Cuba in My Pocket: a refugee's tale of uncertainty & hope

 

Cuba in My Pocket, the middle grades historical fiction chapter book by award-winning author, Adrianna Cuevas, tells the story of 12 year old Cumba who, in 1961, is forced to flee Santa Clara for the U.S. in order to avoid being drafted into the military for Fidel Castro.  Based on the author's family history, the book is full of intimate details that can only be from the perspective of someone who lived it.  The story is one that should be shared with middle grade readers on up because it tells the important part of history, how governments impact people's lives, and the real accounts of people who risked it all in order to have a chance at a future for themselves and their families.  

Cumba's relationships with his family and friends in Cuba are the most memorable parts of the story.  They play dominoes, cook delicious meals, go looking for flowers and even discuss how their lives have changed after Fidel came to power.  Readers can continue with learning about these parts of Cuban history and culture by looking at photos and videos of Cuba prior to the 1960s and afterwards.  Cumba relies on the strength of these relationships to propel him towards the unknown in the U.S. and holds on to the promise of reuniting with them again.  

Cumba's journey to the U.S. is another important part of the story that readers will never forget. From his flight to Miami with another young girl traveling alone who doesn't understand the language or even how to put on a seat belt, they rely on the kindness of other passengers to guide them through.  Cumba's school experience in Miami is like being pulled into a rip tide because of the cacophony of noise, not being able to practice his English, and his teachers not making any attempts to help him.  This is especially gripping to me as a teacher.  Thankfully he does make an American friend who makes going to school more tolerable, but the PTSD that Cumba has as a result of living in a militaristic society, is keeping him from moving on.

The reader also learns about the role the Catholic Church had in taking in young children from Cuba and sending them to foster families across the U.S.  Cumba and his house-mates use the Catholic Welfare Services to help them locate their family and friends who were supposed to be coming to the U.S.  If readers want to continue learning about this part of history there are many resources that offer more glimpses into how the church supported Cuban immigrants.

When Cumba gets sent to a foster family in Key Largo his story does change for the better.  School is a complete change as his teachers help him learn the content through visuals and study tips.  He even reunites with a friend from Santa Clara and they bond over being the only Cubans in school.  Even when he gets bad news from home and feels helpless he knows he can rely on his friend to understand exactly what he's feeling: helpless and guilty.   Here they are enjoying life in Key Largo while their families are experiencing torture in Cuba.  I think other immigrants can relate to this feeling, too.  We are grateful for being able to be here in the U.S. but also have guilt that our family members are struggling in our home countries.   

I applaud Cuevas for writing this story and honoring her family's history.  The photos and glossary at the end of the book offer more details about the Spanish language and why she chose to write her father's story.  As an adult, I learned a lot about Cuba's history and how refugees were treated during this time.  It would be a good book for grades 4 and up. Here is the author talking about the book in her own words:

Indian Shoes: a modern-day NativeVoices snapshot

Indian Shoes is an award-winning, short chapter book (under 70 pages), written by Cynthia Leitich Smith and the cover art is by Sharon Irla and the interior illustrations are by Marybeth Timothy.  It's a must-have addition to any library or classroom collection.  Although it's slim in length, it's full of snapshots of life between a Ray Halfmoon, a Cherokee-Seminole boy and his Grampa, who is raising him.  Each chapter is a different time when Ray learns from and appreciates his Grampa.  Smith writes with humor while authentically conveying the values and beliefs of the characters.  

When reading this with others, I like to preview the chapter names to try to predict what they will be about.  By the time the chapter titled, "The Accident," came up, I had already fallen in love with the characters and wanted nothing bad to happen to the them!  Fortunately, my daughter reminded me that not all accidents were bad and that, perhaps, something positive will result from this chapter's mishap--which thankfully, it does!

Another interesting feature about this book are the detailed illustrations that enhance the stories.  Smith writes with impeccable detail and the pictures add to the comfortable feel of them.  Reading this book is like wrapping yourself up in a cozy blanket and allowing the caring relationship evoked in the story to encompass your mind.  That positive feeling goes beyond Ray and Grampa as they go out into their community and bring that spirit out into Chicago, which they call the steel and stone city, and to their homeland in Oklahoma.  Readers will connect with Ray's innocence, love for animals, sports, art and making his Grampa proud.

The title of the book, Indian Shoes, is the opening chapter and it is perfect to introduce the characters, their community, and what it means to be "Indian" by today's standards.  There is an important interaction with a librarian & as a librarian myself, I cheered for what resulted!  This provides an opportunity to discuss with readers the stereotyping that often goes with the portrayal of Native people and how we have the power to change that.

A readalike for this book is Cynthia Rylant's The Islander.  They are both short, yet impactful reads.  Both boys have lost their parents and live with their grandfathers who mean the world to them.  But Indian Shoes is realistic fiction while The Islander has fantasy involved.  Both of these are excellent read alouds and book club books for lower elementary grades and up.  There is much to discuss and love about them!

 

For more educational resources click on the picture below to go to Smith's website and download the activities.  I especially love the Reader's Theater script for "Don't Forget the Pants"!

MuslimVoices Romance: Saints & Misfits and Misfit in Love

Saints and Misfits is a realistic fiction, young adult book written by S.K. Ali.  It's about 15 year old American Arab-Indian girl named Janna who is struggling in her life.  She has been sexually assaulted by a prominent member of her mosque and she is developing a crush on Jeremy, a classmate who is not Muslim at all.  Janna wants to expose her assailant but is afraid of the backlash she could receive from her religious community.  Ali expertly writes about the different ways people express their religious beliefs and it is an eye-opener for those who want to learn beyond the Muslim stereotypes.

Misfit in Love is the sequel to Saints and Misfits but it can stand on its own.  In this story it is summertime and Janna's plan is to move forward with her feelings for Nuah, the boy who was there for her when she was assaulted the year before.  It's her brother, Muhammad's wedding and for Janna, that is the perfect time to reveal to her friends and family that she also has feelings for Nuah.  Except the wedding's not going as planned, Nuah is acting detached and Janna's even more confused when she meets two more men who are attending the wedding: Haytham, the handsome poet/singer who is amazing with kids and Layth, the equally handsome, yet broodingly mysterious one who has his own struggles he's keeping within.  The wedding is also a time that Janna can finally spend with her mom and possibly, her mom's new love interest since divorcing her father.  The weekend is full of family, relationship breakthroughs, laughter, music, dancing, swimming, eating, family and friendship.   The Janna who starts the story is not the same one who finishes it.  

 Ali explains the nuances within the various types of  Muslim cultures and brings into the mainstream the way modern-day people's Muslim faith is a part of their daily lives.  She tackles the complicated dynamics of joining families with different cultural roots, even while sharing a religious one.  I learned a lot about Muslim wedding ceremonies, nikahs, burkinis, dabke dances, niqab hijabs and many more terms that I enjoyed looking up while reading this story. Here is her interview for Entertainment Weekly where Ali discusses Misfit in Love and more!

 

A Female Ahead of Her Time: Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code

Ada Lovelace Cracks the Code, a nonfiction narrative written by Corinne Purtill with the cover and inside illustrations by Marina Muun and the cover lettering by Monique Aimee, is an eye-opening look at Lovelace's perspective in a period of history that changed the course of the world as we know it.  My daughter and I loved reading this book aloud and marveling at Ada's story!

Ada Lovelace was born into privilege since her father was the world-famous poet, Lord Byron.  But she was not interested in that type of life.  She wanted to study math and flight.  Living in England in the early to mid 1800s didn't offer Ada the chance to do it on her own so she made friends with like-minded people.  One person, Charles Babbage, was working on a Difference Machine and Analytical Engine.  Ada helped him with it and foresaw the large number of possibilities it had.

When she alerted Babbage to this notion, he scoffed and told her to keep her imagination to herself.

Due to the lack of respect women had in scientific fields Ada kept her ideas to herself.  She did continue to follow the industrial revolution and was excited about the possibilities these technological breakthroughs could have on people's lives.  Towards the end of her life she took Babbage to the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations.  Readers can study this and other Great Exhibitions to learn about the ideas that we see today.

At the end of the book is a surprising section of coding activities for readers to try based on Ada's computational thinking:

The activities are all written by the Wogrammer organization that aims to increase women's accomplishment in the sciences.  They have a podcast if you want to listen to their topics.

Another notable aspect of this book are the fanciful illustrations sprinkled throughout the text.  Each chapter opens up with clues to the next part of Ada's journey so the reader can infer what could be happening next.

Finally, readers can consider the relationships that Ada formed and how those affected her life.   Starting with her mother and her absent father.  How did those change over the story?  Can readers relate to having adults in their lives push them in one direction that they don't want to explore?  Ada's relationship with Charles Babbage is also one that is relatable to many readers.  How many times have they had to work with someone on a project where they differed in their approach to the task?  Teamwork, collaboration, reaching consensus are all parts of Ada's story that connect to our lives today.  Readers can think about what they would do in Ada's shoes when Babbage refused to see her vision for the machines they were designing? 

This is a must-have book for elementary and middle school-aged readers because it's engaging and offers a real model of a female scientist who pushed against gender norms to pursue her interests. I'm looking forward to reading more from the Rebel Girls series to add to our biography & STEM collections.

 

Perfectly Parvin: a PersianVoices rom-com

Perfectly Parvin a debut young adult chapter book by Olivia Abtahi is a romantic comedy and coming of age story about a Persian-American 14 year old named Parvin and her first few months of high school.  It is a good book to understand the dual identity many people face in their lives and the issues that go along with that.  Parvin's half-Persian but she looks like she is 100% Persian.  Her American mom cannot give her any advice about grooming, colors to suit her complexion or help her with her Farsi schoolwork.  Parvin relies on her aunt who lives in Iran for guidance and she is hoping to get a visa to come and visit soon.  Being an adolescent and going through puberty as your friends of other nationalities and cultures go through their own struggles is what shines in this story.  

Parvin's love life seems to be off to a good start when she ends the summer with her crush, Wesley, who asked her to be his girlfriend.  Once the school year starts, though, Wesley breaks up with her claiming she is too loud for him.  Parvin is convinced that if she can get a cute sophomore, Matty, to ask her to Homecoming then that will prove to Wesley that she can be the docile, quiet and mousey girl that he seems to really want her to be.  But is that who Parvin truly wants to be?

Her friends, Fabian and Ruth, want her to avoid the plan and just be herself.  While she gets closer to her goal, Parvin attends Farsi school and gets tutored by Amir, a 100% Persian classmate.  She is herself around him and he develops feelings for her.  What should she do?  This is when her aunt can help her but when she is detained by ICE at the airport that puts Parvin's family into emotional stress.

This is a well-written, realistic book about the cost of fitting in, finding your identity and being a good friend to those around you who want the best for you.  I enjoyed Parvin's journey and especially appreciated the cultural information about her friends' backgrounds, too.  

Listen to Abtahi talk about her book HERE on Vimeo.  She also on a panel on body positivity on Vimeo, too.

 

A Father's Day Booklist

Stories about fathers abound in our library.  Readers think about the characteristics of the characters and the relationships they build with those around them.  These are books that our students have come back to read and discuss over and over again. If you have other titles you recommend, please add them in the comments!

Picture Books:

In Daddy's Arms I Am Tall, a collection of poems by outstanding Black writers and illustrated by Javaka Steptoe.

Hair Love by Matthew A. Cherry and gorgeously illustrated by Vashti Harrison is about a young girl and her father helping her style her hair into a beautiful, natural style that is all her.

My Papa is a Princess by Doug Cenko is a story of snapshots from the point of view of a young daughter who shares the activities her father does with her.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and illustrated by John Schoenherr is the story of a father and daughter who venture out deep into the night to find the beauty in looking for owls.

Elena's Serenade by Campbell Geeslin and illustrated superbly by Ana Juan is about Elena, a girl in Mexico who wants to become a glassblower. With the help and support of her father, she reaches her goal.

A Different Pond by Bao Phi and illustrated so beautifully by Thi Bui is about a boy whose father tells him about his life before he immigrated to Minneapolis from Vietnam.

Mister Seahorse by Eric Carle is a story about how the male seahorses carry the eggs in their belly after they are laid by the mothers.

Dad and the Dinosaur by Ginnifer Choldenko and illustrated marvelously by Dan Santat is about a boy whose toy dinosaur goes missing and how his father helps him find it again.

Pete's a Pizza by William Steig is about a time when a boy couldn't go out to play with his friends because of the weather so his father plays a game with him to cheer him up--by turning him into a pizza!

One Dad, Two Dads, Brown Dad, Blue Dads by Johnny Valentine and illustrated by Melody Sarecky is about the different ways that families form and function, but in the end, love is what is the same.

Chapter Books:

The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead, about Bea, a ten year old girl, whose parents divorced because her father is gay and is planning to marry again.

Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary, about 7 year old Ramona whose father just lost his job and she must deal with how their lives will change as a result of that.

Squirm by Carl Hiaasen is about Billy, a tween whose father left him and his mother when he was 3.  Now Billy discovers his address in Montana so he sets off from Florida to find him and get some answers.  Along the way there are adventures, new family and the possibility to build a relationship with his dad.

Before the Ever After a novel in verse by Jacqueline Woodson is from the point of view of ZJ, a son whose father plays for the NFL but he is acting strange.  Doctors do not know about the lasting effects of concussions and brain injuries for football players at this point, so putting the pieces together and learning to live with a new personality is the heart of this story.

The Crossover, a novel in verse by Kwame Alexander is about a pair of 14 year old twin basketball stars, Josh and Jordan, and their lives as their father's health goes downward.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks, 12 year old Zoe, who is a budding baker, receives a letter from her biological father whom she has never met while he is serving time in prison for a crime he did not commit.  

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park is a historical fiction story about a half-Chinese girl named Hanna whose father and their journey to the Dakota Territory in the 1880s to begin a new life after her mother passes away in California.

Juneteenth, a day to remember & celebrate

When I teach my students about Juneteenth, the day that the last of the enslaved people in the U.S. learned that they were free due to the Emancipation Proclamation made two years prior, June 19, 1865, they are in shock at how long it actually took for the message to be communicated.  Their questions immediately begin:

• why weren't they told?
• how did the message not get to them for two years?
• did enslaved people try to escape their captors during that time?
• what did the enslaved people do after they found out?
• where could the enslaved people go after that?

This part of American History is an important one and the books that we currently have in our collection only touch on parts of it.  I am looking forward to adding more stories to help learn more about it.  For now these are some reads that worth reading & discussing with elementary & middle grade students:

Sugar by Jewell Parker Rhodes: historical fiction, post-Civil War

    The Civil War is over and technically, 10 year old Sugar is free but where is she to go?  She remains on the plantation where she was enslaved and is working there.  When the plantation owner brings in a large number of Chinese immigrants to work alongside Sugar and the formerly enslaved people, there is a rift between the groups.  Sugar, along with the plantation owner's son, Billy, make a friendship and try to bring the groups together.  

Stamped by Jason Reynolds & Ibram X. Kendi: nonfiction, history of racism

    Based on the adult version of Dr. Kendi's book, Stamped from the Beginning, Reynolds breaks down the start and origins of racism in teh world into language that young people can understand.  Each section is chronological and discusses how and why slavery began.  The arguments made to make people that Black people are inferior are laid out and revisited up the present.  The main definitions of segregationists (haters), assimilationists (likers) and anti-racists who want Black people to be themselves.  There is lots to discuss and extensions for research possibilities abound.  There is a new version for even younger readers out now, Stamped for Kids.

Unbound by Ann E. Burg: historical fiction, slavery, novel-in-verse

    9 year old Grace is told that she is to leave the familiarity of her mom, aunt and little brothers in order to be sent up to the "Big House" to be enslaved there.  With her near-white skin and pale blue eyes she's an "investment," according to the head of the household.  Up in the Big House, though, it's the Missus who strikes fear into Grace.  Grace decides to run away and bring her family with her.  Numerous people help them to escape but they find themselves going down dangerous paths.  Heartfelt, touching, and violent at times, this is a story based on true accounts of real people who lived these parts of history.

The Journey of Little Charlie by Christopher Paul Curtis: historical fiction, 19th century American South

    This chapter book tells the story of a 12 year old boy named Charlie whose father just passed away.  Since he was a sharecropper in South Carolina the owner of the land came to collect on a debt and Charlie had nothing to give him.  They strike a deal where Charlie accompanies the man, Cap'n Buck, up north to track down people who stole from him.  When Charlie finds out what is truly happening, he must change course without being caught.

Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson: historical fiction, revolutionary war

    The year is 1776 and an enslaved girl in Rhode Island named Isabel has just been sold to a couple who remains loyal to King George.  Thankfully her 5 year old younger sister, Ruth, is sold with her so they can stay together.  When they arrive in NYC, Isabel is exposed to harsh treatment by the couple.  When she is approached to work as a spy for the rebels she agrees with the hopes that they will reward her and Ruth by setting them free.  Intertwined with actual accounts from this time in history, Anderson tells a moving account of hope, survival and mixed loyalties.  This is part of a trilogy called, The Seeds of America. Click on the author's website link to read an excerpt, find activities, a teaching guide, and hear Anderson talk about the book.

Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome: picture book biography, poem 

    This beautifully illustrated and written picture book tells the many roles that Harriet Tubman played in her life before she helped enslaved people escape their captors on the Underground Railroad. She used her skills as a nurse, aunt, spy, conductor, general to help those around her live better lives. An inspiring story about a real American hero.

Here are more book suggestions for:

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Legacy
• The Awakening of Malcom X
• Making Interracial Marriage Legal

These are the books we plan to add to our library collection that are specifically about Juneteenth:

• 5 Children's Books About Juneteenth
• 18 Children's Books to Honor Juneteenth

When We Love Someone We Sing To Them, a universal theme of love

 

When We Love Someone We Sing To Them is an award winning,  bilingual picture book written by Ernesto Javier Martinez and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez.  It's a tenderly written account of a boy who asks his father for advice on how to express his love for another boy.  His father shares ideas on what to say that go way back to Mexican deities and he supports his son in his identity.  This is a wonderful book to share with elementary aged readers and up.  The message is one of acceptance, universal respect and love.  This is a must-have for every school and classroom! We were fortunate to be gifted a copy from the GLSEN.

Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, a magical adventure

 

Wilderlore: The Accidental Apprentice, a middle grades fantasy chapter book by Amanda Foody is perfect for fans of Harry Potter and The Girl Who Drank the Moon.  

Barclay is an orphan who wants to belong so badly that he's willing to be the apprentice of a mushroom farmer in order to have a decent shot at a respectable future in his sad, paranoid town of Dullshire.  The townsfolk have strict rules and are protecting themselves against the magical and dangerous beasts that lurk in the woods. (The same ones that killed Barclay's parents.)

When he accidentally bonds with a mysterious and wild beast, Barclay will stop at nothing to try to get back to his old life.  His journey will take him deep into the woods to an unbelievable world of power, lore and untrustworthy types who take advantage of Barclay's naiveté and eagerness to remove his bond.

Viola, a lore keeper who seeks out dangerous beasts, offers to help Barclay.  He is unsure whether to trust her and her little dragon beast, Mitzi, or not.  With a magical competition starting that could be Barclay's ticket to return to Dullshire, he must risk everything.  Will he finally find a place in the world where he belongs in the magical wild or will he go back to a lonely, ordinary, yet, safe life in Dullshire?

A humorous mystery full of action, imagination and memorable characters. This is a must-have for middle grade readers who enjoyed fast-paced, fantasy adventure with loads of funny banter and a hint of mystery.

Families, librarians and teachers can use this book in many ways to engage readers.  To get readers hooked, the  first chapter of the book is perfect for a read aloud. It is going to make them want to read on to find out the fate of poor Barclay! Hear the author read from chapter one below:

Foody also goes into much detail about mushrooms so it would be excellent for readers to do a mushroom inquiry that they can share with others what they were curious about and what they discovered.  Another interesting part of this story are the rules in Dullshire.  They are arbitrary and silly so readers can research odd laws where they live and discuss why they think these laws were even made in the first place.  Finally, the reader can design and make a beast warding charm like Barclay's, made out of rope, herbs and twigs or they can make their own based on what they find out in nature.

The best news to share is that Foody has the second book in the series coming out in March 2022!

Photograph (c) Diane Brophy Photography.

Frankie & Bug: a family & friendship LGBTQ+ tale set in 1987 LA

Frankie & Bug, a middle grades chapter book by Gayle Forman, tackles important issues like prejudice, family, friendship, identity and community.  Set in 1987 in Venice Beach, California, it's told from the perspective of a ten year old girl named Bug, short for Beatrice, who is just starting her summer.  She wants to spend it at the beach but her older brother, Danny, needs some space away from her so her mother arranges her to be under the supervision of their quirky neighbors, Phillip and Hedvig.  

When Phillip's young nephew from Ohio, Frankie, flies in to stay with him for the summer, Bug's hopes are raised to possibly make a new friend and be able to spend it at the beach.  But Frankie is nothing at all what Bug expected.  He doesn't want to go to the beach and only is obsessed with catching the serial killer who is stalking residents in southern California.  Bug must open her mind to new ways of thinking when she adjusts her plans and becomes friends with Frankie.

The more Bug becomes aware of her community's struggles, the more she then learns about her own family's secrets.  This news causes her expand her world view and in the end she is richer for it.

I would recommend this book to read with 11 year olds and up, and it is perfect for a book club to be discussed.  Forman puts issues of prejudice, refugees, LGBTQ+ hate crimes, abandonment out in ways that readers can discuss and ask questions about.  Although the book is set in 1987, readers can think about how these issues have changed or stayed the same in certain ways.  What do they think Frankie and Bug are like today?  Do they have people in their lives who remind them of any of the characters?  

 

Making Interracial Marriage Legal: Loving Vs. Virginia

 

According to Britannica.com, Loving v. Virginia, legal case, decided on June 12, 1967, in which the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously (9–0) struck down state antimiscegenation statutes in Virginia as unconstitutional under the equal protection and due process clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment.

A middle grades, historical fiction, novel-in-verse, Loving Vs. Virginia by Patricia Hruby Powell and illustrated by Shadra Strickland,  tells the story of a civil rights topic that has everlasting effects on the U.S.  

In the 1950s a majority of the country had laws against people of different races marrying.  Through this story the reader learns of Mildred (Millie), a young Black woman who lives in Virginia with her large family out in the country.  They farm, run a business and love playing music and dancing with their friends.  Richard, a young white man, is one of those friends who grew up with Millie.  As they get older they fall in love and have two babies.  They go to Washington D.C. to get married but are arrested after they return to Virginia.

Told in alternating viewpoints, the story unfolds as Rich and Millie Loving become outspoken about their right to marry and live in Virginia with their family.  Their tale is interspersed with primary sources that take place alongside their landmark Supreme Court case.  Moving, tender, and honest, every teen should read this book to understand more about the history of race relations and civil rights in this country. 

Watch a video interview of the creators of this book HERE.

Uprising & Boys Without Names: child labor, then & now

Uprising, a middle grades historical fiction novel by Margaret Peterson Haddix, explains the role of worker's rights, suffrage, immigrants' living conditions, and activism in the early 1900s that led to the tragic Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York in 1911.  The novel alternates between three different girls' point of views and each one seems to be in their own world until their lives intersect.  The reader also knows that the tragedy of the fire will happen at some point so reading the story is extra suspenseful because there are constant dangers leading up to the fire.  Readers get to know the three girls incredibly well so by the end of the story the way they either survive or not is especially hard-hitting to the reader.

I used this novel as a whole class read with my American History classes for 7th and 8th graders and it sparked many discussions about living and working conditions for immigrants in the late 1890s and early 1900s. Haddix brings in facts about the time period and real people so students can get a sense of what actually happened.  They went on to read about and research the events and people that Haddix names in the novel.  New terms, such as "scab" and other vocabulary that we use today is shown in the book so it helps students understand those ideas in an enriched context.

After reading this novel and mind-mapping while reading it, our students got the chance to have a Skype author-visit with Haddix.  She was incredibly gracious to share with us her research process for this topic and answered all of the students' questions.  I highly recommend using this book in American History classes and engaging with Haddix before, during or after reading the novel.   

This was also a smart book to choose because we studied other labor movements, like Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta  , and students could better connect with those parts of American History.  Child Labor is a subject in which my students took an interest in and they explored that topic by reading the book, The Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth:

Sheth describes the conditions that bring together a group of boys forced to work against their will in Mumbai, India.  After reading and discussing the book, our students engaged in a discussion with Sheth through a Skype virtual-author visit.  Our students continued to learn about the plight of child labor in various places in the world, as well as in the U.S.

Both of these books offer middle grade and high school students the chance to learn more about important topics with memorable characters and settings. If you want a good one for middle schoolers, try Threads by Ami Polonsky about a young girl in China forced to work in a purse factory who reaches out for help. 

The House That Lou Built: what makes a home?

 

The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio is an award-winning, middle-grades chapter book that is great for a book club, read aloud, or independent reading book.  It offers a unique look at the Filipino-American culture while exploring universal themes of grief, family, and friendship for a middle-schooler.

13 year-old Lou is half-Filipina, half-White but she identifies with her Filipina side since she lives with her mother's family in San Francisco.  Her father passed away before she was born and he left her some land as her inheritance.  When Lou visits her plot of land she feels at peace and connected to her father.  When her mother considers moving them away so she can find a better job Lou decides to build a tiny house on her land that she has always dreamed of building. Lolo, her grandpa, tells her, "That's how dreams work.  You just have to do them."  Perhaps this will convince her mother to keep them there?

Lou's community is an important part of the story.  Her mentors, Lolo, Annie, the salvage yard owner and shop teacher, Mr. Keller,  help her with her plans, as have her close friends and family members.  She even makes friends with the ever-popular, Jack, who she encourages to document her project.  Lou is not a typical character because she excels in building and engineering, which makes her stand out amongst her friends and classmates.  Her favorite place to be is the salvage yard because it inspires her to use the parts to invent new machines.  Readers can share a place that inspires them!  She also keeps a running 1,001 Cool Things to Build list and adds items to it, like a catapult.  Readers can add items to the list of something they'd like to build one day.

Lou's identity is an interesting theme that Respicio addresses in the story.  Lou says, "Being half and half is something I don't think about much."  Readers who are split between cultures can compare how they feel to Lou.  When Lou compares her grandparents from both sides of her family she says, "I never knew the difference between my white grandpa and my brown one because they loved me the same." Readers can discuss differences between their family members.  Lou describes her White and Filipina features noting that she doesn't look like her mom but "Mom knows that inside, I'm just as Filipina as she is.  We connect with each other no matter how different we look."  Readers can consider to whom they feel most connected in their lives.  Lou also compares her experiences when eating meals at non-Filipino households.  Readers can share about times when they were exposed to cultures outside of their own.

I enjoyed this story in many ways.   I learned about the Barrio Fiesta and how homes in the Philippines could be moved if flooding were to occur.  Readers can learn about the trials that immigrants endure when moving to the U.S.  I loved Respicio's description of the foods, dancing, and community in the story.  It reminded me of my own Persian community of ex-Pats growing up in Kansas.  

Readers will want to stick with Lou all the way to the end to find out if she ends up building her tiny dream home or if she has to follow her dad's advice she read in his journal, that "sometimes plans change."

Readers can also explore the Tiny House Movement and design their own as an extension idea.  

She has a strong outlook and jumps over the hurdles the adults put in her way.  My favorite line is when she says, "Sure, I'm only 13 but my ideas matter."  When I taught middle school students, this was the feeling that students said frustrated them the most, that they weren't being heard.  Readers can share what is important to them, just like Lou.