This site has some general biographical information, a list of all his publications, his educational and professional background, study guides specifically helpful for students and educators in reading his books and information on the best way to contact Professor Jiménez at Santa Clara University.

www.scu.edu/cas/modernlanguages/facultystaff/jimenezhomepage.cfm

Also included on his homepage are links to the following publications that I found especially interesting and helpful:

Persevering With Hope: Francisco Jiménez
Deanna Day
Language Arts; Jan 2006; 83, 3; Research Library
pg. 266

“Challenges Give Meaning to Our Lives:” Francisco Jiménez and Social Justice
Susan Carlile
Published in The Alan Review, Vol. 32, No. 1, Fall 2004, pp. 41-49

An interview entitled “Francisco Jimenez” was conducted by Chris Liska Carger and was printed in Book Links, December 2001/January 2002, pp. 14-19.

Grapes of Wrath
by Kathryn Bold
Published in Santa Clara Magazine, vol. 38, no. 2 (spring 1996); Photo by Charles Barr

My students found these sites helpful as well:
www.scholastic.com
www.youtube.com – This website has numerous videos of Dr. Jimenez and also has videos related to migrant farm workers in America.

So these are his words to you.

The following quotes were taken from a movie transcript and can be found on www.teachingbooks.net.

There’s no doubt in my mind that if I hadn’t had certain teachers, I am absolutely sure that I wouldn’t have made it. I wouldn’t have been able to break through the circuit, basically. So for that reason I wrote the book Breaking Through as a tribute to my teachers.

My older brother said, “You know, there’s a lot of personal stuff in there, are you sure you want to publish it?” And I said, “Well, you know, I don’t think about these stories as only our family’s stories. They’re the stories of many families.” And he saw that was the right thing to do.

From very early on, I was motivated and wanted to go to school. Whatever I learned in school, it was mine to have and to hold. And it didn’t matter how many times we moved – that knowledge, that learning – would go with me. Learning, education became the stability I was looking for.

It’s important for us to appreciate and to value all the different cultures that make up our society. I think of what we study in school or the curriculum is like a mirror. If we look in the mirror and we don’t see ourselves, then we become invisible. What does that do for our own self-concept and our sense of time and place? My hope is that my books, in some way, contribute to the curriculum so that children and young adults, who traditionally have not been able to see themselves reflected in that mirror, can see themselves now reflected.

The following words are excerpts from “Challenges Give Meaning to Our Lives: Francisco Jimenez and Social Justice” by Susan Carlile and published in the ALAN Review, Fall 2004.

Many readers relate to the struggle of trying to reconcile two cultures, a native culture and a new American one. I tried to blend the two as I was growing up, taking the best from each.

It’s a matter of respect. They (his parents) gave me life and they taught me very important lessons. My father used to say that every person must be respected.

I strongly believe that education is the best means for people to progress in life. It gives people many, many choices for the kind of life they want to live, and the kind of lifestyle they want to have. But more importantly I think – and it’s a cliché, but it’s true – a well-educated society maintains a rich democracy. When our society is not well educated, democracy suffers. The other reason that I strongly support public education is that it is the best means for people who come from poor economic background to escape poverty. The obstacles are greater, but at least the opportunities are there. Education helps to level the playing field.

I think overall cultural and human understanding between the United States and Mexico has improved. In the recent years, I have felt discouraged; but overall I think it has improved, especially in education. I think teachers are better prepared than they were many, many years ago to appreciate and be sensitive to cultural differences. I think our society as a whole is much more receptive to cultural and linguistic differences than they were man years ago. My hope, and my whole focus, is to try to promote that acceptance and appreciation. It’s always been a struggle, but the struggle is worth it. Rather than being discouraged completely and giving up, we should meet those challenges with hope and courage. Those are the challenges that give meaning to our lives.

Being in the classroom gives me energy. It’s wonderful to be helping young people develop their talents and to see them getting engaged and wrestling with the subject matter. That’s very exciting to me. I strongly believe that I learn from them. They have different experiences that they bring to discussions that profoundly enrich me as a teacher. Students have responded positively to our journey together. I tell them how blessed I feel to be a teacher and to have the privilege of learning from them and helping them to learn.

Some writers will say that they don’t have any political agenda. They say that they write simply because they need to write. I admire that. But that’s not why I write. I write purposefully and I have in mind why writing is important to me. It’s the same reason that I enjoy teaching. My hope is that through my teaching, writing, and my public speaking, I can serve as a bridge for cultural understanding. I am not motivated to do “esoteric” scholarship even though I value it. I’d rather do scholarship or writing that might make a difference in our society.

The following words of Francisco Jimenez are excerpts from an interview for Scholastic. The entire interview is available at www.scholastic.com.

I started writing when I was a sophomore in high school. My English teacher assigned essays that were based on personal experiences. I began to write about the experiences I had as a child growing up in a family of Mexican migrant workers. Mrs. Bell read the essays and felt that I had writing talent, even though I had difficulty with the English language. Her words were very encouraging. She had me read The Grapes of Wrath, and although the novel was difficult to read, I could not put it down because I could relate to what I was reading. For the first time I realized the power of language to move hearts and minds.

From the start I decided to relate stories from the point of view of the child. In writing the stories, I could hear the child’s voice; I could see through his eyes and feel through his heart.

I originally wrote “The Circuit” (as a short story) in Spanish, and then translated it into English and gave it the title “The Circuit”. It received the prize for the best short story published in the Arizona Quarterly. Many years later in 1995, when I had time to write again during my sabbatical, I decided to write the other 11 stories in the collection following the same format.

In my first story I describe the experience of crossing the border from Mexico into California, hoping to leave a life of poverty behind, starting a new and better life. We crossed the border without documentation (illegally). We did not have the financial means to obtain the permit or the visa. The last story in the collection, entitled ‘Moving Still’ deals with our experience of being deported back to Mexico.

My favorite books growing up were biographies. I enjoyed reading about the lives of famous people like Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

My advice is that even though English is a difficult language to learn, with hard work and with the help of teachers, they will be able to learn the language. My advice is that as they work hard to learn English, they do not forget their own native language because it’s an asset to be bilingual.

I put a lot of thought into my writing. I generally do nine drafts of every story I write. After I do the research, I do a lot of reflection. I reflect on those memories and recollections from my childhood, and I look at them from an adult point of view. In the process I make a series of discoveries – discoveries about myself, my family, my place in society and my own community, and I gain a deeper sense of purpose in meaning in terms of my role as a teacher and as a servant to my students.

I think it is important to realize that there are many people who have never had the opportunity to read or write and who are very intelligent. I wrote The Circuit and Breaking Through to chronicle part of my family’s history, but more importantly to voice the experiences of an important sector of our society that has been largely ignored. Through my writing I hope to give readers an insight into the lives of migrant farm worker families and their children, whose back breaking labor puts food on our tables, their courage, struggles, hopes and dreams for a better life for their children and children’s children give meaning to the term “The American Dream.” Their story is the American story.

Sandy

I’ve read all of your books and they are all so great! It made me disappointed how some of the people treated you and your family. Like when your girlfriend took you home to meet her parents and they were angry because you were a Mexican.

I liked the part when you asked Roberto if he’d dance with you because you wanted to learn how to dance. And Roberto was afraid that someone would see you dancing together.

I admired how you didn’t care what other people thought of you. You were brave and devoted and kept going even after someone insulted you or put you down.

I also liked how your books were so descriptive, everything stood out in my mind. I could picture the people you described and the places you went in my mind like I’d actually seen them before.

I loved your books. They were all so wonderful.

Sincerely,

Madeline

Dear Mr. Jimenez,

I thought your books were fascinating. I hope I can become something big like you some day. I loved reading your books. I remember when my cousin went to college. I probably felt the way your brothers and sisters felt when you went away to college. I hope someday I can get a good job like you. You are an idol to some people in the world.

I hope you enjoy being a teacher. I hope I can follow my dreams like you did. I would like to be a veterinarian. I would also like to move to Paris. I’m practicing my French. Maybe some day I can get my dream job and house.

See, after becoming a vet I want to travel the world. Or maybe travel the world before becoming a vet. If none of that works out, I will get another job and stay in Tucson, Arizona.

Your friend,

Victoria

Dear Mr. Jimenez,

I enjoyed reading The Circuit, Breaking Through, and Reaching Out with my class. But I have wondered a few things, like whatever happened to your father after he fled to Mexico. And did you have a job after you graduated from college but before you got your doctorate?

Sincerely,

Adrian

Dear Mr. Jimenez,

I have read all three of your books and all of them a re just great! It must have been very hard to have as many siblings as you did. I only have one and she annoys me very much.

The St. Christopher medallion that your father gave you reminds me of Santa Nino De Atocha medallion that was given to me by my third grade teacher while I was in the hospital. I never leave the house without it. I recall that Santa Nino is the saint that saved your brother Trampita. You had to have been really scared then. When I was sick, my sister was devastated. I am alive today because of the Santa Nino.

I admire your persistence in wanting to live at Bonetti ranch. It took a lot of bravery to leave your family and live alone with your brother. Overall, you are very responsible in everything. I would not have been able to do the things you did at such a young age.

Sincerely,

Mirella

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

I like your stories and that is why I am writing to you. I have done some of the same stuff you have. It must have been hard when your house burned down. When my friend’s house burned down, I felt really bad.

The End

Jared

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

Francisco, you are a really talented guy. I read all your books. You had a tough childhood. I did, too. We did not find work. At school I got bullied a lot . . bad grades . . no one liked me. But I found a way. I started to help people for money. I got math books and studied hard and I got help.

I had a friend get shot this year. He died. It has been hard on me. I have his picture on my desk. I think about him all the time.

I liked the way you made it to college, man. Don’t stop writing.

From Angel

To Dr. Francisco Jimenez:

I have read three of your books so far. What I really like is the description. I thought it would be fun to pick cotton and fruit. But from what I have heard, it is something I might not want to do. I thought it would be just like picking soft cloth.

You made college seem very difficult. But I do not know if it has changed over the years.

I still don’t completely comprehend why your father got so sick in a different kind of way. I understand that his back hurt, and that he missed home and all that, but it sort of makes me feel uncomfortable. I don’t know if it is okay to ask, but what happened to him? Did you ever move back with him . . or did any of your family?

It seems to me that overall you had a nice life because you got to experience different places and different styles.

Diego. S.

Dear Francisco,

Our class has read The Circuit, Breaking Through, and Reaching Out. We enjoyed all of them. I connected to the books when your family worked in the cotton fields and the vegetable fields because my family and I go to California a few times a year and we always drive by the fields.

I wish I could meet you and talk with you face to face. We did watch a video of an interview you did. You sound just like your books.

I want you to know that I also keep a word notebook. But I do it to learn Spanish words.

Claire

Dear Francisco Jimenez:

How are you, Francisco? Your Circuit book is kind of like my life right now. I have had to move a lot and I’m kind of poor. But I was able to manage, sort of. It was hard making friends for me. It took me at least four days to make friends. It’s hard for my age. I am only 11 and plus my parents fight sometimes, but not all the time. And I have a little sister that’s two and it is hard on her. So I guess I am saying that you are not the only one who has to deal with this stuff. My dad is going through a depression because my step dad won’t let me see him. What should I do? If you have a suggestion, I hope you will let me know it.

David

Hi!

I admire you for working out in the fields and following your dream ever since you were a little boy. I myself am Mexican, but I was born here in Tucson. I did not have to go through learning English. That must have been hard, but you knew it needed to be done. When your Dad told you that you wouldn’t be a teacher because only rich people went to college, you never let that stop you from your dreams. Thank you. You really inspired me.

Andres

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

In class we have read three of your books. I thought it was unfair that you have to keep moving around and leaving school. I liked how you explained why you got tired of it, but you had to do it. Your family was very important to you.
I can imagine the stories like they are movies in my head; for example, when you house got on fire. I could imagine that and it was tense. I really enjoyed reading your books.

Jaclyn

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

My favorite book was Breaking Through because I thought that was really lucky, going to college. Were your family members shocked about going to college because in your book you said that no one in your family but you went to college.

What was interested to me was that you and your family crossed the border illegally. I was surprised! This is a big issue in Arizona right now. I am glad to got papers.

Elias

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

How do you remember all the events from when you were in school? Did you keep a journal or a diary along the way? I liked how you wrote stories about your childhood when you were anxious and wanted to relax. For most kids, having to write is very stressful.

Was it exhausting to write a book? How long did it take you? It must have been so exciting. Your English probably got better, too.

Sincerely,

Ricky

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

I really enjoyed your books. They are very sad in some parts. But then they show a lot of bravery. I was very happy when you got to become a US citizen. When you got into college, it was very cool that you got a scholarship from your high school teacher. I also think that you had a very exciting life. Maybe it just seems that way because it is in a book. But I thought moving from state to state was exciting, and when you won president and the school election.

Your friend,

Cierra

Dear Mr. Jimenez,

You have a wonderful life! And you write wonderful books! Your books are the best books I have read. I like all the details about your life. Most biographies don’t have so many details. We all hope you make more books for us to read about getting married and your children. It kind of scared me when the baby stopped breathing by the way. But at least he is okay.

Astraea

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

My class read three of your books. I also came here to Tucson, Arizona from Mexico with my mom, my dad, and my older brother. And my brother is trying to get into college right now.

Reaching Out was my favorite of the three books because I like reading about when you went to college and your friends. Our class really enjoyed reading your books. Thank you for taking the time to write them.

Sincerely,

Alexia

Dear Dr. Jimenez,

I thought your books were absolutely fabulous. I kind of connect to the parts about your Catholic faith because I am a little Catholic but mostly protestant. My family is part of the Salvation Army. It is really important to us. Both my parents are captains in the Salvation Army and we do lots of things for the homeless and other things.

My family is also not very rich. I would like to know if you have children yourself and what you named them. Also, when you became a college professor, did you get your mother a nice house? I thought she deserved a nice house.

Your fan,

Amber

Dear Dr. Jimenez,

I think that your books were wonderful! I can’t believe that you went through all of those adventures. I have sort of an idea of how if felt when you got into college because I got into a middle school (I am in fifth grade going into middle school next year) called Dodge Middle School. Lots of people are on a waiting list to go there.

Each of your books taught important lessons. One of them is that I learned to appreciate everything in life very much because nothing is forever.

Sincerely,

Diego

Dear Mr. Jimenez,

You have had a thrilling life judging from your books that you wrote. I like the part in The Circuit where you and your little brother sell goldfish from that pond in the camp. I think that migrant farm workers need more respect. I hope that they are getting that now. We read about the work of Cesar Chavez and we are glad you were a part of that. But for you, you showed us how some people were treated like animals. But look where you are now. That is good where you are now. You have a wife, and children, and a great job.

I do have a couple of questions to ask. How did you feel when you lost your pocket notebook in the fire? Did you make another one, or did you have it all in your head? Maybe you said but I forget. I know that the notebook was very important to you.I also am wondering where all your family members live now and what they are all doing.

Sincerely,

Luis

Dear Francisco Jimenez,

My class and I have read all of your books and I think that your life was really interesting. I like how strong you are, like when your dad was sick, you didn’t give up. You had to still do your homework and still do your job. You kept your focus and you still had respect for your dad.

When you came back from college, I liked how you were taking care of your family. I thought that was really heroic. But one thing I would like to know about is that would you have wanted to stay with your friends that you had in school. I think it is very hard to leave your friends and make new ones. That would be a big challenge.

Your friend, Jesus

Dear Mr. Francisco Jimenez,

I think your books are great! I think they are inspirational because they get me thinking about how great my life is. I am Mexican, like you, and I speak Spanish.

When did you decide to write these books? I have also worked picking in fields. They are my father’s fields. But although I work, I do not have to support my family.

Again, thank you for writing these interesting books. We enjoyed every little story and we write little stories about our lives.

Sincerely,

Jennifer

The letter my class received from Francisco Jimenez -

Dear Ms Kaser and Students,

You cannot imagine how pleased I was to receive your wonderful letters in which you let me know that you enjoyed reading all three of my books. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments and sharing them with my family.

Thank you, Ms. Kaser for introducing The Circuit, Breaking Through, and Reaching Out to your students. And thank you, students, for your positive reaction to my books. As you know, these stories are autobiographical. However, the experiences I describe in the book are the experiences of many migrant families of yesterday and today.

Unfortunately, many families in our country, especially in California, continue to harvest our crops at very low wages and to work in the fields under terrible conditions. Their hard and noble work is the foundation of our agricultural economy and their experiences are an important part of the story of our nation.

I am sorry I am unable to answer each and every question you asked but you will find answers for many of them on my web site at www.scu.edu/fjimenez. Because many of you asked about my family, I have enclosed some up-dated information about my brothers, sister and parents.

Students, you are fortunate to be attending Robins Elementary School and to have a terrific teacher like Ms. Kaser. I wish each of you continued success in your studies. As you now know, my experience has taught me that the best way to realize your dreams whatever they may be, is through education.

And, Ms. Kaser, I thank you for being a teacher. Were it not for the guidance and encouragement that I received from my own teachers, I would not have had the preparation or the courage necessary to pursue my academic aspirations. I have no doubt that you are playing the same crucial role in your students’ lives that my teachers played in mine.

Thank you for your terrific letters and for your interest in my work. I am grateful to all of you.

Sincerely,

Francisco Jimenez
Faye Boyle Professor
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures

Francisco Jimenez, Family Update

1. Father, Francisco: He died of cancer in 1979.
2. Mother, Joaquina: She lived out her life in Santa Maria. After a lengthy and courageous battle with serious health problems, she died peacefully in 2009. She will be deeply missed. Her strong faith and indomitable spirit are the priceless legacy that her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren will forever carry in their hearts.
3. Roberto (Toto): He is retired from the Santa Maria Elementary School District where he served as the Purchasing Supervisor for over 35 years. He and his wife, Darlene, have four grown children; three daughters and a son. Two of their children are elementary school teachers. They are the grandparents to six grandchildren.
4. Francisco (Panchito): He has taught Spanish language and literature at Santa Clara University for 35 years. He and his wife have three grown sons who are all married. He is abuelito to three grandchildren.
5. Jose Francisco (Trampita): He received his teaching credential from Chico State University under the G.I. Bill, and worked for migrant education for a few years. Currently he and his wife run an after school program in Aptos, California. They have two grown children: a son and a daughter.
6. Juan Manuel (Torito): He is a high school teacher in Santa Maria, California. He teaches courses in world history and Chicano history and literature. And, he serves as the varsity basketball coach at Santa Maria High School. He is married and has three grown children: two sons and a daughter.
7. Evangelina (Rorra): She married right after completing high school and is working as an administrative assistant. She has four grown children and lives in Santa Maria.
8. Ruben (Carne Seca): He spent his early career as a State Park Ranger. For the past seven years he has been working as the Director of Maintenance for Allan Hancock Community College in Santa Maria, California. He is married and has three grown children: two daughters and a son. ]]> http://wowlit.org/blog/2010/08/16/part-3-%e2%80%93-his-words-to-you-quotes-from-francisco-jimenez/feed/ 1 http://wowlit.org/blog/2010/08/09/part-2-%e2%80%93-reading-the-words-of-francisco-jimenez/ http://wowlit.org/blog/2010/08/09/part-2-%e2%80%93-reading-the-words-of-francisco-jimenez/#comments Mon, 09 Aug 2010 07:01:32 +0000 admin http://wowlit.org/blog/?p=818 Sandy Kaser, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona Gordon Wells makes a case for spontaneous dialogue and its relationship to community and to society in the March, 2009 issue of Language Arts,. He states that “the beliefs, values, and knowledge that are attributed to society remain abstract and disembodied until they are brought to bear in particular interpersonal situations.” He argues that “dialogue within a classroom helps to create community while simultaneously building a bridge between individuals and the society of which they are members.” As we read the books of Francisco Jimenez, our class engaged in dialogue that brought us together as a community, and that also enabled us to reflect on current issues and values in society.

Francisco Jiménez was born in Tlaquepaque, Mexico in 1943, and grew up as part of a family of migrant farm workers in California. He has documented his experiences in the three books that I read with my class. The Circuit was published in 1997 and chronicles his early childhood. When we finished this book, I told the class he had another book about his years in middle and high school. As interesting as they found the first book, I still was not sure if they would want to continue on. They did, however, want to know more and so we read Breaking Through (2001) and then Reaching Out (2008) where he leaves his family and goes to college. As I reflected on why these books came to mean so much to my students, I believe that our dialogue around the following ideas and issues were key to the strong connections we formed to his stories.

First, we found out how the story ended. The students’ interest in Francisco Jiménez extended to our time in the computer lab where several students “googled” him. They were excited to bring back information about how he became a professor at Santa Clara University and then a university administrator. He had mentioned wanting to be a teacher early on in the story and my students were happy to find out he had achieved his goal. One group of students started a poster of all the awards he and his books have won. They were very proud of him for accomplishing all of that, given his difficult beginnings. One student found a taped interview on-line where they could see him “in person” and hear him speak. My students of Mexican descent were especially pleased I think with what he had accomplished after starting out in poverty in Mexico and being forced to move from farm to farm and school to school in order to help his family earn a living. To support this identity connection, I invited a beautiful young woman, Regina Romero, who currently serves on the Tucson City Council to speak to the class. She also started out as a young child in a migrant farm worker family and spoke of the hard work and the lack of medical care as well as sharing her story of finding a way to get an education.

Secondly, Francisco Jiménez tells the truth and writes with respect for the experiences. He does not back off from stories about looking in the dump for household supplies or the pain of having to move again just when a teacher was going to help him learn to play a musical instrument. Yet he also tells us the story of winning the art prize and being selected as a student leader. The stories were believable to my students, easy to understand, and they strike at the heart of how life’s daily events serve to mold us. It was easy for the students to identify with the central theme in each story and to take a lesson for their lives.

Then there were additional identity intersections. Francisco struggled with learning to speak English and many of my students were learning English as well. The practices of his faith were familiar to my students. He had experiences that reflected the kind of racism and stereotypical attitudes toward Mexicans that some of my students were familiar with. He shared about how he came into the United States without documents and lived in fear that they would be found out. Eventually he and his family were picked up and sent back to Mexico, but did return legally. Students had stories to share surrounding these issues and these stories became the beginnings of their own personal narratives written during our daily writing hour.

The students in my class lived in Arizona and, irregardless of their ethnic ties, they were interested in “illegals” because that is a major issue of debate in the state. I received several copies of the newspaper each day, and we began collecting and discussing newspaper articles that were about the issues of people coming from Mexico with and without the legal documentation. Students wondered: “Why don’t the undocumented get papers?” “Who are ‘coyotes’ and why did people from Mexico pay them money to get across the border?” An immigration lawyer came to class to explain the laws and told us why people come from Mexico without “papers” and what Mexicans had to do in order to be documented. It helped us understand that it cost money and took a certain literacy skill. And there are only a certain number of people admitted in any one year and there are issues that put some people ahead of others in the line waiting to come to the United States. It was easy to see the frustration that could occur. I followed this up with a visit by a border patrol agent who explained how he was working to keep all of us safe and how it was his responsibility to enforce the law. He talked about drug traffickers, but also was sympathetic to people trying to have a better life.

The other theme that led to extensive dialogues was Francisco’s work ethic and how he balanced this with his intense desire to do well in school. One of my students commented that he felt tired after we read some of the stories because he had to work so hard all of the time. The students were happy when he started to go to dances and have some fun.

I personally felt validated by his respect for and faith in his teachers as he struggled to get an education. How wonderful to be part of a profession that encourages children and young people. He mentions how his life was changed by a teacher who encouraged him to write about his experiences and who gave him The Grapes of Wrath to read. And there it was–he found himself in a book. He talks about how when he was upset, it calmed him to write stories about his experiences. There are many comments in the students’ letters that relate to his concern about school and about working hard at many jobs in order to help provide for his family.

Finally, we were all drawn into the Jiménez family and especially enjoyed the stories about family dynamics. We kept trying to figure out how many brothers and sisters were born into the family along the way. We loved his mother and thought she was the most humble and the most courageous woman in the world. She “made do” so often–she comforted her husband who was ill much of the time and cared for sick children through sleepless nights. My students were hopeful that when Francisco became Dr. Jiménez that he bought her a house! We loved the way they cared about each other. We were frustrated by the father and had to really talk about how the events in his life had led to the daily pain and frustration that eventually drove him back to Mexico and away from the family. We were amazed at the respect and restraint that Francisco demonstrated toward his father. This was another frequent theme in my students’ letters–questions about the family. Dr. Jiménez graciously listed his family members and told us what happened to each one in his response to us, and so we know the end of the story with regard to his family.

Jiménez has had an impressive career working on many projects related to education and issues of social justice–not the least of which are his books for children and young people. Susan Carlile sums up her review of the work of Francisco Jiménez with these words: “Rather than feeling alienated as a result of his personal confrontations with racism and poverty, Jiménez has embraced his experiences and used them for the benefit of his students, readers, and community. He has created a rich, meaningful life – one steeped in service and in art . . . a life he considers full of great rewards.” (ALAN Review: Fall, 2004).

Jiménez would have us understand that his rich life began with his experiences in the cotton and strawberry fields of California and the struggles he encountered on his journey. His later success was built on those experiences. But oh, how hard it must have been. In response to the argument that illegal immigrants were taking jobs away from citizens, a recent article in the Arizona Daily Star advertised a website where one could apply for a job as a migrant farm worker in California.

Advice for applicants? Dress appropriately . . temperatures are in the triple digits. Heat exhaustion has led farm labor to be listed as one of the nation’s ten most dangerous jobs. Expect long days . . growers have a limited window to pick fruit before it becomes overripe. And don’t count on a big paycheck. Farm workers are excluded from federal overtime provisions, and small farms don’t even have to pay the minimum wage. Fifteen states don’t require farm labor to be covered by workers compensation laws. Supervisor Michael Rubio of one of the biggest agricultural counties in California says, “Our country, our economy, rely heavily on the work of immigrant workers. I would encourage all our national leaders to come visit Kern County and spend one day, or even half a day, in the shoes of these farm workers.”

Many teachers look for ways to make books meaningful to students. Sometimes we go about this in a deliberate way. Perhaps we have a unit of study coming up and so we look for books that offer different perspectives on this particular topic, or we have “umbrella” themes that cover an entire year and find books that support students in making connections and asking questions all year. In pulling books, we are careful to have a range that reflects the identities of the students entrusted to us.

But sometimes, we happen across a book that has an unexpected effect for both our students and ourselves. When that happens, we want to climb up on a roof top somewhere and shout, “This one! Read this one!” But then we discover that other folks have been shouting on that roof top and we just didn’t hear it. And we are all the more amazed. How did we miss it? This is what happened in my classroom with the books of Francisco Jiménez, specifically The Circuit, Breaking Through and Reaching Out.

There are those who might argue that no “teacher act” lacks deliberation. Teachers make decisions and choices all day long. Perhaps decisions and choices are made quickly but they are based on levels of experience and understandings. I would agree to a certain extent. These decisions are also based in part on what you believe teaching is all about–. your philosophy of teaching–as well as on current curriculum mandates that you may embrace or try to skirt. Your days become this dance of what I want to do, what I must do, what I have time to do, and then comes–What would I like to do differently? What do I need to do differently? Ideas and plans swirl around in your head. Out of this come the deliberate choices. But also out of this come surprises that turn out better than that.

A few years back, I was asked to be the SEI (Structured English Immersion) instructor for my grade level. This means my class receives all of the fifth grade students who have a primary language other than English. I also get the students who have recently tested out of the program and are referred to with the endearing term “reclassifieds.” And so, each year, my class is made up of a high percentage of students who have a first language other than English. Most of my students last year were Spanish speakers with direct ties to Mexico. They may have been born in Mexico, or have relatives in Mexico, or have a family in which a parent still lives and works in Mexico. Almost all took trips to Mexico for once reason or another.

I do not speak Spanish and I have no connections to Mexico other than my students and their families, and so I was concerned about how to support their identities with literature in ways that were reasonably authentic. I started the year with Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, a great book about a wealthy girl from Mexico who is forced to escape to the United States where she became part of a group of migrant farm workers. The book was an enormous success with my students. Not all children’s books on tape are good, but Esperanza is excellent on tape. I used it as my “read aloud” traditionally done after lunch. Each student had a copy of the book to follow along with “eyes across text,” but they could hear the story as well. The students loved the words in the book written in Spanish and were quick to explain what the words meant and pronounce them for me. This book was not a formal “study” but rather a jazzed up read aloud. This book opened up an interesting dialogue following the read aloud related to migrant farm workers. But mostly we just enjoyed the book and focused on the changes in the character and personality of Esperanza.

A few years earlier, I attended the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference and heard professional conversations around the use of non-fiction literature in the classroom. Teachers were urged to include more non-fiction in the classroom, and to try reading non-fiction aloud. I attended sessions on the importance of including biography in units of study. It was all very intriguing. And of course I ventured into the book display area and looked a little harder at the non-fiction books.

There it was. The Circuit by Francisco Jiménez. Right on the front cover were the words, “stories from the life of a migrant child.” My first thought was how this could be a non-fiction piece that would go along with Esperanza. Although Esperanza was based on Pam Muñoz Ryan’s grandmother, The Circuit sounded like more of a biography/memoir. So, basking in the glow of my recent non-fiction sessions at the conference, I bought it. I took it home and put it on the stack of “Books I haven’t read yet.” I didn’t think of it again until my class listened to Esperanza Rising. Then I went hunting for that little book I bought at NCTE a couple of years ago.

I began to read the short stories aloud to the class before I had read the book myself. After all, it had been sitting on the pile for two years so the chances of my reading it to myself did not seem to be very good. I don’t think you are really supposed to read a book to your students that you have not yet read yourself – that is probably in the “things not to do” guide for teachers, but as I said, this was not all that well planned out. I found the book and took it to school. I reasoned that it was a book of short stories–personal narratives. I would read one or two to my class and if they were not of interest, I would simply quit. So, reading this book to my class really fell into the serendipitous side of the ledger.

When I lit my story candle, after lunch and told my students I was going to begin reading a biography of a child who was part of a real migrant farm worker family, a student looked up and said, “How long is it?” Ahhhhh, the love of Esperanza was not enough to keep up an interest in the life of migrant farm workers. Or maybe a non-fiction biography read aloud did not sound all that inviting. Or maybe they thought César Chávez had fixed everything. Yet I knew, based on their responses to Esperanza and Chávez that they were interested. So I forged ahead.

Little did I know as I lit that story candle, climbed on my teacher stool, and opened The Circuit, that I was about to embark on an exceptionally meaningful literature engagement with my fifth grade students that not only took us all the way though The Circuit, also to Breaking Through and Reaching Out and a wish for more. I am not a teacher who insists my students write to authors, but by the time we finished, my class felt like Francisco Jiménez was a member of their families, and they wanted to CALL him. We wrote letters instead. And you could have heard a pin drop when I told them he had replied in an email.

I read them the email and then a student’s voice broke the silence saying, “Mrs. Kaser, we read his books and those were his words in his books, but the words in his letter are his words to US.”

Francisco Jiménez started life as a child in a family who were migrant farm workers and that was my beginning connection and reason for bringing the book into the classroom. But the truth is that it was the person of Francisco Jimenez that my students connected with, and therein lies the surprise. Yes, we all learned more about the challenges of the migrant worker’s way of life, but mostly we learned about how to live a life of purpose, a strong life, a life of integrity in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

Next Monday, I will write about the class dialogue and student connections that resulted from the reading the work of Franciso Jiménez.

Sandy

The final book we will share is My Little Round House written and illustrated by Bolormaa Baasansuren with an English adaption by Helen Mixter, published by Groundwood Books, 2009. Boloramaa Baasansuren graduated from the Institute of Fine Arts in Mongolia and also studied children’s book illustration in Italy and Russia. She has won numerous awards including Distinguished Best Book of Mongolia and prizes at the International Competition of Illustration (Teario/UNICEF) for her illustrations in Tales on Horseback, the Grand Prize at the international book competition of the National Cultural Festival in Fukuoka, Japan for The Legend of Wives’ Hair, and The Grand Prize at the Noma Concours for the Japanese edition of My Little Round House. She lives in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Boloramaa Baasansuren’s extensive firsthand knowledge of Mongolian culture radiates throughout her extraordinary illustrations.

The little round house is a “ger,” a Mongolian moveable house used by Nomadic people as they move from camp to camp with the changing of the seasons. Jilu, the baby narrator, tells of his first year of life from birth to the following summer. The story includes the rich details of traditional Mongolian life. Jilu begins his narration inside an orange sphere floating on the first page that invites us as readers to make an immediate emotional connection with this baby narrator. On the next page we are introduced to the naked baby shivering from the cold alone against a white background. Children will notice he is shivering through the the use of motion lines surrounding the baby. As the reader turns the page, the rich influx of color and pattern emerges in the illustration. This color and pattern symbolically introduce the sense of family and love so prevalent in the unfolding story.

The circle has been a profound visual symbol throughout art history as a symbol of completeness, unending love, all encompassing, and cyclical by its very form. It has been used as a classic symbol for family. The structure of the round house, with its round shape and circular opening at the top, reflects all these meanings. In addition, this circle motif is repeated again and again throughout each illustration. The light peach tone of the baby’s head against the dark jewel tones of the rest of the images makes the circle-shaped head seem to float across the illustrations. These circles are found in the subtle pattern in the fabrics of each family member’s garments, and the patterns in the rugs. The batting in the bed’s texture and the rolls in the table are spiraling circles, and the stars in the sky are tiny concentric circles. Over and over throughout the illustrations children will discover these hidden patterns of circles.

Oblique distortion of perspective enhances the “mural” feel of the illustrations. Color is used symbolically as referenced by the blue coloring of one of the lambs. The rich tapestry-like illustrations illuminate interiors of the ger. These illustrations are predominately warm jewel tones: reds, oranges, and golds. The warm colors help to emphasize the cozy feeling of the inside of the tent. In contrast the exterior scenes are more reflective of a cool color palette with the introduction of more greens and blues. Both exterior and interior illustrations show the rich luxurious detail of the clothing and artifacts within the ger despite the arduous process of repeated packing and moving.

The images also reflect animals that are well cared for, delectable dishes for the family to eat, and musical instruments to enjoy together. These images together represent prosperity and contentment within the culture that baby Jilu has been born into. As the circle is a symbol of closure, this book closes with the end of the first year of baby Jili’s life. The reader senses it is only the beginning of many years enveloped in the rich Mongolian culture.

The illustrations in beautifully executed picture books enrich our lives, increase our understandings and offer joy to readers. One does not have to be an art expert in order to engage with the images in books. Children instinctively search and wonder their way through these images. Their orientation to the unknown world around them has made them visual experts as they naturally engage with the images that surround them. Children breathe in these images like oxygen, essential to how they learn and think. As reviewers, we need to regain our sense of the significance of visual images to meaning-making and bring those understandings into how we discuss picture books with other readers.

Cheri Anderson, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

This week we want to share the picture book, The Imaginary Garden, written by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher, and published by Kids Can Press, 2009. The author and illustrator are both from Toronto where the illustrator lives in an art-filled apartment, an important context for this Canadian picture book. Reviews of this book need to discuss the use of color and texture as connected to the themes of imagination and relationships.

Imaginary Garden is a touching story of a grandfather and his granddaughter, Theo. Theo loved the garden at her grandfather’s old house but Poppa has moved to the city and now lives in an apartment that is too small for a garden. Poppa and Theo decide to create a garden mural on his balcony. As the days pass, they fill the painting with the changes that would occur in a real garden. When Poppa leaves on vacation, Theo decides to complete the imaginary garden with the blooms of summer. This book is a warm story of the love between grandfather and granddaughter.

The book is delightfully textured with illustrations that combine pen and ink line drawings with collage and gouache paint. Irene Luxbacher used a variety of artist’s tools, including sponges to add texture to the paint, and multiple sizes of brushes that range from small delicate strokes to strong bold ones. Children will love the step by step directions for painting the jonquils and bird and will search for the application of this lesson within the illustrations.

Color becomes a metaphor for the shared experiences of the close grandfather and granddaughter throughout the book. This metaphor is even reflected in the pictures on the walls at the beginning of the book, where color is only added to those pictures of granddaughter and grandfather together and the city background remains as black-and-white sketches. Such attention to detail helps us to appreciate the creative thought behind the illustration process.

Luxbacher’s clever composition of delicate back and white ink drawings juxtaposed against the vivid paint strokes of the painted flower garden enables imagination to overcome the reality of an apartment building’s bland balcony. It is at the granddaughter’s suggestion that together they create the painted garden to ease the transition of her adored grandfather from home to apartment dwelling. This book will leave readers wanting to hug their grandparents and pick up a paint brush!

This picture book is an excellent example of how meaning is conveyed through illustrations that do not just enhance the text but are essential to creating understanding. A review that does not discuss the role of color and texture within this picture book is incomplete and inaccurate. Reviewers need to understand how the elements of art – color, line, shape, texture, etc. – are used to create meaning, as well as how the literary elements of character, plot, theme, etc function within a picture book.

Our focus this week is a picture book from Canada, Alego, written and illustrated by Ningeokuluk Teevee and published by Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press, 2009. Ningeokukluk Teevee is an interesting young artist from Kinngait (Cape Dorset), home to the great tradition of Inuit art. The book provides an authentic introduction to the life and world of an Inuit child. Our analysis of the illustrations in this book raises issues about illustration styles that are specific to a particular cultural group and how those styles might be read by viewers outside that cultural tradition.

Alego is the story of an Inuit girl who combs a stretch of Baffin Island beach with her grandmother to collect clams and explore the tide pools. The story ends with the grandmother and grandchild sharing clams and hot tea. The text is in both Inuktiut and English. The author provides a picture glossary of Inuktitut words for sea creatures and includes a map of Baffin Island with an inset to locate the island on a map of North America on the endpapers.

The illustrations in the book were created in a traditional First Nation style. The textured graphite and colored pencil illustrations may initially appear simple, but a closer look indicates that they include complex foreground, middle ground, and background perspectives. The illustration of Anaanatsiag, the grandmother, calling to her granddaughter, Alego, includes a pronounced division between these three perspectives. The child and her grandmother are separated by a large expanse of water stretching across an ominous middle ground before the village in the far background is seen. The grandmother’s warning to her granddaughter, “Let’s go home before the tide comes back in and the shore is covered with water again,” is underscored by this visual division from the safety of home in the village.

The struggle we had as readers, also mentioned by other reviewers, is that the story and illustrations seem to fall short in capturing the emotions of the characters. The illustrations do not portray a strong connection between the grandmother and child based on Western perspectives. None of the illustrations show the grandmother and granddaughter looking directly at each other. We realize this may be a cultural difference where direct eye contact is seen as disrespectful but found that this lack of connection robbed the illustrations of some of the emotional impact for us as readers. Another issue was the pale color palette in this book, often used to enhance the delicate nature of some stories. In this book, the lack of color intensity seems shallow and creates an ambiguity and vagueness to the illustrations and story. The story came across as an informational book about what lives in the sand and tide pools, rather than as a warm story of the relationship between a grandmother and granddaughter.

Our response to this book left us with many questions about whether the criteria we were bringing to our evaluation of the illustrations were appropriate or if we were imposing our cultural views about meaning-making through visual images. It also raises the question of the author/illustrator’s intention for this book, both in content and audience. Our analysis is based on our belief that the book is a story of the relationship between the grandmother and granddaughter, when the major intention of the author/illustrator may have been to teach children about the forms of life found on the beach. Another issue is whether the author/illustrator saw the major audience as First Nation children or created the book for a wider audience.

Our argument that reviewers need to attend to the role of illustrations in book reviews of international picture books is complicated by the need to consider the cultural styles of meaning-making that are embedded in the illustrations. The reviewer’s own background may interfere with understanding those illustrations, even if the reviewer has a strong background in art.

This July blog highlights the need to include more in depth discussion of the illustrations within picture books in published book reviews. The blog entries will each discuss an award-winning international picture book as an example of the kinds of discussion that should be occurring more frequently in reviews.

Illustrations create a depth of meaning within picture books that are essential to the reading experience for that book. Unfortunately most picture book reviews give only basic information about the illustrations, usually just the medium or technique. Although the medium used by illustrators and the techniques for how they create the art is important, many other visual aspects elements are equally as interesting. The complexity of illustrators’ decisions as they go about their creative processes is fascinating. Some of these decisions are also made by the art directors at the publishing companies. Visual decisions such as the book format, size of the book, font selection, and scale add to meaning making for the reader. Through skillful use of visual elements, such as color, line, space, and perspective, the illustrator engages the emotions of the reader and directs the reader’s attention. Just as important as the written text in establishing authenticity in picture books is a close examination of the illustration style and whether it indicates a particular location of where the story takes place and whether the style and the details in the images are authentic to the culture depicted in the book. Further, the illustrations need to be examined for possible stereotypes or inaccuracies.

Because a well done picture book is an intricate dance between pictures and words, they do not simply mirror each other in content. What is said in the text is not exactly repeated in the pictures. Essential decisions must be made as to what will be presented in the written text and what will be depicted pictorially. Given the essential nature of illustrations to meaning-making in picture books, they should be given as much attention in reviews as is the written text.

Four picture books that were among the newly announced 2009 Outstanding International Books by USBBY caught my attention. I shared these books with colleagues over coffee and dessert and the comments included in this blog come out of discussions with three teachers and artists. Cumulatively we have shared picture books with thousands of children over the years. We have had many incredible opportunities to witness first hand a child’s joy and enlightenment within the pages of great picture books. Because we believe picture books involve an exquisite weave of both words and images, we will discuss the stories as told through the integration of words and images in these books. I would like to express tremendous gratitude to Brenda Halferty and Pam Potter for their willingness to share their insight and wisdom.

This entry is a discussion of the book, What the Rat Told Me: A Legend of the Chinese Zodiac, written and illustrated collaboratively by Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis, and Wang Fei (NorthSouth, 2009, 42 pp, ISBN 978-0-7358-2220-7). Catherine Louis indicates that China has had an enormous influence on her life and work. Although she lives in Switzerland, she says a part of her heart will always live in the land of the dragon. Wang Fei grew up in China, where he learned Chinese calligraphy. He believes the present comes from both the past and the future, and says he looks for the road between. Marie Sellier, Catherine Louis and Wang Fei collaborated on Legend of the Chinese Dragon, a previous USBBY award-winner, as well as What the Rat Told Me.

In the book, The Great Emperor of Heaven asks the animals to meet him at sunrise. The mouse promises to wake the cat at dawn but instead leaves with the other animals to be first in line to meet the emperor. He assigns each animal a year in the twelve year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. When the cat discovers that she has missed out, the friendship between the mouse and the cat is destroyed. Big, bold linoleum prints with strong rhythmic design are featured in double page spreads for each stylized depiction of the animals. Wang Fei’s elegant calligraphy for each animal coupled with Louis’ linoleum print of each zodiac symbol lends authenticity to the printed images.

The endpapers echo the brayer texture of red ink and the closing endpaper includes side by side printed zodiac signs, calligraphy, and English words for all twelve animals. If opened, the book jacket becomes a double page spread where a round red shape is surrounded by black silhouettes of each of the animals. Three quarters of the circle falls to the front of the spine of the book and one quarter to the back, foreshadowing the excellent sense of design of the illustrators within the book.

The oversized book format, 8 x 14 inches, adds to the illustrator’s ability to enhance the vertical journey the animals make up the mountain to visit the emperor. This vertical design also enables the images to encompass twelve animals. A strong use of diagonal line increases the drama where the stark contrast of black silhouetted animals and mountain against the white sky and red earth intensifies the double page spreads. On one page, the vertical orientation of the book isolates the sleeping cat at the very bottom right hand side of the spread but keeps the oversized cat from dominating the illustration. The printmaking technique of using a brayer roller also adds texture to the illustrations.

We found the technique of “bleeding the illustrations” off the page to have the effect of drawing the reader into the story. Because the illustrator has chosen not to make the entire illustration fit onto the page, the field of action seems to include the reader who is now actually sharing that off the page space. As the reader discovers, in some of these instances the illustrations extend onto the next page, providing a possible search for children as they turn the pages of the book. The dramatic and memorable compositions in red, black and white are a powerful invitation into this Chinese legend.

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.

“Books are sometimes windows, offering views of the world that may be real or imagined, familiar or strange… A window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience.” (Rudine Sims Bishop, 1990).

Sharing family stories with children and their families offered eight classroom teachers a window into students’ most powerful literacy environment – their homes. Weekly written conversations in Family Message Journals helped teachers consider the potential for combining home and school literacy communities. In this fourth and final post, I return to our dual goals of valuing families’ life experiences (windows) while also looking outward to the larger world of diverse families (mirrors).

A common childhood event, losing a tooth, initiated a lively family story exploration. I Lost My Tooth in Africa (Diakite, 2006) depicts a child’s real-life journey to Mali where she promptly loses a tooth. Her extended African family helps this American child celebrate the reward of a chicken from the African Tooth Fairy. Janet’s first and second graders shared their personal stories of losing teeth followed by a comparison of life in Mali with their lives in western Pennsylvania.

Oscar, a first grade “deep thinker,” relayed his eagerness to explore this distinct culture:

afrc is osum
jus thing about it.
Deer mom and dad
can we go to afrca?

Dear Oscar,
Sounds fun! We will need to save our money. While we are saving, maybe we can check out some books about Africa from the library.Love, Mom

Message journals revealed that Oscar’s family actively promotes reading, leading Janet to share a related story – Throw Your Tooth on the Roof: Tooth Traditions from around the World (Beeler, 2001). In talking with  Oscar’s mom, Janet uncovered a “hidden literacy” – a family mail center facilitating the regular exchange of notes at home. After praising this family’s efforts, Janet used her subsequent family newsletters to explore how children’s phonics skills are honed through writing and how writing improves reading skills.

Written conversations between Tasha’s fifth-graders demonstrated how family stories acted as mirrors, allowing students and families to reconsider their lives. In Grandfather’s Story Cloth (Gerdner, 2008), a Hmong grandfather shares his escape from Laos with his young grandson, including the death of his younger brother during the harrowing journey. Andy worked to understand a death in his family in this entry:

“I was three when my brother died of cancer. I did not know what happened at the time… He was five when he died… We had his funeral up the street. My Mom is still sad every day, just like my Dad and my other brother…”

A recent death in my family helps me realize why Andy still struggles to comprehend cancer. Although the family gave limited responses in Andy’s journal, this family story study opened a window of opportunity for Tasha. In an April phone interview, Andy’s father revealed to Tasha, “I didn’t understand these journals at first but we both really enjoyed reading each other’s responses. I saw and understood Andy’s struggles more.” His next telling question, “Has he improved enough to get out of Learning Support?” enabled Tasha to discuss ways both of them could continue to support Andy’s growth and shift into a mainstream classroom.

Tasha posed questions about students’ family traditions and fifth graders considered parallels between this Hmong family’s story cloth (an embroidered textile handed down over generations) and their life experiences. Paxton provided this insight:

“My tradition is going hunting with an old bow. I think my great, great grandpa had it. Indian tribes used to use the same bow as this one I have. I am part Irish and German and Indian. That is my family tradition.”

Paxton uses this Hmong story as a mirror to rethink his family treasure, reflecting the need for teachers to use more literacy hooks. Reluctant readers need extra hooks into reading, inviting them to connect the familiar with strange, and reach outside their realm of experience.

Family members need these same hooks to become our literacy partners. They need to see teachers valuing their life experiences. While Paxton’s family only occasionally responded, his mother shared her perspective on family journals in a phone interview. “We all thought it was a great idea to make writing more interesting.” She went on to reveal a hidden literacy, “Whenever we take a family trip, I help him write a report on it.” Having completed several travel photo journals with my son, I understand her significant effort. This mother’s active involvement outside of school offers Tasha a springboard into future home-school literacy experiences.

Family stories combined with Family Message Journals demonstrate the power of bringing students, families, and teachers together. As we value the 75% of time students spend outside of school, families can begin to value the 25% of time spent in school. Janet explains how parents and teachers need each other:

“The more families share with me, the better we can partner together towards the goal of helping the child become a better reader. I realize I need to become an expert at asking the right kinds of questions. I need to learn to listen to parents’ responses.”

When teachers become listeners not just to students but students’ first literacy partners and use these insights to make more informed decisions, they find greater success. These Family Message Journals offer teachers a rare window of opportunity, enabling them to combine reflections from home and school to create a more productive literacy environment.

I see many other opportunities for building more complete literacy communities beyond family stories and message journals. JoBeth Allen (2007) considers options like storytelling and cultural memoirs in Creating Welcoming Schools. In my book Becoming Teammates (2008), teachers use home surveys and family literacy gatherings to understand parents Additionally I wonder how to value other family literacy practices (e.g., grocery lists, text messaging, calendars, bedroom door signs, fund raising orders, videos posted on YouTube).

I must thank Alicia, Alisa, Anne, Janet, Jennifer, Joanna, Pam, and Tasha for their continuous energy that sustained this inquiry. We are especially grateful to 38 families who inspired us with glimpses of their lives.

This family story exploration began with a compelling idea from a literacy coach, “Reading is life.” I hope these posts encourage you to find essential windows and mirrors for building bridges of understanding, as you strive to combine family and school literate lives.

*How can you demonstrate to families that their lives and literacy practices matter?

References

Allen, J. (2007). Creating welcoming schools: A practical guide to home-school partnerships with diverse families. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Beeler, S.B. (2001). Throw your tooth on the roof: Tooth traditions from around the world. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Bishop, R.S. (1990, Summer). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives: Choosing and using books for the classroom. 6,3. Also available at www.rif.org/multi_campaign_windows_mirrors.mspx.

Diakite, P. (2006). I lost my tooth in Africa. New York: Scholastic.

Endrizzi, C.K. (2008). Becoming teammates: Teachers and families as literacy partners. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English. Available at www1.ncte.org/store/books/elem/129823.htm .

Gerdner, L. (2008). Grandfather’s story cloth. Walnut Creek, CA: Shen’s Books.