Picture Book 26

Title: We are America
Author: Walter Dean Myers
Illustrator: Christopher Myers
Readability Score: ?
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Historical/Information
Theme: How we came to be
Main Characters: N/A
Secondary Characters: N/A
ISBN: 978-0-06-052309-1
Publisher:Collins
Publication Date: 2011
Summary: This book is very illustrated with pictures of different "types" of people that have lived and made America what it is today. It starts with the Indians and tells about how it was before the "ships came". It tells a short passage about how it was in those days- "sons raced the winds, Comanche and Iroquois, sitting in a circle in the village". The book reflects this same pattern but with different people through out the book. The book highlights Pioneers, Slaves, people in Hawaii, African Americans in the Congo, Bostonians... Then it shows what they did- they raised up factories, and farms. Then the book highlights historically events from our Presidents words, The Constitution of the US, The Tea Party, and then the words from Abraham Lincoln in the time of slavery. The book shows veterans- the wounded- the dead. Then we see the coming together of Germans, Italians, Africans, Chinese, and so on... WE are America. The book is great just with the texts- but the pictures in this book are amazing!
How would use: This is an amazing way to show just how America came to be- how some people got here and how far they have came since then. WE all are America. I would have the students write a short paragraph about what they feel it means to be AMERICA. Then I will read them the passage at the end of this book- about what being America is.

picture book 25

Title: Rhymes Round the World
Author: Kay Chorao
Illustrator: Kay Chorao
Readability Score: ?
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Juvenile Poetry
Theme: Poems are the same in any language
Main Characters: n/a
Secondary Characters: n/a
ISBN: 978-0-525-47875-1
Publisher: Duttons Childrens book
Publication Date: 2009
Summary: This book tells poems from around the world, under each poem it tells where it is from. For example- "I am like a bear. I hold up my hands, waiting for the sun to rise." This poem was from a Pawnee, Native American. The illustrations shows a girl dressed in Native American attire with a bear shadow for the back ground. These poems tell of clouds in the sky that look like animals, to Brother John, Are you sleeping (came from France). to Winds that blew peach blossoms from someone in Korea. These poems show not only similarities in our poems but shows the differences and cultures of the writer. Each poem filled with pictures of that culture- like the Pinata poem- shows a boy trying to hit a pinata. The words and pictures flow great together.
How would use: This would be another great book to show how we are more alike than different. We can do so much with this book- we can talk about different cultures, things the people in the pictures are celebrating/doing. Then I would have the students write their own poem about their birthday- this would show how in our classrooms we are all different and do different thing, but differences are fun and fun to talk about.

picture book 24

Title: Thank you world
Author:Alice McGinty
Illustrator:Qendy Halperin
Readability Score:
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Juevnile Fiction
Theme: We are more alike than different
Main Characters: no set main characters
Secondary Characters: n/a
ISBN: 976-0-8037-2705-2
Publisher: The Pequin Group
Publishication Date: 2007
Summary: There is not very much text to this book- but each page has a set of 8 squares- each square represents- United States, Mexico, Mali, Saudi Arabia, Boliva, France, India, and China. At the end of the book it even shows the places on the globe. So- on each page it shows a children representive of that place but the text is being said by all the children. Some of text include:"Thank you swing. You shoot me like a rock...Thank you breeze for lifting my kite wings...and Thank you mom for tucking in my tiptoes". Each child has a different swing, a differnt kite, and a different mom- but they all have these things in common nonetheless. One world.
How would use: This book is amazing to show how alike we all are. Altough we all have differences- we do the same things and enjoy the same activities- even from miles away. I would have everyone draw a picture of their room- then we could compare just how in our own rooms we have similarties and differences.

picture 23

Title:The Wall
Author: Peter Sis
Illustrator: Peter Sis
Readability Score:4.5
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Non-Fiction
Awards: 2008 Caldecott and Robert Sibert
Theme: Living through troubling times.
Main Characters: Peter
Secondary Characters:
ISBN: 0-374-34701-8
Publisher:South China Printing Co. Ltd.
Publication Date:2007
Summary:This story is a real story about a boy who grew up right when the Soviets took control of Czechoslovakia. He recalls communist symbols and red flags everywhere. He recalls being asked to report about his own family and friends. Then he saw it- the Berlin Wall. This wall he recalls dividing the East from the West- the Iron Curtain was drawn. The were wars and talks of nuclear war. Secret police watching EVERYWHERE. Throughout the whole book- he continues to draw- he draws the things he is seeing, being influenced by. Some of his drawings could not be seen in public- he had to hide them. He recalls a time when things got better and he joined a band and things seemed better. Just when things were getting better- he saws Russian Tanks and their red- was everywhere. Everything went away- even the bands. Until the Beach Boys arrived! He begin to paint "dreams and nightmares." With the good- was also bad- but he dreamed of freedom- crazy dreams.The community got worse and his dreams got crazier. He wanted over that wall.
How would use: This would be used to teach students about the fear of war and how it affects others. We would talk about the Cold War, WWII and just how oppressed the people were in these days. This story if factual about a boy who was born during this time. The kids could also draw a picture of their own freedom and what it means to them.

Picture Book 22

Title: An Amish Christmas
Author: Richard Ammon
Illustrator: Pamela Patrick
Readability Score: n/a
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Realstic Fiction
Theme: Chistmas in an Amish Household
Main Characters: Brother of a big Amish Family- narrator
Secondary Characters: Rachel, Anna (teacher), Danny, Lydia, Malinda, Katie, John, other member of Amish family.
ISBN:0-590-18711-2
Publisher:Scholastic Inc
Publishication Date: 1997
Summary: This story tells about Christmas in an Amish household. Their Christmass' is very similar to traditional christmas- with the expection of a christmas tree or santa clause. They have school on Christmas eve and will only get off for christmas day- this way they can end school early to help their family plow during the spring. They get very few gifts- and most are handmade. They do not use electricity and they ride in a horse drawn carriages. For their gifts, they get gifts they can use outside like skates and sleds and the children all play togther till the day is done- and they have completed their chores for the day- even on Christmas.
How would use: Just a great book to highlight the differences in cultures. We could have a dicussion about the different types of holidays people share and the way they celebrate. I would also let the students write a paper of the way they celebrate Christmas- then we could look at our similarites and differences in holiday celebration.

Picture 21

Title: My Chinatown
Author: Kam Mak
Illustrator: Kam Mak
Readability Score: 3.7
Genre: diversity
Sub Genre: Realistic Fiction and poetry
Theme: Finding a piece of home in another country.
Main Characters: Narrator (un-named)
Secondary Characters: n/a
ISBN: 0-06-029191-5
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Publishication Date: 2002
Summary:This is written from a young boys point of view and he is upset in the first season (book is written in season) about moving from Hong Kong- as the book goes along and he tells more and more about ChinaTown and the things that are similar to Hong Kong- the reader begins to see the boys attitude change a little. He tells about the Chinese New Years, the dragons (people dressed up as dragons), the types of fruits/foods he ate in Chinese, the fortune-tellers, and so on. The book tells so much about Chinese culture and ChinaTown in New York. Each part of the book is told depending on which season it is.
How would use: I would use this book to show the culture of china and how there are parts of the USA that mimic other parts of the world. We would also talk about Chinese culture; for instance their New Year or how they are much more "superstitious" (horoscopes, luck, etc) than we are.

Picture Book 20

Title:A south African Night
Author: Rachel Isadora
Illustrator: Rachel Isadora Turner
Readability Score:2.3
Genre: Diversity
Sub Genre: Realistic Ficiton
Theme: Theres always something happening in South Africa- day and night.
Main Characters:n/a
Secondary Characters:n/a
ISBN:0-688-11390-7
Publisher:Tien Wah Press
Publication Date: 1998
Summary: This book highlights the day/night throughout South Africa- in particular Johannesburg (for daytime). The narrarator tells about the stores that close when it becomes night and all the kids go home and to bed. But that is when a couple hundred miles away the animals just begin to wake up. The book tells about the different types of animals from snakes to lions to hippos. It gives short details about the animals and what they do at night. When the sun comes up the animals go to sleep, then the people get up and go to the stores and their day begins again- while the animals are sleeping.
How would use: I would use this book to show how thing in Africa- are different but yet similar to the ways here. Although we don't have elephants and hippos- we have several animals that move in the night and sleep during the day. We could discuss and talk about these animals and the differences and similarities in the pictures of the people in the book and American people.