Book Review #6 Inclusive Literature

 Inclusion Literature – Module 6

Budhos, Marina. Ask Me No Questions. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. September 11, 2007. ISBN – 13 978-1416949206

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Summary: The book starts with the family moving to Canada to try to find asylum. Nadira, whose family and she are from Bagnaladesh have had to change and adapt to a new lifestyle after the events of September 11, 2001. Unfortunately, her father is held back at the Canadian border and the two sibling daughters have to learn to face the struggles despite the stress and emotions that tear them apart at times. 

Cultural Analysis: “Deportation. Green card. Residency. Asylum. We live our lives by these words, but I don’t understand them.” Something that the book highlights is that the mom is always afraid they will ask her something. Living in fear. Siblings who compare each other and try to make their parents happy and cheer them up. I think that is an important cultural trait that most people who are children of immigrants experience. Identity and assimilation are big issues that the girls face, while also processing what happened to their family and still trying to continue moving forward in their lives.

Reviews: “legal immigrant sisters learn a lot about themselves when their family faces deportation in this compelling contemporary drama. Immigrants from Bangladesh, Nadira, her older sister Aisha and their parents live in New York City with expired visas. Fourteen-year-old Nadira describes herself as “the slow-wit second-born” who follows Aisha, the family star who’s on track for class valedictorian and a top-rate college. Everything changes when post-9/11 government crack-downs on Muslim immigrants push the family to seek asylum in Canada where they are turned away at the border and their father is arrested by U.S. immigration. The sisters return to New York living in constant fear of detection and trying to pretend everything is normal. As months pass, Aisha falls apart while Nadira uses her head in “a right way” to save her father and her family. Nadira’s need for acceptance by her family neatly parallels the family’s desire for acceptance in their adopted country. A perceptive peek into the lives of foreigners on the fringe. (endnote) (Fiction. 10-14)”

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Connections: immigration and current laws in the USA in regards to immigrants are definitely something that can be connected to the book. Many people who have never experienced crossing a border, or having parents or family members who are immigrants will never understand the fear and anguish that some people feel as

Bryant, Jen. A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Knopf Books for Young Readers. January 8, 2013. ISBN 13 – 978-0375867125

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Summary: Horace is born into a loving family, who supports his art skills. He enters an art contest which he wins. That gives him motivation to keep drawing. One day the dad leaves them, so that makes Horace have to stop drawing and instead help his family work nonstop in factories, etc. as he works hard, he thinks about his younger days where he would just draw with whatever he could find. Then one day there is a war that breaks out so he signs up for the military. He endures hearing gunfire and explosions and not seeing the sun and having to be by the side of a gun at all times. This takes a toll on his emotions and his mentality. During these hard times, he again turns to drawing for solace. One day, he is hit on the shoulder by a bullet, leaving him unable to draw for a while. When Horace came back, he married Jenny, a cook, but it was difficult for him to find a job, doing whatever he could do to make money. He continued to long for the ability to draw. One day, he used both of his arms to work on paintings again and slowly, he got more strength in his arms to continue drawing. One very special painting took him 3 years to finish, which was the catalyst to him drawing again, making sure to paint and draw whatever he could document around his life. He drew so many of them that he decided to sell them. One day, a local art president decided to support him by offering him his own art show. From there, Horace became famous and many people admired his paintings, from famous people to famous artists, his art was recognized.

Cultural Analysis: This book takes place during an important historical time period, and the references to slavery and war help depict the struggles Horace faced throughout his life. Despite the difficulties, black families who are strong and supportive of each other are stronger than whatever they face. The book showed so much warmth and love from his grandparents, helping each other and each having responsibilities around the house, including Horace. The book contains the repetition “make a picture for us, Horace,” which I think is symbolic of the constant desire in him and passion to draw and create art. The book contains a lot of images that depict a sort of collage style, also showing the complicated things that surround our lives as adults. 

Reviews: “This outstanding portrait of African-American artist Horace Pippin (1888-1946) allows Pippin’s work to shine—and his heart too.

“The colors are simple, such as brown, amber, yellow, black, white and green,” says pencil-lettered text on the front endpapers. These are Pippin’s own humble words. His art and life aren’t really simple at all, but here, they’re eminently accessible. On that spread, brush and pencil lie on overlapping off-white papers—lined, gridded, plain—decorated in pencil hatchings and a painted progression of hues between each primary color and its complement. From Pippin’s young childhood (working for pay to help his family; sketching with charcoal and paper scraps until he wins his first real art supplies in a contest), to his Army service in World War I, to the well-deserved fame that arrived only late in his life, he “couldn’t stop drawing.” When a military injury threatens Pippin’s painting ability, he tries wood burning—“[u]sing his good arm to move the hurt one”—and works his way back to painting. Sweet’s sophisticated mixed media (watercolor, gouache and collage), compositional framing, and both subdued and glowing colors pay homage to Pippin’s artistic style and sometimes re-create his pieces. Bryant’s text is understated, letting Pippin’s frequent quotations glimmer along with the art. Backmatter provides exceptional resources, including artwork locations.

A splash of vibrancy about a self-taught master. (historical note, author’s note, illustrator’s note, references) (Picture book/biography. 5-11)

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Connections: The biggest connection here was the fact that are and drawings were a creative outlet for the challenges that Horace faced. Like any normal person, Horace felt at times defeated, purposeless, helpless, either because of his father leaving his family, or him having to find a job and be responsible for the getting ahead and moving forward of the family, or being shot at in the war, he persevered and did not let his challenges define him. Although it was later in his life that he took up painting again, he still chased his dreams and found away – with both hands and supporting both his arms – to still paint and pursue his goals and creative dreams.

LaCour, Nina. We Are Okay. Dutton Books for Young Readers. February 2017. ISBN-10  0525425896

Summary: This novel focuses on a college girl named Marin who lives in New York but has to deal with the feeelings of grief, feeling alone, and learning how to feel those emotions out and process them. We realize that she had experienced many painful things such as the passing of her mom, as well as the passing of her grandpa who was like her caretaker and best friend. She is able to meet up with her friend Mabel during the Christmas break. While she’s with her friend, she is able to heal and process some of the deep emotions she has been pent up in her heart and mind. Thankfully, the friendship she has with Mabel helps her realize the importance of friendships. 

Cultural Analysis: The book helps create personal connections with friendships, especially through solitude. We all have that one person that we can confide in, and even when having that person, like in the book, one can still feel isolated and lonely. The book discusses connective topics such as thoughts of suicide and depression, even planning to end her life in one section. However dark the book was, it still offered consideration of others and genuine care for those you love. Lastly, a major connection was that a lot of children are raised by their grandparents – more than we think, so this type of representation is always appreciated when seen in novels.

Reviews: “If only lonely were a more accurate word. It should sound much less pretty.”

It’s December in New York, and college freshman Marin is in her dorm room, contemplating a solitary monthlong stay after everyone else has left for winter break. Her single respite will be a brief visit from her best friend, Mabel. Marin is dreading the stay for reasons that are revealed in flashbacks: she fled San Francisco without informing anyone after the sudden death of her beloved Gramps, who raised her. Over the course of three days, secrets about Gramps, Marin’s long-dead mother, and the girls’ complicated relationship are revealed in short, exquisite sentences that evoke myriad emotions with a minimum of words. “I must have shut grief out. Found it in books. Cried over fiction instead of the truth. The truth was unconfined, unadorned. There was no poetic language to it, no yellow butterflies, no epic floods…” 

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Connections: A major cultural analysis was the use of nature connections with emotions. There are a lot of references to the sharing of feelings and thoughts and emotions in connection to nature and the way the world words in our mother nature. When dealing with grief, the connection through the few people in her life such as her best friend and her grandpa provide that bond she needs to find a way through the pain she feels, ultimately finding hope through her friend's mom’s offer to be her mother figure.

Longoria, Margarita. Living Beyond Borders. Viking Books for Young Readers. August 17, 2021. ISB 13 – 978-0593204993

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Summary: The book contains many short stories that are all representative of Mexican American experiences, written by Mexican American authors, highlighting the talent and skill and culture in the Rio Grande Valley by giving these writers a voice. The stories range from various topics such as LGBTQIA+, social justice, language in our culture, school, etc. and any daily experiences that we have in the RGV that reflect and connect with our culture, values, and traditions.

Cultural Analysis: This was one of the few books that I didn’t feel was super stereotypical about the stories provided in representation of Mexican culture. It felt natural and real, maybe because there were various authors and I got to see a glimpse of different perspectives of the same culture with different topics. The variety of the short stories helped provide a vivid, accurate picture of the type of lifestyle and experiences we have whether it is physically, mentally, and emotionally in relation to our culture here in the Rio Grande Valley.

Reviews: “In a note to readers, editor Longoria describes feeling compelled to create this anthology as she saw Mexican Americans being attacked and derided in the media. The result is this collection of short stories, personal essays, graphic stories, and poems by Mexican American authors. The standouts here pack a real emotional punch. Awareness of the impact of socio-economic status often takes center stage, and several pieces are set in the Rio Grande Valley. Protagonists vary in age from middle school through adult and are predominantly mestizx. “The Body by the Canal,” by David Bowles, is not to be missed and, along with “Coco Chamoy and Chango,” by e.E. Charlton-Trujillo, brings queer representation to the project. The opening story, “Ghetto Is Not an Adjective” by Dominic Carrillo, successfully cannonballs into the deep end of the social justice pool, while “Morning People” by Diana Lopez wades into the murky waters of the taboo. “Yoli Calderon and Principal Hayes” by Angela Cervantes offers an exemplary use of the first person, and both “This Rio Grande Valley” by Daniel García Ordaz and “Sunflower” by Aida Salazar are full of beautiful imagery. “Ode to My Papi” by Guadalupe García McCall and “La Princesa Mileidy Dominguez” by Rubén Degollado both tug at the heartstrings. The variety of narrative styles contributes to the broad appeal of this volume…”

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Connections: The story that stood out to me the most was “Ghetto Is Not An Adjective,” because living in the Rio Grande Valley, I’ve heard people say this a lot, especially when describing simple things that aren’t necessarily “ghetto,” but they are simply culture ways in white people’s eyes. I think that over so many years of oppression and experiences, people have associated “ghetto” with showing one’s culture in a bad light, whether it be black people or Mexicans, if they are engaged in some sort of activity or saying or wearing something that doesn’t appeal to white people or isn’t necessarily common, they deem it off as “ghetto,” but I've realized how important that language and narrative is to the way we view our culture. Is it ghetto? Or is it just part of our culture? Is it ghetto? Or is it just a poverty stricken area that the system has failed them and its people?

Book Review #5 Asian Pacific American Literature

 Asian Pacific American Literature

Lin, Grace. The Year of the Dog. Little Brown Books for Young Readers. May 2007. ISBN 13-978-0316060028.

Summary: Pacy, or also known as Gracie Lin to her American friends, is a Taiwanese-American girl who is learning how to navigate her life and identity being from a different nationality living in America, where in her area of living, there aren’t many people that are also Taiwanese. Until one day, she meets a new girl who is surprisingly also from there! Coincidentally, it’s also the year of the dog, which means it’s open to new friendships. As Gracie goes through her life as a young girl, she has to learn to adapt to place and time according to where she is and how she can act. She learns to value both cultures and that they both make up who she is.

Cultural Analysis: I love that the book does a good job of teaching the different types of cultures and traditions that Taiwanese-Americans experience throughout their lives living in America. The book does, however, mention a few of the stereotypes mentioned in our textbook readings such as the dark straight hair with bangs, etc. I’m not sure when descriptions become a stereotype or simply a fact of someone’s culture. 

Reviews: “Being Taiwanese-American is confusing, and being the only Asian kid in your elementary school—except for your older sister—is not always comfortable. Pacy has high hopes for the Year of the Dog, which, she learns, is a year for finding friends and finding yourself. The friend comes first: a new girl, Melody, whose family is also Taiwanese-American. Over the course of the year, Pacy eats at Melody’s house, where the food is familiar but also very different, celebrates her cousin’s Red Egg day, writes a story for a national contest, visits Chinatown in New York City and wins a prize. Not only does she feel rich, she knows what she wants to do with her life. The Year of the Dog turns out exactly as advertised. Elementary school readers will enjoy the familiar details of school life and the less familiar but deliciously described Chinese holiday meals. Interspersed with the happenings of daily life are her mother’s stories of Pacy’s grandparents’ lives and her own struggles as a new immigrant. Occasional black-and-white drawings by the author enliven the text. This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life. (Fiction. 8-12)”

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Connections: I love that the book highlights the way their cultures are either tainted or obscured from having a full Taiwanese American life, having to change their name, not having the same new year as everyone else. People who have parents that have a different native country than their children oftentimes have the responsibility of passing down the traditions for their children; although it may be difficult at times learning to handle and manage and explain everything to your children trying to recreate a similar experience for them that they had when they were children, it’s worth the time and effort because the children are able to continue carrying on the culture and the importance of it for throughout their life, which can sometimes be super important when it comes to their identity as they get older and navigate through their lives as young adults coming into age.

Park, Linda Sue. A Long Walk to Water. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. New York, New York. 2010. ISBN 978-0-547-57731. 

Summary: The story follows a young boy of 11 years in Sudan, a place that is currently undergoing war. Salva gets separated from his family during the war, so he continues to walk off with a group of other war refugees in order to just lay low and survive. Throughout his journey, his primary focus is food, water, and shelter. Salva faces a lot of challenges that are life threatening, both physically and emotionally. However, whether the challenge was “natural…or man-made,” they were a result of the war, in which Salva had to learn to survive, overcome, and adapt in order to continue moving on. Salva learns life lessons about what it means to become a man and live in a new country. 

 

Cultural Analysis: I noticed that throughout the book, as Salva faced different adversities and difficulties, he often thought about his parents. He would call out for his mother, or remember specific memories about his father such as when he would bring bags of mangoes. Every memory, every thought, every challenge simply made him stronger. This book highlights the strength that it takes, both mentally, physically, and even emotionally, to carry out a journey of survival and migration (65). Regardless of where Salva went or what happened, he took everything as a learning experience, even who he met, he took it as a learning experience. Take meeting Micheal towards the end of the book, he always made sure to learn something to take with him in his heart and mind to add to his strength (87). 

Reviews: “...As Salva’s story unfolds, readers also learn about another Sudanese youth, Nya, and how these two stories connect contributes to the satisfying conclusion. This story is told as fiction, but it is based on real-life experiences of one of the “Lost Boys” of Sudan. Salva and Nya’s compelling voices lift their narrative out of the “issue” of the Sudanese War, and only occasionally does the explanation of necessary context intrude in the storytelling. Salva’s heroism and the truth that water is a source of both conflict and reconciliation receive equal, crystal-clear emphasis in this heartfelt account. (Fiction. 10-14)

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Connections: The biggest connections I made throughout the book were mostly emotional ones. There is so much humility shown in this book. Salva always remained humble. With humility comes gratitude. Salva had a very scarcity of resources, but he learned to make do with what he had and taught children about the basic needs of humans, especially when migrating to a better place.

Say, Allen. Grandfather’s Journey. Clarion Books. October 2008. ISBN 10-9780547076805

Summary: The book follows a family lineage of 3-4 generations that have experienced both beautiful, different, countries between California and Japan. Throughout the story, the grandfather battles between where to stay and live, since he loves both places. The book teaches us that we can love two places at once, our homeland and our new found place of migration. 

Cultural Analysis: The book touches base on seeing new things, exploring new countries, exposure to landscapes, which are topics often not talked about when talking about immigration to a new country. The book has a very good description of the land and environment and setting. The character truly takes in new landmarks throughout the journey. It proves to be good exposure to seeing diversity and various people. The images in the book are hazy, but heartwarming. The feeling of your hometown never goes away. The homeland always calls you back and welcomes you. I love the privilege of being able to go back and forth and visit your homeland and new city of migration. It’s beautiful to be part of two worlds or two experiences in various countries etc. 

Reviews: “The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other," observes Say near the end of this poignant account of three generations of his family's moves between Japan and the US.

Say's grandfather came here as a young man, married, and lived in San Francisco until his daughter was "nearly grown" before returning to Japan; his treasured plan to visit the US once again was delayed, forever as it turned out, by WW II. Say's American-born mother married in Japan (cf. Tree of Cranes, 1991), while he, born in Yokohama, came here at 16. In lucid, graceful language, he chronicles these passages, reflecting his love of both countries—plus the expatriate's ever-present longing for home—in both simple text and exquisitely composed watercolors: scenes of his grandfather discovering his new country and returning with new appreciation to the old, and pensive portraits recalling family photos, including two evoking the war and its aftermath.

Lovely, quiet—with a tenderness and warmth new to this fine illustrator's work. (Nonfiction/Picture book. 4+)

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Connections: There are recurring themes of migrating to another country in this story. The fact of history being passed down through story telling and assisting of learning about culture through the sharing of information to generations is something that we experience at a young age and learn to cherish. The grandfather tries to bravely embark on a journey in which he must step outside of his comfort zone such as wearing European clothing and riding a steam boat. Seeing new things, but eventually missing your old hometown and home culture and home language. Sharing and planting ideas and memories in the upcoming generations.

Soontornvat, Christina. A Life of Service: The Story of Senator Tammy Duckworth. Candlewick. September 2022. ISBN-13  978-1536222050

Summary: Tammy is a happy, young child who loves to spend time with her father, who works for the United Nations; however, when he is laid off and they move to Hawaii, her family faces challenges such as possible homelessness and hunger. Tammy, in face of these family challenges, does her best to keep her family fed by selling flowers and saving her school food while still achieving excellence in school through her grades and extracurricular activities, putting her at the top of her class. These great accolades led her to university and grad school, and ultimately, still leaving her with a desire to serve her country. She signed up for the reserves, in which she climbed her way up to commander of her aviation unit and even met and fell in love with a soldier. One day, during the war, Tammy suffered major injuries during a terrible helicopter crash. She was faced with a new challenge: learning how to live her life as an amputee. But, with this new challenge, came new responsibilities and an opportunity to continue excelling as a US House of Representatives. 

Cultural Analysis: Representation in the front cover for the disabled or impaired people that cannot walk or have prosthetic legs. Already the main character is considerate and observant of her childhood surroundings and her ability to travel and be happy, yet set goals for her future. Considering that “not all kids had such carefree lives.” Tammy also observes war and bombs, getting teachings from her father who served in the United Nations. Pride in helping and serving others; keeping oneself humble and never above others because you never know when challenges may strike your life down and, like Tammy’s family, be on the verge of homelessness or hunger. This book touches base on how a lot of our students struggle at home, school being a safe place for them to take shelter and receive food. Every student that walks into the library is carrying a weight from home that we cannot see; therefore, we must happily welcome any student that comes by.

Reviews: “Duckworth is introduced as a young schoolgirl curiously examining a globe. An American citizen who was born in Bangkok, Thailand, she traveled “all over Southeast Asia with her family.” Tammy’s father worked for the United Nations, and she accompanied him as he helped refugees; while observing, young Tammy decided to dedicate herself to helping others. After bouts of homelessness and food insecurity while growing up, with Tammy supporting the family at one point by selling flowers by the roadside, she attended college and graduate school, then joined the Army National Guard. The evenly paced, thorough narrative reveals that after many years of service, Tammy nearly died in a helicopter crash in Iraq in 2004, leaving her with severe chronic pain and prosthetic legs. Phumiruk uses cooler muted colors to portray the physical and emotional obstacles Duckworth overcame during her long recovery and rehabilitation. Brighter and warmer colors are slowly incorporated onto each page as Duckworth, with the encouragement of a local senator, campaigned, lost one race, but eventually was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Duckworth continued to break down even more barriers after becoming a senator. With the birth of her second daughter, she was able to change chamber rules so that she could bring her infant daughter with her to vote. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A comprehensive look at an extraordinary life and continuing legacy. (timeline, information on Duckworth’s achievements, books and websites) (Picture-book biography. 5-9)

• Kirkus Reviews

Connections: Assistance of refugees – connection to today’s current political views on helping immigrants and helping society who depend on SNAP, Medicare/Medicaid, etc. Pride in helping and serving others. We don’t know what our students face, so we must treat them all with care and kindness and, most importantly, have these types of books available to them so that they can feel represented and heard. Issues with healthcare and policies that harm people on a daily basis, it’s important to address that in a children’s book, in a way that can be explained well.