I Know the World’s Worst Secret

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Title: I Know the World’s Worst Secret

Author: Doris Sanford

Illustrator: Graci Evans

Publisher and Year: Multnomah Press, 1987

Number of pages: 28

Tags/Themes: Alcoholism, Picture Book, Emotion, K-5, Family, Olivia Ruff

Genre: Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: The book follows the story of a young girl from her perspective. The child’s mother is an alcoholic, and her family makes excuses for the mother. The little girl assumes many of the roles an adult would have such as cleaning, cooking, and taking care of siblings. The child talks to her “friend” which is a clown doll. The drawings are soft and look as though they were drawn with colored pencils. The advice from the doll is italicized, and there is a list of helpful tips at the back of the book to help children with alcoholic adults in their lives.

Classroom Application: This book would go well in a classroom to talk about difficulties that other children deal with. Children would be able to reflect on new situations that may be very different than their own. This would help students become more understanding of situations that their peers might be involved in.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The language may be more advanced for early readers, but it is a good book to be read to students who are younger if they cannot read it themselves. Students may be inclined to ask questions regarding alcoholism, and it would be a great way to get students thinking about warning signs and be more aware about issues that alcohol can cause. It is helpful that the story is told from the perspective of a child, as it makes it easier for children to relate to. Quotations: “My mommy drinks Scotch. She gulps Scotch. She drinks a lot of it before she gets drunk” (4) and “Last night Daddy hit Mommy and called her a ‘drunk.’ Mommy kicked Daddy. Laura and I ran next door” (18).

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We Belong Together

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Title: We Belong Together

Author: Todd Parr

Illustrator: Todd Parr

Publisher and Year: Hachette Book Group USA, 2007

Number of pages: 29

Tags/Themes: Picture Book, K-1, Family, Olivia Ruff

Genre: Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: This book is about adoption. The book is very basic, and there are no consistent characters. The book gives the different reasons for why a child would be adopted, and it is read as though a parent would be explaining why they adopted the child. The book follows the form of “We belong together because…X.” It is consistent throughout making it an easy read for a child. The colors are bright and cheery, and the characters are bubbly drawings. The last page is a short note from the author.

Classroom Application: This story would be good to use in an elementary classroom when talking about the different ways that families are formed. Children are rarely asked to think about the different ways families come together, and this would be a good book to use to introduce children to the idea of adoption.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book could provide the foundation for conversations about adoption. This would provide the opportunity for students to ask questions and gain a better understanding for the different ways other children live or what their families look like. This book is helpful for students who have been adopted for them to be understood by their peers to some extent. Quotes: “We belong together because… you needed someone to read to you and we had stories to share” (21-22) and “We belong together because… you needed a home and I had one to share” (1-2).

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The Right Touch

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Title: The Right Touch

Author: Sandy Kleven

Illustrator: Jody Bergsma

Publisher and Year: Illumination Arts Publishing Company, 1998

Number of pages: 32

Tags/Themes: Emotion, Family, Picture Book, Award Book, K-5, Olivia Ruff

Genre: Educational

Descriptive Annotation: This book follows a little boy and his mother talking before bed. The mother decides to tell her son about inappropriate touching. She gives an example of a little girl who went over into her neighbor’s house and was assaulted. There is a note for parents and teachers in the front of the book with steps to what to do if a child comes to the adult saying that they had been inappropriately touched. This note also explains the importance of the book for various reasons including the fact that children are not always aware of the dangers of familiar people taking advantage of them.

Classroom Application: This story would be a good story to read to children whether it is read in the homes of children or during a lesson on bullying or abuse. We often teach children to beware of strangers, but children are rarely told about the biggest child-predators: people that they might already know of. This book is a good, appropriate way to tell children about the different ways to be aware of situations where sexual abuse could happen.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book helps foster a safe space for children to talk about abuse and become aware of some of the dangers. This would open up a door for already abused children to speak up. The illustrations are welcoming and warm, and there is one page with drawings of a boy and a girl so that the adult can explain the differences in whichever way they want to. Quotes: “Lots of kids say they get warning feelings when things are not safe” (21) and “Kisses and cuddles I like a lot, but when I say no, please touch me not” (30).

 

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My Name is Celia

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Title: My Name is Celia

Author: Monica Brown

Illustrator: Rafael López

Publisher and Year: Northland Publishing, 2004

Number of pages: 26

Tags/Themes: Culture, Diversity, Award Book, Non-fiction, Picture Book, K-1, Olivia Ruff

Genre: Non-fiction

Descriptive Annotation: This book is about the life of Celia Cruz, a salsa musician from Cuba. She left Cuba and pursued music in America. Her music reminds her of home, and the entire story is in both English and Spanish. The illustrations are bright and cheery with Spanish influence.

Classroom Application: This story would be great for an ELL or ESL class for young kids because it has both English and Spanish in it. The story covers the real life story of Celia Cruz, and this could be a positive book for students who are immigrants. This also could be good for students in a Spanish class in high school since it has both languages.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This story is about an immigrant from Cuba, and this would be useful for students who are immigrants themselves as well as students who are not immigrants. The book shows the power of music through nostalgia, so it could foster some conversations about immigrants as well as music. Children could discuss an aspect of their lives that they would see as their “sugar,” something that represents their culture or their family. Quotes: “In the evenings, I would help my mother put the younger children to sleep by singing them soothing, sweet lullabies” (6) and “From that point on, when I walked out on stage I would simply say, ‘SUGAR!’ And they would know exactly what I meant-home and love and lots of kisses” (18).

 

 

 

 

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Henry’s Freedom Box

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Title: Henry’s Freedom Box

Author: Ellen Levine

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Publisher and Year: Scholastic Press, 2007

Number of pages: 38

Tags/Themes: Culture, Diversity, Award Book, Non-fiction, Picture Book, 2-3 , Olivia Ruff

Genre: Historical Non-fiction

Descriptive Annotation: This book is about Henry, a child born into slavery, who escaped slavery as an adult by being shipped in a crate to Pennsylvania. There is an author’s note in the back with a description of the Underground Railroad. The illustrations are exquisite; the images capture the attention of the reader and draw on the sad aspects (slavery) of the plot.

Classroom Application: This book would be a great addition to a civil rights unit. It sheds light on the Underground Railroad and the different ways people were mistreated. It is a true story, so the students would be learning from a real life example. I would use this as an example for the ways in which slaves escaped slavery.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The story covers a unique example of an escaped slave through the Underground Railroad. The illustrations are heart-wrenching and shows how desperate people were to escape slavery. The fact that Henry was torn away from his family also gives the story a very sad tone. Quotes: “If you made a mistake, the boss would beat you” (9) and “Henry Brown wasn’t sure how old he was. Henry was a slave. And slaves weren’t allowed to know their birthdays” (1).

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My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

Posted on November 30, 2018 by | Comments Off on My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

Title: My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

Author(s): Kam Mak

Illustrator/Photographer: Kam Mak

Publisher and Year: Harper Collins Publishers 2002

Number of pages: 30

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Culture, Diversity, Family, Fiction, Friendship, Holidays, Picture Book, Poetry, K-1, 2-3

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: My Chinatown is a book of poems that follows a boy through a year in a Chinatown in America. He laments about the differences between his new home and his old home in China. He talks about many different aspects of Chinese culture, and the differences and similarities between the versions in America and the versions in China. At the beginning, he is resentful of America, but begins to enjoy it as the book progresses. It is written in free verse style poetry and the illustrations appear to be done in acrylics. There are no special features and students should have a good grasp on figurative language before they read this book.

Classroom Application: This text connects to a social science unit on China. It talks about many things that are important in the Chinese culture. The author talks about Chinese food, games, holidays, and other activities. Students could use this book to compare Chinese culture with their own or to compare life in Chinatown to life in China. This book could also be used in a Writing Workshop as an example of free verse poetry and expressive language.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book talks about a lot of aspects of Chinese culture, both in China and in Chinatown, USA. Students can gain an appreciation for Chinese culture through reading this book. A discussion could be had about immigration and leaving your home behind for a new country, particularly one that has an area that is sort-of like your home country, but not exactly the same. In the book, it says, “But I don’t want to go to school, where the English words taste like metal in my mouth.” It also says, “When we left Hong Kong, we had to pack quick. So many things got left behind-a country, a language, a grandmother, and my animal chess game.”

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Alma and How She Got Her Name

Posted on November 30, 2018 by | Comments Off on Alma and How She Got Her Name

Title: Alma and How She Got Her Name

Author(s): Juana Martinez-Neal

Illustrator/Photographer: Juana Martinez-Neal

Publisher and Year: Candlewick Press 2018

Number of pages: 29

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Culture, Family, Fiction, Picture Book, K-5

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: Alma and How She Got Her Name is the story of Alma, a little girl with a long name. Alma complains to her dad and he tells her why he gave her all the names that he did. He tells her of Pura, her great-aunt who believed in the spirts of their ancestors, and of Jose, her grandfather who was an artist. Alma realizes that she is like each and every one of her namesakes and she begins to like her name. At the end of the book is an author’s note and students would need to know the terms for various familial relationships to understand this book. The illustrations are done in graphite and colored pencils.

Classroom Application: This text meets Social Emotional Learning Standard 2.B, “Recognize individual and group similarities and differences.” Alma recognizes the similarities between her and her ancestors. Once she realizes the similarities, she appreciates the similarities and wants to be more like her ancestors. This story could also be used in the classroom if there were instances of students that were being bullied for their names (i.e. a Latinx student comes to a predominantly white school and the white students are not kind to the Latinx student). This book could teach students appreciation for different names.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book is about a child with Spanish sounding names. Many of the illustrations include the Spanish words for the items in the picture. It teaches appreciation for the Spanish-speaking culture, as when Alma’s dad is explaining who Jose is, he says, “Your grandfather taught me to see and love our people.” It can lead students to wonder what the story of their name is.

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The Dress and the Girl

Posted on November 30, 2018 by | Comments Off on The Dress and the Girl

Title: The Dress and the Girl

Author(s): Camille Andros

Illustrator/Photographer: Julie Morstad

Publisher and Year: Abrams Books for Young Readers 2018

Number of pages: 33

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Friendship, Picture Book, Social Science

Genre: Historical Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: The Dress and the Girl is the story of the adventures of a little girl and her dress. At the beginning of the story, they are at their home in Greece. But one day, the girl and the dress board a boat destined for America. When they arrive in America, the dress is folded up in a trunk. The dress searches the globe for the girl, and they are finally reunited in a store many years later. There are no special features in this book and students would need little background knowledge to understand the text.

Classroom Application: This book could be used in a social science lesson on immigration, specifically immigration to the United States. This cute story about a girl and her dress could be used to show students how immigrants to the united states had to give up their home culture (the dress) when they got to the new country, in order to fit in better. Students could look into the immigration process of America. They could also choose a different country and compare and contrast it with America.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book is about a Greek girl and her dress immigrating to America. The story shows similarities between Greece and America, but it also shows the differences. It shows the hope that immigrants have when they leave their home for a better life. In the beginning of the story, it says, “But they longed for the extraordinary. Something singular, stunning, or sensational.” When they arrived at America, it says, “They wondered if now was the time for something singular, stunning, or sensational. For something extraordinary.”

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The Journey

Posted on November 30, 2018 by | Comments Off on The Journey

Title: The Journey

Author(s): Sarah Stewart

Illustrator/Photographer: David Small

Publisher and Year: Farrar Straus Giroux 2001

Number of pages: 32

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Adventure, Culture, Family, Fiction, Picture Book, K-1, 2-3

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation:  The Journey is the story of a little Amish girl’s trip to Chicago. It is written in diary format and she tells about her adventures eating hot dogs, going into department stores, and riding on a boat. There are large illustrations on every set of pages. On every other set of pages, there is a diary entry from Hannah, describing her day in Chicago, and the illustrations reflect what they did. On the sets of pages without the diary entries, the illustrations depict life at home, specifically the instances that she compares Chicago to in her entries. For example, when they were walking in the park and a horse got spooked, Hannah writes, “I grabbed the bridle and said, “Whoa, boy, Whoa”-like Aunt Clara used to do for me.” When the page is flipped, the illustration shows Aunt Clara calming down Hannah’s horse. There are no special features in this book and students would need some background knowledge of the Amish culture.

Classroom Application: This text could be used in a social science unit on different religions or cultures. It could be an introduction to the Amish community. This book could also be used in a writing lesson, as a different way to structure a text. It is written in an epistolary format, and prominently features illustrations. The students could take this style and use it in their own writing.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: This book is about an Amish girl, and many students have little to no experience with anyone from the Amish community. It could be used as an introduction to the culture, with students researching or creating research questions based on the information they learned in the text. In the story, the little girl goes to Chicago, which is something that many students in Illinois know of. They could compare and contrast their trips to Chicago (or their dream trip if they’ve never been) to Hannah’s.

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Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

Posted on November 30, 2018 by | Comments Off on Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

Title: Hey, Wall: A Story of Art and Community

Author(s): Susan Verde

Illustrator/Photographer: John Parra

Publisher and Year: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 2018

Number of pages: 28

Tags/Themes: Allison Henry, Diversity, Fiction, Picture Book, K-1,

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Descriptive Annotation: Hey, Wall is the story of a community coming together to beautify their neighborhood by painting the large wall. One young boy notices that the wall is ignored by most everyone in the town and decides to paint the wall. He recruits all his friends, family, and neighbors to paint the wall. They paint the wall to be a reflection of the members of the community. Students would need little background knowledge, besides the knowledge of the words used, to understand this book. At the end of the book is both an author’s note and an illustrator’s note. The illustrations are very colorful and cover the entire page. They are done in acrylics.

Classroom Application: This book could be used in a fine arts lesson in the classroom. A teacher could use this story to introduce a school beautification project to their students. It also connects to Social Emotional Learning Standard 2.C, “Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others.” The narrator of the story must work convince the people around him to work together to accomplish the goal of making the wall beautiful again.

Linguistic and Cultural Diversity Analysis: The illustrations in this text feature people of every race. The author makes mentions to different cultures when the narrator is talking to the wall. It says, “Can you hear our music? We are salsa dancing [Latinx]. We are hip-hopping [African American]. We are dizzy from spinning.” When they are planning how to paint the wall, everyone contributes their own ideas and experiences to the mural, “We’ve all brought our ideas and imagination.”

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