The West: An Illustrated History for Children

The West: An Illustrated History for Children

Written by: Dayton Duncan

"The American West stretches from the Mississippi to the Pacific Ocean, from the northern plains to the Rio Grande, a land of infinite horizons and unimaginable distances. Here is the remarkable story of the West--the story of a magnificent but harsh landscape and the many people who have tried to claim it."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://edtech.kennesaw.edu/web/westward.html

People of the West

People of the West

Written by: Duncan Dayton

"What was life like in the West before the arrival of the settlers from Europe? How did it feel to be the first white woman to cross the Continental Divide? What was it like to live in a house made of sod on a vast, treeless prairie, or to be part of the great California Gold Rush? This engaging volume answers these questions and more, telling the personal stories of 15 people who struggled to make this land their home."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.proteacher.com/090023.shtml
http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/about/dayton-duncan/

Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story

Susanna of the Alamo: A True Story

Written by: John Jakes
Illustrated by: Paul Bacon

"This story relates the experiences of the Texas woman who, along with her baby, survived the 1836 battle at the Alamo. Students can compare Susanna’s perspective to that of other Alamo participants as presented in GREGORIO ESPARZA or THE BOY IN THE ALAMO."

Social Studies Center (SSC)

Online Resources:
http://www.lsjunction.com/people/dickinsn.htm
http://www.tamu.edu/ccbn/dewitt/sdickinson.htm

The Boy in the Alamo

The Boy in the Alamo

Written by: Margaret Cousins

This book offers another perspective to the events in the Alamo. Students can compare it to Jakes’ SUSANNA OF THE ALAMO, Matthews’ DAVY’S DAWG, or Matthews’ GREGORIO ESPARZA: ALAMO HERO.

Online Resources:
http://www.thealamo.org/

Tales from the Homeplace: Adventures of a Texas Farm Girl

Tales from the Homeplace: Adventures of a Texas Farm Girl

Written by: Harriet Burandt and Shelley Dale

"The text features stories about a family who lived on a cotton farm in Texas during the Depression. The book can introduce units on family history or the collection of oral histories."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://suzyred.com/homeplace.html

Texas Days of Glory

Texas Days of Glory

Written by: Pat Boyette
Historical Consultants: William Miller, K.R. Wood

"Large size pictures trace the history of Texas using a comic book format. The book begins with coverage of the arrival and exploration of the first Spanish soldiers, priests, and colonists and continues through the coming of Anglo settlers and the Texas Revolution. The story gained inspiration from the work of K. R. Wood, author and performer of FATHERS OF TEXAS, a compilation of songs and stories about Texas history."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.summitartists.com/fathers/about.htm

Indian Chiefs

Indian Chiefs

Written by: Russell Freedman

"Meet six powerful chiefs who led their people during one of the most difficult periods of U.S. history --- the late 1800s, when Indians were losing much of their native lands to white pioneers settling in the western states. Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and Joseph are among those profiled."

Publishers Description

Online Resources:
http://www.lessonplanspage.com/SSMathLANativeAmer-IndianChiefVennDiagrams56.htm

The Girl Who Loved Horses

The Girl Who Loved Horses

Written and Illustrated by: Paul Goble

Elementary Grades

"For most people, being swept away in a horse stampede during a raging thunderstorm would be a terrifying disaster. For the young Native American girl in Paul Goble's 1979 Caldecott-winning masterpiece, The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, it is a blessing. Although she loves her people, this girl has a much deeper, almost sacred connection to her equine friends. The storm gives her the opportunity to fulfill her dream--to live in a beautiful land among the wild horses she loves.

With brilliant, stylized illustrations and simple text, Paul Goble tells the story of a young woman who follows her heart, and the family that respects and accepts her uniqueness. Considering how difficult it is for some communities to allow friendships to grow between people of different cultures, this village's support for the girl's companions of choice is admirable. Goble's bold paintings reflect this noble open-mindedness. The young horse fanatic of the house will joyfully add this book to his or her collection. Children are passionate people; they will relate."

Amazon.com Review

Awards
Caldecott Award, 1978

Web Resources:
http://monet.unk.edu/mona/contemp/goble/goble.html

When Clay Sings

When Clay Sings

Written by: Byrd Baylor
Illustrated by: Tom Bahti

"Pieces of broken pots are scattered over the desert hillsides of the Southwest. The Indians there treat them with respect -- "Every piece of clay is a piece of someone's life," they say. And the children try to imagine those lives that took place in the desert they think of as their own.

Clay has its own small voice, and sings. Its song has lasted for thousands of years. And Byrd Baylor's prose-poem as simple and powerful as the clay pots, sings too."

Publisher's Review - Simon and Schuster

Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book, 1973

Where the Buffaloes Begin

Where the Buffaloes Begin

Written by: Olaff Baker
Illustrated by: Stephen Gammell

Elementary Grades

"Originally published in 1915, this story retells a Blackfoot Indian tale. Curious about Nawa, the wise man's story about the origins of the sacred buffaloes from the center of a lake, fearless young Little Wolf sneaks away in the middle of the night to keep watch over the lake. The text conveys visceral, sensory experiences: "Little Wolf felt the blood run along his body. He clutched at the prairie grass, crushing it in his hot hands." The story unfolds slowly with a few wordless spreads scattered throughout. The story is divided into sections adorned with illustrations of artifacts, such as moccasins, hats, and weapons. The action of the story is conveyed in soft and misty pencil sketches, capturing the dreamlike mood of the story.

According to the author bio, Baker is an English author who spent "a great deal of time" with the Blackfoot Indians. The style of the illustrations is reminiscent of anthropological or archaeological drawings. A note at the conclusion of the story offering contextual details about the Blackfoot and the artifacts presented in the story would be a welcome addition, as well as acknowledgment of the fact that this is no longer the way of life for Native Americans."

Amazon.com Review

Caldecott Honor Book, 1986

The Legend of the Buffalo Woman

The Legend of the White Buffalo Woman

Written and Illustrated by: Paul Goble

"In this picture book for older readers, Goble uses his characteristic decorative paintings to help retell an important sacred legend of the Lakota people. He describes a great flood, which killed almost all life on the earth, and relates how the nation came to be born again from the union of a woman of the earth and an eagle of the sky. He then explains how the people came upon hard and frightening times and tells of the arrival of the powerful White Buffalo Woman, who gave the Lakota people the Sacred Calf Pipe, a gift of the Great Spirit."

Booklist Review

Web Resources:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/NA-WhiteBuffalo.html

The Desert is Theirs

The Desert Is Theirs
Written by: Byrd Baylor
Illustrated by: Peter Parnall

"You may think of the desert as a harsh, dry place where no one would ever want to live -- but think again. The Desert People know, and so do the animals. Both love the land and, "share the feeling of being brothers in the desert, of being desert creatures together." Byrd Baylor's spare, poetic text and Peter Parnall's striking illustrations lime the sky, stone and sand of the desert in this haunting book"

Publishers Review - Aladdin Books

Awards:
Caldecott Honor Book, 1988

Web Resources:
http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/desert/deserttg.html

Raven: A Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest

Raven: A Trickster Tale From the Pacific Northwest

Written and Illustrated by: Gerald McDermott

"All the world is in darkness at the beginning of this traditional tale from the Indian cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Raven feels sorry for the people living in the gloomy cold, so he flies to the house of the Sky Chief in search of light and warmth. To get inside, Raven pulls a shape-shifting trick that allows him to be born to the god's daughter. As a spoiled and comic infant, Raven demands and gets the shiny ball that the gods have hidden away. The art and text capture the spirit of the Native American trickster hero; benevolent, clever, magical, unscrupulous, and ultimately triumphant, Raven acts out human virtues and foibles on a cosmic scale. The book invites comparisons with other trickster heroes like Africa's Anansi and the Native American Coyote, as well as with stories of fire bringers like Prometheus. The physical environment, oral literature, and traditional life of the Pacific Coast Indians come alive in this amusing and well-conceived picture book."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.crayola.com/lesson-plans/detail/raven-the-trickster-puppet-tales-lesson-plan/

Coyote: A Trickster Tale From the American Southwest

Coyote: A Trickster Tale From the American Southwest

Written and Illustrated by: Gerald McDermott

"Coyote is a big, bumbling, interfering copycat; he's rude, boastful, vain, and always in trouble. The storytelling is simple, with the casual, direct tone and satisfying repetition of the oral tradition ("He was going along, following his nose. He had a nose for trouble . . . Coyote was always in trouble"). The art combines traditional geometric design with the jagged figure of Coyote, all exaggerated pointed shapes in brilliant blue with a lolling red tongue. He cavorts against a background of warm rust-brown desert; he tries to fly with the beautifully synchronized black-and-purple crows who circle the canyon and soar in the sky. Of course, he falls ignominiously into the dust. And to this day, "He has a nose for trouble. He always finds it." This is great for storytelling: kids will love the slapstick action and the bright, comic art about this gawky fool. As McDermott points out in the lively source note, Coyote is very foolish--and very human."

Booklist Review

The Star People: A Lakota Story

The Star People: A Lakota Story

Written and Illustrated by: S.D. Nelson

"While exploring the land around their village, two young Plains Indians--Sister Girl and her little brother, Young Wolf--stray too far. After narrowly escaping a roaring prairie fire, the siblings find themselves lost and frightened in the dark, open land until the Star People, "the spirits of the Old Ones who once walked on the earth," offer comfort and guidance home. In clear, captivating language, Nelson, the creator of Gift Horse (2000) and a member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, tells a stirring, original story based on Lakota legend. An extensive author's note introduces Ledger Book Art, the nineteenth-century Plains Indian style of art that influenced Nelson's acrylic paintings."

Web Resources:
http://www.bigorrin.org/sioux_kids.htm
http://puffin.creighton.edu/lakota/index_history.html

> A Boy Named Beckoning: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero

A Boy Named Beckoning: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero

Adapted and illustrated by: Gina Capaldi

"This story reveals the remarkable life of a Native American boy named Wassaja, or "Beckoning," who was kidnapped from his Yavapai tribe and sold as a slave. Adopted by an Italian photographer in 1871 and renamed Carlos Montezuma, the young boy traveled throughout the Old West, bearing witness to the prejudice against and poor treatment of Native Americans. Carlos eventually became a doctor and leader for his people, calling out for their rights.

Gina Capaldi's exquisite paintings bring to life excerpts from Dr. Carlos Montezuma's own letters describing his childhood experiences. The culminating portrait provides an inventive look back into history through the eyes of a Native American hero."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://www.beckoning-carlosmontezuma.com/

The Birchbark House

The Birchbark House

Written by: Louise Erdrich

"Nineteenth-century American pioneer life was introduced to thousands of young readers by Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved Little House books. With The Birchbark House, award-winning author Louise Erdrich's first novel for young readers, this same slice of history is seen through the eyes of the spirited, 7-year-old Ojibwa girl Omakayas, or Little Frog, so named because her first step was a hop. The sole survivor of a smallpox epidemic on Spirit Island, Omakayas, then only a baby girl, was rescued by a fearless woman named Tallow and welcomed into an Ojibwa family on Lake Superior's Madeline Island, the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker. We follow Omakayas and her adopted family through a cycle of four seasons in 1847, including the winter, when a historically documented outbreak of smallpox overtook the island.

Readers will be riveted by the daily life of this Native American family, in which tanning moose hides, picking berries, and scaring crows from the cornfield are as commonplace as encounters with bear cubs and fireside ghost stories. Erdrich--a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwa--spoke to Ojibwa elders about the spirit and significance of Madeline Island, read letters from travelers, and even spent time with her own children on the island, observing their reactions to woods, stones, crayfish, bear, and deer. The author's softly hewn pencil drawings infuse life and authenticity to her poetic, exquisitely wrought narrative. Omakayas is an intense, strong, likable character to whom young readers will fully relate--from her mixed emotions about her siblings, to her discovery of her unique talents, to her devotion to her pet crow Andeg, to her budding understanding of death, life, and her role in the natural world."

Amazon.com Review

Web Resources:
http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/birchbarkhouse.html
http://www.trumpetclub.com/intermediate/activities/birchbark_house.htm

Whale Snow

Whale Snow

Written by: Debby Dahl Edwardson
Illustrated by: Annie Patterson

"Filled with joy, this tale about a loving family and a caring community is something all youngsters can understand. Amiqqaq is home with his grandmother when fat flakes begin to fall. She refers to the precipitation as "whale snow," which occurs when a whale has given itself to the people of their Alaskan village. Soon Amiqqaq's father comes in to announce the kill, and then takes the boy to see the great beast. Before long, Amiqqaq begins to understand the true spirit of the whale, as members of his community come together to celebrate and prepare its different parts for use. The author has included notes about the Iupiat culture, a list of words in Iupiaq, and a link to a Web site where readers can access the story written in that language.

Although infused with the colors of winter, the illustrations create a sense of peace and warmth. Patterson's characters acknowledge the strengths of modern culture without giving up traditional ways: Amiqqaq's father rides a skidoo, but also wears the traditional parka, and villagers dress in various combinations of jeans, parkas, and warm boots. An intriguing glimpse into another culture."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
**this link contains a downloadable readers theatre script on the left side of the page**
http://www.debbydahledwardson.com/whale_snow_89219.htm

Salavi, That is LIfe: A Haitian Story of Hope

Selavi, That is Life: A Haitian Story of Hope

Written by: Youme Landowne

"Through the story of one Haitian child, this stirring picture book puts a human face on news images and tells of young people caught up in the terror of war at home. Selavi finds family with a group of other street children. Helped by a church, they build a shelter. After "others" set fire to the building, the house is rebuilt, and the children start a radio station to reach young people. The simple watercolors show the boy alone, then the warmth of his community and the angry faces of men in uniform. In a moving afterword accompanied by her own documentary photos, Youme, as she's identified on the jacket, tells more of the story, which is based on the experience of homeless kids in Port-au-Prince."

Booklist Review

Awards: Texas Bluebonnet Master List, 2005

Coolies

Coolies

Written by: Yin
Illustrated by: Chris Soentpiet

"When the western line of the transcontinental railroad joined the eastern line at Promontory Point, UT, in 1869, the engraving commemorating the event left out an important group of workers-the Chinese. Derisively called "coolies" by their white overseers, these refugees from Southern China came to California desperate for any work that would help them feed their starving families back home. This picture book, cast as a story told by a modern Chinese grandmother, transforms the familiar ethnic slur into a badge of honor."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://cprr.org/Museum/Chinese.html
http://www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/lesson_plans/lesson01.htm

How My Parents Learned to Eat

How My Parents Learned to Eat

Written by: Ina Friedman
Illustrated by: Allen Say

"A bi-racial child tells the story of how her Japanese mother and American father met, fell in love, struggled to understand each other's ways, and finally married. It's a wonderful portrait of diversity, showing children that superficial differences in cultures don't really mean much and shouldn't get in the way of people appreciating each other."

Amazon.com Review

Web Resources:
http://stancock.iweb.bsu.edu/cyberlessons/Eat.html

Journey Home

Journey Home

Written by: Lawrence McKay
Illustrated by: Dom Lee and Keunhee Lee

"Mai is excited about traveling to Vietnam with her mother. Mom wants to search for her birth family and Mai wants to help solve the mystery. Mai has never been to her mother's homeland, and she wonders what being there will reveal. Will learning about her mother's past help her gain a new sense of identity? Is her "real" home in America or Vietnam?

What Mai discovers about her past will change her life forever. Journey Home is a story for all Americans who, like Mai, want to learn more about themselves through their family histories."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://www.leeandlow.com/p/journey_tg.mhtml

Landed

Landed

Written by: Millie Lee
Illustrated by: Yangsook Choi

"Entering America from China will be difficult for 12-year-old Sun because of the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, even though he will be traveling with his father. He studies hard so that he can answer all of the questions the American officials will ask upon his arrival; he will be alone because his father, a returning merchant, will not have to be interrogated. When he arrives on Angel Island, where Asian immigrants are held for sometimes up to a year, he waits four weeks to be called. The only questions that he cant answer are about directions, and it seems that he might fail the test and be sent back to China.

Finally, with the help of a compass, he passes the test. Based on the experiences of the authors father-in-law, the book recounts a story from a neglected and shameful era in United States history. An authors note gives readers more information about the history of Chinese immigration and suggests resources for further research."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://californiareaders.org/interviews/lee_milly.php

My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

My Chinatown: One Year in Poems

Written and Illustrated by: Kam Mak

"Chinatown -- a place of dragons
and dreams; fireflies
and memories

Chinatown -- full of wonder
and magic; fireworks
on New Year's Day and a delicious
smell on every corner

Chinatown -- where every day
brings something familiar
and something wondrously new
to a small boy

Chinatown -- home?

Kam Mak grew up in a place of two cultures, one existing within the other. Using extraordinarily beautiful paintings and moving poems, he shares a year of growing up in this small city within a city, which is called Chinatown."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://free-reading.net/index.php?title=Introduce_Vocabulary:_My_Chinatown:_One_Year_in_Poems_%28Mak%29

Bringing in the New Year

Bringing in the New Year

Written and Illustrated by: Grace Lin

"This exuberant story follows a Chinese American family as they prepare for the Lunar New Year. Each member of the family lends a hand as they sweep out the dust of the old year, hang decorations, and make dumplings. Then it’s time to put on new clothes and celebrate with family and friends. There will be fireworks and lion dancers, shining lanterns, and a great, long dragon parade to help bring in the Lunar New Year. And the dragon parade in our book is extra long–on a surprise fold-out page at the end of the story. Grace Lin’s artwork is a bright and gloriously patterned celebration in itself! And her story is tailor-made for reading aloud."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.gracelin.com/

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year

Lion Dancer: Ernie Wan's Chinese New Year

Written by: Kate Waters
Illustrated by: Martha Cooper

"On the Chinese New Year, six-year-old Ernie will perform his first Lion Dance. An intimate look at a Chinese household as the family shares a proud moment with Ernie. "A strong supplement for its immediacy, its vibrant color, and its sympathetic look at a Chinese family."

School Library Journal Review
*A Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies*

Online Resources:
http://www.katewaters.com/index.html

Flowers from Mariko

Flowers from Mariko

Written by: Rick Noguchi and Deneen Jenks
Illustrated by: Michelle Reiko Kumata

"This is the story of a Japanese-American girl whose family has suffered through three years of internment at a desolate "relocation center" during World War II. When her father returns to California, he finds that his truck has been sold and that their former landlord has disappeared with the proceeds. This sad event, along with the loss of most of their other possessions, means that Mariko's father cannot immediately resume his gardening business.

The family settles into a bleak trailer park established for returning internees. Bit by bit, they are able to rebuild their lives. The child's father finds some discarded gardening equipment that he can fix and Mariko starts a flower garden that comes to symbolize their rebirth. An author's note provides some brief background that allows children to put the story in context."

School Library Journal Review

Online Resources:
http://www.tolerance.org/resource/flowers-mariko

Armando and the Blue Tarp School

Armando and the Blue Tarp School

Written by: Edith Hope Fine & Judith Pinkerton Josephson
Illustrated by: Hernan Sosa

"This poignant picture book narrated by a young boy is based on a true story of a New York City teacher who set up a school on a blue tarp spread on the ground near a garbage dump in Tijuana, Mexico. Armando works all day with his father in the foul-smelling dump, picking through trash, "some to sell, some to use." He begs his parents to let him go to the blue tarp school, and at last, his parents allow him to attend in the afternoons. Clear, unframed, double-page pictures in watercolor and ink with thick white outlines show the children on the tarp in the midst of the noisy colonia (neighborhood) and also the bond between the boy and his teacher.

When a huge fire burns the neighborhood, Armando's picture of the fiery night is printed alongside the story in the newspaper, and people send money to build a real schoolhouse. A lengthy final note fills in the facts and includes photos of the teacher and the pupils at the school now. Without melodrama, Armando's story shows what poverty means and the hope that things can change."

BOOKLIST

Web Resources

http://www.bluetarpschool.com/

My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/la vida de Gabriela Mistral

My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela: The Life of Gabriela Mistral/la vida de Gabriela Mistral

Written and Illustrated by: Monica Brown

"Gabriela Mistral loved words and sounds and stories. Born in Chile, she would grow to become the first Nobel Prize-winning Latina woman in the world. As a poet and a teacher, she inspired children across many countries to let their voices be heard. This beautifully crafted story, where words literally come to life, is told with the rhythm and melody of a poem. The second in Luna Rising's bilingual storybook biography series. My Name is Gabriela/Me llamo Gabriela is beautiful tribute to a woman who taught us the power of words and the importance of following our dreams. The story of Gabriela Mistral will continue to inspire children everywhere."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.monicabrown.net/books/gabriela.html
http://pdfs.nbnbooks.com/NB/N_S/NBN_SM_0873588592.pdf

The Farolitos of Christmas

The Farolitos of Christmas

Written and Illustrated by: Rudolfo Anaya

Elementary Grades

"Richly colored full-page paintings show a lovingly individualized Chicano family that is part of a New Mexico community in the open landscape under the starlit winter sky. Anaya's upbeat story, first published in a magazine in 1987, focuses on Luz, a young girl whose father, wounded in World War II, hasn't come home yet. Her sick grandfather is not strong enough to cut the logs for the traditional luminarias (small bonfires), so Luz and her Indian friend Reina from a nearby pueblo find a way to make farolitos (lighted candles in paper bags weighted with sand) to light the way for the Christmas pilgrims. The Spanish words are a natural part of the narrative (they're explained in a glossary at the back), and if the plot's contrived (Dad returns home just in time), the image of the path of light is touching and beautiful."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://gosw.about.com/od/artscraftsandshopping/a/luminarias.htm

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story

The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story

Written by: Rudolpho Anaya
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova

Elementary Grades

"The First Tortilla is a moving, bilingual story of courage and discovery. A small Mexican village is near starvation. There is no rain, and the bean and squash plants are dying. Jade, a young village girl, is told by a blue hummingbird to take a gift to the Mountain Spirit. Then it will send the needed rain. Burning lava threatens her, but Jade reaches the top of the volcano. The Mountain Spirit is pleased. It allows the ants in a nearby cave to share their corn with Jade. The corn was sweet and delicious and Jade took some back to save the village. Jade grinds the dry corn, adds water, and makes dough. She pats the masa and places it on hot stones near the fire. She has made the first tortilla. Soon the making of corn tortillas spreads throughout Mexico and beyond."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=3&bookID=00000718

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Rin, Rin, Rin, Do, Re, Mi

Written by: Jose-Luis Orozco
Illustrated by: David Diaz

"This lively bilingual Spanish-English picture book depicts how everyday family activities such as cooking, singing, and storytelling prepare children for reading and life."

Publishers Synopsis

Online Resources:
http://www.joseluisorozco.com/

Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, dia y noche

Quinito, Day and Night/Quinito, dia y noche

Written by: Ina Cumpiano
Illustrated by: Jose Ramirez

"The author-illustrator team that created Quinito’s Neighborhood (2005) now focuses on family fun in a book about opposites, which is also a celebration of differences. English and Spanish appear on each double-page spread, accompanied by large, bright acrylic illustrations, with shapes thickly outlined in black, that picture Quinito as the middle kid in his family. He and his brother and little sister are young; Grandma and Grandpa are old. Papi is neat; Quinito’s little brother, who leaves his toys everywhere, is messy. When it’s rainy, Quinito is stuck inside and sad; when it’s sunny, he happily cycles outdoors. The appended bilingual glossary of opposites will inspire them to return to the exuberant scenarios in the book."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://pbskids.org/martha/parentsteachers/activities/oppositeday.html

Calling the Doves

Calling the Doves
Written by: Juan Felipe Herrera
Illustrated by: Elly Simmons

Elementary Grades - Bilingual

"Calling the Doves is poet Juan Felipe Herrera's story of his migrant farmworker childhood. In delightful and lyrical language, he recreates the joy of eating breakfast under the open sky, listening to Mexican songs in the little trailer house his father built, and celebrating with other families at a fiesta in the mountains. He remembers his mother singing songs and reciting poetry, and his father telling stories and calling the doves. For Juan Felipe, the farmworker road was also the beginning of his personal road to becoming a writer."

Children's Book Press

Online Resources:
http://www.parents-choice.org/article.cfm?art_id=295&the_page=reading_list

A Day's Work

A Day's Work

Written by: Eve Bunting
Illustrated by: Ronald Himler

"Francisco, trying to find work for his grandfather, or abuelo, who has just arrived from Mexico, acts as a liaison between Abuelo, who doesn't speak English, and Ben, who wants to hire a gardener for a day's work. Eager to earn the badly needed pay, Francisco assures Ben that his grandfather is a skilled gardener (Abuelo is in fact a carpenter). Returning at the end of the day, Ben is shocked to discover that Francisco and Abuelo stripped his field of the plants and left the weeds. Abuelo is also angered, learning only now that Francisco had lied to Ben, and refuses payment until they have done the job correctly.

Recognizing the older man's integrity, Ben rewards Abuelo and Francisco with the promise of "more than just one day's work." Says Ben of the plants: "The roots are still there. If they've replanted early, they'll be alright." Similarly, Francisco is given a chance to start over. He changes from a naively parental figure to a child who "had begun to learn the important things." The shift in the boy's role quietly suggests not only the importance of a work ethic but also Francisco's need to be a child, guided by a caring adult."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://www.mrscarosclass.com/eve_bunting.htm

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Written by: Kathleen Krull
Illustrated by: Yuyi Morales

"Cesar Chavez is known as one of America's greatest civil rights leaders. When he led a 340-mile peaceful protest march through California, he ignited a cause and improved the lives of thousands of migrant farmworkers. But Cesar wasn't always a leader. As a boy, he was shy and teased at school. His family slaved in the fields for barely enough money to survive. Cesar knew things had to change, and he thought that—maybe—he could help change them. So he took charge. He spoke up. And an entire country listened."

Publishers Review

Web Resources:
http://www.chavezfoundation.org/
http://litplans.com/titles/Harvesting_Hope_the_Story_of_Cesar_Chavez_Kathleen_Krull.html

What Can You Do with a Rebozo?

What Can You Do With a Rebozo?

Written by: Carmen Taffola
Illustrated by: Amy Cordova

"A cradle for baby, a superhero's cape, a warm blanket on a cool night--there are so many things you can do with a rebozo. Through the eyes of a young girl, readers are introduced to the traditional shawl found in many Mexican and Mexican-American households. Pictures of family life frame simply rhythmic text, and rich bands of jewel-toned acrylics highlight and demonstrate both the versatility of the shawl and the warm family relationships."

School Library Journal

Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration

Clatter Bash! A Day of the Dead Celebration

Written and Illustrated by: Richard Keep

"A Day of the Dead Celebration by Richard Keep honors both the memorial and festive aspects of this Mexican holiday. Cut-paper collages, accented with paints and markers show impeccably dressed skeletons feasting and chasing butterflies as night falls. "Swirl-twirl/ Cha-cha-cha/ Boom!/ Clatter Bash!" appears beneath a spread of fireworks exploding over bony dancers and sombrero-clad skeletons playing music. A more formal explanation of the holiday's traditions concludes the fiesta-bright volume."

Publishers Weekly Review

Online Resources:
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-education.html

Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book

Calavera Abecedario: A Day of the Dead Alphabet Book

Written and Illustrated by: Jeanette Winter

"Every year Don Pedro and his family make papier-mache skeletons, or calaveras, for Mexico's Day of the Dead fiesta. From Angel and Doctor to Mariachi and Unicornio, each letter of the alphabet has its own special calavera.

Come dance with them in this unusual ABC book inspired by a real Mexican family of artists and the many colorful folk-art traditions surrounding the celebration of the Day of the Dead.

Includes a glossary of Spanish words and an author's note."

Publishers Synopsis

Web Resources:
http://www.azcentral.com/ent/dead/articles/dead-education.html

That's Not Fair! / No Es Justo!: Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice/La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia

That's Not Fair! / No Es Justo!: Emma Tenayuca's Struggle for Justice/La lucha de Emma Tenayuca por la justicia

Written by: Carmen Tafolla and Sharyll Teneyuca
Illustrated by: Terry Ybanez

"This handsome picture-book biography in English and Spanish relates the struggle of Mexican American farmworkers in the early twentieth century through the perspectiive of Emma Tenayuca, who became a labor activist. Growing up in San Antonio, Texas, in the early twentieth century, Tenayuca was shocked by the gross inequality around her, comparing her comfortable home to the extreme poverty of the many families of factory and farmworkers. As a smart, kind teenager, she spoke in public about the plight of the pecan shellers in the factories, and at 21, in 1938, she led 12,000 workers in a strike that forced factory owners to raise wages. Co-authored by the late Tenayuca’s niece and one of the activist’s friends, the story is heavy on exclamatory messages. Yet the stirring, unfamiliar chapter in labor history and the humanitarian efforts of Tenayuca herself will intrigue children, who will also like the bold, mural-like illustrations, which show a child confronting suffering and growing up to make a difference."

Booklist Review

Online Resources:
http://www.houstonculture.org/hispanic/tenayuca.html

In My Family

In My Family

Written and Illustrated by: Carmen Lomas Garza

Available in English and Spanish

Taken from the introduction of In My Family: "When I was growing up, a lot of us were punished for speaking Spanish. We were punished for being who we were, and we were made to feel ashamed of our culture. That was very wrong. My art is a way of healing these wounds."

This is a very touching auto-biographical story told in pictures of how the author dealt with cultural issues related to growing up in a Mexican-American community in Texas. If you loved her first book, Family Pictures, you'll love sharing more of the stories and images that remain so vividly in Carmen's memory, and that have influenced so much of her art.

Winner of the Pura Belpre Honor Book, 1997
Texas Bluebonnett Master List, 1997-1998

Martin's Big Words

Martin's Big Words

Written by: Doreen Rappoport
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier

Elementary Grades

"A brief biography of Dr. Martin Luther King uses memorable words from his speeches to highlight important moments in his life. Large type and arresting collages draw the reader’s attention to Dr. King’s powerful statements. Bryan Collier grabs the reader’s emotional attention with collages made from watercolor, torn paper, and photographic images. each illustration powerfully and passionately interprets the big words spoken by Dr. King. Beginning with the strong, striking cover portrait and stained glass end papers, he conveys a reverential feeling in his art, which causes the reader to pause and think about the meaning of Dr. King’s important words."

American Library Association Review

Awards:
Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2002
Orbis Pictus Award Winner for Outstanding Nonfiction, 2002
Caldecott Honor Book, 2002

Web Resources:
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=92

Freedom on the Menu

Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by: Jerome LaGarrique

"Set in Greensboro, North Carolina, in 1960, this picture book tells a story of desegregation from the viewpoint of one little girl. Growing up in the South, Connie understands that there are places where she and other African Americans can and cannot eat, drink, swim, and use the bathroom. But after Dr. King visits the local college chapel to preach and her older siblings become active in the NAACP, she also knows that her people are working for change.

When her brother's friends sit down at a dime-store lunch counter that refuses them service, their act of peaceful protest starts a wave of similar demonstrations that brings better times to their community and throughout the South. An author's note gives background information about the events in Greensboro that year. Simple and straightforward, the first-person narrative relates events within the context of one close-knit family. Though rather dark, the well-composed, painterly illustrations show up well from a distance. A handsome book for classroom reading, even for middle-grade students."

Booklist Review

Web Resources:
http://www.caroleweatherford.com/freedom_lesson_plan.htm

A Negro League Scrapbook

A Negro League Scrapbook

Written by: Carole Boston Weatherford

"An engaging overview, richly augmented by archival photographs. Weatherford's text covers a great deal of ground, with a summation of the history of the Negro Leagues and sections on the pitchers, hitters, utility men, various teams, and so forth. Each topic is briefly covered on a spread of text with black-and-white photos and full-color realia designed to look like a scrapbook. Topics are introduced with a few lines of verse. Beginning with a thoughtful foreword by Buck O'Neil, the book is especially successful in conveying the significance of the Negro Leagues to the black community, and in detailing the realities of segregation."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:

http://www.caroleweatherford.com/baseball.htm
http://www.nlbpa.com/

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys

Virgie Goes to School with Us Boys

Written by: Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard
Illustrated by: Earl B. Lewis

"The youngest and the only girl in a family with five boys, Virgie works hard to convince everyone she is old enough, strong enough, and smart enough to attend the school set up by the Quakers for recently freed blacks in Jonesborough, TN. By the end of summer, she has convinced her family that she can make the seven-mile walk to board at school each week and willingly handle the job of "learning to be free." The story is a superb tribute to the author's great aunt, the inspiration for this book. Howard crystallizes each of the family members, setting the protagonist snugly in the midst of annoying but loving brothers and wise parents. A note provides more information about the school and family in this story."

School Library Journal Review

Awards:
Coretta Scott King Honor Book, 2001

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Written and illustrated by: Kadir Nelson

"The story of Negro League baseball is the story of gifted athletes and determined owners; of racial discrimination and international sportsmanship; of fortunes won and lost; of triumphs and defeats on and off the field. It is a perfect mirror for the social and political history of black America in the first half of the twentieth century. But most of all, the story of the Negro Leagues is about hundreds of unsung heroes who overcame segregation, hatred, terrible conditions, and low pay to do the one thing they loved more than anything else in the world: play ball.

Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through its decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947. The voice is so authentic, you will feel as if you are sitting on dusty bleachers listening intently to the memories of a man who has known the great ballplayers of that time and shared their experiences. But what makes this book so outstanding are the dozens of full-page and double-page oil paintings--breathtaking in their perspectives, rich in emotion, and created with understanding and affection for these lost heroes of our national game."

Publisher Description

Awards:
Coretta Scott King Award, 2009
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2009-2010

Web Resources:
http://www.negroleaguebaseball.com/

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship and Freedom

Written by: Tim Tingle
Illustrated by: Jeanne Rorax Bridges

Elementary Grades

"Dramatic, quiet, and warming, this is a story of friendship across cultures in 1800s Mississippi. While searching for blackberries, Martha Tom, a young Choctaw, breaks her village's rules against crossing the Bok Chitto. She meets and becomes friends with the slaves on the plantation on the other side of the river, and later helps a family escape across it to freedom when they hear that the mother is to be sold. Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers. The layout is well designed for groups as the images are large and easily seen from a distance. There is a note on modern Choctaw culture, and one on the development of this particular work. This is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated, though the ending requires a somewhat large leap of the imagination."

School Library Journal Review

Awards:
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2008-2009
American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008

Web Resources:
www.cincopuntos.com/pdf/crossing_bok_chitto_guide.pdf
http://suzyred.com
/2008crossingbokchitto.html

Gabriel's Horses

Gabriel's Horses

Written by: Alison Hart

"On a Kentucky plantation during the Civil War, slave Gabriel Alexander, 12, cares for his master's thoroughbred racehorses and dreams of being a great jockey, just like his dad. After Pa enlists with the Yankees, the boy also yearns to be a soldier and fight for freedom. At the core of this stirring historical novel is the question of what freedom means. Runaway slaves and freemen join the Yankee army only to dig ditches and collect firewood for white soldiers. The boy's first-person, present-tense narrative brings close the thrilling horse racing––on the plantation, at the race course, and in the war––and the African American history in all its complexity."

Booklist Review

Awards:
Texas Bluebonnet Nominee, 2008-2009

Web Resources:
http://suzyred.com/2008gabrielshorses.html

Henry's Freedom Box

Henry's Freedom Box

Written by: Ellen Levine
Illustrated by: Kadir Nelson

"Inspired by an actual 1830s lithograph, this beautifully crafted picture book briefly relates the story of Henry "Box" Brown's daring escape from slavery. Torn from his mother as a child, and then forcibly separated from his wife and children as an adult, a heartsick and desperate Brown conspired with abolitionists and successfully traveled north to Philadelphia in a packing crate. His journey took just over one full day, during which he was often sideways or upside down in a wooden crate large enough to hold him, but small enough not to betray its contents. The story ends with a reimagining of the lithograph that inspired it, in which Henry Brown emerges from his unhappy confinement—in every sense of the word—and smiles upon his arrival in a comfortable Pennsylvania parlor."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://www.readingtokids.org/Books/BookView.php?pag=3&bookID=00000590
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=32442

Circle Unbroken

Circle Unbroken

Written by: Margot Theis Raven
Illustrated by: E.B. Lewis

"A book about the origins of the intricate technique and art of basket making as preserved by the Africans who were brought to America as slaves and their descendants. A grandmother guides her granddaughter's hands as she teaches her the art of basket sewing. When the child asks her how she came to make baskets, the woman's answer harkens back to a time when one of their ancestors, the child's "old-timey grandfather," is being initiated into manhood in a village in Africa. Part of the rite involves being able to make a grass basket woven or coiled so tightly that it can hold water. Soon after this event, the young man is captured, transported to America, and sold as a slave at an auction in Charleston, SC. During the day he works the fields, but by night he makes baskets, and this skill is passed down from one generation to the next.

Raven's text masterfully frames several hundred years of African-American history within the picture-book format. Lewis's double-page, watercolor images are poignant and perfectly matched to the text and mood. A section at the end of the book offers information about the "coil" or "Gullah" baskets, as they are known today, as well as the regions of Africa where this art form originated."

School Library Journal Review

Web Resources:
http://suzyred.com/2005circle.html