Reviews of Books for Emerging Bilinguals

[Kathleen]

Welcome! Write away!

[Christina]

Arnold, Tedd. (2007). Even More Parts.New York:Puffin

Even More Parts is a book about a boy who explores figures of speech. Each page contains great illustrations that describes what the boy thinks the idioms mean.For example, for "I lost my head," tho boy is pictured with his head inside his shirt, and his hands stretched out. This book is illustrated with colored pencils and watercolor. It’s a funny and cute book that kids and adults both will laugh out loud. Great way for kids to understand terms of figurative speech.

This book I think is perfect for all grades,I particularly recommended for preschool and kindergarten. This book includes many of the American idioms, that many ELL may have trouble understanding.It is great because the character is a young boy who is also confused. The illustrations not only bring a good laugh, but gives the example of what it means. It's almost as if the illustrations are translation for every language.

[Christina]

Anna Grossnickle-Hines.Thea Kliros. (1999). What To Do In The Rain. Greenwillow.

This book is a small board book. The illustrations contain water color paintings of multicultural children splashing in puddles,making mud pies and engaging in other weather-geared activities.This book is one of four seasonal books.A great book to explore all possibilities in the rain.

What to do in the rain, is perfect for preschoolers as well as ELL students. The text in this book contains very short sentences,also featuring a wonderful painted illustration. This active board book will draw any child to use all senses while reading.

[Master]

Martin
EDGIP 480 - Spring 2013
Week 3 – Good Reads
1/31/13


Coles, Robert. (1995) The Story of Ruby Bridges. New York: Scholastic Books. Biography

This is the story of the first black student to integrate an-all white public school in New Orleans. It is written in a language easy for children to understand, without sugar-coating too many of the devastating details.

A great story for discussing adversity. This book provides opportunities to discuss race, equality and fairness for all. It does not use stereotypes or mask the events in our history. It is a good story to help students understand racism.

dePaola, Tomie. (1989). The Art Lesson. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Biography

A little boy because quickly discouraged after his creativity and new box of crayons are stymied by a new art teacher who wants cookie cutter art, and does not allow him to use his big box of crayons.

dePaola makes a poignant statement saying, “His teacher says, “It wouldn’t be fair to let you do something different from the rest of the class.” But he does, “And he still does.” It shows students that being and individual and creative is something to embrace.

Henkes, Kevin. (199). Chrysanthemum. New York: Harper Collins Publishing. Traditional.

A little mouse is enamored with her name – until she starts school, and becomes withdrawn and worried about the unusual sound, spelling and length. The story line includes an expecting teacher, which decides to name her new baby after Chrysanthemum.

Excellent reading for helping children to learn and appreciate names. This is a good book for ELLs starting school, and building self-confidence.

Keats, Erza Jack. (1964). Whistle For Willie. New York: Puffin Books. Realistic Fiction

A little boy takes a leisurely stroll through his neighborhood, and tries desperately to learn how to whistle after watching another boy whistle for his dog. He tries several times, and soon produces a whistle, and enjoys playing a trick on his dog.
Determination and communication make a perfect mix. In any language, a child needs to be heard, and get his message across. This story identifies the need to communicate,

Lionni, Leo. (1975) A Color of His Own. New York: Random House. Picture Book.

A chameleon becomes despondent because he doesn’t have his own color. He realizes he will change color based on whatever he lands upon. He meets another chameleon who tells him, “We still change color wherever we go, but you and I will always be alike.”

Beautifully illustrated story reviews basic colors and animals. Reinforcement to show students we are all different, yet alike. It’s an ideal story on building self-esteem.

Rey, Margaret & H.A. (1966) Curious George Goes To the Hospital. New York. Houghton Mifflin. Realistic Fiction/Anthology.

My all-time favorite anthology is Curious George. I learned to read with Curious George books. George is a monkey who was taken from Africa, but instead of staying in a zoo, becomes a good companion for his new friend, The Man In the Yellow Hat. I cry every time I get to the section when George has to spend the night in the hospital, and he realizes he is alone without his friend.

Although it’s a bit unrealistic that George always manages to save the day at the end of every story, there are plenty of situations to encourage engagement with all children. George finds a way to express himself through emotions and actions.

Slate, Joseph. (2001). Miss Bindergarten Takes a Field Trip with Kindergarten. New York: Penguin Putman Books. Picture Book./Anthology/Realistic Fiction

I fell in love with Miss Bindergarten, and the original story, Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten when I did my undergrad studies. The young animals and their parents portray children from all different backgrounds, and unique names.

I like the fact that this series includes a lion cub in a wheelchair. The young animal’s names start with the same letter that identifies them. This helps emerging ELL readers with learning and pronouncing letters. I used this story for part of my SIOP Kindergarten Lesson Plan 1. It is a good story for comparing/contrasting school field trips and/or neighborhood walks.

Wadsworth, Olive. (1992) Over in the Meadow. New York: Scholastic. Poetry/Traditional.

This poem illustrates farm animals and their young, and presents delightful rhymes and predictable text in counting. I observed a kindergarten teacher use the story as a play for her cumulating end of the year program.

Poetry and counting helps establish patterns, and in this story – verb and noun agreement. The students can identify animals and their young, while chanting the lyrics.

Carle, Eric. (1969). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Putman Brothers. Traditional/Picture Book/Realistic Fiction.

Hands down, this is the definitely the all around favorite for every Pre-K and Kindergarten classroom. The artwork is magnificent, and story is very touching, and amusing.

This is a wonderful story for teaching about the life cycle of butterflies. It also serves as a good counting book. Children can relate to being ill from overeating. I used this story as a cumulating activity for one of my preschool graduations.

Wood, Audrey. (1984). The Napping House. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. Picture Book.

The artwork in this book is vivid and moving. It is a beautifully illustrated story is about a family who finds comfort piling in the bed together. The repetition, rhyming, and delightful story is good for language and identifying common things in a home, and animals.

Students can identify the many animals, the objects in the home, and the concept of a family bed, which is common in many cultures. This story can encourage conversation on similarities and differences in how families live.

[Megan]

Levine, Ellen. (1989). I Hate English!. New York: Scholastic Inc.

I Hate English! Is a realistic fiction book about a young girl, Mei Mei, who recently moved to Chinatown, New York from China. While Mei Mei was not too happy with the decision to move to New York, she liked where she lived because the people looked and talked like people she knew. However, when it was time for her to go to school she did not like it at all because everything was in English. While she understood what her teacher and classmates were saying, she missed her native language and thought English boring. Her cousin took her to the Chinatown Learning Center one day and she loved being there because she could work with students who were just like her in her own language. One day though, a terrible thing happened and a teacher, Nancy, came to help Mei Mei with English. A few days after she worked with Nancy, Mei Mei was able to break the barrier that was stopping her from speaking and liking English.

I believe this book is appropriate for K-4 grade children to read as a group and 2-4 graders to read on their own. This would be an excellent book for English Language Learners. I think children of any age who come here from another country could read and relate to this book. Mei Mei faces many challenges in her new country; anger no one else speaks her language, fear she will forget her native language, and fear she will forget her identity. I believe many English Language Learners will go through many of these difficulties if they move to a new country so this book would be good for them to see how a person who is like them deals with these issues.
I Hate English!

[Megan]

Siegelson, Kim. (1999). In the Time of the Drums. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

The historical fiction book, In the Time of the Drums, gives an idea of how Ibo’s Landing in Georgia got its name. The little boy in the story, Mentu, was born in the United States but his grandmother, Twi, was from Africa. Twi taught Mentu many things about their homeland; how to play the drums and African songs. She also taught him how to be strong because he was going to need that as he got older for his slave duties. When a ship arrived with a whole village of Ibo people, the sounds of drums, the music of Africa, played all along the shore. The people aboard thought they were home when unfortunately they were in another country where they were going to be enslaved. It was at this time Twi told Mentu he needed to be strong, not forget who he is, where he comes from, and to help others remember as well and she left him.

In the Time of the Drums is an appropriate book for children in second to fifth grade. This book is good for any child of this age to read because it shows a brief history of how life used to be in the United States. It would be good for English Language Learners to read because it shows how one should not forget who they are and where they come from. America is full of people who come from all over the world and it is important for ELL’s to see they are not the only ones who are different. Everyone has a unique but important story of where they came from and no one’s background is the same.

In the Time of the Drums

[Megan]

Mennen, Ingrid. (1992). Somewhere in Africa. United States: Dutton.

Somewhere in Africa is a book about a child Ashraf who lives in a city on the very tip of Africa. The story portrays what life is like in the city he lives in with traffic lights, noisy cars, markets, city people, etc. It also talks about how Ashraf reads about how somewhere in Africa he knows there are jungles with wild animals and a blazing sun but that is not where he lives.

Somewhere in Africa is good for children ages 6-8 because the vocab is not too extensive and the text is not very long. This book does a good job sharing the culture of this African boy, Ashraf. Ashraf goes shares what he goes through on a daily basis which shows the reader he does not live in the part of Africa many Americans stereotype as Africa. Somewhere in Africa tries to relate the life of this young boy who lives in Africa to the lives of other little kids who might be reading. Hopefully children are making a connection to this child even though he is from a different continent. One example it says how he walks down the streets, jumping over the cracks, which I’m sure a lot of kids do as they walk down the sidewalk.

Somewhere in Africa

[Jessica]

Bunting, E. (1996). Going Home (D. Diaz, Illustrator). Joanna Cotler Books.

“Going Home” By Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz, is a picture book geared towards 4-8 year-olds. The narrator, Carlos, tells the storyhis family’s trip back to Mexico from California for Christmas. Carlos learns that his parents, who work as farm laborers, left their home and relatives in Mexico in order to come to the United States so that he and his sisters would have more opportunities. The United States is portrayed as a land of opportunity which is why many immigrate, like Carlos’ family. Speaking English, opportunity, and a “good education” are emphasized by Carlos’ relatives in Mexico, while Carlos begins to recognize the difficulty his parents faced when leaving “La Perla” in Mexico. However, as he sees his parents and family celebrate together and enjoy the village, Carlos realizes that his home is both in the United States and in Mexico; home is where is family is.


This book would be good for ELLs because it addresses an important reason for why many people migrate to the U.S.: opportunity. Carlos, his parents, and his family in Mexico all mention how the U.S. has many opportunities, including education and work, which would be important to point out to young students. The pictures and descriptions of the trip allows students to compare the different lifestyles of two places that are very close together (California and small villages like “La Perla” with sheep in the road). Mexican-American students may be able to relate to this book because of their own experiences or those they have heard from their family or friends.

[Maura]

Mochizuki, Ken. (1993). Baseball Saved Us. New York: Lee & Low Books, Inc. Historical Fiction

A little Japanese- American boy encounters racism in the United States after World War II. The US government mandated law places Japanese- Americans in temporary internment camps. Trying to remain in touch with their normal lives, internment campers create a baseball diamond, which saves them by providing entertainment in a place of despair.

This is a great historical book to teach students 1st- 3rd grade to view history from other’s perspectives. The nameless protagonist proclaims, “It’s wrong that we’re in here. We’re Americans, too!” Although we frequently view ourselves as victims of the terrifying Pearl Harbor attacks, we fail to teach other victims- Japanese-Americans- who faced racism in their own country. Ironically, he is playing baseball, a sport we identify as America’s pastime. This is a great book to discuss the diverse America we live in. This is important to teach ELL and natives alike- people from all different places and walks alike make up America.

Siegelson, Kim L. (1999). In the Time of the Drums. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
Historical Fiction

Siegelson puts to life an Ibo mythological legend passed down through generations of African Americans. Twi was a powerful woman who was feared by both black and white men in a land where her people were enslaved and put to work on plantations. She was feared, not for her force, but because of the magic she possessed. When she heard an incoming boat docking in Gullah Island carrying enslaved Africans, she walked to the shore, shed her years, and transformed into a younger woman. There, she helped free the slaves by walking out into the water. Mentu, her protégé, became a magician himself- telling stories of Twi, banged his traditional African drum, and never forgot his heritage and roots.

This is a good story to tell to students between 3rd and 5th grade. The story explains that real strength is demonstrated through heritage and never forgetting your place of origin- an important lesson to teach ELL. Despite the many hardships that the Ibo people faced, they continued to participate in their traditions- story telling, singing, dancing, and playing music.

[Holly]

Book #1: Carle, Eric. (1969). The Very Hungry Caterpillar. New York: Putman Brothers. Picture Book.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar teaches students about the lifecycle of a butterfly. The book is full of vibrant colors and depicts nature wonderfully! I believe this book is great for young ELL’s because it establishes color patterns, can be used for counting and days of the week, shows children the consequences of healthy and unhealthy eating, and provides children with the knowledge of knowing the lifecycle of a butterfly without them even realizing it!


Book #2: Cheng, Andrea, and Ange Zhang. Grandfather Counts. New York: Lee & Low, 2000. Fiction.

Grandfather Counts tells the story of Gong Gong who is moving from China to America to live with Helen’s family. Moving to America was problematic for Gong Gong at first because he speaks no English, and his grandchildren speak no Chinese. Because of this, Gong Gong keeps to himself, only reading the Chinese newspapers he brought with him on his journey. One day, Gong Gong beings counting train cars in Chinese. As Helen sits beside him, Gong Gong teaches Helen the words in Chinese and Helen reciprocates by teaching her grandfather the same words in English. Helen and her grandfather continue teaching each other new words and they develop a special bond with each other.

This is a great book for ELL’s because it simulates what they might have felt like when coming over from Mexico or somewhere different. They too might have kept to themselves, knowing little English or having few friends. I like the message this book shows that despite language and cultural differences, we can break down those barriers and can even teach each other new things.


Book #3: Soto, Gary. Baseball in April and Other Stories. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1990. Chapter Book/ Realistic Fiction.

Baseball in April and Other stories is a collection of short stories which retell the events of daily life in the eyes of young kids. These events reveal themes such as friendship and love, success and failure, youth and growing up, and the triumphs faced by young people all around the world. The stories primarily focus on the everyday experiences of young Hispanic people growing up in Fresno, California. All of the characters in the stories struggle and long to be accepted in the world around them.

This is a great book for ELL’s ages 10 and up because although the book focuses on young Hispanic students, all kids who are growing up are facing the same hardships and are able to relate. This book teaches us that although we may be from different backgrounds or cultures, we are all faced with struggles, and we all have the same hopes and desires as the children from these stories.


Book #4: Levine, Ellen, and Wayne Parmenter. If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island. New York: Scholastic, 1993. Historical Nonfiction

If Your Name Was Changed At Ellis Island is nonfiction book that tells the stories of the immigrants who were forced to come through Ellis Island in New York. The book goes into great detail of what Ellis Island was like and how it came to be a center for immigrants coming to live in America. The book provides quotes and personal stories from children and adults who passed through and lived to share the hardships they went through. Some of these included not being able to speak the language or not being able to read, being separated or having to leave family behind, and also the poor conditions of the ships and establishments they had to wait in.

This is a great book for ELL’s and all students because it shares what life is like for people immigrating into America. It provides a great perspective on the hard times people are faced, whether they are emigrating from places in Europe or Mexico. Some children might even be able to relate to some of these struggles while others will become more aware of what some of their classmates are faced with.


Book #5: Bloch, Serge. Butterflies In My Stomach and Other School Hazards. N.p.: Sterling, 2011.

Butterflies In My Stomach tells a story of a young boy and the nerves he faces on the first day of school. The story is told through a series of idioms such as “You better hurry up or you’ll be in a pickle if you miss the bus” or “waking up on the wrong side of the bed”. The book is filled with pencil drawings and illustrations of real items that relate to each idiom used.

This book is great for young ELL’s because not only does it cover some of the emotions children will feel on the first day of school, but it also covers common American idioms that ELL’s may struggle understanding.


Book #6: Martin, Bill, and Eric Carle. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? New York: H. Holt, 1992. Board Book/Poetry.

Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? is a board book sharing the story of Brown Bear and his friends. This is a great book for younger ELL students who are learning colors and rhyming. The book provides pictures clues as the story goes along (talking about a yellow duck, readers see a picture of a yellow duck). The book is easy to read, contains simple sentences, and will teach children about a variety of animals and colors, all while they are learning to rhyme.


Book #7: Woodson, Jacqueline, and Earl B. Lewis. The Other Side. New York: Putnam's, 2001. Fiction/Young Adult.

The Other Side shares the story of two girls: Clover and Annie. In the town where they live, a fence runs through, segregating the two sides. Clover and her family live on the African-American side and Annie’s family lives on the white side of town. Both girls are warned by their mothers to stay clear of the fence, but with curiosity getting the best of them, the two girls strike up a friendship as each of them spend more and more time by the fence.

This book is great for ELL’s and all children because it shows us that although we may look different or may come from different places (even if it’s a fence dividing a town); we can break down those barriers. These two girls showed us that race issues and cultural lines can be broken down and that friendships may exist in places we never thought were possible.


Book #8: Priddy, Roger. My Big Book of Everything. New York: DK, 1996. Picture Book.

My Big Book of Everything contains exactly what it says: a little bit of everything. The book includes over 800 pictures of things such as cars, flowers, things we find in our house, etc. Although this is not a traditional book that may be used in the classroom, I believe it can be a great tool or resource in teaching young ELL’s (ages 4-7) new vocabulary words. ELL students often have a hard time learning the translations to words they know in their first language. Therefore, this is a great support for teaching them the English equivalency to what they already know.


Book #9: Frank, Anne. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Bantam, 1993. Biography.

Anne Frank’s diary reveals to us what life was like for a young Jewish girl during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Anne Frank describes the joys and torments of her life, especially during her teen years. We learn of what life was like before the Holocaust and what Anne and her family had to endure while in the concentration camps.

This diary is a great read for ELL students, particularly at the middle school level when they are at the time in their life similar to when Anne Frank wrote her diary. Frank’s diary provides us with another example of a culture/religion/group of people who are seen as outsider. Many students might be able to relate to the feeling of being an outsider. This diary compels students to think about deeper issues such as race, bigotry, roots of evil, etc.

Book #10: Parr, Todd. It's Okay to Be Different. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001.

It’s Okay to Be Different is marked by bright and bold colors, silly scenes and creative style. This book is all about the idea that it’s okay to be different. Whether you have a different skin color, are from a different place, or look differently than your friends we should all be confident with who and what we are.

This is a wonderful book for young ELL’s (ages 4-6) and teaching them that we should love who we are and that each of us is unique in our own way. This book teaches acceptance of not only ourselves but also the acceptance of others. Young ELL’s may be afraid of speaking a different language, having a different skin color, etc., but this book shows us that those things can be overlooked.

[Stephanie]

Say, Allen. Tea With Milk. New York:Houghton Miffilin Company, 1999

Tea with Milk explores how different cultures can harmonize. Say describes how his parents met; his real name is Masako, but referred to as May by everyone else. He lives in San Francisco as an immigrant from Japan. Masako's mother, of Japanese hertiage, takes a job as a translator and meets a Chinese man. The Chinese business man, is bilingual and enjoys his tea with milk. Illustrations in the beginning of the book portray kimonos and traditional garb and towards the end of the book the characters are wearing westernized clothing. This book explains the struggles of two cultures becoming one in Western society.

This book is geared towards primary aged children (ages 7-9). This book portrays a common scenario for many first generation families coming over to the United States for the first time and attempting to find their identity and make a life for themselves. It is a great book for ELLs because it is literature they can connect and relate too. Even if they are not Japanese or Chinese they can still relate to the struggles of being of another culture, not knowing the language and finding their identity.

[Megan]

Flanagan, Alice. (1996). A busy day at Mr. Kang’s grocery store. United States: Children’s Press, Inc.

This story is about Mr. Kang and his family and how they came to America from Korea to start their own business. He discusses all the hard, busy work he must put in to make sure the business is successful. He also says how hard it was to come from a different country and learn new things like language, customers, and schools for his two children. However, he believes all his hard work has paid off and he has made his dreams come true.

I believe this is a good book for children in grades first to third grade. It teaches them good lessons on how to work hard to make their dreams come true even though they might be in a new country with new language and new customers. Many ESL students would be able to relate to this story because their parents or grandparents might have gone through the same thing.

[Megan]

Grimes, Nicki. (2000). Shoe Magic. New York: Orchard Books.

Through the use of poems, this story shows the many different careers and dreams that go along with the shoes that children can wear. With each pair of shoes it has the children wear, there is a poem of all they can do in these shoes and then what career they might possibly be in and all the places they could go.

This book of poems would be appropriate for kids ages 5-8. Shoe Magic would be good for ESL students because the pictures show different ethnic characters and what they are doing with the shoes on their feet showing anyone and everyone can do these things. Through these different shoes, it shows children how everyone is different but still can do what they want to do.

[Megan]

Morris, Ann. (2000). Families. United States: Hampton-Brown.

Families does an excellent job of portraying how everyone, everywhere is a part of a family. It goes to say everyone’s family can be different based on size of siblings, aunts, cousins, and uncles. It shares that regardless the size or where they came from they all work together, play together, and celebrate together.

This book is one of the best books I have read for ELL’s, especially the younger children. The pictures in the book show a bunch of different families whether they be foster parents, adopted parents, or grandparents from all over the world and at the end of the book it even says all the countries these pictures were taken in. I loved this book because it really shows ESL children how alike people are in terms of families. No matter where you go in the world, children are a part of a family.

[Megan]

Hesse, Karen. (1999). Come on, Rain! New York: Scholastic Press.

Come on, Rain! is a story about a young girl, Tess, who is excited for the rain storm that is finally coming. When the rain comes she is ready to play in it with her friends and their mothers. Through the wonderful illustrations, you can see the fun and celebration these kids have in the rain.

This is a great story for kids in Kindergarten to second grade. I think this book is good for ESL and any child for that matter because it takes something these kids have in common, the need and excitement for rain, and shows a diverse group of children celebrating when it comes. Through the illustrations, you can see the different children and their mothers coming together in celebration of this rain.

[Megan]

Stanek, Muriel. (1989). I speak English for my mom. United States: Albert Whitman and Company.

I speak English for my mom is a great story about a child, Lupe, who goes to school and speaks English but when she goes home her mother can only speak Spanish. Lupe has to go to the store, doctor, parent teacher conferences, and many other places with her mother to translate what they are saying. While Lupe likes this responsibility, it takes a lot of time away from her playing with her friends. When things go bad at her mother’s factory she works at, she is forced to learn English at the local high school.

This book is great for ESL children kindergarten to second grade. I feel a lot of students are able to relate to this kind of lifestyle. The family moved to the United States in hopes of a better job and better education for their children. I’m sure many ELL’s have this experience at home and may find it difficult to speak both languages. I speak English for my mom relates to these children and allows them to see what others may go through too.

[Lindsey]

Reynolds,A.(2005).Chicks and salsa.New York:Bloomsbury Publishing.

Chicks and Salsa is a hysterical children’s book written by Aaron Reynolds, and illustrated by Paulette Bogan. On the Nuthatcher farm there is a rooster who decided on his own to solve the problems of the other animals. The chickens were tired of chicken feed, the ducks were tired of eating fish, and the pigs were tired of slop. All the animals, including the rooster, discretely gathered vegetables from the garden. The chickens had made salsa, the ducks ate guacamole, and the pigs had made nachos, and putting all of that together, they had a fiesta, “Ole”.
This book would be great for younger children in the 1st to 3rd grades. It has some great illustrations which grab the reader's, or listener's, attention. I think it would be great for use as a multicultural book because it revolves around salsa which is a part of the Spanish heritage. I also found a website that could be used to research the history of salsa as an extended learning activity. http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main...

[Sebastian]

Monster

This book is about a young African-American male who is accused of committing a murder. The boy did not commit the murder, but he was at the place where it happened and he happened to be part of the wrong crowd. The novel explores the boys thoughts while he is in jail waiting to be put on trail. The boys is tested by others in jail and he is continually worried about how others perceive him. The novel is set like a play.
I believe that this is a good novel for English Language Learners, because it is interesting and there are many aspects in the novel which many immigrant students can relate to. Many cultures are represented in the novel by a variety of characters. I believe that from this novel many lessons can be created that have students examine the society in which they live in. Poverty, gang violence, and racial issues can all be discussed because of this novel. I do not believe that it is a very difficult book to read, In class, the students can read it as a play, which will be very helpful for Ell to practice reading out loud.

[Lyndsey]

Cisneros, S. (1991). The house on Mango Street. New York: Vintage Books.
The House on Mango Street is a young adult realistic fiction novel about Esperanza, an adolescent girl living in an area of Chicago that is highly populated by Latino families. It is written as a series of vignettes that highlight the ups and downs of her life, from forming friendships with neighborhood girls to family struggles. Many of the vignettes revolve around Esperanza’s lack of sense of belonging and her desire to leave her neighborhood for a better life.
I would recommend this book for teenaged ELLs, particularly Latino/a students. Many of the vignettes revolve around Hispanic family life and cultures. Some vignettes are about migrant families and the difficulties of cultural and language assimilation. Others touch on racial prejudices and stereotyping. It is written in the relatable voice of an adolescent Latina woman, who uses simple, casual English. Some of the dialogue includes very brief Spanish phrases. There are very few instances of American idioms. There are some darker themes in the text, including domestic and sexual abuse and racism, which make it a controversial choice for the classroom. I would recommend it for high school students.

[Sebastian]

The Kite Runner

This book is a historical fiction novel and I believe it is a great book for English Language Learners to read at the high school level. The novel has three parts and it looks at the life of a servant boy and his childhood friend. A tragic event separates the two boys. The servant boy immigrates to the United States with his father, where he grows up as an immigrant child. Once the boy grows up, he finds out that his friend has died while he was facing the tumultuous times that were occurring in Afghanistan at that time. The boy, who is now a man, Goes back to Afghanistan to find his friends son. It is a great story which many students can relate to.

I believe that this can be a very good story for English Language Learners to read. First, it is very interesting and I believe many young adults can find it interesting. Many students can also relate to the characters in the story. The book can also be used to teach students about the Arab culture and lifestyle. I believe that students can learn a lot from this book about history, culture, immigration, and society. This book may be challenging to read at times, but I believe that English Language Learners should be challenged in the classroom, just like all students. The story itself should keep motivating students to continue through the challenging parts.

[Maura]

Mollel, Tololwa M. (1995). Big Boy. New York: Clarion Books
Picture Book

Big Boy is about a child named Oli who lives in Eastern Africa. He is very envious of his brother who has more liberties because he is a few years older. One day, Oli sneaks outside with a slingshot, sits under a tree, and wishes he was a bigger and stronger like his brother. A magical bird, the tunukia-zawadi, transforms Oli into a giant. As a giant, Oli discovers that being so tall and strong is not as good as it once seemed. His wish is granted to return to his normal life, where he discovers that there are advantages of being little.


Big Boy is a good story to read for ELLs between the ages of 5-7. The theme of miraculous powers is common in African culture. Students could connect this story to folklore in their culture.



Bernier-Grand, Carmen T. (2004) César ¡Sí Se Puede!. New York: Marshall Cavendish
Poetry Anthology & Biography

César is a collection of poems telling the story of César Chávez- a migrant field worker who led non-violent protests for field workers’ rights. Despite being born in the United States, César and other Mexican- Americans encountered many inequalities in schools and the workplace. César was not satisfied being mute in a land of opportunity. He rallied thousands globally to take part of peaceful protests to ensure better working environments for field workers. His goal was to “satisfy the farm workers’ hunger for decency and dignity and self respect” (32).

This is an excellent collection of poems for ELLs between 3rd and 5th grade. ELLs may have had similar experiences as Cesar- moving to many schools, have parents who are field workers, and faced racism and inequality in school. ELLs would see how a man like themselves- a Mexican American- bettered the lives of millions of field workers (possibly ELLs own parents) through organizing peaceful protests. These poems inspire those to rise above the inequalities of our society. As Cesar states, “True wealth is not measured in money or status or power. It is measured in the legacy we leave behind for those we love and those we inspire.”

[Hanada]

The Sandwich Swap

The Sandwich Swap was written by Queen Rania of Jordan and reflects her personal experience in a multi-cultural school. It is the story of two friends who do everything together until an arguement over their lunches tears the girls apart. One girl eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches each day and the other girl eats hummus sandwiches every day. Their ignorance tears them apart, and causes an uprising (food fight) in the school. Other children begin to tease eachother on more personal level. Feeling ashamed, the girls take a chance trying eachothers sandwiches and suprisingly finding both to be good. They decided to hold a cultural awareness lunch where all the students are able to try foods from around the world. They learn friendship and tolerance is best.

This book is a childrens book which promotes tolerance. It is recommended for Kindergarten through Second Grade. This is an excellent resource to have in classroom with ESL students, because it demonstrates cultural awareness and friendship.

[Hanada]

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales by Gary Soto and Illustrator Ed Martinez gives children a look into the Mexican culture. It is the story of a girl, Maria, who tries on her mother's ring only to lose it while making tamales for Christmas.

This book is recommended for grades kindergarten through second grade. It is another good book to include in a classroom with ESL students, because again it demonstrates cultural awareness. It also shows how different cultures celebrate the holidays. It can create connections with other students from different cultures because it is based on a holiday season. It can also allow students of Mexican heritage to feel welcome and accepted.

[Hanada]

The Good Daughter: A Memoir of My Mother's Hidden Life

The Good Daughter by Jasmin Darznik takes a look at the history of women's roles in the Iranian culture as well as the struggles faced raising an Iranian-American daughter. It also discusses issues on spousal abuse, child brides, and women's education in a changing Iran.

This is recommended for an older audience, young adults and not appropriate for children. I am recommending this book because it again provides a window into the Iranian culture and promotes understanding and awareness of this culture.

[Megan]

Hosseini, Khaled. (2003). The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books.

The Kite Runner is a novel about a boy, Amir, and his life in Afghanistan and the United States. The author does a great job of developing the characters which allows the reader to feel for each one as they go through the different crossroads in their life. Amir’s ends up betraying his best friend, his father does not always treat him the nicest, and is burdened with decisions from his past for the majority of his life. Amir and his father move to the United States to escape the horrors of communist’s coming into power in Afghanistan. Here they must transition from being well off in Afghanistan to having nothing in the United States.

This novel would be an excellent read for any student in high school, especially ELL’s. It discusses how great a person’s life can be in their native country and how quickly that can all change when they are forced to move to the United States. Once Amir and his father are in the United States, they must make several adjustments to accommodate to life of the Americans. I feel ELL students are really going to relate to this book or they will talk to their parents and grandparents who are going to be able to share stories with them that are similar. There is also a great movie to go along with the book that would be good for the ELL’s to check their understanding of the novel in comparison to the novel.

[Sebastian]

Dancing Teepees: Poems of American Indian Youth

This book is a collection of poems written by various Native American authors. It would be a great source to use in 3-5 grade classrooms. The poems are different and there are many cultural and societal topics that are brought up throughout the poems.

I believe that this books can be great for Ell students. One thing I believe that it can be great for is read alouds. The teacher can read aloud these poems to the students. The students can also practice their reading skills by reading these poems. I believe that this books can also teach students a lot about Native American culture. Students can study various cultures by reading this book. A teacher can also require the students to write a poem about their culture based off of this book.

[Megan]

Dubowski, Cathy. (2005). Rosa Parks: Don’t Give In!. New York: Bearport Publishing.

The book is about Rosa Parks and her life not only when she refused to move to the back of the bus but also what she did before and after. It explains how an average woman can make such a big impact on how this country is today. The pictures in the story do an excellent job of showing exactly what the text is describing, allowing the reader to feel as though they are a part of this historical woman’s life.

This book would be great for ELL’s to read because it not only shares the history of the United States but also gives insight to what life was like for people of different color in this country. It should also give them hope that this ordinary woman made such a huge impact because she stood up for what she believed in. I believe children from 1-4 grades would enjoy this book because of the pictures and they would start to understand the events being described.

[Sebastian]

Home of the Brave

This is a picture book that can be taught to 1-3 grade. It deals with a man who gets lost kayaking and ends up running into Asian American children in a desert. The children are lost and say they want to go home. The man realizes that they live in a camp. He ends up trying to free the children from living in the camp, which will let them go home.

I really enjoyed how clever this books was. I believe it would be a good way to teach the book about internment camps during World War II. I do believe that this would be a hard topic to teach young children, but starting at a young age is also important. Ell students can benefit from this because it is interesting and has great visuals. These visuals can help students understand some of the vocabulary words which can arise from this books. I also believe that it can help introduce a difficult subject to students.

[Sebastian]

Confetti

This book is a collection of poems that deal with Mexican culture and many different aspects of growing up in a Mexican household. It is perfect for students from 1-5 grade. There are many interesting aspects of Mexican culture in this book.

I believe that this book can be very helpful for Ell students especially those who come from Mexico. Many students can relate tot his book, and it can be very enjoyable for them. There are also many Spanish cognates in this book which can be very helpful for Spanish speaking students. I believe that this book can also serve as great read aloud for both teachers and students. This books can really help students practice their language.

[Sebastian]

Grandfather's Journey

This is a book about a young Asian-Ameircan who immigrates to American and falls in love with it. This can be a good used in 1-3 grade classroom. The story takes place throughout a generation of Asian-Americans, and ends with the start of WWII. It is a picture bool with many good visuals.

Ell students can use this book to be exposed to anew culture, or if they are from Asia they can learn about their own culture. The book can help students practice their vocabulary and the pictures in this book can be very beneficial for visual learners. I also believe that this book can help start a unit about WWII. The plot of the story leads right into it. It can be a way to introduce the unit to fourth and fifth graders.

[Sebastian]

Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography

This is a graphic novel that I believe can be used from 6-12 grade. This graphic novel is a biography about Malcolm X. I have read this one and the long autobiography and believe that this biography would better serve students in the classroom. It is very interesting to read about the civil rights struggle and how Malcolm X persevered throughout it.

I believe that many English Language Learners can benefit from reading this graphic novel. It can be a good way to engage students to read about the civil rights movement. Visual learners may find this biography a little more engaging than the biographies that they usually read. It can also helps students with their vocabulary and with their speaking. This novel would be a good way to study the civil rights movement.

[Jennifer]

Saving Hannah by Andrea Stein is a children's chapter book about a girl that moves from the big city to a rural area. She makes new friends and needs to solve a problem and see's all the characteristics of her new friends that can help her. This book is good for ELL students, or even children who have just immigrated so they can relate to a girl who has moved to a different place and might not be that comfortable.

[Stephanie]

Pio! Peep! by Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy is a great book for primary grades. This book is a compilation of Spanish nursery rhymes. All of the nursery rhymes are written in Spanish with an English translation. The sometimes playful, sometimes soothing Spanish nursery rhymes they have thoughtfully selected will be familiar to many Spanish-speaking parents and children throughout north, central and Latin America.

This is a great selection for Spanish speaking students to learn more about their culture. It also teaches non-native Spanish speakers an insight into the Spahish culture. The watercolor illustrations are vibrant and inviting for young eyes. There are many universal aspects of childhood that a child from any culture could relate to; this guides a community of learners.

[Stephanie]

Ling and Ting: Not Exactly the Same! by Grace Lin discusses what life is like for two identical twins of Chinese heritage. This is a beginner chapter book in which each chapter is dedicated to reasons as to why each twin is different. The twins do not look identical for very long because restless Ting sneezes during a haircut, resulting in a slip of the scissors and jagged bangs that set her apart from her sister. The girls prove to have different approaches to everything they do, from making Chinese dumplings to eating—or not—with chopsticks. Ling likes magic while Ting is a storyteller. The wonderful illustrations prove to be appealing to young readers.

This text is complex because there is a unique way that all the stories tie together. This book explores what it is like to be of Chinese heritage and being an identical twin. The twins strive for their own identity and do not approve of being alike; this is something most children can relate to with siblings.

[Stephanie]

Jingle Dancer by Cynthia Leitich Smith is about a contemporary Mucogee/Ojibway child named Jenna who wants to dance at a powwow, but doesn't have enough jingles for her traditional dress. She was inspired by her grandmother and searches among the women of her family for jingles to add to her dress. She achieves her dream from the elders of her community. Jenna, her family, and friends all embrace cultural traditions while living contemporary lives, as the full-page watercolor illustrations emphasize.

This book is geared towards 2-3rd graders and is a great multicultural book choice because of the implementation of cultural traditions in a contemporary society. This book could guide conversations into the traditions that students celebrate and incorporate into their present day lives. Most students will be able to relate to Jenna in the aspect of partaking in old traditions in a contemporary society.

[Maura]

Mora’s book touches base on the mysticism of nature and Mexican culture. In Mora’s poems, she writes about themes that children think of while ay dreaming- such as clouds and the various shapes they may form (such as dragons). She also discusses themes such as the panadero, the rhythm of Mexican music, and piñatas.


Mora’s book of poetry is suited for ELLs in 2nd- 4th grade, especially Spanish speaking ELLs. Repetition is key in Mora’s poetry. Certain phrases and words are repeated five to ten times throughout short poems. This is important in language acquisition- to hear word consistently repeated until they become apart of an ELLs’ own vocabulary. Throughout Mora’s poems there is an overlying theme of the Mexican culture that will appeal to Mexican ELLs. Lastly, Mora’s poem Words Free as Confetti is sort of a rallying poem for ELLs learning a second language and looking for word to express themselves, “I’ll say, say, say you, in English, in Spanish I’ll find you.”

[Stephanie]

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes is chapter book about a young Polish girl, Wanda, who goes to school in America. The American children view her as "different", make fun of her and mock her. Wanda, a poor girl, comes to school in hand me down clothes and sticks out amongst the other students. After being made fun of from her clothes she creates a story that she owns one hundred dresses. This, in turn, causes the other girls in the class to turn on her and force her to explain what those 100 dresses look like. This book follows the journey of Wanda's "One Hundred dresses."

Problems such as cultural identity, money, appearance, and language are all common in this story. Wanda was bullied for the way she looked and culture she came from, this is a common problem in today's schools. This book is great for ELLs because they can connect with the main character, Wanda, for the struggles she faces coming from another country, wearing different clothes and struggling to fit in with her classmates. The Hundred Dresses opens up conversation about bullying and coming from another culture.

[Stephanie]

Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth is about an eleven-year-old Gopal lives with his family in rural India. After a bumper onion crop drives down the prices and leaves the family with little money and mounting debts, they flee to Mumbai in search of a better life. Gopal is separated from his family and sold into child slavery; Sheth provides a fascinating look into contemporary child slavery. By setting the story in a specific place, she succeeds in personalizing it and in enriching the story with cultural detail.

Boys Without Names is geared towards students aged 9-13. ELLs would benefit from reading Gopal's story as a child slave in India. Getting a closer look at the culture and customs of India is gathered from this beautiful story. Children could relate to having a home where parents are separated or they are raised from someone other than their Mom or Dad. Others can respond to how they would feel as an 11 year old boy being separated from his entire family.

[Sebastian]

Esperanza Rising

This is a chapter book which can be used for 4-6 graders. This is a story set in the 1930's of a Mexican family who moves to California in order tp gain prosperity, but finds that life in the U.S. is not very easy because of the Great Depression. The family goes through many struggles, and the reader gets to see the story through the eyes of Espanza, who is a young adult. The family counts on each other throughout the story to overcome their struggles.

I believe that this would be a great book for ell students, especially those who come from a latino background. Many of the cultural values which are present in a Mexican family are found in this book. This book has a lot to offer when teaching about Mexican culture, and it also has a lot to offer about Mexican and American history during the 1930s. I aslo believe that students can relate to it and find it interesting. The book is not very difficult and students can be encouraged to read it.

[Sebastian]

Dream Carver

This is a picture book that can be used in a K-5 grade classroom. This book tells a story of a boy who made carvings with his father. He always dreamed of making very colorful toys which he believed would come to life. Without the permission of his father, he ends up making the toys and selling them at the carnival. The toys end up being the most exciting news of the carnival.

This book would be great to use in an Ell classroom. The books is full of many colorful and wonderful visuals. This could help the students with vocabulary learning and comprehension of the story. Many Spanish cognated can be found throughout the story, which can also help students with vocabulary. Many art projects can come from this story because of the emphahsi of surreal art in the book. I believe students enjoy reading this book, and are able to learn a lot from it.

[Lyndsey]

My Name Is Pocahontas Accorsi, W. (1992). My name is Pocahontas. New York: Holiday House.

My Name is Pocahontas is a historical children’s picture book that tells a narrative about Pocahontas from her point of view. Pocahontas is the daughter of Chief Powhatan. In the story, Pocahontas’s tribe fights the white men that have invaded their land. Their leader, John Smith, has been captured by Chief Powhatan’s men. Pocahontas saves him from execution and he is adopted into her tribe. Later, Pocahontas is captured and taken to Jamestown. While there, she marries John Rolfe in the hope that the war will cease. The war does end, and Pocahontas goes to live in England with her new husband and their child.

I don’t recommend this book to ELLs or any other students. I found the book to be culturally insensitive to Native Americans. The pictures in the book depict stereotypical “Indians.” The author makes no attempt to accurately portray Native American people or cultures. There is an author’s note in the beginning of the book that reads: “I have made use always of that wonderful resource called artistic license. Thus the Indians in this book are not rendered as they actually looked in the 1600s. My greater interest is in capturing their spirit.” If a book is going to be written about a culture, I think that book should serve as an opportunity to educate children about that culture. In the text, Accorsi makes vague references to Native American life (i.e. medicine men, bowls made of turtle shells), but made no explicit attempts to depict the life of Algonquians in the 1600s. In these ways, Accorsi is promoting stereotyping and generalization of Native American cultures. Further, I am uncertain of how historically accurate the narrative is. Accorsi should have had a list of references for this text.

[Jessica]

Wong, J.S. (2000). The Trip Back Home (B. Jia, Illustrator). New York: Harcourt, Inc.

“The Trip Back Home” is a picture book with simple words and phrases suggested for ages 3 to 7. From a young girl’s perspective, the story is about her trip back to Korea to visit the village where her mother grew up. The pictures follow the girl’s trip from her home, what she sees in the village, her union with her extended family, and her final goodbye hugs. The narrator connects with her Korean culture as she learns about her family’s lifestyle working on the land, their diet that includes persimmons, and activities like the card game hato.

This book would be good to share with ELLs because they may be able to relate to the little girl in the story. Students may be able to share their experiences traveling to the country where they were born or where their parents are from. This would be a good way to bring culture into the classroom, as well as allowing the teacher to learn more about the students and their experiences. Also, there could be an opportunity to compare and contrast the daily lives and what they see when they visit their families compared to their own lives in the Chicago/ the U.S.

[Lindsey]

Briggs, R. (1978). The snowman. New York: Random House Inc.
This book told the story of a little boy who builds a snowman. Then when he goes to bed that night, he wakes up to find his snowman has come to life. The boy shows the snowman several items in the house such as the freezer, different forms of light and heat, and clothes the boy’s father wears. Then the snowman flies the boy to different places far away until it almost reaches sunrise, when they must return before the sun beats down and melts the snowman.
Many younger children love picture books because they do not have to struggle with any words. Here, they do not have to struggle with words but the book also helps the child learn to interpret what a series of pictures has to say in order to tell the story. Books like this one can help a student’s critical thinking skills by way of leaving the story line up to the child's analyzation of the pictures. All of these aspects are what make it a great book for emerging English learners as well. It gives these children an opportunity to use English in a less intimidating manner.

[Lindsey]

Siegel, S. (2006). To dance: A ballerina’s graphic novel. Siegel, M., illustrator. New
York: Simon & Schuster.
This memoir tells the story of Siena, a girl from Puerto Rico, whose dreams lead her to the New York state theater where she performs ballet. Ever since she was six, Siena has loved to dance. She was so dedicated to it that her mother decided to permanently move to New York after she was accepted into the School of American Ballet. As time goes on, up until she is eighteen, Siena tells the reader of the excitement and pain of becoming a ballet dancer.

This graphic novel, and memoir, was excellent. It was eye-catching and informational put together. The illustrations were important since that is what the book depends on to tell the story. Since the main character was from a different country and then moved to the US where she achieved her dreams, she could be seen as a role model for children who have moved to the US from a different country. There was also historical information included such as a few facts about Balanchine and the dances he choreographed before his death. To Dance also won the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book award. This award is given annually to the author of the most distinguished informational book from the previous year.

[Lindsey]

Hamilton, V. (1995). Her stories: African American folktales, fairy tales, and true tales.
Dillon, L. & Dillon, D., illustrators. New York: Blue Sky Press.
The book is a collection of several different genres from the African American perspective. There are animal tales, fairy tales, supernatural short stories, folkways and legends, and true tales. An animal tale, “Little Girl and Buh Rabby”, tells of a rabbit that tricks Little Girl so he can get into the garden to eat peas and then escape from the gunnysack he was put in to by Daddy. The rabbit was able to trick Wolf into hopping into the gunnysack to be killed instead. “Millie Evans: Plantation times” is a true tale of a girl who was a slave during the time when North Carolina freed all of its slaves. The slaves were actually afraid to be free so they decided to journey with their owner to a state where they can live free but feel safe being with their owner.

This book has received the Coretta Scott King Award which honors African American authors and illustrators for creating such excellent books for children and young adults. The illustrations were done nicely, with detail being put on facial expressions and everything else. Besides pictures and awards, this is a memorable book for children to learn and grow from. It is not everyday children hear African American folktales or fairytales because so many that children know are Americanized. It is not everyday someone sees or hears about an African American mermaid. After reading “Mary Belle and the Mermaid” children would definitely see one and gain a different perspective on what all mermaids “should” look like.

[Lindsey]

Fleischman, P. (2007). Glass slipper, gold sandal: A worldwide Cinderella. Paschkis, J.,
illustrator. New York: Henry Hold and Company.

Bits and pieces of this Cinderella story are told from different countries such as Mexico, France, Germany, Iraq, and many more. The Mexican version starts off with the daughter begging the father to re-marry. When the news was heard that the king was in search of a queen (Zimbabwe) before the girl could go to the palace she had put together a red kimono (Japan). To ride to the ball the girl’s Aunty picked a breadfruit and tapped it three times for it to change into a coach (West Indies). When she heard the rooster crow she knew that was when she must leave the ball (Indonesia), which is when the prince grabbed her shoe accidentally trying to stop her (Ireland). At the end, the girl and king marry and enjoy a feast from Zimbabwe, India, Ireland, and Mexico.

This book was probably the best one I have read so far for the assignment. The illustrations were perfect for the telling of the story. Each page was absolutely filled with vibrant colors that helped view the culture from which the different parts of the book took place. This is a great book to read to children to help them see more into what other cultures are like and how they differ from their own. In between reading different parts of the book students could compare and contrast how one culture tells the story compared to what the American knows the story as. For example, the part about the kimono dress could be used as a discussion to contrast the type of dress that is a norm in each culture.

[Lindsey]

Lyon, G. (1993). Dreamplace. Catalanotto, P., illustrator. New York: Orchard Books.

The story is told from a present-day tourist’s point of view as a tour guide is giving a tour. The people are visiting the city where the Anasazi people from the Pueblo tribes used to dwell. There are towers, courtyards, hearths, and kivas. These people used to sing, dance, weave baskets, coil clay into pots, and pray every day all day. They harvested and killed food with there own hands and feet which is how they fed there families for hundreds of years. Then the Anasazi people’s dwelling fell apart when the water dried up, the corn withered, and a great sickness came, causing them to pack up and leave.

It was neat how before the book even started there was a picture of two Pueblo women facing a window and then at the end of the story the tourist is looking through the same window hundreds of years later. This could be a great historical book for younger children. It could be an introduction to a social studies unit on Indians or a compare and contrast with a venn diagram to two different cultures.

[Lyndsey]

My Name is Maria Isabel is a chapter book about a young girl named Maria Isabel Salazar Lopez whose family moves to a new home. She must readjust to life at a new school. Her teacher refuses to call her Maria Isabel because there are already two other Marias in the class. Instead, she calls her Mary. Maria Isabel struggles in class because she can’t adjust to this new name. Maria Isabel is proud of her name because it is a family name. Her mother tells her the story behind it. Her paternal grandmother’s name is Maria. Her paternal grandmother’s name is Isabel, and she is saving money so that Maria Isabel can go to college some day. Salazar is the surname of her father’s family and Lopez is the surname of her mother’s family. When Maria Isabel’s teacher asks the students what part they would like in the school play, Maria Isabel doesn’t get assigned a part because the teacher calls her “Mary,” which she still hasn’t adjusted to. Maria Isabel is very upset because she wants to sing in the play. The class is asked to write an essay entitled “My Greatest Wish.” Maria Isabel writes about her love for her name and her desire to sing in the play. In the end, the teacher calls Maria Isabel by her name and she is allowed to sing in the play.

I would recommend this book to ELLs in grades 3-5. Many ELLs can relate to Maria Isabel’s struggles with adjusting to a new school. Her family life is also culturally relatable. There is a lot of background information provided about her family history and daily life.My Name Is Maria IsabelAda, A. F., & Thompson, K. D. (1993). My name is María Isabel. New York: Atheneum.

[Manal]

Manal Kanaan
EDGIP 480/ESL
Spring 2013/Dr. McInerney
Children’s Literature for ELLs Reviews
Posted on GoodReads

Book Review 1:
Queen Rania of Jordan, and DiPucchio, Kelly. (2010). The Sandwich Swap. New York: Hyperion Books. Realistic Fiction.

This is a wonderful story of Salma and Lily who are best friends and who do everything together. One day, in the school lunchroom, they argue over who has the most delicious lunches. Lily eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and Salma eats hummus sandwiches. After constant bickering, they both realize that they haven’t even tasted each other’s sandwiches, and after a quick taste, they fall in love with the different sandwiches.

This is an excellent book for ELLs, particularly for ages pre-k- 2nd grade. It contains beautiful, watercolor illustrations, which lures the young reader instantly inside every page. It teaches everything from individuality, friendship, understanding, to tolerance and acceptance. By experiencing foods from other cultures, children can learn to accept and understand their classmates better without judgment: It doesn’t matter if your sandwich looks different than mine, you’re still a great friend whom I will value and respect as I continue to learn about your customs and traditions.

Book Review 2:
Norridge, Rae. (2002). Hilmy the Hippo Learns to be Grateful. Leicester, United Kingdom: The Islamic Foundation Publishers. Juvenile Fiction.

This is a delightful story about Hilmy the Hippo who is unhappy about his home in the water hole, and tries to search for a new one. On his journey, he meets many other animals in their own homes, for example, elephants, storks, crocodiles, and giraffes. He realizes that he cannot adapt to their living conditions and returns back to his own home, his cool and cozy water hole that’s good enough for him.

This book would be a good story for Arabic ELLs, ages 7-11, because it has many Arabic sayings that young children can relate to. For example, when you are grateful for what you already have, you say, “Thank God,” which the book translates into Arabic, “Al-Hamdulillah.” Other familiar greetings are used such as thank you (shukran), hello (As-Salamalaikum) and good-bye (Ma’asalamah) in Arabic. Also, young children can learn the importance of being grateful for what they have. They don’t have to wish to be somebody else just because they don’t fit in. Be yourself and respect your ethnic heritage and the cultural heritage of others.

Book Review 3:
Nye, Naomi Shihab. (2002). The Flag of Childhood: Poems from the Middle East. New York: Aladdin Publishing. Poetry Anthology.

This is a beautiful collection of poems written by a variety of poets from the Middle East. Inspired by the tragic events of 9/11, the main themes include acceptance, tolerance, understanding, prejudice, sensitivity, cultural awareness, and human dignity.

This is an excellent poetry anthology suitable for ELLs between the ages 9-13, as well as high school students. It magically tells stories from poets from all over the Middle East trying to shed light on the peoples of that region. It’s perfect for explaining the horrors of stereotyping and prejudice and for striving for human dignity in a world that can be so cruel without proper understanding and acceptance. Readers will certainly learn about the love of family and friends and what it means, “to belong.”

Book Review 4:
Pinkney, S. L. (2000). Shades of Black: A Celebration of Our Children. Illustrated by M. C. Pinckney. New York: Scholastic Trade. Picture Book.

This beautifully illustrated book, which celebrates the beauty of being African-American, is full of vibrant colors and faces representing beauty of every kind. It compares skin color, eye color and even hair textures to positive, beautiful images such as, peaches, tigers, licorice, brown sugar and popcorn.

This book is perfect for young children who sometimes see themselves as unattractive and lacking self-confidence. It instills self-worth and pride in every child with different shades of black, hairstyles and eye color. No longer should you be ashamed of who you are or what you look like. Having pride in your own cultural heritage is the main message that this wonderfully written book is all about.
Book Review 5:
Clive-Ransome, L. (2007). Young Pele: Soccer’s first star. Schwartz & Wade (k-4). Biography.

This is an inspirational book about a young Brazilian boy who overcame all odds to become one of the greatest soccer players of all time. It’s rich, oil- paint illustrations are one of the main attractions to this biography, which certainly works as it encourages young boys to follow their dreams. We learn how Edson do Nascimento got his nickname, Pele, and how he struggled in school and that the only thing that motivated him to succeed was his love for soccer.

This beautifully illustrated, motivational biography is perfect for ELLs because it focuses on the triumphs in the face of prejudice and poverty. Kids learn how determination, skill, and most importantly, believing in yourself can empower you. It’s culturally relative and paints a vivid picture on the pride on one’s own heritage and racial background.

Book Review 6:
Young, Ed. (1996). Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China. New York: Puffin. Fairy Tale.

Everybody knows the story of Little Red-Riding Hood, but this edition of the Chinese tale is superb. Three sisters are left alone as their mother travels to visit their grandmother, and the wolf appears at the girls’ front door claiming to be their grandmother. The girls become suspicious, but it was the oldest sister, Shang, who discovers the wolf’s true identity when she notices his long snout. She tricks him by luring him to the ginko nuts in a tree outside their house. She then saves the day.

This mysterious, yet exciting Caldecott winner is perfect for ELLs because they can easily relate to the Chinese names and beautifully illustrated pictures, which come alive with every turn of the page. Children will learn to trust their instincts in the face of danger and build up enough courage to save the day. It is perfect for ages 4 and up.

[Manal]

Manal Kanaan
EDGIP 480/ESL
Spring 2013/Dr. McInerney
Children’s Literature for ELLs Reviews
Posted on GoodReads


Book Review 7:
Schick, Eleanor. (1996). My Navajo Sister. New York: Simon and Schuster. Autobiographical Picture Book.

This is a story about a young white girl who moves to Navajo land with her family and meets and befriends a young Native-American girl. They bond instantly and do everything together, like visit caves, weave wedding baskets and eat cornmeal. They even ride horses and climb canyon walls as their friendship turns into a close sisterhood. Unfortunately, the girl moves away and the two girls have to cope with loss.

This is an excellent multicultural story and perfect for ELLs because it’s full of the rich, cultural heritage of the Navajo, along with their warm traditions and customs. Children can learn that no matter what culture you come from, you can still share a close bond of friendship as you both teach each other about your own ancestors and rich history. ELLs can learn to accept and respect other cultures by learning from them, and embracing them, instead of stereotyping them.

Book Review 8:
Bridges, Ruby. (1999). Through My Eyes. Scholastic. Autobiography.

This is a riveting story about a courageous six-year who was the first African-American who ever attended an all-white school. Ruby Bridges writes about that day on November 14, 1960 where she had to struggle to enter the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans, accompanied by Federal Marshalls. We read all about her kind, caring teacher who helps her to read and write, while she attends class all alone, separated from the rest of the students. We actually witness history through her own eyes as we read actual quotes from newspapers and examine actual photos from that time.

This is a story that teaches children the power of perseverance, equality and justice during one of the worst times in U.S. history. Children should be aware of the human rights for equal education for all, and if they should ever face social injustice, they need to stand up tall and fight for their respect and dignity. A must read for young students ages 8-12.

Book Review 9:
Gainer, Cindy. (1998). I’m Like You, You’re Like Me: A Child’s Book About Understanding and Celebrating Each Other. Free Spirit Publishing.

This story is about children appreciating each other while embracing diversity and gaining self-esteem. It beautifully depicts the similarities and the differences among all children from all backgrounds, race, ethnicity, and even abilities. Children in the story are happily playing and getting along with each other with no signs of prejudice or discrimination.

This is a wonderful message full of beautiful, vibrant, colorful pictures of children playing and laughing, while learning about the importance of confidence and self-esteem. Children from all cultural backgrounds and languages embrace one another and treat each other with dignity, equality and respect. Beautiful story for children ages 4-8, and even older. Love yourself no matter what color you are or language you speak.

Book Review 10:
Aikins, Ann Marie. (2004). Racism: Deal with it before it gets under your skin. James Lorimer & Amp. Company. Juvenile Non-fiction.
This is an informative book, which uses realistic examples of racial and cultural conflicts and carefully examines the many forms they come in. It explores the history of racism, how to learn about other cultures in your own communities, and accepting people of all race. Also, it presents a clear list of Do’s and Don’ts about racism. Students can even take the quiz at the end of the book to reinforce their knowledge about racism.

This book is perfect for teen ELLs because it helps them to recognize racism and how they can protect themselves or even prevent it from happening to them, using some of the suggestions in the book. Also, they’ll learn and teach the power of understanding, acceptance, and fair treatment for all.

Book Review 11:
Stanley, Diane. (2010) Saving Sky. Harper Collins.

This story is about a girl named Sky Brightman who lives in New Mexico with her family. The setting takes place after Sept. 11th, and the country is on high alert—even the schools have very tight security. Sky’s family wants to protect her and shelter her from all the hostilities going on around them, for example, stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination, but she witnesses something horrible while shopping at a Home Depot. As they were getting supplies, just after another terrorist attack, she saw a Middle Eastern family being discriminated against by the shoppers, and then by the authorities. Sky felt simply awful because she just stood there doing absolutely nothing to help this poor, innocent family. She then decides to become friends with a Middle Eastern boy named Kareem who was in her class. They become friends and Sky learns the meaning of true friendship, acceptance and understanding.

This is an excellent book, which depicts the horrors of racism, discrimination and stereotyping. It teaches you that even a child can summon up enough courage in the face of injustice. All you need is a strong sense of values and beliefs, courage and determination to fight for what is right.

Book Review 12:
Wakim, Dennis Yvonne & Addasi, Maha. (2013). A Kid’s Guide to Arab-American History: More Than 50 Activities. Chicago Review Press.

I love this book. Finally there’s something out there that distinguishes the different types of Arabs from the Middle East and their own unique customs, cultures, religions, and languages. We learn all about Arabs from countries like Palestine, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen, Syria and Jordan. The book has more than 50 activities that highlight each country’s music/dances, food, games, clothes, and the arts. It also has short biographies of famous Arab-Americans like Danny Thomas, Paula Abdul, and Ralph Nader.

This book is excellent for both ELLs and non-ELLs because it sheds light on the many different kinds of stereotyping that exists amongst all Arabs. The engaging stories and true, historical backgrounds of the Arab peoples are beautifully depicted with vibrant illustrations.