Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan

Nasreen's Secret School: A True Story from Afghanistan

Written and Illustrated by: Jeanette Winter

Elementary Grades

"This story begins with an author's note that succinctly explains the drastic changes that occurred when the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan in 1996. The focus is primarily on the regime's impact on women, who were no longer allowed to attend school or leave home without a male chaperone, and had to cover their heads and bodies with a burqa. After Nasreen's parents disappeared, the child neither spoke nor smiled. Her grandmother, the story's narrator, took her to a secret school, where she slowly discovered a world of art, literature, and history obscured by the harsh prohibitions of the Taliban."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://unplugyourkids.com/tag/peace/

My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World

My Librarian Is a Camel: How Books Are Brought to Children Around the World

Written by: Margriet Ruurs

Elementary and Junior High Grades

"Ruurs visits 13 countries and explores the manner in which librarians provide services to patrons using everything from boats and wheelbarrows to elephants. Many of the full-color photographs were actually taken by the librarians themselves. A boxed section also provides a map and basic facts about the featured country. While this is an attractive browsing item, the amount of text on each page and the textbook style of writing may discourage students from reading it cover to cover. However, with little information available about libraries of the world, this title offers a glimpse into the world of books, which several countries consider as important as air or water. This might be an interesting revelation to many students who consider reading a laborious task and to those who take an abundance of books very much for granted."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources
Look for "online teachers guide" at the bottom of this page:
http://www.margrietruurs.com/books/my_librarian_is_a_camel.html

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia

Written and Illustrated by: Jeanette Winter

Elementary Grades

"One person can make a difference, and in this book Luis Soriano makes all the difference in the world. A Colombian schoolteacher with a passion for reading, he had so many books in his house that he decided to take them to children high up in the mountains where no libraries existed. With the help of two burros, Soriano made the mountainous trek each weekend to spread literacy where it was desperately needed. Winter has a gift for creating nonfiction that is accessible to and appeals to very young readers."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://elbiblioburro.blogspot.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuTswmx9TQU
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/25/cnnheroes.soriano/index.html

Shinchi's Canoe

Shinchi's Canoe

Written by: Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by: Kim LaFave

Elementary Grades

"A follow up to the book Shi-shi-etko also written by Campbell, this realistic, tender story recounts the experiences of Native siblings sent to a government-mandated, church-run boarding school such as those that were common in Canada and the United States from the late 1800s until the 1970s. Hauled away with the other reservation children in a cattle truck, six-year-old Shin-chi and his older sister, Shi-shi-etko, try to memorize life at home from the "trees, mountains, and river below." Shin-chi clutches a tiny carved canoe, a forbidden memento homemade by her father. During the school year (until the sockeye salmon return), Shin-chi and Shi-shi-etko are not allowed to speak to one another and must endure the cruel treatment and restrictions forced upon Native children as they work and go to mass and to school. Hungry and lonely, young Shin-chi tries desperately to hold on to his Native traditions, sneaking out to sing his grandfather's prayer song and release his canoe in the river. An author's introduction details the practice of sending Native children to residential schools. An accessible and important contribution to Native literature."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.umanitoba.ca/cm/vol15/no7/shinchiscanoe.html

Shi-shi-etko

Shi-shi-etko

Written by: Nicola I. Campbell
Illustrated by: Kim LaFave

Elementary Grades

"This is a moving story set in Canada about the practice of removing Native children from their villages and sending them to residential schools to learn the English language and culture. An introduction explains that governments believed Native people were ignorant and made laws to educate their children. Shi-shi-etko counts down her last four days before going away. She tries to memorize everything about her home–tall grass swaying to the rhythm of the breeze, determined mosquitoes, working bumblebees. There is a family party to say good-bye. Her father takes her out in a canoe and implores her to remember the trees, the water, and the mountains, and her grandmother gives her a small bag made of deer hide in which to keep her memories. The vivid, digital illustrations rely on a red palette, evoking not only the land but also the sorrow of the situation and the hope upon which the story ultimately ends. This contemplative narrative will help children see how Native people have been treated in both Canada and the United States. A good choice to enhance units on Native North American cultures."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2009/10/news-about-nicola-campbells-shi-shi.html
http://umanitoba.ca/cm/vol12/no9/shishietko.html

Grandfather Counts

Grandfather Counts

Written by: Andrea Cheng
Illustrated by: Ange Zhang

Elementary Grades

"Helen has to adjust to changes in her household when Gong Gong, her grandfather from China, comes to live with her family. Gong Gong can't speak any English, nor can Helen speak Chinese. So it's difficult for them to communicate. Worse, she has had to give up her back bedroom, so she can no longer watch the passing trains from her window. But Helen soon learns that Gong Gong is also a train watcher, and the two find they can enjoy counting the cars together, in both English and Chinese. Several Chinese words, including the numbers one to eight, are naturally incorporated into this moving story of a bicultural, biracial family."

Publishers Description

Online Resources
Classroom Guide for Book Use:
http://www.leeandlow.com/p/counts_tg.mhtml

Salsa Stories

Salsa Stories

Written by: Lulu Delacre

Elementary Grades

"This compilation of stories provides excellent insight into a variety of Latin American cultures and traditions. Characters come from places as diverse as Argentina, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Peru, and Mexico in this entertaining reverie of family traditions and the good old days."

Críticas Starred Review

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