Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

This book is from the complete opposite perspective as So Far From the Bamboo Grove. Sook Nyul Choi writes about her experience as a Korean child during WWII and the mistreatment her and her family experience from the Japanese military occupying Korea. I have to admit that this book was hard to get into after reading So Far From the Bamboo Grove. I kept waiting for something extreme to happen and felt that the beginning dragged on and on. I found myself feeling bad at times because of the way my heart was so touched by Yoko's story and not Sookan's. It was terrible! On the other hand, I realized that this was most likely a natural effect of reading the 2 books back to back and probably something my future students will experience when faced with the same situation. This will hopefully lead to great discussions in the classroom!

The Bus Ride by William Miller

It would be impossible not to recommend this book for a social studies lesson on civil rights and the fight for freedom. It was modeled after Rosa Parks' bus incident and even includes an introduction by Rosa Parks. In the book, a young African American girl named Sara and her mother ride the bus every day. They sit in the way back because only the more privileged white passengers are allowed to sit in the front. Sara's school stop is farther than her mother's work destination, so she stays on the bus longer. One day, she decides that she wants to see what's so special about sitting up in the front. The bus driver grows angry and demands that Sara move to the back of the bus, where she belongs. She refuses and ends up getting carried off the bus by a police officer and taken to the police station where her mother picks her up.

I would consider it extremely influential for children to witness Sara's perspective of the bus controversy, although I'm not suggesting that Rosa Parks is any less significant. I do think that children would become more passionate about Rosa's story if they see it happen to a child. We usually can identify more with people that are the same age as us.

Goldie Locks Has Chicken Pox by Erin Dealey

I absolutely adored the author's creativity in using a fairy tale icon to introduce children to the chicken pox. Other fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters pop up in the book too! Henny Penny, Jack be Nimble, Little Bo Peep and her sheep and Little Red Riding Hood all come over to Goldie's house to pay her a visit. Goldie's pesty little brother cracked me up throughout the book. He had no clue what was coming for him! Reading this story instantly reminding me of my Mom's stories about her experience when my twin sister and I had the chicken pox at the same time. She says it was a lovely experience..NOT! Apparently, we were running all over the house, being just as destructive as usual and assisting each other in scratching the itching spots. For the most part, we were unfazed. Nothing could stop us from getting into trouble. What's crazy is that we looked almost identical to Goldie. We had blonde hair that was so light it almost looked white and huge, bright blue eyes, only ours weren't innocent like Goldie's.

White Wash by Ntozake Shange

My heart ached after I read this book. I am well aware that there is racism, gangs and violence in the world, but do things like this really happen? Could such a horrible, terrifying, racist act be done to a little, innocent girl on her walk home from school?

In the book, little Helene-Angel and her brother Mauricio are on their way home from school when they get attacked by a white gang called the Hawks. There is no other explanation for the cause of this besides for the color of their skin; Helene-Angel and Mauricio are African American. The gang beats up Mauricio and pours white paint all over Helene-Angel's face and neck. In addition to being severely humiliated, the paint burned the little girl's skin. The event had a lasting effect on Helene-Angel, as she locked herself in her room for days not wanting to be seen.

It wasn't until I started writing this entry that the thought popped up in my head: Yes, there is no doubt that what happened to this girl was terrible. But if you think about it, there are other things that are just as bad. For example, more subtle forms of racism are ignored all the time. It usually takes something extreme to happen in order for attention to be drawn. Is this ok? Sometimes it is the little things that can cause the most damage.

Frida Maria, A Story of the Old Southwest by Deborah Lattimore

I'm glad that this was a story of the "old" southwest and that times have changed. Frida, a vibrant, energetic little girl is anxiously awaiting the big Fiesta. Everyone is busy preparing for the big day and Frida can't seem to do anything right; at least nothing that is pleasing to her mother. Her mother is constantly on her about being "proper" and "lady-like". But that is not Frida's personality, she is active and tom-boyish and can only think about riding her uncle's horse, Diablo, at the Fiesta. While it is true that this is a story of the "old" southwest, it doesn't mean that children today aren't faced with this same parental conflict. Some parents have such high expectations of their children that their kids grow up to think they might never be good enough. Also, there are situations where a parent simply cannot identify with their child or vice-versa. Frida's story turned out happy because her mother was able to accept Frida for who she was. Unfortunately, not all stories turn out this way. Many people go on to face this problem their entire lives.

Grandpa and Bo by Kevin Henkes

So, my love for Kevin Henkes is obvious; every few books I have to advertise one his works. He is certainly known for his spectacular mouse books, however, I have been intrigued by some of his other books without mouse characters. Grandpa and Bo is one of them. He created a story line and characters that so many of us can identify with. Bo is a little boy that lives in the city while his Grandpa, his best pal, lives in the country hundreds of miles away. It is often that one is in this same situation, living far away from a family member that is dearly loved and worshipped. Bo's relationship with his Grandpa reminded me of my Grandpa and I. Spending time with him was one of my favorite things to do. It wasn't until college when I realized just how close I was with him. After all, I got to see him every day if I wanted to. Words can't describe how difficult it was to go off to college and not be able to see him all the time.

Read the book and see what kinds of connections you make. Pay attention to his black and white illustrations in which he used pencil to make. They are amazing and will evoke emotions, no doubt.

The Art Lesson by Tomie dePaola

This biography from dePaola was entertaining and heart-felt. The young, driven character Tommy, shows young readers that people of all ages have talents and it is never too early to set goals. Starting at the beginning of the book, he identifies his strong interest and talent for drawing, then goes on to practice every chance he gets. His birthday happens to fall at the onset of first grade, the year he finally gets to have real art lessons with the art teacher, Mrs. Bowers. Tommy receives a box of brand new 64 Crayola crayons as a gift from his parents, and boy is he eager to use them in his art lessons. His first grade teacher, Miss Landers, quickly sets him straight as she angrily instructs him to bring his crayons home and leave them there. He will use the SCHOOL crayons like all the rest of the kids in the class, despite his feelings that REAL artists don't use school crayons.

The book has multiple strong themes and important messages for children: be true to yourself; share your interests with others and be proud; stand up for yourself-don't let others get in the way of your dreams, but always be respectful; never give up, always keep trying; learn to compromise. On top of this, dePaola demonstrates his artistic talents by creating illustrations that tell a story. I would consider it a difficult task to find readers that don't immediately fall in love with delightful book!

Roberto Clemente, Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates by Jonah Winter

This was a fantastic book about the life of Roberto Clemente, a deceased player of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Winter starts the book out by talking about Clemente's life as a young child in Puerto Rico, during which time he had no money but possessed a lot of determination, many dreams and was very resourceful. It shows his progression from a young child practicing on a muddy field with a baseball glove (made from a coffee sack) and a bat (made from the branch of a guava tree) to an adult when he became one of the most admired major league players of all time. Winter included details about the prejudice Clemente faced from the media- they called him "lazy," a "Latino hothead," and made fun of his Spanish accent. Finally, the book ends with the story of his death. He died trying to help earthquake victims in Central America. Not only does the author want us to remember Clemente for his unbelievable baseball skills and strong work ethic, he wants us to remember him as a great person. The illustrations were amazingly impacting and perfectly complimented the brilliant writing style of the author.

The Misfits by James Howe

When I first started reading this book, I thought to myself, "how could I possibly get away with incorporating this book into my classroom?" After all, some of the language, content and characters are controversial and the last thing I want to do is upset parents and the principal. As I continued reading, however, I began to realize why a book like this is important to be used in the classroom and what I could do and say to support my decision for choosing it. The bottom line is that the content, language and characters are realistic. Why would we try and hide students from something that they are going to face when they enter junior high? Don't we want to present children with books they can identify with?

All of us have been called names in school, witnessed others being called names, or were guilty of calling people names. What do most of us do when we are called a name? Probably roll our eyes and move on. If you do decide to tell someone about it, then you are a baby and tattle-tale. Skeezy, Bobby, Joe and Addie, who have labeled themselves "the misfits," are sick of being called loser, geek, fairy, beanpole, fatso, and know-it-all to name a few, and decide to take a stand. They come up with the motto, "sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit," and decide to form the No-Name Party. Regardless of them winning the student council election or not, their effort was admirable and they really did make a difference.

The Donut Chef by Bob Staake

This newly published book is absolutely spectacular! Staake, the author and illustrator, has created a book full of animation, fun, rhyming, and most of all, a great message! In my opinion, it would be appropriate for readers of all ages; of course the amazing, quirky illustrations and playful rhyming would certainly be of appeal to young children.

The hilariously over-sized, jolly donut chef decides:

"Once upon a summer's day

A donut chef was heard to say:

On this street where people stop,

I'll open up my donut shop!"

He then works effortlessly to get his shop ready to open. It turns out to be a great success! But then, another donut chef decides to open a store right next door, and the two go over board in their attempt to win over the customers with the most creative donuts.

Not only should this book be read to children for just pure enjoyment, but it also introduces them to what business is like and teaches a great lesson that sometimes, the most simple things are the most successful.