a bedtime story than something to read with a class.

The author did a great job teaching about a few animals and how they sleep like bats, whales, and tigers. She used reptition to first teach about all of the animals, then to show that the girl slept like them too. 

This story has only three people, they are all white. There is nothing stereotypical about this book and the author does not use loaded words.

The illustrations are pretty and are a huge part of why this story is so nice. It uses darker colors to get the reader in the mood to sleep and shows sleeping comfortable animals. 

Mini Lesson

I might have the students write about what they do to prepare for bed and what they do when they can't sleep. 

Knock Knock

Knock Knock

Specifics

APA Citation: Beaty, D., & Collier, B. (2013). Knock knock: my dad's dream for me. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist, written in the last 4 years

Lexile Level: AD780L

Audience: This book would be a great book for a read aloud for a grade school and even middle school classroom. 

Summary

This story is about a boy who loves his father and they have a special connection together, as many boys and their fathers do. However, one morning his father isn't there to play their special knock knock game. He is gone for several months before the son hears anything from him. Finally, he receives a letter full of advice from his father, saying although he cannot be there for his son, he knows he still is there in his heart. 

Evaluation

The book took a turn I was not expecting when I picked it up. However, I think this book is great for a read aloud to address situations where a parent leaves and cannot come back. This could be due to being incarcerated (as the author's father was, which inspired this story), divorce or even death. I think this is a story that children can really connect to after having gone through a separation from a loved one like this. 

The illustrations were beautifully made out of watercolor. The boy starts off happy and full of light as he and his father play their game. However, after the dad leaves, the art gets a bit darker. The sky is not as blue, "which symbolizes the boy's loss" according to the illustrator. When he gets older, we see him get a bit happier, but the father figure is still in some of the illustrations, as the boy is still longing for his dad.

Mini Lesson

For this book, I would have the children simply write about a family member. They can get as personal as they choose. This could mean a discussion of their favorite pet, or they could dig deeper and talk about their parents, grandparents, or siblings. They should also talk about what they have learned from this specific family member. They can read them out loud if they choose, but I would not force them to do it, as this can be a very personal experience. 

Pet Show

Pet Show

Specifics

APA Citation: Keats, E. J. (2001). Pet show! New York: Puffin Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: AD370

Audience: This is a good book for a younger audience. I wouldn't go higher than about 3rd grade. Of course, students of all ages can enjoy this book, but I wouldn't choose it as a read alowed as they get older. 

Summary

This short story is about a pet show and how Archie will find his lost cat in time to bring him to the show to be judged. As the show goes on and all of his classmates receive awards for their pets, Archie is struggling to get there on time. He finally arrives, with a pet, but not his cat. He got creative and brought a jar with a germ in it for his pet. He won quietest pet of the day. 

Evaluation

I think young readers will enjoy this book. I like that this book is just about a normal kid trying to get his pet to the pet show on time. The illustrations are beautiful and vibrant and I believe it will grasp the students' attention. The author creates a bit of suspense for the children...will Archie find his cat on time? When his cat does show up, but with another lady who won a ribbon for it, what will Archie do? In the end, it worked out and it was a cute ending with everyone's pets receiving a ribbon. 

The author does not negatively show stereotypes in this novel, nor does he use loaded words. The book has many diverse characters in it, and all are portrayed well. This would be a good book to have in a classroom that will help to show children that there are books with children from all races.

Mini Lesson

If possible, I think it would be fun to have a class pet show and have students bring in all sorts of pets. However, it is unlikely I will get approval to turn my classroom into a miniature zoo, so instead I would have the kids make up animals! They could create their own animal species, draw pictures of them, describe them (how big, what they eat, if they are friendly, etc.) and then have a pretend pet show.  

Baby Mouse--Mad Scientist

Baby Mouse--Mad Scientist

Specifics

APA Citation: Holm, J. L., & Holm, M. (2011). Mad Scientist (BabyMouse). New York: Random House.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Graphic Novel, 

Lexile Level: GN440L

Audience: I would not assign this text, however I'd be happy to have it in my classroom if I teach in a grade school. This book is for younger students, and would not be very intellectually stimulating for a middle school reader. 

Summary

This graphic novel is about Babymouse and how she wants to be a scientist. She decides to do her science project on Amoebas and becomes discouraged throughout the book because she thinks they are just boring blobs. By the end she starts feeding her Amoeba, Squish, cupcakes. This is something the judges haven't seen before, and Babymouse ends up getting 2nd place on her project. She then puts Squish back in the pond where he belongs, but promises to keep bringing him cupcakes. 

Evaluation

I think this is a great book for younger readers. Holm uses allusions while referencing Marie Curie and Horton Hears a Who. I especially enjoy that she references Marie Curie, a well known, female scientist. Babymouse is also written in a unique way because the narrator, who is not a character in the story, puts herself into it and speaks to the characters, "I'm the narrator by the way. Nice to meet you (Holm 66)" "My, what a...Unique hobby your teacher has. I guess you could say they broke the mold when they made him, huh, Babymouse (Holm)?" 

I do, however, dislike how Babymouse is a bit of a space head. She often is late for class, is caught day dreaming about random things, and there are moments where as a reader we question why this is happening. I feel that too often girls are portrayed as dumb in media. On the other hand, it is not common that readers get to see a girl succeed in sciences, so Babymouse wanting to become a scientist breaks that mold a bit. 

Mini Lesson

Again, this isn't something I would read with a whole class, so it is unlikely I would have a lesson on it. However, if I did, I would have the students come up with their own science project to conduct and then have a little science fair in our classroom. We could even invite other classes to come see. 

The Complete Persepolis

The Complete Persepolis

Specifics

APA Citation: Satrapi, M., & Satrapi, M. (2007). The complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Graphic Novel, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: GN380L-GN500L (The first book is listed at 380, the second at 500, this copy is both together).

Audience: I would probably assign this to a mature 7th or 8th grade class. I would want to make sure they can take it seriously, and also be able to maturely handle the more explicit scenes. 

Summary

This book is about a young girl, Satrapi, while she grew up during the Islamic Revolution. It follows her through school, getting sent to live in Vienna at a boarding school run by nuns, living through homelessness, eventually finding her way back to Iran to be with her beloved family, and eventually moving back to Europe. 

Evaluation

This book is a great read to teach about the Islamic Revolution. Students can connect with Satrapi and realize that children around the world have friends, parents, grandparents, school, and their own struggles.

The book is a memoir, so I believe that the characters were not portrayed stereotypically, because the author wrote the story how she saw it. I found it interesting how many allusions she used throughout the novel including Karl Marx, Marie Curie, Castro, Bruce Lee, Jimmy Carter and much more. I think she alluded to all of these people because not only did it make the story more real, it also helps readers make those personal connections through the story too. It can also give a deeper meaning to the story.

The tone throughout the novel was both funny, but also serious. She uses humor to keep the mood light, but readers know that this is also an important time in history. 

Mini Lesson

For this book, my mini lesson would be to show a the movie version of Persepolis, or maybe just a small portion of it, and have the students compare and contrast the book and the movie. It would be interesting to see which they liked more. 

Wiil Waal--A Somali Folktale

Wiil Waal--A Somali Folktale

Specifics

APA Citation: Moriarty, K. M., & Amir, A. (2007). Wiil Waal: a Somali folktale. Saint Paul, MN: Minnesota Humanities Center/Somali Bilingual Book Project.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: Not available. 

Audience: I think students of all ages could read and enjoy this book due to it's interesting storyline and the meaning behind the text. Although, I beleive the best age for students to read and truly grasp the meaning behind it, would be about 4th grade and up. 

Summary

This book is a retelling of a Somali Folktale about a man named Wiil Waal who tells the men in a village to bring him the part of a sheep that can symbolize something that can divide people, or unite them. The villagers are puzzled over this riddle, so they head back to their homes and butcher their finest sheep in hopes of discovering the answer. The daughter of a poor man says to bring the gullet, the part of the sheep that they usually throw away. This is the part that connects the throat to the stomach of the sheep. The father listened to his daughter, but was not confident in it. The next day, when he presented the gullet to Wiil Waal, the leader was ecstatic, this was what he was looking for! The poor man then brough Wiil Waal to meet his daughter, and the daughter ended up ruling the land in the end. 

Evaluation

This book is first written in English, and then is translated into Somali on the next page. The author of the book has worked with many language and literacy programs around the world, the illustrator was born in Somalia, and the translator was also born in Somalia and now lives in Minnesota as an academic and cultural consultant. 

The illustrations go great with the text and help bring the folktale to life. The characters are portrayed accurately, and dress as they would when this story takes place. This story started off great, but got even better when it was a woman's idea to bring the thing that the leader was seeking, and in the end she ended up ruling the land with him. It was a female who was the wisest of them all. 

Mini Lesson

This story is supposed to teach the people a sort of lesson, that greed or generosity either divide or unite people. For a mini lesson, I would find an American folktale and read that to the students as well. Then I would have them compare and contrast the two stories. 

Grandma and Me at the Flea

Grandma and Me at the Flea

Specifics

APA Citation: Herrera, J. F., Lucio-Brock, A. D., Rohmer, H., & Cumpiano, I. (2002). Grandma and Me at the flea = Los meros meros remateros. San Francisco: Children's Book Press.

Meets EDU 333 Blog Requirement For: Picture Book, Bilingual, Diverse Protagonist

Lexile Level: Not available. 

Audience: This is a children's book that can be read in both Spanish and English. Students could read this to get an idea of Mexican culture and traditions. 

Summary

This book is switches off which language is first, Spanish or English. It is about a young boy who goes to the flea market, or remate, with his grandmother who is selling things there. Throughout the story readers can feel how busy the market is, with voices everywhere, and Juanito running around doing errands for his grandma and others along the way. He enjoys the flea market and the day he spends there. 

Evaluation

This book is filled with Mexican culture, from the language, the vocabulary words, the photographs, and what is going on throughout the story. The illustrations are colorful, have Spanish words on them, for example boxes labeled "Novellas" and "Ropita". This is one of the first books I've noticed the illustrations having Spanish words instead of English. 

The author, Juan Felipe Herrera, uses a lot of dialogue in the story which gives the readers a sense of urgency and how busy the flea market is. 

I would absolutely use this book in my classroom to talk about Mexican culture and traditions. Out of the book options I have seen thus far, this one is the most well done. It does not portray stereotypes, and the author is qualified to write it, as it is him writing from his own experiences. I think this story could have a powerful but positive impact on students, and realize that every family has their own traditions and although they might be different than yours, they are special to that person. 

Mini Lesson

For a mini lesson for this book, I would have the students simply share stories about traditions they have with their families that mean a lot to them, and why. Then, I would have them illustrate a picture to show this tradition, and assign them to give it to one of the family members that is a part of the tradition.

I would also consider offering extra credit to any student who went out on their own time to visit a flea market and then write up a quick one page summary about the experience: what they saw, what they heard, the kinds of people there, if they bought anything, etc.