Literature educates not only the head, but the heart as well. It promotes empathy and invites readers to adopt new perspectives. It offers opportunities for children to learn to recognize our similarities, value our differences, and respect our common humanity. In an important sense, then children need literature that serves as a window onto lives and experiences different from their own, and literature that serves as a mirror reflecting themselves and their cultural values, attitudes, and behaviors. Bishop, cited in Wolf, 2003

Literature can become a conduit-a door-to engage children in social practices that function for social justice. Botelho & Rudman, 2009, p. 1

When inviting teachers to share their initial responses to Return to Sender, focusing on the ideas or themes that resonated personally to them as readers, Cynthia created a Graffiti Board response that zeroed in on the larger sociopolitical issues that frame the story. Return to Sender has the potential not only to serve as window and mirror for many readers but also to invite children and teachers to engage in social practices that function for social justice. Throughout the novel, Alvarez presents a multiplicity of voices on critical issues with consequences for social justice, such as the issue of immigration and undocumented immigrants. This week we would like to focus on one specific event in the story: the town meeting held in the school lunchroom. Julia Alvarez captured both the anti-immigrant discourse and a critical alternative discourse. The first discourse is represented in that scene by Mr. Rossetti who proposes, “So, I want to put a motion forward that says that anyone who’s not here legally needs to be rounded up” (p. 189), an ideology enacted in real life by Immigration and Customs Enforcement through “Operation Return to Sender” in 2006.

Mr. Bicknell, the teacher, represents an alternative discourse and he became the voice of the community in his respose to Mr. Rossetti’s motion: “But the bottom line is that this country, and particularly this state, were built by people who gave up everything in search of a better life, not just for themselves, but for their children. Their blood, sweat, and tears formed this great nation” (p. 191). That voice had a transformative power over Mr. Rossetti.

We invite the reader to share his/her thoughts about Alvarez’s depiction of the town meeting and the two positions that collided. How do you see Mr. Bicknell’s role as a critical teacher and citizen? How do you see teachers’ roles when such discourses emerge in the classroom?

References

Botelho, M., & Rudman, M. (2009). Critical multicultural analysis of children’s literature: Mirror, windows, and doors. New York: Routeldge.

Wolf, S. (2003). Interpreting literature with children. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

In our work as Latina teacher educators, we prepare teachers to be successful literacy educators in a multilingual world. In our teaching, we use high quality children’s and adolescent literature in order to invite our students to read multiculturally (Hade, 1997). That is, through small group and whole class literature discussions, we engage pre-service and in-service teachers to make personal connections with the literature and to take a critical stance to explore questions that often reveal the many sociopolitical forces shaping the education of minority students in the United States. These include interpreting signs of power, race, class, and equity, among others, as they are represented in the literature.

In the past, we have selected books that address some of the familiar challenges encountered by recent immigrants to the United States, including the process of adapting to a new schooling practices and language learner. We have also used books that describe the day-to-day complexities of living in between two cultures from the perspective of cultural insiders. Examples include A Step from Heaven by An Na (2001), Tangled Threads by Pegi Deitz Shea (2003) or Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat (2002)

This semester, Carmen and Andrea have planned for a Digital Literature Discussion Project with students enrolled in a graduate teacher preparation program in New York, and in an undergraduate program in Texas. During the month of March, our WOW Current posts will help to facilitate an online literature discussion of Return to Sender. This latest book by outstanding Latina writer Julia Alvarez, was recently announced as the recipient of the American Library Association’s prestigious Pura Belpré Award, which every year recognizes excellence in children and adolescent literature that “best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience.”

Our collaboration for this project started months before the first class in our courses, as we read newly released novels and discussed possible books to use with our students. The decision to select Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez was an easy one. It was one of the books that we were carefully considering for our work and the recognition with the Pura Belpré Award validated our selection criteria. We wanted a novel that would present an authentic, relevant, engaging, and contemporary story about the issues facing minority families in the United States as they navigate their new cultural landscapes. In Return to Sender, Alvarez tells the story of two families struggling to survive: a migrant Mexican family and a Vermont family trying to save their farm. (Listen to Julia Alvarez on Vermont Public Radio discuss her book and talk about the inspiration behind the story.)

On February 23 and 25, we each had our first literature discussion in class. Using the literature response strategy Graffiti Board (Short, Harste, Burke, 1995), the students were invited to share their initial responses, connections, wonderings and questions to the book. In their Graffiti Boards, the students identified an illustrated numerous poignant experiences shared by the main characters in the book, Tyler, an 11 year-old growing up in a farm in Vermont, and Mari, an 11 year-old daughter of an undocumented Mexican migrant worker. The students’ responses captured in great detail their initial exploration about issues related to the phenomenon that Igoa (1995) calls “uprooting,” living in a new place, in a whole new culture with a whole new language, after having left behind the world you came to know as yours.

For our first WOW Current post, we invite readers to respond to Alvarez’s take on her own identity as it informs the experiences of her characters, Tyler and Mari in the Return to Sender. Alvarez is quoted as describing herself as a “Dominican, hyphen, American.” She believes that, “As a fiction writer, I find that the most exciting things happen in the realm of that hyphen — the place where two worlds collide or blend together.” For our first discussion, we would like to pose the following guiding questions:

•    What does this “hyphen” mean to Mari and for Tyler in the story? What does it mean to their families?
•    How are Tyler and Mari actively involved in defining their role, their identity, their sense of self and place in between two cultures?
•    What does this “hyphen” mean to you as a reader?

Enjoy the conversation!

References

Hade, D. (1997). Reading multiculturally. In V. Harris (Ed.) Using multiethnic literature in the K-8 classroom (pp. 233-256). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon.

Igoa, C. (1995). The inner world of the immigrant child. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Short, K.G. & Harste, J., with Burke, C. (1995). Creating Classrooms for Authors and Inquirers. (2nd ed.) Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

We wanted to hear Yuyi’s insights on publishing and inquire about her future plans. Additionally, we wanted to end our blog with children’s responses to Yuyi’s work. We asked our colleague Robin Horn from Galveston Elementary in Chandler, AZ and a preschool teacher associate of Julia’s at Spears Creek Road Child Development in Elgin, SC to share responses from Yuyi’s new book with Tony Johnston, My Abuelita. The children responded sharing their stories and connections with the book.

Jeanne: What are your thoughts about children’s publishing especially in regards to bilingual children’s literature?

Yuyi: I think we are hot! Not only there is the need and demand for bilingual books in the publishing world, but the ranks of those who create them are lining up with amazing heart and talent. I try to keep an eye on those new books published every year by Latinos, for Latinos, bilingual books, dual editions in English and Spanish, and those only in English that, nevertheless, cradle Spanish as a voice, and I continue being amazed at the beauty, innovation, and power that these new books are bringing forward — I am talking of books so irresistible that they serve their multicultural purpose as much as their pure book purpose, that of being of service to any reader no mater his or her language of origin. I believe it is just a matter of time until we are no longer a separate shelf in the book collection but rather an integral, indispensable, pulsating force in the children’s literature heart. I am prepared for nothing less than that.

Jeanne: What are you planning to do next? Are you collaborating with anyone new?

Yuyi: I am approaching the end of my collaborations. For some time now my agent has stopped taking in new manuscripts for me so that soon I will be able to illustrate only my own stories. I have so many in me! But the process has been slow as picture books take a long time to illustrate, and I still have more than a couple of projects with other authors to which I am committed. Next year I will have a book about art. Georgia in Hawaii is about Georgia O’Keeffe’s trip to Hawaii where she was commissioned to paint a pineapple, and then not painting one. This book is written by Amy Novesky. Ladder to the Moon is a story inspired in Ann Dunham’s love for storytelling and service, written by Maya Soetoro Ng, President Obama’s sister. After that, there are a couple of exciting projects under contract — one including a beautiful text about Pablo Neruda and a Frida Kahlo book. Fortunately, there is much more ahead.

Jeanne: We are also fortunate and look forward to all you have planned!

Robin’s third grade students respond to My Abuelita in writing with illustrations.

Julia: The 3, 4, and 5 year-olds from Spears Creek Road Child Development and I have been reading and studying Yuyi’s books and artwork for the last month. We have watched all the videos that she has posted on her Web site and enjoyed them immensely. Last Friday, I asked the children to think about what they wanted to say or ask Yuyi, so we generated a list of questions. Yuyi was kind enough to take time out of her busy schedule (you’ll see what just how busy when she shares her future projects with us) to respond to the children. Below are the children’s questions and/or comments and Yuyi’s responses.

Children: How do you make your pictures so pretty?

Yuyi: I am happy that you like my pictures! The truth is that most of my pictures don’t look very pretty at first. In fact, my first attempts at making pictures usually look so bad that I need to remind myself to keep trying. Has that ever happened to you? I do a lot of erasing and re-drawing, putting another color here and there, cleaning off what doesn’t look good and painting again and again until it looks just right!

Children: What is the dog’s name in the Sr. Calavera movie? Is that your dog? I was scared when he was pulling the hat — I didn’t like that he did that but I am happy that Sr. Calavera ranned away.

Yuyi: The dog in Sr. Calavera’s video is Luna, my crazy, beautiful, mutt dog. She lives with me and my family and is very playful and very strong! I am glad too that Señor Calavera ran away because Luna, guess what is luna’s favorite thing to chew on? Yes, you guessed it right: bones!

Children: I like your cat. I know her name is Frida because I saw the My Abuelita movie.

Yuyi: Thank you for liking my cat. Yes, the cat in my abuelita’s book is Frida. You can see some more picture of Frida in Abuelita’s Web page.

Children: I like how your cat hides in Just A Minute! Is Sr. Calavera going to be in more movies — he makes me laugh! Why does Sr. Calavera make us laugh so much?

Yuyi: Yes, I also like how the cat in Just a Minute hides! What do you think she might be hiding from?

We are not sure yet when Señor Calavera might able to appear in another movie because in his last film he got pretty banged up! He got chased by dogs and thugs and he had to do a lot of running, jumping, and dancing. It was very difficult for Señor Calavera to do all of that without breaking or loosing any bones. Right now he is taking a good rest, hoping to be ready for more adventures soon.

Children: Why did you put strings on the Calavera?

Yuyi: The Señor Calavera you see in the movie is actually a puppet. I used strings, my hands, wires, and other devices to holding him in place and make him walk, run, dance, jump, and even ride a motorcycle.

Children: Why did the skeleton leave a message?

Yuyi: It seem to me that Señor Calavera is a very well mannered guy; he probably realized that leaving a message was the right way to thank Grandma Beetle for the fun and the party, and also to let her know that he was leaving but that he intended to come back for her next birthday party.

Children: When are you coming to visit us? I know, can you make a movie like Pedro’s mommy and send it to us here at school because I think we, I mean, yeah, can you make a movie and send it to us on the computer?

Yuyi: I think that making a movie of me saying hello to you is a great idea! I will work on that some time soon.

Children: Is Sr. Calavera your baby? Does he live with you? I think he does because you had him in your house.

Yuyi: Señor Calavera lives with me. I am looking at him from my desk right now! But I think he doesn’t like to think that he is my baby. He likes to think that we are friends, and so do I.

Children: Is that your family in the movie with Sr. Calavera dancing and reading Just in Case?

Yuyi: The people dancing and playing music in the video of Señor Calavera are my family and my best friends. The thug that gets the banana peel on his head is my son. Everybody else are my good friends who came together to help me film Señor Calavera.

Children: Sr. Calavera is cute. He looks cuddly like my dolls. I don’t know why someone would be scared of him, he is cute and I like all those hats he wears in the other movie, the Darth Vader hat is cool on him!

Yuyi: Exactly! I also think that Señor Calavera is very cute! And I like his hats a lot too. He is such a dandy. I’ll tell him that you said that. He is going to be delighted!

Julia: Yuyi’s work is so beautiful and speaks to readers of all ages. From the soft and gentle illustrations in Nochecita (2007) to the whimsical Señor Calavera in Just A Minute (2003) and Just In Case (2008) and to the beautiful dolls and toys (as the children call them) in My Abuelita (2009) — there is something for everyone in all of her books.

Jeanne: We hope our postings revealed the depth of Yuyi’s multidimensional work. We agree with Yuyi that we would like to see bilingual and multicultural children’s literature as a part of children’s collections in libraries and bookstores. We think it’s important that children, regardless of ethnicity, have multiple opportunities to interact with many types of books that showcase various languages of origin.

We wish to thank Yuyi for the time she took to participate in WOW Currents with us and also the time she took to respond to the children! Yuyi has many exciting projects in the hopper and we look forward to many more years enjoying her work!

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

I have been questioned about my use of Yuyi Morales’s skeletal Señor Calavera in preschool classrooms. Some teachers were initially hesitant to read about him, so I asked Yuyi about her perspectives on him. I wanted to get the insider’s perspective on him and I wanted to hear what children had to say about him. First, we’ll let Señor Calavera share his own search for identity.

WOW! Did you know Señor Calavera has his own My Space account? He does. Maybe you should be his friend there. He’d be a good friend to have because he’s also a decorated story teller. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), something happened on the way to the ALA Pura Belpre book award ceremony.

Jeanne: As I read several reviews, I noted that some reviewers felt Señor Calavera was scary for young children. You have asked children about their feelings about him via your blog, Corazonadas. What would you say is the overall attitude of Señor Calavera and do you foresee that you will have another book with him?

Yuyi: Yes, actually, some of those reviews by parents who thought my books were scary for their children are very dear to me, believe it or not. These are concerned people who, recognizing the power of books, are trying to make choices that THEY as parents can best handle when a book is given to a child. There used to be one reader’s review posted in a popular online bookstore written by a father that claimed that my book had taken the health of his seven children and that not even daily morning exercises under the sun could restore them anymore. I would not be happy to know that my work has damaged any children in any way, but his review gave me an even greater sense of how mighty powerful a person (whether it is a parent, and educator, or a book lover) becomes with a book in his or her hand. Has it ever happened to you? I myself, when I carry a book with me, become fearless.

But indeed from the very beginning there were many people that told me Señor Calavera was scary. Many of them were editors who, when I was first submitting my book for publication, told me that they loved my work but that, unfortunately, they didn’t think they could ever publish it because it will scare for children and it would never sell. I am well aware of the cultural differences that allow me to think of Señor Calavera as playful, made-out-of-candy character (like the sugar skulls that children receive for the celebration of the Day of the Dead in Mexico) while for others is deemed as a rather uncanny choice for a children’s story. But you see, even if I was afraid of Señor Calavera, to me that would be even more reason to put him in a book. Through stories and art we also get the opportunity to explore and meet eye to eye with the things we are most afraid of. In books we to get to know our fears better and even play with them, so that at last the fear subsides under knowledge.

I did wonder about what children actually thought about Señor Calavera once the books were circulating in schools and libraries. Where children afraid of him? During my school visits I decided to ask children about what they thought. For example, I asked groups of them about where they thought Señor Calavera wanted to take Grandma Beetle. It was mostly children in the highest grades who suggested that Señor Calavera wanted to take Grandma Beetle to Heaven, the graveyard, and other places as such — logical choices given the nature of the story. But among the younger kids, the ones for whom most adults are concerned will be really scared of Señor Calavera, the responses abound among the following: Señor Calavera comes to see Grandma Beetle because he wants to take her to the movies, the coffee shop, for a walk, to meet some friends, to a party, and even for a date.

What I induce from this is something marvelous. Regardless of my intention and meanings, children take from my books, and any books, not what I offer, but what they need the most. And so those readers, who are ready to accept the nature of Señor Calavera, do. Those who are not ready simply take from him what they need and what they want.

Señor Calavera is very often in my thoughts. That is why I have created a couple of videos starring him and I also have a Señor Calavera puppet that I bring to my school presentations and, I am happy to report, children are not afraid of him. He is a constant companion to me, so I actually foresee many more things for him.

Jeanne: I am excited to hear that Yuyi is going to include Señor Calavera in more books. I agree that children enjoy him. I also appreciate how Yuyi includes children’s voices in thinking about how her work impacts them.

Julia: I spend a few hours a week in a preschool classroom with children aged 3-5 years old, reading books and singing songs in Spanish. Yuyi is one of the children’s favorite authors. We have read all of her books and watched the videos she’s created. The videos have allowed the children to see how she makes her books and best of all; it has allowed the children to meet Señor Calavera. Señor Calavera is the main character in two of Yuyi’s books Just a Minute and Just in Case. The children adore him.

While in their class last week I played “Invited” (the video starring Señor Calavera at the top of this post) on the Smartboard. Squeals of delight spread throughout the classroom as the children watched Sr. Calavera retrieve an invitation from the mailbox. More squeals followed as he tried to decide what hat he should wear to the Pura Belpre Ceremony.

After watching the video I told the children that there were some grown-ups who think that Señor Calavera is too scary for children. Here is what they had to say about that:

“Scary, but he is so cute.”
“Why would anyone think he is scary? Look at him-he looks cuddly.”
“I am not afraid of him. He is very cute and very funny. He makes me laugh in the books and in the movies.”
“I love his hats and how he dances in the house with the little boy and girl.”
“Why does Sr. Calavera make us laugh? I hope that Yuyi makes more books with him!”
“I hope that she makes more movies with him. He is my favorite puppet!”

We are excited to see more of Sr. Calavera books and videos!

Next week, we’ll return to our discussion with Yuyi about bilingual publishing and her future projects. Additionally, we’ll feature more children’s responses to Yuyi’s work.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

One of the questions that I often ask children when we are reading bilingual books, is what language do you focus upon? Do you look at both languages in the book? Students have told me that they read the language that they know. Or if they have a question, they read both languages to make sense of the text. We were interested in knowing Yuyi’s process as an author and her views of bilingual texts when English Only is not just sentiment, but the law in many places.

Jeanne: You use code switching (alternating back and forth across languages) often in your books. What process do you use when writing? Do you write in English and then shift to Spanish or vice versa? Have you had to advocate for the use of Spanish in your books?

Yuyi: When I decided that I wanted to write stories, I was already an adult living in the USA and at the time I only spoke Spanish. My very first attempt at writing a children’s book was a little story I wrote about the fantasy of my baby son magically flying to meet my family, my parents and my siblings in Mexico, from whom we were separated at the time. Of course I wrote it in Spanish, and I even ventured at making some drawings to go with it, just like in the picture books I saw at the library. My mother-in-law and my husband then asked me if I could make copies of that handmade book so that we could give them to my son’s great-grandfather and great-grandmother as Christmas presents. Grandpa and Grandma received the copies I made and they even enjoyed my rudimentary drawings, but they weren’t able to understand the stories because they only spoke English, just like almost everybody else I knew and who cared for me here in the USA. Soon it became more and more obvious that if I ever wanted to share my stories with others, I was going to have to learn how to write in English. In the previous 25 years while I lived in Mexico, I had never attempted to write anything remotely creative, and so, when I began writing my stories in English and eventually taking classes in creative writing, English became my first language for writing books.

But Spanish is the language of my heart. To me nothing ever sounds as heartfelt as when it is written or spoken in Spanish. Nowadays, I feel very committed to the things I love. But at the beginning, I always thought that in order to get my foot through the publishing door, I had to write in English. And it might have been true for me at the time. But once my books started to come out and win awards, my own editors began suggesting that my books were published in Spanish as well. It was their idea and I tip my hat to them.

At this time, I can declare that both English and Spanish are powerful and inspiring elements of the creation of my art, and I will make use of them as they beautifully serve their own purpose in the telling of stories.

Jeanne: There are many English Only laws in the United States, how do you think your books can support bilingual children in our classrooms?

Yuyi: You know, I have never in my life met anybody who thinks that he or she is going to come to the USA and never learn English. I knew I was going to have to do it too, and I didn’t expect it to have it made easy for me. So, when I realized that bilingual books were integral part of strong bilingual and immersion school programs, I was in awe once more! I had never imagined that in this country children could have the opportunity go to school and learn in their native language as well as in English. Here schools were making sure that children found their way to success in a diverse nation while providing its children with more instead of less. But you see, to me bilingual books aren’t only for learning about another culture or about learning in another language. To me bilingual books should be cheered for their power to give readers what they need in two languages. Furthermore, the bilingual book gives a place in the printed pages for the reader to belong. There you belong if you speak Spanish just as much as if you speak English, or both, or none. The bilingual book tells us that all languages are equal — none of them above the other, but all powerful, beautiful, valid, just like the people who speak them, write them, and read them too.

Jeanne: We absolutely agree with Yuyi’s views on books and the power of supporting all learners in schools. I especially appreciate her thinking about the power readers gain when provided multiple languages. Readers are given the opportunity to see themselves in the literature and use what they know to make powerful connections.

Next week, Yuyi breathes life into Señor Calavera and discusses possible plans for his future.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

Author and illustrator Yuyi Morales has created several books that we have used in our work with children in many classrooms. We especially appreciate the multicultural aspects of her work and that many of her books are bilingual. She uses language that directly relates to the children. Julia had her speak at a conference that she co-chairs yearly in South Carolina. Jeanne met her at the University of Arizona when she spoke at Kathy Short’s children’s literature conference. We both thought Yuyi could add depth to our ongoing discussions around global children’s literature. Fortunately, she agreed to answer questions about her current and upcoming work.

Jeanne: What has surprised you the most about writing and illustrating children’s books?

Yuyi: Both my publishing career and my love for children’s books started here in the USA. While still living in Mexico, I never even imagined that a world of children’s books existed the way it exists in this country, where books for children, true works of art, are written about anything you can imagine. But what surprised me even more was my own discovery of  multicultural books. When I started dreaming that I could make my own books, and began taking some writing and illustrating evening classes, I was surprised when my teachers (who where all Anglo) began telling me that they hoped I would make my stories based in my being Mexican, that I would write about my own culture. Some of them even cheered when I came up with my first short stories written in a very precarious English. I had just never imagined before that people here in the USA would support anything written by a Mexican like me, and even less that they could fall in love with it, give it awards, or have me invited all around the country to share what I had created. In a way, I must say, it took me to come to the USA to find people who believed more in me than I ever did before.

Jeanne: How do you consistently produce work that is authentic? Is accurate portrayal of culture a conscious goal of yours?

Yuyi: I am Mexican, born in the heart of the Mexican culture, speaking only Spanish for 25 years; and I mean speaking Spanish in all its consequences and it meanings—the hidden messages, the great beliefs, the double meanings, and even the ancient prejudices embedded in any of peoples’ mother tongue. However, my Mexican cultural experience is also limited to the place where I was born, the unknown towns to where my father drove us looking for our new homes, the many people who told me stories, the education I blindly chose, and even the religious beliefs that surrounded me as I grew up. Needless to say, there is so much I am yet to learn about what it is like to being a Mexican with different experiences from mine, let alone what it is like being Latino from another country and another time. But there is the beauty of all of it; there are so many things that connects us all, and when I meet people from El Salvador, or Peru, Argentina, Spain, the United States, or anywhere else, I realize that we have so many sayings, dreams, believes, habits, and desires in common. But that, what we don’t have in common, often surprises me even more—and there is where the richest stories come from. So, to answer your question, my cultural authenticity has been a result of me being fascinated with the experiences of my own heritage. But the more I do it, the more I realize how important it has become to me to be honest in my work and to carefully peel off the layers where our cultural treasures are kept.

Jeanne: I think it’s the layers of Mexican culture that really connects with children. When I was in Arizona, the second graders that I worked with especially connected with these aspects. They saw themselves in Yuyi’s books and were inspired to write their own stories.

Next week, Yuyi addresses what it means to her to produce bilingual books when English Only sentiment is high.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

Welcome back for my final week of exploring the world through both books and the World Wide Web and focusing on Afghanistan, India, and Pakistan. For this final posting I want to thank several people who helped me with this post. First, Holly Johnson urged me to do this region of the world. I was hesitant because until I began my research, all the books I had read on the region were “sad and depressing” as my undergraduates had termed some of the international books I had assigned for them read. Worlds of Words’ own Rebecca Ballenger found me a “tweet” while waiting for a plane to go to NCTE this November. Thanks Rebecca for leading me into a refreshing literature I had never explored. Rebecca did this by sending me to Pooja Makhijani’s Web site about South Asia and the South Asia Diaspora in Children’s Literature. Makhijani is an American born writer with a wonderful Web site about South Asian literature. She has edited a volume entitled Under Her Skin: How Girls Experience Race in America (Seal Press, 2004). Finally I must thank my colleague at Indiana University Southeast, Shifa Podikunju-Hussain, Ph.D. who willingly shared a number of these novels and picture books with her own mother, who was born in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), and her own girls ages 5 and 12. They offered their thoughts as to the authenticity of many of the books about India.

While many of the books (really the young adolescent novels) do fall into the “sad and depressing” category, I found that there are some wonderful picture books and a couple of novels which are refreshingly light, and don’t paint that area of the world as the distressing place we, perhaps, in light of recent events there, usually hold of it.

I’ll to start with India. Until conducting this research, I had little idea of the wealth of resources available to classroom teachers and thus their students. Two picture books about saris introduce the young reader to the beautiful world of Indian clothing. My Mother’s Sari by Sandhya Rao with illustrations by Nina Sabnani, is a very young person’s introduction to what sari’s are. Shifa noted that the most outstanding part of this book was the illustrations of the saris themselves. They give the reader an introduction to the variety of materials used to make saris. The book also includes directions on wrapping a sari.

Mama’s Sari by Pooja Makhijani (mentioned above) and illustrated by Elena Gomez, has more of a story behind it. Set in an unnamed western country, but since the author is an American born Indian, one might assume the United States, an unnamed seven-year-old girl begs her mother to allow her to wear her first sari to her seventh birthday party. As they go through various saris, the mother reminisces about when and where she wore each sari. They select a sari in blue with gold flowers around the boarder for the seven year old to wear to her party. The mother wraps the girl in the sari, adds the necessary bangles and then chooses a bindi for her forehead. Shifa said that the book afforded her an opportunity to discuss the bindi on the forehead with her five year old, who was very interested in the concept. The author states in a note, that she got the idea for the book because she and her friends used to love to dress up in their mother’s saris. She also felt that dressing up in a mother’s clothes is a universal activity for most young girls.

While there are many sites willing to sell you saris, I found information at Kidipede on Indian clothing that includes a video showing how to fold a sari (along with other information on Indian clothing which will be useful for use with some of the other books).

Rachna Gilmore has written a series of picture books about an immigrant child from India named Gita. Shifa felt the most successful of these books was Lights for Gita (illustrated by Alice Priestly). In this picture book, Gita’s family is preparing for Divali, a Hindu festival of lights. The weather in Canada is not cooperating, and there is an ice storm. Gita has invited her friends to share in the celebration. Her mother has prepared traditional Indian food to help Gita feel that she is still in India. Unfortunately because the weather isn’t cooperating, they can’t be outside for the fireworks and her friends can’t come because of the ice. Then as they begin to light the ceremonial lights, the electric lights in the neighborhood go out. It is at that moment that Gita learns an important lesson. Other books include A Gift for Gita and Roses for Gita.

A basic, kid-friendly introduction to the Diwali celebration is part of the Homework Help portion of the Woodland’s Junior School in Kent, U.K. Web site. At the bottom of the page it links to another site with recipes that are used to celebrate the holiday.

The Indian governement hosts a Kids Corner on their Web site. There are links to the national symbols, slide shows of culture, religion, and landmarks. You can even write to the President of India.

Turning to novels, perhaps my favorite book of all the books I read for this blog was Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins. Jazz (Jasmine Carol Gardner) is a fifteen year-old half European American, half Indian girl. She and her best “friend” Steve Moralez own a booth in Berkeley, California, called Berkeley Memories. They essentially help old “hippies” relive their Berkeley days by taking their pictures against backdrops of protests, allowing their patrons to send postcards of themselves to friends and family back home. It’s a very profitable business. One that Jazz must abandon for the summer because her mother, a prominent organizer in the community, has obtained a grant which will allow Jazz’s mother the opportunity to return to Pune, India, the place from which Jazz’s mother was adopted when she was three. Jazz’s mother is going to establish a women’s center at the orphanage where she lived until she was adopted. What happens to Jazz, who is completely against any “do-gooding,” is an eye opening, coming of age story. She ultimately uses her entrepreneurial abilities to help another young Indian woman establish her own business. I enjoyed this book because, while it did portray India as a country of poor people, it also included internet cafes, discos, and a contrast between urban Mumbai and relatively rural Pune.

The first site to visit regarding this book is Mitali’s Fire Escape. On the site you will find information about the author. She also maintains several booklists, grouped by age level. These lists have reviews of books featuring cross-cultural issues.

The monsoons play a part of all the novels in this region of the world. In fact in Monsoon Summer, Sister Das, the nun running the orphanage who is always trying to get Jazz involved in a project says, “monsoon. It brings new gifts and blessings every year. . .” (p. 258). Academic Kids is a child-based wiki that includes an entry on monsoons. Additionally, you can find video footage of monsoons from YouTube that has been screened by KidZui as appropriate for children by parents and teachers (free download of KidZui may be required). Some of the videos are more dramatic than others.

A final aspect of Monsoon Summer is that of micro-finance. In last week’s blog, I referenced Rutger University’s EconKids Web site, which features children’s literature with economic themes. One Hen is a website associated with a book One Hen, which really belongs in the Africa portion of my blog along with Beatrice’s Goat. This Web site explains the concept of microfinance in relation to the book. There are also lesson plans and booklists. I had problems playing the videos, but that might be more a function of my computer than the site itself.

In researching microfinance for children on the web, One Hen and the Web site associated with it circle in and out of most other websites. One particularly interesting site, Local Homeschool, highlights microfinance and the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2006 Muhammad Yunus who created the concept. The site has a lot of ads, but it also has wonderful links to other microfinance sites (including One Hen).

Another novel I enjoyed was Bindi Babes by Narinder Dhami. This novel is the story of three Indian teenage girls who are a part of the Indian community in London. Their father immigrated to London to go to school, met their mother and stayed. The story begins a year after the mother has died. The three girls, Geena, 14, Amber, 12, and Jazz,11, have been running the show at home since their mother died. They have iPods, the newest “trainers”, and all the right clothing. Enter their father’s sister from India, and life as they had known it changes. Let’s just say that their aunt has other ideas about how the girls should be spending their time, so the girls embark on a mission to get rid of their aunt by marrying her off. Thus begins an exploration into the current Indian culture in London and some coming of age for the three girls.

Bollywood is everywhere these days. Slumdog Millionaire exposed millions of Americans to the Indian movie industry. The girls in Bindi Babes are big followers of Bollywood and its stars. Bollywood World gives the average preteen or adolescent reader information about Bollywood without exposing them to a great deal of advertising. There are some ads, but the day I pulled up the site (January 7, 2010) there was nothing objectionable on it.

In Bindi Babes, the girls are a part of a school production highlighting the various religious cultures of the school. They represent Sikhs and Sikhism. The Parish Church of Saint James in Hampton Hill, U.K devotes a portion of their site to explaining Sikhism.

Turning now to the novels that might be classified as sad or depressing, Climbing the Stairs by Padma Venkatraman was an insightful historical piece about southern India during World War II. Shifa’s mother read this novel and said that it accurately reflected her experience growing up in that area at that time. In the novel, Vidya and her family live in Bombay (now Mumbai). They are progressive Indians, working toward a non-violent separation of India from Great Britain. Vidya’s father is a doctor, and one day on an outing with Vidya, he suffers a head injury which renders him semi-conscious. The family is forced to move to Madras, where Vidya’s grandfather and other uncles maintain a traditional Indian household. What follows is an exploration of traditional Indian culture, and a reexamination of who she is and what she wants for Vidya. Climbing the Stairs is also examined in Volume II, Issue 2 of WOW Review.

The final book from India I want to discuss is the National Book Award winner Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan. This novel centers on Koly who is given in marriage by her family which is struggling financially. She is married to a sickly boy, Hari, whose family has misrepresented his age, in order to get her dowry. Hari’s family intends to use the money to take Hari to Varanasi to immerse him in the healing waters of the Ganges. Needless to say, Hari is not healed, and Koly is left a widow at thirteen, in a family who doesn’t want her. Again what follows is an exploration of traditional Indian culture and a story of self-reliance.

For a brief introduction to Hinduism, a major part of these novels, I suggest Woodlands Junior School once again. While not flashy, it has basic information that will help an adolescent reader understand the underpinnings of the novels.

The Golden Temple, which plays a part in Homeless Bird, is featured in a well-done video on YouTube. This video explores the history of the Golden Temple.

For information on the Ganges River visit Yahoo Kids. There are several links to facts about the river. Some of the links have backgrounds that make it a little difficult to read the information, but the maps and pictures are good.

Moving from India to her neighbor Pakistan, there are a few books that explore the region. The first is a delightful picture book about courage — Ruler of the Courtyard by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. It is the story of a young girl, told in the first person. She lives in a rural area where she must cross the courtyard to use the bathhouse. In the courtyard live chickens and she’s always been afraid of them. Therefore she must bide her time to cross the courtyard to bathe. One day, she experiences something inside the bathhouse that helps her conquer her fear of the chickens and most other things. There seems to be some discussion as to whether this is Pakistani or Afghan, however the publisher’s note places it in Pakistan. Others claim it is based on an Afghani folk tale. Nevertheless, it is a delightful story of overcoming fear.

Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg & Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and Susan L. Roth, illustrated by Susan L. Roth, is the children’s version of Greg Mortenson’s best seller Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson went to Pakistan to climb K2 and almost lost his life. The villagers of Korphe, Pakistan, nursed him back to health and in repayment for that, he returned to the United States, raised money and went back to Korphe and built them a school. Seems simple enough, but there were many ups and downs along the way. Mortenson has since continued with the mission to build as many schools as possible in rural Pakistan.

For basic information regarding Mortenson and his work go to www.stonesintoschools.com/about-greg-mortenson/ . It has various links to other websites related to his work building schools in South Asia, as well as an abbreviated biography. Pennies for Peace would be of particular interest to teachers looking for service learning opportunities for their students.

Two novels chronicle the life of Shabanu. Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind and Haveli both by Suzanne Fisher Staples follow the life of Shabanu a young girl whose family are nomads in the Clolistan Desert. They raise camels, and move from watering hole to watering hole. Shabanu’s older sister is to be married the year of the story and then Shabanu is to marry her sister’s husband’s brother the next. A series of events create a situation in which Shabanu catches the eye of a wealthy lord Rahim, and she becomes his fourth and much younger wife. In Haveli we meet up with Sabanu six years later. She has given birth to a female child. She is much hated by the other wives in the house because she is still Rahim’s favorite wife. He takes her to the urban center where his family has a “haveli”. There she befriends Rahim’s older aunt. Again events conspire to make Sabanu have to flee Rahim’s wives. These novels portray a rugged and dangerous Pakistan of the past (though not so past because Rahim has a car and driver).

Basic information on Pakistan can be found at Cybersleuth Kids. There are many links appropriate for kids on the topic of Pakistan you can reach from this site.

Kite flying and kite-fighting are popular activities in this region of the world. Skratch Pad shows how to make your own kite and is great for basic kite making and kite knowledge.

For information about camels, a central theme in the Sabanu books, see children’s book author Marisa Montes’s Web site. It discusses both varieties of camels.

Turning to Afghanistan, an area our students will be hearing a great deal about in the coming months, there are a few books I want to share. The Roses in My Carpet by Rukhsana Khan, illustrated by Ronald Himler, is a picture book chronicling the life of a young boy in Afghanistan. His father, a farmer, was killed by bombs which dropped into his field. The boy, his mother and sister, now live as refugees in an unnamed city. He goes to school and then after school goes to a carpet weaver where he is apprenticed as a sponsored child. He weaves carpets with roses, symbolizing his hope for the future.

While there are many organizations that sponsor children world-wide, few list Afghanistan as an option. Help the Afghan Children specifically targets Afghanistan. I checked out the 2008 annual report and 81% of assets were used specially for children. They use 10% of assets for administration and 9% for fund-raising (like maintaining the Web site).

Three novels follow the life of Parvana in Kabul, Afghanistan and then in rural Afghanistan in the later books, during the reign of the Taliban. The Breadwinner, Parvana’s Journey, and Mud City, all by Deborah Ellis, give the reader a view into what life was like for the Afghani people after the Soviet occupation, and prior to the U.S. invasion in 2002. I used The Breadwinner with a group of fourth graders several years ago, when the Indiana National Guard was sent to Afghanistan. The classroom teacher had several students whose parents were stationed there and she felt that her class would gain an appreciation as to why they were there if they read the book. The results were breath-taking. Students in the class found compassion for the Afghan people, particularly the children, and also found a new appreciation for the every day things in their own lives, such as running water, that they had taken for granted.

The final book I want to highlight is an adolescent novel Wanting Mor by Ruskhsana Khan. Jameela has grown up in a rural village of Afghanistan. When her Mor (mother) dies, her father, who is bitter because a bomb killed members of the family during a wedding, moves her to the city. A series of events transpire to bring Jameela to an orphanage in the city (although she is not an orphan). Using her self-reliance and intelligence, Jameela, is able to transform her life in a positive way. Wanting Mor is also evaluated in Volume II, Issue 2 of WOW Review.

Scholastic has a nice Web site about Afghanistan. There are maps, current information about the country, resources for teachers. Students can even write to an Afghani child through the Web site.

The Afghan Embassy in Washington, D.C. maintains an informative Web page for children. It centers on the commonalities between Afghan children and children everywhere. Teachers will find lesson plans, and there is a Power Point slide show.

Finally as I leave you, I want to share a Web site about a food that is mentioned in many of the novels from all of the regions we visited this month. Mangoes are a part of most all of these countries’ diets. While not as popular in some parts of the U.S., they are delicious, and a fruit our children should know. Fresh Mangoes gives you all the information you could ever want: the history of mangoes; their uses; how to eat them; and hundreds of recipes. Bon Appetite!

Please let me know if you found this pairing of literature with on-line resources helpful. I have enjoyed taking this tour with you!

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

Fellow travelers, when I was looking at books for the Americas during week two, I failed to mention books on Haiti. That oversight does not mean that there are not some wonderful books available about the island nation so on our minds right now. As teachers and parents, our children and students must certainly have questions about what they are seeing on the news, so I have researched some titles you might want to share and have looked at Web sites that support these books. I want to issue this disclaimer, I have not read some of these books. I am working from reviews published in Horn Book Guide. I used as my search criteria the score of 3 (out of 6 with 1 being highest, and realizing that Horn Book Guide rarely gives out a 1) as the cut off for acceptable books. This does not guarantee that the books are authentic, nor does it guarantee that there aren’t issues of stereotyping in the books. Given the urgency of the topic, I’d rather have the titles out there than err on the side of caution.

Picture Books

Painted Dreams by Karen Williams with illustrations by Catherine Stock. Eight-year-old Ti Marie wants to paint, but her family is too poor to buy paint for her. She finds a way to get paint and the results benefit her family financially. There is an author’s note about Haitian artists by Karen Williams. Rated 3 by Horn Book Guide.

Tap-Tap by Karen Williams, illustrated by Catherine Stock. Sasfi, also eight, wants to ride in a “Tap-tap”, a painted truck so named because people tap on it to let the driver know to stop. She goes to the market to sell oranges. As a reward for selling the fruit, her mother gives her some change and her dream comes true. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Popo and Fifina by Arna Bontemps, Langston Hughes, and E. Simms Campbell. This is a reissue of a 1932 book in the Iona and Peter Opie Library. Set in the 1930’s, it is a glimpse of rural life in Haiti. It was written by two of the United States’ most prominent poets of the time. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Running the Road to ABC by Denize Lauture and Reynold Ruffins. Six children “run the road” to school to beat the sun. Every morning the children wake before dawn, eager to get to school on time. Barefoot they go, their feet remembering the way over the meadows and hills of Haiti, their home. Their journey is accompanied by nature’s music, and all around them the deep blue twilight sky is brightening to a sun-swept morning. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Please Malesi: A Trickster Tale from Haiti by Amy McDonald with illustrations by Emily Lasker. Malese tricks two shoemakers into giving him a new pair of shoes. He goes on to trick rum out of several vendors in the market and a donkey ride. The people being tricked finally catch up to him. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Sélavi, That is Life: A Story of Hope in Haiti by Youme Landowine. The book describes living conditions for street children in Haiti. There is an essay by Haitian American writer, Edwidge Danticat, for adults giving information you might use to help young readers with the content. Sélavi was reviewed in Volume I, Issue 2 of WOW Review. Rated 3 by Horn Book Guide.

Chapter Books

A Taste of Salt: A Story of Modern Haiti by Francis Temple. This YA story chronicles the story of Djo through Jeremie’s eyes. It also tells her own story as she cares for him after he has been attacked. The book explores the injustices of Haiti prior to the raise of Jean-Bertrand Aristide in 1991. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Tonight, by Sea by Francis Temple. Paulie lives with his grandmother in Haiti in 1993 after Aristide has been exiled. The military is now terrorizing the people of Haiti. Her uncle is secretly building a boat from which to escape the island, but she is unsure whether to leave. Events build to make her have to take action. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Fresh Girl by Jaira Placide. Mardi has immigrated from Haiti to Brooklyn, NY. Haunted by her last days in Haiti, she is bullied at school and isolates herself from her family. Things do not improve when her uncle, whom she holds responsible for what happened in Haiti, arrives to stay with the family. Rated 2 by Horn Book Guide.

Anacaona: Golden Flower by Edwidge Danticat. This book is a part of Scholastic Royal Diaries series. Anacaona, a future Taino chief, records her daily activities. Set in Haiti in 1490, the diary foretells what is going to happen to the island when Europeans come looking for treasure. Rated 3 by Horn Book Guide.

Behind the Mountains by Edwidge Danticat. This YA novel begins in Haiti with Celiane and her mother nearly being killed in bombings in Port au Prince during election time. The events in Haiti open her eyes to what is happening in her country. Her family then moves to Brooklyn to join her father. The reader is taken along on a journey of adjustment and acceptance as she begins her new life in a new country. Rated 2 in Horn Book Guide.

Informational Texts

Haiti by Roseline Ng Cheong-Lum and Leslie Jermyn. Part of the Cultures of the World series. It’s a 1994 book, so it may not be the most current, but Horn Book Guide liked its bright pictures and clear text. Rated 3 by Horn Book Guide. (There is an updated version-2005-available from various on-line sources, but Horn Book Guide did not review it, however Booklist states that “students will learn about the background of the people, their recent political turmoil, and anticipation of Aristide’s return to power. Especially interesting here is the discussion of the various ethnic and language influences, as well as the important role of voodoo. The ingenuity and creativity of the Haitian people as a positive factor in this struggling country are rightfully credited.”)

Crisis in Haiti by Meish Goldish. This is part of the Headliners Series. It has black and white photographs and weaves history into the current crisis. Horn Book Guide felt the coverage was balanced. This book appears to be focused on the Aristide issue. Rate 3 by Horn Book Guide.

Web sites for Information on Haiti

The Miss Rumphius Effect is “The blog of a teacher educator discussing poetry, children’s literature and issues related to teaching children and their future teachers.” The author has compiled a list of books on Earthquakes, but also links to Mitali Perkin’s Fire Escape post briefly listing books on Haiti (all of which I covered above). The Web site author has done all the footwork on books about earthquakes and includes several excellent Web sites on Earthquakes, so I won’t repeat her work. Thanks to Rebecca (WOW Programs Coordinator) for hooking me up!

Unplug Your Kids has some great ideas for child centered fund raising for Haiti.

The New York Times interactive site will give your students a before and after the earthquake view of various landmarks in Haiti. Just drag the bar across the image and it moves between images taken in September 2008 and January 16, 2010. It is on satellite so there aren’t gruesome images of bodies viewable, but students will be able to clearly see the effects of the earthquake.

For basic information on Haiti, National Geographic Kids has straight-forward facts. There is also a link at the bottom to news about Haiti. Clicking on that will take you to the National Geographic Kids blog. They have current postings and pictures which are child-friendly.

For those interested in exploring the cuisine of Haiti, What’s 4 Eats has a variety of recipes and menus. It is a commercial site, so there are ads, but the recipes in some cases have yummy-looking pictures.

Earthy Family has a variety of information on Haiti. It apparently hasn’t been updated since the earthquake because under current issue the site discusses human rights, and poverty, with no mention of the current natural disaster. It does explore Haitian culture (food, celebrations, history) so it’s a good place to start if you know very little about Haiti.

The Haitian Embassy in Washington D.C. has an informational Web site. While there is not a space devoted to information for children, the information on the site is clearly presented, and has nice (pre-earthquake) pictures.

There are far too many organizations collection funds for the Haitian people to list here. My suggestion is to work with whatever local organization is raising donations in your area. For those of us interested in children’s literature and books for children and young adults IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) has a partnership with the Haitian chapter. Check the IBBY Web site for additional information on and ways to give to IBBY’s Children in Crisis Fund.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

Welcome back to those of you who have been traveling with me around the world and exploring places we may never see ourselves, but can visit because of the wonderful writing and artwork of authors, illustrators, and photographers sharing their corner of the world. I’ve been pairing books with sources from the World Wide Web, as our world ever expands. To those of you who are just joining me on this adventure, welcome!

This week we are looking at books set in Africa. Keeping in mind Kathy Short’s post, I tried to make sure that the books shared here do not stereotype Africa as a world of poverty. I have to say, that this presented a challenge, first because there is, in fact, so much poverty in Africa, and second because authors have in many cases chosen to highlight the plight of African children. I will try to present a realistic view of Africa, although I have never personally been there. In looking for books to highlight I looked for stories that represented modern Africa or reflected some of the struggles that the African continent has undergone.

The most current book that contrasts the life some children experience in the city versus life in African villages is City Boy by Jan Michael. The story is set in Malawi. It begins in an unnamed city, where Sam, a preteen has just buried his mother who died of “the Disease.” Whether or not this disease is AIDS is not mentioned. His father died three years earlier of the same illness. His father’s cousin debates with his mother’s sister, where Sam, now an orphan, should live. He says, ”Mandingwe. Quite so. It is out in the bush, many miles from here. Your nephew has been brought up to expect better. He has always lived here in town. He has been having a good education, he has smart clothes, he is used to television and computers. His parents have brought him up the modern way. They are buried here, too, in the modern way” (p. 8). Thus the conflict begins. It is decided that Sam will go to Mandingwe to live with his aunt and cousins. And so, leaving his computer behind, and taking with him a precious pair of leather sneakers, a great deal of clothing he has been told he will now share, and a Gameboy, Sam leaves the city and moves to a small village. What follows is a coming of age and an understanding of where his mother’s roots were.

Basic information about Malawi can be found at Map Zones. The CIA maintains a Web page for children (although it’s not very kid friendly) with condensed information on Malawi. Malawi has been in the news recently because Madonna adopted children from the country.

Another novel demonstrating both the modern side of Africa and yet its troubled history is Beverly Naidoo’s The Other Side of Truth. Set first in urban Nigeria, the book chronicles the journey of Sade and her brother Femi as they have to flee the country after their mother is murdered in the driveway of their home because their father, a journalist, has written negative pieces about the Nigerian government. As they are whisked away from their father, the author includes details that give the young reader a view of a modern Africa with telephones, chauffeurs and electronic gadgets. Entering the United Kingdom on forged passports, and abandoned by the woman paid to take them to their uncle, a professor at a university in London, the children are forced to accept the help of the foster system of London when it becomes apparent their uncle has disappeared. However, because their father is still in harm’s way in Nigeria, they are afraid to tell the authorities the truth about what has happened to them. The plot becomes more entangled once their father arrives in London and is sent to prison for illegally entering the country.

National Geographic kids has a Web page with pictures and video on Nigeria. The video may reinforce stereotypes with students as it is of a tribal ceremony of a nomadic people.

Time for Kids also has good, simple information for students. One interesting feature includes translations of phrases in English with an audio of the Nigerian pidgin.

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has a very interesting Web site. Here you can find information about refugees all around the world. It is an aid organization, so they do have a button for giving, but the information on the site is very nicely presented (if information on refugees can be nicely presented).

Two books about Sudan introduce students to the issue of civil war in that country. Year of No Rain by Alice Mead is a novel about the Bahr el Ghazal region of southern Sudan. In 1999, Stephen’s family is forced to send him and two other boys into hiding when the army approaches the village, so that the boys will not be forced to become soldiers. When the boys return to their village, it has been destroyed. This sends them on a journey to find refuge. All the while, Stephen is hoping that his older sister Naomi has survived the attack and will return to the village.

Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan by Gregory Christie is a fictionalized story of what actually happened to young men in southern Sudan during the civil war. The story begins with eight year old Garang Deng fleeing to Ethiopia. There he meets an American named Tom. Circumstances in the camp demand that he leave, this time for Kenya, where again he meets up with Tom. Tom leaves, only to return when Garang is 21. Tom explains he has told Garang’s story around the United States, and that Garang will be able to immigrate there. This picture book has beautiful acrylic paintings depicting the African landscape. An afterward explains the facts of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” stating that 3,800 young men have been brought to the United States after having to flee their native Sudan.

A Time for Kids article details the facts of the Lost Boys of the Sudan. The Time for Kids Web site has a search feature which allows you to use keywords to find past articles on whatever topic you’re investigating.

The Alliance for the Lost Boys has a Web site that, while graphic at times, has detailed information about the Sudanese civil war and it’s affect on the people of Sudan. While it is a fund raising site, you don’t need to click on those links. A word of warning, if you click on the video clip on the home page, you will be taken to a YouTube video about genocide. While it’s moving, it’s not for young students, however if you teach high school or college, it would be a good supplement to the books above.

CBS news also has an interesting story on the Lost Boys. It is on the CBS regular news Web site, so there are a lot of ads (the first time I went to the site the banner ad was for Viagra, so you might not want to use this with your students). The site links you to the CIA Factbook information on the Sudan.

The final two novels I examine are by Beverley Naidoo. They are an interesting case of how fiction can shift genres. Written in 1986, Journey to Jo’Burg: A South African Story and its sequel, Chain of Fire written in 1989, were originally contemporary fiction. Both books examine the issue of apartheid in South Africa. In fact Naidoo had been imprisoned in South Africa in the 1960’s and was forced into exile in 1965 because of her involvement in the resistance to apartheid. Journey to Jo’burg was originally banned in South Africa. Given the political change in South Africa, these novels would be considered Historical Fiction, however, they do give the middle age reader a view into what a segregated society was/is like, and what South Africans went through to achieve a majority government. In the first book, 13-year-old Naledi and her brother Tiro travel from their village to Johannesburg, to find their mother, who works as a maid in a white household, when their baby sister becomes extremely ill. On this journey they come face to face with what apartheid means to them. In Chain of Fire, the family is to be “relocated” to their “homeland.” Naledi and her friend Taolo, whom she met in the first book, organize resistance to the relocation.

Beverley Naidoo maintains a Web site with her biography, information on her books, links to relevant sites and a link to Bookbox, where you can find more biographical information and listen to her talk.

For a detailed and informative Web site on South Africa, visit South African History Online.

Turning now to picture books about Africa, one that is near and dear to my heart is Beatrice’s Goat by Page McBride and illustrated by Lori Lohstoeter. It is the story of what happens to a family in Uganda when they are given a goat by a relief organization. Beatrice is at first skeptical that one goat can change her life, but after receiving the goat (who then has twins), the family has fresh milk, first to provide nutrition to them and then enough left over to sell to their neighbors. With the extra money earned from selling milk, Beatrice is able to attend school for the first time, and her family is able to repair their home and buy clothing and blankets.

Heifer International is the organization from which Beatrice’s family received their goat. This is a wonderful opportunity for your students to get involved in a service learning project. For $20 you can buy a flock of chicks. Currently a goat is $120, or you can buy part of a goat. Although the holiday season is over, this is the perfect gift for that someone who has everything. (My brothers and sisters-in-law each received a share in a family goat for Christmas!) Beatrice is featured on the Web site under Africa success stories. She graduated from an U.S. college in 2008 and is currently working on a masters degree — all because her family received a goat when she was nine!

Rehema’s Journey: A visit in Tanzania by Barbara Margolies and My Rows and Piles of Coins by Tololwa Mollel, illustrated by E. B. Lewis are both set in Tanzania. Rehema’s Journey takes us literally on her journey as she leaves her village for the first time to travel with her father to the Ngorongoro Crater. She visits a big city for the first time and we see through Margolies’ photographs two sides of Tanzania — a rural village and an urban city. Along the way we also see the wildlife for which Tanzania is so well known. My Rows and Piles of Coins is a memoir of Mollel’s life in Tanzania in the 1960’s. Saruni wants a bicycle and saves all the money his mother gives him each week when they go from their village to the market to sell goods (dried beans, maize, bananas, pumpkins, spinach, firewood, and eggs). He keeps the money in a box where he arranges what, in his mind, is a fortune. Unfortunately his fortune is not enough to buy the bicycle. But with a little trading, there is a happy ending. In the afterward Mollel writes of the currency Saruni is saving and how important bicycles were to the people of Tanzania in the 1960’s.

Time for Kids also has good student-friendly information about Tanzania. Cyberslueth for Kids has some interesting links for those seeking additional information. One link in particular takes you to Tanzania’s currency which you can view on-line.

The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Web site features history, pictures and video of the region, including the Ngorongoro Crater.

Finally Rutger University has a wonderful Web site devoted to children’s books that teach economics. The site lists a book of the month and the top five books to teach 22 economic concepts. Both Beatrice’s Goat and My Rows and Piles of Coins are listed under the top five books on saving.

I want to end our journey with three picture books by Ifeoma Onyefulu. She grew up in Nigeria and moved to England where she became a photographer. A is for Africa is an alphabet book. At first I was leery of this approach — lumping all of Africa together, however after reading her note in the beginning of the book, I was reassured. She says, “The alphabet is based on my own favorite images of the Africa I know. I come from the Igbo tribe and grew up in southeastern Nigeria. It was in Nigeria that these photographs were taken, but the people and things pictured reflect the rich diversity of the continent as a whole.” Emeka’s Gift: A Counting Story is listed on the Rutger’s site under resources and commodities. It too, is specific to Nigeria and documents objects that Emeka finds at a local market as she makes her way to her Grandmother’s home. A Triangle for Adaora is the least successful of the books I reviewed. The story is one of two children looking for a triangle in common objects. The place of the story is undisclosed — just identified as an “African village.” This leads to looking at all of Africa as interchangeable. Perhaps because it is one of her later books, she felt it unnecessary to be specific about where the story takes place.

Next week we’re off to India, Pakistan, Nepal, and Afghanistan!

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.

Last week I explored a part of the world that is fraught with conflict and, though there is conflict in my next area of the world (Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and and South America), I’d like to take a more positive approach to the exploration of books from our neighbors to the south and the Web sites that support them. Last week I explored novels, so this week I’ll look at picture books. Let’s have some fun!

The issue of authenticity, brought up in Kathy Short’s post Stepping Back in Time has weighed heavily on my mind in selecting books for discussion in these four blog posts I have planned. I want to start by looking at the books of George Ancona. Mr. Ancona is a photographer who has captured the beauty of various traditions and people from all over the world. On his Web site he writes, “As a photographer, I can participate in other people’s lives … producing something that can be shared and has a life of its own.” While he has written and photographed over 200 books, I have picked books related to life to the south of us from where his family heritage originates.

In Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of the Dead we follow Pablo and his family as they shop for this important festival in Mexican heritage. The photographs show Pablo’s family visiting the big city market in Oaxaca, Mexico. They are making a special trip from their small village outside of Oaxaca to gather the things they need to honor the members of their family who have died. There is an extensive author’s note to aid the teacher with detailed information regarding this celebration.

An entire section of Azcentral.com, an Arizona based news channel, provides archived information, videos and slide shows related to information on Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. It also has a downloadable teacher’s packet with word searches, vocabulary, coloring pages, and other information. The only problem with this site is that before you can view the video, you have to watch a 15 second commercial from the sponsor. There are also other ads on the site, however there are many sources of information on the site.

Diadelosmuertos.us has basic information about Dia de los Muertos. Though it’s a commercial site, it does give you information on constructing an alter and making sugar skulls (very detailed instructions with pictures taking you step by step through the process).

The Piñata Maker/El Piñatero follows a Oaxacan Piñata maker through his day. (Did I mention that George Ancona’s parents are from the Oaxacan region of Mexico?) We watch Tio Rico make several piñatas and finally end up at a party where a piñata is broken. The book is bilingual with English and Spanish on each page.

The Web site Mexconnect published a detailed article on the history of piñata. It also provides several rhymes and songs to be sung while trying to break the piñata. For easy directions and a video demonstrating how to make a piñata visit WikiHow.

Next Mr. Ancona visits the city of Olinda, Brazil for Carnaval. He explains that Carnaval is a five day festival just prior to the beginning of the Christian period known as Lent. Through his beautiful photographs the reader is immersed in the colorful sights of this joyous festival.

A basic overview of Carnaval is given at About.com. There are other links on this site for Rio de Janeiro and traditions associated with Brazilian carnaval. The site does do a lot of promoting of travel, but the main body of the piece has a great deal of information.

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is promoting their Carnival exhibit with much less commercialism. Their Web site gives a basic history of the festival, an evolution of the traditions, and even mentions Olinda, Brazil in its opening page! Under the link Carnaval Around the World, Olinda is one of the choices. Follow the links to Recife and Olinda and you can see a map of Brazil, listen to carnaval music, and view more pictures of carnaval in Olinda.

Basic information for a unit on Brazil can be found at The Embassy of Brazil in London’s Web site. It has fact sheets, PowerPoints, and a variety of activities you can do with your students.

Mr. Ancona visits Guadalajara, Mexico in Charro: The Mexican Cowboy. In this book he chronicles the life of a Mexican cowboy, takes us to a La Charreada or rodeo-like competition, introduces the festival El dia del charro, and discusses Mariachis.

As was the case with piñatas, Mexconnect also published the best article I could find about Charros. The author documents her own experiences with El dia del Charros. There are several pictures and some recipes included. When searching “Charro” on a search engine, you will find there are hundreds of Mexican restaurants named “Charro” in the United States!

National Geographic Kids has some basic information on Mexico for young students. It also provides resources for related information on games, stories, geography, and animals of Mexico.

For those who know me, Mr. Ancona’s next book may be a surprise. Bananas: From Manolo to Margie shows how bananas get from a banana plantation in Honduras to an undisclosed market in the United States. At the end of the book, he has head-shots of the twenty people involved in each step of the process of getting the bananas from Manolo to Margie. Yahoo kids provides encyclopedic information on Honduras.

For those of you who actually like bananas, check out these two Web sites:

Banana.com is everything bananas. It discusses the history of “the world’s most popular fruit” (I never was one to follow the crowd). There is information on how to grow bananas, how to buy them and store them, and medicinal uses of bananas. There were several recipes. It even has a forum on which you can discuss bananas with other lovers. Just don’t click on Fruit Baskets as that’s where they’ll try to sell you bananas!

Bananaland is a kid-friendly site developed by the banana industry in Australia. There is age appropriate information and some pretty fun games the kids can play. (Remember Space Invaders? In this one it’s bananas that are invading!)

Moving away from the books of George Ancona, but still keeping the issue of authenticity in the forefront, it is important to mention that the American Library Associate has established the Pura Belpre Award to honor Latino/Latina authors and illustrators. The ALA is in the process of redesigning its Web site so past winners are currently not available. At The University of Pittsburgh library Web site provides a listing of all the winners and honor books from the award’s inception in 1996 to the present. Among the first honored is our own George Ancona for Pablo Remembers: The Day of the Dead.

A book related to this award is also an honor book this year. The Storyteller’s Candle by Lucia Gonzalez tells the story of Pura Belpre, the first Puerto Rican Librarian for the city of New York. A charming tale of how one woman organized an entire neighborhood to become patrons of the library.

Time for Kids has a simple Web page on Puerto Rico on their site. It provides a map, time line of historical events, basic facts, and such.

Boricua Kids is a great resource for any teacher wanting to do a unit on Puerto Rico. It has lesson plans, songs with music, maps and much more.

Abuela’s Weave by Omar Castañeda, illustrated by Enrique Sanchez takes us to Guatemala. Esperanza and her Grandmother (Abulea) work to produce huipiles and tapestries in their small village of Santa Cruz. Grandmother is afraid to take the work to the big city because she has a birthmark on her face. The children of the town have rumored that she is a witch and people in the village are afraid to buy things from her, so going to town is their only option. The book follows the pair as they ride to the city on a bus. At this point, Grandmother separates herself from Esperanza. Esperanza must make her way through the big city, which is illustrated as a large bustling urban center. She finds a corner of the market and sets out her wares, afraid no one will buy. Will they?

Once again, the National Geographic Kids’ website was the best source of information on Guatemala. When searching for information on Guatemala for use in the classroom you have to be selective as there are a number of missionary/orphanage sites and there are many adoption sites.

A very informative Web page about huipiles can be found at Santiago Atitlan’s Web site. It gives the history of the weaving, an overview of the region in which huipiles have been woven for centuries, and the basics of weaving.

Maria Cristina Brusca’s memoir, On the Pampas, takes the reader to Argentina. Growing up in Buenos Aires, her family would summer at her grandparent’s estancia (ranch) on the Pampas of Argentina. One summer she is sent to visit her grandparents alone. There she learns to take care of horses and watches the gauchos working the cattle. The book is somewhat nostalgic, but introduces the reader to what life on the Pampas was like for a young girl. There is also a back page with information on Argentina and The Pampas.

Yahoo Kids provided the safest information on Argentina. Several other sites that I found while searching the terms “Argentina” and “kids” took me first to a simple site on facts on Argentina, but when I clicked on the hot links for Buenos Aires I was taken to an inappropriate ad for a “dress up” doll before I could get to the Buenos Aires site. This kind of linking is becoming more and more prevalent on the World Wide Web and you have to be careful before accessing links for your students.

The best information I could find about gauchos was at Travelsur.net. This is another travel site, but it has a great deal of information about gauchos and their history — with very little advertisement.

Next week we will be off to Africa with a mix of novels and picture books. I hope you’ll continue on the journey with me.

Please visit wowlit.org to browse or search our growing database of books, to read one of our two on-line journals, or to learn more about our mission.