Culture 6: In Our Mothers' House

Bibliography: Polacco, Patricia. 2009. In Our Mothers' House. Ill. by Patricia Polacco. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 9780399250767

Plot Summary:
Marmee and Meema have adopted three children from different cultures. Although they are a nontraditional family, they are a very happy family. They cook, dance, play, and laugh together. Their home is full of love. One of their neighbors does not accept them, and the children do not understand why. The mothers do everything they can to make their children happy... even wearing dresses for a mother-daughter tea. The family remains close even after all three children get married and start their own lives. After their mothers' death, Will moves into the house with his own family so there is still a place for all of the families to get together and carry on their traditions.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
The story opens with the introduction of each of the main characters. We learn when each of the adopted children joins the family, the careers of the parents, and their hobbies. The story is told by the oldest daughter, and she takes the reader on a walk down memory lane. The family cooks (even making homemade pasta), dances, slides down banisters, and laughs together. The entire family wears homemade costumes at Halloween. The only bad family event in the story is when all of the children come down with the flu at the same time.

The focus of this story is supposed to be on the children being raised by gay parents, but it also has a multicultural focus as well since all three of the children are of a different race and the neighborhood they live in is made up of many different ethnicities. The oldest child is African-American, the middle child is Asian-American, and the youngest child is Caucasian. At the neighborhood block party the “Mardicians brought stuffed grape leaves and ground lamb,” the Polos brought “spanakopita and Greek salads,” the Abdullas brought “hummus and tabouli,” and the “Yamagakis brought sushi”.

Everyone in the neighborhood gets along extremely well with the exception of one neighbor, Mrs. Lockner. She is shown constantly glaring at the two moms, and she does not let her children play with their children who are about the same age. She slams the door on them at Halloween, pulls them away from the tree house building party, and doesn’t participate in the neighborhood block party. It is at the block party that she confronts the mothers’ and yells “I don’t appreciate what you two are!” at them. The children are confused by this to which Meema responds, “She is full of fear. She’s afraid of what she cannot understand: she doesn’t understand us.” All of the other neighbors rally around the family and show their support by hugging the mothers.

The story ends with pictures of each of the children and their spouses (they each married people of the opposite sex), their chosen careers, and pictures of the mothers’ being loving grandparents. Will returns to raise his family in the house he grew up in, and all of the children return to the house they grew up in.

Although this story had great potential to show a “normal” family with gay parents, I think it failed miserably. The family was just too perfect. From making the homemade pasta, sewing their own Halloween costumes, the moms’ trick-or-treating for Unicef, practically the entire neighborhood showing up for several weekends in a row to build a tree house, and the block party with games and food booths, it was just too much. The illustrations are also very stereotypical: the mothers are drawn with manly haircuts, and they are always wearing pants with big shirts and/or sweaters. The children have stereotypical hairstyles as well, not to mention their hairstyles stay the same throughout the entire story even though it shows them growing up into adulthood. I thought this really took away from what the story could have been. I am unsure if I would want this in my collection for these reasons.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 1–4—This gem of a book illustrates how love makes a family, even if it's not a traditional one. The narrator, a black girl, describes how her two Caucasian mothers, Marmee and Meema, adopted her, her Asian brother, and her red-headed sister. She tells about the wonderful times they have growing up in Berkeley, CA. With their large extended family and friends, they celebrate Halloween with homemade costumes, build a tree house, organize a neighborhood block party, and host a mother-daughter tea party. The narrator continually reinforces the affectionate feelings among her mothers and siblings, and the illustrations depict numerous scenes of smiling people having a grand time. Most of the neighbors are supportive, except for one woman who tells Marmee and Meema, "I don't appreciate what you two are." Eventually, the children grow up, marry heterosexual spouses, and return home to visit their aged parents with their own children. Is this an idealized vision of a how a gay couple can be accepted by their family and community? Absolutely. But the story serves as a model of inclusiveness for children who have same-sex parents, as well as for children who may have questions about a "different" family in their neighborhood. A lovely book that can help youngsters better understand their world.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
From Booklist
The oldest of three adopted children recalls her childhood with mothers Marmee and Meema, as they raised their African American daughter, Asian American son, and Caucasian daughter in a lively, supportive neighborhood. Filled with recollections of family holidays, rituals, and special moments, each memory reveals loving insight. At a school mother-daughter tea, for instance, the mothers make their first ever appearance in dresses. The narrator recalls, “My heart still skips a beat when I think of the two of them trying so hard to please us.” Only a crabby neighbor keeps her children away from their family. Meema explains, “She’s afraid of what she cannot understand: she doesn’t understand us.” The energetic illustrations in pencil and marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem with family activities and neighborhood festivity. Quieter moments radiate the love the mothers feel for their children and for each other. Similar in spirit to the author’s Chicken Sunday, this portrait of a loving family celebrates differences, too. Pair this with Arnold Adoff’s Black Is Brown Is Tan (2002), Toyomi Igus’ Two Mrs. Gibsons (1996), or Natasha Wing’s Jalapeno Bagels (1996) for portraits of family diversity. Grades 1-4. --Linda Perkins
From Library Media Connection
The writing style is truly Polacco and the colorful illustrations are warm and loving. This is a strong and memorable story of a peaceful, devoted family unit.

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Compare/contrast your family with the family in the story.
*After the tree house was finished, "Marmee and Meema broke a bottle of soda over the doorjamb and named the tree house Thistle House." What is the history of breaking bottles over something new? Why is it done?
*Prepare gnocchi from scratch or bring in some pre-made gnocchi for students to taste.
*Meema and Marmee never respond to Mrs. Lockner when she is repeatedly rude to them and their family. Do you agree or disagree with how they handled her? Describe another way they could have handled her.
*Invent a game that you would want to play at the Woolsey Street block party.
*What kind of food would your family prepare for the food court?
Other Books by Patricia Polacco:
*Thank You, Mr. Falkner. ISBN 9780399237324
*My Rotten Redheaded Older Brother. ISBN 9780689820366
*The Keeping Quilt. ISBN 9780153052125
*Chicken Sunday. ISBN 9780698116153
*The Butterfly. ISBN 9780142413067

Culture 6: The Thing About Georgie

Bibliography:Graff, Lisa. 2006. The Thing About Georgie. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books. ISBN 9780060875909

Plot Summary: Georgie is in the fourth grade. He and his best friend, Andy, have their own dog walking business. Georgie has to walk the small dogs because he is a dwarf. He doesn't let this limit his life anymore than it has to. His life changes when his parents tell him that he is going to be a big brother to "a healthy baby". And then Andy starts to hang out with the new boy Russ. Georgie feels lost and alone. To top everything off he gets partnered with Jeanie the Meanie for a project. Georgie soon realizes that he was wrong about Russ and Jeanie and that you shouldn't judge people you don't really know.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
Lisa Graff brings awareness of dwarfism in her debut novel The Thing About Georgie. The story begins by asking the reader to “do me a favor”. It is a simple task: “Stretch your right arm high up to the sky. Now reach across the top of your head and touch your left ear.” This is something almost everyone can do without giving it a second thought. Georgie can’t. He couldn’t do it even if he wanted to. This introduction grabs the reader right from the start.

Some other things Georgie can’t do: wrap his arms around his bent legs and rest his head on his knees (a “thinking” position), tie shoelaces, and hold a pencil correctly. These are just small things thrown into the story every once in a while to make the reader understand Georgie a little better. If Georgie could “hold his pencil like any regular person and make it move where he wanted it to- he knew exactly what he’d get his parents for Christmas. He would draw a picture, a really beautiful one, of his mom and dad playing their instruments.”

The great thing about this book is that it doesn’t focus on what Georgie can’t do but rather on what he can do. His parents encourage him to sign up for the fourth-grade play. It is about the presidents, and Georgie really wants to play his namesake, George Washington. He has a dog-walking business with his best friend Andy. He can swim and ride his custom-made bicycle. And although he needs a pillow and a crate at his desk he is in a regular classroom at school. Not to mention that he is very smart!

Georgie was used to being stared at. It happened his whole life. He admits that he would probably stare at someone who was ten feet tall or someone who had green skin “just to make sure it was real”. He thought that maybe if people took a little bit of time looking at him they would realize “there was really nothing to look at but Georgie” and since he wasn’t all that interesting they would never have to stare at him again. Again, the reader is asked to do something. There is a drawing of Georgie on the page and the reader is supposed to “stare as hard as you can” for 30 seconds. The point being that it gets boring really quick and there are better things to do.

Every year at Christmas the family attends the early Christmas Eve service, then they eat roast beef sandwiches “because they’d be saving all the really difficult cooking for Christmas Day”, his parents play their favorite Christmas songs “just for him” and then Georgie is allowed to open one present before he goes to bed.

The biggest lesson Georgie learns is that he shouldn’t judge other people based on what they look like. He finds out the person he called ‘Jeanie the Meanie’ isn’t so mean after all. In fact, she really is a great person. She defends Georgie when another student calls him a midget. She tells him “he’s not a midget. Don’t call him that. He’s a dwarf.” and then she kicks him hard in the shin when he asks “then where’s Snow White?” He also judged the new kid Russ and didn’t want to be friends with him. After losing his best friend Andy over it Georgie decides to give Russ a chance.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I am glad that it is already in my collection. It has so many positive messages for readers, and it is really empowering. It will definitely be another one I “book talk” to my older students (3rd-5th).

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—This story about the trials of a fourth grader who is a dwarf will entertain and enlighten kids. About to become a big brother, Georgie worries that the baby will grow bigger than he and fulfill his musician parents' hope for a child who can play an instrument. At the same time, Georgie fears that Andy, who's been his friend since kindergarten, likes the new boy better. When Georgie's parents leave him at Andy's house on Christmas Eve, he finds himself being unexpectedly cruel and losing the friendship. Georgie is also assigned to do a project on Abraham Lincoln with Jeanie the Meanie, who puts his name in for the role of the lanky president in a class play. Stuck with the nomination, he's able to give a commanding performance-with Jeanie's help. Andy lets Georgie know he misses him, and his loving parents, who have been somewhat oblivious to his concerns, also come through. Commentary to readers throughout about what Georgie can and can't do is delivered by an anonymous voice, whose identity is revealed as a surprise at the end.—Tina Zubak, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, PA
From Booklist
Nine-year-old Georgie has height issues. As a dwarf, he isn't likely to grow much taller than his current 42 inches. Consequently school furniture is awkward, running track or playing a musical instrument isn't possible, and he knows his soon-to-be new sibling will quickly outgrow him physically. To make matters worse, he's had a misunderstanding with his best friend, Andy, and is being forced to partner with Jeanie the Meanie for a school report. Given these circumstances, this might easily have been depressing. Instead, first novelist Graff employs a light touch, turning in a poignant, often funny exploration of what it means to celebrate one's skills rather than lamenting one's limitations. Graff makes good use of an anonymous narrator (revealed in the last chapter to be one of the book's main characters), who provides kid-friendly information about dwarfism. An upbeat and sensitive look at what it's like to be different, this novel will spark discussion. -Kay Weisman

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*There are several activities you are asked to do throughout the book. Complete the activity at the beginning of chapter 3. (Measure the distance from the floor to the doorknob on your bedroom door, the light switch, the edge of your windowsill, etc.) Describe how Georgie would feel in your house.
*Explain at least 3 things you learned about dwarfism and/or the struggles they face.
*Why do you think Georgie didn't want Russ to join the dog-walking business?
*What were some misconceptions Georgie had about Jeanie? She was called "Jeanie the Meanie" at school. Do you think that name fit her? Why or why not?
*Create a presentation titled "The Thing About Me Is..." You need to write a 6-10 things about you. Try to include things we don't already know. You can use PowerPoint, Pixie, or Frames to create the presentation.
Other Books by Lisa Graff :
Umbrella Summer. ISBN 9780061431890
Sophie Simon Solves Them All. ISBN 9780374371258
The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower. ISBN 9780060875923
Double Dog Dare. (Coming April 2012.) ISBN 9780399255168
Other Books About Dwarfism:
*Trudi & Pia by Ursula Hegi. ISBN 9780689846830
*Thinking Big: The Story of a Young Dwarf by Susan Kuklin. ISBN 9780688058265
*Never Sell Yourself Short by Stephanie Riggs. ISBN 9780807555637
*Alex is my Friend by Marisabina Russo. ISBN 9780688104184

Culture 6: Habibi

Bibliography: Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. Habibi. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689825231

Plot Summary:
Liyana Abboud was born and raised in St. Louis, but her father was born in Jerusalem. He came to America to study medicine, but he always knew he would return to his homeland one day. That day comes when Liyana is fourteen-years old. Her younger brother, Rafik, is excited about moving. He cannot wait to learn about his father’s culture, but Liyana is upset about it. She loves her life in America, and she doesn't want to leave. Once they arrive in Jerusalem they find that it isn’t as peaceful as her dad had thought. There is still rivalry between the Arabs and the Jews. Liyana and her brother become friends with another brother and sister who live in a refugee camp near their house. Liyana also becomes friends with a Jewish boy named Omer even though it is not safe for an Arab and a Jew to be friends. Will her family accept this friendship or will they forbid her from seeing him? Will Liyana ever call Jerusalem home?


Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
Habibi is the story of fourteen-year old Liyana Abboud and her Arab American family. The day after she gets her first real kiss, her father informs the family they will be moving to Jerusalem. He had come to the United States for a good education, but he always knew he would return to his home country one day. He wanted to do it now so his children would be able to meet his mother, their grandmother, while she was still alive. He also believed things had settled down between the Arabs and Jews.

Poppy warns the family that Sitti, his mother, “comes from a different world… She doesn’t wear anything but old-fashioned ling clothes, and she knows absolutely nothing in English”. While her relatives in the United States “held back from them as if they might have a cold” these relatives came bustling in “throwing their arms around each one of them”. Sitti becomes very emotional after seeing her son again after so many years that she “suddenly threw her head back, rolled her tongue high up in her mouth, and began trilling wildly”. Poppy informs them that this is her traditional cry that she “uses as an announcement at weddings and funerals”. So many relatives had come to greet them Liyana could not keep track of all of them.

Liyana and her brother, Rafik, befriend another brother and sister who live in a refugee camp. They are able to communicate with each other even though they are both limited in their knowledge of the others language. Rafik seems to make friends easily at school while Liyana struggles in this area. While walking around town one day during lunch she meets a nice boy in one of her favorite stores. She is scared to tell Poppy about him because it is not appropriate for a boy and girl to hang out together. It is not until later that she discovers his name is Omer, not Omar like she had thought. Omar is an Arab name, and Omer is a Jewish name. Now not only is she friends with a boy, but she is friends with a Jewish boy! Liyana will not let the fact that he is Jewish stop her from being friends with him. She tells Omer that she has “hope for peace” and when he agrees with her that is all the reassurance she needs.

The Abboud family continues to hear stories of aggression between the Arabs and Jews, and finally it reaches them personally. The Israeli police destroy Sitti’s bathroom while searching for one of her relatives. Khaled (her friend from the refugee camp) is shot because it is believed that he had something to do with a bombing. Poppy gets thrown into jail for defending Khaled because he knows he is a very peaceful person. Liyana does not understand any of this, and she tells the police “You do not have to be so mean! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!” Liyana wants to end the fighting between the Arabs and Jews by starting at home. She asks her father if Omer could come with them to Sitti’s village. Poppy reluctantly agrees. He is very surprised when his mother greets Omer with open arms knowing that he is Jewish.

The reader is left with hope for peace in Jerusalem through the actions of a young girl and her family. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you come from; what matters is how you treat other people. Liyana says it best: “When you liked somebody, you wanted to trade the best things you knew about. You liked them not only for themselves, but for the parts of you that they brought out.”

Although I enjoyed this book I do not think I will have it in my library collection at the elementary school. I will recommend it to the middle and high school librarians if they do not already have it. I do not think our students would be interested in this book quite yet.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9. An important first novel from a distinguished anthologist and poet. When Liyana's doctor father, a native Palestinian, decides to move his contemporary Arab-American family back to Jerusalem from St. Louis, 14-year-old Liyana is unenthusiastic. Arriving in Jerusalem, the girl and her family are gathered in by their colorful, warmhearted Palestinian relatives and immersed in a culture where only tourists wear shorts and there is a prohibition against boy/girl relationships. When Liyana falls in love with Omer, a Jewish boy, she challenges family, culture, and tradition, but her homesickness fades. Constantly lurking in the background of the novel is violence between Palestinian and Jew. It builds from minor bureaucratic annoyances and humiliations, to the surprisingly shocking destruction of grandmother's bathroom by Israeli soldiers, to a bomb set off in a Jewish marketplace by Palestinians. It exacts a reprisal in which Liyana's friend is shot and her father jailed. Nye introduces readers to unforgettable characters. The setting is both sensory and tangible: from the grandmother's village to a Bedouin camp. Above all, there is Jerusalem itself, where ancient tensions seep out of cracks and Liyana explores the streets practicing her Arabic vocabulary. Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete...as long as individual citizens like Liyana's grandmother Sitti can say, "I never lost my peace inside." -Kate McClelland, Perrot Memorial Library, Greenwich, CT
From Kirkus Reviews
Liyana Abboud, 14, and her family make a tremendous adjustment when they move to Jerusalem from St. Louis. All she and her younger brother, Rafik, know of their Palestinian father's culture come from his reminiscences of growing up and the fighting they see on television. In Jerusalem, she is the only "outsider'' at an Armenian school; her easygoing father, Poppy, finds himself having to remind her--often against his own common sense--of rules for "appropriate'' behavior; and snug shops replace supermarket shopping--the malls of her upbringing are unheard of. Worst of all, Poppy is jailed for getting in the middle of a dispute between Israeli soldiers and a teenage refugee. In her first novel, Nye (with Paul Janeczko, I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You, 1996, etc.) shows all of the charms and flaws of the old city through unique, short-story-like chapters and poetic language. The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region's troubled history. In the process, some of the passages become quite ponderous while the human story- -Liyana's emotional adjustments in the later chapters and her American mother's reactions overall--fall away from the plot. However, Liyana's romance with an Israeli boy develops warmly, and readers are left with hope for change and peace as Liyana makes the city her very own. (Fiction. 12+) -- Kirkus Associates, LP.

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Research the history between Jews and Arabs in Jerusalem.
*Describe how you would feel if you had to move to a new country where you did not speak or understand the language.
*Liyana had to attend a kindergarten class at her new school to learn the new language. Would you do the same or would you want to learn the language a different way? Explain your response.
*Bring hummus, flat bread, pine nuts, etc. for students to sample.
*Respond to the following quote from the book: The calendar has a wide-open face.
Other Books by Naomi Shihab Nye:
*Sitti's Secrets. ISBN 9780689817069
*I'll Ask You Three Times, Are You Ok? ISBN 9780060853921
*Benito's Dream Bottle. ISBN 9780027684674
*Come With Me: Poems for a Journey. ISBN 9780688159467
*What You Wish For: A Book for Darfur. ISBN 9780399254543

Culture 5: Tea with Milk

Bibliography: Say, Allen. 1999. Tea With Milk. Ill. by Allen Say. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780395904954

Plot Summary: May's parents decide to return to their homeland, Japan, after she graduates from high school. May does not want to leave the only home she can remember; she wants to attend college in San Francisco. But her parents make her go to Japan with them. She hates her new home. She doesn't like wearing a kimono, she hates sitting on the floor, and Masako, her Japanese name, feels like it belongs to someone else. She has to attend high school all over again so she can learn the language. She decides to go out on her own after a disastrous blind date. She finds a job and rents a room in a rooming house. Eventually she meets a man, Joseph, who also speaks English. They became good friends and went out often. After learning that Joseph had been transferred to another city they decided they would both move there and make a new home for themselves... together.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
Allen Say wrote Tea With Milk to share the experiences his mother had moving from one culture to another. May grew up in the United States, and she dreamed of living in San Francisco and attending college when she graduated from high school. At home, her parents spoke to her in Japanese, called her Ma-chan, and she had rice and miso soup and plain green tea for breakfast. When she was at a friend’s house she would eat pancakes and muffins and drink tea with milk and sugar, and everyone called her May.

Her parents decided to move back to Japan after May graduated from high school. The only home she had ever known was the United States. She did not want to leave. The worst part about it was she would have to attend high school all over again so she could “learn her own language”. She could not make friends with anyone at school. They all called her “gaijin” which means foreigner. She did not like wearing kimonos or “sitting on the floor until her legs went numb”. She never thought she would get used to living in Japan.

Some of the traditional Japanese things her parents subjected her to included flower arranging, calligraphy, and tea ceremony lessons. Her mother told her she needed to be “a proper Japanese lady” who married a man from “a good family”. May did not want to get married. She dreamed of going to college and having an apartment of her own. She went on a date set up by a matchmaker, but she did not like him at all. She left the next morning. Her parents had wanted to come back to Japan because they no longer wanted to be foreigners, but May felt like “a foreigner in her parents’ country”.

May is excited when she finds a department store, and she is thankful her mother made her take calligraphy lessons when she is filling out an application for a job. Her mother thought it was “shameful for ladies to work”. May did not tell her she got a job as an elevator girl. One day she hears a family speaking English, and she becomes very excited. She had to translate what they were looking for, and this opened the opportunity of a new job. She became the store’s guide for businessmen. It is through this new job that she meets the man, Joseph, who would eventually become her husband. After dating for some time, Joseph finds out he is being transferred to another city. He tells May that “home isn’t a place or a building that’s ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else”. They decide to make a home for themselves together in Yokohama. Allen Say was their first child.

Say is also the illustrator of the story. His watercolors vividly convey May’s emotions as well as the physical features of the Japanese people. Traditional dress is seen on the men and women. Most of the men are wearing business suits and the women are wearing kimonos. Their faces are serious and seldom do you see a smile. There is one illustration of Joseph and May on a date and there is another couple at a different table. It appears as if the woman might be smiling or laughing, but she has her hand covering her mouth possibly to hide her smile. The portrait at the end of the story shows both Joseph and May smiling. This lets the reader know that May is finally happy, and she and Joseph have made a happy home together in Yokohama.


Review Excerpt(s):
From Publishers Weekly
Say's masterfully executed watercolors tell as much of this story about a young woman's challenging transition from America to Japan as his eloquent, economical prose. Raised near San Francisco, Masako (her American friends called her May) is uprooted after high school when her parents return to their Japanese homeland. In addition to repeating high school to learn Japanese, she must learn the arts of a "proper Japanese lady"A flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony, and is expected to marry well. Declaring "I'd rather have a turtle than a husband," the independent-minded Masako heads for the city of Osaka and gets a job in a department store. With his characteristic subtlety, Say sets off his cultural metaphor from the very start, contrasting the green tea Masako has for breakfast in her home, with the "tea with milk and sugar" she drinks at her friends' houses in America. Later, when she meets a young Japanese businessman who also prefers tea with milk and sugar to green tea, readers will know that she's met her match. Say reveals on the final page that the couple are his parents. Whether the subject is food ("no more pancakes or omelets, fried chicken or spaghetti" in Japan) or the deeper issues of ostracism (her fellow students call Masako "gaijin"A foreigner) and gender expectations, Say provides gentle insights into human nature as well as East-West cultural differences. His exquisite, spare portraits convey emotions that lie close to the surface and flow easily from page to reader: with views of Masako's slumping posture and mask-like face as she dons her first kimono, or alone in the schoolyard, it's easy to sense her dejection. Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms. Ages 4-8.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 6-Continuing the story he started in Grandfather's Journey (Houghton, 1993), Say explores familiar themes of cultural connection and disconnection. He focuses on his mother Masako, or May, as she prefers to be called, who, after graduating from high school in California, unwillingly moves with her parents to their native Japan. She is homesick for her native country and misses American food. She rebels against her parents, who force her to repeat high school so that she can learn "her own language"; the other students tease her for being "gaijin" or a foreigner. Masako leaves home and obtains a job in a department store in Osaka, a city that reminds her of her beloved San Francisco. Her knowledge of English quickly makes her a valued employee and brings her into contact with her future husband, Joseph, a Japanese man who was educated at an English boarding school in Shanghai. They decide that together they can make a life anywhere, and choose to remain in Japan. Say's many fans will be thrilled to have another episode in his family saga, which he relates with customary grace and elegance. The pages are filled with detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing, and because of the artist's mastery at drawing figures, the people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters. This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.
Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Before reading the story- show the students the pictures on pgs. 5 and 7. Have them write a brief description about each picture.
*Masako had to attend high school all over again to learn "her own language". How would you feel if you had to spend another 4 years in school to learn a new language? What challenges would you experience?
*Why do you think Masako "put on the brightest dress she had brought from California" when she left her house for good?
*Look at the picture on pg. 27. Create a short story about the other couple in the picture with a partner. Share it with the class.
*Interview your parent(s) to find out their story. Create a short story about your parents. (Extension- create a digital storybook using FRAMES software.)
Other Books by Allen Say:
*Grandfather's Journey. 1994 Caldecott Medal Winner. ISBN 9780547076805
*Emma's Rug. ISBN 9780618335237
*Kamishibai Man. ISBN 9780618479542
*The Boy in the Garden. ISBN 0547214103
*Tree of Cranes. ISBN 9780547248301

Culture 5: The Year of the Dog

Bibliography: Lin, Grace. 2006. The Year of the Dog. Ill. by Grace Lin. New York: Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN 9780316060004

Plot Summary: Pacy is celebrating the Chinese New Year with her Taiwanese family. It is the Year of the Dog which means it is a good year for friends, family, and finding yourself. Grace (Pacy's American name) makes a new Taiwanese friend at school, learns more about her family's history, and finally discovers her talent. The Year of the Dog is definitely a lucky one for her!

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
Grace Lin is a Taiwanese-American who was raised in upstate New York. She uses her childhood experiences to write the story The Year of the Dog. It is told in the first person using the voice of a child, Pacy. Pacy is her family name, but she is known as Grace at school. The story shares her experiences throughout the Year of the Dog as she searches for true friends and her hidden talent.

Lin adds child-like drawings throughout the book to illustrate some of the events. The pictures look like those that would be found in a child’s journal. “How to draw a dog,” “Mom sleeps in school,” “celebrating the Day of the Unicorn,” and “Wizard of Oz curtain call” are a few examples. The simple drawings, along with the emotions and stories shared in the text, allow the reader to believe that it is a child telling the story.

Traditional foods listed in the book include those served for the Chinese New Year: whole fried fish, meat dumplings, “vegetables shining with oil”, steamed buns, shrimp in milky sauce, and pork. All of the food served had special meaning- wealth. It is also important to have a New Year tray filled with Chinese candy. New Year’s candy is stick taffy melon candy that is the color of the moon. Other foods include ‘healthy’ Chinese food that was served at her friend Melody’s house- brown rice, vegetables that were not stir fried, and tofu that didn’t have any “shiny sauce on it”, and dried apricots for dessert.

Lin reveals in the author’s note that this book is “mostly true”. She admits that almost everything in the story had “real-life inspiration”. She explains the identity conflicts in the story: her parents were from Taiwan, which used to be called the Republic of China, so some adults would label them Chinese. They spoke Taiwanese to their relatives on the phone, and they lived in America. They celebrated Chinese New Year with some ‘American’ parts thrown in. This was very confusing to a young child, and several ‘stories’ in the book showed that.

When it was time for students to sign up for the school play Grace knew she wanted to try out for the role of Dorothy. She practiced singing every day and even drew pictures of Dorothy in her checkered dress. On the day of the try-outs her friend Becky tells her that she can’t be Dorothy because “Dorothy’s not Chinese”. She hadn’t thought of this before. Grace decides not to try out for the part after all. This causes her to ask, “How come Chinese people are never important?” She realizes that you never see a Chinese person “in the movies or in a play or in a book”. She and Melody went to the library to ask for a Chinese book. The only book they find is The Seven Chinese Brothers (although the illustration shows the book Five Chinese Brothers). “Those aren’t real Chinese people, though. You’re brother doesn’t have a ponytail.” Grace says to Melody. From this discovery comes the idea of writing her own “real Chinese person book” with “people like us- Chinese Americans”. She remembers the book contest and decides to enter it.

Grace has to face prejudice within her own Taiwanese- America culture when her family attends the Taiwanese-American Convention over the summer. This is a place for Taiwanese-Americans to “get together and do things”. When Grace attends an art class she discovers that she is the only one who doesn’t speak Taiwanese or Chinese. Some girls make fun of her and tell her she’s been Americanized. They call her a Twinkie- “yellow on the outside but white on the inside”. Later when she’s talking to her mother she says “It’s not fair. To Americans, I’m too Chinese, and to Chinese people, I’m too American.” She wasn’t sure which one she was supposed to be. Her mother told her that she was Chinese-American and she didn’t have to be one more than the other.

These different threads twisted her life into knots, but the author tells us again in the author’s note that “the fabric of my life is richer for them”. By weaving these threads of her life stories together, and with her simple illustrations, Grace Lin has created her “real Chinese person book” that will leave readers wanting more.

Review Excerpt(s):
Booklist Starred Review:
“Lin, who is known for her picture books, dots the text with charming ink drawings.... Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace’s parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage. Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimaging them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today’s young readers.” (Gr. 3-5)
Horn Book
“With a light touch, Lin offers both authentic Taiwanese-American and universal childhood experiences, told from a genuine child perspective. The story, interwoven with several family anecdotes, is entertaining and often illuminating. Appealing, childlike decorative line drawings add a delightful flavor to a gentle tale full of humor.”
Kirkus Review
“Occasional black-and-white drawings by the author enliven the text. This comfortable first-person story will be a great for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life.”

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Compare/contrast dinner at Grace's house and Melody's house.
*2011 is the year of the Rabbit. Make a paper plate rabbit using directions found at http://crafts.kaboose.com/paper-plate-rabbit.html.
*2012 is the year of the Dragon. Create a Chinese Dragon using the directions found at http://crafts.kaboose.com/chdragoneasy.html.
*Prepare some common Chinese New Year dishes for students to sample: dumplings, spring rolls, rice, and Chinese New Year candy.
*Write a story about one of your own New Year's traditions.
Other Books by Grace Lin:
*Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. (2010 Newbery Honor Book) ISBN 9780316038638
*The Year of the Rat. ISBN 031611426X
*Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same! (Horn Book Fanfare List (Awards)ISBN 9780316024525
*Dim Sum for Everyone!ISBN 9780440417705
*The Ugly Vegetables. ISBN 9780881063363

Culture 5: The Kite Fighters

Bibliography: Park, Linda Sue. 2000. The Kite Fighters. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395940419

Plot Summary: Young-Sup is a strong kite flier. His older brother Kee-Sup can design a kite out of paper and wood that is fit for a king. Together they make a strong pair. They can't wait to showcase their talent at the next New Year kite competition. One problem stands in their way- the centuries-old tradition requiring the younger brother to stand behind his older brother. Young-Sup knows he is better than his older brother, but can they convince their father of this?

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
The Kite Fighters takes place in Seoul, Korea in 1473. It is the story of two young brothers who live under the Confucion rule which dictates filial law (how a child shows respect to his parents). Kee-sup and Young-sup are brothers. The eldest son, Kee-sup, is heir to all of the privileges and responsibilities of the “House of Lee”. It is Young-sup’s duty to help his brother regardless of what he wants or desires.

Kee-sup’s capping ceremony occurs at the beginning of the kite season. This is an important rite in the Korean culture. The family dresses in their finest clothes, scrolls are hung, and they have a celebration feast. During the capping ceremony, Kee-sup’s hair was “twisted upward and around itself until it formed a smooth knot on the top of his head”. A plain narrow ribbon is tied around the chin. Formal bows are made, and the ceremony concludes with the shedding of his bright jacket and the donning of “the white clothes of adulthood”. Once a boy has his capping ceremony he is treated like an adult. Young-sup struggles with treating him like an adult rather than his oldest brother.

Kee-sup can make exquisite kites, but he is not very good at flying them. Young-sup cannot make a kite, but he can ‘feel’ the movement of the kite and can always get one to fly. The annual kite fighting contest is approaching, and Young-sup wants to participate, but it is tradition for the eldest son to represent the family. Young-sup will have to obey the traditions and let his brother compete if that is what he wants.

After earning a new reel for his kite, Young-sup and Kee-sup go out to the hillside to fly their tiger kites. It is here they cross paths with the King, who is just eleven-years-old. (“The custom and law of the land dictated that his son become King in his place. That was the natural order of things.” When His Majesty the King died suddenly his son was only eight years old.) The King had seen the tiger kites flying, and he wanted to see who was flying them. The King asks Kee-sup to make him a “King’s kite”. He wanted one that would “fly like Young-sup’s tiger”.

Kee-sup’s father freed him of his studies for as long as it took him to build the kite. After several attempts they ask their father for advise, and he tells them to make a dragon kite. The dragon is the “country’s symbol for His Majesty”. Kee-sup builds a beautiful dragon kite, but he is not quite satisfied with it. He refuses to cut the paper for several days and Young-sup argues with him because he thinks it is rude to keep the King waiting. One evening, while the boys were arguing yet again, their father walks into the room. He frowns at Young-sup and tells him he can no longer argue with his brother. “Your brother has been capped. He is no longer a boy. You will not treat him so discourteously again.” he tells Young-sup. The next day he presents Kee-sup with a small jar of “Gold leaf”. It is paint with real gold in it. After many days, Kee-sup decided to “flick and spatter the gold leaf over the whole surface of the kite.”

While Kee-sup was working on the kite, Young-sup went out to the hill to fly his own kite. The King comes out to meet him many times, and they become friends. Young-sup teaches the King how to fly a kite, and he decides he wants to enter the contest at the festival, but he knows he cannot be the one to compete because no one would try against him. He wants Young-sup to fly for him. When the boys tell their father of the King’s request he says that Kee-sup with be the flyer because he is the eldest. It was the eldest son who was expected to bring honor to the family. Kee-sup knows that Young-sup is the better flyer, and he wants to win for the king, so he goes against tradition and asks his father to allow Young-sup to enter the contest in his place. He agrees, but only because it was for the king.

Kee-sup and Young-sup work together to ensure Young-sup has the best chance at winning the contest. After Young-sup gets cut from a small piece of a broken jar, Kee-sup gets an idea. He makes a “heavy mixture of rice paste and powdered pottery” to add to the kite string to make it easy to cut other lines. It is because of this mixture and Young-sup’s kite-flying abilities that he is able to win the contest for the King.

This was a fun story to read, and it showed that although all relationships are complicated they are rewarding as well. Traditions have their place, but sometimes traditions do need to change. I will definitely highlight this book with a book talk at the beginning of the year.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-When Young-sup holds a kite in his hand, he knows exactly how to make it fly. His older brother, Kee-sup, struggles to launch his kite, but he knows exactly how to construct one that is beautiful in form and perfectly balanced. One day, the young king of Korea suddenly arrives with all of his attendants on the hillside where the brothers are playing with their matching tiger kites. He requests their help in learning to fly one, and then asks Kee-sup to make a kite for him. The boy is deeply honored and works diligently on it, a dragon flecked with real gold paint. Meanwhile, Young-sup is determined to win the kite-fighting competition at the New Year's festival. He practices on the hillside where the king frequently joins him, and their growing friendship leads to an interesting collaboration and a thorny challenge to tradition in Korea in 1473. The final contest, in which Young-sup flies for the king, is riveting. Though the story is set in medieval times, the brothers have many of the same issues facing siblings today. They play and argue, they compete for their father's attention, and eventually develop a greater understanding of one another. The author has drawn her characters with a sure touch, creating two very different boys struggling to figure out who they are. With ease and grace, Park brings these long-ago children to life.
Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
From Booklist
In this novel set in fifteenth-century Korea, Young-sup and his older brother, Kee-sup, love the popular sport of competitive kite flying. Kee-sup's talent is designing, building, and decorating the kites. Young-sup is less the craftsman, but his senses are in tune with the shifting winds. Their practice sessions attract the attention of the boy-king of Korea, who becomes friends with the brothers and asks them to craft him a kite fit for a king, then fly it in the New Year's Day kite fights. The boys devise innovations to give them an advantage in the contest: a blue kite string that will be lost against the sky and a coating of crushed pottery to sever an opponent's line. But tricks are no substitute for skill, which Young-sup proves he has. Besides catching the excitement of the ancient sport, the novel deals with intense sibling rivalry engendered by Korean family tradition. The conclusion is predictable but satisfying. An author's note authenticates some historical points in the fictional story, which feels consistently well-grounded in its time and place. -Catherine Andronik

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Describe a time when you have flown a kite. Was the experience more like Kee-sup's or Young-sup's? Explain your answer.
*Compare/contrast a capping ceremony to either a quinceañera or a Bar or Bat Mitzvah.
*Design a kite that would be "fit for a king".
*Have a kite flying contest with the kites the students create.
*Do you think it was fair for Young-sup to treat his line with glue and powdered pottery? Explain your answer.
Other Books by Linda Sue Park:
*A Single Shard 2002 Newbery Medal Winner. ISBN 9780547534268
*When My Name Was Keoko ISBN 9780440419440
*The Firekeeper's Son ISBN 9780547237695
*Archer's Quest ISBN 9780440422044
*Seesaw Girl ISBN 9780547248882

Culture 4: Jingle Dancer

Bibliography: Smith, Cynthia L. 2000. Jingle Dancer. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 9780688162412

Plot Summary: All Jenna wants to do is jingle dance like her grandmother used to do. She dances along to video tapes of her Grandma Wolfe jingle dancing and longs for the day when she can jingle dance. One day she visits some friends and relatives and gets enough rows of jingles to make her own dress sing. She and her grandmother spend a week making her dancing regalia. Jenna dances for everyone who helped make her dress "jingle" at their next powwow.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): This story revolves around the main character, Jenna, who is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. We learn this by reading the author's note at the end of the book and through the telling of the Muscogee Creek story about Bat by Great-aunt Sis. The setting is in an intertribal community in Oklahoma. Jenna dreams about becoming a jingle dancer just like her Grandma Wolfe. She tells her grandma about her wishes, and her grandma tells her she can dance at the next powwow. The only problem is there isn't enough time to order the tins for rolling jingles. The rest of the story shows how Jenna was able to get enough jingles for her dress.

Some of the cultural markers in the story include food, clothing, language, and traditions. The story begins with Jenna sitting at the kitchen table daydreaming and eating fry bread with honey. Mrs. Scott will be selling fry bread and Indian tacos at the powwow. The characters wear contemporary clothing except at the powwow. There we see the traditional regalia worn by the Muscogee Nation. The illustrator adds other touches such as dream catchers, beaded hair barrettes, and earrings that show Native American patterns. Jenna only wanted to borrow one row of jingles from her family and friends because she didn't want their dresses to "lose their voice". This lets the reader know that the jingles on the jingle dresses are "speaking" and not just making noise. The author uses phrases such as "Moon kissed Sun good night," "Sun fetched morning," and "Sun caught a glimpse of Moon" to describe the time of day. The biggest tradition is, of course, the powwow. We learn from the glossary that the powwow Jenna attended was intertribal, meaning "Native peoples of many Nations participate".

The illustrator uses watercolors for the illustrations with orange, blue, green, tan, and golden yellow hues. The characters have tan skin with dark, long hair which stays true to Native American characteristics. The neighborhood is very modern, and the homes have modern furniture and appliances. The carpet and throw blanket in Grandma Wolfe's house have a Native American print.

I enjoyed reading this story and became interested in jingle dresses and dances. I learned so much more from the author's note at the end of the book than from the story itself. I do not know if many of my students take the time to read beyond the story itself. By skipping the author's note they would miss out on learning where the Creek Nation is located, where the first jingle dancers came from, what jingle dresses are made from and what goes on them, how jingles are made, what regalia means, why a family has a "giveaway" for new dancers, and why the number four is significant for many Native Americans. This is great information to learn, but I am afraid many younger readers will miss out on it. The story would have been better if some of this information had been incorporated into it.

Review Excerpt(s):
From Publishers Weekly
Smith, a mixed-blood member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, convincingly juxtaposes cherished Native American tradition and contemporary lifestyle in this smooth debut. Watching a videotape of Grandma Wolfe performing a jingle dance, Jenna is determined to dance at an upcoming powwow. But she lacks the cone-shaped, tin jingles that are sewn on to dancers' dresses as part of the regalia. The girl walks down a suburban sidewalk lined with modern houses as she sets out to visit her great-aunt, a neighbor, a cousin and Grandma Wolfe, all of whom lend her jingles for her dress. Smith's language consciously evokes legend. For example, "As Sun caught a glimpse of the Moon" indicates the time of day; and Jenna is careful to borrow only a limited number of jingles, "not wanting to take so many that [another's] dress would lose its voice." Van Wright and Hu's (Jewels) lifelike renderings capture the genuine affection between Jenna and these caring older women. Their easy integration of Native and standard furnishings and clothing gracefully complement Smith's heartening portrait of a harmonious meshing of old and new. Ages 4-10. (Apr.)
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Without enough tin jingles to make her dress sing, how can Jenna be a jingle dancer just like Grandma Wolfe at the next powwow? She borrows one row from Great-aunt Sis, whose aching legs keep her from dancing; another from Mrs. Scott, who sells fry bread; one from Cousin Elizabeth, whose work keeps her away from the festivities; and a fourth row from Grandma, who helps Jenna sew the jingles to her dress, assemble her regalia, and practice her bounce-steps. When the big day arrives, the girl feels proud to represent these four women and carry on their tradition. Watercolor paintings in bright, warm tones fill each page. In scenes where she is dancing, backgrounds of blurred figures effectively represent both the large audience and the many generations whose tradition the gathering honors. Seeing Jenna as both a modern girl in the suburban homes of her intertribal community and as one of many traditionally costumed participants at the powwow will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life. An author's note and glossary tell more about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, the Ojibway origins of jingle dancing, and the significance of the number four in Native American tradition. This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture.

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Explain what "she didn't want to take so many that the dress would lose its voice" means.
*What time of day was it when Jenna went to visit Great-Aunt Sis? Mrs. Scott? Cousin Elizabeth? How do you know?
*Prepare Indian tacos for a class feast.
*Bring in an authentic dress with rows of jingles.
*Several videos are posted on Youtube of jingle dancers. Watch several different videos and compare/contrast or just enjoy the dances.
Other Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:
*Rain Is Not My Indian Name. ISBN 9780688173975
*Indian Shoes. ISBN 9780060295318
Other Picture Books about Native Americans:
* A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchak. (Lakota) ISBN 978-0698116160
*Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchak (Lakota) ISBN 9781417832804
*The Mud Pony retold by Caron Lee Cohen (Pawnee) ISBN 9780812478051