Rain is not my Indian name

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2001. Rain is not my Indian name. New York: HarperCollins. 0688173977.

Plot Summary
Cassidy Rain Berghoff is a teenager growing up in rural Kansas. When her best friend/only love Galen is killed on her birthday, New Years Eve, Rain finds that being around family is the only place of comfort. Her mother was killed by lightning when she was young, her father is stationed in Guam, her family life consists of a loving Grampa, older brother and his girlfriend. Rain slowly comes out again after six months of mourning, accepts a photography shooting job to cover her aunt's Indian Camp, and begins to heal from her painful feelings of abandonment and loss.

Critical Analysis
Rain is a complex, multi-layered character, much like any teenager would be. She reads science fiction fanzines, watches Star Trek, wears black nail polish, loves Chinese food and photography. Rain is an intelligent young girl that is confident in her identity of mixed Indian blood, but not in her place in the town. Her feelings are expressed in journal entries that begin each chapter revealing past and present situations that sometimes share a connection with the chapter's events, and sometimes do not seem fluid. The entries play a dramatic honesty with statements like "Or I'd chicken out and drown in a pit of humiliation, insecurity and despair" (p1). The entries do not contain a date and often seem confusing as to why they are included where they are if only to separate the narrative. The writing voice is the same used in the chapters and does not seem more or less differentiated as a secret being reveled by a teenager in her diary. This journal writing is only referenced once in the story when her Aunt Georgia returns it to her after she leaves it behind. She does not seem so worried about someone reading it without her permission, which is highly improbable for teenager's secret diary.

Smith portrays a slew of mixed race characters that live in a small town in Kansas. Their Indian cultural identities are explored as they join together in Indian Camp and raise funds to take a trip a wild rice harvest in Ojibway country. Smith tackles many stereotypes of Indians in this text. Nearly every chapter contains subtle ways our society commodifies the Indian character. For example in references to the cigar-store Indian (p104), statements like "you're Indian, and Indians...like corn" (p128), and "dreamcatchers are kind of...trendy, don't you think?" (p71). "At school, the subject of Native Americans pretty much comes up just around Turkey Day, like those cardboard cutouts of the Pilgrims and the pumpkins and the squash taped to the windows of McDonald's. And the so-called Indians always look like bogeymen on the prairie, windblown cover boys selling paperback romances or baby-faced refugees from the world of Precious Moments." (p13)

The town is an accurate portrayal of a small town in the Midwest with gossiping, petty politics, teen pregnancies, and the way that one tragic event affects everyone in town in some way because everyone is so connected to each other's lives. The fact that the story is told by a mixed Indian teenager gives the reader a glimpse into the feelings of a member of a minority (being one of nine Indians living in town). Rain uses the terms Indian and Native American interchangeably calling her brother "Native American Fabio", calling the children at camp Indian campers, and selecting an Indian woman for her school project.

Identifying people's ethnic background is a common theme throughout the book. Rain comments, "From a distance, nobody would have guessed she was a Muscogee Creek-Cherokee. Or, for that matter, a natural redhead," referring to her Aunt Georgia (p25). "Part of the deal with being mixed-blood is that every now and then I fell like I have to announce it. 'What are you?' people sometimes ask Fynn. It sounds like they want him to ID his entire species...How much Indian are you? (About forty-five pounds' worth.) And 'Are you legally [or a card-carrying] Indian?" (p48). Queenie needs to justify why she is attending the Indian camp as she is obviously African-American but not Indian. She retorts, "come to find out, one of my great-grandfathers was a Native American..."

Rain develops a friendship with Flash, a reporter intern she works with to cover her first photo shoot. He reveals that he is Jewish and can identify with feeling out of place in their small town. Through conversation they each realize how little they know about each other's culture but can relate nonetheless, as in Rain telling him that "...all I know about Jewish people, I learned from Fiddler on the Roof" (p115-6).

Some of the activities that the teenagers take part in the story seem too young for 14 year olds, and a reader won't help but feel the characters wouldn't likely be interested in such things. For example, the building of a pasta bridge project at the Indian camp. Indeed building bridges or other large projects may be of interest but glue and pasta shapes, no matter what the creation, reminds of a preschool activity not likely to hold the attentions of a group of teenagers. There is a little social turmoil between friends involving boys but no nearly enough to represent a normal teen scene.

Review Excerpts
"A wonderful novel of a present-day teen and her 'patch-work tribe." - School Library Journal http://harpercollins.com/books/9780688173975/Rain_Is_Not_My_Indian_Name/index.aspx

"In both journal and narrative, we see a smart teenager with an acerbic wit." Multicultural Review http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2084/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_requestid=84706

"Still, Rain's observations are appealingly wry, and readers who stay with her until these themes are fully developed will find food for thought in this exploration of cultural identity."- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books http://ezproxy.twu.edu:2084/hww/shared/shared_main.jhtml?_requestid=84706

Connections
Other YA stories about dealing with the death of someone close:

• Swollen. Melissa Lion. 0385746423
• Perfect. Natasha Friend. 1571316515
• Catalyst. Laurie Halse Anderson. 0670035661

Other stories about struggles surrounding an American Indian identity and being a teen.

• Hidden Roots. Joseph Bruchac. 0439353580
• The absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian. Sherman Alexie. 0316013684
• Slash. Jeanette Armstrong. 0919441297

Additional Information

Author's website: http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/ This is hands down the best author website I've ever seen. The author includes extensive information about each book, it's development, influences and background.

Navajo: visions and voices across the Mesa

Begay, Shonto. 1995. Navajo: visions and voices across the mesa. New York: Scholastic. 0590461532

Plot Summary
The book is a collection of poems and paintings about life in northern Navajoland. Begay's personal introduction shares intentions to expose his experiences growing up Navajo, schooled in government boarding schools, and during a time of great technological advancements. The poems are intimate reflections about his family members, seasons, animals, ancestors, and rituals of today.

Critical Analysis
The collection is a beautiful, personal piece that both Navajo and non-Navajo can enjoy. Begay's paintings are done in a pattern of small strokes across the page with vibrant and earth tones blending. They create moods of daylight and dusk, solemn faces of contemplation and peace, subtle backdrops of animal spirits and cliff dwellings. They are about each poem but stand as their works of art without verse as well.

The poems are free verse and rhyme. Begays words are flowing and vividly descriptive. They juxtapose the old and today understandings of life. For example, in Navajo Power Plant "Navajo power plant and the powerful healing plant [tobacco], they share the same plateau. One gives us strength and wisdom here and now - one gives power to strangers somewhere over the horizon." (p34) Also, in Anasazi Diaspora "The buildings [cliff houses] were left standing to remind us for all time what will happen if we choose to forget our history, our stories, and above all, our relation to our mother, the earth." (p43) Begay paints portraits, with both his words and paints, of the continuity of his life from those before him and those to come.

Some of the poems are simple descriptions about events in the daily lives of his friends and family. Coyote Crossing is a poem about an afternoon his aunt and uncle were riding in their truck and a coyote crossed the road. They pulled off to honor the coyote and to reflect on their journey. He describes the contents of the glove box (unknown papers, Book of Mormon, corn pollen pouch) and in so doing shares the modern possessions of his relatives. The prayer said after seeing the Coyote is about harmony with the Earth and Sun, and restoring the beauty through respect. All the while, a European hitchhiker sits in the truck bed nibbling his organic snack. Again in a reverence to life's continuity, his uncle says "Coyote learned all our lessons in mythic times. He carries with him wisdom and strength as well as the dark sides of us."(p39)

The poems are neither fantastical or wild visions, but relate common understandings, from common situations and people, and the ways that the author comes to know his place in the world. This book was fantastic. I enjoyed it because it was a balance between the myths and legends of the people and the simple lessons of life learned through interactions with people and the environment. It is a shame that it is often miscataloged into the children's area simply because the large thin format of the book. It would support any adult poetry section as well. Or could be found in the Navajo Indians section of the non-fiction area.

Review Excerpts
"With these heartfelt paintings, poems and memoirs, the noted Navajo artist fulfills his stated goal of taking the reader "into the corners of my world, the Navajo world." - Publishers Weekly

"His figures are dignified but not idealized. Powerful and appealing in both word and image..." - School Library Journal

"His work is not angry or sentimental; there is an honesty and straightforwardness that allows his readers/viewers insight into his world-view. The variety of images reflects the complexity of life that many contemporary Navajo face." - Booklist

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0590461532/sr=8-1/qid=1184448842/ref=dp_proddesc_0/103-0135049-6180654?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1184448842&sr=8-1

Connections
Other Navajo stories for young readers:

• Alice Yazzie's year. Ramona Maher. 1582460809
• Secrets from the center of the world. Joy Harjo. 0816511136
• Morning Arrow. Nanabah Chee Dodge. 068841687x

Additional Information
Dine author & artist of Maternal Clan: Bitter Water and Paternal Clan: Salt Clan
website http://www.shontogallery.com/

Gluskabe and the four wishes

Retold by Bruchac, Joseph. Gluskabe and the four wishes. Illustrated by Christine Nyburg Shrader. 1995. New York: Cobblehill Books. 0525651640.

Plot Summary
This is the tale of four Abenaki men who set out in search of the mythical Gluskabe. It was known that he would grant one wish to those that come to him. Each men had different wishes, but only one of the four wished for something other than a selfish desire. Gluskabe grants them each their wishes in a pouch that they cannot open until they return home. The temptation is too great for the three selfish men and they are destroyed by their own desires. The last man is granted his wish to be the best hunter in order to feed his people and he is given the gift to understand the animals.

Critical Analysis
Opening with an Author's note, Bruchac identifies this as a traditional story among the Wabanaki of New England and the Nations within this. Then he identifies his own tribe affiliation with the Western Abenaki. He explains how he acquired this and other stories and how he interprets them and then recreates his own version. It is meant to be a teaching story and it clearly carries a message throughout the text that is not subtle.

Children will respond to the soft hued images of the four men and the gray haired Gluskabe. The illustrator, Shrader, focuses our attention to the various facial expressions, different characteristics among the men and simple dress of the men versus the Great Spirit and the first man who acquires many possessions. These contrasts are subtle but conscious. The environment is appropriate to the region (type of trees, animals, water). The anthropomorphic qualities of some of the elements (wind, tree, rock) is disturbing.

As far as legends go, this is a simple message and most can identify with the desires of at least one of the characters. The tale is a sort of Wizard of Oz parallel. I can't help but wonder what more children's books about Native American legends does little to dispel the stereotypes of Indians living in the ways of old, mythical lives. There is a library full of these, but much fewer books with modern, real characters teaching a similar message. It would be interesting to read the tale of a Gluskabe who is somehow more realistic in the ways of today integrated with the same message, characters and themes but easier to identify for children.

As you read this story it is clear that a live regaling of this would be extremely effective. Bruchac is clearly a storyteller. A slightly complicated story for the intended audience ages 4 to 8.

Review Excerpts
"Bruchac is a master storyteller, and his talent is amply displayed in this retelling of an Abenaki tale." Donna L. Scanlon - School Library Journal from http://www.amazon.com/Gluskabe-Four-Wishes-Joseph-Bruchac/dp/0525651640/ref=sr_1_1/002-5446896-4425626?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1183848175&sr=8-1

"The author’s note, located at the very beginning of this picture book gives a wealth of background information on this particular traditional story, recognizes the distinct culture of the Wabanaki people, and establishes Bruchac’s creditability to be telling the story of Gluskabe." Allison Gurza from http://www.humboldt.edu/~crc/critiques/Bruchac.pdf

"The reader may excuse the {tale's} didacticism for, as the opening note explains, 'these stories are strong teaching stories.' However, Bruchac observes the three transformations with a coldly clinical eye, ignoring the possibilities for irony, or even horror, that the tale bountifully offers. Shrader's pastels capture the mystic haze that surrounds Gluskabe's island; the adventurers are neatly individuated, but rigidly posed. Bruchac states that he has researched at least four written versions of the tale, but he does not provide citations." Bush, Elizabeth, Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"The impeccably sourced, well-told tale, with its parallels to more familiar folktales--'The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship,' 'Diamonds and Toads'--is illustrated with dramatic, atmospheric oil paintings that aptly suggest an inchoate new world." Parravano, Martha V., The Horn Book

Connections

• Bruchac, Joseph. 1990. Gluskabe stories.


• Landau, Elaine. 1996. The Abenaki.


• Tsonakwa, Gerard Rancourt. 2001. Seven eyes, seven legs: supernatural stories of the Abenaki.
  

Becoming Naomi Leon

Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2004. Becoming Naomi Leon. New York: Scholastic. 0439269695.

Plot Summary
Naomi Soledad Leon Outlaw lives with her great-grandmother and brother in Lemon Tree, California. Her estranged mother shows up at their trailer home after seven years without word or support. Gram and the mother, Terri Lynn now renamed Skyla, struggle to understand each other's place in the children's lives and futures. When Skyla's ill-intentions become clear, Gram brings the children and friends down to Oaxaca, Mexico in search of the only other living relative, their father. The story unfolds through Naomi's perspective as she learns how much of her life is influenced by the two parents she has never known.

Critical Analysis
This is a story of a strong, creative young girl who is at the stage in her life discovering who she is and why. Ryan creates a vivid tale, rich with supporting characters of substance and relationships that influence and support Naomi's struggle. It is clear that she is close to her Gram and brother, Owen as well as her Gram's friends and neighbors. The family structure, although less than ordinary, reads natural and significant to the story and Ryan's desire to create an alternative view of family and identity.

The mother is abusive, confused and weak and although she has done little to show her love to her children, they love her with the longing of children who want to know her. The father is a Mexican fisherman who Ryan illustrates as a loving and kind wood carver, wise and fatherly to the children when he finally gets to reconnect. The great-grandmother is a strong mother/father role in their lives and yet is described in a fluid, loving way. Despite poverty and unusual situations, Gram clearly does what is best for the children with all her heart and tough love. Both children develop quirky but important daily habits of coping with their slightly abnormal circumstances: Owen sticks tape to his shirts to keep himself together, Naomi makes lists in her notebook. Both are highly probable and clever.

The story evolves well. The location and identities of the characters are significant and yet, universal. The author shares the children's understanding of themselves through Naomi's voice that is both wiser than her years, and yet struggling like a child her age might do. The descriptions of the Mexican celebrations and daily life are rich, colorful and true to form. She creates a wonderful tale that celebrates a situation that would be quite true and yet difficult to develop realistically. Ryan never falls into the trap of describing relationships in a superficial or ethnically stereotypical way. Naomi's voice is ripe with observations from the eyes of a child sometimes and from the eyes of one who understands so much.

The author does a beautiful job of laying the plot out. Divided into chapters by the names of clever animal's characteristics, the author subtly incorporates Naomi's interests and identity into her interactions with others. The Mexican-American connection is apparent and important to the characters but does not outweigh the other factors. Well done.

Review Excerpts

"Characterization is excellent and listeners will be happy that Naomi finds confidence, love, and security. A good choice for most collections."–B. Allison Gray, School Library Journal

"In true mythic tradition, Ryan, the author of the award-winning Esperanza Rising (2000), makes Naomi's search for her dad a search for identity, and both are exciting. Mom is demonized, but the other characters are more complex, and the quest is heartbreaking." - Hazel Rochman, Booklist (both reviews from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0439269970/sr=8-2/qid=1183428404/ref=dp_proddesc_0/105-0937988-9058008?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1183428404&sr=8-2)

Connections

• Meyer, Carolyn. Jubilee Journey. 1997. 0152013776. - Another story about a young girl with a mixed race identity that is learning how all of the pieces of her family make up who she is.
• Conly, Jane Leslie. Trout Summer. 1995. 0805039333 . - Also a story about a brother and sister who learn from an elder about how they can better understand themselves by knowing the family they came from.
• Ibbotson, Eva. The Star of Kazan. 2004. 0525473475 . A juvenile fiction story about a young abandoned girl who struggles for her own identity that is challenged by an estranged mother who resurfaces.

Jessie de la Cruz: A profile of a United Farm Worker

Soto, Gary. 2000. Jessie de la Cruz: A profile of a United Farm Worker. New York: Persea Books. 0-89255-253-0.

Plot Summary

The story of Jessie de la Cruz is a beautiful, rich, life journey of a strong woman. Jessie had the courage and perseverance of a hardworking farm worker who harnessed her strengths in order to bring people together for La Causa. Soto retells Jessie’s life from her youth during the Depression to the present. It is a portrait of a United Farm Worker, an activist who influenced many other workers over the course of her lifetime. It is a harrowing, honest depiction of a Mexican-American woman with the soul of a natural human rights activist.

Critical Analysis
Gary Soto recreates so many aspects of Jessie’s life, family, and work in this flowing narrative. It is vivid in illustrating her life in all of its trials and tribulations, and beautifully shares the voice of Jessie and her strength and optimism throughout. This is a historical look at the development and work of the United Farm Workers organization and its many everyday activists.

The text is a bit raw, and often the sentences lacked solid footing. This may have been in light of making the story readable to a younger audience, but this reader felt it made the book seem poorly edited. It reads like the author is transcribing the interviews and less like a storyteller sharing a tale of a life. For example, "More often than not life was severe for young Jessie. She kept being pulled from school in order to work in different rural places" (p8). The reader remains at a great distance from Jessie as a character by this style of writing.

The photographs give the reader a better understanding of the issues raised in the text. Such as, the conditions in the workcamp (p59), the experiences associated with picketing (p63), and the position of a body planting all day long (p65) . They also give a historical context because of the time period they were taken during, by way of the automobiles, the dress and hairstyles.

Soto does an excellent job at illustrating how Jessie's story is not only similar to other Mexican-American California laborers, but also the similarities and struggles between the undocumented Mexican laborers that were at odds with the strikes. Jessie shows how the fight was about the workers, all of them, regardless of their backgrounds, and against the officials and farm owners that oppressed the workers.

Providing personal expressions and intimate emotional feelings, Soto gives the impression that Jessie exposed all of herself in order to make the story accurate. For example, when driving through Yosemite with Blanche, Jessie joked, "My brother taught me a lot of English words, but I had trouble with the word 'Yosemite'. She used to pronounce it "Yo-so-mite". In the next paragraph, "Only weeks before, she had been sleeping in a fancy hotel...now she was bent over a row of plants...her arms and legs were tired"(p80). Soto continually juxtaposes the various aspects of Jessie's life in this way. Perhaps to illustrate the true nature of an activist, still working in the field against the very situation she was fighting to improve. Perhaps, to show the vast gap between those that had and those that did not. However, her story would not certainly be as fantastic had she "continued to move up the ranks into office jobs" as other activists in the UFW were doing. It is never clear why she continues to live and struggle in this way, or if it is by choice.

Jessie's identity as a Mexican-American is important to understanding every aspect of the story. She identifies with her brothers here in California as much as she identifies with them in Mexico and fellow Filipino workers, but it is never questioned that she is American. This is best exemplified in her congretional testimony at the end of the book. Her use of Spanish to communicate with the workers was vital to bringing people together, understanding the goals, and preserving that sense of unity. Her use of English to communicate with the officials was as essential to bring the message across in conversations with the government. This bilingualism is an extremely valuable asset to the UFW movement and to her role within the work and the fight. Soto, does not address this forthright, however it is a component that the book implies and would be understood by the young adult audience.

Jessie's financial circumstances are a vital component to the story. It is mentioned several times the way she prepares food (and what she prepares: tortillas, beans, etc), clothes, and home every evening for her family even after working all day in the field. She was forced to learn the brutal lessons of death by losing several family members in one year and this becomes a foundation for her continued perseverance and resilence through trials to come. The struggles of farmworkers are likely similar today. Indeed, most of the problems workers were facing during Jessie's life are still current today. The immigration politics today rest on alot of this struggle.


Review Excerpts

"In this clear and moving narrative, enhanced by photographs of the period, Jessie De La Cruz comes to life. Her feelings and experiences are captured against a background of the Depression and the civil rights and labor movements. For those looking for inspiration, who wish to do big things-Jessie is living proof that it can be done." http://www.perseabooks.com/jessiedelacruz.html





"I was so deeply moved by this portrait of a true American heroine." - Studs Terkel http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780892552856&z=y#CRV


"While unapologetically devoted to his subject, the author effectively personalizes the struggle of farmworkers in a manner that will enable students to understand and care about their triumphs."-Mary R. Hofmann http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9780892552856&z=y#CRV



Connections

Other Mexican-American migrant worker's experiences:

• Breaking Through, or The Circuit, or Cajas de Carton or La Mariposa all by Francisco Jimenez
• Voices from the Fields by S. Beth Atkins

United Farm Workers tie-ins:

• Harvesting Hope: The story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull
• Cesar Chavez: a hero for everyone also by Gary Soto
• Dolores Huerta juvenile biographies

Other female labor activists to introduce:

• Mary (Mother) Jones (1843-1930) labor unions (1843-1930)
• Elizabeth Gurley Flynn (1890-1964) American Civil Liberities Union
• Activists involved in the great Arizona mine strike of 1983
• Rose Pesotta (1896-1948), labor organizer and ILGWU board member

Additional Information


Author Gary Soto was once a farm worker himself.

Tomas and the library lady

Mora, Pat. Illustrated by Raul Colon. 1997. Tomas and the library lady. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 0679804013.

Plot Summary
Tomas is a member of a migrant worker's family. He moves to a new town in Iowa and after hearing all of his Papa Grande's tales, he suggests that Tomas go to the local library to learn new stories. The librarian shares new books with Tomas at every visit and Tomas' imagination is inspired by the tales he reads. When it is time to move on, he and the librarian have to say a sad adios.

Critical Analysis
This book shares a unique perspective about a population of children often overlooked in literature. The book left me feeling that the story was incomplete, however. The smattering of Spanish words throughout the text felt forced and out-of-context in each situation. Perhaps my hesitation to embrace this book has a little to do with the stereotypical librarian "look" and the heroic light she is placed in. It seems very rosy and does a surface job addressing the complex emotions that one would think to come with a child in this situation.

At the end of the book, the author notes that Tomas went on to becoming the chancellor of the University of California at Riverside. The story and the facts of Tomas' life insinuate that because of the librarian's influence on the child, because she "introduced" him to fantastic books, he later became a success. It leaves little room to credit the Papa Grande for instilling a love of stories as an important factor in his education. Also, it leaves little credit to Tomas' strength of curiosity, drive to excel or other factors like family support that may be as influential or more so than the library lady. This reads that the child would not have succeeded without this White lady's influence and was destined to be a migrant worker like the other members of his family and this is somehow not a success.

The author did a nice job showing how the books inspired Tomas' imagination as much as the stories Papa Grande told. The illustrations that supported the pages where Tomas was reading a book about dinosaurs are equally as vivid and evocative as those where he is listening to Papa Grande's stories. I liked the way Tomas was being sent to the library to learn stories to share with his family and to read to his Papa who requests "Read to me in English." This encouragement and "mission" is obviously a big reason why Tomas embraces the library lady's stories. It is a plausible situation and beckons the question why the brother or other children do not go with Tomas to the library. Indeed, if they were also "playing" during the day while their parents worked the fields, the other children would surely come along. It is unlikely, however, that the children did not also work in the fields with their parents. Tomas was old enough and often this is the case with migrant families.

The library and the stories read and heard, implies a sort of escape from their daily lives. This is true for all readers, young and old, living in every situation. In this way the story could perhaps be universally inspired to all children whether or not they can relate to Tomas' circumstances. It was also a positive look on a brief exchange of languages with Tomas teaching the librarian some words in Spanish in a sort of cross-cultural exchange.

Colon's images were calming, alluring and the color tones gave a desert, southwestern feeling rather than a midwestern feeling, perhaps more a nod to the roots of Tomas' heritage rather than his temporary home. The pictures have texture and depth. The characters were faintly a part of the landscape and backdrop as were the books in the library alluding to a seamless transition.

The Mexican heritage of Tomas was second to the story's message. The few words that were inputted into the pages were simply replacements for the English words, aside from the pan dulce that Tomas gives the library lady from his mother. They added no depth or greater understanding of the character's identity other than that his family uses Spanish terms to address each other. This is surely not the entire picture. It is plausible that the community speaks Spanish amongst themselves and the story would have been richer with this illustrated in some way. The dress of the characters does not stereotypical "look" like traditional Mexican dress which is most realistic for a family living in the United States doing work all day in the corn fields.

The storytelling tradition of elder regaling family around a circle after a hard day's work can be more illustrative of a Mexican family, or rather, not as commonly seen in the European descents that inhabit America today. The idea of community, and extended family that is implied in the same is also representative. Nuclear families who only read for their entertaining stories would be more typical of a White family's experience.

The time period is also something to note. The authors note at the end gives the life time of Tomas Rivera, whom the story is written about. The fact that his experience took place after the Depression, during the beginning days of farm workers unions is important. The story gives no historical context and does not focus on the conditions at the workcamps or in the fields. This is unfortunate because the medium and method could lend a slight introduction to such a context. All in all, it was a well illustrated, simple tale, that felt incomplete, a bit too rosy and shallow.

Review Excerpts
"What an enjoyable realistic fiction story that certainly encourages students to discover the joy of reading. " - Teri Viken at http://www.cedu.niu.edu/%7Ecarger/culture/tomas.html

"A gentle text and innovative artwork" - Publishers Weekly http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780375803499

"Colón's dreamy illustrations capture the brief friendship and its life-altering effects in soft earth tones, using round sculptured shapes that often depict the boy right in the middle of whatever story realm he's entered." - Kirkus Reviews at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780375803499


Connections
For a series presenting different profiles of librarians and the way they inspire a love of reading, pair this title with two of my favorites:

• Suzanne Williams' Library Lil' (0803716982)
• Sarah Stewart's The Library (0374343888)
• Barbara Joosse's Hot City (0399236406)

For a series focusing on the Mexican American migrant child's experience like Tomas', pair this title with:

• Atkin's Voices from the fields: children of migrant families tell their stories (0316056332). This book includes photographs, poems and interviews and would allow the reader to understand Tomas' story through real people.
• Karen Papagapitos Jose's basket (0963732813). A similar tale as Tomas with a teacher in the role.

For a series focusing on the power of the story and books to inspire the imagination as they did for Tomas, pair Tomas with:

• David McPhail's Edward and the pirates (0316563447)
• Michael Garland's Miss Smith's incredible storybook (0142402826)

Additional Information
The author's note at the end of the story gives a brief biography of the real Tomas Rivera, whom this story is inspired by.

Sparrowboy

Pinkney, Brian. 1997. The Adventures of Sparrowboy. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Plot Summary
Henry is a young paperboy who reads the comics page of his daily before his route in the morning. He imagines what he would do if he became his favorite comic hero, Falconman. Henry runs into a sparrow and gets his superpowers from the ZAP! force. Flying over the neighborhood delivering papers, saving children and animals from dangerous situations, Sparrowboy is a hero on Thurber Street.

Critical Analysis
This book was written for 4 to 8 year olds and is especially great for readers interested in comics and superheros. The author plays off the comic hero's name, Falconman to create Henry's alternate superhero identity, Sparrowboy. Falconman's comic is written by the author's anagram name Barney Nipkin. Sparrowboy is a take off the Superman story. This fantasy is a common idea in many young children's imagination and Pinkney does a beautiful job of showing how fun it can be to imagine ourselves as a hero that flies through our own neighborhood doing good for others.

The artwork is the central component to the book. The layouts mimic a comic strip with dialogue boxes and meanwhile...s. The drawings are created by Pinkney's signature stratchboard style. The creator uses unique angles and sizes to emphasize the hero's view from the sky. Henry's character is a mix between a responsible job-carrying young boy and a superhero. He takes on the neighborhood bully and even wears his bicycle helmet throughout the whole book. What a true hero! This book is simple and fantastic.

Review Excerpts
"Comic book enthusiasts will find plenty of action here and feel just a little better for having curled up with this high-flying armchair adventure." - Kirkus Reviews

"Henry's heroics will win readers over instantly; he may not save the world, but before he returns to Earth, he does make his suburban neighborhood "just a little better." - John Peters, New York Public Library, School Library Journal
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0689835345/sr=8-1/qid=1182625574/ref=dp_proddesc_0/002-4198874-8224861?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1182625574&sr=8-1

Connections
There are many juvenile picture books that feature the theme of children using flight for various reasons. The stories often involve the child's dreams and imagination. A few that may work well with Sparrowboy in a lesson include:

• Myers, Christopher. 2000. Wings. New York: Scholastic.
• Myers, Walter Dean. 1974. Fly, Jimmy, fly! Putnam.
  
• Ringgold, Faith. 1991. Tar beach. New York: Crown Publishers.
  

More Information

1. This book won the author the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award
   
2. He has won numerous other awards. For complete list go to http://biography.jrank.org/pages/155/Pinkney-Jerry-Brian-1961-J-Brian-Pinkney-Awards-Honors.html
   
3. Brian Pinkney says, "I make pictures for the child in me. My work is actually my way of playing. That's why I think children enjoy my books; they recognize me as one of their own." http://www.eduplace.com/kids/tnc/mtai/bpinkney.html
   

Jazz

Myers, Walter Dean. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. 2006. Jazz. New York: Holiday House.

Plot Summary
This book is composed of lyrical vignettes honoring jazz music and musicians. The introduction is a brief historical journey from the original "...blending of two musical traditions. African and European..."to the arrival of today's "different artists reinterpret[ing] the music according to their own sensibilities." Myers and Myers include 15 poems, a Glossary of Jazz Terms, and a Jazz Time Line highlighting interesting dates to note from the 1800s to today. It is a follow-up to their poetry blues tribute titled, Blues Journey (2003).

Critical Analysis
This father and son team make a beautiful tribute to jazz roots, influence and magic. The introduction is a bit in depth for the described age audience of 4 to 8 year olds. However, the teacher, the older reader, and the jazz enthusiast alike will benefit from the historical context in order to better contextualize the art form. The children will surely benefit without the history lesson however, because each two-page spread gives the reader and listener a visual feast. This book clearly celebrates the monumental founding and contributions of black musicians to the art form, as well as the evolution and unique qualities only found in jazz music. The writer provides his well researched, and passionate understanding of the influences and evolution of the jazz tradition, improvisation, and structure.

The poem lyrics are best read aloud either to oneself or to others. They flow and scatter and croon, in accordance with their subject. For example, the Three Voices poem breaks into the thum, thums of the bass, the reaching, preaching of the piano, and the sound born from the horn. These are "stories in rhyme" indeed. The Stride poem features a silhouetted pianist in front of the deep red background. The words form long white lines and are separated by short repeated black words beneath. Turned on its side, the piano imagery appears.

The paintings provide interesting angles, lighting and vibrant motions. They are bright, emotional, and fluid, as you would hope a picture book about a musician playing would be. The attention to detail is quality. From the size of the horn blowers cheeks (see cover image above), the dancing gaits of the funeral procession, the stretched and strained fingers of the pianist, to the flexed forearm of the drummer. You get the feelings of the sound with the combination of word and art. Every character in the book is black and dressed in clothing such as a purple suit and knee high socks of the New Orleans dancers. They readily depict that style and grace of the jazz musicians, singers, and dancers.

Review Excerpts

"Myers is arguably one of the most important writers of children's books of our age..." -Kirkus Reviews http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/reviews.html

"The father-and-son team behind blues journey creates a scintillating paean to jazz. Walter Dean Myers infuses his lines (and the rests between them) with so much savvy syncopation that readers can't help but be swept up in the rhythms." - Publishers Weekly

"...the father-son Myers team has put together an absolutely airtight melding of words and pictures that is perfectly accessible to a younger audience." - Starred Review, Booklist
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0823415457/ref=dp_proddesc_0/002-4198874-8224861?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Connections
"Wynton Marsalis' Jazz A B Z (Candlewick, 2005) offers an interesting comparison and complement: varied poetic forms and stylized, posterlike visuals present the lives of jazz musicians. Interaction with each inspired title informs the other and awakens interest in listening."–Wendy Lukehart, Washington DC Public Library, Review for School Library Journal http://www.amazon.com/Coretta-Scott-Illustrator-Honor-Books/dp/0823415457

Myers and Myers. 2003. Blues Journey. New York: Holiday House.

Moss, Lloyd. 2005. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. Aladdin Books. Also a stories in rhyme as a tribute to classic music and the musicians. The word patterns are similar and a lesson could explore the way authors give words to instrument's sounds.

More Information

1. Jazz won Christopher Myers the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book award.
2. Author Website - http://www.walterdeanmyers.net/
3. A total of 63 books produced by Myers listed on author's website
4. Numerous awards for the author and individual books including Newbery, Coretta Scott King, Virginia Hamilton Literary Award, Michael L. Printz Award, Margaret A. Edwards Award, Parents Choice Award, and many ALA awards.
   

bird

Johnson, Angela. 2004. Bird. New York: Dial Books.

AWARDS:
· Coretta Scott King Award Winner
· NYPL's 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
· ALA Best Book for Young Adults 2005
· ALA Notable Book 2005
· New York Public Library Best Book for Teen Age 2005

Plot Summary
Bird is a thirteen year old girl who has left her mother in Cleveland and headed to Alabama in a search of her stepfather, Cecil. When he left the two of them, Bird knew he must be headed to be with his secret other family, so she went to convince him to return to her and her mother. The story revolves around the friendship of Bird and Ethan (Cecil’s nephew), Bird and Mrs. Pritchard (a lonely older woman in town), and the connections between Jay and the other characters.

Bird hides in the shed of Ethan’s house in order to watch Cecil with his other family. She eventually finds it too hard to be friends with Ethan while living there and moves into a room with Mrs. Pritchard. Bird’s secrets continue to add up (where she is from, why she is here, and who she knows) and at an age when most girls become completely self-absorbed, this teenage girl often thinks about her mother, who she misses, her new friend Ethan, and Mrs. Pritchard’s kindness. She is a thoughtful, joyful, resilient, and brave young woman. A true hero in extenuating circumstances.

Critical Analysis
This story provides a warm, honest look into the emotions of a young girl who is lonely. Although it appears that Bird and her mother have a strong relationship, clearly she feels the need for a family that includes a father as well. Johnson provides two other character voices that also speak of loneliness: Ethan and Jay. Ethan gives the reader the idea that even when you live in a large loving family, often loneliness finds a roost to nest in. In Ethan’s case, he had a heart condition that caused him to have a difficult childhood in the hospital and he struggles with making sense of his new heart and school friends. Ethan proves wise and thoughtful, having learned many lessons of loss and facing death so young. Jay is the brother of Ethan’s heart donor. He struggles to watch Ethan playing and enjoying a new life, knowing that he will never be able to see his own brother again.

The thread throughout the story continues to be the different ways in which each character has come to their loneliness and how despite differing situations, they are all battling the same feelings.The imagery of a bird flying as a metaphor for escape or elevating above an unhappy situation is often used. Little attention is paid to why Bird likes to be called this nickname by Cecil by as a runaway she can choose how she introduces herself and seems to embrace this as a new identity. Another example of how adept Johnson is at writing between the lines. And one cannot help but realize that Bird learns about this form of flight, running away that is, from her stepfather Cecil. The author is truly poetic. Her words release a lullaby that rocks the reader into the melodies of her characters. Here are a few examples:

Ethan: “The world whispers when Mama is near. I’m thinking now that the girl dancing under the moon might make the world whisper too.” (18)

Jay: “Maybe his heart is searching for and not finding the place it used to live. I understand that because mine is searching and not finding too.” (34)

Bird: “Ethan holds his chest when he talks and Jay talks like his heart is in his hands.” (98)

Although stories about runaway teenagers are quite common, rarely is one told with such joy, kindness and love. Even while she is hungry, tired, lonely and afraid, Johnson gives Bird a voice of strength, wisdom and peacefulness. The story is not very influenced by the location (being in Alabama) with only brief mentions of the heat, the stickiness, the food. There are only a few minor references to Bird’s hair (afro, 105) typically only worn by black girls. Otherwise, race, background, etc. of each character is not a key component to the story. Johnson presents a tale that speaks across lines. The method of delivery, that is, the way that a reader hears several different characters voices divided into chapters seems common. Johnson does a nice job of weaving these seemingly distant stories together, slowly and subtly as the book evolves.

I enjoyed this story like the best drip of dark chocolate over a strawberry tip. Cool and fresh like the summer berry, yet rich and lasting like the flavor that lingers in your mouth long after.

Review Excerpts
“Johnson writes with a poet's knowledge of rhythm and knows how to use the space between words; the disconnect between what the boys think and what they say is especially well done.” – Gillian Engberg, Booklist

“Readers see how small kindnesses can ease the grip of grief and how large gestures–the literal giving of a heart–can redound to the giver's credit.” – Miriam Lang Budin, School Library Journal
http://www.amazon.com/Bird-Angela-Johnson/dp/0142405442/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-5858162-7285632?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182454816&sr=1-1

Connections
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 2004. Bud, not Buddy. New York: Delacourt Books.
This book is also a Coretta Scott King Award Winner and also with the main character of a young runaway in search of his father. The likeness between these two stories does not end there, however a lesson could be structured on the complex emotions of runaway children in search of parents, issues of loneliness, time period differences between the two stories and the influences of people they come into contact with along the journey.

The pull of the ocean

Mourlevat , Jean-Claude. Translated from the French by Y. Maudet. 2006. The pull of the ocean (L'enfant ocean in French). New York : Delacorte Press.

Plot Summary
A rural France setting, a quest to reach the ocean, and a group of seven brothers, as three sets of twins plus small mute brother, Yann. This story is simple, beautiful and poetic. Yann is understood by his brothers as being intuitive and able to communicate although he lacks speech. The parents feel he is stupid that is why he doesn't speak. The book follows the journey of these seven brothers running away from their parents in the middle of the night, because Yann talks them into it. Throughout the book, the reason for them leaving is unclear and its hinted that perhaps Yann overheard the father mentioning that he would kill them (but was really referring to the new litter of kittens just born in the barn). They run away to the ocean and eventually end up confined in a beach home holding onto to life and each other. The conclusion finds them reaching out to their parents for help, however Yann follows his heart not his brothers.

Critical Analysis
This book had some fantastic qualities that made it shine and clearly major reasons why it won the ALA Batchelder Award and the Prix Sorcieres, the prestigious French award. It highlights unique qualities of twins, poor children in rural France, and the complex emotions of runaway children. The story is loosely inspired by the classic fairy tale, Tom Thumb by Charles Perrault. Yann is extremely small, however not nearly as small as a thumb in Tom Thumb's case. Several versions of the tale include the mother and father with three sets of twins, and a small brother that is often referred as stupid or mute. Most of the more common versions of Tom Thumb however, have his character being an only child brought to a barren couple by King Arthur's Merlin the Wizard. The character of Tom is often courageous, adventurous and clever, but not particularly intuitive, intelligent or mute.

Each chapter shares a different voice, not only the boys and their parents, but also people they encounter. The author caters the narrative to each of these voices by using appropriate vernacular and references. The method is effective enabling the reader to experience the same situations among the different characters involved while still allowing the story to flow forward in a constant manner. The entire journey has depth from this method as well, giving the reader insight into not only what the boys were feeling and doing, but how they were being perceived by each other and others they encountered. Only slight reference is made to the country of origin, France. More attention is made to the rural aspect and the poverty and wealth of the people and family.

Review excerpts
"Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly real and the make-believe, with the latter tipping the balance as this effectively haunting, fluidly translated tale comes to a close." - Publishers Weekly

"A well-crafted mystery awaits anyone reading this fabled jigsaw puzzle." - Robyn Gioia, School Library Journal

Reviews accessed at http://www.amazon.com/Pull-Ocean-Jean-Claude-Mourlevat/dp/0385733488/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/104-4603087-1901504?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181692674&sr=8-1

Connections

Various versions of Charles Perrault's Tom Thumb exist
Mayer, Marianna. 2001. The Adventures of Tom Thumb. New York: SeaStar Books.
Another version available online at http://http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/perrault08.html

Hesse, Karen. 2001. Witness. New York: Scholastic Press.
This book was written in the same method with different characters voicing their perspective of the situation. You could create a lesson about composing stories in this "patchwork quilt" manner. One situation as seen by many different eyes. The writer needs to be especially conscious of using appropriate language, perspective (based on personal experiences), and relationships based on each character's chapter.

Neufeld, John. 1996. Gaps in stone walls. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
This book includes a main character who is also mute, that runs away after being suspected of murder on Martha's Vineyard. You could include this book with Pull when creating a lesson discussing the emotions of runaway children, as well as those who struggle to communicate without speech.

Linnea's Windowsill Garden

Bjork, Christina and Lena Anderson. 1978. Linnea’s Windowsill Garden. Stockholm: R&S Books.

Plot Summary

Linnea is not only the name of a flower, but also the name of Bjork and Anderson’s green-thumbed main character. In Linnea’s Windowsill Garden we learn all of the creative ways that an “asphalt flower” can grow plants in a city apartment. This fantastic adventure follows approximately 10 year old Linnea, a young girl who grows plants from simple kitchen ingredients (citrus seeds, split peas, carrot tops), using basic house items (newspaper, bottles, glass jars and baskets) and amateur horticulturist techniques. Linnea gets her ideas from a retired gardener friend, Mr. Bloom, who wears a vest and slippers, and reads the paper while Linnea sits on his couch in her apron with bare feet up.

Critical Analysis

The authors use Linnea as an instrument for introducing creative ways a young city kid can garden. They present concepts in horticulture science (germinating seeds, as well as technical terms like stamen and stigmas), introduce vegetable & fruit-from-plant connections, and environmental science basics of solar energy, carbon dioxide and chlorophyll processes. The illustrations and conversations between the two characters provide an accessible format delighting readers age 6 to 60. This is one of the reasons why I first picked this book at a used book store nearly ten years ago. I gave me clever ideas on how to grow kitchen plants from the food I already had in my fruit baskets. I learned a recipe for garden-cress cheese, how to grow a mini-terrarium, how to identify basic problems and treatments and when to replant my root-bound spider plants.

Aside from a picture of the linnea flower Swedish stamp from 1978, the authors make no mention of their country of origin or city where Linnea’s garden grows. Mr. Bloom and Linnea appear to have a teacher/student as well as neighbor/friend relationship as Linnea learns about different houseplant bugs and ways to get rid of them from the older friend.

Although the pencil drawings in black, white and green appear childlike, the page layout is more like a how-to pamphlet or gardening gazette than a children’s picture book. This book will not only appeal to young girls, but others as well because of the gardener Mr. Bloom’s gender and age. It also promotes, if subtly, having friendships with those of different generations that can teach and share common interests.

Review Excerpts

"For all her enthusiasm, Linnea is wise enough to have realistic expectationsflowers don't always bloom by the book, and every now and then there may be setbacks. But her zeal is infectious; readers will be looking around the house for seeds they can press into soil or coax into germination." - Publishers Weekly

"This is fun! Bjork offers a lively, chatty romp through indoor gardening with a grinning Linnea as guide, and a grandfatherly Mr. Bloom offering steady advice when needed." - School Library Journal

Connections

This book is a fantastic contributor to a classroom gardening lesson. Children can learn about community gardens, simple plant structures, and relationships with food and gardening friends in these other two books for the same age:

Stewart, Sarah. 1997. The Gardener. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux

Fleischman, Paul. 1997. Seedfolks. New York : HarperCollins.

Possum Magic

Fox, Mem. Illustrated by Julie Vivas. 1983. Possum Magic. Adelaide: Omnibus Books.

Plot Summary

Possum Magic delights readers with the tale of a young possum, Hush and her grandmother possum, Grandma Poss. The grandmother has magical abilities to alter the animals from their natural state into different colors, smaller, and whimsical versions of themselves. She performs her bush magic on Hush rendering her invisible to the other animals. Unhappy with her state, her Grandma Poss and Hush embark on a quest to find the cure for Hush’s invisibility. They adventure on bike to the far cities of the country experimenting with uniquely Australian cuisine for a cure eventually determining that a little of everything does the trick.

Critical Analysis

This was Fox’s attempt to write a “very Australian book”. Set in Australia, Fox introduces animals unique to the continent including wombats, kookoburras, dingoes, and emus. The rhyming whimsical tale is one a child who has never set foot in Australia can appreciate and enjoy.

The main characters are personified in dress (clothes, glasses, shoes) and actions (reading, brushing teeth, riding a bike, and watching a movie). The rest of the animals in the story are all seen in their natural animal ways (undressed, eating eucalyptus leaves, etc). The author’s intention seems to be more about highlighting Australian animals, food, and geography, then in an underlying message. Although, one can simply deduce that the young child finds that being invisible, or rather unnoticed by the other animals, is not as desirable as being seen.

The illustrations support simple verses on each page, with muted colors and a simple find-the-possum adventure for the very young. This book surely delights a child who has been to Australia or would simply like to learn a little about the food and animals. It is just as accessible for the young reader who likes to read stories of a journey, as those who have a bond with their grandmother, or simply enjoy tales about characters with tails. Recommended.

First published in 1983, Possum’s Magic gives a glimpse at the beginnings of the published authorship of Mem Fox. On her website http://www.memfox.net, we learn many interesting facts about the author. She was born in Melbourne, grew up in Zimbabwe and schooled in England. The daughter of missionary parents, she eventually married and returned to South Australia in 1970, where she resides today. Fox mentioned that one of the interesting aspects of publishing children’s books is the fact that the publishers most often select the illustrator, contrary to what most may think. The importance of allying an appropriate illustrator with an author’s verse cannot be overstated in picture book publications. Oftentimes, Fox’s illustrators are not Australian.

Review Excerpts

“Although the characters, locales, and vocabulary are thoroughly Australian, Possum Magic has universal appeal. Fox chooses her words carefully, making readers believe that certain foods just might be magical”. –Jeanette Larson, School Library Journal

Connections

Any unit or lesson introducing Australia would be strengthened by this (and several other Mem Fox picture books). For this lesson one could include other whimsical Aussie tales such as the classic Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie: their adventures wonderful by May Gibbs, the favorite Sometimes I like to curl up in a ball by Vicki Churchill or the ALA Notable Children’s Book Diary of a wombat by Jackie French.

For the Possum Magic history, a Q & A with the author, and Possum recipes of the Aussie foods mentioned in the story go to http://www.memfox.net/possum-magic.html.

Greetings

Reading is one of the main things I do. Reading is everything. Reading makes me feel I’ve accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. Reading is the unbelievable healthy way my attention deficit disorder medicates itself. Reading is escape and the opposite of escape; it’s a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it’s a way of making contact with someone else’s imagination after a day that’s all too real. Reading is grist. Reading is bliss.

Nora Ephron I feel bad about my neck, and other thoughts on being a woman.