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By:
Tonia Allen Gould,
on 10/10/2014
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Tonia Allen Gould's Blog
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The Fifth Annual Multicultural World BookFest will be held at the Camarillo Community Center on Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 10am-3pm.
I’ve been selected as one of the children’s book authors to present at the event at 11:00 AM, followed by book signings and readings.
• We will have six storytents representing: Asia; Africa; Latin America, North America, Europe, and Australia & New Zealand.
Location: Camarillo Community Center 1605 E. Burnley Street.
Take the 101fwy exit at Carmen Drive. Going north turn right @ light. Going south make 2 left turns; go over fwy. Continue on Carmen past City Hall to 4 way stop which is Burnley. Turn right then left into parking lot. Event will be inside the gated Community Center Room
Please join us for a day of books, readings, food trucks, fun and culture.
Hope to see you there!
Tonia Allen Gould/Author
Samuel T. Moore of Corte Magore
{Guest post By Hannah Rials}
Little Leap Forward is the story of a young boy in Revolutionary China. He lives in the musician’s quarter with his mother and sisters, where he is trying to find inspiration for the music. He hears music in everything—fish, silk worms, birds—and just like his father, he aspires to become a great musician. Little Leap as he is commonly called enjoys his life, his friends Little-Little and Blue, and most enjoys his times at the river. He skips stones, catches fish, and flies white kites as often as he can. Even through the hardships of his time—matching clothing, rationed food—he manages to find happiness.
One day, Little-Little catches a little bird for Little Leap, which he decides to take home. He quickly builds a home for his new friend, planning to learn her, who he names Little Cloud, beautiful son. But no matter what he does, Little Cloud will not sing. His friends and family try to convince him that captivity is not the life for her. But he knows he just hasn’t found her inspiration yet. So to help her beloved son along, Little Leap’s mother buys him a bamboo flute and pays for his lessons with a little jar of soy sauce. Little Leap makes it his mission to become a wonderful flute player so that soon he will be able to hear Little Cloud’s song.
Then tragedy strikes. Chairman Mao becomes convinced that all intellectuals, books, and writers are against the revolution, and so the Red Guard is formed. They begin burning books, pictures—all memories of the old China. During this time, life becomes more restricted, his friend Blue moves to the country, and he slowly comes to the realization that Little Cloud really isn’t made for courtyard life. One day, he takes Little Cloud’s cage out to the river and opens the door. One moment, she’s in the cage; the next, she’s gone. But, as the saying goes, when one door closes, another opens. One day, after a long time of not going to the river, Little Leap decides to take his flute down to practice. He practices his scales and a few melodies he memorized. Then suddenly, Little Cloud reappears, recognizes him, and allows him to hold her. He began to play for her and was thrilled when she replied. He didn’t even realize when she wasn’t there anymore. For the first time in a long time, Little Leap was happy.
This book is very special. Not only is it a beautiful story, but a true story. Guo Yue based Little Leap Forward on his own childhood in the musician’s courtyard during Revolutionary China. The story is meaningful and illustrates a lifestyle during a rough time in China. Like other Barefoot Books stories, Guy Yue and Clare Farrow tell an inspirational, educational story that will live on in our hearts.
Something To Do:
1. learn more about the Erhu (Chinese Violin)
3. Take The Silkworm Challenge!
4. Make a Paper Kite:
-Cut a diamond out of white paper and decorate with symbols such as a dragon, phoenix, silk worm, or fish.
-Depending on where you live in the world, find some type of smooth sticks, and make a cross on one side the paper
-You can make the tails with streamers to make it colorful.
-Tie a string where the sticks intersect that you will use to control the kite.
- Wait for a windy day, then let it fly
6. Create your own Bamboo Flute!
Enjoy!
Born in the hills of Louisiana and raised in the mountains of Tennessee, Hannah Rials is a eighteen year-old aspiring author and editor. She’s been writing short stories since she was a little girl, but for the past several years, she has been writing, editing, and reediting a novel of her own that she hopes to publish in the near future. Hannah has always loved reading and the world of books. With a librarian grandmother who can tell the most magical stories, how could she not fall in love with the written word. Her library collection and love for books grows every day.
The post Little Leap Forward—A Boy in Bejing by Guy Yue and Clare Farrow {Guest Post by Hannah Rials} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
By: MissA,
on 8/14/2014
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Ship of Souls by Zetta Elliott (2011, ARC)
Amazon Publishing
Rating: 3.5/5
IQ "Kids on my block called 'reject'. Grown folks at church called me an 'old soul'. One girl at school told me I talked like a whiteboy. But when I ask Mom about it she just said, 'you are black. And nothing you say, or do, or pretend to be will ever change that fact. So just be yourself, Dmitri. Be who you are." pg. 3
Dmitri, known as D, is living with a foster family after his mother dies of breast cancer. D is used to having his foster mom all to himself, when she takes in Mercy, a crack-addicted baby he finds himself unable to cope. He is at a new school and while tutoring he becomes friend with Hakeem, a basketball star who needs extra math help and Nyla, a military brat both boys have crushes on. Sometimes after school D bird watches in Prospect Park and he discovers a mysterious bird, Nuru that can communicate with him. He enlists Hakeem and Nyla to help him help Nuru (who is injured) escape evil forces, the ghosts of soldiers that died during the Revolutionary War. They journey from Brooklyn to the African Burial Ground in Manhattan to assist Nuru in freeing the souls that reside there.
I wish some of the fantasy elements had been developed a bit further, such as Nuru's role, his dialogue also came across sounding a little ridiculous and heavy on the 'wise mentor' scale. The characters did come across as having a message. It is made very clear that Hakeem is Muslim and Nyla is 'different from the stereotype. I wish the individuality of the characters had come off in a more subtle way (for example when Hakeem describes how his older sister listed all Muslim basketball players to convince his dad to let him play. And then Hakim lists them all and weaves in tidbits about the hijab. It came across as stilted for middle school dialogue). But then again this book is intended for a younger audience who need it hammered in that it's dangerous to define people and put them in boxes. I also wish the book had been longer just by a few chapters, selfishly because I wanted more historical tidbits but also because I felt that the fantasy elements happened so fast as did the sudden strong friendship with Hakeem and Nyla. And the love triangle made me sad but that's not the author's fault! Although I would have been happy without it.
Yet again Zetta Elliott seamlessly blends together history and fantasy, Black American history that is often ignored in textbooks. Unlike the descriptions of the characters I found the historical tidbits woven in artfully. There are so many goodies in here about the importance of working with other people, that heroes need not go it alone. This is especially vital because the author makes it explicitly clear that D is unbearably lonely but he keeps himself isolated from other people because he doesn't want to be abandoned or disappointed or lose them in a tragic way as happened with his mother. The author does a great job of making you truly feel and understand D's loneliness and your heart aches for him. Also while I didn't think the friendship had enough time to really grow into the strong bonds that developed so quickly, it was a very genuine friendship (once you suspend your disbelief) in terms of doing anything and everything for your friends and believing the seemingly improbable. It is also clear that the author has a strong appreciation of nature and that makes the fantasy elements more interesting while also making it appear more realistic.
Ship of Souls is a great story that focuses on a portion and population of the American Revolution that is completely ignored by most history outlets. The fantasy world is well-thought out, I only wish the book had been longer to explain more about the world D and his friends get involved in as well as more time to believably develop their friendship. The characters are strong, but they were written with a heavy hand that tries hard to point out how they defy stereotypes. I devoured the story not just because of the length but because it is so different from anything else out there and it's a lovely addition to the YA/MG fantasy world. I can't wait to see what the author does next and again I adored her first YA novel
A Wish After Midnight. I recommend both books.
Disclosure: Received from the author, who I do consider a wonderful friend and mentor. Many thanks Zetta!
Our Discover Your World Summer Reading Extravaganza is rolling right along and I am truly hoping JIAB has shown reading families some wonderfulnew summer reading ideas thanks to the amazing book bloggers who have graced the pages of this blog over the last month and a half.
Today is no exception and I am pleased to have Mary Kinser from Sprout’s Bookshelf join us with her take on a great multicultural book called Anna Hibiscus. Thank you, Mary!
In my house, we’re always on the lookout for fun, interesting kid’s books set in Africa. Fortunately there are lots more on the shelves these days than there used to be. Unfortunately many are too advanced for my five-year-old Sprout, or they deal with topics that he’s just not ready for yet.
So you can imagine how thrilled I was to find the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke. This is a funny, upbeat series set in modern-day Africa, featuring a multi-racial, multi-generational family. How much more awesome could you get?? And even more fortunately, Anna Hibiscus is geared toward the younger spectrum of readers, which means these work as read-alouds for kiddos my age, and as great stories for emerging readers as well.
Anna Hibiscus features adorable illustrations of Anna and her family – her mother, who is Canadian, and her father, who is African, plus her extended family and baby brothers, twins named Double and Trouble. I love the feeling of family and community the pictures give – breaking down any barriers readers might experience when thinking about life in Africa, and showing the common themes that run through any small child’s everyday world. Each story in the book tells about a different aspect of Anna Hibiscus’ life, whether it’s watching her mischievous brothers while on vacation, or preparing the house for a visit from a favorite Auntie. There are lots of sweet moments and plenty of laughs too – enough to keep kiddos wanting to turn pages.
Atinuke, the author of the Anna Hibiscus titles, is a Nigerian storyteller. Like Anna Hibiscus, Atinuke lived much of her early life in a big house in Africa filled with extended family. But later she moved to England to attend boarding school, and England became her home. She wrote the Anna Hibiscus books in an effort to share stories about growing up in Africa with children from the UK. And luckily for all of us, the books have spread to the US as well.
I love reading the Anna Hibiscus stories with Sprout. His eyes light up as we read about life in Africa (Atinuke doesn’t define what country Anna Hibiscus is from – which works for us, as it could easily be Ethiopia, the land of Sprout’s heritage!). It’s so great to share stories that are on his level, that present a positive family dynamic and show so many commonalities between everyday life no matter where you’re raised. Truly, when you read about Anna Hibiscus and her incredible family, you just want to join in the fun!
There are currently six books in the Anna Hibiscus series, and each is even more charming than the last. But our hearts will always belong to the first book, just titled Anna Hibiscus, which we read on vacation last summer and have continued to love ever since. In fact, as I’m writing this post, Sprout saw our copy of Anna Hibiscus sitting by my computer and yelled, “I love this book!”. So what better endorsement could you ask for?
Activity
The last story in Anna Hibiscus is all about our heroine’s deep desire to see snow. And even though I’m not much of a crafty mom, I did stumble across a perfect idea to connect with the reading by doing an activity with Sprout. Jump over to Red Ted Art to find this great tutorial on making a homemade snow globe. It’s simple and fun, a great chance for kids to get creative and even satisfies that longing to see snow that sometimes crops up on a hot summer day!
Sprout wanted to make his snow globe Star Wars-themed – hence the LEGO Luke Skywalker – and as such we opted to put in silver stars and moons (made from foil) rather than snow. (And since Sprout’s in a big dinosaur phase, he had to add an Apatosaurus figure too. ‘Cause even Jedis can get a little help from a prehistoric pal.) You could absolutely go the traditional route with a holiday theme and some glitter, in keeping with Anna Hibiscus’s wish to see the white stuff. Here’s a few pics of our snow globe in action – it was pretty hard to get good pics because the second we put this bad boy together, Sprout was shaking it up constantly!
Bio
By day, Mary Kinser is a Collection Development Librarian. By night, she’s a curator for Zoobean. And all around the clock she’s the mother of a gorgeous five-year-old boy from Ethiopia, lovingly nicknamed Sprout. She writes about diversity and adoption in children’s literature at her blog Sprout’s Bookshelf. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and pinning all things kidlit at Pinterest.
The post Discover Your World Summer Reading Extravaganza: Anna Hibiscus by Atinuke {Guest Post by Sprout’s Bookshelf} appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Hi all,
I was invited by talented Puerto Rican writer Eleanor Parker, author of the upcoming novel, A Decent Woman (Booktrope, summer 2014), to participate in the #WeNeedDiverseBooks Blog Hop. Thanks for nominating me, Eleanor! I hereby answer the questions for the hop:
1) What are you working on?
I’m working on a YA psychological/supernatural thriller set in a convent in the Puerto Rican rain forest in the 1970s.
2) How does your work differ from others of its genre?
As human beings from different cultural backgrounds, environments and upbringing, we all have our own individuality and the potential to bring originality into our work. When we follow our true vision, regardless of what other writers are doing or what is ‘trendy’ at the moment, when we write with passion and honesty, when we go to where the pain is and where the pleasure is, we can create works that are fresh and unique.
3) Why do you write what you do?
Because I cannot not do it. My creative spirit must have an outlet, a channel. In my case, it is writing stories. For others, it is creating a painting or sculpture or music composition. If I weren’t able to write and create my fictional worlds, I would probably be mentally unstable. Where would that rush of creativity go? Suppressed, in what devious ways would it unleash? :-)
4) How does your writing process work?
It may start with an image, a character, a name, a title. There are no rules, and it’s never the same with every book. Sometimes a single image simmers in my mind for years before it becomes the spark for a story.
Then I mentally play with ideas and the thing that was just an image begins to expand into a web. Simple at first. Then more intricate as I spend more and more time thinking about it. And I think about it. A lot. While driving, walking, taking a shower, doing housework, etc–routine, monotone activities, which are great for creativity. Once I can’t stop thinking about it, once I become obsessed, that’s when I know I’m ready to start jotting down words and sketching a rough plot.
Nowadays, I like to begin ‘discovering’ the story using
Alan Watt’s “Unlock the Story Within” techniques. Once I have a more solid idea of the characters and where I want to go with them, my plotting gets tighter and more detailed, but never at the expense of staying flexible and open to change. In fact, what I love most about the writing process are those surprises that I never saw coming.
Then, after some anxious procrastination, I try to put my ego aside and sit down and face the blank page. That is never easy. In fact, it is terrifying. Every time. But the need and passion to create is greater, I guess, because finally I just do it.
The plot keeps evolving as I write. I adjust and change things as needed.
I may write like the wind at times, but those moments are rare. Usually, I edit as I write, which slows down my writing process considerably–not to mention that it prevents me from getting in “the zone.”
Rituals and habits work for me. I write best in the mornings. Unless life gets in the way, I’m at my desk Monday-Friday from 9:30 am to noon. I put my timer and go. There’s something about the timer that works for me, as if somehow I’m tricking my brain. Sometimes I listen to an eerie movie soundtrack (for my current YA WIP, I often listen to
Interview with a Vampire, among others); other times I need complete silence.
Slow but steady. This pretty much describes my progress. I would love to be one of those writers who can cough up a whole novel in four months, but I’m not–not yet, anyway.
Once I finish the first draft, I spend an agonizing amount of time editing and polishing. My SCBWI critique partners are awesome at pointing out things that I can’t see. Also, I always hire a professional editor before I send my manuscript to my agent. I think a professional editor is a writer’s best investment. I love Deborah Halverson of
DearEditor.com. She’s fabulous.
It takes me about two years to fully complete a book that is ready for submission. I’m trying to write faster and cut it down to a year. But it isn’t easy.
————————-
And now…I nominate the following super talented children's author to continue with the #WeNeedDiverseBooks Blog Hop…
Nicole Weaver!
Nicole writes trilingual picture books in English, Spanish and French. Check out her cool blog,
Melange of Cultures.
I did a big double take on the opening page. What a powerful way to kick a story off! It's a great first impression of our protagonist, Wilma Lee Wu - both in the art and that opening line!
This is such a fun read-aloud book and perfect for leisurely re-reads. You'll want to pick out all the fun names and details that Tina has peppered throughout. Wilma Lee Wu's story speaks to diversity, but also that universal feeling we have at times of just not liking our names. I'll leave the rest of the story as a surprise, as it should be!
Comment here for a chance to win a signed copy of
The Change Your Name Store. You can also share this review on Twitter for a chance to win (just be sure to tag
@PBjunkies). Enter until midnight of May 29th EST - the winner will be announced on May 30th.
Book: Socks!
Author: Tania Sohn
Pages: 36
Age Range: 3-7 (small format picture book)
Socks! is a charming little picture book by Tania Sohn about the joy that young children take in their their socks. Socks! features a young Korean girl and her gray cat. On each page, with minimal text, the girl celebrates a different kind of socks. Like this:
"I love socks!
Socks with polka dots,
and socks with stripes.
Green socks so I can hop...
... and yellow socks so I can play."
The above text spans three page spreads. In each, the girl dances about with her cat, and wears a different pair of socks. The "so I can play" accompanies a picture of a bunch of soccer players, each shown from the stomach down. The cat pokes between what we suspect are the protagonist's legs.
The final pair of socks are "Beoseon! Treaditional Korean socks, from Grandma." Up until that point, though the girl is Korean in her features, the book could be set anywhere.
Sohn's illustrations are what make the book. The girl's joy in her various pairs of socks leaps from the page. We see the texture of the cat, and of the girl's hair, and of the various backgrounds, like the grass of the soccer field. My favorite illustration is one where the girl peeks through a doorway at "Christmas socks!" (stockings). We only see her from behind here, but her posture conveys her giddy excitement.
Socks! is a quick read, but one that preschoolers everywhere (especially girls) will appreciate. Socks! is an import from South Korea. It is available from Usborne Books, but is not available on Amazon. I do hope that libraries find it, however, because it is a tiny gem of a book. I can't wait to share it with my daughter, who gleefully showed off her new socks to me earlier today.
Publisher: Kane Miller
Publication Date: 2014
Source of Book: Review copy from the publisher
FTC Required Disclosure:
This site is an Amazon affiliate, and purchases made through Amazon links (including linked book covers) may result in my receiving a small commission (at no additional cost to you).
© 2014 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @JensBookPage or at my Growing Bookworms page on Facebook.
By:
nicole,
on 5/13/2014
Blog:
the enchanted easel
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akai kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014 on this little beauty this week! |
on this little beauty this week!
totally loving this kokeshi series i am currently working on....and i love that they are perfect squares (my favorite shape...no surprise there since i'm so OCD and love everything to be perfect and exact.)
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| ©the enchanted easel 2014 |
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By:
nicole,
on 5/9/2014
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the enchanted easel
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the next kokeshi in the works...
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By:
nicole,
on 5/1/2014
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Midori Kokeshi
©the enchanted easel 2014 |
one of four kokeshis I am currently in the midst of painting. those who know me, know i am japanese obsessed. from sakura trees to teriyaki chicken to the language....obsessed. i love kokeshi dolls. love everything about them from the size to the intricacy of them. the japanese are master crafters and i have nothing but the utmost respect for them and their dedication and discipline in everything they do. should have been japanese....;)
midori is FOR SALE as a PRINT here:
she would make a lovely addition to any girl's room. can't wait to get working on the other three!
By: Samantha McGinnis,
on 4/25/2014
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Today’s guest blog post is from Dr. Mandy Stewart, an assistant professor of bilingual education at Texas Woman’s University. Follow her on Twitter at @DrMandyStewart.
How many books have you read in your lifetime? How many picture books did an adult read aloud to you while growing up?
Most of us can’t even begin to count the innumerable books we have been exposed to since birth. Each book — its story, its illustrations, its author, and its language — sends strong messages to children.
But what messages do children receive? Are they learning every day at school that their language, the one they speak to those they love most, is not worthy of being in books? Are they learning that people like them don’t belong in printed stories? Unfortunately, those are the messages some children receive on a daily basis at school.
Culturally and linguistically diverse books are not as accessible in our public libraries and 
bookstores as more mainstream books. It takes countless hours (and countless dollars) to find books in other languages and get them in the classroom. Every year I look for books in Spanish that are at various reading levels, that are engaging and that mirror student’s experiences. And it is exponentially more costly to find the same books in other languages from even more cultural perspectives.
The good news is this does not have to be the case. Today there are many children’s, adolescent, and young adult authors writing from diverse cultural and linguistic perspectives and many publishers bringing these stories to life. We now have quality age-appropriate literature available in many languages.
Through their Stories for All Project, First Book is a pioneer in ensuring that all children have access to culturally and linguistically diverse books. They have an excellent collection of literature that represents diverse families. They also have many easy readers, picture books, and chapter books available in Spanish and other languages. I am grateful that I am able to purchase many of these at a very low price for my son’s Spanish/English bilingual 1st grade class.
We must keep demanding quality literature in more languages, written and illustrated by more diverse people. Surely we want all children to say: I am learning to read in my own language. My language and culture are important enough to be represented in the books in my classroom. My life story is worthy of being written. My family, my language, my culture, and my life experiences are valuable. I am important.
We cannot stop until that is a reality for EVERY child and youth in our schools, in our neighborhoods, and in our society.
Mary Amanda (Mandy) Stewart, Ph. D. is an Assistant Professor of Bilingual Education at Texas Woman’s University. Her son is in Mrs. Schirico’s 1st grade bilingual class at Elkins Elementary in the Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Independent School District in Fort Worth, TX. His class has received about 100 books from First Book in English and Spanish to read at school with each other and at home with their parents.
The post Books in Every Language for Every Child appeared first on First Book Blog.
Alexandra Duncan’s debut novel Salvage has taken the world by storm. As Stephanie Perkins (author of Anna and the French Kiss) says, this book is “kick-ass, brilliant, feminist science fiction.” And boy is she right.
Her life is a shadow of a life. Her future is not her own to fashion.
Her family is a tangle of secrets. She cannot read. She cannot write.
But she is Parastrata Ava, the Captain’s eldest daughter, the so girl of a long-range crewe—her obligations are grave and many.
And when she makes a mistake, in a fragrant orchard of lemons, the consequences are deadly.
There are some who would say, there but for the Mercies go I.
There are some who would say Parastrata Ava is just a silly earthstruck girl who got what was coming to her.
But they don’t know the half of it.
We were lucky to have debut author Alexandra Duncan swing by The Pageturn and talk to us about writing, reading, and how Salvage came about!
Which was your favorite book from childhood, and what are you reading right now?
It’s so hard to pick one favorite book. I think I had a new one every week when I was growing up. (Come to think of it, that’s probably still true.) One of the ones that really stuck with me and that I still have on my bookshelf at home is The Girl Who Owned a City, by O.T. Nelson. I loved post-apocalyptic survival stories, especially ones where all of the adults were dead or otherwise incapacitated, which is exactly what happens in The Girl Who Owned a City.
Right now I’m reading A Dance With Dragons, by George R.R. Martin, the most recent book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. I have to stay ahead of the HBO show!
What is your secret talent?
I make a mean apple pie, crust and all. I have a 96% success rate. I’ve only ever caught one pie on fire, and that wasn’t entirely my fault.
Fill in the blank: _______ always makes me laugh.
My husband. I might be biased, but I think he’s pretty hilarious.
My current obsessions are…
Podcasts. I can listen to them while I’m doing chores or exercising. (Yay, multitasking!) Right now, my favorites are a podcast about pseudoscience and religion called Oh No, Ross and Carrie! and Welcome to Nightvale, which is kind of hard to explain. Just imagine what would happen if H.P. Lovecraft and David Lynch created a town and that town had a public radio station.
Any gem of advice for aspiring writers?
Support each other. Writing looks like a solitary occupation, but I don’t know a single author who has succeeded without moral support and advice from friends. Celebrate each other’s victories and cheer each other up when you hit one of writing’s inevitable stumbling blocks. You’ll all go farther and be happier for it in the end.
Finish this sentence: I hope a person who reads my book…
Sees the world in a new way. One of my favorite things about science fiction and fantasy is that they can be used to re-frame today’s problems and let people see them from an entirely different angle.
How did you come to write this book?
Salvage started life with a short story I wrote called “Bad Matter,” which was published in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction in 2009. It took place among the merchant crewes that appear in Salvage. When I finished the short story, I knew I wanted to explore their culture further and tell more stories set in that world.
Salvage was a very personal book for me. A lot of the inspiration for the crewes’ culture came from growing up as the stepdaughter of a minister in a small town church in rural North Carolina. It was a very tight-knit and insular environment where there were very strict expectations about behavior, especially for women and girls. It was very much like growing up inside a large extended family. I also drew inspiration from my travels to Haiti and Nicaragua as a teenager, and my time studying abroad in Spain during college. Those experiences shaped my version of a future Earth.
In some ways, Ava’s journey is similar to my own. I consider myself a feminist, but I wouldn’t have said so as a teenager. It wasn’t until I left home and struck out on my own at 18 that I began to understand my worth as a human being. I hope Salvage helps other girls learn the same thing about themselves. I hope it makes them feel like they aren’t alone.
Salvage is in stores now!
The planning for our next Multicultural Children’s Book Day: Celebrating the Diversity in Children’s Literature for 2015 will be starting very soon and in the meantime, I have seen some excellent bloggers authors sharing stories, thoughts and articles. Here are some of my top picks
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center had a great article and booklist on 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know
Latinos In Kid Lit had a great list and roundup of The 2014 International Latino Book Awards Finalists!
5 Ways Literature Can Teach Global Lessons in Elementary Classes http://edut.to/1i6vzkn via Edutopia
9 Picture Books That Celebrate Mixed Race Families #multicultural – I’m Not the Nanny http://ow.ly/uHKqQ
I am very proud of JIAB’s recent multicultural post. Tenzin’s Deer is a touching tale, breathtaking illustrations & a lesson in compassion. http://wp.me/p1MmQB-28g
Do you read poetry with your kids? April is National Poetry Month so it’s the perfect time to get started. A JIBA favorite, Erica at What Do We Do All Day has this wonderful post.
What great multicultural children’s books have you read this week?
**Don’t forget about the very special Little Passports Birthday Sale too!
The post Weekend Roundup of Great Multicultural Blog Posts & Books appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
When writing diverse characters, it's important to remember they're not all the same.
http://avajae.blogspot.com/2014/01/on-diversity-within-diversity.html
By:
Hannah,
on 3/21/2014
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Recently The New York Times paired articles by Walter Dean Myers and his son Christopher Myers, discussing the lack of representation of people of color in children’s literature. Those excellent articles—which pointed out that in the long history of children’s literature we haven’t made much progress—caught the attention of best-selling author Jennifer Weiner, who started the #colormyshelf hashtag on Twitter asking for suggestions of diverse books that she could go purchase for her daughter. What a wonderful way to bring attention to what parents can do!
Just because diverse books don’t always show up front and center in bookstores doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Here’s a list of places to find great diverse books for young readers. Buy them, read them, recommend them. Showing demand for diverse books is one of the best ways to encourage the publication of more of them!
1. Publishers: Several small publishers (us included) focus on diverse books. They’re a great place to start, and you can usually buy books from them directly, order them through an online retailer like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or ask your local bookstore to order them (which also displays a demand for diverse titles):
Lee & Low Books (diverse books for young readers featuring a range of cultures)
Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low (diverse middle grade and young adult speculative fiction)
Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low (bilingual English/Spanish picture books)
Cinco Puntos Press (adult and children’s literature, and multicultural and bilingual books from Texas, the Mexican-American border, and Mexico)
Just Us Books (black interest and multicultural books for children and young adults)
Roadrunner Press (fiction and nonfiction for young readers focusing on the American West and America’s Native Nations)
Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público (juvenile and young adult books focused on Hispanic culture and by U.S. Hispanic authors)
Groundwood Books (Canadian publisher of books for young readers with a focus on diverse voices)
2. Blogs That Recommend Diverse Books: There are some great bloggers out there who do the hard work of seeking out, reading, and recommending diverse children’s books, so you don’t have to! Just hop over to their blogs to find great new books to add to your collection:
The Brown Bookshelf (African American books)
American Indians in Children’s Literature (Native American books)
Latinos in KidLit (Latino books )
BookDragon (all diverse books, with a special focus on Asian/Pacific Islanders cultures)
Diversity in YA (diverse young adult books)
Rich in Color (diverse books for all young readers)
Crazy QuiltEdi (diverse books for all young readers)
Lee & Low Pinterest Board (diverse books searchable by genre and age)
3. Awards: If you’re simply looking for the best of the best that’s been published each year, awards are the place. Books that win these awards have been vetted by experts (mostly librarians) so you can expect them to be top quality, beautiful, and culturally accurate.
Coretta Scott King Award (African American books)
Pura Belpré Award (Latino books)
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
Middle East Book Award
American Indian Youth Literature Award
South Asia Book Award
Américas Book Award (Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino books)
Tomás Rivera Book Award (Mexican American books)
Notable Books for a Global Society (outstanding trade books that help promote understanding across lines of culture, race, sexual orientation, values, and ethnicity)
4. Bookstores: If you prefer to purchase your books through good old-fashioned browsing, there are several great independent bookstores that make it a point to stock diverse books. Below are a few we’ve been to, or that have been recommended to us by readers. If you’re in the area, be sure to stop by to support them!
Avid Bookshop, Athens, GA
Calamus Bookstore, Boston, MA
La Casa Azul New York, NY
Quimby’s, Chicago, IL
Women and Children First, Chicago, IL
The Book Stall, Winnetka, IL
Politics and Prose, Washington DC
Busboys and Poets, Washington DC
The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, VT
Birchbark Books, Minneapolis, MN
Ancestry Books, Minneapolis, MN (coming soon)
Antigone Books, Tucson, AZ
Wellesley Books, Wellesley, MA
Librería Martinez, Santa Ana, CA
What did we miss? Let us know in the comments!
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By:
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on 2/26/2014
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Everyone loves a good list but finding lists that reflect the intelligence of experts in a given field can sometimes be tricky. Consider, if you will, books about American Indians for the kiddos. I can’t tell you how many summer reading lists I see every year that have The Indian in the Cupboard, The Matchlock Gun, or even Rifles for Watie on them. Just once it would be nice to see a Top 100 list of books that could serve as guidelines for folks searching for good books about indigenous peoples.
You can imagine my interest, then, when Debbie Reese mentioned on the ccbc-net listserv that she had contributed to a list called “Top One Hundred Books by Indigenous Writers.” She also said that if anyone was interested in seeing this list, they could contact her and she’d pass it on. But with a list this good, it begs to be shared. I asked Debbie and her fellow experts in the field if it would be all right to post the list on this site and they agreed.
Here’s is some background, from Debbie, about the books:
As we worked on the list, we limited ourselves on # of books per author so that we could be as inclusive as possible. The list is a combination of our personal favorites and recommendations from peers.
We did not delineate or mark those that are in the children/YA category. We feel strongly that those who wish to write for adults or children/YA would benefit from reading what we’re calling masters. And, we think that those who wish to strengthen their ability to select/review books about American Indians would benefit from reading the books, too. So many authors who give talks and workshops tell people that in order to write, they have to read.
I have linked some of the children’s and YA titles to reviews and records. If I have missed any, please let me know.
Thank you Debbie, Susan, Teresa, and Tim for passing this along. I am very pleased and moved to host it here.
A Work in Progress: Top One Hundred Books by Indigenous Writers
Compiled for ATALM [1] 2012, by
Susan Hanks, Debbie Reese, Teresa Runnels, and Tim Tingle [2]
Updated on February 24, 2014
After a year of informal surveys and queries, we offer a list of over 100 books that every museum and library should have on their shelves. Written by tribal members, these books are the foundation of our literature as Indigenous people. Just as Western culture promotes Shakespeare as a prerequisite to grasping the essence of Western word arts, we promote N. Scott Momaday, D’Arcy McNickle, and many, many others to insure that our future writers reference, in images and ideas, our Indigenous masters.
Among our list are books written for children and young adults. Though often seen as “less than” because of their intended reader, we believe books for children are as important—if not more important—than books for adults. The future of our Nations will be in the hands of our children. Books that reflect them and their nations are crucial to the well being of all our Nations.
Sherman Alexie (Spokane/Coeur d’Alene)
- The Business of Fancydancing
- The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven
Rilla Askew (Choctaw)
Beverly Blacksheep (Navajo)
Kimberly Blaeser (White Earth Ojibwe)
- Absentee Indians and Other Poems
Joseph Boyden (Metis/Micmac)
Jim Bruchac and Joe Bruchac (Abenaki)
Joseph Bruchac (Abenaki)
Ignatia Broker (Ojibwe)
Emily Ivanoff Brown (Native Village of Unalakleet)
- The Longest Story Ever Told: Qayak, The Magical Man
Nicola Campbell (Interior Salish)
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Robert Conley (Cherokee)
Ella Deloria (Yankton Sioux)
Vine Deloria, Jr. (Standing Rock Lakota)
- Custer Died For Your Sins
Jennifer Denetdale (Dine)
- The Long Walk: The Forced Navajo Exile
Echo-Hawk, Roger C. and Walter C. Echo-Hawk (Pawnee)
- Battlefields and Burial Grounds: The Indian Struggle to Protect Ancestral Graves in the United States
Walter C. Echo-Hawk (Pawnee)
- In the Courts of the Conqueror: the 10 Worst Law Cases Ever Decided
Heid Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe)
- Cell Traffic: New and Selected Poems
Louise Erdrich (Turtle Mountain Ojibwe)
- The Last Report on the Miracles at No Horse
Jack D. Forbes (Powhatan Delaware)
- Only Approved Indians: Stories
- Africans and Native Americans: The Language of Race and the Evolution of Red-Black Peoples
Eric Gansworth (Onondaga)
- A Half-Life of Cardio-Pulmonary Function
Diane Glancy (Cherokee)
Joy Harjo (Muscogee Creek)
- Reinventing the Enemies Language
Tomson Highway (Cree)
- Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing
Geary Hobson (Cherokee, Quapaw)
Linda Hogan (Chickasaw)
- Red Clay: Poems & Stories
- The Woman Who Watches Over the World: A Native Memoir
LeAnne Howe (Choctaw)
- Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story
Hershman John (Navajo)
- I Swallow Turquoise for Courage
Thomas King (Cherokee)
Michael Lacapa (Apache/Hopi)
- Less than Half, More Than Whole
Winona LaDuke (Ojibwe/Chippewa/Anishinabe)
- All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life
Adrian Louis (Paiute)
- Wild Indians and Other Creatures
Larry Loyie (Cree)
- As Long as the Rivers Flow: A Last Summer Before Residential School
Wilma Mankiller (Cherokee) and Michael Wallace
Joseph Marshall III (Lakota Sioux)
- The Journey of Crazy Horse
John Joseph Matthews (Osage)
Janet McAdams (Creek)
- After Removal (with Geary Hobson and Kathryn Walkiewicz)
- The Island of Lost Luggage
- The People Who Stayed: Southeastern Indian Writing
Joseph Medicine Crow (Crow)
Carla Messinger (Lenape)
N. Scott Momaday (Kiowa)
- The Way to Rainey Mountain
D’Arcy McNickle (Cree)
Nora Naranjo-Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo)
- Mud Woman: Poems from the Clay
Jim Northrup (Ojibwe)
Simon Ortiz (Acoma)
- The Good Rainbow Road/Rawa ‘Kashtyaa’tsi Hiyaani
- Men on the Moon: Collected Short Stories
- The People Shall Continue
Louis Owens (Choctaw)
- Mixedblood Messages: Literature, Film, Family, Place
- Other Destinies: Understanding the American Indian Novel
Leonard Peltier (Anishinabe/Lakota)
William Penn (Nez Perce/Osage)
- All My Sins Are Relatives
Susan Power (Sioux)
Marcie Rendon (Anishinabe)
Leslie Marmon Silko (Laguna Pueblo)
Cheryl Savageau (Abenaki)
Cynthia Leitich Smith (Muscogee Creek)
Paul Chaat Smith (Comanche)
- Everything You Know About Indians is Wrong
Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Lakota Sioux)
Allen J. Sockabasin (Passamaquoddy)
Shirley Sterling (Salish)
Chief Jake Swamp (Mohawk)
Luci Tapahonso (Dine)
- A Breeze Swept Through: Poetry
- Blue Horses Rush In: Poems and Stories
Drew Hayden Taylor (Curve Lake Ojibwe)
Tim Tingle (Choctaw)
Laura Tohe (Navajo)
Richard Van Camp (Dogrib)
- The Moon of Letting Go: and Other Stories
Jan Bourdeau Waboose (Ojibway)
Velma Wallis (Athabascan)
- Two Old Women: An Alaska Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
Anna Lee Walters (Pawnee/Otoe)
James Welch (Blackfoot/Gros Ventre)
- Heartsong of Charging Elk
Bernelda Wheeler (Cree/Assiniboine/Saulteaux)
- I Can’t Have Bannock but the Beaver Has a Dam
- Where Did You Get Your Moccasins?
Robert A. Williams (Lumbee)
- Like a Loaded Weapon: The Rehnquist Court, Indian Rights, and the History of Racism in America
Daniel H. Wilson (Cherokee)
Craig Womack (Creek)
- Red On Red: Native American Literary Separatism
For further information and titles, contact Susan Hanks at [email protected], Debbie Reese at [email protected], Teresa Runnels at [email protected], or Tim Tingle at [email protected].
[1] The 2012 conference of the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums took place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. ATALM Website: http://www.atalm.org/
[2] This list was compiled for presentation at the ATALM conference. We encourage all librarians to purchase a copy of every book by the writers on our list, and we encourage you to ask when out-of-print books will be back in print. In preparing our list, we limited ourselves to no more than four titles per author. The titles are our personal favorites. Our contact info is below.
By:
Betsy Bird,
on 1/1/2014
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The Other Side of Free
By Krista Russell
Peachtree Publishers
$16.95
ISBN: 978-1-56145-710-6
Ages 9-12
On shelves now
Have you ever read the adult book How I Became a Famous Novelist? Bear with me for a second here, I know what I’m doing. You see, in the title the author decides that he wants to become a New York Times bestseller. In the course of his quest he runs across a variety of different authors who embody a variety of different types of novels. His own aunt decides she wants to be a children’s author and sets about doing so by writing a work of historical middle grade fiction. The book is about a girl living in Colonial America who wants to be a cooper. In only a page or two author Steve Hely puts his finger on a whole swath of children’s books that drive librarians like myself mildly mad. They find familiar situations and alter very little aside from location and exact year to tell their tales. The result is an increasing wariness on my part to read any works of historical fiction, for fear that you’ll see the same dang story again and again. With all this in mind you can imagine the relief with which I read Krista Russell’sThe Other Side of Free. Not only is the setting utterly original (not to mention unforgettable) but the characters don’t fill the same little roles you’ll see in other children’s novels. If you have kids that have tired of the same old, same old, The Other Side of Free will give them something they haven’t seen before.
We’ve all heard of how slaves would escape to the North when they wished to escape for good. But travel a bit farther back in time to the early 18th century and the tale is a little different. At that point in history slaves didn’t flee north but south to Spain’s territories. There, the Spanish king promised freedom for those slaves that swore fidelity to the Spanish crown and fought on his behalf against the English. 13-year-old Jem is one of those escaped slaves, but his life at Fort Mose is hardly stimulating. Kept under the yoke of a hard woman named Phaedra, Jem longs to fight for the king and to join in the battles. But when at last the fighting comes to him, it isn’t at all what he thought it would be. A Bibliography of sources appears at the end of the book.
There are big themes at work here. What freedom is worth to an individual if it means yoking yourself to someone else. If militia work really does mean freedom, or just slavery of a new kind. Jem himself chafes under the hand of Phaedra, though I think it would be obvious, even to a kid reader, that he’s immature in more than one way. But with all that said, it’s the lighter moments that make the book for me. Omen the owl is a notable example of a detail that makes the book more than just a work of history. In this story Jem adopts an owlet and raises it as his own. In your standard generic fare the owl would be a beloved friend and companion, possibly ultimately dying for Jem in a heroic scene reminiscent of Hedwig’s death. Instead, the owl is hell on wings. A nasty, chicken-snatching, very real and wild creature that is, nonetheless, beloved of our hero. Again, expectations are upset. I love it when that happens.
I liked the individual lines Russell used to dot the text as well. For example, in an early character note about Phaedra the book describes her construction of a grass basket. “Her fingers snatched at the fronds again and again, until each strip was bent and shaped to her will.” It’s worth noting that it’s Jem who is saying this about her. Almost the whole book is told through his own perspective and, as such, may not be entirely trustworthy. He has his own prejudices to fight, after all. I also like Russell’s everyday descriptions. “Adine handed each man a jug of water. They drank until it ran down their faces, leaving tails like gray veins down their throats.” Beautifully put.
Honestly it would make a heckuva stage play. The settings are necessarily limited, with Jem spending most of his time in Fort Mose and the rest of it in St. Augustine. Not having been familiar with the people of Fort Mose before, I found myself incredibly anxious to learn what became of them. Russell ends the book on a hopeful note, but you cannot help but wonder. If there were freed slaves in Florida in 1739 then what happened when that state became the property of the English in 1763? All Russell says at that time is “At this time, the free Africans of Mose relocated to Cuba.” Kids will just have to extrapolate a happy ending for Jem and his friends from that.
A great work of historical fiction does a number of things. It introduces you to unfamiliar places and people. It establishes a kind of empathy for those people that you otherwise would never have met. It puts you in their shoes, if only for a moment. And most of all, it surprises you. Upsets your expectations, maybe. For most kids in America, the history of slavery is short and sweet. Slaves came from Africa. They escaped North. They were freed thanks in part to the Civil War. What more is there is say or to learn aside from some vague info on the Underground Railroad? Russell challenges these assumptions, bringing us a tale that is wholly new, but filled with facts. If the rote and familiar don’t suit you and you want a book that travels over new ground, you can hardly do better than The Other Side of Free. Smart and original, it’s a one-of-a-kind novel. Hardly the kind of thing you run across every day.
On shelves now.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
Notes on the Cover: I don’t want to sound ungrateful. I can see what Peachtree was going for here. In this image you get the dense canopy of a Floridian forest. You even have a black boy on the cover (albeit completely turned away from the viewer, which is kind of a cheat). But all in all, whether it’s the art or the design or the color palette, this book is not the most visually appealing little number I’ve seen in all my livelong days. I’m having a devil of a time getting folks to pick it up of their own accord. One hopes that if it goes to paperback someday, maybe it’ll be given a cover worthy of its content.
Like This? Then Try:
Author Don Tate offers advice on writing picture books from a multicultural perspective.
http://writermorphosis.blogspot.com/2013/05/author-don-tate-tips-on-writing.html
Lee and Low's New Voices Award recognizes a manuscript by a writer of color.
http://www.leeandlow.com/p/new_voices_award.mhtml
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A Girl Called Problem
By Katie Quirk
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
$8.00
ISBN: 97800-8028-5404-9
Ages 9-12
On shelves now.
Who says that mystery novels for kids all have to include the same tropes and settings? I tell you, half the time when a kid comes up to a reference desk asking for a mystery they think what they want is the standard white kids in suburbia model perfected by Encyclopedia Brown and his ilk. They’re wrong. What they really want is great writing and a good mystery with a twist they don’t see coming. So I will hereby give grand kudos and heaping helpfuls of praise to the librarian/bookseller/parent who hears a kid ask for a mystery and hands them Katie Quirk’s A Girl Called Problem. This book is a trifecta of publishing rarities. A historical novel that is also a mystery set in a foreign country that just happens to be Tanzania. Trust me when I say your shelves aren’t exactly filled to brimming with such books. Would that they were, or at the very least, would that you had as many good books as this one. Smart commentary, an honestly interesting storyline, and sharp writing from start to finish, Quirk quickly establishes herself as one author to watch.
The thing about Shida is that in spite of her name (in Swahili it would be “problem”) you just can’t get her down. Sure, her mom is considered a witch, and every day she seems to make Shida’s life harder rather than easier. Still, Shida’s got dreams. She hopes to someday train to be a healer in her village of Litongo, and maybe even a village nurse. In light of all this, when the opportunity arises for all of Litongo to pick up and move to a new location, Shida’s on board with the plan. In Nija Panda she would be able to go to school and maybe even learn medicine firsthand. Her fellow villagers are wary but game. They seem to have more to gain than to lose from such a move. However, that’s before things start to go terribly wrong. Escaped cattle. Disease. Even death seems to await them in Nija Panda. Is the village truly cursed, just unlucky, or is there someone causing all these troubles? Someone who doesn’t want the people of Litongo there. Someone who will do anything at all to turn them back. It’s certainly possible and it’s up to Shida to figure out who the culprit might be.
The trouble with being an adult and reading a children’s work of mystery fiction is that too often the answer feels like it’s too obvious. Fortunately for me, I’m terrible at mysteries. I’ll swallow every last red herring and every false clue used by the author to lead me astray. So while at first it seems perfectly obvious who the bad guys would be, I confess that when the switcheroo took place I didn’t see it coming. It made perfect sense, of course, but I was as blindsided as our plucky heroine. I figure if I honestly as a 35-year-old adult can’t figure out the good guys from the bad in a book for kids, at least a significant chunk of child readers will be in the same boat.
Now I’ve a pet peeve regarding books set in Africa, particularly historical Africa, and I was keen to see whether or not Ms. Quirk would indulge it. You see, the story of a girl in a historical setting who wants to be a healer but can’t because of her gender is not a particularly new trope. We’ve seen it before, to a certain extent. What chaps my hide is when the author starts implying that tribal medicines and healing techniques are superstitious and outdated while modern medicine is significantly superior. Usually the heroine will fight against society’s prejudices, something will happen late in the game, and the villagers will see that she was right all along and that she’ll soon be able to use Western medicine to cure all ills. There’s something particularly galling about storylines of this sort, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that Quirk was not going to fall into that more than vaguely insulting mindset. Here is an author unafraid to pay some respect to the religion of the villagers. It never dismisses curses but acknowledges them alongside standard diseases. Example: “Though Shida was certain Furaha should take medicine for malaria, she was equally certain she should guard the spirit house that night. Parasites were responsible for some sicknesses and curses for others, and in this case, they needed to protect against both.”
Quirk is also quite adept at using the middle grade chapter book format to tackle some pretty complex issues. To an adult reading this book it might be clear that Shida’s mother suffers from a severe form of depression. There’s no way the village would be prepared to handle this diagnosis, and Shida herself just grows angry with the woman who stays inside all the time. You could get a very interesting book discussion going with child readers about whether or not Shida should really blame her mother as vehemently as she does. On the one hand, you can see her point. On the other, her mother is clearly in pain. Similarly well done is the final discussion of witches. Quirk brings up a very sophisticated conversation wherein Shida comes to understand that accused witches are very often widows who must work to keep themselves alive and that, through these efforts, acquire supposedly witchy attributes. Quirk never hits you over the head with these thoughts. She just lets her heroine’s assumptions fall in the face of close and careful observation.
All this could be true, but without caring about the characters it wouldn’t be worth much. I think part of the reason I like the book as much as I do is that everyone has three dimensions (with the occasional rare exception). Even the revealed villain turns out to have a backstory that explains their impetus, though it doesn’t excuse their actions. As for Shida herself, she may be positive but she’s no Pollyanna. Depression hits her hard sometimes too, but through it all she uses her brain. Because she is able to apply what she learns in school to the real world, she’s capable of following the clues and tracking down the real culprit behind everyone’s troubles. Passive protagonists have no place in A Girl Called Problem. No place at all.
Finally, in an era of Common Core Standards I cannot help but notice how much a kid can learn about Tanzania from this book. Historical Tanzania at that! A Glossary at the back does a very good job of explaining everything from flamboyant trees to n’gombe to President Julius Nyerere’s plan for Tanzania. There are also photographs mixed into the Glossary that do a good job of giving a contemporary spin on a historical work.
Windows and mirrors. That’s the phrase used by children’s literature professionals to explain what we look for in books for kids. We want them to have books that reflect their own experiences and observations (mirrors) and we also want them to have books that reflect the experiences and observations of kids living in very different circumstances (windows). Mirror books can be a lot easier to recommend to kids than window books, but that just means you need to try harder. So next time a 9-12 year-old comes to you begging for a mystery, upset their expectations. Hand them A Girl Called Problem and bet them they won’t be able to guess the bad guy. In the process, you might just be able to introduce that kid to their latest favorite book.
On shelves now.
Source: Galley sent from publisher for review.
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Notes on the Cover: Now was that so hard? We ask and we ask and we ask for brown faces on our middle grade fiction and still it feels like pulling teeth to get it done. Eerdmans really blew this one out of the water, and it seems they spared no expense. The book jacket is the brainchild of Richard Tuschman who you may know better as the man behind the cover of Claire Vanderpool’s Newbery Award winning Moon Over Manifest. Beautiful.
Other Blog Reviews: Loganberryblog
Professional Reviews: A star from Kirkus
Misc:
- This is utterly fascinating. In this post author Katie Quirk talks about the process that led to the current (and truly lovely) cover.
- And Ms. Quirk shares what a typical day for Shida might look like in this video.
Don't always relegate your minority characters to be friends instead of te main characters.
http://www.cbcdiversity.com/2013/04/diversity-101-sidekick-syndrome.html
By: Tracy Bartley,
on 4/24/2013
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Our guest blogger today is author Tony Medina, whose book “DeShawn Days”, from Lee & Low Books, is part of First Book’s Stories For All Project.
“As a child in the Throgs Neck Housing Projects in the Bronx, I did not grow up with books. The only person I saw reading was my grandmother, who occasionally read mass-market paperback fiction and her Bible that was as big as a phone book. If the Bible fell from the top of the dresser where she kept it, it could take your kneecap off and crush your foot in the process! The only time I recall being exposed to children’s books was at school when the teacher took us to the school library and the librarian allowed us to take out Curious George books.
It was as an adult that I really began to appreciate children’s books. I remember being fascinated by the marriage of art and text. The stories and poems were depicted so beautifully and richly that it seemed as if they blended together seamlessly, creating a world by which even adults would be captivated. I knew right then that I wanted to be part of that magic. I thought, if I as a grownup can be taken with the majesty of these portable art galleries and museums, children must truly love them.
Soon after, I began buying children’s books and taking some out from the library. I not only found myself interested in the wonderful stories and poems, I wanted to teach myself how to write them—by reading them. The more I browsed through shelves in bookstores and libraries, the more I noticed that many of the books I came across did not speak to or from the point of view of a kid like me from the projects. I yearned to read about what a child from the ’hood had to say about his life and his world. I remember reading an interview with the African American novelist and Noble Prize-winner Toni Morrison, She said she wrote the books she wanted to read. That nugget of wisdom stayed with me as I made my way to fulfilling my dream of becoming a writer.
By the time I decided to write my own children’s books, a child’s voice began to present itself in my mind. It 
belonged to a kid named DeShawn Williams, and he was talking about his life growing up in the projects. Not surprisingly, his words seemed to mirror my experiences as a child. Poems in DeShawn’s voice began to take hold of me and I began to write them down. Before I knew it, DeShawn was telling me about the people he loved and lived with: his mother, who was in college; his grandmother, who helped raise him; his uncle, who stood-in for his absent father; his cousin Tiffany, who was like his sister, even though they fought like crazy; and his best friend from school, Johnny Tse, who taught him Karate, which he assumed was from China, but finds out was from Japan. Thus, DeShawn Days, my first book for children, was born.
There was no greater feeling than to see the publication of DeShawn Days, which was initially embraced in manuscript form by my editor and subsequently published by multicultural children’s book publisher, Lee & Low Books. At that time, no books like DeShawn Days were around. The only thing that topped seeing DeShawn Days out in the world was sharing it with children, particularly children who came from a world similar to DeShawn’s. I remember encountering a youngster who had the same name—DeShawn—who was also being raised by his grandmother. This boy exclaimed about me, the author, “How does he know about my life?”
This experience made me realize in a real way, outside of my own literary aspirations, the power of books: how they can matter and make a profound difference in a child’s life, especially when they speak to and from the child’s own experiences and validate his or her life.”
To learn more about our awesome Stories For All Project partner, Lee & Low Books, check out their blog.
The post The Stories for All Project: African American Author Tony Medina on Connecting Multicultural Books with Children of Color appeared first on First Book Blog.
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You can also try our books at Gunga Peas Books. They are also available through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Another interesting and useful site for international titles in many languages is the biannual IBBY Honor List, described as “a biennial selection of outstanding, recently published books, honouring writers, illustrators and translators from IBBY member countries. The IBBY Honour List is one of the most widespread and effective ways of furthering IBBY’s objective of encouraging international understanding through children’s literature.” http://www.ibby.org/index.php?id=270
Multicultural Hawai’i has a vibrant children’s book scene aimed at Asian Pacific Islander communities. Publishers like Island Heritage Books http://www.welcometotheislands.com/Children-Books/b/7915568011?ie=UTF8&title=Children and Bess Press http://besspress.com/products/category/Childrens-Literature.html put out many of the books I loved small kid time.
BookWoman
in Austin, Tejas
CCBC has a rather thorough listing of small presses here https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/books/pclist.asp
USBBY, the U.S. section of IBBY, also publishes an annual list of Outstanding International Books, or books published outside of the U.S. prior to publication or distribution in the U.S. The list and related information can be found at http://www.usbby.org under “Awards and Lists.”
I recommend FarFaria (www.farfaria.com). We have an extensive ebook library for children with stories from around the world, representing children of various backgrounds and cultures.
Thank you all for the recommendations! Keep ‘em coming!