Let's Talk About Race by Julius Lester

Let's Talk About Race is a powerful book with a very important message . . . we are all different, but beneath our skin we are all the same. In this book, the author, Julius Lester, shares facts about himself. He calls it his "story." Using easy-to-understand words, Lester explains that everyone has a story and that race is just one small part of that story. Then he goes on to explain that we are all made the same underneath our skin. In kid language, Lester is teaching the reader that people should not judge others by their race. I think that the most thought-provoking lines of the entire book are the last lines, when Lester states, "I'll take off my skin. Will you take off yours?" This book and especially these lines would be a great way to start a conversation about equality in an older-elementary classroom.

Julius Lester has written many other children's books, including From Slave Ship to Freedom Road, To Be a Slave, and Why Heaven is Far Away.

References:

Lester, J. (2005). Let's Talk About Race. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.

HarperCollins. (2008). Let's Talk About Race. Retrieved on April 7, 2008, from http://www.harpercollins.com/books/9780060285968/Lets_Talk_About_Race/index.aspx

Hiroshima by Laurence Yep

Hiroshima, written by Laurence Yep, is a powerful historical fiction story that details the dropping of the first atomic bomb, including the events leading up to it and what happens afterwards. I remember learing about this awful part of our country's history in high school, however, I'm not sure that the details of the suffering that was incurred by the people of Hiroshima was quite as vivid as it told in this book. In this story, Yep introduces the reader to two sisters named Riko and Sachi, who are 16 and 12 years old respectively. The girls live in Hiroshima and are both in the city at the time of the bombing. Riko is killed instantly. Sachi survives but is left with terribly disfiguring scars, which cause her to become somewhat of a recluse. It isn't until years later that she is sent to America where doctors are able to repair some of her injuries and help her to feel as though she can return to her homeland to assist other survivors.

This book is written at a level that my 3rd and 4th graders could easily read, but the content and historical facts are not watered down at all. In fact, I found the information in this story to be so interesting that it prompted me to do some internet research on the aftermath of the atomic bomb and on the Hiroshima Maidens, which is the name given to the group of 25 women who traveled to America for numerous surgeries.

Interestingly enough, Yep dedicated this book to Yoshiko Uchida, another author whose books we are assigned to read, and he makes mention of Sadako, the child written about in the well-known story Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Yep is also the author of many more books that feature Chinese characters, such as Dragonwings, Dragon's Gate, The Cook's Family, and The Tiger's Apprentice series.

References:

Yep, L. (1995). Hiroshima. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Fantastic Fiction. (2008). Hiroshima. Retrieved on March 5, 2008, from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/y/laurence-yep/hiroshima.htm

Princess Academy - 2006 Newbery Honor Book

The Princess Academy, written by Shannon Hale, is the story of a mountain girl named Miri. More than anything Miri longs to be accepted as a valuable member of her family. She wants to show her worth by working side by side in the quarry with her father, sister, and the other members of the village, but her father will not allow it. Instead, Miri is given the job of trading goods and caring for the family goats.

When an announcement comes, stating that the prince's bride-to-be will be chosen from the mountain girls of her village and all of the eligible girls must attend an academy to train for life as a possible princess, Miri wants nothing to do with it. She would much rather stay with her family on Mount Eskel. However, when it is clear that she must go, she decides that she will demonstrate her worthiness to her family by becoming the academy princess. Her stubborn nature and decisive tactics earn her the respect of many of the girls in the academy, and when bandits attack the academy, it is Miri who discovers the way to save them all.

References:

Hale, S. (2005). The Princess Academy. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Squeetus. (n.d.). Books: Princess Academy. Retrieved on March 4, 2008, from http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_academy.html

Rosa - Winner of the 2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award

Rosa is written by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier. This book was the winner of the 2006 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award and a 2006 Caldecott Honor Book . The Coretta Scott King Award is given annually to authors and illustrators who, through their work, promote cultural understanding and appreciation of all people and of their contribution to the realization of the American dream.

The book tells the true story about the brave and historic stand that Rosa Parks took on December 1, 1955, as well as how her efforts paved the way for desegregation of buses in the United States. The story is beautifully complemented by the illustrations, which are a mixture of watercolor and collage. Collier seems to intentionally keep the faces of the characters in the story realistic looking, with Rosa Parks looking near to identical in likeness. At the same time, a large part of the rest of the illustrations are made up of collages, which just adds to their interest and keeps the readers eyes engaged as completely as the words do.

References:

Giovanni, N. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt and Company, LLC.

Common Sense Media. (2008). Rosa. Retrieved on February 25, 2008, from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Rosa.html.

The Hello, Goodbye Window - Winner of the 2006 Caldecott Medal

The Hello, Goodbye Window is written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. This book includes a sweet little story about a grandchild's interpretation of one of the windows on her grandparent's house. She views it as the hello, goodbye window because that is where her grandparents wave hello and goodbye each time she visits. But that's not all. The window has other purposes too, including reflecting images at night and the place to say good morning to the garden. All in all, this is an endearing story about a child's love and affection for her Nanny and Poppy and all of the special times she has when visiting their home.

The colorful illustrations resemble a child's scribbles, which I think only add to the appeal of this book. Aside from the drawn-on facial expressions of the characters in this book and a few other outlined details on the house, the rest of the illustrations look like they were made by wet watercolor paints that are all running together. I found them kid-like and very appropriate for the story.

References:

Juster, N. (2005). The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Common Sense Media. (2008). The Hello, Goodbye Window. Retrieved on February 25, 2008, from http://commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Hello-Goodbye-Window.html.

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers - Winner of the 2004 Caldecott Medal

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers is a picture book written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein. It is a biographical tale of the mischievious Philippe Petit, a tightrope walker who walked and performed on a wire that was strung between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City on August 7, 1974.

This story tells about how Petit came up with the idea to walk between the towers; how Petit and some friends worked through the night to tie the cable to the tops of both towers; how he waited until the sun came up to begin his adventure in the sky; and eventually, how he was caught and sentenced to perform in the park for the children of the city. Without a doubt, this story has very special meaning to those who remember the skyline of New York City before 9-11. Gerstein's illustrations provide the reader with beautiful images, which are a wonderful way to remember the twin towers as part of our country's history.

References:

Gerstein, M. (2003). The Man Who Walked Between the Towers. New Milford, CN: Roaring Book Press.

American Library Association. (n.d.). 2004 Medal Winner. Retrieved on February 18, 2008, from http://web1.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarship/literaryawds/caldecottmedal/caldecotthonors/2004caldecottmedalhonors.cfm.

The Tale of Desperaux - Winner of the 2004 Newbery Medal

The Tale of Desperaux is written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. I happened upon this fairytale-like story when my third-grade son brought it home from school for his group reading project. I instantly identified its ability to fill two purposes in my life, it met the requirements of this class assignment and gave me the perfect reason to spend some quality reading time with my son.

I absolutely loved this story! There are so many interesting characters, including Desperaux, a mouse who from birth is not mouse-like at all; Roscuro, a rat who is responsible for the death of the queen and the outlawing of soup and spoons in the kingdom; Miggery Sow, who is a simple-minded girl who wants to be a princess and believes that Roscuro can make her one; and the Princess Pea, the sweet, good-hearted young royal. This story has a hero, a villain, action/adventure, and, of course, like any good fairytale, the story ends happily!

DiCamillo used such an interesting approach to telling this story. This story is told through the voice of a narrator, and throughout the book, the narrator directly addresses the reader with questions and thought-provoking comments. The soft, black-and-white illustrations also add to the appeal of this book. I loved the fact that Icould see what the main characters looked like.

References:

DiCamillo, K. (2003). The Tale of Desperaux. New York: Scholastic.

Kate DiCamillo. (2008). The Tale of Deperaux. Retrieved on February 14, 2008, from http://www.katedicamillo.com/books/tale.html