A Multicultural World of Books

Finding kids books with Zoobean

Thu, 16 May 2013 09:42:30 -0700

Zoobean is a great tool for parents, guardians, and even educators to help find great books for children.

And the most useful tool, in my opinion, is that you have many filters set up to tailor your preferences - two major ones are Language and Ethnicity.

Having this gives you the opportunity to look for books that suit your family needs, because families are all different and unique in their own ways.

What I recommend you do after you’ve found the book or books you want or need, is to head on over to WorldCat and search for the title to see if you can find it at your local library to check it out!

Zoobean is still a beta website, so it will probably adapt and change as they see fit for their user needs. This means if you see something they can add or edit, let them know! There is also an option to suggest books, so it also becomes a community project where you can suggest books you found useful to others possibly looking for the same thing!

Girl in Germany, Ishema Kane, stands up for herself

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:52:19 -0800

I read a very interesting story on Yahoo News today about an article that caused a lot of uproar - the author stated that old books that use racist language should not be changed and censored. A little girl wrote in her own words how she believed the author was wrong. I fully agree with the little girl that these books make children feel horrible - but I believe this is beyond censoring. Those books need to just be put away where kids cannot find them until they are older and can understand the nuances of race issues of the past, and replace them with books that teach children better things.

These are her words

Dear Editors,

You’re in luck that I’m at least writing this letter to you in my best handwriting because I am very angry at you. Why should it not be prohibited to write ‘Neger’ in children’s books? One has to be able to put oneself in somebody else’s shoes. Because my father is Senegalese, and he is a very dark shade of brown; I am café-au-lait brown. Just imagine if you were Afro-German and lived in Germany. You’re a newspaper reader and unsuspectingly buy the ZEIT of January 17th 2013. Suddenly, you note the article ‘The Little Witch Hunt.’ This is when you read that the word ‘Neger’ is supposed to be deleted from children’s books, and that this would allegedly spoil the children’s books. I find it totally shit that this word would remain in children’s books if it were up to you. You cannot imagine how I feel when I have to read or hear that word. It is simply very, very terrible. My father is not a ‘Neger’ [lightning bolt sign] nor am I. This is also true for all other Africans. Right. That was my opinion. This word should be deleted from children’s books.
Yours,

Ishema Kane, 9 1/2 years old

Where do you stand in this issue? This isn’t just a problem in Germany, but everywhere. Stand up for your children.

Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism

Fri, 04 Jan 2013 17:44:00 -0800

Reprinted from Rethinking Our Classrooms, published by Rethinking Schools (www.rethinkingschools.org), 1994. Adapted from a longer article that appeared in the Bulletin of the Council on Interracial Books for Children, which is no longer published.

“Both in school and out, young children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes - expressed over and over in books and in other media-gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about minorities and women are accepted as reality. It is difficult for a librarian or teacher to convince children to question society’s attitudes. But if a child can be shown how to detect racism and sexism in a book, the child can proceed to transfer the perception to wider areas. The following ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluating children’s books from this perspective.”

1. Check the illustrations

Look for Stereotypes. A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular group, race, or sex, which usually carries derogatory implications. In addition to blatant stereotypes, look for variations which in anyway demean or ridicule characters because of their race or sex. Look for Tokenism. If there are non-white characters in the illustrations, do they look just like whites except for being tinted or colored in? Do all minority faces look stereotypically alike, or are they depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?

Who’s Doing What? Do the illustrations depict minorities in subservient and passive roles or in leadership and action roles? Are males the active “doers” and females the inactive observers.

2. Check the Story Line

The Civil Rights Movement led publishers to weed out many insulting passages, particularly from stories with Black themes, but the attitudes still find expression in less obvious ways. The following checklist suggests some of the subtle (covert) forms of bias to watch for.

Standard for Success. Does it take “white” behavior standards for a person of color to “get ahead”? Is “making it” in the dominant white society projected as the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do people of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities-excel in sports, get A’s, etc.? In friendships between white children and children of color, is it the child of color who does most of the understanding and forgiving?

Resolution of Problems. Now are problems presented, conceived, and resolved in the story? Are people of color considered to be “the problcm? “Are the oppressions faced by people of color and women represented as causally related to an unjust society? Are the reasons for poverty and oppression explained, or are they just accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular problem that is faced by a person of color resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person?

Role of Women. Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys? Are sex roles incidental or critical to characterization and plot? Could the same story be told if the sex roles were reversed?

3. Look at the Lifestyles

Are people of color and their setting depicted in such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia? If the non-white group is depicted as “different,” are negative value judgments implied? Are people of color depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios, or migrant camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict another culture, do they go beyond oversimplifications and offer genuine insights into another lifestyle? Look for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction of other cultures. Watch for instances of the “quaint-natives-in-costume” syndrome (most noticeable in areas like costume and custom, but extending to behavior and personality traits as well).

4. Weigh the Relationships Between People

Do the whites in the story possess the power, take the leadership, and make the important decisions? Do people of color and females function in essentially supporting roles? How are family relationships depicted? In African-American families, is the mother always dominant? In Latino families, are there always lots of children? If the family is separated, are societal conditions - unemployment, poverty - cited among the reasons for the separation?

5. Note the Heroes

For many years, books showed only “safe” non-white heroes - those who avoided serious conflict with the white establishment of their time. People of color are insisting on the right to define their own heroes (of both sexes), based on their own concepts and struggles for justice. When minority heroes do appear, are they admired for the same qualities that have made white heroes famous for because what they have done has benefited white people? Ask this question: “Whose interest is a particular figure really sewing?”

6. Consider the Effects on a Child’s Self Image

Are norms established which limit the child’s aspirations and self-concepts? What effect can it have on African-American children to be continuously bombarded with images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty, cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil, dirty, menacing, etc.? Does the book counteract or reinforce this positive association with the color white and negative association with black?

What happens to a girl’s self-esteem when she reads that boys perform all of the brave and important deeds? What about a girl’s self-esteem if she is not “fair” of skin and slim of body?

In a particular story, is there one or more person with whom a child of color can readily identify to a positive and constructive end?

7. Consider the Author or Illustrators Background

Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap or the back of the book. If a story deals with a multicultural theme, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the author and illustrator are not members of the group being written about, is there anything in their background that would specifically recommend them as the creators of this book? The same criteria apply to a book that deals with the feelings and insights of women or girls.

8. Check Out the Author’s Perspective

No author can be wholly objective. All authors write out of a cultural as well as personal context. Children’s books in the past have traditionally come from white, middle-class authors, with one result being that a single ethnocentric perspective has dominated American children’s literature.

With the book in question, look carefully to determine whether the direction of the author’s perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of his/her written work. Are omissions and distortions central to the overall character or “message” of the book?

9. Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones. Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are “savage, “primitive, “conniving,” “lazy,” “superstitious,” “treacherous,” “wily, “crafty, “inscrutable,” “docile,” and “backward.”

Look for sexist language and adjectives that exclude or ridicule women. Look for use of the male pronoun to refer to both males and females. The following examples show how sexist language can be avoided: “ancestors” instead of “forefathers;” “firefighters” instead of “firemen;” “manufactured” instead of “manmade;” the “human family” instead of the “family of man.”

10. Look at the Copyright Date

Books on “minority” themes – usually hastily conceived - suddenly began appearing in the mid-1960s. There followed a growing number of “minority experience” books to meet the new market demand, but most of these were still written by white authors, edited by white editors, and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Only recently has the children’s book world begun to even remotely reflect the realities of a multiracial society or the concerns of feminists.

The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist, although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book’s relevance or sensitivity. The copyright date only means the year the book was published. It usually takes a minimum of a year - and often much more than that-from the time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the time it is actually printed and put on the market. This time-lag meant very little in the past, but in a time of rapid change and changing consciousness, when children’s book publishing is attempting to be “relevant,” it is increasingly significant.

What is going on as of 2012

Tue, 11 Dec 2012 10:00:47 -0800

This is an update to this post, which as written in mid 2011 because it shows statistics for children’s books published in 2011.

This Census article from March 2011, states that

More than half of the growth in the total U.S. population between 2000 and 2010 was because of the increase in the Hispanic population. Between 2000 and 2010, the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, rising from 35.3 million in 2000 to 50.5 million in 2010. The rise in the Hispanic population accounted for more than half of the 27.3 million increase in the total U.S. population. By 2010, Hispanics comprised 16 percent of the total U.S. population of 308.7 million.

The non-Hispanic population grew relatively slower over the decade at about 5 percent. Within the non-Hispanic population, the number of people who reported their race as white alone grew even slower (1 percent). While the non-Hispanic white alone population increased numerically from 194.6 million to 196.8 million over the 10-year period, its proportion of the total population declined from 69 percent to 64 percent.

Interesting facts on their own, but then compare it to statistics like these that are independently run by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center. Click HERE to see their ongoing research on children’s book on and by people of color since 2002.

2011 saw a decline in books by and about African Americans and Latino/Hispanics, but saw a small increase in books by and about Native Americans and the breadth of Asian Americans.

If the Census is clearly showing us that Hispanics are becoming an ever present majority along with other minorities…why are they such a small percentage of these books published dedicated for minorities?

It works out so that roughly out of these 5,000 or so books published each year, only 5% of that 5,000 will be for all minorities. 16% (that means 1 in 6) of the population in the US is of Hispanic/Latino descent,. But the book statistics from show that roughly 1 in 75 books are by or about Latinos.

What about Asians? African Americans? American Indians? The numbers are equally appalling. Even more so when you realize that you have to take into consideration that there are many different nationalities that cannot be lumped up into one book. Of those yearly books on Hispanics, how many are about Mexico in comparison to Guatemala or Chile?

It is a lot to take in. It’s quite scary too. So I will be showing books that beat the odds, publishers that are making an effort, and what you can do (we can all do something!).

The most important and easiest thing to do right now, is contact your school and public libraries and demand more books that represent a diverse group of children. Contact publishing houses and ask them what they are doing to close the gap? Encourage authors and illustrators with diverse backgrounds to make books for children. The more voices they hear from, the more pressure they will have to do something. Make your voice heard, stand up for your kids and your families now.

IMAGES OF INDIANS IN CHILDREN'S BOOKS

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 09:38:00 -0800

I recently came across what could be considered a sister blog to mine and is created by a former classmate of mine. Debbie describes her blog as

“A PLACE TO STUDY AND CONSIDER IMAGES THAT ARE—OR ARE MEANT TO BE—OF AMERICAN INDIANS. THAT IS, ANIMALS OR NON-INDIANS, PLAYING INDIAN. DRESSING UP LIKE INDIANS. WITH THE OCCASIONAL ‘REAL’ INDIAN, MISREPRESENTED.”

She is also studying to become a librarian as I am, and her ventures in this blog are important to spread the word that these old images portrayed of Native Americans are NOT okay now because it perpetuates many stereotypes.

It reminds me of a book I recently found and will soon be covering, Let’s be Indians by Peggy Parish (this is the same Peggy Parish who wrote the Amelia Bedelia books)

The problem here is that dressing up as a Native American is not a Halloween costume, you can’t just pretend to be one without offending many other people. This goes equally for Geisha costumes or any other ethnic costume - just avoid them. It speaks volumes that Caucasian people for centuries try to oppress a culture then on top of that, demean it by devaluing it’s cultural dress.

Debbie’s blog Images of Indians in Children’s Books is a great resource for those interested in seeing more specific examples of bad stereotypes towards the Native American culture.

A single story : TED video by a Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 16:54:13 -0700

“I did not know that people like me could exist in literature”

A wonderful TED Talk by Chimamanda Adichie about how stories that are one sided rely on incomplete stories, and lead to stereotypes.

"Invisibility is dangerous to one’s self esteem. If the world is described and you’re not in it, you..."

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 19:00:25 -0700

“Invisibility is dangerous to one’s self esteem. If the world is described and you’re not in it, you feel lessened”

- Yu, X. (2009). Levels of meaning and children: An exploratory study of picture books’ illustrations. Library & Information Science Research (07408188). 240-246. doi: 10.1016/j.lisr.2009.07.003

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:41:03 -0700

I just finished watching this very interesting mini documentary about Luis Soriano, who travels via donkey, across the Colombian countryside, bringing books to children. Without Luis and his resources, these children may not have access to books at all. This was something we had watch for our intercultural communication course, but it ties in with my other class where I’m researching Intellectual Freedom.

Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown is a little book that is based on Luis’ life and his efforts. Watch the little video below to see a tidbit of the book.

Soriano says “A child that we educate today with the Biblioburro, is a child to whom we are teaching rights, duties and commitments. And a child who knows his rights, his duties and commitments, is a child informed to say no to war”

You can visit the page of John Parra, the illustrator, to see his perspective as well.

The freedom to access books Luis Soriano brings to these children, is an act of kindness that can only come from a big heart. There is also another Biblioburro book, by Jeanette Winter. And the proceeds of all of these books sold go to help him build his library.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and its odd past

Thu, 24 May 2012 08:55:53 -0700

I have been knee-deep writing about Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl for one of my final papers. Did you ever wonder why the book was called Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the movie was called Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory instead? (I did). If you ever watch the documentary “Pure Imagination” about the filming of the movie (it usually is a special in the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dvd), you will see the producers say that it was because they were releasing an actual Wonka candy bar and wanted it to coincide to boost sales.

But after reading Dahl’s biography by Donald Sturrock, it looks like the reason behind the name change was much different. Seems that the NAACP caught wind of the planning stages of turning the book into a movie and protested/boycotted its creation because it negatively depicts Africans. Before the Oompa-Loompa’s were Oompa-Loompa’s, they were African pygmies coming to work for Willy Wonka (basically as slaves). So if you can somehow get your hands on the original copy you will see it so, at one point they’re even rowing a galley boat. The NAACP insisted that the movie not get made. What the producers instead did was make Dahl change them for the movie - somehow that translated to creating Oompa-Loompa’s from Loompaland and the strange orange men with green hair you see in the 1971 movie. The producers also changed the title to slightly disassociate the idea from the book (even though Dahl protested the name change).

Dahl was extremely embarrassed because he never intended it to be represented that way. Another case of didn’t mean to be racist (remember what I wrote about Babar?) Dahl not only allowed the changes in the movie (which he wrote the screenplay for), he subsequently changed this part of the book too. The 1973 edition of the book have white Oompa-Loompa’s.

From first 1964 publication of Charlie and the Chocolate factory 1964, before they were Oompa-Loompa’s. Illustrated by John Schindelman

From the second publication of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 1973, after the movie came out, also illustrated by Joseph Schindelman

Oompa Loompa’s from there on up until current times, by Quentin Blake

Does this mean the book should be banned? Well, no. Is it good that they changed it, absolutely. And best yet, Dahl recognized it and changed it himself. Racism in children’s books perpetuates stereotypes that we cannot afford to keep passing down. If you need a refresher, please read this, where I wrote how kids books need to be mirrors and windows.

I got the illustrations above from Phil Nel’s blog, where you’ll find some more information about censoring racism in children’s books.

"the umbrella term Asian American tends to treat individuals from dramatically different countries..."

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 23:03:42 -0700

“the umbrella term Asian American tends to treat individuals from dramatically different countries and cultures as a single, homogeneous whole, and, obviously, nothing could be further from the truth. The same problem has plagued literature about Native Americans and, especially, about Latinos and Latinas, who come from a world so diverse (twenty-one different nations comprise Latin America alone) that none can even agree on a uniform term to embrace it.”

- Young Adult Literature page 45

Ezra Jack Keats: glorifying the ghetto

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:06:12 -0700

In spite of their popularity, the Peter books of Ezra Jack Keats (like Snowy Day, Googles, etc..) have lived in a bit of a hubbub over the years - any many people appear to be on the fence about the whole controversy.

I myself was very surprised when I first discovered that this author/illustrator who is so notorious for the books depicting the lives of African American children, was not African American himself. And he had to defend himself over the years - but at the same time was praised by many others, and even winning Caldecott awards for these books.

The book Goggles for example, is about two boys who find a pair of Goggles in a junkyard, only to be harassed and then chased by a group of older boys who want to take them away. With the help of their dog, they outwit the boys and head back home to play with their new goggles. The scenes of the book are gritty - just what Keats was antagonized for, glorifying the ghetto.

In this simple little video about Keats’ life, you will see the child narrator speak about the controversy towards the end - Keats justified what he wrote because he says it was what he saw.

But that does it make it okay?

Basically, these books could be examples of what he saw in Brooklyn, but not necessarily what really represents African Americans. And that is where the true controversy stems from. The stories are not glossed over, they have some sort of realness to them. But the matter at hand boils down to that he was writing these stories as an outsider looking in. And even so, perhaps even depicting stereotypes.

The books are testaments of a time when there was more ignorance. As I don’t think the books as are, would be published today (maybe as Keats illustrating, but another author writing the stories).

What do you think?

"Kids Need Preparation to live in a multicultural world and to respect the rights and dignity of all..."

Sat, 10 Mar 2012 17:49:00 -0800

“Kids Need Preparation to live in a multicultural world and to respect the rights and dignity of all people.”

- Kids Need Libraries

Giant Steps to Change the World by Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 16:31:05 -0800

Giant Steps to Change the World by Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee is painted collage picture book show that the road to being a great person may not be easy because of the roadblocks or people that are in the way, and that you can overcome adversity.

Many examples given but not specifically named. For example “when those whispering in your ear tell you/that your country is in need of new leadership/and new direction, make a plan and make your voice heard/like the man who dreamed of his father/found his own vision, and changed the world forever/by becoming president of the United States” Meaning Barack Obama - the book has great examples of people of all colors that have become great leaders - Muhammad Ali, Mother Theresa, and many more.

Celebrity couple/authors Spike Lee and his wife Tonya are of African American descent, and have written many other books for African American/biracial children.

I found this short video by the author’s speaking on what they felt about the book

The book packs a powerful message.

Found this amazing website the other day where readers can...

Sat, 25 Feb 2012 12:22:06 -0800

Found this amazing website the other day where readers can submit book covers with titles that reflect what the content is really about. I thought this one was highly appropriate for my previous post.

betterbooktitles:

Jean de Brunhoff: The Story of Babar

Reader Submission: Title by Kendra Leonard

The bad side: Babar's Picnic by Laurent de Brunhoff

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:09:03 -0800

Most of the time when people think of Babar, they immediately sometimes have a fond memory of an elephant. But the newer versions have been cleaned up - and if you’re able to get your hands on a very old copy of some of the books (as I did), you will see the racist undertones and subtleties that would make your jaw drop now.

I was able to find this copy of Babar’s Picnic where I work, and had two copies immediately removed. Still trying to figure out why they were still there after so many years. Looks fairly innocent on the cover…

The premise of this story is of how two of Babar’s children leave the picnic area to explore, they dress as “Indians” (first warning sign). They see a boy, who runs away for help after being spotted and the two elephants decide to go after him to his village.

What you see in the coming pages are pretty much vile depictions of natives in grotesque stereotypical native illustrations.

One of the pages had this, I don’t blame the child for wanting to do it either.

I tried to see if there was any information on the racism of these books, and was able to find this tidbit from the author (HERE) about how in the time he wrote them, it was okay and the norm for this to happen. That however, does not make it okay now nor justify what the book represents now or ever.

The concept of the story of Babar is of an elephant orphaned after his mother is shot by poachers, in grief, Babar runs away to the city and is picked up by a wealthy woman who educates him and turns him into a gentleman. But Babar is sad and eventually returns to his village of elephants, he finds a wife and becomes king of the elephants because he is wise now, and he can teach them his civilized ways. On the surface the story seems fairly harmless, but it stands for the corruption and rape of society done by colonialism. You could easily replace Babar with a human and the story would be depressing and inhumane, but something done to millions of people during the periods that Europe was colonizing other places.

This book is just one of hundreds, thousands of books that still exist that are in similar vein, it is just scratching the surface.

Mali under the night sky: a Lao story of home by Youme

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:00:05 -0800

Mali under the night sky : a Lao story of home by Youme

Mali under the night sky is a very short and colorfully illustrated picture book by Youme, and is about a little girl named Mali leaving her home in Laos to go to Thailand with her family because of chaos and war. Turns out that Mali is a real person, an artist and advocate and you can check out her website HERE.

The book focuses more on Mali’s life in Laos - which shows it being full of life and family, meeting and greeting people in the town, enjoying festivals and the simple things in life until it turns around and becomes desolate and dangerous. Right before her and her family leave their home, they tie strings around their wrists (to remember home and have hope), and make the journey on foot to an unknown destination far away in Thailand, away and together. Her family is captured by what seems to be Thai soldiers, and brought back to a prison for refugees. Mali is very young and afraid, but she sees her strings and remembers all the wonderful things about home.

The story ends there, but the message is clear about the cases of immigrants and refugees leaving home to seek peace and better living conditions. And although they may not know where they will end up, there will always be a piece of home and tradition in their hearts and memories to keep their culture alive - something that immigrants are always at risk of losing or forgetting.

This book also provides vast information for children that are fortunate to have never have lived a situation to relate to, in order to comprehend immigrant situations and perhaps grow compassion for their situations. It will also be insightful for parents that lived similar situations, in trying to explain to their children what they went through themselves.

Dear primo: a letter to my cousin by Duncan Tonatiuh

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:28:07 -0800

Dear primo : a letter to my cousin

by Duncan Tonatiuh

A short version of this picture book by Duncan Tonatiuh - Dear Primo (Dear cousin) is about two cousins, one living in Mexico City and the other New York City, writing letters to each other about how different their lives are. But through their letters they learn that they are not that much different after all and they relay to each other how it is to live in the city and the country.

There are several key things to touch on about Dear Primo, the author himself is Mexican-American (born in Mexico to a Mexican mother and American father) and spent many years living back and forth between Mexico City and Brooklyn - this book is his mirror.

The book won an honor award for the Pura Belpre award in 2011 which according to their website “is presented to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.”

In this case, Tonatiuh is the author and illustrator, which when you look at the illustrations, you will notice the characters are illustrated as Mesoamerican/Mayan Illustrations (a style that is seen throughout many of Tonatiuh’s illustrations on his website).

While reading the book, you will also notice many of the words in Spanish emphasized as a simple dictionary would. This short picture book has many things to offer, it would be a great read or title to add to your own library.

Paint Me Like I Am by Gary Soto

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 17:26:57 -0700

According to the inside of the jacket of this book “Inspired by his youth in California’s Central Valley, Gary Soto’s poems are direct, vivid, and brimming with the emotions that make growing up so wondrous.”

Before you get to the poems, you are greeted with Gary Soto’s introduction explaining how he wanted to stay true to those things of his childhood – “I wanted to give these things life and to write so well that my poems would express their simple beauty.”

The cover is a pair of hands grasping an orange – a significant fruit grown in the area he grew up in (California’s Central Valley) but also for most of the state of California. The poems are not complicated, they are real – they can be funny to melancholy. There are even a few poems dedicated to the subject of having crushes on girls. Each poem has a small blurb explaining Soto’s poetic intentions and to give background information.

You can read some if not all the book on Google Books and explore this poetry too. It will resonate perfectly with many Mexican-Americans, but also provide poetic insight for those that may not be able to relate. My favorite poem is on page 22 of the book called Eating Mexican Food, which gives “rules” about eating these unique foods. For example

Rule #2

Salsa—red ants

Marching on your tongue

It’s okay to scream into your napkin.

Note that this is not a picture book, but more suited for students in junior high and even high school. Poetry is for everyone.

Reading is Fundamental

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 20:55:00 -0700

A while ago I came across this amazing organization called Reading is Fundamental, that seeks to get books to children across the American nation, but also help them foster a love for reading. A service that is crucial and so amazingly helpful for areas of high poverty and minorities.

What caught my eye is their Multicultural Literacy Campaign where they are promoting reading and early literacy in African American, Hispanic, and American Indian communities.

The statistics they gathered show

Children with poor reading skills face a bleak future—throughout their school years and into adulthood. A limited reading acumen means poor grades in the classroom, no or low-wage employment, and possibly a life of frustration.

This problem is most evident in several ethnic communities, where reading scores among African American, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native children lag behind those of White children. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (2009):

77% of White 4th grade students scored at or above the Basic Reading level.

48% of Hispanic 4th graders scored at or above the Basic Reading level.

52% of American Indian/Alaska Native 4th graders scored at or above the Basic Reading level.

47% of African American 4th graders scored at or above the Basic Reading level.

It is good to see organizations putting a spotlight on this. They even have a reading list of multicultural titles (even though they are only of Kindergarten through fourth grade).

They even have a cute little website that is bilingual (English and Spanish) that helps kids learn to read much like the very popular Starfall website does.

Organizations like this are great because they are setting their sights on goals to get multicultural kids at the same levels as their Caucasian peers, and the easiest way to do it is through getting them books as early as possible and making sure that these kids have books to call their own at home.

Just a Minute by Yuyi Morales

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:01:27 -0700

I apologize for my odd absence, I’ve been traveling between San Francisco, Las Vegas, currently in Southern California and soon will be in Mexico (where besides being on vacation, hoping to find some books).

The book I am choosing to cover this time is Just a Minute: a trickster tale and counting book by Yuyi Morales, a Mexican American author/illustrator. Death comes for Abuela/Grandma on her old birthday, and she keeps stalling by finding things to bring to the party. She counts all the way to ten in Spanish, finding ten different things to gather.The book is filled with objects that will be familiar to readers whether spoken in Spanish or English, so while it is not bilingual, it does offer many words to learn in Spanish.

I was actually able to find this book being read out loud on YouTube, check it out here, albeit that the reader seems a little spooked for the first few seconds (it kind of made me chuckle) but I am very grateful that this type of review for a book exists for those that are wondering what certain books are about!

Death is getting impatient and eventually decides to leave, but promises to come back. This Pura Belpre award winner is popular for Dia de los Muertos or touching upon the subject of death in probably the most subtle way ever. But I think this book could easily fit in for every day reading.

Yuyi Morales has lots of other amazing books she illustrated and wrote, that are worth checking out and bringing home. Especially because a subject like Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead is not a largely celebrated event outside of Mexico (perhaps in pockets of areas in recent times), so many children can learn a little about it even through this one book.