Land of the Cranes: a migrant's perspective

 

Land of the Cranes, by Aida Salazar, is a novel-in-verse story of immigrants from Mexico that is perfect for 3rd graders and up.  4th grader, Betita lives in east L.A. with her Mami and Papi.  She loves drawing and writing poetry, especially about the legends her Papi tells her about their being descendants of cranes.  When her Papi get detained by I.C.E., Betita and her newly pregnant Mami must find a way to help him. During their attempt they both get detained, too.  Betita is shocked at the freezing cold conditions at the center where they are being held and tries her best to stay positive.  She believes that as her ancestors before her, she will be able to be free once again.  With her Mami's pregnancy in danger, Betita fears that she may lose her Mami and unborn sibling.  A sorrowful story of a real problem that if affecting this country.

As a librarian and teacher I would use this story with students.  We would discuss what it means to file for asylum and look at real life cases where this happens.  

This book would pair well with the picture book, Hear My Voice, set for release on April 13, 2021:

 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team: how did they do that?

 

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat is a riveting, non-fiction account of the teamwork and scientific knowledge that went into saving the thirteen lives that were trapped underground.

We all heard the news coming out of Thailand in June 2018 when the boys' soccer team was trapped in the flooded caves with no way out.  We also know that every single member of that team made it out alive.  This leads to the inevitable question: HOW?  

Soontornvat happened to be visiting her family in Thailand while this event was unfolding.  She returned to the area to interview the people who were there and tour the land where this took place.  The mountain itself played an important role in the story.  Soontornvat examines the science of the caves, how they form and how rainfall during an unexpected time trapped the soccer team beneath the earth.

Other factors played a role in the rescue efforts.  Buddhism and meditation helped the boys and their coach survive the isolation. The political situation in Thailand and Myanmar and the "stateless people" was also explained since the coach and two team members were considered without a country.  This drew a spotlight to this issue in the region and they were granted Thai citizenship afterwards.  

Soontornvat describes all of the experts involved in the rescue.  From the Cave Man to military strategists, engineers, and cave diving experts who all flew in to help in getting everyone out.  She also highlights the numerous volunteers that gave their time to ensure everyone getting what they need to rescue the team.

The most suspenseful part of the story is when the Governor was finally convinced to allow a dangerous plan to get the team out and move forward.  I knew that the team was unconscious when they were taken out of the caves, but logistically, I had no clue what that entailed.  My daughter was surprised to learn that the boys' classmates volunteered to test out the diving gear before it was used in the rescue.

The saddest part was to find out that one of the volunteer cave divers lost his life during the rescue efforts.  The book is dedicated to him.  When the boys' team was recovering from their time in the cave, they learned of his passing and it affected them greatly.  

Of course the details of being trapped underground for so long were also revealed.  How did they survive without food, bathrooms, sunlight, a place to rest?

Overall this is a story of community, determination, and heroic cooperation.  For readers this book leads to numerous topics for further study and discussion: science, diving, nutrition, brain function, politics, etc. Soontornvat's website provides additional resources for readers and a discussion guide for adults.