Welcome to Weekend Links! This is my chance every weekend to share the best-of-the-best in the way of wonderful booklists and links that I have discovered during my Internet travels. This week I have found some amazing books that will help guide and grow our young readers and share some booklists that share the Power of Diverse Reading.
Since the creation of Multicultural Children’s Book Day; a non profit that works to get diverse children’s books into the hands of young readers, the importance of books that allow children’s to “see” themselves within the pages has truly been on my radar. This week I am sharing a great list of multicultural books for you to enjoy and add ot your family’s reading list. Enjoy!
The Power of Diverse Books by Mia Wenjen (guest post from the Nerdy Book Club)
Here’s an excellent multicultural booklist from the Styling Librarian
Multicultural Adoption Books for Kids
14 Kids books about Refugees at HumanEducation.org
Your child loves animals?? They’ll love learning about Singapore’s wildlife, and reserves at Discovering the World Through my Son’s Eyes.
Books for Raising Global Kids: I See the Sun with FREE Printable at Educators Spin on It
Great Picture Books about Ramadan and Muslim Culture at the Logonauts
Happy reading!
But, before you go….
My newest book, Dragons are Real will be available and the excitement is almost blowing the roof off at Jump Into a Book/Audrey Press headquarters!
SO…what if I told you that all of the fairy tales, myths and legends that have been told about dragons over the years are WRONG. What if I told you that Dragons are indeed Real and that they are different than you’ve ever imagined?
This fairly true story is based on the author’s childhood friendship with a REAL live Dragon; a very special Dragon that she and her brother spent two magical summers with.
As readers turn the pages and learn the truth about Dragons, they will see that the fiercest beasts in known history can actually be the best of friends. It’s a lesson in finding companionship in the most unusual of places. Dragons are Real is a magical book filled with stunning illustrations and hints that dragon are indeed all around us 
Dragons are Real is now available for purchase on both Amazon and Gumroad! We are also offering a special free bonus gift of a Dragons Are Real Inspiration Activity Guide when you purchase your copy of this enchanting picture book.
The post Weekend Links: Booklists that Share the Power of Diverse Reading appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
Author Icy Smith is one brilliant story teller. In her book Mystery of the Giant Masks of Sanxingdui, she carefully weaves a story about tradition, honor, art, respect and beauty.
Brother and sister team Wei and Min prepare for the Warrior festival with their family and friends. Part of the art and tradition of the Shu people was bronze crafts. People would come from far away to admire their tall bronze statues and masks as well as smaller wares that were for sale.
As Min’s brother Wei becomes a warrior during the Warrior Festival, a great flood hits the village. Many homes were destroyed. As they begin to clean up from the storm and flood, news of a coming attack reaches the Shu people. What should they do, stay and fight a war or leave and let peace stay and linger ? Min and Wei, lead the villagers to flee their homeland but before they do they release the spirits of the bronze statues and masks and bury them in deep pits along with all of their other bronze objects.
There they sit for over 3000 years. In 1986 the giant and incredible statues, masks, and artifacts of Sanxingdui in Sichuan Province China we discovered and declared the 9th wonder of the world.
This story completely captivated us. Icy Smith uses beautiful and gentle language to offer an invitation to the Shu people, who they were, how they lived, and the beauty of their life in that place. The back of the book offers an up to date account of how the bronze masks and statues were found and the museum that has been built around them.
Artist and Illustrator Gayle Garner Roski beautifully illustrates this story with vivid and detailed watercolors.
We were so honored to read this book and thank author Icy Smith for giving us a review copy. While I was at the NCSS convention in Boston I had the honor of meeting Icy Smith and she generously gave me a few of her books to read and jump into. Look for more stories, books, and adventures to come from this amazing author.
Something To Do
Let’s find and discover Sanxingdui and the Sichuan Province in China.
Many Chinese archaeologists have identified the Sanxingdui culture to be part of the ancient kingdom of Shu, linking the artifacts found at the site to its early legendary kings. The Shu kingdom was founded by Cancong.Cancong was described as having protruding eyes, a feature that is found in the figures of Sanxingdui.
The Sanxingdui archaeological site is located in Chengdu Prefecture in Sichuan Province China.
The city was built on the banks of the Yazi River, and enclosed part of its tributary, Mamu River, within the city walls. The city walls were 40 meters at the base and 20 meters at the top and varied in height from 8–10 meters. There was a smaller set of inner walls.
The walls were surrounded by canals 25–20 meters wide and 2–3 meters deep. These canals were used for irrigation, inland navigation, defense, and flood control. The city was divided into residential, industrial and religious districts organized around a dominant central axis. It is along this axis that most of the pit burial have been found on four terraces. The structures were timber framed adobe rectangular halls. The largest was a meeting hall about 200 m2.
Let’s Paint: A Story Cloth
In Mystery of the Giant Masks of Sanxingdui, Min and her Aunt paint a story cloth telling the story of a great flood which had happened in the past to their people. Story cloths have been used all over the world to record and actual event which has happened to a certain group of people. A story cloth can also be myths or legends. It’s a craft and tool used to remember something very important by a specific group of people.
There’s a couple of ways you can do this.
- First you could paint the story of the Shu people and their beautiful masks. Taking a large piece of paper draw and paint the story of the archaeologist finding the large masks.
- Next you could paint the mask themselves and telling the story of the Shu warriors.
- Another idea is that you can choose a story you know already such as Noah’s Ark and paint that. Whenever anyone asks you about your painting, you can tell them it’s a story cloth.
Look and Discover: The Masks of Sanxingdui
I LOVE this Sanxingdui Mask Activity from one of our Multicultural Children’s Book Day Reviewers A Field Trip Life!
The Bower Museum
Let’s Discuss:
Since the Sanxingdui site has been discovered many questions have been asked?
1. Who were the Shu people?
2. Who burned and buried these sacred treasures and impressive masks ?
3. What do you think happened before they were buried ? Why were they buried ?
4. For ancient people, how did they know how to use advanced bronze making techniques ?
5. How advanced was the Shu culture ?
6. What made the Shu culture disappear ?
Rediscover the Wonder of The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory PDF
The post Have you Heard of the Mystery of the Giant Masks? Mystery of the Giant Masks of Sanxingdui by Icy Smith appeared first on Jump Into A Book.
I am thrilled to share with you two super cute picture books by a TexHEN named Aunt Judy, who writes and illustrates (SO CUTE!) Chickens on the GO! and Chickens in the Know!. Aunt Judy was generous enough to send me both of her picture books, which I am sure any young reader will LOVE, and so I am keeping one for my daughter and giving one away to a lucky reader! To win Chickens in the Know!, please leave a comment below. You can either say, PICK ME! or SOUNDS GREAT! or tell us your favorite professHEN, such as constructHEN workers or librariHENS. That’s what this book is all about–how the world is full of people who have different jobs, and we need EACH ONE to make the world go around.
The book I am keeping, but one you can purchase from Aunt Judy is Chickens on the GO! It is the perfect classroom book for young children and the perfect home school book for your young readers. The premise is that the world is made up of people who are different nationalities such as: JapHENese, BritHENS, AfricHENS, and AmericHENS. (SO CUTE–I’m telling you!) Aunt Judy tells readers something about the people/culture in each country she covers–in a catchy rhyme. She makes the point that everyone is different, but that’s okay! (Perfect in this world of bullying–the old-fashioned and cyber way) The repeating phrase in the book is: “It doesn’t matter where we’re from. We’re all chickens–let’s have fun!”
You can use Chickens on the GO! to discuss with young children how differences make us unique and special and even how where we are from affects our lives, but that’s what also makes us special. You can do geography lessons with this book–showing students where each HEN comes from as well as have children do more research on each HEN’s culture. The possibilities with this book are endless. Aunt Judy has several resources on her website, too at http://www.chickensonthego.com/Lesson%20Plans.htm. Don’t miss the lesson plans and puzzles she has created.
If you are interested in finding out more and purchasing this book, Chickens on the GO!, or its companion about careers, Chickens in the Know!, please see Aunt Judy’s website at: http://www.chickensonthego.com/books.htm
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Don’t forget, you can win a copy. On the back of the book, it says these books are for ages 1 to 99–no kidding! So, let me know your favorite professHEN or just say PICK ME! Contest ends on Sunday night, December 11 at 8:00 pm CST. Winner must have a U.S. or Canada mailing address.
