Multicultural Library EDGTE 480 discussion

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The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

The story is a fictionalized telling of the real account told by Dita Kraus. The book follows Dita Polachova, a young Jewish girl, and her peculiar yet horrifying time at Auschwitz. It recounts the suffering and oppression imposed on her people and many other’s like her by Nazi Concentration camp officers. More importantly, though, it reveals the courage and strength Dita manifested as the protector and distributor of precious illegal books. Throughout the story, Dita forms important relationships with people that are also in the camp and through these relationships a meta narrative is revealed. This narrative showcases the importance of books, storytelling, culture, identity, and opposition to tyranny.

This book manages to create a sense of strong emotional release as well as provoke thought in the mind of the reader. It is impactful in the way it creates an almost panic over how fragile and easily corruptible a human can be. On the bookshelf of a classroom, it carves in the mind of the student reader a network of bridges between culture, books, society, and morality. It is also incredibly empowering as the reader sees the courage of the character’s spirit. I do not know how a student could read this and not be transformed into having a more clear vision of their purpose/identity.

Overall Review: 9/10

Turtles All the Way Down by Jon Green

The setting of the novel takes place mostly inside the mind of Aza Holmes, a sixteen-year-old girl who suffers from acute mental disorders. Her friend, Daisy, and she gets wrapped up in the disappearance of a billionaire when they find evidence that gives them a reward of $100,000. The story touches on real-world problems involving healthy teen relationships and class differences, but the bulk of the story is relegated to Aza’s never-ending toxic conversation with herself. This conversation reveals huge problems that one confronts in the formative years of a teen when dealing with ‘the self’.

As someone who has had their fair share of mental illnesses, I believe that this story can speak truth to many people directly or indirectly suffering from a harmful mental state. It shows the dangers that the mind can bring and it helps those around that person separate the individual from the disease. This is incredibly relevant to today as the rise of social media has in many ways promoted mental illness. This also affects minority groups at a higher rate as he already dispossessed identity groups housed within the self are not fully realized.


Overall Review:
9/10 for teens
7/10 for anyone older

This would be the first book I would choose for my ESL class, simply because many immigrants, especially children, feel lonely when they get to a new country. They also feel like no one can really understand how they feel or they can't find a person to relate with. This book tells of numerous different immigrant kids and their stories, highs and lows, and how they dealt with their immigrant experience.


I chose this book because it talks about hardships that one may have to deal with suppression and persecution in their home countries that may force them to hid their talents and gives that make them truly happy from the world around them out of fear. Even though fear of doing something we love is very common, it's hard to understand the conflict of the fear of doing it, because it could cost your life, and the desire to want to do it anyway, unless you can view it through a first hand experience.


This one was chosen because no matter what we think we know about someone's immigration journey, motivations, and hardships, it is really hard to create a clear image of what the person went through without a detailed story about the experience from those that experienced it. The story is also relatable because due the the cost and time of legal immigration, it can be out of reach for most looking to immigrate. This forces them to resort to illegal immigration, and this is something that many ESL students have experienced or know someone close to them that has.


This would be a good selection because It contains various poems and short stories about the verities of Spanish cultures. Most if not all students and ESL students alike know what it's like to grow older and you begin to want to find your own way in the world. Sometimes it lines up with the cultural traditions and customs you've grown up with and sometimes it doesn't. But the experiences should never be looked at in shame by those who experience them.

This would be my final selection because while most Spanish speaking ESL students are probably considered Latino, their life and cultural experiences will differ greatly based on their location, ancestry, and many other different factors. This book would let the students see the experiences of other Latinos in different situations from the view of those who have lived it.

Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America
By David H.T. Wong

Escape to Gold Mountain: A Graphic History of the Chinese in North America is a graphic novel that depicts the beginnings of Chinese immigration in North America throughout the course of one hundred fifty years. The story is told through the eyes of Grandma Wong, recalling her family’s own trials and tribulations in America, to her grandson. Not only does she capture the struggles of her ancestors, but also the many Chinese immigrants who came seeking a better life and opportunities at “Gam Saan,” or “gold mountain,” the old Chinese term for North America.

As a history lover, I believe that we should all be aware of our ancestral origins, good and bad. This graphic novel is not only an accurate depiction of the horrors experienced by Chinese immigrants but presents the story in an interesting and captivating way. For my ESL students, strategically placed maps, as well as graphics showing the realities of Chinese immigration, provide a source for readers to reference back to. The dialogue used in the novel is of a more colloquial kind, however, the use of text bubbles with shortened phrases can provide relief for ESL readers who may be starting out on their journey to learning English. Lastly, the novel provides a cultural connection for ESL readers of Chinese origin, as the Chinese culture is one that greatly values the art of story-telling, as well as showing students that no matter the circumstances one finds themselves in, they have the will to overcome hardship and flourish in a new environment.

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts
By Maxine Hong Kingston

The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts is a fictional novel based on author Maxine Hong Kingston’s own experiences growing up as a first generation Chinese-American woman. In the novel, Kingston tells five stories, Chinese folklore with figures like Fa Mu Lan and Ts’ai Yen, as well as stories from women in her family. Kingston pulls a lesson from each of these women in her struggle to determine her dual natured identity and navigate her way through American culture as a woman of Chinese descent. Eventually, through experience and growth, Kingston discovers her role and identity.

This novel depicts the struggle for many immigrants and women alike. Kingston’s story explores the struggle between the old-world traditions that many immigrants and women are expected to adhere to and the new world customs and ideology. I think this novel would be beneficial for ESL students to read, especially those of Chinese descent, as it offers a look into the dilemma those settling in a new country face. Although troubling at first, this story shows Kingston’s eventual peace with finding her place, and the ability to find happiness within a chaotic environment. Although written in a way that some may deem difficult to follow, I think ESL readers would gain a lot of insight from this novel.

Deep in The Sahara by Kelly Cunnane
Rating: 5/5
The book is about a young girl named Lalla who desires to wear a malafa like her female relatives. She in the end learns that the malafa is an expression of a woman’s faith. I understand that some people see the malafa as a way to repress women. While reading the book I do not feel that this was at all the point of the book. After reading the book, in the back in the Author’s Note the author explains her reasons for writing the book and that she no longer sees the malafa as a repressive tool but as an expression of faith.
This is a children’s book and depicts girls and women wanting to wear the malafa for their faith, not showing anyone forcing them to wear it. I think it is a great introduction to Islam. And introduces middle eastern culture to the reader.

Chirchir is Singing by Kelly Cunnane
Rating: 4/5
This book is about a young girl named Chirchir who is just looking to help her family with the everyday tasks that they need to do to create a happy life for their family, building fires, getting water from the well, cleaning the floor, and farming. I think this is a great introduction to life in Kenya and the culture of Kenya. It does a great job of introducing a young reader to some new language while also presenting the story in a sing song type way.

Silly Chicken by Rukhsana Khan
Rating: 4/5
Silly Chicken is about a young girl named Rani who believes that her mother loves her pet hen named Bibi more than her. Of course, throughout the story we see Ami, the mother, take good care of the hen. One day something happens to the hen and the mom is distraught. Then a new Chick enters Rani’s life and suddenly we see the roles reversed.
The story does a good job depicting the life and culture in Pakistan for young readers. It does not introduce any Arabic in the story, instead it stays completely in English. It does deal with the concept of jealousy very well and shows how we can sometimes be jealous of someone for acting a certain way and then behave that same way later.

Big Red Lollipop by Rukhsana Khan
Rating: 4/5
This is the story of Rubina who is so excited to be invited to a friend at school’s birthday party until her mom tells he she needs to take her younger sister, Sana, with he to the party. Rubina takes Sana to the party and it sort of ruins Rubina’s good time. In the end when Sana is invited to her own birthday party Rubina sticks up for her sister, so Sana does not have to take the youngest sister Maryam to the party Sana is invited to.
This is a great story that depicts some culture differences such as the mother not knowing what a birthday party is or this idea that you need to bring your siblings to the party as well. It also shows the reader that they do not need to hold a grudge or give payback for things that have happened to them. It also does a great job of showing how an older sibling can learn and help younger siblings from their mistakes.

King for a Day by Rukhsana Khan
Rating: 4/5
King for a Day is about a boy Malik who seeks to be the king of Basant. Basant is a kite flying festival held to signify the start of spring in Pakistan and the Punjab region of India. To be the King of Basant Malik needs to fly his kite and take down everyone else’s kite to be the last kite in the air.
In the story Malik faces the bully that lives next door and works as a team with his sister, he also anonymously helps a girl down on the street from his rooftop. One thing that I really enjoyed about this story was that Malik is in a wheelchair, but the story is not about him being in a wheelchair, it just happens to be apart of Malik’s appearance.
This is a great little story that introduces the festival of Basant in an easy and approachable way while also offering other culturally relative information and concepts.

Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan
Rating: 5/5
First off Wanting Mor is a story based on true events, so although this story seems unbelievable that so much can happen to one girl it is based on true events. It is the story of a girl named Jameela who lives in Afghanistan just after the American invasion. The setting is important to know that war is happening all around this girl and people are being displaced from their homes. Jameela loses her mother Mor due to health reasons we are not made aware of and is moved to Kabul by her father. After that the father remarries and is convinced by his new wife to abandon Jameela. Jameela then faces more hard ships before being taken to an orphanage. The story does have a pretty happy ending though so that is good.
Because of the serious plot lines in this book I would recommend it for teenagers or mature young readers who are familiar with or want to learn more about Islamic culture. If your child is reading this book, I would be sure to talk to them about some of the things happening in the book and make sure that they do not become too depressed reading the book.
Wanting Mor does a great job of addressing serious topics like loneliness, perseverance, trust, and valuing one’s self. It also does a wonderful job of presenting women in a positive and strong way.

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan
Rating: 5/5
Amina’s Voice is about a young immigrant girl, Amina, who is trying to balance the culture of her family and faith along with fitting in at school. Amina is best friends with Soojin. Soojin becomes a citizen of the US and during the ceremony is deciding to change her name to something more American. Soojin becomes more friendly with a white girl named Emily who use to bully the two girls, this causes a rift between Amina and Soojin. Amina’s mosque is vandalized, and a series of other things happen that sort of bring Amina down. In the end things work out when the Amina’s mosque and Soojin’s church work together to support each other.
This book does a great job of depicting problems that immigrant children or children of immigrants might face when coming to America. I recommend this book for anyone going through this same situation or for a child who knows someone who just immigrated so that they can understand what their friend is going through. The book also does a great job of addressing some cultural differences between Muslim-American people and people who are not Muslim.

Power Forward by Hena Khan
Rating: 4/5
This is the first in a series about a boy Zayd who has big dreams of becoming the first Pakastani-American NBA star. The problem is that Zayd’s mom wants Zayd eating healthy and playing his violin. Zayd would rather be playing basketball with his friends and eating what he wants to help put some size on his already scrawny frame. When Zayd skips orchestra practice for basketball with his friends his parents ground him from basketball. In the end things work out.
This book does a great job of addressing the things that are important for a kid and the desires of parents. Regardless of culture. It does however do a wonderful job of incorporating the mix of culture that can happen for a young boy raised by Pakistani immigrant parents and growing up in America, addressing the mix of culture and respect for one’s parents and grandparents while pursuing your own goals.
I would recommend this book for middle grade (or higher) students both girls and boys who are navigating their own passions while balancing their family’s culture and traditions.

On Point by Hena Khan
Rating: 4/5
This is the second in the series about Zayd, the Pakistani-American boy who dreams of playing in the NBA. If you did not read the first book in the series, I strongly suggest you start there. There are a lot of plot points and names in this book that come from the first one. So do not read these out of order.
In this book we see Zayd now on the gold team trying his best, while also being a part of a big wedding celebration for his Uncle Jamal. When Zayd’s friend Adam starts playing more football and ignoring his basketball team Zayd decides to step up and be a captain for his basketball team.
This helps Zayd realize that the wedding needs a captain to help lead the decision-making process to prepare for the big event.
This book does a great job of showing how sports and family life of a kid can all weave together and parallel each other. How children sports team can help prepare you for the real world. Along with the real emotion that occurs when you do not win every game like you plan.
Just like the weaving of family life and basketball this book does a great job of mixing the Pakistani culture with the American culture. I would recommend this book for middle grade students who are also experiencing the blending of different cultures in their own lives.

It’s Ramadan, Curious George by Hena Khan
Rating: 4/5
I read Curious George as a kid and that silly monkey was always getting into some kind of trouble. I was happy to see that it is still the same Monkey and man in yellow as my childhood in this book. Now George is learning about Ramadan and the Islamic faith in this book. Which is great for the reader who can either learn about a religious holiday they might not otherwise know about. Or for other readers to see George partake in an event they might celebrate and encourage George’s friend Kareem to stay true to his fasting just like the reader might experience. Then at the end there is the big Eid celebration along with the food drives and giving to the less fortunate. Overall, I think this is a great book that helps share Muslim culture with the reader.

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns by Hena Khan
Rating: 5/5
This book is awesome! It depicts colors and where they can be found in the life of someone who is Islamic. It delivers it’s message in a poetic format that just works so well, however the thing that blew me away most about this book was the Illustrations. Mehrdokht Amini did the most amazing job. The vibrant colors, the characters, the details in the rugs, and buildings is just amazing. I cannot say enough positive things about this book and its illustrations. I highly recommend if you have a young child who is starting to learn colors and maybe would enjoy seeing those colors centered around an Islamic lifestyle this book is for you. Or if you are not Islamic but you want your young child to learn about a different culture while learning colors this book is for you.

Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by Hena Khan
Rating: 5/5
Another great book by Hena Khan and Mehrdokht Amini! If you liked Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns as much as I did then you need this book too. This book is just like the Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns book that came before it but now this time we are talking about shapes around the Islamic life. We still have that same poetic rhyme scheme as before that is great to read and have young readers read aloud. The illustrations are in the same style that Mehrdokht Amini did before and they are just as good. I absolutely love the artistic style and the book itself. I highly recommend this to anyone with a young reader of any culture who may want to become familiar with the Islamic Culture.

The Golden Sandal by Rebecca Hickox
Rating: 5/5
The book is just as the cover says a middle eastern Cinderella story. It is about a girl Maha whose mother passes away leaving her and her father a fisherman on their own. Maha begs and begs the father to marry the neighbor lady so she can have a stepmom and stepsister. The father eventually does but the stepmom begins to treat Maha worse and worse. Through the help of a magic fish Maha saves she can tackle some obstacles and when the time comes the magic fish helps Maha stand out at a bride’s henna. On her way back from the henna Maha loses her golden sandal, it is later found by Tariq who seeks to find the owner so he can marry her.
This book does a great job of illustrating what is happening and introducing the reader to culturally specific events while also keeping it an already known sort of story format. The illustrations themselves are colorful and fun.

The Woman Warrior

This book was written by Maxine Hong Kingston and through five chapters (each containing its own story) it integrates her own experiences a first-generation Chinese immigrant with different Chinese legends about women that her mother told her as she was growing up. It highlights some common themes and struggles that many first-generation immigrants and their parents face when coming to the United States, including feelings of teen resentment and a desire to rebel against parents and old cultural traditions, traditional gender roles, a gradual appreciation of our parents and the sacrifices they make for their children as we grow older, displacement in a new society, feelings of being torn between two cultures (which not only immigrant but bi-racial or bi-cultural students would very likely relate to as well), and eventual reconciliation with her mother's traditional Chinese culture and contemporary American one she grew up in. For that reason, I think this would be very relatable to almost any first-generation immigrant but especially to Chinese-American students who would likely be even more familiar with specific customs and norms in that culture. However, there are definitely some very adult themes and disturbing scenes depicted such as suicide, infanticide, racism, child slavery, and more, it would need to be presented to a more mature class that would be capable of discussing such things in an appropriate manner.

5/5

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Benjamin Alirje

Aristotle (Ari) is a 15 year old Mexican-American boy who lives in El Paso. His brother is in jail and he struggles to connect with his parents. One summer, in an effort to escape the doldrums of his family life, Ari goes to the local pool. There he meets Dante who offers to teach him how to swim. Dante is also a 15 year old Mexican-American and the two bond over their classical names. The two become inseparable friends, a first for Ari. The two speak about their Mexican heritage and the feelings that they have about it. At the end of the summer, Dante will be moving to Chicago. Ari saves Dantes life by pushing him out of the way of a moving car, injuring himself in the process. Over the course of the next school year the two write letters to one another. Dante begins to realize that he is gay. Ari is supportive but spends his year trying to kiss a girl named Illeana. The next summer, Dante gets beaten up in an alley for kissing another boy and admits his love for Ari. Only after healing things with his parents and learning his favorite Aunt was ostracized from the family for being gay does Ari realize he too is gay and admits his love for Dante.

I chose this book initially because the title intrigued me. What I found was a wonderful book that explored not only themes of being a Mexican-American in Texas during the late 80s but also a touching love story about two LGBT teens. I think this is a good book for high school teachers to keep in their multicultural library. The two characters are relatable in the lives they live. Immigrant families can sometimes be less open to LGBT members of their family. Many latino families in particular are heavily Catholic and therefore even more hostile to LGBT issues. While the Catholic Church has taken some small steps toward correcting that behavior it can still be very hard for latino youth to grow up in that environment. The fact that this book has a happy ending is, in my opinion, it’s best feature. Students don’t need anymore reminders that the world isn’t all rainbows and puppies. What they do need is stories that provide them with hope.

I am Malala
By Malala Yousafzai

I am Malala is the story of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakastani girl. Actually, the Pakastani girl. No. The Pakastani. Malala is the most famous Pakastani in the world. She is because she was shot in the head on a school bus, while trying to attend school in the northern Taliban controlled region of Pakistan. She survived and has gone on to become an advocate for educating girls the world over. At the age of 17, she became the youngest Nobel Prize winner ever. Her book details her life of activism before she was attacked and after.

My reasons for choosing this book for a multicultural library should be obvious. Malala is a world renowned activist for education and has been since her early teens. She survived an attack by the Taliban, a group which has fended off attacks from both the former Soviet Union and the United States. Malala’s story is an inspiration to young people who come from areas of the world where the powerful have the monopoly on information. Many ELL students come from areas where authoritarians have limited their right to an education. The book serves to showcase how important education is and how far some are willing to go to recieve it.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles

A Separate Peace takes place in the 1940s and is centered around two friends at a boarding school. The two boys are inseparable. Gene is the narrator and a shy character except when he is around is best friend, Finny. Finny gets Gene to come out of his shell and be more outgoing. The two friends are ready to take on the world together until an incident occurs and their friendship is drawn into question.

This novel is perfect for high school immigrants. It shows that friendship is a strong universal value. For ESLs it does not have tough English language. Any word that a student may have trouble with can be defined and given an explanation to the students. This book shows that friendship and help someone through a tough time. ESLs should make these connections with other students whether in school, in a club or anywhere. This way the students do not have to feel alone. They can have a friend to help them through learning English but also being a new student. The buildup takes some time to unfold, but it is worth it.

Rating: 4/5

I am Not your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez
Rating 5/5

It has been a long time since I read a novel all the way until the end. This book is very touching, the author Erika L. Sanches lives in Chicago. Through this book she tells the life of young girl Julia who is pursuing to live a life outside of the expectations of what her ethnicity and gender define it to be. Julia lives in an area of Chicago where violence is very common. The whole plot revolves around Julia's sister's death. Her sister Olga was the perfect daughter to her parents, which leads to say she was the perfect Mexican daughter. The reason I chose this book was because it has a Mexican character, and through this character a lot of different themes are presented, which are parallel to the themes presented in Gage Park.

One of themes is Christian beliefs, Gage Park has a high rate of teen pregnancy and violence, therefore families encourage their kids to attend church in order to walk along the "right path". Julia is faced a struggle of believing in her church when Julia’s mother is Catholic and attends prayer meetings at her church. Julia says Amá (her mom) thinks everyone is a Satanist. She and her mother frequently argue about faith because Julia feels the Catholic church hates women and wants them to be weak and ignorant.

I would use this book in junior/senior class setting because it does use strong language when discussing sexuality. Regardless, I feel that this book sparks a lot of discussion in predominantly Hispanic classroom (which is what I will be teaching). Reason being because, from my experience Mexican parents do have a lot of expectations from their kids, given that they migrated to the U.S to give them a better future. Not a lot of young adults know how to deal with these expectations, therefore this book can serve as a way to filter out those emotions.
I want to end this review with a very funny quote from the book

“As much as I get sick of eating Mexican food every single day of my life, if heaven existed, I know it would smell like fried tortillas.” (I am not you perfect Mexican daughter, Sanchez).

Love, Hate & Other Filters
Rating: 4/5

This book is about a fictional Maya Aziz, an American Muslim girl whose parents are from India and is about to graduate from high school. This book can help young adult readers understand the difficulties of being a Muslim girl in high school dealing with Islamophobia in the United States. Early on, there is a bombing attack carried out by terrorists. This book also involves the issues Maya has with her parents about what to do after high school and what school to go to. This book addresses the issues of living with strict immigrant parents-and the Harvard article that we read for this module addresses some of those issues which is why I believe this book is a great choice for students and possible teachers to read, especially if they do not have any experience with Muslims or children of strict foreign Muslim parents. It discusses the pressures she feels from her family and how her religion is more of an identity to her, and not a practice. She is prone to bullying from another student due to this. This is a great book for cultural reasons. For ESL, it does not contain anything over the top or anything that would be difficult to understand. Definitely great with dealing with cultural and social pressures that are foreign to many Americans.

Balcony on the Moon: Coming of Age in Palestine
Rating: 5/5

I did not know this was a sequel until after I started reading it so I had to back track and read a little about the previous book, but it was easy to pick up on and get going. So, this book is about Ibtisam Barakt, a young girl coming of age in Palestine in the ‘70’s. I do not want to give a lot away, but she has gone through more than many will ever have to. It is the story of the author’s life during this time. This is a really intense book and I do not think that it would be great for ESL learners because there is a lot of symbolism and political concepts that may not be easily graspable. Well, I take that back. I do not think it would be great for all ESL learners unless they are ESL from Arabic countries, then they may already understand some of the issues and be able to piece it together but Hispanic, East Asian, etc. may struggle with this. Regarding cultural, I want to apply the same standard as well. In fact, I think it would be better for an already English-speaking teacher to read this if they are unfamiliar with the political and social issues of the area. It is a great book and deals with a lot of personal issues that this young woman faced. Her story is remarkable, and I recommend this to anyone.

The Hate U Give
Review: 5/5

After watching the movie instead of reading the book…kidding. But, after reading my previous two books concerning Arab/Muslim characters, I wanted to read one from the perspective of another group facing social difficulties and I picked this book because I had heard a lot about it, but never investigated it. It turned out to be exactly what I expected. The story of a young black girl growing up dealing with the pressures that are currently being placed on that group by white police officers and general cultural apathy. I think this book would be EXCELLENT for ESL learners in high school. First and foremost, for cultural reasons. Racism is an open secret in the United States and many immigrants I’m sure are aware of this but may not understand it. This book provides excellent insight to this. Especially police shootings. For language reasons, the book is not complicated and discusses a lot of common high school themes that may make it easier to read since they could relate to the age group’s emotions and experiences, especially if they are a minority in their school.

Vietnamerica is a visually impressive depiction of GB Tran’s exploration of his family’s past in Vietnam. Tran uses this graphic memoir to uncover the hidden history of his parents and their immigration to The United States. Tran discovers the struggles his family endured and the motivations behind leaving Vietnam following the fallout of the Fall of Saigon. Through his search for more answers, Tran further begins to understand his family dynamics and how it relates to a time and place he has been removed from since childhood.

I feel that this is a great addition to any classroom that touches on many key themes that all students could appreciate. Tran slowly learns more about the previously vague history of his family’s past struggles and immigration from Vietnam. Throughout his childhood, he never fully questioned his parent’s past life and it wasn’t until adulthood that he began to explore these questions in greater detail. By providing this example, this memoir may encourage students to learn more about their parents’ lives and dive deeper into their family histories. I feel that graphic novels/memoirs are perfect ways to present information in a unique way. In a similar way, graphic novels such as Maus depict difficult topics such as the Holocaust through a different lens than traditional novels. Vietnamerica provides that experience in a way that readers can understand Tran’s family history in a vivid way. The alternating fonts may be a minor challenge for ELL students, but the content and visuals alongside make for a great reading experience.

5/5
Vietnamerica: A Family's Journey

The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora

This book is about thirteen-year-old Arturo Zamora and his summer of fun turning into much more. Arturo expects his summer to be filled with basketball, hanging in banyan trees, and drinking smoothies with his Abuela (grandmother). However, change is in store when he has his first crush on family friend Carmen and when a developer comes into town and threatens to tear down his family’s restaurant that is the heart of the neighborhood. This story is about family, community and Arturo’s fight to keep that together. This book would be good for bilingual learners because many of them would be able to relate to their community and culture being threatened by “the big guy” and gentrification. It shows that through perseverance, courage, and the bonds of community anything can be accomplished. Also, this book richly incorporates Arturo’s Cuban culture in the story with his family dynamics, food, and poetry from legendary Cuban revolutionist José Martí. The author even adds his own family’s recipes at the end of the book to share his culture with his readers, which I thought was a charming touch since food is what brought the community together in the story. Also, this book has Spanish words and phrases incorporated throughout the text which adds to the authentic feel of Arturo and his family.

They Call Me Güero: A Border Kid's Poems

They call me Güero is a series of poems that depict the life and experiences of Mexican-American seventh-grader Güero who lives in the U.S. in a town near the border of Mexico. Güero faces some identity challenges throughout the story. He is light-skinned and freckled which he feels makes him a misfit among the other boys. However, his father has an honest and eye-opening conversation with Güero telling him that “pale folks catch all the breaks” and that he has to use the doors that will be opened for him so that he can hold open the doors for the rest of them. This moment was very powerful because it speaks to the lack of opportunities non-white people can face in this country. I feel that most immigrants and bilingual learners can relate to this. Another powerful moment was when Güero and his family are stopped by border patrol. Güero talks about the fear and anger he feels that he constantly must prove that he belongs in his own country. Especially given the current political climate, many Latino students would be able to connect to Güero and his family’s feelings. This also would provide other students some perspective on how that would feel. Spanish is also used greatly throughout these poems further incorporating the vibrancy of Güero’s culture. A glossary is provided at the end so non-Spanish speakers can feel more confident learning about Güero and his culture and experiences. Lastly, I think this is a good book for teachers to note because it has many great tips for educating multicultural students. Güero makes a point to talk about his english teacher and how she includes many cultures in her lessons like the myths and legends of China, Korea, and Mexico. He also notes that his social studies and english teacher team up to provide cross-content thematic lessons. They call me Güero has a lot of depth and insight of what is like to be a Mexican-American kid living near the border. It would be a great addition to any library.

Merci Suárez Changes Gears

Merci Suárez Changes Gears is the story of a girl of Cuban descent starting the sixth grade at an expensive academy. She is a scholarship student that lives with her parents, brother, and extended family in a group of small houses they call Las Casitas. Merci endures the challenges of growing up including bullies, aging grandparents, and fighting to be treated as an adult. I feel that most kids can relate to this and have similar experiences finding their own voice and how to cope with life’s hard realities. Merci also seems to have to be on edge more than the other students in her school because she is in the academy on scholarship. Her father warns her to be a model student because the school does not have to keep her enrolled and can kick her out if she becomes too much of a nuisance. I feel that many emergent bilingual students would be able to relate to this feeling because society puts harder standards on immigrants and people of differing cultures. They are put on thin ice, and at the slightest hint of trouble there are calls for deportations even though they have as much right for a chance to thrive in this country as anyone else. I also think another reason this book would be good for bilingual learners is because Merci’s Cuban-American culture is well-represented in the book. It is shown through her dynamics with her family, the Spanish phrases incorporated throughout the book, and the traditions depicted, like the differing food menu they eat on Thanksgiving and the staying up till midnight on Christmas Eve. I feel that many Latino students will be able to identify with these aspects which would allow them to be able to relate to the characters in the book and project themselves in the story.

Look Out, Kindergarten, Here I Come! Preparate, Kindergarten, Alla voy!
By Nancy Carlson

The book is about a little mouse Henry’s first day of kindergarten. It is in both English (on top of the page) and Spanish (on the bottom of the page). It depicts a great sequence of events and routine (getting up, getting dressed, and eating breakfast, ect.) and a detailed day of first day of school. It helps decrease anxiety that many students get on that first day of school. It also gives an overview of what the school in America is like. The book can be read simultaneously to English and Spanish speaking students. The book can be used for discussion of routine, events sequence, and comparing and contrasting the school in the US with schools in students’ native countries.

Ana cultiva manzanas. Apple Farmer Annie
By Monica Wellington

The book is written in both Spanish and English. The Spanish letters are of large print and the English words are smaller print underneath the Spanish words. It can be read to both English and Spanish speakers at the same time. The book depicts Annie an apple farmer who grows apples. After the apples are done, Annie makes several things from the apples such as apple cider, cookies, and apple sauce. She also takes the most beautiful apples and takes them to the big city to the market to sell. Many EL students come from villages. Many of them were farmers or grew their own food in small batches. After reading this story, different recipes can be discussed from the native countries. The recipes can include an apple as an ingredient or not. The main character also goes to the big city to the market just like many of the students moved to the US to big cities from little villages.

Bear about Town. Oso en la ciudad
By Stella Blackstone and Debbie Harter

The book is written in both English and Spanish. It talks about a bear and the places he goes on different days of the week. This book is great to teach days of the week and well as the places and shops around town. After reading this book, the students can be prompted to discuss what they do during the week and on the weekend. The story can be read to English and Spanish speakers simultaneously.

Three Friends. Tres Amigos
By Maria Cristina Brusca and Tona Wilson

This is a counting book. It has very little words. The book is both in Spanish and English with Spanish on top of the page and English on the bottom. It starts out with simple phrases counting certain things and then it builds on those simple phrases adding verbs and making the phrases simple full sentences.
It is a great book to learn how to count and how to form simple sentences.

Si, Se Puede! Yes, We Can! Janitor Strike in L.A.
By Diana Cohn

The story is both in English and Spanish. The book is about Mexican immigrant family but it also mentions other Latino nations such as El Salvador and Nicaragua. The main character is Carlitos. He lives with his mom and grandma. Carlitos’ father is dead. Grandma needs medication and mom works at night cleaning office buildings. She is not getting paid enough to provide for the family so she does some extra work on the weekend. The genitors decide to go on strike. Ultimately they win better pay and benefits. It is a more serious topic, so I would not recommend this book for kindergarteners, but I think the 2-3 graders would understand. It depicts many struggles that the immigrant families are so familiar with. Many ELs can relate to this story. If you dig a little deeper, you can talk about the suffering of women and at the same time the empowerment that everything is possible if we fight together.

Mi escuela. My School
By George Ancona

Christopher describes his school in both Spanish (on top of the page) and English (on the bottom). He was born in US but his parents come from El Salvador and from Guatemala. Christopher talks about what they do in school. He describes everything in order. Then, he describes the Halloween parade that happens in school in the fall. He also describes lunch and recess. The book also has a small dictionary in the back. It is a great book for older elementary students. Christopher is in fifth grade. After reading this book, students can discuss event order, can talk about their daily routine in school and compare and contrast what the school looked like in the native country and what it looks like in US.

My Name Is Jorge. On Both Sides of the River. Poems in English and Spanish
By Jane Medina

The book is a selection of easy to read poems in Spanish that are translated into English. Some of the poems are silly, but some have a lesson at the end. This is a great book to be read while covering the poetry unit in the classroom. It can be read in both Spanish and English at the same time.

Confetti. Poems for Children
By Pat Mora

The poems are in English. There are a number of Spanish words embedded into the poems. There are also words that are specific to the Latino culture such as tortillas and cornfields. The poems are in English and have many Spanish words in them. This would not be recommended for a beginner EL but for someone in the intermediate level.

You’re Welcome, Universe – Whitney Gardner

You’re Welcome, Universe follows a young Deaf girl named Julia who is, early on, expelled from her deaf-only school for painting graffiti. She gets sent to a public school, where she- predictably- has difficulty fitting in and relating to her fellow students. She finds herself in a graffiti war with a mysterious unknown adversary. The book received several awards for its content, but it’s the style of writing that really shows off here: As the main character is Deaf, any time she reads lips, it’s imperfect, and as such, the dialogue can be partly or entirely wrong. This makes for very interesting conversations- the character thinks in English, but she can’t hear, so there’s a communication barrier, but the book doesn’t have other languages present, making it perfect for English Learners- who better to empathize with than a character who can’t understand English either? In addition, Julia isn’t afraid to make mistakes- she’s an unashamedly, believably human character, with flaws and complex motivations. The book won’t sugarcoat anything for readers, and all the better for it; nobody wants to be told that everything is perfect when it’s clearly not, because that makes for boring story.

Americanized: Rebel Without a Green Card – Sara Saedi

Americanized is the autobiographical tale of Sara’s journey from discovering she’s in the United States illegally to finally getting her green card. It’s a very recognizable story, although with an interesting caveat- Sara’s an immigrant from Iran, and the majority of English-Learners in Chicago are Spanish-speaking, not Arabic speaking. Still, the lessons she has to pass on are far-reaching and near-universal, especially for immigrants or the children of immigrants. It helps break down stereotypes, adds detail about the history of her homeland and her parents’ perilous journey to a better life, and even includes details about what to do if Immigration comes looking for you or your family members. It’s definitely something that’ll be on my shelf in my classroom- what better book to share with English Learners than the memoirs of young woman who may truly understand what they’re going through?

I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter

Chicago high school student and first generation Mexican-American, Julia Mendoza, is having a rough time since her sister died in a tragic accident. Her parents are grief-stricken: her father barely acknowledges her presence and her mother constantly reminds her how she’s the problem child, unlike her late sister Olga. But Julia discovers that her sister might not have been the model daughter her family thinks. She’s determined to find about more about her sister’s secret life while confronting her own personal demons and issues with mental health. This is a touching, funny, and suspenseful story about an immigrant girl who learns that sometimes other people need to be understood just as much as she does.

ELs will hopefully be able to sympathize with this book on several visceral levels. There’s quite a bit of tension between Julia and her parents, who often feel confused and alienated by their “Americanized” daughter. A central event in the book is Julia’s quinceañera and how important her parents think it is, despite her aggressive disinterest. The book also portrays what it’s like to be poor and Latino in the city of Chicago with a direct and matter-of-fact style that may be relatable to many: Julia’s mother works as a cleaning woman and her father works in a candy factory and they rarely have enough money to keep the fridge full. Ultimately, the novel is about bridging gaps and the secrets we sometimes have to confront in order to be better people and strengthen our familial bonds.

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Ari and Dante meet one summer during high school at the local pool. Ari can’t swim; Dante offers to teach him. The two Mexican-American boys who have previously been loners become fast friends. Until one day, in the aftermath of a rain storm, Ari pushes Dante out of the way of a speeding car, breaking both his legs in the process. After that the two are indelibly linked; their unbreakable bond becomes both cherished and hated. Both boys are trying to grow up and figure out who they are, even though Dante seems to be much more sure of himself in a very unique way. Ari feels alone and disconnected from his parents, especially his dad, though they outwardly display their love and support of him. Eventually the two come to realize that despite the struggles of everyday life, there is love in this world and sometimes you don’t have to go very far to find it.

This is a book that doesn’t portray recent immigrants, but uses more established Mexican-American roots as background for the characters and the world in which they live. A key question the boys pose to themselves (often in jest) is what it means to really be Mexican. Additionally, without giving too much away, it presents both a hopeful outlook and the potential dangers of living an alternative lifestyle and what that means for family acceptance. The experience of the boys has a distinctly Mexican-American feel to it, while still speaking universal truths. In that way, the book is an extremely important read for all students; especially those who feel particularly vulnerable and confused during their teenage years.