Way Down Deep

Way Down Deep

Written by: Ruth White

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"In the summer of 1944, a red-headed, curly-haired toddler mysteriously appeared on the courthouse steps in Way Down Deep, WV. No trace of how she got there or to whom she belonged was ever found. For 10 years Ruby June has lived a happy, comfortable life, well loved and cared for by Miss Arbutus Ward, owner of the local boardinghouse. The arrival of a new family in town sets in motion the unraveling of Ruby's past and the mystery of her appearance. In the process, readers are introduced to a colorful cast of characters who not only add to the rich Appalachian tone of the novel, but also lace it together with sweet humor, timeless truths, and expert foreshadowing. At first thought to be the senile ramblings of Mr. Bird Reeder, a former resident of Yonder Mountain, VA, bits of information lead Ruby to discover that she might be the child thought to have been carried off by a panther years earlier. She learns of her parents' death when she was a baby, that she has family living on top of the mountain, and of her mystical connections to Miss Ward. Captivating and thoughtful on many levels, White's novel offers humor, mystery, and a feel-good ending that a multitude of readers will find satisfying "way down deep."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://kidswings.com/2008waydowndeep.html

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Written by: Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Cesar Chavez is known as one of America's greatest civil rights leaders. When he led a 340-mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farmworkers. But Cesar wasn't always a leader. As a boy, he was shy and teased at school. His family slaved in the fields for barely enough money to survive. Cesar knew things had to change, and he thought that—maybe—he could help change them. So he took charge. He spoke up. And an entire country listened."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://www.chavezfoundation.org/
http://litplans.com/titles/Harvesting_Hope_the_Story_of_Cesar_Chavez_Kathleen_Krull.html

Becoming Naomi Leon

Becoming Naomi Leon

Written by: Pam Munoz Ryan

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Naomi and her brother Owen have been living happily for seven years with Gram, their great-grandmother, at Avocado Acres Trailer Rancho in Lemon Tree, California. When the mother who abandoned them shows up after a long absence, eleven-year-old Naomi is confused about her feelings. Soon Naomi learns about her mother's true motives, comes to trust Gram's ongoing devotion more than ever, and starts to unravel the mystery surrounding her father Santiago. A whirlwind trailer ride to Mexico, a new extended family that embraces her, and her participation in a local festival all help Naomi understand her León heritage and develop her own strength and determination. As these events unfold, Naomi begins to prepare for her greatest test — the day in court when her very future depends on speaking her truth — and she becomes who she is meant to be — the Naomi Soledad León Outlaw, Naomi the lioness, of her wildest dreams."

Scholastic Press

Web Resources:
http://www.pammunozryan.com/naomi.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1431

Esparanza Rising

Esparanza Rising

Written by: Pam Munoz Ryan

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Esperanza Ortega possesses all the treasures a young girl could want: fancy dresses; a beautiful home filled with servants in the bountiful region of Aguascalientes, Mexico; and the promise of one day rising to Mama’s position and presiding over all of Rancho de las Rosas. But a sudden tragedy shatters that dream, forcing Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. There they confront the challenges of hard work, acceptance by their own people, and economic difficulties brought on by the Great Depression. When Mama falls ill from Valley Fever and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must relinquish her hold on the past and learn to embrace a future ripe with the riches of family and community. Pam Muñoz Ryan eloquently portrays the Mexican workers’ plight in this abundant and passionate novel that gives voice to those who have historically been denied one."

Scholastic Press

Web Resources:
http://www.pammunozryan.com/esper.html
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=207

Nightjohn

Nightjohn

Written by: Gary Paulsen

Junior High and High School Grades

Hardship, struggle, abuse marked the lives of slaves working on plantations in the 1850’s. Award winning author Gary Paulsen breathes life into this dark period in American History in his book Nightjohn through Sarny, a twelve-year old slave girl struggling to find her way on a southern plantation. Sarny’s life changes for the better in ways she never dreamt were possible when she meets Nightjohn, a new slave on the plantation. This is a moving story about the power of friendship in the face of a dark period of American history.

Web Resources:
http://litplans.com/titles/Nightjohn_Gary_Paulsen.html
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/amliterature/amlit_lp_nightjohn_overviewunit.htm

The Year of the Dog

The Year of the Dog

Written by: Grace Lin

Elementary Grades

"A lighthearted coming-of-age novel with a cultural twist. Readers follow Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year–The Year of the Dog–as she struggles to integrate her two cultures. Throughout the story, her parents share their own experiences that parallel events in her life. These stories serve a dual purpose; they draw attention to Graces cultural background and allow her to make informed decisions. She and her two sisters are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further differences between the American and Taiwanese cultures."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.mcelmeel.com/curriculum/childrenslit/gracelin_bykirstenrendell.html

Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl

Written by: Ji-Li Jiang

High School Grades

"This award-winning memoir of a shattered childhood recalls a haunting time which chills the soul. At almost every turn, we listen to the heart-pounding struggle of a little girl, and her struggle between her belief in Chairman Mao and the Communist Party, and her beloved family. Writing with powerful simplicity and unblinking understatement, Ji-li makes the Cultural Revolution meaningful to children as well as adults. Red Scarf Girl stands beside The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary, and forever changes the way we see the world and ourselves."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://www.jilijiang.com/red-scarf-girl/
http://www.harperchildrens.com/schoolhouse/TeachersGuides/redscarf.htm

Oh, Crumps! Ay Caramba!

Oh, Crumps! Ay Caramba!

Written by: Lee Bock
Illustrated by: Morgan Midgett

Elementary Grades

"Poor Farmer Felandro is in dire need of a good night's rest and is all too aware that, "Morning comes early." But sleep is not in the cards for the hapless farmer, who is awakened again and again by his animals needing to be let out of barns, taken into barns, put in pens, shut in stalls, etc. Just when he gets one group down, another goes off, until finally morning has come and he can just get up. Students will be amused as the poor farmer lists off his chores for the next day in a more and more garbled form. Pair this book with Doreen Cronin's Click, Clack, Moo (S & S, 2000) for a barnyard-themed storytime featuring strong-willed animals."

School Library Journal Review

A Gift for Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead

A Gift for Abuelita: Celebrating the Day of the Dead

Written by: Nancy Luenn
Illustrated by: Robert Chapman

Elementary Grades

"Rosita wishes that her grandmother, whom she adored, could be remembered in a special way. She uses the occasion of el D!a de los Muertos to make a gift that is just right to celebrate abuelita. This is an exceptional book to use in a classroom to discuss the loss of loved ones."

School Library Journal Review

My Colors, My World - Mis Colores, Mi Mundo

My Colors, My World - Mis Colores, Mi Mundo

Written by: Maya Christina Gonzalez

Elementary Grades

"Little Maya longs to find brilliant, beautiful, inspiring color in her world.…but Maya’s world, the Mojave Desert, seems to be filled with nothing but sand. With the help of her feathered friend, she searches everywhere to discover color in her world. In the brilliant purple of her mother's flowers, the cool green of a cactus, the hot pink sunset, and the shiny black of Papi's hair, Maya finally finds what she was looking for. The book’s appealing narrative and bold illustrations encourage early readers to observe and explore, and to discover the colors in their own."

Publishers Review

Awards:
Pura Belpre Honor Book, 2008

Web Resources:
http://suzyred.com/pbks2008colors.html

Abuelos

Abuelos

Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Amelia Lau Carling

Elementary Grades

"The tradition of los abuelos comes from northern New Mexico. In the cold months of midwinter, village men disappear to disguise themselves as scary old men and then descend on the children, teasing them and asking if they've been good. The abuelos encourage the little ones to dance and sing around huge bonfires. Afterwards, everyone enjoys cookies and empanadas. In this charming book, young Ray and Amelia move to a new village and experience the fright and fun of los abuelos for the first time. Amelia Lau Carling researched the region for her vibrant artwork, and author Pat Mora's lively text captures the appeal of an old-world celebration now being revived."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/abuelos.htm

Papa and Me

Papa and Me

Elementary Grades

Written by: Arthur Dorros
Illustrated by: Rudy Gutierrez

When I'm with my papá, I can fly like an eagle, an águila.
I can climb alto, high, in a tree,
And I am the ganador, the winner, of many races.
When I am with my papá, I hear the best cuentos, stories,
and I give him the biggest abrazos, hugs.

"A young boy and his papa may speak both Spanish and English, but the most important language they speak is the language of love. Here, Arthur Dorros portrays the close bond between father and son, with lush paintings by Rudy Gutierrez."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://www.arthurdorros.com/

The Magic Pillow

The Magic Pillow

Written and illustrated by: Demi

Elementary Grades

"In China, Ping is happy with his family’s modest circumstances until he meets a magician who amazes him with an illusion of diamonds. Suddenly Ping desires “money, power, fame, and everything life can offer,” but the magician cautions him, offering a pillow for the evening. Ping’s dreams show how wealth and power lead to an endless cycle of greed, envy, and war for him and his descendants. In the morning, Ping awakens, grateful for his humble life. Demi’s dainty, jewellike art is the perfect vehicle for this story, adopted from a Shen Jiji short story. Rendered in traditional Chinese paints and inks and framed in her characteristic gold borders, the pictures of Ping’s early life have a graceful simplicity while the nightmarish dream scenes intensify with entanglements. The concluding moral explains,“He who finds peace in his heart has found his palace of gold."

Publisher's Review

The Boy Who Painted Dragons

The Boy Who Painted Dragons

Written and illustrated by: Demi

Elementary Grades

"The dragons are playing in heaven, riding clouds and creating things such as "thunder and lightning, flying comets…sparkling northern lights," and rain. They also look for "pearls of heavenly wisdom" that are concealed in the clouds. One day, they peer through a hole in the heavens to Earth where they spy on a boy named Ping. Although he is terrified of dragons, he keeps his feelings secret and paints elaborate pictures of the creatures. Flattered, the Heavenly Dragon visits him and—quickly realizing that the boy paints these images out of fear—promises him three treasures if he can earn them. The pearls of wisdom read "Seek Your Truth," "Find Your Truth," and "Dare to Be True." In order to attain them, Ping must overcome his apprehensions by visiting four elemental dragons: Water Dragon, Fire Dragon, Earth Dragon, and Wind Dragon. Each page contains paintings of gilt-colored creatures and swatches of delicate Chinese silk brocade."

School Library Journal Review

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin

The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin

Written by: Susan Goldman Rubin with Ela Weissberger
Junior High and High School Grades

"Ela Stein matured between the ages of 11 and 15 when she was imprisoned in the Terezin concentration camp with other Czech Jews. In horrific conditions, Ela forged lifelong friendships with other girls from Room 28 of her barracks. Adults working with the children tried their best to lift the youngest prisoners' spirits. A children's opera called Brundibar was even performed, and Ela was chosen to play the pivotal role of the cat. With death and fear of transports to death camps a part of every day life, this unimaginable coming of age memoir is persistent in its belief that humans can triumph over evil."

SayFair Books

Web Resources:
www.holidayhouse.com/docs/CatwiththeYellowStarEducatorsGuide.pdf

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood

Written by: Ibtasim Barakat

Junior High and High School Grades

"In a spare, eloquent memoir, Barakat recalls life under military occupation. In 1981 the author, then in high school, boarded a bus bound for Ramallah. The bus was detained by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint on the West Bank, and she was taken to a detention center before being released. The episode triggers sometimes heart-wrenching memories of herself as a young child, at the start of the 1967 Six Days' War, as Israeli soldiers conducted raids, their planes bombed her home, and she fled with her family across the border to Jordan. She also recalls living under occupation and the thrill of being able to attend the United Nations school for refugees. The political upheaval is always in the background, but for young Barakat, much of the drama was in incidents that took place in everyday life. What makes the memoir so compelling is the immediacy of the child's viewpoint, which depicts both conflict and daily life without exploitation or sentimentality. An annotated bibliography will help readers fill in the facts."

Booklist Review

Web Resources:
http://us.macmillan.com/tastingthesky#guides
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070618/bennett

A Day's Work

A Day's Work

Written by: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: Ronald Himler

Elementary Grades

"Francisco, trying to find work for his grandfather, or abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between Abuelo, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener (Abuelo is in fact a carpenter). Returning at the end of the day, Ben is shocked to discover that Francisco and Abuelo stripped his field of the plants and left the weeds. Abuelo is also angered, learning only now that Francisco had lied to Ben, and refuses payment until they have done the job correctly. Recognizing the older man's integrity, Ben rewards Abuelo and Francisco with the promise of "more than just one day's work." Says Ben of the plants: "The roots are still there. If they've replanted early, they'll be alright." Similarly, Francisco is given a chance to start over. He changes from a naively parental figure to a child who "had begun to learn the important things." The shift in the boy's role quietly suggests not only the importance of a work ethic but also Francisco's need to be a child, guided by a caring adult."

Publishers Weekly Review

Talkin About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

Talkin About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman

Written by: Nikki Grimes
Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

Upper Elementary and Junior High Grades

"In a volume that looks like a picture book...Grimes offers a many-sided portrait of the first African-American aviatrix, Bessie Coleman...The speakers range from mother to sister to field hand to flight instructor to news reporter to preacher, but teller by teller, the story moves chronologically and builds emotionally to last entry, where Bessie speaks of the joy of flying...The verse reads aloud beautifully, making this book a good choice for readers' theater or for reading aloud in conjunction with the artwork, which shows up to good advantage from a distance. Although there have been other books about Coleman, this is a fine, original portrayal."

Booklist Starred Review

Web Resources:
http://www.nikkigrimes.com/teacher.html

Circle Unbroken

Circle Unbroken

Written by: Margot Theis Raven
Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

Elementary Grades

"A book about the origins of the intricate technique and art of basket making as preserved by the Africans who were brought to America as slaves and their descendants. A grandmother guides her granddaughter's hands as she teaches her the art of basket sewing. When the child asks her how she came to make baskets, the woman's answer harkens back to a time when one of their ancestors, the child's "old-timey grandfather," is being initiated into manhood in a village in Africa. Part of the rite involves being able to make a grass basket woven or coiled so tightly that it can hold water. Soon after this event, the young man is captured, transported to America, and sold as a slave at an auction in Charleston, SC. During the day he works the fields, but by night he makes baskets, and this skill is passed down from one generation to the next.

Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format. Lewis's double-page, watercolor images are poignant and perfectly matched to the text and mood. A section at the end of the book offers information about the "coil" or "Gullah" baskets, as they are known today, as well as the regions of Africa where this art form originated."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://suzyred.com/2005circle.html

Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box

Written by: Ellen Levine
Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson

Elementary Grades

"Inspired by an actual 1830s lithograph, this beautifully crafted picture book briefly relates the story of Henry "Box" Brown's daring escape from slavery. Torn from his mother as a child, and then forcibly separated from his wife and children as an adult, a heartsick and desperate Brown conspired with abolitionists and successfully traveled north to Philadelphia in a packing crate. His journey took just over one full day, during which he was often sideways or upside down in a wooden crate large enough to hold him, but small enough not to betray its contents. The story ends with a reimagining of the lithograph that inspired it, in which Henry Brown emerges from his unhappy confinement—in every sense of the word—and smiles upon his arrival in a comfortable Pennsylvania parlor."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=3&bookID=00000590
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32442

Gabriel's Horses

Gabriel's Horses

Written by: Alison Hart

Upper Elementary and Middle School Grades

"On a Kentucky plantation during the Civil War, slave Gabriel Alexander, 12, cares for his master's thoroughbred racehorses and dreams of being a great jockey, just like his dad. After Pa enlists with the Yankees, the boy also yearns to be a soldier and fight for freedom. At the core of this stirring historical novel is the question of what freedom means. Runaway slaves and freemen join the Yankee army only to dig ditches and collect firewood for white soldiers. The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."

Booklist Review

Awards:
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2008-2009

Web Resources:
http://suzyred.com/2008gabrielshorses.html

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom

Written by: Tim Tingle
Illustrated by: Jeanne Rorax Bridges

Elementary Grades

"Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s Mississippi. While searching for blackberries, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw, breaks her village's rules against crossing the Bok Chitto. She meets and becomes friends with the slaves on the plantation on the other side of the river, and later helps a family escape across it to freedom when they hear that the mother is to be sold. Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers. The layout is well designed for groups as the images are large and easily seen from a distance. There is a note on modern Choctaw culture, and one on the development of this particular work. This is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated, though the ending requires a somewhat large leap of the imagination."

School Library Journal Review

Awards:
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2008-2009
American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008

Web Resources:
www.cincopuntos.com/pdf/crossing_bok_chitto_guide.pdf
http://suzyred.com
/2008crossingbokchitto.html

Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!

Yum! Mmmmm! Que Rico! America's Sproutings

Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez

Elementary Grades

"This collection of haiku introduces 14 foods from the Americas. López's colorful double-page spreads, rendered in acrylic on wood panels, add to the imaginative presentation of such gastronomic favorites as chocolate, corn, prickly pear, pumpkin, and more. Each haiku is also accompanied by an informative paragraph about the food, including its history and probable origin.

Book Links, January 2009

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2008-2009
Americas Award, 2007

Web Resources:
http://www.patmora.com/book_pages/yum.htm