Books!
Monday, May 08, 2006
Notable Books for a Global Society
Each year a special interest committee made up of members of the International Reading Association selects 25 children’s books that promote understanding of cultural diversity. All selected books must meet the general requirements for excellence for their particular genre, along with several other criteria including cultural authenticity and diversity. To be eligible for the 2006 list, a book must have been published in the United States for the first time in 2005.
Here are books from this distinguished list available now at the Fall Creek Elementary Library. For a complete list visit the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group at www.csulb.edu/org/childrens-lit/.
Shanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng F Che
The protagonist of this short chapter book struggles to discover her identity between two cultures. Eleven-year-old Xiao Mei’s visit with her extended family in China introduces her to a new world as well as helps her understand better who she is.
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson E Woo
Soonie's great-grandma was only seven when she was sold away from her parents in Virginia and sent to South Carolina. All she had was a piece of muslin from her mother, two needles, and bright red thread. Big Mama, who cared for the plantation children, and at night whispered them stories of freedom, raised her. Big Mama taught the author’s great-grandma how to sew messages and directions into quilt patterns, a Show Way. At the end of the picture book we learn that the quilt-making tradition described in the story has passed down through successive generations of women in the narrator’s family.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni B Par
A biography that focuses on the day Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and the consequent bus boycott that followed. A great read aloud for intermediate age children. Also, the author chose to include Rosa’s politics and her commitment to the Women’s Political Council and the NAACP offering us another side to this often quietly portrayed woman.
The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport 379.2 Rap
This is the true story of the Carter family who in 1965 chose to send their children to a white school in Drew, Mississippi. The schools in Drew were still segregated by race then, even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared school segregation illegal eleven years before. It is because of the Carter family’s bravery and resilience that the author chose to tell us their inspiring story.
Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies 398.2 Joh
A collection of fifteen Middle Eastern tales about the folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Goha, a man with a reputation for being able to answer difficult questions in clever ways.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo B Lee
In 1932 twelve-year-old Sammy Lee was allowed to use the public swimming pool only with other people of color on Wednesdays. However, this discrimination did not stop him from practicing diving and becoming the first Asian American to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Mama Panya’s Pancakes A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary and Rich Chamberlin
E Cha
Mama Panya has just enough money to buy ingredients for a few pancakes, so when her son Adika invites all their friends to join them, she is sure there will not be enough to go around. A recipe, map, details about daily life, and facts about Kiswahili and Kenya are included. ¶ 12:28 PM 2 Comments
Here are books from this distinguished list available now at the Fall Creek Elementary Library. For a complete list visit the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group at www.csulb.edu/org/childrens-lit/.
Shanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng F Che
The protagonist of this short chapter book struggles to discover her identity between two cultures. Eleven-year-old Xiao Mei’s visit with her extended family in China introduces her to a new world as well as helps her understand better who she is.
Show Way by Jacqueline Woodson E Woo
Soonie's great-grandma was only seven when she was sold away from her parents in Virginia and sent to South Carolina. All she had was a piece of muslin from her mother, two needles, and bright red thread. Big Mama, who cared for the plantation children, and at night whispered them stories of freedom, raised her. Big Mama taught the author’s great-grandma how to sew messages and directions into quilt patterns, a Show Way. At the end of the picture book we learn that the quilt-making tradition described in the story has passed down through successive generations of women in the narrator’s family.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni B Par
A biography that focuses on the day Rosa Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and the consequent bus boycott that followed. A great read aloud for intermediate age children. Also, the author chose to include Rosa’s politics and her commitment to the Women’s Political Council and the NAACP offering us another side to this often quietly portrayed woman.
The School Is Not White! A True Story of the Civil Rights Movement by Doreen Rappaport 379.2 Rap
This is the true story of the Carter family who in 1965 chose to send their children to a white school in Drew, Mississippi. The schools in Drew were still segregated by race then, even though the U.S. Supreme Court had declared school segregation illegal eleven years before. It is because of the Carter family’s bravery and resilience that the author chose to tell us their inspiring story.
Goha the Wise Fool by Denys Johnson-Davies 398.2 Joh
A collection of fifteen Middle Eastern tales about the folk hero Nasreddin Hoca, also known as Goha, a man with a reputation for being able to answer difficult questions in clever ways.
Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds The Sammy Lee Story by Paula Yoo B Lee
In 1932 twelve-year-old Sammy Lee was allowed to use the public swimming pool only with other people of color on Wednesdays. However, this discrimination did not stop him from practicing diving and becoming the first Asian American to win a gold medal at the Olympics.
Mama Panya’s Pancakes A Village Tale from Kenya by Mary and Rich Chamberlin
E Cha
Mama Panya has just enough money to buy ingredients for a few pancakes, so when her son Adika invites all their friends to join them, she is sure there will not be enough to go around. A recipe, map, details about daily life, and facts about Kiswahili and Kenya are included. ¶ 12:28 PM 2 Comments
