Diego: Bigger Than Life

Diego: Bigger Than Life

Written by: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrated by: David Diaz

Junior High and High School Grades

"In this well-written and beautifully illustrated volume, the life of Mexican artist Diego Rivera, best known for murals depicting working people, is introduced in free verse. Similar in format to Bernier-Grand’s César: Sí, se puede! = Yes, We Can! (2004) and Frida: Viva la vida! Long Live Life! (2007), the book offers a chronological sequence of poems, each appearing either on a single page accompanied by a small illustration or on a left-hand page with a full-page picture on the right. Almost all written in first person from the artist’s point of view, the poems convey information succinctly within a context of colorful narrative and clearly expressed emotion. Each poem stands alone, yet some words, ideas, and images recur, creating an interconnected sequence. A three-page appended biography clarifies and amplifies the information in the verse. Also appended are a glossary, a chronology, a source bibliography, notes, and quotes from the artist."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.carmenberniergrand.com/

Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children's Day/ Book Day Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Book Fiesta!
Celebrate Children's Day Book Day/Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros

Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez

Elementary Grades

"Mora encourages teachers, parents, and librarians to celebrate Children's Day/Book Day (April 30th) and includes ideas for observing the festivities. Written in English and Spanish, the text shows children reading in a variety of places, going to the library, listening to stories, and enjoying books. López's acrylic illustrations fill the pages with color. His upbeat iconic style shows how much fun this celebration can be and portrays round-faced kids reading to a variety of pets and riding an elephant or sailing with a whale. Students will be encouraged to join in the book-based activities. This lively selection will motivate and excite children about the adventures they can go on through reading."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.patmora.com/dia/dia_song.htm

Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, dia y noche

Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, dia y noche

Written by: Ina Cumpiano
Illustrated by: Jose Ramirez

Elementary Grades

"The author-illustrator team that created Quinito’s Neighborhood (2005) now focuses on family fun in a book about opposites, which is also a celebration of differences. English and Spanish appear on each double-page spread, accompanied by large, bright acrylic illustrations, with shapes thickly outlined in black, that picture Quinito as the middle kid in his family. He and his brother and little sister are young; Grandma and Grandpa are old. Papi is neat; Quinito’s little brother, who leaves his toys everywhere, is messy. When it’s rainy, Quinito is stuck inside and sad; when it’s sunny, he happily cycles outdoors. The appended bilingual glossary of opposites will inspire them to return to the exuberant scenarios in the book."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://pbskids.org/martha/parentsteachers/activities/oppositeday.html

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Written by: Jose-Luis Orozco
Illustrated by: David Diaz

Elementary Grades

"This lively bilingual Spanish-English picture book depicts how everyday family activities such as cooking, singing, and storytelling prepare children for reading and life."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.joseluisorozco.com/

Shake It, Morena! and Other Folklore from Puerto Rico

Shake It, Morena! and Other Folklore from Puerto Rico

Compiled by: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrated by: Lulu Delacre

Elementary Grades

"The Puerto Rican culture is celebrated in this exuberant collection of songs, riddles, stories and games. Beginning with a "Waking Up Song" and continuing through to the "Tooth Fairy Rhyme" (The Tooth Fairy is a mouse in Puerto Rico), the reader is treated to a day of vigorous activities. Most of the text is written in both English and Spanish. Definitions of many Spanish expressions and factual information about Puerto Rico are incorporated throughout."

Children's Literature Review

Online Resources:
http://www.carmenberniergrand.com/

Estrellita de oro/Little Gold Star: A Cinderella Cuento

Estrellita de oro/Little Gold Star: A Cinderella Cuento

Written by: Joe Hayes
Illustrated by: Gloria Osuna Perez & Lucia Angela Perez

Elementary Grades

"In this Cinderella tale from the Southwest, each of the sisters has an encounter with a magical hawk, but the heroine is kind to the bird and receives a gold star on her forehead. Her spiteful stepsisters go in search of their own gold stars but are rewarded with a donkey's ear and a cow's horn. You can imagine which sister the prince marries!"

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.uen.org/Lessonplan/preview.cgi?LPid=13868

The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

The Mysterious Guests: A Sukkot Story

Written by: Eric A. Kimmel
Illustrated by: Katya Krenina

Elementary Grades

"During the Jewish festival of Sukkot, in ancient times, families traditionally built a sukkah (a booth) in the fields where they harvested crops. The legend is that Abraham, Issac, and Jacob visit each sukkah disguised as guests and bestow a blessing when welcomed, or a lesson when spurned. This tale follows two brothers in ancient Israel: wealthy Eben, who is selfish and unwelcoming to his poor guests, and Ezra, a poor but generous man whose sukkah always has room and plenty of food for all. They are each visited by the three other wordly guests disguised as poor travelers, who then dole out appropriate punishments and blessings. The story is purposeful but elegantly told, and is matched well by Krenina’s decorative acrylics that look like details from an ancient tapestry. Deeply hued swatches of the land’s bounty surround pensive faces, conveying the somewhat somber, reflective mood of the tale. An author’s note further explains the traditions of a holiday that emphasizes kindness and hospitality."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://ericakimmel.com/teachers-guides/

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall

Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshall

Written by: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Illustrated by: R. Gregory Christie

"Sitting tall in the saddle, with a wide-brimmed black hat and twin Colt pistols on his belt, Bass Reeves seemed bigger than life. Outlaws feared him. Law-abiding citizens respected him. As a peace officer, he was cunning and fearless. When a lawbreaker heard Bass Reeves had his warrant, he knew it was the end of the trail, because Bass always got his man, dead or alive. He achieved all this in spite of whites who didn't like the notion of a black lawman.

Born into slavery in 1838, Bass had a hard and violent life, but he also had a strong sense of right and wrong that others admired. When Judge Isaac Parker tried to bring law and order to the lawless Indian Territories, he chose Bass to be a deputy U.S. Marshall. Bass would quickly prove a smart choice. For three decades, Bass was the most feared and respected lawman in the territories. He made more than 3,000 arrests, and though he was a crack shot and a quick draw, he only killed fourteen men in the line of duty. The story of Bass Reeves is the story of a remarkable African American and a remarkable hero of the Old West."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.lernerbooks.com/badnews/

Mare's War

Mare's War

Written by: Tanita S. Davis

Junior High and High School Grades

"Meet Mare, a grandmother with flair and a fascinating past. Octavia and Tali are dreading the road trip their parents are forcing them to take with their grandmother over the summer. After all, Mare isn’t your typical grandmother. She drives a red sports car, wears stiletto shoes, flippy wigs, and push-up bras, and insists that she’s too young to be called Grandma. But somewhere on the road, Octavia and Tali discover there’s more to Mare than what you see. She was once a willful teenager who escaped her less-than-perfect life in the deep South and lied about her age to join the African American battalion of the Women’s Army Corps during World War II.

Told in alternating chapters, half of which follow Mare through her experiences as a WAC member and half of which follow Mare and her granddaughters on the road in the present day, this novel introduces a larger-than-life character who will stay with readers long after they finish reading."

Publisher's Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://tanitasdavis.com/

My People

My People

Written by: Langston Hughes
Photographs by: Charles R. Smith Jr.

Elementary Grades

"Some 86 years after its original publication, Langston Hughes’ poem “My People” finds celebratory interpretation in Charles R. Smith Jr.’s elegant sepia photography. Echoing the graceful simplicity of Hughes’ verses, Smith’s pictures capture African American faces of every size, shape, age, and hue, their countenances shining out from fields of glossy black.

The expressions are as varied and captivating as the subjects, from crying babies to radiant children and adults. The pages outnumber the words, 40 to 33, allowing the text, printed in gold, to sweep across the darkness with the titular refrain. In an endnote, Smith shares the questions he asked himself as he began his photographic interpretation, noting Hughes’ intent “to celebrate the pride he had for his black brothers and sisters.” In the aspects that he has captured, and their artful arrangement across the page, he does just that."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.charlesrsmithjr.com/

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

The Negro Speaks of Rivers

Written by: Langston Hughes
Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

Upper Elementary, Junior High, and High School Grades

"Like the steady and determined flow of a river, this poem carries readers along as Hughes draws a metaphorical connection between the waterways of the world and African-American culture. Moving from ancient times ("I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young" or "I looked upon the Nile and raised pyramids above") to the Mississippi River and its connection to slavery, the poem offers both a time line of the African-American experience and a comment on the perseverance of the African-American soul."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poems/poem.html?id=173693

The Rock and the River

The Rock and the River

Written by: Kekla Magoon

Junior High and High School Grades

Set in Chicago during the year 1968.

"For thirteen-year-old Sam it's not easy being the son of known civil rights activist Roland Childs. Especially when his older (and best friend), Stick, begins to drift away from him for no apparent reason. And then it happens: Sam finds something that changes everything forever.

Sam has always had faith in his father, but when he finds literature about the Black Panthers under Stick's bed, he's not sure who to believe: his father or his best friend. Suddenly, nothing feels certain anymore.

Sam wants to believe that his father is right: You can effect chnage without using violence. But as time goes on, Sam grows weary of standing by and watching as his friends and family suffer at the hands of racism in their own community. Sam beings to explore the Panthers with Stick, but soon he's involved in something far more serious -- and more dangerous -- than he could have ever predicted. Sam is faced with a difficult decision. Will he follow his father or his brother? His mind or his heart? The rock or the river?"

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.whatsakekla.com/

The Year of the Rat

The Year of the Rat

Written by: Grace Lin

Elementary Grades

"In this sequel to Year of the Dog, Pacy has another big year in store for her. The Year of the Dog was a very lucky year: she met her best friend Melody and discovered her true talents. However, the Year of the Rat brings big changes: Pacy must deal with Melody moving to California, find the courage to forge on with her dream of becoming a writer and illustrator, and learn to face some of her own flaws. Pacy encounters prejudice, struggles with acceptance, and must find the beauty in change."

Publishers Description

The Great Race

The Great Race

Written by: Dawn Casey
Illustrated by: Anne Wilson

Elementary Grades

"The Jade Emperor is concerned because his country does not have a calendar, and no one can tell one year from the next. He decides to hold a race across a great river, and the order in which the animals finish will determine the order of the years. The event is exciting as the creatures maneuver for position, only to be bested in the end by the clever Rat. In this retelling of the ancient legend, Casey maintains the pace well. Back matter includes information about the Chinese calendar in general, as well as the more specific Dragon Boat Festival and Moon Festival."

School Library Journal Review

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year

Written by: Kate Waters
Illustrated by: Martha Cooper

Elementary Grades

"On the Chinese New Year, six-year-old Ernie will perform his first Lion Dance. An intimate look at a Chinese household as the family shares a proud moment with Ernie. "A strong supplement for its immediacy, its vibrant color, and its sympathetic look at a Chinese family."

School Library Journal Review
*A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies*

Online Resources:
http://www.katewaters.com/index.html

My First Chinese New Year

My First Chinese New Year

Written and Illustrated by: Karen Katz

Elementary Grades

"In this colorful picture book, a young girl prepares for and celebrates the Chinese New Year with her extended family, describing how she makes an altar to honor her ancestors, gets a haircut, feasts with her relatives, and attends a Chinatown parade. The tale radiates warmth and quietly builds up to the dramatic dragon dance and the traditional greeting of "Gung Hay Fat Choy!" The collage illustrations, cut from paper with colorful Asian designs, also include paint and other media to capture the joyful celebrants. This is a clear introduction to the holiday that young children will enjoy in one-on-one or group read-alouds."

School Library Journal Review

Bringing in the New Year

Bringing in the New Year

Written and Illustrated by: Grace Lin

Elementary Grades

"This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year. And the dragon parade in our book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the story. Grace Lin’s artwork is a bright and gloriously patterned celebration in itself! And her story is tailor-made for reading aloud."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.gracelin.com/

Happy, Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy, Happy Chinese New Year!

Written and Illustrated by: Demi

Elementary Grades

“In a book that is itself a celebration, Demi explains the rituals and ideas behind the Chinese New Year festival. The last 15 days of the old year are spent cleaning and preparing (‘Wash your hair and get a new haircut. Pay the debts that you owe and collect what is owed to you!’). On the eve of the new moon, a special feast is prepared. . . . The first 15 days of the new year are spent celebrating with lion dances, firecrackers, and other activities. Demi’s characteristic tiny, lively figures illustrate each page, with several spreads devoted to small, labeled pictures identifying things associated with the holiday. Infused with joy and filled with information.”

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://content.scholastic.com/browse/unitplan.jsp?id=20

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Celebrating Chinese New Year

Written by: Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Photographs by: Lawrence Migdale

Elementary Grades

"A favorite for kids - Celebrating Chinese New Year. The book follows a young Chinese-American boy and his family as their prepare for the Chinese New Year. The author includes the symbolic meanings of the foods eaten and other Chinese New Year customs, an explanation of the Chinese Zodiac, and an in-depth look at the Lion Dance. The photographs are absolutely stunning!"

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
https://www.childbook.com/Chinese-New-Year-Information-s/129.htm

Hiss! Pop! Boom! Celebrating Chinese New Year

Hiss! Pop! Boom! Celebrating Chinese New Year

Written and Illustrated by: Tricia Morrissey

Elementary Grades

"Hiss!" and "Pop!" snap the firecrackers. "Boom!" says the drum to the Lion Dancer. Chinese New Year is here! Beautiful Chinese brush painting and elegant calligraphy illustrate each moment of the New Year celebration. Share the traditions with your child, and learn a few new things too!"

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.history.com/content/chinesenewyear