Born Naughty: My Childhood in China gives children an understanding of the culture and experiences of a child growing up in China in 1982. From the very first page, Jin’s story hooks the reader. “When I was young I lived with my family in a mud house so tiny we barely fit inside. Our house had just one room, filled mostly with the bed we all shared—my mother, Ma, Die (meaning “father”) my two younger brothers, and I.” When I read this aloud to a class of 3rd and 4th graders, they immediately had questions about how five people could sleep together on such a small bed in a tiny one-room house. The black and white illustrations by Anisi Baigude helped them imagine the scene. The illustrations are expressive and action packed, adding details that illuminate the story.
Each chapter in the book evoked more questions from the students especially the description of what water was available to drink. “Because we had so little of it, water was a big, big thing… To save it, my family drank hardly any. Ma set most aside for cooking and washing clothes. We took baths once, maybe twice a year and shared about three cups of water each day for washing hands. I let my hands get very dirty before I washed them. But—Ma’s big rule—always before we ate we had to wash our hands.” The children listening to this part of the story were incredulous — a bath once or twice a year? Continue reading
The New Rooster by Rilla Alexander is a universal and fanciful story about the challenges of communicating when many different languages are spoken. The story starts on the title page when Rooster, clutching his roller bag, parachutes from a plane. He has come a long way for his new job in a new country. We notice on the front endpapers that he has been hired to give the wake-up call at the ZZZ Hotel. But when he crows just as he had back home, no one is aroused. Even when he yells at the top of his lungs no one gets up. Repeated efforts until 3 p.m. fail to get anyone out of bed and the rooster figures he is out of a job. He realizes that he will need a good breakfast if he must make the long journey home. When the delicious smells of his cooking finally arouses the hotel guests they share a breakfast and chat. “They didn’t understand every word they heard, but they tried their best.” The ending will leave smiles on listener’s faces as this book makes a terrific read aloud. Don’t miss the punch line on the back endpapers — “Did you know the Rooster speaks pig latin?” 
Luli and the Language of Tea opens with Luli coming into a preschool classroom with children from many cultures and countries. Their parents are attending an ESL class next door. The text reads, “The playroom was quiet./ Luli couldn’t speak English./ Neither could the others./ All around the room, children played alone.”