Book of Choice: How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin?

Title: How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin?
Author: Margaret McNamara
Publication: 2007

I loved this book because I love doing hand-on activities for students, and I think I could replicate what the book does in my classroom. In the book, the teacher has a small, medium, and large pumpkin. He has the students pick the seeds from them and count them. It turns out that the smallest pumpkin had the most seeds. Regardless of sizes, the more lines on the outside of a pumpkin, the more seeds it will have inside.

Author McNamara, uses this metaphor to explain how even though the main character is short, it doesn't mean he is last in line all the time, or the worst. In the story, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds. The author uses this example to explain to Charlie that although he may be the shortest in the class, he still is just as important as everyone else. As teacher Mr. Tiffin explains, "Small things can have a lot going on inside them" (McNamara).

I love how this book gives a lesson for teachers to use in the classroom, while also providing an interesting storyline for students. The book also contains an informative author's note at the pack of the book. It explains facts about pumpkins, pumpkin seeds, how to grow pumpkins, etc. I would love to use both this book and the activity presented in the book in my classroom. I would probably alter the activity in my class a bit since the book already tells of the outcome. But Halloween and fall are definitely one of my favorite times of year, so I would enjoy teaching my students about pumpkins, harvests, fall plants, and Halloween myths and stories. It would be a fun experience for the kids, while also giving them a chance to learn something new!!!

Multicultural Novel: Seedfolks

Title: Seedfolks
Author: Paul Fleischman
Publication: 1997

I really enjoyed this book because my family is a family of immigrants, so I resonate with the stories presented in the book. Especially even moving to a new town to attend school, you kind of have to start all over and it's difficult. People say it's easy but it's not. However, friends, a community and having other people in your same position helps.

Fleischman uses his anecdotes to present stories of immigrants or diverse races for a multicultural outlook. These help a reader empathize with these type of people. Students are able to better understand human nature and what being from a different place and having to relocate would feel like.

I really liked Sae Young's story. She was depressed, scared and sad, but through gardening she finally felt whole again - like she was part of something bigger than herself. In the beginning of her anecdote she says, "When I wake up, I no more like to be with people, like before. Afraid of everyone, all the time" (Fleischman, 46). But then, by the end of her story, after she has started gardening and helping out, she says, "That day I see man use my funnel. Then woman. Then many people. Feel very glad inside. Feel part of garden. Almost like family" (Fleischman, 50). Being part of the community garden gives her a sense of self, a sense of community and a sense of belonging. Something all of us as humans want to feel.

I would use this in my classroom, specifically in the older grades because some of the topics are tough to digest and maybe even hard to understand. For example, the book uses a lot of slang and different characters from diverse backgrounds. If students haven't yet learned world history they may be confused where the characters come from, why they talk a certain way, etc. In order to fully comprehend the book, I think one must also have a vast understanding of society. To understand society, one must live in it for a long enough time. I believe fifth or sixth grade would be a perfect time to present this book in the classroom. By doing so, a students' perspective and world view will be widened and broaden for the better.

In order to properly teach this book, I would delve into each character so that the students will understand the meaning behind the stories. For example, we would dissect the story of Gonzalo and his Guatemalan uncle, and why farming was so important in their culture. Next, life in Vietnam, Haiti, Korea, or Poland and why farming and growing their food was important to their lives. To apply this book to the classroom, I would give each student or group of students a character from the book. Then I would have them research something about that character like where they are from, their ancestors, history, etc. I believe by doing this students will learn more about their character's background, while also listening to other student's presentations to learn about the other characters, ethnicities and heritages.

Book of Choice: The Water Princess

Title: The Water Princess
Author: Susan Verde, based off the childhood experience of Georgie Badiel
Publication: 2016

This book is unique in that it is based off the true story of the famous model, Georgie Badiel. She grew up in Burkina Faso, a small country in Africa. This book portrays the daily struggles of youth in her country, in which she must walk long and far to just get drinking water. There are no wells close by so she must use the majority of her day to retrieve water from a far away well. The author adds a very informative note at the end of the book, explaining the lack of wells in this part of the world, to inspire change and action.

I believe this book is a great way for students to learn about crises abroad and understand that some children lack daily necessities, like drinking water. This book will open their eyes to new problems that our world faces and educate them about different parts of the world. Hopefully, this book would encourage them to talk about the problem of clean drinking water abroad, with their family and friends, and maybe even donate money or time to help.

The first element that stuck out to me in this book was the illustrations. When looking through the pages of the book, one feel as if he or she is in Africa through the colors, culture and landscape present in the pictures. Even the font of the writing that the author chose is appropriate to the book and looks African in nature.

Next, the author uses beautiful imagery and personification to bring her writing to life. As she states, "I can almost touch the sharp edges of the stars...I can make the wind play hide-and-seek" (Verde). The reader can picture these images in his or her head, making the writing very effective in giving the reader sensory details. Verde makes the stars, grass, animals, and sun come alive by giving them human like characteristics, an intelligent use of figurative language. Lastly, I love the way Verde ends the story,

"I am Princess Gie Gie. My kingdom? The African sky. The dusty earth. And, someday, the flowing, cool, crystal-clear water. Someday..." (Verde). 

This ending gives us hope that one day the people of Africa will have access to clean and abundant drinking water. While it hasn't happened yet, with the help of others it will. This is an effective way to make a call to action for readers and emphasize her point about a need for change in access to water.

Multicultural Novel: Esperanza Rising

Title: Esperanza Rising
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Publication: 2000

"Do not be afraid to start over" (Ryan, 49). This quote is one of the themes throughout this book, as the main character Esperanza must start her life over after her father, a wealthy ranch owner, dies. Esperanza is afraid of new beginnings, moving to a new country, and losing her family and memories of happier times. However, she takes a bold step for a young girl and moves from Mexico to America. She struggles to adjust to the new life as a farm worker and living in poverty instead of wealth. However, amidst her mother getting sick and encountering many struggles along the way, she becomes happy with her life and situation. The book ends with Esperanza passing on the same piece of knowledge she received in the beginning of the book. She tells her new, young friend, "Do not be afraid to start over" (Ryan, 253). This ending brings the book full circle, showing how Esperanza has grown throughout the length of the book.

Another way in which the character has grown is through her understanding of class and society. In the beginning of the book, as Esperanza and her mother make the trek to the United States, Esperanza doesn't understand why her mom is talking to the poor people. Esperanza thinks she is too good for them. She is embarrassed to be seen with them as well. These characters give Esperanza great insight however, like Carmen the woman on the train,

"I am poor, but I am rich. I have my children, I have a garden with roses, and I have my faith and the memories of those who have gone before me. What more is there?" (Ryan, 76).

Throughout characters like these, Esperanza realizes the importance of family and friends. While in America, she becomes a working class citizen and understands the value of money and hard work. By the end of the book, she ends up giving away her only possession left from her dad to her friend Isabel. This kind act shows how much Esperanza as a character has grown.

I believe these examples of character growth are very helpful and applicable to a child's daily life. He or she can come to understand that they can grow through hardships, as well as empathize with those going through them. This book would be helpful in teaching lessons on character growth, social class, and prejudice. I would also like to teach this book with a social studies component, studying the 1900's focus on agriculture and the impact of migrants in America.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely use it to teach in the classroom. I learned a lot about migrant workers, social class, and another heritage. I believe my students would benefit in the same way by reading this book as well. I think it is important to learn about this time in history because of the large impact it has had on our culture and the immigration of people to America.

Multicultural Picture Book: Baba Yaga

Title: Baba Yaga
Author: An Leysen
Publication: 2016

I really enjoyed reading this book, because it's roots lie in Slavic mythology. I am from Poland, so the Russian doll, characteristics of the book, the girls outfit and hair, simply the word "Baba" - which I call my grandmother - all relate to my heritage. This book follows the journey of a a young girl named Olga. Her father remarries a mean old stepmother, whose sister is a witch. Olga must fight the evils of the witch as she goes to visit her for some needle and thread. She barely escapes the frightful hands of the witch, Baba Yaga. This book was first published in Belgium and Holland and then translated into English.

I believe this book will showcase to students the different type of fairytales that exist around the world. While it is similar to some of our stories like Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, or Hansel and Gretel, it differs in certain ways. One can see the culture portrayed throughout the book through the use of the nestling doll, her outfit, hair and the names of the characters. Even the illustrations throughout the book, make me feel as if I am in a Slavic country.

In my classroom, I would use fairytales from other countries, like this one, to compare and contrast to our American ones. What's different and what's similar? I would point out that each share common, human characteristics, like a need for family or friends, hope and security. While Olga experiences great danger, by the end of the book, she is back in the comforting arms of her father. I would like to compare this book to an American fairytale and pick out the differences, like how the characters deal with their emotions, how the illustrations are different, and how the writing style compares.

I believe these activities would help make my students more aware and educated about other cultures. It would help them to understand that Americans are not the only one with writing ideas...a lot of folklore, myths, tales, etc. come from other countries and cultures. I believe my students need to be educated on the diversity in literature and this book would help reach that goal.

Multicultural Picture Book: Marta! Big & Small

Title: Marta! Big & Small
Author: Jen Arena
Publication: 2016
Illustration: Angela Dominguez

This book is so cute, I had to do a blog post on it!! Author, Arena, mixes Spanish and English together to make a fun book for kids to read. She says a word in Spanish, but explains what it means in English, so that readers know the definition. The Spanish word is also in orange on every page, so that reader's notice the contrast between it and the English words.

Arena, also plays with opposites here, teaching the reader the difference between big and small, fast and slow, etc. Opposites are key words students will need to learn in Spanish, so this book is a good way to introduce them to children. Since Spanish is one of the most popular languages in the world, I believe it is important for students to learn the language, especially at a young age. The pictures make the book fun as well, so students don't even feel as if they are learning.

One of my favorite parts of the book is how Arena adds a glossary of words at the back of the book. On one page she says "Marta is" and writes adjectives below that describe her. On the next page, the heading is "Marta meets..." and gives nouns and animals that Marta meets throughout the book. This is a good reference to add at the back of the book so that readers can refer to it to learn the Spanish language.

I would like to add more books like this to my class library, so that students can learn other languages than just English. I also think these books are great for English as a Second Language students. Reading these type of books help them figure out the meaning of English words when they have familiar Spanish words throughout the book. Additionally, for students learning the Spanish language, they will benefit from reading this book by comparing the English word to the Spanish.

Multicultural Picture Book: Voice of Freedom, Fannie Lou Hamer

Title: Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer

Author: Carole Weatherford 

Publication: 2015

Illustrator: Ekua Holmes 

"Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer," was another book I purchased at the Bookmarks Fair (which was signed by the author too!!). When I saw this book, I knew I had to have it. During my senior year in college, I learned about Fannie Lou Hamer in my Public Address course. When I heard about her, I wanted to learn more, because she was such a strong voice during the Civil Right's Movement. After reading this book, I now have even more respect for her as a person. 

The book is very graphic in that it tells about her father beating her, the trials her family faced as sharecroppers, her daughter dying in her arms because they couldn't find a "black-serving" hospital, and Fannie Lou being beaten for trying to be educated and vote. I would therefore be cautious in reading this to little kids, but I believe fifth or sixth graders could understand its emotional story line. 

To me, this story is one of the reasons I want to teach. I believe this story does a magnificent job of showcasing the injustices of the past. As a teacher, I believe it is my duty to teach and inform children about past wrongdoings. In doing this, students will be more educated about how to treat people, act justly, and not repeat the injustices of the past. This book can also be applied to daily events happening in our current society, like the problems of police shootings against African-Americans. This would help students analyze whether or not people are dying justly or injustice, fairly or unfairly? Ethically, these are big questions, but ones I want my students to consider.  

The author does an amazing job of capturing Hamer's voice in this book. I have so many favorite quotes that it's hard to just choose a couple. But some of my favorites are below. Author, Weatherford, beautifully uses metaphors, imagery, and descriptive language to help the reader picture exactly what Hamer is describing. Weatherford does exactly what Tunnell and Jacobs describe in their chapter on "Well-written Literature," about showing rather than telling, which adds sensory detail to the writing. 

"Where the soil was as rich as black folks was poor, where cotton was king and Jim Crow the law" (Weatherford, 1). 

"As you get older, you respect yourself as a Black woman. If you respect yourself enough, other people will have to respect you. My mother taught me years ago that black is beautiful" (Weatherford, 5). 

"But I didn't scare easy. I meant to prove that anyone, black or white, rich or poor, could get involved in American politics. I cast my first vote for myself" (Weatherford, 23).

Through these quotes, a reader can accurately gain a sense of what Hamer's personality was like: defiant, courageous, motherly, and strong. She stood up for what was right, when no one else had the guts to. She also went through many hardships, but her story shows that one can fight through it, and it makes that person even more stronger and tougher.

I believe and stand up for everything this book embodies: promoting justice, showing the tough path towards freedom, and teaching others to treat people equally and empathize with their situation in life. I hope to use this book one day to impart some knowledge on children's lives and as Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird would say, teach them to "climb into someone else's skin and walk around in it."

Multicultural Picture Book: This Is the Rope

Title: This Is the Rope
Author: Jacqueline Woodson
Publication: 2013
Illustrator: James Ransome

Jacqueline Woodson is a brilliant author, and I had the pleasure of listening to her speak at the Author's Book Festival in Winston-Salem, NC. I bought this book, "This Is the Rope," from the event and will add it to my classroom library when I become a teacher.

Woodson begins the book with her author's note, which I would definitely read to my class when using this book in a lesson. She talks about how her family was part of the "Great Migration," which was when African-Americans moved up North during the 1900s to escape persecution, enslavement and discrimination.

Woodson uses the rope to depict the migration her family made from the South to Brooklyn, New York. She portrays the rope being used by multiple generations of her family and the different ways they use them to show the progression of time. As each generation uses the rope, they become more "at home" in the North. Woodson uses the rope to connect each generation together. The author also uses the repetition of "this is the rope" on each page to further emphasize the connection between them.

When I read this book, I could picture Jacqueline reading it out loud in her soothing voice. Woodson employs free verse, like she does in most of her books, to give the story a beautiful cadence and melody. She does a beautiful job creating a rhythmic element to her writing through the similar structure of her sentences and repetition. Additionally, the drawings are beautiful in this photo. They really capture the time periods in the photos, through the buildings, cars, magazines, music records and clothes. The illustrator James Ransome has won the Loretta Scott King Award, and it definitely shows.

Informational Picture Book: A Rock Is Lively

Title: A Rock Is Lively
Author: Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrator: Sylvia Long
Publication: 2012

I loved rocks as a kid. I remember going on field trips and I would always come home with those little felt bags full of "pick your own gems." You could look through a pill of beautiful colored gems in the gift shop and pick as many as you could to fit in the bag. Therefore, my fascination with rocks and gemstones lead me to pick up this book, A Rock Is Lively, what a cool title, right!!

My favorite part about this book is definitely the illustrations. They are so colorful and lively - they just brighten my day looking at them. When you open the book, the reader sees the beautiful cobalt blue that's inside a crystalized gemstone. It's so soothing, calming and inviting. It makes me want to read on about rocks. I believe the illustrations do a great job of making a topic most people would think are boring -- rocks -- and makes it interesting, intriguing and captivating!!

Another great literary method used in Aston's book is repetition. She starts each page with "A rock is..." and presents a different topic on each one. This helps the reader know what to expect when reading and makes it fun, in anticipation of what will be brought up next. Aston presents the heading in cursive writing and then the informational text in normal text. This helps break up the information and makes it easier for the reader to identify the heading from the body text and captions.

All in all, this book would make me want to learn and research more about rocks. And it made a somewhat boring topic, interesting and so colorful, I thought I was looking at a book about rainbows. The page below was one of my favorites. I would definitely use this book (and her other informational books) in my classroom to intrigue and interest students who may be apprehensive about informational books.

Aren't the illustrations gorgeous!?! How could you not want to read this book?? Above, a little boy reads one of the pages of the book, A Rock Is Lively.

Informational Picture Book: Look Up!

Title: Look Up
Author: Robert Burleigh
Publication: 2013

I really found this book fascinating because when you think about famous astronomers, Henrietta Levitt, gets lost in the mix. I don't ever remember studying or learning about her. However, her story is an empowering one. The author also adds informational text to the narrative so that the reader is learning while reading.

During Henrietta's time, women were not astronomers (she was born in 1868). She was forced to work with all the other women recording information. She wanted to be an real astronomer though. Countless nights, she spent counting and drawing stars, which led to her discovery about the brightness of stars. I love how the author phrases her discovery in Henrietta's words, "I am an astronomer!". This reminds me of the day in class when we were talking about feedback we've had from teachers and one of my colleagues' teacher wrote on his piece of writing that "You are a writer." How powerful!!! This sentence does the same for Henrietta. It helps the reader realize that if you put your mind to it, you can become or do what you want.

I would definitely use this book in my class to weave science into reading literature. The author adds a great afterword to the book that gives more information about Henrietta, what she discovered, what other women astronomers did and a glossary of astronomy words. I think this would allow some students who are apprehensive about learning science, become more open to it once they hear a narrative story built into science. I'll leave you with one last piece that really encompasses the beauty of stars through words. The author added a section to the back of the book..."What people have said about stars"...

"The stars hang bright above, silent, as if they watched the sleeping earth" 

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

"The stars are the jewels of the night, and perchance surpass anything which day has to show"

 - Henry David Thoreau 

Informational Picture Book: At the Same Moment Around the World

Title: At the Same Moment Around the World
Author: Clotilde Perrin
Publication: 2011

When I first saw this book, it immediately caught my eye because instead of being wide it is taller in height and shorter in length. So it was cool because it was different, in the first place. But then when I actually started reading it...I loved it even more!!

Basically, Perrin takes us around the world in different time zones and presents a different narrative for each one. She starts every page with, "At the same moment..." but then tells the one hour time difference following, on each page. She lists a different part of the world on each page and gives us an example with a name that coincides with that country's culture and some kind of situation that relates as well. Here is an example of two pages,

"At the same moment, in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, it is eleven o'clock in the morning, and Ravshan and Yuliya return from their visit to a nearby market."

"At the same moment, in the Himalayan Mountains near the towering Mount Everest, it is noon, and Lilu eats lunch with her mother."

Here is the page from the example above.

One of the more artistic parts about the pages is that the illustrator makes the two different countries' pictures blend together at the seam of the page. So for example, with the page above in quotes, the little village of Uzbekistan becomes the Himalayan Mountains. At first glance, you would think it's the same place, but after reading it, one realizes that the illustrator has woven the pictures together perfectly to show how our world is united even though we have different time zones. Each page represents an hour hand on the clock and the book in total mimics a clock: as time ticks on, one hour become the next at a gradual pace.

Lastly, my favorite part about this book is that it has a teaching quality about it, buttttt an interesting narrative. I would love to use this in a social studies unit. Where, I would have each student pick one of the places from the book (maybe with a partner or two). They would research it and do a presentation on it. Then on my bulletin board, I would create a circle that looks like a clock and have each country on each hour that it represents. I think this would be a great way for kids to learn about other countries and culture, while tying it into this book.

 One of my favorite pages from the book. Vietnam becomes China.

Novel of Choice: The Year of the Dog

Title: The Year of the Dog
Author: Grace Lin
Publication: 2006

This book is about Grace and her experiences with family, meeting new friends, and finding her true talent while in the "Year of the Dog," supposedly her lucky year according to Chinese tradition. The book brilliantly showcases the struggle of one's family being from another country and her being born in America. I really enjoyed this book because my family is similar to hers. My dad was born in Poland and my mom in Canada, so my siblings and I attempt to blend our cultures with our birthplace, America. Although my outer skin color isn't very different from some American's, our culture and lifestyle is. So I empathize with what Grave is going through in the book. Throughout her "Year of the Dog," she finds a new Taiwanese best friend, discovers her talent as an author and illustrator, and even learns to be more accepting of her culture.

Author, Grace Lin, portrays a lot of the issues immigrant families have when adjusting to a new culture. For example, in the beginning of the book the main character's name is changed from "Pacy" to "Grace" because her teacher says it's easier to pronounce (Lin, 29). Instead of keeping her heritage, which lies in her name, she is forced to change it to make it more "americanized." Another example, is how the lunch lady mistaken Grace for her new friend Melody because they both "looked the same," meaning they were both Asian (Lin, 21).

Lin presents these racial issues in a subdue way so the reader really has to think about them and how they may be wrong or discriminatory. For example,  when Grace wanted to try out as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz in the school play, a friend in her class told her she couldn't because "Dorothy isn't Chinese" (Lin, 70). While this is a true statement, Lin makes children think about this problem for a minute. Does Dorothy have to be Chinese to portray the character? Is one's race really going to negatively affect the character in the long run? These are questions that Lin makes the reader ponder and consider if there could be an ethical problem at play here. Lin also adds discussion questions in the back of the book so that readers can further dissect the book. Question number six is about the ethical issue I posed above.

Lastly, I really wanted to read this book because my best friend from college taught English in Taiwan on the Fulbright Scholarship. I was curious to learn more about Taiwan's culture and the similarities and differences to American culture. The book does a wonderful job of giving examples of Taiwanese culture so that readers learn to respect and understand their way of life. She tells of the different food, language, sayings, culture, and traditions they have that make up who they are. After reading this book, students will have a better understanding of another culture and way of life and more importantly, will not be so apt to discriminate right away, but instead empathize and be intrigued about another culture.