The Year I Flew Away: Haitian voices of magical realism

 The Year I Flew Away is a middle grade historical fiction novel by Marie Arnold.  In it the reader meets 10 year old Gabrielle who lives in Haiti with her family but she is sent to Brooklyn to start a new life with her uncle's family until hers can join them in the U.S.  Life is hard for Gabrielle in New York.  She faces bullying for not speaking English.When a witch offers her a deal to make her fit in, Gabrielle's desperation wins.  The witch's agreement has a cost and before she takes everything from Gabrielle, a team of people and even a rat, need to put that witch in her place!  A story of identity, racism, family, friendship and new beginnings.   

I enjoyed this story because it is unique to the Haitian culture and experience immigrating to the U.S.  The folklore of the witch and the talking animals, like the rat, are reminiscent of authentic stories from the author's upbringing.  It is also a relatable story to so many readers because they have either been the new kid or have had new kids in their classes at school.  This can help readers empathize with how those students may be feeling and be better equipped with ways to welcome them into school and the community. Teachers and families who want to use this book with their middle grade readers can use the vast amount of resources offered on the  Teaching Books website. 

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:

Infinite Country: a multi-generational saga in less than 200 pages

 

Infinite Country, a young adult and adult novel, by Patricia Engel clocks in at less than 200 pages, but it is a richly told story of a Colombian family whose choices have everlasting effects on future generations.  Engel rotates the point-of-view throughout the story so it is told in a series of present-day snapshots and flashbacks to when their family was started with the union of Elena and Mauro.

The story opens with 15-year Talia's breaking out of a juvenile detention facility in the Andes mountains, "it was her idea to tie up the nun."  Immediately the reader is drawn into the story and curious about all of the events that led to that point.  Thankfully, Engel reveals just enough information through each character's chapters so it slowly trickles out, piece by piece.  Talia's crime was justified in her mind yet "Talia considered how people who do horrible things can be victims, and how victims can be people who do horrible things."  Readers can discuss if this is true and when history has done this for various people.  Does this still happen today?

As the story moves forward the reader learns that "Talia's mother was abroad and sent Talia to Columbia when she was a baby but this story was so common it couldn't possibly be considered trauma."  The choice that Elena makes resonates with everyone in the family.  Readers can discuss if this is truly traumatic and in what way?  Engel continues to divulge more of the how and why behind Elena's decision and the way it is revealed through the different characters' chapters makes it most heart-wrenching to read.  

"People say drugs and alcohol are the greatest and most persuasive narcotics--the elements most likely to ruin a life.  They're wrong. It's love."  Engel drops this incredibly deep thought in the middle of the story as Mauro is dipping in and out of sobriety in his attempt to deal with the splitting up of his family.  Readers can talk about addiction and the ways in which love drives people to do the unthinkable.  How does Elena and Mauro's love story ruin lives? Did it ruin their own, their children's, Elena's mother's, or all of theirs, or none of theirs?

Another aspect of this novel that is especially meaningful is the idea of dual-identity that immigrants continually must grapple with on a daily basis.  Elena thinks, "when you leave one country for another, nobody tells you years will bleed together like rain on newsprint.  One year becomes five and five years becomes ten. Ten years become fifteen."  Even over the course of many years in another country, immigrants hope to one day return, but in this story, Elena cannot just visit Columbia since her status is undocumented.  Her family in the U.S. must straddle the awkward rope of trying to fit-in while not standing out and attracting the attention of authorities.  Readers can discuss the stress of living this way.  What are the drawbacks of this life for Elena and her children?  What are the benefits? Which outweighs the other?

Elena and Mauro's children's perspective are told in vastly different ways. Talia, the youngest, is in Colombia with her father and her side of the story is the first the reader learns.  Karina, the first-born, is in the U.S. with her mother and younger brother, who was born in the U.S. so his experience contrasts to hers.  She has to go to great lengths to wrap her mind around half of her family being in another country. A country that she is a citizen of but will never live in, unless she is found and deported by ICE.  Nando, the only son of the family is bullied incessantly but he keeps it all to himself.  Nando and Karina's perspectives are ones that readers can discuss. Who has it better?  

Elena "blamed herself for displacing her own children, especially her girls.  Karina and Talia, binational, each born in one country and raised in another like repotted flowers, creatures forced to live in the wrong habitat."  Mauro's upbringing, what he teaches Talia in terms of folklore and native Columbian stories, weaves its way through the story.  Engel beautifully uses the stories of the serpent, princesses, jaguar and condors to reflect what is happening to the family.  Readers can try to find the parallels in these mentions. Which family member fits each animal's role?

Overall, this story leaves the reader with hope, want for action on current immigration policies in the U.S., and more empathy towards immigrant stories.  Engel's Columbian background adds authenticity to every layer and is a must-read for any young adult and adult. 

We are home: A Pho Love Story

 A Pho Love Story is a young adult, romance debut novel by Loan Le, about rival Vietnamese restaurants in L.A. whose owners have a long history of animosity and competition. Imagine the mess that ensues when their high school seniors, Bao and Linh, become partners for a school project and end up falling for each other!  This is an important story about how family and cultural pressure can influence the children of immigrants.  Rather than communicate their needs and wants, immigrant children often go-with-the-flow and end up stressed.  A Pho Love Story is a richly layered story full of humor, bonds, love and hope.  It resonates strongly with people who straddle dual cultures and don't want to let anyone down, including themselves.

As a teacher, librarian, and parent, I would use this book to discuss many topics with readers. Starting with the main characters, Bao and Linh, whose point of view changes with every-other-chapter.  Bao accuses Linh of being a liar because she isn't forthcoming with her family about her true passion of painting.  Readers can take a side and debate who is in the right and wrong in this situation.  

Another topic for discussion is how Bao and Linh go about their romance.  At first they hesitate to partner up because for their entire lives they were told by their families that it was taboo to associate with the other.  Despite their apprehension over being seen by someone in their community circle they embark on a friendship which grows into a romance.  Do readers agree with how the events unfolded?  Were there any times when they could've come clean with their families?

I just loved the friendship between Bao and Linh.  The more time they spent together the more they discover all that they had in common: they both recognize their Vietnamese culture along with the pressure to make their families proud.  It is unique to live in America where, as the children of immigrants, they are exposed to more avenues and opportunities than their parents.  Communicating this with their parents is difficult because their parents are unknowledgeable about how these experiences lead to future success.  Readers can talk about anyone in their life whom they feel like can understand them and their background.  

As the child of immigrants myself, I connected to this story especially when Linh was looking at old photographs of her parents from Vietnam.  She notices how happy and idyllic the scenes are and thinks, "It seems impossible to think that outside the frame of this photo, the country they knew was changing rapidly.  And yet here they were: joyful."  It would be interesting to pose this question of what is happening outside of the frame when looking at photos as primary sources with students.  Although countries go through so much change that their citizens are pushed or pulled to emigrate, the constant that they feel is family, cherished moments and unforgettable memories.  This is universal.  Which is what hurts when in the story there is a racist posting online with the person telling those in Little Saigon, "go home!"  Bao responds by writing an op-ed titled, "We Are Home".  His message is that immigrants are real people with a past that needs to be listened to in order to understand why they would leave their homes in order to make a better life here.  In the wake of the anti-Asian hate-crimes on the rise recently, his writing hits hard.

Le also captures what it is like when your secrets are revealed to your parents.  When the truth is out and you have to deal with the shame that stems from disappointing them, but also the other side of the feeling that what you did and hid from them was something that felt perfectly natural to you.  Linh calls the aftermath of her parents finding out as, "Terse. Cold. Punishing."  Readers can talk about times when they kept secrets from their loved ones or friends.  What was keeping them from being honest? Did they find ways to get through it? 

The most uplifting part of this whole story is the network of support that Bao and Linh have through their friends, teachers, neighbors, and family members who see their struggles and encourage them.  Like when Linh's aunt says to her, "Be the brave, honest person I know you are."  Readers can name people in their lives who provide this advice and kindness to them.  Maybe they are that support system to others in their lives.  Why is it important to form and nurture these relationships?

All in all, I absolutely loved this book. I'd recommend it, even to adults, because it has universal themes and good knowledge to bestow about Vietnamese history, food, language, and culture as a whole.  For example, how to pronounce PHO: it rhymes with, "huh?" Thank you, Loan!  I had never read a book with Vietnamese characters that I can recall and I cannot wait to read more from this amazing author.

Poetry Month: 25 middle grade novels-in-verse

 April is National Poetry Month but we really celebrate the art of language all year long.  Stories that are told through verse are interesting ways to read, reflect, and listen to narratives.  Our students find that reading a novel-in-verse is another experience in reading in that it often goes by quickly and they are tempted to go back and re-read lines and phrases that stick out to them.  

All of these books listed below would be ideal for book clubs or just for reading and reflecting on one's own. From historical fiction, to biographies, realistic fiction, memoirs, immigration, religion, refugees, family, friendships, sports, school, bullying, identity and travel, these stories below have something for everyone.  

Novels-in-Verse

Unbound and All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg

Solo, Swing, The Crossover, Booked, Rebound by Kwame Alexander

Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Rhyme Schemer by K.A. Holt

Becoming Muhammad Ali by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander

Love, Love by Victoria Chang

Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar

Before the Ever After , Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Love That Dog, Hate That Cat by Sharon Creech

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz and Robert Byrd

Planet Middle School by Nikki Grimes

Keeping the Night Watch by Hope Anita Smith and E.B. Lewis

42 Miles by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer and Elaine Clayton

Diamond Willow by Helen Frost

Lifeboat 12: Based on a True Story by Susan Hood

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy

Gone Fishing by Tamera Will Wissinger and Matthew Cordell

Shanghai Messenger by Andrea Cheng and Ed Young

Prairie Lotus: a Chinese-American perspective

 Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park is a historical fiction novel perfect for 3rd graders and up.  

This story is told through the 14 year-old character, Hannah.  She has been traveling on a wagon with her father for the last three years, after her mother's death.  They are on the emerging trails from California, moving eastward towards the Dakota Territory.  The white townsfolk are prejudice towards Hannah because she is half-Chinese and half-white.  Although she has never been to school, Hannah excels in her studies and makes a few friends.  Despite her success in school, she is unsure of her future in such a racist community.  Thankfully, her talents for sewing and dress-making offer a hopeful venture that will allow her to be an independent and respected person in the community.  Will the townspeople get over their suspicions and accept Hannah and her father?  

Park explores many topics that are important for the discussion of U.S. History:  immigration, the treatment of Indigenous people, racism, settling into towns, early education, gender roles, and a different view of "Westward Expansion" than is presented in textbooks and other children's stories.  As a teacher and librarian, this book is ideal for exploring how Indigenous people were treated, along with immigrants.  Women's gender roles are also a good topic that are shown in this story.  In what ways does Hannah fulfill her duties and how does she challenge what society dictates as her place in the world?

Here is an audiobook sample to listen to and share with readers.

Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle: an #OwnVoices coming of age story

 

Ana Maria Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle a debut novel by Hilda Eunice Burgos is a middle-grades chapter book with lots of heart and drama.  6th grader Ana Maria is determined to earn a scholarship to attend the prestigious Eleanor School in NYC.  If she can perform piano at Lincoln Center she will be sure to be considered.  But when her parents announce to her and siblings that they are having another baby, all Ana Maria can think is how it's going to negatively affect their already-cramped apartment and life in Washington Heights.  After a trip to the Dominican Republic for her aunt's wedding, Ana Maria begins to change her outlook and be more mindful of her friends and family's needs.  

As a librarian and teacher, I would use this book with my students. She is going through a lot of identity issues which students can relate to and understand.  The fact that her parents are immigrants from the Dominican Republic and are trying to make a better life for their children is another discussion topic to which many students can connect. There is a free Teacher's Guide on the Lee and Low website that supports discussion questions and extension ideas to go along with this book. Students will enjoy the book trailer below:

#ILA Reads hosted the author, Hilda Eunice Burgos, to have her read aloud one chapter of her book:

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:

 

Almost American Girl: an illustrated memoir

Almost American Girl by Robin Ha is a poignant story on immigration and cultural norms that emotes empathy for anyone who has been made to feel like "the other."

 For 14 years Chun is raised by her mother in Seoul, South Korea. Chun and her mother face prejudice there because of her mother's unwed status.  During the summer Chun's mother announces a surprise trip to Alabama to visit a new friend.  Unbeknownst to Chun, her mother had no intentions to return to Seoul. Chun was blindsided. She didn't like Alabama because she hardly spoke English, had racist classmates, and she wasn't able to say goodbye to her friends back at home. Months of isolation and loneliness caused Chun to doubt her mother's life choices.  With flashbacks that filled in the backstory of Chun and her mother's life, the story moves in a hopeful direction when Chun finds friends in a comic book club.  

This story connects to me as in immigrant because like Chun, I was asked if I wanted to choose an American name to go by in school.  Before my kindergarten enrollment I spent weeks deciding what name would be a part of my identity.  For Chun, it was Robin.  For me, it was Fallon.  Asking a 5 year old or a 14 year old that question is a heavy load for them to process. The choice empowered Chun because it allowed her to start fresh in a new school.

Robin's story also connects to me as a teacher, because I, too, have had students who have immigrated to the United States.  I knew how important it was to build relationships with them and their families.   In the story, Robin has a strong relationship with her English/Language Arts teacher.  They write back and forth in Robin's journal and she encourages Robin to speak up for herself.

Robin was rescued from feeling isolated by reconnecting with her friends in Seoul.  "Even though my friends weren't with me, knowing that they cared gave me strength."  This is the part that truly saves Robin.  She had to feel like herself again before she could be vulnerable to explore her interests in Alabama.  Knowing that her friends back home were rooting for her gave her the confidence to try harder.

Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story): childhood memoir

 Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri is a gripping memoir of his childhood in Oklahoma.  He is only a young child when he leaves his country, Iran, to embark on a journey of survival to finally land in Oklahoma.  He recalls his earliest memories of his life in Iran before moving across the world.  With equal parts humor, nostalgia, stark realism mixed with Persian history and poetry, Nayeri weaves a highly emotional story.  It's definitely for an adult audience with complex themes of abuse, drugs, and religion.  

As an immigrant myself, I am drawn to other immigrants' stories of the push and pull factors that led to relocating in the U.S.  Learning about other people's stories allows me to reconnect to my own.