Sunday, July 31, 2011

Culture 6 Inclusive Lit. – reaching for sun
















BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn. 2007. reaching for sun. ill. Shadra Strickland. New York, NY: Bloomsbury U. S. A. Children's Books. ISBN-10: 159990378 ISBN-13: 9781599900377

PLOT SUMMARY
This is a story about a 13 year-old girl, just like any young girl you would know. She fights with her mother, likes the new boy, loves her grandmother, and deals with popular girls who are mean to her. Normal everyday life except Josie has cerebral palsy. reaching for sun is told by seasons – winter, spring, summer and fall through verse poetry. A wonderful story!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
reaching for sun is divided into four sections based on the seasons of the year. Beginning with winter and ending with fall. School is a hard time especially if you have challenges that cause the other students to look at you differently. Josie is a normal girl who has cerebral palsy.

tomatoes

With my odd walk
and slow speech
everyone knows
I’ve got special ed,
but if I wait
until the hall clears,

taunts like tomatoes
don’t splatter
the back of my head.
(Zimmer pg. 4)

The author’s use of symbolism truly paints a picture of how Josie must feel. The description in the poem points out the cultural markers of having a disability. Other cultural markers include special education, OT (occupational therapy), physical therapy, speech therapy, deformity of her hand, slow walk and she has to wear a splint. Josie lives on the family farm that has been in her grandmother’s family for years but her mother wanted to go to college so her grandmother sold off the farm in pieces to pay for college. Her mother is never home, with school and working. She never knew her dad because he left very early in her life. Her grandmother is the principle adult in her life and she loves her very much. Her grandmother’s love of gardening and plants is also a love of Josie’s. She works with her grandmother in the gardens and is learning so much about the plants. Tracie Vaughn Zimmer uses the plants in describing how Josie feels. I was impressed with the comparison of the plants to Josie. Josie’s mother signs her up for therapy classes in the summer and she is truly upset about having to spend her summer with therapy classes. The book clearly portrays the feelings that Josie experiences. Here is a quote that uses the symbolism of the plants to describe how she feels.

wildflower mix

Summer’s not far away—
I dream of
sleeping in late
with no nagging from Mom
for ten whole weeks.

But without asking,
Mom registered me
for a summer clinic
so speech and occupational therapist
can test their latest methods
on me.

But I’m sick of spending
all my time working
on what’s wrong
with me.
I don’t want to be
pruned or pinched back like
a wilting petunia.
(Zimmer pg. 80)

These are all stresses that Josie deals with on top of her cerebral palsy. The bright spot of her life was when the new boy, Jordon, moved in close to her property. He didn’t care that she has cerebral palsy and is the best friend she has had, not to mention that she has a crush on him. He is a science geek and includes her in his experiments, which she loves. Summer arrives and Jordon is going to a science camp and Josie has her therapy camp. Angry that Jordon will be gone, not wanting to spend the summer in therapy; Josie lies to her grandmother and mother and doesn’t go. She does get caught up in lies and has to make amends with her mother. Her grandmother suffers a stroke and this tragedy brings Josie and her mother back together.

This is a wonderful book of free verse poems that are easy and quick to read. Girls and boys will enjoy this story and see into the life of someone their age who feels the same way they do, experiencing the same dreams, and emotions, while also dealing with a disability. Josie grows and thrives like the plants into a young woman, with more confidence and fortitude concerning her challenges in her life. A book to recommend to all junior high students and up.

The right hand corner of the first page has a small seedling drawn in the corner. As the book progresses and Josie begins to build her confidence the seedling changes into a flower that grows with Josie to the end of the book. I like the imagery of the flower compared to the young lady that Josie becomes.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up—Josie, a girl with cerebral palsy, lives on the shrinking farmland owned by her family for generations and now being sold to developers. Her mother works and attends college and her grandmother tends her diminished patch of land. The story is told in the seventh-grader's voice in a series of free-verse poems. She is a bright and wry narrator, acutely aware of her limitations and her strengths. When Jordan, wealthy but neglected by his widowed father, moves into a mansion behind her farmhouse, they discover a common love of nature and science, and Josie finally has a real friend. She and her grandmother are both passionate about plants and gardening, and Zimmer does a nice job integrating botanical images throughout the novel. Josie feels like a "dandelion in a purple petunia patch" and thinks, "I must be a real disappointment—/stunted foliage,/no yield." Through growing maturity and Granny's wisdom, she gains confidence in herself. Reaching for Sun will have wide appeal for readers of diverse ability. Reluctant readers will be attracted to the seeming simplicity of the text, with short chapters and lots of white space on the page. They may not even realize that they are reading poetry. More sophisticated readers will find added enjoyment as they begin to appreciate the poetic structure and imagery. Readers of all levels will enjoy spending time with Josie and may gain an increased awareness of what it's like to live with a disability.—Nancy Brown, Fox Lane High School, Bedford, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
As if seventh grade weren't enough of a challenge for anyone, Josie also struggles with cerebral palsy, social isolation, a mom she needs more time and support from, and monster bulldozers that are carving up the countryside to build huge homes around her family's old farmhouse. Enter new neighbor Jordan, a sensitive kid whose geeky, science-loving ways bring a fun spirit of discovery into Josie's days. He melds with her and her family, especially the warm and wise Gram, and the friends create a kind of magic as they conduct all kinds of plant and pond experiments. Further challenges face Josie when Gram becomes ill and Jordan goes off to camp. Then, risking her mom's wrath, Josie secretly ditches her hated therapy sessions; when mother and daughter eventually reconcile, Josie emerges from her rough patch in a believable and transforming way. Written in verse, this quick-reading, appealing story will capture readers' hearts with its winsome heroine and affecting situations. Anne O'Malley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

AWARDS/HONORS
Schneider Family Book Award Winner

CONNECTIONS

This book would be excellent to use to talk about disabilities with students in middle school or high school. Check out Tracie Vaughn Zimmer’s Website. She offers excellent lesson plans, discussion guides and book club guides for your classroom or library!
http://www.tracievaughnzimmer.com/

Other books by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer:
42 Miles ISBN 9780618618675
Sketches form a Spy Tree ISBN 9780618234790

Other books about children with disabilities:
Helfman, Elizabeth. Oh Being Sarah. ISBN 9780807560686
Myers, Anna. Hoggee. ISBN 9780802789266
Slepian, Jan. The Alfred Summer. ISBN 9780399237478

Culture 6 Inclusive Lit. – Ask Me No Questions
















BIBLIOGRAPHY
Budhos, Marina. 2006. Ask Me No Questions. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.ISBN-10: 1416949208 ISBN-13: 978-1416949206

PLOT SUMMARY
Ask Me No Questions is about Nadira and her family, who immigrated from Bangladesh, India to New York City when she was very young. After the 911 terrorist bombing the Hossain family is going to Canada to seek asylum. Nadira’s father is detained at the border due to his expired visa. Her mother decides to stay close to her father. Nadira, 14 and her sister, Aisha, 17 go back to New York and are to continue with their lives as if everything is the same. Nadira’s older sister Aisha falls apart (always the responsible one) and the teachers at Flushing High don’t “ask any questions”, but nothing matters to Aisha anymore, including her goal to go to college. Nadira finds the courage to be the strong one of the family and works to bring her family back together.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Ask Me No Questions is a fictional story, but deals with the harsh reality of being immigrants in America, especially if your visas are expired. If this isn’t bad enough, add being Muslim during the 911 terrorist attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. This is the story of a family from Bangladesh, India who has been living in America for several years. Nadira and her sister Aisha have a life here and Aisha is planning on applying to go to college when she graduates. The story beings with “WE DRIVE AS IF IN A DREAM.” pg. 1, because everything changes when the attack occurs and the family flees to the Canadian border hoping for asylum. Unfortunately, her father is arrested at the border, her mother decides to stay to be close to her husband, and the girls are sent back to New York City. Aisha who is the oldest and was very strong loses her confidence and can’t seem to cope with the stress. Nadira who is 14 and somewhat insecure finds the courage and strength to do what needs to be done in keeping the family together.

Marina Budhos provides many cultural markers of Middle Eastern heritage. The names really speak of India’s culture with Nadira, Aisha, Taslima (Nadira’s cousin), Naseem (Nadira’s uncle), Ali (family friend), their surname Hossain, Nadira calling her father Abba, Tareq, Mr. Rashid, Amed, Tagore and Allah. The physical characteristics include the brown skin, dark eyes and dark hair. Clothing is mentioned with descriptions of a kurta and shalwar kamees or saria,, bangle bracelets and their hair in long braids. There are also many Bengali word references such as doodh –cha (milky tea), shada-chele (white guy), Mukit Bahini (freedom fighters), mela (a fair) and Pohela Boishakh (Bengali New Year). Her Abba and Ma also told many stories from their home land which talked about their culture and heritage. Here is a saying, “THEY ALWAYS SAY THAT NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS to Bangladeshis – floods, storms, droughts, riots, strikes—we keep going.” Pg. 55.

That quote definitely applies to Nadira in her love for her family and how she will do whatever needs to be done to bring them together again. She changes from an insecure young girl into a courageous, strong and confident young woman as she holds the family together. This is proven when Nadira realized that her father’s last name was spelled incorrectly on his prison papers and the U.S. government was looking for another man with the same name, but spelled Hossein, with an “e” instead of an “a”. She also proved that her father was saving money for her sister’s college fund and not for terrorism.

This is a moving story that deals with an issue that is not as well known to Americans who have never dealt with immigration or being a foreigner in our country. It will appeal to young adults who will be able to relate to Nadira’s struggles as a teenager faced with an overwhelming challenge. The ending is a testament to the strength, courage, love and faith that young people are able to exhibit when faced with challenges.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

From School Library Journal
Grade 7-10-As part of a U.S. government crackdown on illegal immigration after 9/11, Muslim men were required to register with the government and many were arrested because their visas had long-since expired. Families who had lived and worked in this country were suddenly and forcibly reminded of their illegal status without any likelihood of changing it. For 18-year-old Aisha Hossain, this means the end of her dream of going to college to become a doctor. For 14-year-old Nadira, her younger sister and the story's narrator, it means coming out from behind the shadow of her perfect older sister to reveal her own strength and find a way to reunite her nearly shattered family. Immigrants from Bangladesh, the Hossains have lived illegally in New York for years, their visa requests handled by a series of dishonest or incompetent lawyers and mired in the tortuous process of bureaucratic red tape. Following their father's arrest and detention, the teens put together the documentation and make a case that requires the judges to see them as individuals rather than terror suspects. The author explains their situation well, but the effect is more informational than fiction. Nadira and Aisha are clearly drawn characters, but they don't quite come alive, and their Bangladeshi-American background is more a backdrop than a way of life. Still, this is an important facet of the American immigrant experience, worthy of wider attention.-Kathleen Isaacs, Towson University, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. What is it like to be an illegal alien in New York now? In a moving first-person, present-tense narrative, Nadira, 14, relates how her family left Bangladesh, came to the U. S. on a tourist visa, and stayed long after the visa expired ("Everyone does it. You buy a fake social security number for a few hundred dollars and then you can work."). Their illegal status is discovered, however, following 9/11, when immigration regulations are tightened. When the family hurriedly seeks asylum in Canada, they are turned back, and Nadira's father, Abba, is detained because his passport is no longer valid. The secrets are dramatic ("Go to school. Never let anyone know. Never."), and so are the family dynamics, especially Nadira's furious envy of her gifted older sister, Aisha. But Aisha breaks down, and Nadira must take over the struggle to get Abba out of detention and prevent the family's deportation. The teen voice is wonderfully immediate, revealing Nadira's mixed-up feelings as well as the diversity in her family and in the Muslim community. There's also a real drama that builds to a tense climax: Did Abba give funds to a political organization? Where has the money gone? Will Immigration hear his appeal? The answer is a surprise that grows organically from the family's story. Readers will feel the heartbreak, prejudice, kindness, and fear. Add this to the titles in "New Immigration Materials"^B in the August 2005 issue's Spotlight on Immigration. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

AWARDS/HONORS
Winner, Inaugural James Cook Teen Book Award
ALA Best Book for Young Adults & Notable Children’s Award
Kirkus Reviews Best Children’s Book
Booklist Editor’s Choice
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best
Bank Street Best Books of the Year
CBC/NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
Garden State Teen Book Award Nominee (NJ)
James Cook Teen Book Award Inaugural Winner
Kirkus Editor's Choice
Nutmeg Book Award Finalist (CT)
Nutmeg Children's Book Award Nominee (CT)
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice

CONNECTIONS
This will be a great book for collaboration with the Language Arts and Social Studies teachers to introduce a study on the people and culture of Bangladesh and the backlash on Middle Easterners after the 9/11 attacks. Immigration, illegal aliens and the problems they face trying to enter our country and establish citizenship. Racial tensions, women’s rights, religion, terrorism and prejudice could also be incorporated in the discussions.

Author Website:
http://www.marinabudhos.com/

Other Books by Marina Budhos:
House of Waiting ISBN 9780964129221
The Professor of Light ISBN 9780399144738
Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers ISBN 9781556356100

Culture 6 Inclusive Lit. – In Our Mothers’ House













BIBLIOGRAPHY
Polacco, Patricia. 2009. In Our Mothers’ House. New York, NY: Philomel Books. ISBN-10: 039925076X ISBN-13: 978-0399250767

PLOT SUMMARY
In Our Mothers’ House is about Marmee, Meema and three adopted children. This is a family with two moms and no father. They live in a beautiful home, do lots of fun activities, and love each other very much in acceptance in who they are. Both of the moms work and are very active in the community neighborhood. This story is told by the oldest daughter and tells of their “big old brown shingle house on Woolsey Street in Berkeley, California”, appreciating how wonderful her life is, as well as that of her brother Will and her sister Millie. A feel good story!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
“When my mothers told me about how they brought me home to live with them shortly after I was born, their eyes would shine and glisten and they’d grin from ear to ear.
They told me how they had walked across dry hot deserts, sailed through turbulent seas, flew over tall mountains and trekked through fierce storms just to bring me home.” Pg. 1

This story is told through the oldest daughter’s memories and never mentions her name. Every memory she talks about is how wonderful her moms are, the support they give all three of them, and the unconditional love that was given to them.

In Our Mothers’ House is full of cultural makers. The moms are both of Caucasian origin and lesbians. This is a cultural marker for the alternative lifestyle. The children were all of different ethnic backgrounds. The oldest daughter is African American with black skin, dark eyes and curly black hair. Will is of Asian American culture with straight black hair, slanted, dark eyes and yellowish-tan skin. Millie is Caucasian with red hair and white skin. The neighborhood in which they live is a multicultural, diverse group, including the mention of different ethnic foods. The moms organized a block party and here are the neighbors and the foods they brought:

“So the Mardicians brought stuffed grape leaves and ground lamb. The Polos brought spanakopita and Greek salads. The Abdullas brought hummus and tabouli. Nonno (their Italian grandfather) made a huge pot of spaghetti and fried schnitzel. The Yamagakis brought sushi, which I liked a lot. But Meema passed it up for fried clams and crawdads and corn on the cob, which the Barbers had made.” Pgs. 29-30

The cultural markers were apparent in the neighbors, by the color of their skin, hair styles and color, facial hair, and clothing. The only negative aspect was the neighbor, Mrs. Lockner, who did not agree with the moms’ lifestyle and was very vocal about her feelings. She wouldn’t let her children play with the children or participate in any of the neighborhood parties, because of her feelings about the moms’ alternative lifestyle. This presented the opportunity to talk about how it is okay to be different.

The narrator makes it very apparent how loving their moms were, even though they lived an alternative lifestyle. “From the day we entered our mothers’ house, they prepared us for the day that we would leave it.” Pg. 37 Leave they did, with the oldest going to medical school, Will becoming an engineer, and Millie a fashion designer. They all came home to be married in the garden under the tree house they built called Thistle House. She leaves us with a wonderful ending as her moms have grown old and passed away.

“We watched our mothers grow old together in that house. The passed away within a year of each other. Will, Millie, and I placed them together in a green hillside overlooking the bay very near the place where they pledged their love to each other so many years ago.” Pg. 41

A wonderful book for children who live in a gay/lesbian household. This is also a great story on multicultural families living together in harmony, as it should be.

Patricia Polacco is not only the author, but the illustrator as well. Her pictures capture the love that these moms feel for their children and the children’s faces are wonderful studies of true happiness. The colors and the diverse mix of families will delight anyone reading this book. The illustrations are rendered in pencils and markers. The text is set in 16-point Adobe Jenson.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Grade 1–4—This gem of a book illustrates how love makes a family, even if it's not a traditional one. The narrator, a black girl, describes how her two Caucasian mothers, Marmee and Meema, adopted her, her Asian brother, and her red-headed sister. She tells about the wonderful times they have growing up in Berkeley, CA. With their large extended family and friends, they celebrate Halloween with homemade costumes, build a tree house, organize a neighborhood block party, and host a mother-daughter tea party. The narrator continually reinforces the affectionate feelings among her mothers and siblings, and the illustrations depict numerous scenes of smiling people having a grand time. Most of the neighbors are supportive, except for one woman who tells Marmee and Meema, "I don't appreciate what you two are." Eventually, the children grow up, marry heterosexual spouses, and return home to visit their aged parents with their own children. Is this an idealized vision of a how a gay couple can be accepted by their family and community? Absolutely. But the story serves as a model of inclusiveness for children who have same-sex parents, as well as for children who may have questions about a "different" family in their neighborhood. A lovely book that can help youngsters better understand their world.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
The oldest of three adopted children recalls her childhood with mothers Marmee and Meema, as they raised their African American daughter, Asian American son, and Caucasian daughter in a lively, supportive neighborhood. Filled with recollections of family holidays, rituals, and special moments, each memory reveals loving insight. At a school mother-daughter tea, for instance, the mothers make their first ever appearance in dresses. The narrator recalls, “My heart still skips a beat when I think of the two of them trying so hard to please us.” Only a crabby neighbor keeps her children away from their family. Meema explains, “She’s afraid of what she cannot understand: she doesn’t understand us.” The energetic illustrations in pencil and marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem with family activities and neighborhood festivity. Quieter moments radiate the love the mothers feel for their children and for each other. Similar in spirit to the author’s Chicken Sunday, this portrait of a loving family celebrates differences, too. Pair this with Arnold Adoff’s Black Is Brown Is Tan (2002), Toyomi Igus’ Two Mrs. Gibsons (1996), or Natasha Wing’s Jalapeno Bagels (1996) for portraits of family diversity. Grades 1-4. --Linda Perkins

AWARDS/HONORS
No awards for this book.
Awards Page from her Website
1988 Sydney Taylor Book Award
The Keeping Quilt
1989 International Reading Association Award
Rechenka’s Eggs
March 10th 1990 Santa Clara Reading Council
Author’s Hall of Fame
Commonwealth Club of California
Recognition of Excellence
1990 Babushka’s Doll
1992 Chicken Sunday Nov. 14th 1992
1992 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators
Golden Kite Award for Illustration
Chicken Sunday
1992 Boston Area Educators for Social Responsibility
Children’s Literature and Social Responsibility Award
Nov. 9th 1993 Jane Adams Peace Asoc. and Women’s Intl. League
for Peace and Freedom
Honor award to Mrs. Katz and Tush for its effective contribution to peace and social justice.
Parent’s Choice Honors
1991 Some Birthday
1997 Video/ Dream Keeper
1998 Thank You Mr. Falker
1996 North Dakota Library Association Children’s Book Award
My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother
1996 Jo Osborne Award
For Humor in Children’s Literature
1997 Missouri Association of School Librarians
Show Me Readers Award for My Rotten Red Headed Older Brother
1997 West Virginia Children’s Book Award
Pink and Say
1998 Mid -South Independent Booksellers for Children
Humpty Dumpty Award

CONNECTIONS

This book is great for discussions about adoption, multicultural families and alternative parenting lifestyles.

Patricia Polacco Website – visit her Website for activities, coloring pages, bookmarkers, etc. for her other books.
http://www.patriciapolacco.com/index.htm

Other Works by Patricia Polacco:
Chicken Sunday ISBN: 9780399221330
Emma Kate ISBN: 9780399244520
The Graves Family ISBN: 9780399240348
Pink and Say ISBN: 9780399226717
Thank You, Mr. Faulkner ISBN: 9780399231667

Other books about families with gay/lesbian parents:
Newman, Lesléa. Mommy, Mama, and Me. ISBN: 9781582462639
Newman, Lesléa. Heather Has Two Mommies. ISBN: 9781593501365
Newman, Lesléa. Daddy, Pappa, and Me. ISBN: 9781582462622
Simon, Norma. All Families are Special. ISBN: 9780807521755
Parr, Todd. It’s Okay to Be Different. ISBN: 9780316043472

Monday, July 25, 2011

Culture 5 Asian Pacific American Lit. – Where the Mountain Meets the Moon















BIBLIOGRAPHY

Lin, Grace. 2009. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN: 978-0-316-11427-1

PLOT SUMMARY

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a story of a very poor family – Minli, her father (Ba) and her mother (Ma) - who work planting rice in the valley of Fruitless Mountain. This area is without color and everything is a drab brown. Minli loves hearing the stories her father tells her, but her mother says it is a waste of time. The stories help to relieve the boredom of the same day-to-day work. Ba tells her the story of the Old Man of the Moon, who can tell your future and might be able to change your fortune. Minli decides to go and ask the Old Man of the Moon to change her family’s fortune. The adventure begins with courage, faith and love of family. A must read. Enjoy!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is a wonderful story of family love and adventure that all readers will enjoy. The story has family, family problems, faith, talking goldfish, dragons, a king, a boy with a buffalo, crazy monkeys, talking rabbit, friendships made along the way, life lessons, courage, wishes granted and fortunes found – who could ask for any more in a story?

I originally listened to this book on audio CD’s read by Janet Song. She did an amazing job of making the story come alive and through the words of Grace Lin, the author, painting wonderful pictures in my mind. The cultural markers were evident in the descriptions of the clothing, food, names and homes. To be able to describe the cultural makers with clarity I also read the book. Grace Lin is a wonderful author and illustrator. The pictures of the characters definitely showed Chinese markers with black hair, round faces, almond eyes, clothing and work shoes. The clothing showed the loose pajama style working class with some of the women wearing kimonos. Hair styles showed the men with their long braid tied up in a knot on the back of their head and the mustache with the pointy, thin beard. The women’s hair also was in buns, covered under scarves while the children had the short pigtails or buns. The upper class was described with all the finery that goes with their stations, including the ornate homes and the exquisite meals truly fit for a king. Bright reds and blues were very prevalent with other colors mixed in. The folktales were interwoven with a plethora of cultural beliefs, fables, dragons, fruits (peaches especially), talking goldfishes, respect for the elders, love of family and more.


Each chapter begins with a small color illustration which gives you a clue as to what the chapter will be like. There are eighteen separate tales in this book, which are stories in themselves. One of my favorites is “The Story of The Dragon’s Pearl” pgs. 225-231. Here are some excerpts –

“Once, a dragon found a large white stone, round and softened by the ocean and wind. As he admired it, it began to shine in his hands. How pretty, he thought, I will make this into a pearl.” Pgs. 225-26 The story goes on with how the dragon worked for years to form this rock into a pearl. When it was finished it was stolen by the Queen Mother, who hid it away, but one evening at her birthday celebration she decided to be boastful and showed it off. It had a beautiful, bright shine to it and so the dragon saw the shine. He argued with the Queen Mother about ownership and she decided to run away with it and she threw it over into the Celestial River.

The dragon began to make movements to dive into the river when the Heavenly Grandfather stopped him. “Leave it there,” he said, “and shame on you both. The pearl should not belong to one being. Do you not see this is where the pearl belongs, where everyone on heaven and earth can see its beauty and enjoy it?”
Both the dragon and the Queen Mother, humbled, nodded and the guests praised the Heavenly Grandfather’s wisdom. And so did the people on earth, for now when they looked up into the sky the moon glowed down upon them. Pgs. 230-231 These extra stories are comprised of some legends and what Grace Lin, the author, wanted to add to her stories.


Grace Lin includes an author’s note at the end of the book explaining where she came up with the ideas for this book. She also discusses how being an Asian American left her unaware of some of her heritage background, even though her mother tried to incorporate it into her life. Later she went to Hong Kong, Taiwan and China to immerse herself into her family culture and heritage. Her beautiful illustrations truly add to the beauty and adventurous story of Minli and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. This book should be introduced and encouraged by all students to read.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 3-6–Living in the shadow of the Fruitless Mountain, Minli and her parents spend their days working in the rice fields, barely growing enough to feed themselves. Every night, Minli's father tells her stories about the Jade Dragon that keeps the mountain bare, the greedy and mean Magistrate Tiger, and the Old Man of the Moon who holds everyone's destiny. Determined to change her family's fortune, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, urged on by a talking goldfish who gives her clues to complete her journey. Along the way she makes new friends including a flightless dragon and an orphan and proves her resourcefulness when she tricks a group of greedy monkeys and gets help from a king. Interwoven with Minli's quest are tales told by her father and by those she meets on the way. While these tales are original to Lin, many characters, settings, and themes are taken from traditional Chinese folklore. The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Minli's determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human.–Jennifer Rothschild, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Oxon Hill, MD
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means “quick thinking,” lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her family. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the true secret to good fortune. Along the way, she finds excitement, danger, humor, magic, and wisdom, and she befriends a flightless dragon, a talking fish, and other companions and helpmates in her quest. With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin’s own full-color drawings open each chapter. Grades 3-6. --Andrew Medlar --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

AWARDS/HONORS
2010 Newbery Honor
NY Times Bestseller (Feb 4th, March 14th 2010)
IndieBound Bestseller
2010 Bank Street College of Education Josette Frank Award
2010 Indies Choice Book Awards Finalist For Middle Reader Book of the Year
Al Roker's TODAY Show Kid's Book Club Pick, December 2009
2010 Mythopeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature
Starred Kirkus Review
Starred School & Library Journal Review
Starred Booklist Review
Booklist Top 10 SF/Fantasy for Youth:2009
2009 Parents' Choice Gold Winner
2010 CCBC Choices List
2010 EB White Read-Aloud Honor Book
2010 Massachusetts Book Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature

CONNECTIONS
Check out Grace Lin's Website:
http://www.gracelin.com/

Grace Lin’s Website has all the activities available for the teacher who uses this book in their classroom. Here are some of the activities available:
ACTIVITY BOOK:

With this ACTIVITY BOOK you can:

•Make a Compass (like Minli!)
•Draw a Dragon (that could come to life)
•Determine the Age of the Dragon (using peach math)
•Map Your Own Connections (with red threads)
•Think About Your Own Answers (with a reading guide)
•Find Symbols in the Story (learn about Chinese symbolism)
•Chinese Lesson (write the Chinese characters for mountain and moon)
•Have a Feast (recipes to enjoy with the book)

Download the ACTIVITY BOOK for all of them!
There are many more activities that are available for download and printing. Please visit her site for these great activities.

Other works by Grace Lin:
The Year of the Dog ISBN: 9780316060028
Dim Sum for Everyone ISBN: 9780440417705
The Red Thread ISBN: 9780807569221
The Year of the Rat ISBN: 9780316114264
Where the Mountain Meets the Moon – Audio book - Read by Janet Song ASIN: B003RBUI42

Culture 5 Asian Pacific American Lit. – Tap Dancing on the Roof Sijo (Poems)











BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda Sue. 2007. Tap Dancing on the Roof Sijo (Poems). Ill. by Istvan Banyi, New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN-10: 0-618-23483-7 ISBN-13: 978-0-618-23483-7

PLOT SUMMARY

Tap Dancing on the Roof Sijo (Poems) is Linda Sue Park first book of Korean poetry. Sijo poems are similar to Haiku but the ending always has humor, irony or a joke for the ending. It is a fun play with words. There are 27 poems with different themes - months, math, school, weather, birds, plants and more. Enjoy!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Sijo poems have been the most popular Korean poetry for over 500 years. Sijo (see-szo or she-szo with the J pronounced as the French pronounce Jacques) was originally sung by Confucian scholars, royal court and the common people. Its cousin, Haiku, has been around for over 1000 years and does not have the flexibility that Sijo offers. With Sijo poetry there isn’t the formality seen in Haiku, allowing the writer to include feelings, emotions, lyrical features (which makes it easy for them to be sung), and they end with a play of words or joking. Sijo has 3 short lines or 6 long lines. Unlike haiku which focuses on nature themes, sijo can be about any theme with the unforeseen twist of the last line.

Here are a couple of fun examples from Linda Sue Park’s book Tap Dancing on the Roof Sijo (Poems):

Tennis

When the professionals play,
it’s like watching a metronome:
Racquet to racquet and back again,
the ball keeps a perfect, steady beat.

When I’m on the court with my friends,
we improvise: jazz, hip-hop.

School Lunch

Each food plopped by tongs of spatula
into its own little space----
square pizza here, square brownie there;
milk carton cube, rectangle tray.

My snack at home after school?
Anything without corners.

I did not see many cultural markers of Korea in this book. Some of the children did have short legs and round heads. There were a couple of children with shaded skin but the eyes were not almond shaped and the pictures were more fun and whimsical. These poems will make you think, especially the mathematical ones. I feel this book is most appropriate for children of ages 8 and up.

Linda Sue Park has written a wonderful book of Sijo poetry for children and adults. Sijo is not usually introduced when teaching a poetry lesson and I feel it should be included, because they are interesting and funny to read. Linda Sue Park explains what Korean sijo poetry is and she gives advice on how to write them. Enjoy, laugh and have fun with these poems.

Istvan Banyai, who illustrated Tap Dancing on the Roof Sijo (Poems), must have had a lot of fun with these pictures. You can feel the laughter, wind blowing the girls hair in October, stretching of the pants in November, and the rest of the poems. Banyai used mostly shades of greys, blacks, whites with a splash of color like lime green or pink. He really captured the whimsical, silly, fun, mathematical, nature, etc. of these fun and witty poems. The illustrations were executed digitally. The text was set in 12.5-point ITC Century Schoolbook Condensed.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

"Fresh and collegial, this offering stands out." Kirkus Reviews, Starred

Banyai's illustrations enhance the collection with an extra element of wit and imaginative freedom.
Horn Book

Park wants readers to try sijo for themselves, and in an extensive author's note she offers history, advice and encouragement.
Publishers Weekly

A smart and appealing introduction to an overlooked poetic form.
School Library Journal, Starred

With this lighthearted collection of her own sijo, the form will take a flying leap into the consciousness of both children and teachers.
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review

AWARDS/HONORS
2008 The Lion and the Unicorn Prize for Excellence in North American Poetry
2008 ALA Notable Book for Children
2007 Book Sense Award Finalist
2007 Horn Book Fanfare Selection
2007 ABC Children's Booksellers Choice Award

CONNECTIONS

Sijo poetry would be a great extension after teaching Haiku poetry. It would be fun to introduce Sijo and then let the students have fun writing their own poems adding their play on words on the last line. Be sure and have the children also illustrate their poems. These would be fun to display around the school or in the library to show Sijo poetry which a lot of people have never heard of.

Linda Sue Park Website
http://www.lspark.com/index.html

Culture 5 Asian Pacific American Lit. – Tea with Milk














BIBLIOGRAPHY
Say, Allen. 1999. Tea with Milk. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0-395-90495-1

PLOT SUMMARY
Tea with Milk is the story of how Allen Say’s mother meets his father. Masako grew up in San Francisco and has just graduated from high school. Her parents are lonely for their home country and decide to move back to Japan. Masako, or May, as she is called by friends in America, is saddened to leave her home and move so far away. Even though May is of Japanese heritage she is faced with obstacles. Her English language helps her get a job and then she meets Joseph, a Japanese man who was educated in an English school in Singapore. They become friends, fall in love, marry and make Japan their home.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Tea with Milk is a wonderful, easy to read, story of a girl who is forced to make major changes in her life and lifestyle. After graduation, her Japanese parents decided to move to their homeland. Masako has only known San Francisco, California as her home. She has just graduated high school and wants to go to college. This move will not only be upsetting, but a cultural change for Masako. Since she doesn’t speak Japanese her parents enroll her in high school again.

Worst of all, Masako had to attend high school all over again. To learn her own language, her mother had said. She could not make friends with any of the other students; they called her gaijin and laughed at her. Gaijin means “foreigner.” (Say, pg.8)

Her parents enroll her in flower arranging, calligraphy, tea ceremony and high school again. She is being prepared to be a proper Japanese wife. She must wear a kimono and her parents have arranged a matchmaker for her. Masako doesn’t want to learn how to arrange flowers or have someone chose a husband for her. She leaves her parents’ home and makes a trip to Osaka, which is a large city. She applies for a job in a large department store and becomes an elevator girl. By chance she hears her supervisor trying to communicate with an English family. Masako is able to help the English family find what they need since she speaks English. Her supervisor changes her job to tour guide of the department store to help people who do not speak Japanese. Masako (May) meets Joseph who was also educated speaking English and they become friends, and fall in love. Joseph tells her that he has been transferred to Yokohama. He knows that May would like to return to San Francisco.

Joseph tells her,
“May, home isn’t a place or a building that’s ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else.”
“You are right”, she said. “I’ll have to make it for myself.”
“What about us?” Joseph said. “We can do it together.”
“Yes,” May said, nodding.
“We can start here. We can adopt this country,” he said.
“One country is as good as another?” May smiled.
“Yes, Joseph, let’s make a home.”
(Say, pg. 30)

This is a story about a young girl who is presented with many challenges. May shows how strong she is by getting a job, blending her Japanese American upbringing with her family’s traditional Japanese heritage and finding the happiness she thought she was losing by moving to Japan. May found Joseph, who also speaks English and drinks his tea with milk and sugar.

Allen Say has presented both cultural markers of American and Japanese by blending them together. The beginning of the book has May eating breakfast of rice, miso soup and plain green tea while her friends have pancakes, muffins, and tea with milk and sugar. May stood on her front porch with the traditional bob haircut and straight bangs of a young Japanese girl with the American flag posted by their front door. The next page shows May, who is now being called Masako, looking very sad in a traditional kimono in her new home in Japan, which is drafty, because of the paper windows. Allen Say now shows how a proper Japanese woman is treated. She must learn flower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremony. Her parents hire a matchmaker to find her the perfect husband. With her upbringing in America it is hard for May, Masako, to embrace her parents traditional homeland. Very unhappy, May, dresses in her brightest American dress and goes to the bus station. The Japanese call her a “gaijin” which means foreigner, which she does feel like. The clothing, hair styles and color, facial features, eye color and shapes, and skin color all define the culture of the people from Japan. May’s new home in Japan has paper windows, wooden benches, modest colors and uncluttered decorations. The business men wear suits which is the same for both American and Japanese cultures. When May is not at work she stills dresses in the American way.

Allen Say, the author is also the illustrator. His pictures of watercolor show the story of his mother and father through a loving son’s eyes. This is a wonderful story and an honoring of his parents story.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
From Publishers Weekly
Say's masterfully executed watercolors tell as much of this story about a young woman's challenging transition from America to Japan as his eloquent, economical prose. Raised near San Francisco, Masako (her American friends called her May) is uprooted after high school when her parents return to their Japanese homeland. In addition to repeating high school to learn Japanese, she must learn the arts of a "proper Japanese lady"Aflower arranging, calligraphy and the tea ceremonyAand is expected to marry well. Declaring "I'd rather have a turtle than a husband," the independent-minded Masako heads for the city of Osaka and gets a job in a department store. With his characteristic subtlety, Say sets off his cultural metaphor from the very start, contrasting the green tea Masako has for breakfast in her home, with the "tea with milk and sugar" she drinks at her friends' houses in America. Later, when she meets a young Japanese businessman who also prefers tea with milk and sugar to green tea, readers will know that she's met her match. Say reveals on the final page that the couple are his parents. Whether the subject is food ("no more pancakes or omelets, fried chicken or spaghetti" in Japan) or the deeper issues of ostracism (her fellow students call Masako "gaijin"Aforeigner) and gender expectations, Say provides gentle insights into human nature as well as East-West cultural differences. His exquisite, spare portraits convey emotions that lie close to the surface and flow easily from page to reader: with views of Masako's slumping posture and mask-like face as she dons her first kimono, or alone in the schoolyard, it's easy to sense her dejection. Through choice words and scrupulously choreographed paintings, Say's story communicates both the heart's yearning for individuality and freedom and how love and friendship can bridge cultural chasms. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 6-Continuing the story he started in Grandfather's Journey (Houghton, 1993), Say explores familiar themes of cultural connection and disconnection. He focuses on his mother Masako, or May, as she prefers to be called, who, after graduating from high school in California, unwillingly moves with her parents to their native Japan. She is homesick for her native country and misses American food. She rebels against her parents, who force her to repeat high school so that she can learn "her own language"; the other students tease her for being "gaijin" or a foreigner. Masako leaves home and obtains a job in a department store in Osaka, a city that reminds her of her beloved San Francisco. Her knowledge of English quickly makes her a valued employee and brings her into contact with her future husband, Joseph, a Japanese man who was educated at an English boarding school in Shanghai. They decide that together they can make a life anywhere, and choose to remain in Japan. Say's many fans will be thrilled to have another episode in his family saga, which he relates with customary grace and elegance. The pages are filled with detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing, and because of the artist's mastery at drawing figures, the people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters. This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own.
Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 6-When her Japanese-born parents leave America for their homeland, an independent girl reluctantly follows and melds her experience and her heritage to find a new meaning for the word "home." This perfect marriage of artwork and text offers readers a window into a different place and time. (May)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
In describing how his parents met, Say continues to explore the ways that differing cultures can harmonize; raised near San Francisco and known as May everywhere except at home, where she is Masako, the child who will grow up to be Say's mother becomes a misfit when her family moves back to Japan. Rebelling against attempts to force her into the mold of a traditional Japanese woman, she leaves for Osaka, finds work as a department store translator, and meets Joseph, a Chinese businessman who not only speaks English, but prefers tea with milk and sugar, and persuades her that ``home isn't a place or a building that's ready-made or waiting for you, in America or anywhere else.'' Painted with characteristic control and restraint, Say's illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress. A stately cousin to Ina R. Friedman's How My Parents Learned To Eat (1984), also illustrated by Say. (Picture book. 7-9) -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

AWARDS/HONORS
Riverbank Review Book of Distinction
Bulletin Blue Ribbon
SLJ Best Book
ALA Notable Book

Other Book Awards
Caldecott Medal, 1994, Grandfather's Journey
Caldecott Honor Book, 1989, The Boy of the Three Year Nap
ALA Notable Children's Book, 1988, The Boy of the Three Year Nap
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award, 1988, The Boy of the Three Year Nap
New York Times Ten Best Illustrated Children's Books, 1988, A River Dream
Christopher Award, 1985, How My Parents Learned to Eat
Horn Book honor list, 1984, How My Parents Learned to Eat
New York Times Best Illustrated award, 1980, The Lucky Yak
ALA Notable Book and Best Book for Young Adults, both 1979, The Inn-Keeper's Apprentice

CONNECTIONS
This a good book for discussing what it feels like to be homesick and a foreigner. The compare/contrasts could be applied not only to America and Japan but with any student who is new to America. This will also lead to discussions on cultural differences and how both cultures can be blended when living in another country.

Other books by Allen Say:
TREE OF CRANES. ISBN: 039552024
GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY. ISBN: 0547076800

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Culture 4 Native American Lit – Crossing Bok Chitto















BIBLIOGRAPHY

Tingle, Tim. 2006. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom. Ill. Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9780938317777

PLOT SUMMARY
Here is a story of a friendship between a young Choctaw girl and a black boy who is a slave. Martha Tom is sent out to gather blueberries by her mother. Not finding any, Marhta Tom, crosses the Bok Chitto river, which is forbidden, and stumbles upon a hidden slave church. This experience will change her life. She makes a new friend, Little Mo, which ultimately leads to the women in Martha Toms’ village helping slaves escape across the river. The law states that once a slave is across Bok Chitto river, he is free and the slave owner could not follow. This is a story of courage, hope and freedom.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDLING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Crossing Bok Chitto is set in Mississippi during the 1800’s before the War Between the States and the Trail of Tears. The Bok Chitto is a river that sets the boundary between the Choctaw land and the plantation owner’s property. The law states that if a slave crosses over the river into the Choctaw land then they are free. This story is about a friendship between two children, one Native American Indian and one African American slave. Crossing Bok Chitto began as a song retelling the story of the Choctaw women helping slaves cross the river to freedom. The Choctaws place rocks under the water forming a hidden walkway. The story goes on to tell how the white people witness seven black spirits, walking on the water – to their freedom.

This story is an excellent book for learning about the Choctaw Indians’ role in helping black slaves escape to freedom. The cultural markers cover both Choctaw Native Americans and African Americans. Martha Tom has the round face with defined cheek bones and almond shaped dark brown eyes. Her hair is black and very long and braided. She is dressed in a simple, long cotton dress with an apron, carrying a basket with Native American designs and traditional moccasins. The women in Martha Tom’s village were shown wearing the traditional wedding ceremony white cotton long dresses with their shiny black hair falling well below their waists. The men were attired in nondescript pants and long sleeved cotton shirts. Their faces were round with the high, defined check bones, some with long braided hair and others with shorter hair. Their moccasins were both the shorter ones and the high calf boots. Here are the elders chanting the Choctaw wedding song:

“Way, hey ya hey ya
You a hey you ay
A hey ya a hey ha!

Way, hey ya hey ya
You a hey you ay
A hey ya a hey ya!”

The African American women were dressed in long cotton dresses in varying colors and they all had scarves covering their hair. The men were in jackets, cotton shirts, pants, boots and had work hats on. The children were all dressed similar to the adults. The facial features were the most prominent cultural marker showing larger noses and heavy features. The hair was cut short for the men and showed the course, curly distinction for African Americans of this timeframe. Some of the African American children were barefoot. The plantation owners showed a little better quality of dresses and the men sported nicer hats. Martha Tom’s village was made up of small log cabins, the African American living quarters were not shown and the plantation home had the large white columns with the long porch including rocking chairs. I felt like the reference to the way to not being noticed - “It’s like you’re invisible. You move not too fast, not too slow, eyes to the ground, away you go” - indicated cultural markers that the African American slaves were looked upon as invisible, not important, so were not noticed.

Crossing Bok Chitto is a great story on how humans from all cultures help each other. This story should be used not only for Native American Indian awareness, but also for studies on African American history and for non-Indians. This is about courage, faith and freedom.

Choctaws Today: Two Prosperous Nations, One Strong People is a short informational page about the Choctaws today including a picture of Choctaws walking a memorial walk on the Trail of Tears at the end of the book.

The author has an extensive note at the end titled A Note on Choctaw Storytelling about his heritage and a wonderful poem. Here is a quote from his note. Tim Tingles says, “We Indians need to continue recounting our past and, from this book, non-Indians might realize the sweet and secret fire that drives the Indian heart. We are proud of who we are. We are determined that our way, shared by many of all races, a way of respect for others and the land we live on, will prevail.”

"As long as our stories are told, we can be Choctaw forever." Tim Tingle
Jeanne Rorex Bridges, a Cherokee, illustrated this book using acrylic pictures that truly capture the heart of the people depicted in this story. The reader is able to feel the emotions portrayed in the faces of the Native Americans and African Americans.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
Booklist starred (April 15, 2006 (Vol. 102, No. 16))
Gr. 2-4. In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results. Set "in the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears," and told in the lulling rhythms of oral history, the tale opens with a Mississippi Choctaw girl who strays across the Bok Chitto River into the world of Southern plantations, where she befriends a slave boy and his family. When trouble comes, the desperate runaways flee to freedom, helped by their own fierce desire (which renders them invisible to their pursuers) and by the Choctaws' secret route across the river. In her first paintings for a picture book, Bridges conveys the humanity and resilience of both peoples in forceful acrylics, frequently centering on dignified figures standing erect before moody landscapes. Sophisticated endnotes about Choctaw history and storytelling traditions don't clarify whether Tingle's tale is original or retold, but this oversight won't affect the story's powerful impact on young readers, especially when presented alongside existing slave-escape fantasies such as Virginia Hamiltons's The People Could Fly0 (2004) and Julius Lester's The Old African 0 (2005).

Library Media Connection (November/December 2006)
Tingle, a superb storyteller, tells a tale of friendship and freedom about the great river, Bok Chitto, that divides two very different worlds prior to the American Civil War. One Sunday morning in preparation for a Choctaw tribal wedding Martha Tom searches for blackberries. Against her mother's instructions, she crosses the deep, brown water on stepping-stones and enters the woods where black slave families gather for worship and celebration. She becomes disoriented and Little Mo, a young slave, guides her through the woods to the banks of Bok Chitto. Together they cross the river to visit the Native American families. This friendship grows until Little Mo's mother is scheduled to be sold. Late that night Martha Tom's community of women lead Little Mo's family across the river's invisible path and down the road to freedom. Through the poetic cadence of oral storytelling and a quiet, yet penetrating voice, Tingle brings this early American tale to print as a strong read- aloud for young or middle level students or for a great quick read for older readers. The language is vividly brought to life through rich earthen-toned illustrations by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. Recommended. Donna Steffan, Director of Library Media, Beaver Dam (Wisconsin) Unified School District

Publishers Weekly (March 13, 2006)
Bridges, a Cherokee artist making her children's book debut, joins Tingle (Walking the Choctaw Road) in a moving and wholly original story about the intersection of cultures. The river Bok Chitto divides the Choctaw nation from the plantations of Mississippi. "If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free," writes Tingle, "The slave owner could not follow. That was the law." But Bok Chitto holds a secret: a rock pathway that lies just below the surface of the water. "Only the Choctaws knew it was there, for the Choctaws had built it," Tingle explains. When a slave boy and his family are befriended by a Choctaw girl, the pathway becomes part of an ingenious plan that enables the slaves to cross the river to freedom-in plain view of a band of slave hunters during a full moon. Bridges creates mural-like paintings with a rock-solid spirituality and stripped-down graphic sensibility, the ideal match for the down-to-earth cadences and poetic drama of the text. Many of the illustrations serve essentially as portraits, and they're utterly mesmerizing-strong, solid figures gaze squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize and wonder. Ages 5-up. (Apr.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

AWARDS/HONORS
No awards for this book.

CONNECTIONS
Tim Tingle: www.choctawstoryteller.com/
Jeanne Rorex Bridges: http://www.rorex-art.com/
http://www.cincopuntos.com/pdf/crossing_bok_chitto_guide.pdf
http://suzyred.com/2008crossingbokchitto.html

Other Books by Tim Tingle:
When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Folktale From the Choctaw Nation. ISBN 9780874837773.
Walking the Choctaw Road. ISBN 9780938317746.