Culture 4: Crossing Bok Chitto

Bibliography: Tingle, Tim. 2006. Crossing Bok Chitto. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9780938317777

Plot Summary: Bok Chitto is a river that separates the Choctaw nation and plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave made it across the river, then he or she was free and his or her owner could not come after them. One day a young Choctaw girl crosses the river in search of blackberries. While gathering her blackberries she hears hundreds of slaves calling out "We are bound for the Promised Land!" A young slave boy is called to help her find her way home. They became good friends, and the young girl returned every week to attend church with the young boy's family. Soon they find out that his mother has been sold at an auction and would be leaving the following day. With the help of the Choctaw women, the entire slave family is able to make it safely across the river to freedom.


Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): This story takes place in Mississippi along the Bok Chitto River which separates the Choctaw Nation and plantation owners and their slaves. The author, Tim Tingle, is a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. He tells us that this book is an Indian book “written by Indian voices and painted by an Indian artist”. It is written just as it would be told and retold from one generation to the next. It does not take the reader long to find the rhythm of the story and to “hear” it being told.

The illustrator, Jeanne Rorex Bridges, is of Cherokee ancestry. Her illustrations capture the emotions of the characters beautifully. The shape of the eyes and noses of the characters, as well as the color of skin and texture of hair easily identify the culture of the characters. The moccasins the members of the Choctaw tribe wear are another cultural marker Bridges shows in her illustrations. The slaves’ clothing is also appropriate for that the period. Bridges does an amazing job of capturing the emotions of the characters in her drawings. The words do not describe the devastation of Little Mo’s family when they find out their mother has been sold, but the illustrations show us what this has done to the family.

Other cultural markers include the spiritual ceremonies and songs of both the Choctaw tribe and the slaves, the white cotton ceremonial dresses of the Choctaws, and the two circles (the women and the men) at the wedding ceremony. It was nice to see how both Martha Tom and Little Mo appreciated and learned from the other’s songs. Martha Tom would actually translate the words she learned at the slave church into the Choctaw language.

I enjoyed reading and learning from this story. I was never aware that Indian tribes also helped to free slaves. In my naïveté I only thought of white people helping to free them. I appreciate the author's note at the end of the story, but it also makes me sad that this is necessary to know the correct history. This book definitely made me want to learn more about the Choctaw Nation and read other stories about Bok Chitto as well.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-6–Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s Mississippi. While searching for blackberries, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw, breaks her village's rules against crossing the Bok Chitto. She meets and becomes friends with the slaves on the plantation on the other side of the river, and later helps a family escape across it to freedom when they hear that the mother is to be sold. Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers. The layout is well designed for groups as the images are large and easily seen from a distance. There is a note on modern Choctaw culture, and one on the development of this particular work. This is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated, though the ending requires a somewhat large leap of the imagination.–Cris Riedel, Ellis B. Hyde Elementary School, Dansville, NY
From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results. Set "in the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears," and told in the lulling rhythms of oral history, the tale opens with a Mississippi Choctaw girl who strays across the Bok Chitto River into the world of Southern plantations, where she befriends a slave boy and his family. When trouble comes, the desperate runaways flee to freedom, helped by their own fierce desire (which renders them invisible to their pursuers) and by the Choctaws' secret route across the river. In her first paintings for a picture book, Bridges conveys the humanity and resilience of both peoples in forceful acrylics, frequently centering on dignified figures standing erect before moody landscapes. Sophisticated endnotes about Choctaw history and storytelling traditions don't clarify whether Tingle's tale is original or retold, but this oversight won't affect the story's powerful impact on young readers, especially when presented alongside existing slave-escape fantasies such as Virginia Hamiltons's The People Could Fly (2004) and Julius Lester's The Old African (2005). Jennifer Mattson

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Why do you think Martha Tom crossed the Bok Chitto even though she had been told never to do so?
*Why did Little Mo think Martha Tom was a witch?
*Explain how a Choctaw wedding ceremony is the same as or different from one you have attended?
*Describe a "crossing ceremony".
*Why do you think the Choctaws built the stone path beneath the muddy surface of the water?
Other Books by Tim Tingle:
*Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness Into Light. ISBN 9781933693675
*When Turtle Grew Feathers. ISBN 9780874837773
*Walking the Choctaw Road. ISBN 9780938317739
*Spirits Dark and Light. ISBN 9780874837780

Culture 4: Hidden Roots

Bibliography: Bruchac, Joseph. 2004. Hidden Roots. New York: Scholastic Inc. ISBN 9780439353595

Plot Summary: Sonny is an eleven-year-old boy who lives at home with his mother and physically abusive father. His father works in the mill, and Sonny swears that he will never work there as long as he lives. He doesn't have any friends at school, and he always looks forward to his Uncle Louis's visits. His dad does not get along with Uncle Louis but Sonny does not know why. Sonny's life gets turned upside down after an accident at the mill. Will his family's secrets tear him apart or make him stronger?

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): Joseph Bruchac offers many Native American cultural markers throughout this novel. The story takes place in the Adirondack hills in New York, close to Vermont. Many people will be able to identify with the main character, Sonny, who gets all of his information about Indians from the movies. He learned that "real Indians could be dangerous" and he had an image in his mind about what Indians looked like and how they "danced and sang and played their drums". His Uncle Louis starts to teach him about Indians and how many of them started to deny their heritage so they would be left alone and also so they could have a better life.

Uncle Louis is described as having white hair almost down to his shoulders with tanned skin "darker than the faces of most of the people in the town". His eyes were "squinty" and were as "black as a night with no moon or stars". He was always clean-shaven and he always had "a little smile on his lips." His Indian clothing consisted of moccasins and a red band on his head. Other than those, he "dressed like everyone else" so he wouldn't be discovered.

Some other cultural markers include gestures, traditions, and food. Uncle Louis always greeted Sonny's mom the same way (when his dad was not around). He would "pat his chest with his left hand and then place that hand on his mother's right shoulder." Pointing with his fingers was considered rude. Instead they pointed by turning their head or pointing with their lips. Traditions mentioned in the story include how Indians would climb the top of the mountain to "greet the dawn and pray"; they would not say a word to anyone until it was time to pray; they would thank the sun for giving them another day; and they "buried his grandmother then made a fire over her grave and after it died down left some of the things she liked to wear on the ground." Sonny and Uncle Louis enjoyed eating the special maple sugar candy when they got to visit. Deer meat was another traditional food mentioned in the story. Indians hunt deer differently than others. They do not chase them rather they let the deer come up to them and "give themselves" to the hunter. Uncle Louis described it this way, "it's like you take on the weight of its life". The deer understands the sacrifice it is making for the hunter.

Sonny learns a lot about life and Indians from Uncle Louis. He begins to appreciate them more through the stories his uncle shares. Sonny knows that his family is different from others at his school. His mother will never go up to his school like the "other mothers" do, and his dad works in the paper mill and is abusive. He gets especially upset when Uncle Louis comes over and spends time with Sonny and his mother. The reader begins to understand the "hidden roots" as Uncle Louis spends more time with Sonny. We also discover why the Abenaki Indians needed to hide their heritage from the outside world.

The author's note at the end of the story describes an awful tragedy that took place right here in the United States. The Vermont Eugenics Project called for the sterilization of the "feeble-minded". Abenaki Indians were at the top of the list. This law was in effect from 1931 until the early 1960s. Government people would take away whole families in the middle of the night. Men and women would be sterilized, and any existing children would be adopted into other homes. This is one of the many reasons members of the Abenaki Tribes "stopped being Indian as far as the outside world was concerned". Reading this absolutely broke my heart. It is hard for me to believe this happened in the "land of the free" only 50-60 years ago. I wonder if my grandparents (all deceased now) or parents were aware that this was happening in our country and how they felt about it. This book definitely makes me want to learn more about this culture.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Grade 5-9-Small for his 11 years and the last picked for playground games, Harold doesn't much care that he's friendless. His mother is also a loner; his father works at the paper mill and everything about his job makes him angry--chemicals spilling into the Hudson, the gnashing cogs of machine Number Three that will rip off a limb if you're not careful, and the double shifts that never bring in enough money. Life is hard in this upstate New York town during the early 1960s. Harold knows that his family has secrets; some are too threatening to make sense of while his mother tries to hide others. Uncle Louis visits mostly while his father is at work, showing Harold the wonders of this Adirondack wilderness. Bruchac's story takes its roots in the 1930s Native American sterilization program known as the Vermont Eugenics Program. This chilling reality haunted the Abenaki people, threatened their annihilation, and drove them into hiding for three decades. As Harold learns near the end of the story, his family, victims of that program, escaped to New York and claimed a French heritage. "Uncle Louis" is actually his mother's father. This purposeful but discerning book will prompt discussion and further research into the plight of the Native people from the Green Mountain State. Yet within this historical framework of the shameful deeds of man, pride and integrity hold the family together.--Alison Follos, North Country School, Lake Placid, NY
From Publishers Weekly
Reprising his signature themes, Bruchac sets up this taut novel to reveal a chilling bit of history: according to an endnote, the Vermont Eugenics Project, signed into law in 1931, enabled the state to incarcerate and sterilize many Abenaki Indians, on the grounds that they had "bad genes," leading other Abenaki to conceal their Indian identities. This revelation comes only near the end, although fans of Bruchac's writing and attentive readers will suspect much sooner that 11-year-old Sonny, the narrator, is related to the Indians whose customs and beliefs his Uncle Louis relates with such passion and insight. Sonny has plenty to contend with. The dawning Cold War, in 1954, means air-raid drills and talk of nuclear bombs. Yet even the bomb may not be as scary as his father, an abusive man so volatile that Sonny vows, "I will never be as angry as my father." Why does Sonny's father get so angry at Uncle Louis, and why does he have to work at the paper mill, where the machines mangle workers' limbs and chemicals poison the river? A terrible accident that costs Sonny's father part of his right hand, and a friendship with the town librarian, who shares the news that she lost her German Jewish parents in the Holocaust, reminds everyone to value what will always belong to them, namely, their identity. The author doesn't quite master all that he introduces, but the climactic shocker has the intended effect, and is certain to have a searing impact on the audience. Ages 9-12. (Feb.)

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Research the Abenaki culture.
*Prepare the Abenaki Frybread (recipe listed in back of the book). Poll the class on likes and dislikes. *How would you react if you found out you had hidden roots of your own?
*Compare/contrast the librarian in this story with the librarian at your school.
*What did Uncle Louis mean when he said the title Last of the Mohicans "wasn't quite right"?
Other Books by Joseph Bruchac:
*Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War II. ISBN 9780803729216
*Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back. ISBN 9780399221415
*Sacajawea. ISBN 9780756907327
*The First Strawberries. ISBN 9780780785281
*A Boy Called Slow. ISBN 9780613073875

Culture 3: Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué rico!

Bibliography: Mora, Pat. 2007. Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué rico! Ill. by Rafael López. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 9781584302711

Plot Summary:
This is Pat Mora's first book of haiku. She writes 14 different haikus about native foods of the Americas. Before each haiku, the reader is given a brief lesson on the origin of the food, some common uses for it, and other interesting facts.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): Pat Mora’s book Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué rico! teaches readers about native food of the Americas through haiku. Most of the foods are very common and will be easily recognized by young children which should add to their enjoyment of the book. The origin of the food is from either North, Central, or South America. In addition to the haiku, there is a brief snippet about its origin, its uses, and other interesting facts.

Rafael Lopez uses vibrant reds, oranges, blues, yellows, and greens in his illustrations. They really catch and hold the readers attention. Every race is represented in the pictures but there is a stronger Hispanic and Native American representation. Skin tones range from pale to light brown to dark brown. In addition to skin color, Lopez also marks the cultural attributes through hairstyles, clothing, hair texture, and the environment itself. The illustrations add to the haiku in a beautiful way.

Have you ever wondered why many Hispanic families have pineapple decorations somewhere in their houses? I learned from the book that the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality. If you see one in or around a friend’s house it means that you are welcome there. You will learn many other interesting facts like this when you read this book.

Review Excerpt(s):
From Booklist
"This inventive stew of food haiku celebrates the indigenous foods of the Americas." (English edition)
From Book Links
"Mora's descriptive poetry features wonderful word choices and gets it right to the essence of each food...Perfect for sharing as part of the curriculum or just for fun." (English edition)
From School Library Journal
"Teachers will find this a welcome addition to their social-studies units, but it should also win a broad general audience for its inventive, fun-filled approach to an ever-popular topic: food." (English edition)

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Research your favorite fruit or vegetable. Create a page for our own class book of Yum! ¡MmMm! ¡Qué rico!
*Choose one of the foods from the book and write your own haiku. Extension- draw a different illustration or explain why you would add/remove something from the current one.
*Look at the illustrations for "Chile". Write a haiku about what the little girl is thinking.
*Cover the haiku "Vanilla". Read the history of vanilla to the class, and then have them write their own haiku using the illustrations to guide them before reading the haiku aloud.
*Bring samples of papaya, grits, whole pecans, fresh pineapple, etc. for the students to taste.
Other Books by Pat Mora:
*Confetti: Poems for Children. ISBN 9781880000250
*Love to Mama: A Tribute to Mothers (edited by Pat Mora). ISBN 9780756947767
*Book Fiesta!: Celebrate Children's Day/Book Day; Celebremos El dia de los ninos/El dia de los libros. ISBN 9780061288777
*Tomas and the Library Lady. ISBN 9780679804017
*A Library for Juana: The World of Sor Juana Ines. ISBN 9780375806438

Culture 3: How Tía Lola Learned to Teach

Bibliography: Alvarez, Julia. 2010. How Tía Lola Learned to Teach. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 9780375864605

Plot Summary: When the principal of Juanita and Miguel's school calls to ask Tía Lola to volunteer to teach Spanish to the students she is very hesitant. She did not attend school past the 4th grade, so she does not think she is smart enough to be a teacher. Her niece and nephew have to trick her into coming that first day, but Tía Lola quickly realizes that she has a lot she can teach the students. She soon becomes a favorite amongst the students, teachers, and even the whole community. One day Tía Lola gets a notice in the mail that her visa is about to expire and she must prepare to leave the country immediately. The whole community rallies around her and turns out for her hearing with the U.S. Department of Immigration. Will it be enough to save her?

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): Miguel and Juanita move from New York to Vermont with their mother after their parents' separation and eventual divorce. Tía Lola moves from the Dominican Republic to help her niece, who is more like a daughter, take care of the children. After several new Spanish speaking students enroll at Bridgeport Elementary, the principal asks Tía Lola to volunteer teaching Spanish at the school so everyone can communicate with each other. At first she is afraid because she only completed school through the 4th grade, but she quickly learns she has a lot she can teach the students and teachers at the school as well as the entire community.

Alvarez's story offers many Hispanic cultural markers. Language is of course at the top of the list. Spanish words and phrases are found throughout the story since this is the only language Tía Lola knows. At the beginning of the story it is humorous to see how Mami (mom), Miguel, and Juanita all ask "Why?" in a different way. Mami asks "¿por qué?", Miguel asks "Why not?" and Juanita asks "por qué not?" Some other common words found in the story include abuelitas (grandparents), adiós (goodbye), muy bien (very good), mi'jo (my son), and mi'jita (my daughter). Alvarez usually translates the Spanish words and phrases, but she does so in a way the reader knows she is trying to teach the language. It does not become distracting to the reader in any way. She writes a message at the end of the story explaining how she doesn't want the reader to feel left out "just because they are not yet bilingual".

Other cultural markers include food, celebrations, dances, and clothing. Some of the food in the story is plantains and bacon for breakfast, huevos rancheros, arroz con habichuelas, flan, and dulce. Instead of singing "Happy Birthday" Tía Lola sings "Feliz Cumpleaños" at a birthday party, and after Juanita asks to have a "half birthday" in February, Tía Lola organizes a carnaval for the whole community. Several piñatas are made such as a shrimp, a flamingo, and the school building. Tía Lola spends some of her free time teaching how to dance the salsa, merengue, and cha-cha-cha. She is always dressed in bright colors and usually with a floral print. She wears her bright yellow scarf for special occasions.

The book is written in lessons rather than chapters. Each lesson is based on a proverb written first in Spanish and then in English. The story is centered around this proverb and the reader is able to learn the meaning of the proverb through the characters and their actions. The book also shows the struggles immigrants deal with visas and possible deportation. While I don't think the visa extension was a realistic portrayal overall the story is very authentic and fun to read.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Gr 3-6–This sequel to How Tía Lola Came to Visit/Stay (Knopf, 2001) continues the story of the Guzman family: 8-year-old Juanita, 10-year-old Miguel, and irrepressible Tía Lola. The new school year has begun and the children's aunt has been invited to teach Spanish a few days a week, a prospect that first alarms her since she never finished school when she was growing up in the Dominican Republic. But the woman is a born teacher, full of life, enthusiasm, and a wise saying for every situation. Lola quickly finds herself a favorite at school, charming all with her stories and personality, organizing parties and treasure hunts, and involving everyone in their small Vermont town in her plans. Along the way, she also helps Miguel and Juanita adjust to their parents' divorce, the separation from their father, who lives in New York City, and a possible new stepmother. When the residents of the town learn that Lola's immigration status is in jeopardy, they rally behind her to convince the judge the entire town needs their “Tía.” Each chapter begins with one of Lola's maxims to set the stage, and Spanish words and phrases are clearly used throughout. A welcome return for a wonderful character whose heart encompasses the whole world.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA.
From Booklist
Just as warm and upbeat as How Tía Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (2001), the second book about Miguel and Juanita’s aunt, who comes from the Dominican Republic to live with the kids’ family in Vermont, is written in the same lively, playful style. Language is a central focus as Tía Lola volunteers to teach Spanish in the local elementary school. The story builds to a tense climax when her visa is about to expire, and the whole town rallies for her to stay. Readers will enjoy both the messages and the humor in Tía’s wry, wise sayings. Grades 4-7. --Hazel Rochman

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Why do you think Miguel was hesitant in wanting Tía Lola to volunteer at his school every day? How would you feel if one of your relatives wanted to volunteer at your school?
*Miguel learned a very important lesson when he left his papi's house alone when he was sick. Describe a lesson you had to learn the hard way.
*Create a piñata that says something about you.
*Ask a parent or volunteer (or even the PE teacher) to come in and teach the kids a Latin dance such as the salsa, merengue, or cha-cha-cha.
*Research the Dominican Republic. Create a travel brochure highlighting at least 5 reasons people should visit the Dominican Republic.
Other Books by Julia Alvarez:
How Tía Lola Came to Stay ISBN 9780440418702
How Tía Lola Saved the Summer ISBN 9780375867279
How Tía Lola Ended Up Starting Over ISBN 9780375869143
Return to Sender (winner of the Pura Belpré Award and América's Award for Children's and Young Adults Literature) ISBN 9780375858383
Before We Were Free (winner of the Pura Belpré Award) ISBN 9780375815447

Culture 3: Taking Sides

Bibliography: Soto, Gary. 1991. Taking Sides. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 9780152046941

Plot Summary: After their house gets burglarized, Lincoln's mom makes the decision to move them to a better neighborhood. They move from the barrio to a rich, white neighborhood 10 miles away when he is in junior high. The one thing Lincoln has to hold on to is basketball, but Lincoln doesn't have anything in common with his new teammates other than basketball. His friends all play for his old school, Franklin Junior High. The first time his new school, Columbus, plays Franklin they won convincingly. But what will happen when they meet again at the end of the season when Lincoln feels loyalty to all of his freinds at Franklin?
Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): Gary Soto has written a believable story about the struggles of being a teenager in a new school. Lincoln is a young man whose face is “brown, like coffee laced with cream” and hair is “black as a chunk of asphalt”. His mother decides to move from the barrio to a better neighborhood after their house in broken into and some of their property has been stolen. They move less than 10 miles away, but it is a whole new world to Lincoln.

Lincoln’s new school is made up mostly of white people who have money. At first he enjoys the peaceful, clean neighborhood, but a few months later he misses his old school and its “mural of brown, black, and yellow kids linking arms in friendship”. He especially missed his best friend Tony whom he’s known since the first grade. Throughout the story Lincoln is comparing his old life with his new one. Where does his loyalty lie when the two schools meet again in a basketball game? He wants his old school to win because he likes the people on the team better, but he also wants to play the best game he can.

Spanish words and phrases are used throughout the story giving it cultural authenticity. Soto translates most of the Spanish immediately which seems to take away from the story itself since that is not how it would be spoken naturally. Some examples include “Oye a este chavalo. Listen to the guy,” “Y que no se te olvide. And don’t you forget it” and “Qué grande te has puesto. How tall you’ve gotten”. Even words and phrases that can be inferred are translated which starts to become a nuisance.

The Hispanic culture is also evident by the food mentioned in the story and the importance of religion. Frijoles, papas, and tortillas are a staple at many meals. They also eat carne asada, enchiladas, and bologna sandwiches in a “twice-used paper bag” for lunch. Lincoln’s mother attends church every Sunday, and Monica (the girl he has a crush on) talks about her church and asks him which one he attends.

Overall this is a good story for junior readers. It is easy to relate to the characters and the struggles they face. There is also a glossary of Spanish words and phrases at the end of the story for those who want to learn and/or practice the Spanish language.

Review Excerpt(s):
From Publishers Weekly
This touchingly realistic story explores the divided loyalties of a Hispanic basketball player who has recently moved from a poor neighborhood to a more affluent one. Initially, eighth grader Lincoln feels like a traitor when he plays ball for the predominantly white school he now attends. To make matters worse, his new coach seems to hold a grudge against both Lincoln and his former school, Franklin Junior High. As a game against Franklin approaches, tension mounts and Lincoln experiences clashes with several people, including some teammates. But he manages to have fun on the night of the big game and eventually makes peace with his friends. Once again, Soto ( Baseball in April ) masterfully conveys the Hispanic-American experience, and readers will respect Lincoln's values and good sportsmanship. Ultimately, the boy learns to adjust to a new situation and accept new challenges without compromising his individuality.
From School Library Journal
This light but appealing story deals with cultural differences, moving, and basketball. Eighth-grader Lincoln Mendoza and his mother have just moved from a San Francisco barrio to a wealthy, predominantly white suburb. He misses his Hispanic friends, the noise, camaraderie, and even the dirt and fights in his old neighborhood. Having made first-string on the basketball team, he finds that the coach dislikes him for no good reason. Plot development hinges on an upcoming game between his new school and the old one. As the big day approaches, Lincoln cannot decide which team he wants to win. He's not sure where he truly belongs, but the game helps to clarify this for him. Readers will easily understand the boy's dilemma. The conflicts of old vs. new and Hispanic vs. white culture are clearly delineated. So is the fact that the differences are not as great as they first appear. Lincoln is a typical adolescent: energetic, likable, moody at times, but adaptable. Other characters are less finely drawn. The coach is the stereotypical obnoxious jock. Lincoln's divorced mother works hard and tries to be a good parent. Her boyfriend Roy is a minor player but he helps Lincoln to deal with his problems. Because of its subject matter and its clear, straightforward prose, the book will be especially good for reluctant readers. A glossary of Spanish words appears at the end of the book. --Bruce Anne Shook, Mendenhall Middle School, Greensboro,

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
*Describe a time when you were the new student at school or how you treated a new student in your class. *Compare and contrast Lincoln's old life and his new life.
*Do you think it was fair Lincoln was benched at the beginning of the game against Colombus and Franklin? Why or why not?
*Create a welcome packet for students new to your school. What should they know about the school, neighborhood, etc.
*You will be partnered with a student from another school in our district. You will interview each other through email, Skype, and/or phone calls. What things do you have in common? What are your differences? What is their school like? How is it different from ours? How is it the same?

Other Books by Gary Soto:
Baseball in April and Other Stories ISBN 9780780704473
Too Many Tamales ISBN 9780399221460
Chato's Kitchen ISBN 9780399226588
Snapshots from the Wedding ISBN 9780613121170
A Summer Life ISBN 9780833574732

Culture 2: Feathers

Bibliography: Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. Feathers. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN9780399239892

Plot Summary: Hope. That is what this story is about. Frannie is young African American girl growing up in the early 1970s. She has an older deaf brother who watches out for her and vice versa. Frannie lives in the black neighborhood that is right across the highway from the white neighborhood. One day a new student shows up in class. He was pale with long curly hair. The students start calling him Jesus Boy. Frannie has a special connection with him because he cam also speak in sign language. Frannie learns about hope through her relationships with her parents, brother, and her friends Samantha and Jesus Boy.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers):
Feathers is written in the first person. It is a story of hope, faith, friendship, and change. It is told through the eyes of Frannie, a young African American girl growing up in the early 1970s. There is a definite sense of segregation in the community she lives in. When a new students joins her sixth grade class some of the students question why the “tall, skinny, white” kid is at their school. There is a bridge that divides the whites from the blacks. Not only does the story deal with African Americans and whites it also deals with the hearing and nonhearing worlds. Frannie's brother is deaf and oftentimes Frannie is the one who translates between him and the girls who are interested in him.

The main characters in the story are Frannie, her brother Sean, her best friend Samantha, Mama, and her classmates Trevor, RayRay, and the new kid they call Jesus Boy. Trevor is described as “lighter than most of the other kids” at the school, and blue-eyed. One time another student asked him if was part white, and Trevor hit him, so no one asked him that again.

Some other cultural markers that are found in the story include language, hair styles, and music. Some phrases found in the story include “being jive”, “jive turkey”, “Black is Beautiful”, “brother-man” or “brother”, and “cat” for a person. Frannie talks about a time when her Mama tried to “straighten out the kink” but she did not like it so she mostly kept it in braids. Every once in a while she would “pick it out into an Afro” but Mama would put it right back into a braid if she saw her like that. Mama told her she needed to be a teenager before she could wear her hair in an Afro. The music they listened to included the Jackson 5 and the 5th Dimension.

Religion is important in Frannie’s family. While Frannie finds a hundred excuses not to go to church, her parents attend services every Sunday, and her grandmother went to two churches on Sundays. Even Frannie’s brother attends more than she does. Samantha helps strengthen Frannie’s religion. There is even discussion about whether or not Jesus is white.

Woodson makes it easy for the reader to empathize with the characters and really feel like they are a part of the story.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. "Stepped through that door white and softly as the snow," notes sixth-grader Frannie, on the arrival of a pale, long-haired boy to her predominantly black middle school on a winter day in 1971. He is dubbed the Jesus Boy by the class rowdy, and the name seems to suit the newcomer's appearance and calm demeanor. Frannie is confused, not only by declarations that he's NOT white, but that her friend Samantha, daughter of a conservative Baptist minister, also seems to believe that he is Jesus. In light of this and other surprises in her life, Frannie questions her own faith and, most of all, the meaning of the Emily Dickinson poem that she is studying in class, "Hope is a thing with feathers/that perches in the soul/…." How does she maintain hope when her newly pregnant mother has lost three babies already? She also worries about her deaf older brother, Sean, who longs to be accepted in the hearing world. She sees the anger in the bully intensify as he targets Jesus Boy. With her usual talent for creating characters who confront, reflect, and grow into their own persons, Woodson creates in Frannie a strong protagonist who thinks for herself and recognizes the value and meaning of family. The story ends with hope and thoughtfulness while speaking to those adolescents who struggle with race, faith, and prejudice. They will appreciate its wisdom and positive connections.—D. Maria LaRocco, Cuyahoga Public Library, Strongsville, OH
From Booklist
There's a lot going on in this small, fast-moving novel that introduces big issues--faith, class, color, prejudice, family, disability, and friendship. Woodson tells her story with immediacy and realism through the stirring first-person narrative of a young girl, Frannie, growing up in 1971. The new boy in school is the only white kid in Frannie's sixth-grade class, and she wonders why he doesn't go to the white school across the highway. He's pleased when some of the kids call him Jesus Boy, and Frannie's devout friend, Samantha, thinks he may be the savior. A few of the boys harass him, especially bullying Trevor--who looks white himself. When the new kid turns out to be far from perfect, Frannie wonders: Was he God's child? Aren't we all? In her loving home, filled with light, hope, and laughter, a deaf older brother has always enriched her life, but Frannie realizes that she still has bridges of prejudice to cross. A good choice for discussion. -Hazel Rochman

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
The music of The Jackson 5 was mentioned several times in the story. What was some other popular music during this time period? (Teacher should have some sound recordings for the students to listen to.)
Why do you think Frannie would get so upset with the "hearing girls"? Would you react the same way? Why or why not?
Both Frannie and Jesus Boy reached out to help Trevor even after he was so ugly to them. What does this say about their character? Would you do the same thing to someone who was mean to you? Why or why not?
"Mrs. Johnson says everybody has a story." Write your story.
Other Books by Jacqueline Woodson:
Visiting Day- ISBN 9780590400053
Show Way- ISBN 9780399237492
Sweet, Sweet Memory- ISBN 9780786802418
I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This- ISBN 9780399244995

Culture 2: Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book

Bibliography: Grimes, Nikki. 2009. Rich: A Dyamonde Daniel Book. Ill. by R. Gregory Chrisitie. New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. ISBN 9780399251764

Plot Summary: What does it mean to be rich? Is it how much money you have, or could it be something else? Something more? There is a poetry contest at the local library with a cash prize of $100 for the winning poem. The top 3 poems will also be published on the Kid's Page of the Sunday newspaper. Dyamonde's best friend wants to win the contest. He already has an idea about how he is going to spend his winnings, but the quietest girl in school also signs up for the contest. Dyamonde wants to learn more about this girl, and it is through this new friendship she really learns what it is to be rich.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers): Nikki Grimes has created an inspiring character in Dyamonde Daniel. Rich is the second book in the Dyamonde Daniel series. This book is told in short chapters, so it is an excellent choice for beginning or struggling readers.

Rich is a story about faith, family, and friendship. It opens with a quick description of the main characters in the story: Dyamonde (a third grader who likes to know everything that is going on), her best friend Free (who dreams buying all of the video games wants), Damaris (the quiet girl in class who never talks), and Dyamonde's mom (a single parent). The story takes place in school, Dyamonde's apartment, and her favorite store where she goes treasure hunting.

The African American culture is all around, but it is not all-consuming. The names of the characters and the illustrations throughout the story are what identify this the most. Dyamonde will start to use language such as "that don't mean" but she quickly corrects herself by saying, "that doesn't mean". All of the characters have hairstyles that are common with the African American culture- braids, Afro, and dreadlocks.

This story is told in the third person. It opens with Dyamonde and Free looking into a store window and Free talking about hating to be poor. Dyamonde lets him know that he is not poor. He has clothes, food, a place to live, and friends to count on. Free accepts this, but that doesn't change his mind in wanting that video game in the window! The next day at school their teacher announces a poetry contest with a $100 prize for first place. Free loves poetry, so he is excited to enter. Dyamonde prefers math, so she decides not to enter the contest. She notices the quietest girl in class raises her hand, and this makes her very curious. She befriends Damaris and learns that she lives in a shelter with her mom and 2 brothers, and she is very good at writing poetry. Dyamonde encourages her to write about her home so others can understand it, and she ends up winning the contest. Her poem is titled "Rich" and it describes how even though she has lost everything she still considers herself rich due to the friendships she has.

R. Gregory Christie is a three-time recipient of a Coretta Scott King Honor Award in Illustration. His illustrations in Rich are simple black and white illustrations that are geared toward the younger crowd. They are simple, yet they capture the mood completely. It is fun to see the relationship change between Dyamonde and Damaris from classmates to the best of friends.

Review Excerpt(s):
From School Library Journal
When their third grade teacher encourages students to enter a local poetry contest, Dyamonde is not interested. However, her best friend Free sees it as an opportunity to win the $100 prize and purchase a new video game. Damaris, a shy new student, also enters the contest, capturing Dyamonde's attention. The three soon become fast friends even as they discover Damaris' secret—she is living in a homeless shelter. Nikki Grimes's beginning chapter book (Putnam, 2009) features inviting characters, an engaging story, and a look at the challenges of poverty. It also poses the question: What makes one truly rich? The rhythm, pacing, and tone of Grimes's narration is captivating, although she doesn't provide unique voices for each character.—Deanna Romriell, Salt Lake City Public Library, UT
From Booklist
Though her best friend, Free, is excited about a poetry contest, Dyamonde has little interest in writing verse. She is curious, though, about Damaris, a new classmate with a secret. Dyamonde befriends her and encourages her to enter the contest with a poem that reveals what she’s been hiding. Featuring several of the same vividly drawn African American characters as the first book in the Dyamonde Daniel series, the second volume looks at the sensitive issues of poverty and homelessness from different angles and in a reassuringly matter-of-fact way. Expressive ink drawings illustrate this fine beginning chapter book. Grades 2-4. --Carolyn Phelan

Connections:
Discussion Questions and Activities:
Dyamonde, Free, and Damaris become best friends. Describe your best friends and explain how they became your best friends.
Why do you think Damaris hid the fact she lived in a homeless shelter?
Write a poem about your family or your friends.
Essay topic: "What Being Rich Means to Me"
What would you do with $100?
Other Books by Nikki Grimes:
From the Dyamonde Daniel Series: Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel ISBN 9780399251757 and Almost Zero ISBN 9780399251771
Oh, Brother! ISBN 9780688172947
Welcome Precious ISBN 9780439557023
When Gorilla Goes Walking ISBN 9780439317702
Danitra Brown, Class Clown ISBN 9780688172909