The Bake Shop Ghost by Jacqueline Ogburn

I picked this book up on my way into the Curriculum lab. It was featured in the "library use only" section and turned out to be a great read. As a matter of fact, it was so good that it made its way into my text set! The story was quite unique, as were the illustrations (take a look at the cover to see for yourself!). It had a freshness about it which was appealing; it was also quirky and humorous. Mainly, I enjoyed the fact that it was "different," which is also something children appreciate.

The story sets out describing an old woman, named Cora Lee Merriweather, who ran the best bake shop around. Her desserts were the best, from her layer cakes to her "glistening" fruit tarts. Then sadly, Cora Lee dies. She didn't' have any family members resulting in her bake shop being put up for sale. Pastry chef after Pastry bought, then quickly sold the little shop. The place was haunted by none other than Miss Cora Lee herself; she was determined to keep her prideful kitchen "chef free." But then, skillful pastry chef Annie Washington came along, and she was ready to take on Cora Lee. After much conflict and an extremely messy kitchen, Annie and Cora Lee become good friends.

I thought that the ending of this book took on a truly magnificent concept. What little kid doesn't find ghosts to be fascinating? Rather than run away in fear, Annie stuck around to do everything in her power to win Cora Lee over. It definitely took a lot of effort, but it was worth it in the end. Now, Annie has a wonderful role model constantly looking after her in the kitchen. Little do the customers know that there is a pinch of Cora Lee in all of their tasty desserts.

Controversial?

The book, "Happy To Be Nappy" by ( insert) is one that I think children would embrace, whether they are White, Black Asian etc. Because "nappy" is a term that has been used derogatorily over the years, I can see why people might view the title of this book as controversial. However, there is really nothing controversial about the book. The message is that we should embrace what god gave us and come to accept our natural beauty. I can remember admiring my older sister's long, beautiful chocolate brown hair when I was younger. It was always so silky and straight. Mine tended to be frizzy and all over the place. Once I reached junior high, I began sitting in my bathroom for hours with a curling iron trying to straighten my hair. Unfortunately, this was my only option since flat irons were non-existent at that time (or too expensive for me to know that they existed). Thank goodness for the day I decided that my curly hair was beautiful! It saved me so much time. This is such a common battle that young girl's go through. For this reason, a book like "Happy To Be Nappy" would be a great read for young children!

Take 2!

How could I read Sook Nyul Choi's first picture book, and then not pick up the second one about Yunmi and Halmoni? "Yunmi and Halmoni's Trip" was just as I expected...lovely story, powerful characters, and gorgeous illustrations. The illustrator, Karen Dugan, added a spectacular artistic feel to the book. She did a fine job of representing Asian culture in her illustrations...I was specifically intrigued with the small symbol-like images she had underneath or above the text and the fabulous borders she included around the illustrations which must be some sort of Korean design. It was her careful attention to fine detail that set this book apart from others.

I suppose I enjoyed this book more than the first one for a couple reasons. First, it was interesting being able to read about the different places Yunmi's cousins took her sightseeing in Korea. Second, this book exposes readers to some of the common Korean traditions and customs. Finally, the author did an amazing job representing the pure excitement an immigrant experiences after traveling back to their native country for the first time. Before my Nani (Great-Grandmother) passed away, she always told us stories about coming to the United States from Italy when she was a young girl. My Nana (Grandma), just recently told me about the time she and her sisters planned a special trip to Italy with Nani after her husband passed away. It was her first time returning to Italy and Nana said that Nani's reaction was absolutely indescribable. She said the that the trip was a lifesaver because it was the only thing that helped to lift Nani's spirits after Nanu's death. Apparently she was like a little kid in a candy store, and this is exactly the feeling that Halmoni experienced after returning to Korea for the first time.

Halmoni and the Picnic by Sook Nyul Choi

After reading "A Year of Impossible Goodbyes" I was curious to see if Sook Nyul Choi had written any picture books. After entering a search in the curriculum lab, I found this book! Halmoni is the Grandmother of Yunmi and had recently moved to New York City from Korea. Yunmi is extremely close with Halmoni, and worried about how lonely and unhappy she seems to be when Yunmi is away at school all day. When Yunmi's teacher announces that they will need a chaperon for their class picnic at central park, her 2 friends ask if Halmoni can come. The 3 girls think it will be exactly what Halmoni needs.

The story is quite predictable and lacks energy at certain points. However, I thought it was satisfying and genuine. And, as far as I know, it is not very common to come across picture books that tell the tale of an elderly Korean woman's immigrant experience. It is important to present children with literature that has differing perspectives. With this one being from the Korean-American perspective, it would be the perfect book to have on a classroom book shelf. It is tremendously rich in culture, from the clothes Halmoni wears to the "kimbap" and barley tea she prepares for the picnic. The incorporation of Korean vocabulary nicely distributed throughout the book is a great touch.

Eleanor, Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaport

This book, which is newly published, is a fantastic read! When I was passing through the Curriculum lab one day, I saw it featured in the "new" section. I spotted it because of the dramatic cover, which consists of an illustrated portrait of Eleanor. It didn't have any words written on the cover, just the illustration. Rappaport definitely got her point across with this tactic; she was making a powerful statement and went about it in a successful way. With the fantastic illustrations and awe-inspiring quotes that fill every single page, it was impossible to put the book down. There was a perfect amount of text which nicely complimented the illustrations and quotes. This book was so impressive that I am going to be on the look out for other works by Rappaport!

Here are two of the quotes from Eleanor that I found to be the most captivating:

"Do something everyday that scares you."

"Do what you feel in your heart to be right--for you'll be criticized anyway."

Simply put..but great advice!

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.