In Our Mothers' House by Patricia Polacco - Picture book with Gay/Lesbian Character

Bibliography:

Polacco, Patricia. 2009. IN OUR MOTHERS' HOUSE. Ill. Patricia Polacco. New York City, NY: Penguin Young Readers Group. ISBN 978-0-399-25076-7.

Plot Summary:

In Our Mothers' House is the story of a family with two mothers and three adopted children that is told from the oldest child's perspective.   Meema and Marmee, as the children call their Mom's, are two loving woman who have created a home where cooking, art, dancing, playing and kindness for others is always important and encouraged.  Meema and Marmee bring the neighbors together by doing such things as building a tree house and organizing a Woolsey Street block party.  There is one neighbor, Ms. Lockner, who does not agree with how Meema and Marmee live their life but fortunately for Meema and Marmee they have a wonderful group of neighbors who love them and their children and come together to lend support with Ms. Lockner is not kind. 

Critical Analysis:

I absolutely love this book, it is now one of my favorites.  I love how the story begins with the arrival of their first child and it ends with their son living in the home with his own family after Meema and Marmee have passed away.  It is a lovely heartwarming story about two woman who have raised wonderful children who are kind and thoughtful, two qualities any parent would want their child to have.  When Meema and Marmee are approached by a rude neighbor they brush off her comments and don't go into any explanation with their children about why she is the way she is.  They are able to brush off comments until Meema and Marmee are verbally attacked by this neighbor in front of all the other neighbors at their block party.  It is at that moment that Meema and Marmee explain very simply to their children what their neighbors problem is.  As Meema states, "She is full of fear, sweetie.  She's afraid of what she cannot understand: she doesn't understand us."  Marmee adds, "There seems to be no love in her heart, either."  I love how they explain the situation to their children in a way that does not put the other person down or is unkind, it's very simple, something a child can really understand.

I really think the illustrations in this book are great, they are so colorful and the story and illustrations represent people of every size, shape and color and that is wonderful.  I love how detailed the pictures are such as the kitchen pictures, it's so realistic.  You can tell Patricia Polacco had fun drawing the illustrations for this book, they aren't perfect illustrations but they are fun to look at.  I do not feel there were any huge stereotypes within this book as there is the potential for them.  Many woman today choose not to wear dresses, Meema and Marmee are both in the medical field which I feel is pretty normal for woman who work in the medical field to not wear dresses, many woman don't wear them hanging out at the house either.  I think Patricia Polacco did a wonderful job overall with the story and the illustrations. 

Patricia Polacco saw a need for a children's book that features nontraditional families so she created this heart-warming story in their honor.  She looked for real life inspiration in writing the story, she did such a wonderful job that I wondered while reading the book if it was based on her childhood, there is no indication that it did though.  She did an absolutely wonderful job writing and illustrating this book.

Review Awards and Excerpts:

This gem of a book illustrates how love makes a family, even if it's not a traditional one. - School Library Journal

2010 ALA Rainbow Book List

2010 What’s New in Children’s Literature

Connections:

• A book such as this one opens the door to have a conversation about tolerance and openness to how other people choose to live their lives.  I would discuss what makes this family a good family.  If it's an older group there is an opportunity to bring up Utah banning this book in school libraries and why children might think this is wrong.  This sort of discussion would be for older children as they would have a better understanding of laws.

Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

Bibliography:

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. HABIBI. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-689-80149-1.

Plot Summary:

Habibi is the story of a young fourteen year old girl named Liyana who moves with her parents and younger brother, Rafik, from St. Louis to Jerusalem.  Her father moved to the United States when he was a young man and he always knew he'd want to move his family to Jerusalem to get to know his family and understand where they come from.  Liyana is welcomed with open arms by relatives who speak a different language than her but everything Liyana has known is just a memory compared to what her new life is like now.  Liyana befriends a Jewish boy, Omar, who helps her overcome being homesick but their friendship is frowned upon because he is Jewish and she Palestinian.       

Critical Analysis:

This books is really amazing, I feel like it's a story many young girls will enjoy reading because Liyana is such a lovely character but there so much truth in the writing about Jerusalem, the relationship between the Jews and Palistinians, as well as many of the strange "rules" that exist that Liyana is so foreign to.  I also love the relationship Liyana and Rafik have, it's a wonderful brother sister relationship.  They aren't mean to one another, they truly care for eachother and that is nice to see depicted in a book.   

As I began this book I wondered if we'd find out why Liana's father, Poppy, left Jerusalem.  I love how the story was told as an extra credit paper that Liana writes.  From an adults perspective as you read the paper Liana writes you can tell there is so much more that Poppy witnessed just based on adult knowledge of what occures in the middle east but Poppy told Liana information that was age appropriate for her and her class.  I love that he wanted more for himself and that eventhough his family wasn't happy with his decision he knew it was best for him. 

One part of the story I found to be so odd but also one I can identify with is when Poppy and the family are visiting his extended family for the first time after their arrival and towards the end of the evening family members start asking for things.  I wonder if that is common in such poor countries if a family member educates themselves and does well that family and friends will ask for that person to buy them things.  I know this is common with family members in the United States when one does well and others are poor that they feel comfortable to openly ask for things, I find it odd but it does happen.

When Uncle Zaki, Poppy's elder brother, asked for Liyana's hand in marriage for his son and Poppy said "We do not embrace such archaic customs, and furthermore, does she look ready to be married?  She's fourteen years old," was a point in the story that if I were in Poppy's shoes I would be thinking my country hasn't changed enough to validate moving the family to Jerusalem.  That was shocking, I can't imagine being Liyana in that situation nor Poppy and having to realize just how different American customs are compared to customs in the Middle East. 

Naomi Shihab does a wonderful job describing Jerusalem and the old buildings.  But I especially love how she describes the woman's clothing, "thick fabrics, purple, gold and navy blue, and stitched brightly with fabulous, complicated embroidery."  But then it's so strange they are wearing jelly style shoes that are "plastic, slip-on shoes in pastel colors."  I always appreciate books that do a wonderful job describing surroundings and people that I am not familiar with, it's wonderful she does this.

I wish the author, Naomi Shihab Nye, would have put some background information about herself at the end of the book like many authors do.  I can tell based on her Awknowledgements section that she does have family from Jerusalem if not herself personally but I cannot tell fully what her background is.  I would like to know how much of a personal influence the author's life has on this story, it's so wonderful it would be really interesting. 

Review Awards and Excerpts:

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

ALA Notable Children's Book

Jane Addams Book Award

New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age

American Bookseller"Pick of the Lists"

Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature

Texas Institute of Letters Best Book for Young Readers

Connections:

• I think it would be really fascinating to read a story such as this one and have adults from other countries come in to discuss their personal experiences living in those countries with children.  It's important for children to hear about other cultures

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon - Character with Disabilities



Bibliography:

Lyon, George Ella. 2010. THE PIRATE OF KINDERGARTEN. Ill. Lynne Avril. New York City, NY: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division. ISBN 978-1-4169-5024-0.

Plot Summary:

Ginny is a young school girl who sees everything in double but doesn't realize that's not how everyone sees.  A wonderful nurse gives her an eye exam at school and explains to her it's not normal to see everything in double.  Ginny is made fun of in school because she runs into chairs.  Her teacher doesn't realize she has a sight problem so she constantly tells Ginny to "read with her eyes, not her nose" and "don't squint" because she has her nose buried in the book trying to make out the words or she closes one eye or the other to make the letters more clear.  Ginny's Mom takes her to the eye doctor who prescribes an eye patch to help strengthen one of her eyes, Ginny then became a Kindergarten Pirate!

Critical Analysis:

I love this book!  I didn't read anything about what the storyline was prior to reading it so I knew nothing about it.  I love how she has an eye problem because so many kids do and many kids don't want to wear their eye patch or glasses in fear of being made fun of.  This is a common issue for a lot of children to have and such a simple one to address.  I love how Ginny takes her eye patch that could potentially be embarrassing for a child, and is creative by coming up with the idea of being the Pirate of Kindergarten.  I also love that Ginny loves to read and by having her eye patch it allows her to see well and therefore allows her to read even more as well as play on the playground, do numbers and cut with scissors.  What a wonderful example for young children!

Something I found to be a bit ironic is Ginny's teacher wears glasses, you would think someone who wears glasses would recognize someone who might need glasses.  I almost feel like the teacher could have helped Ginny discover her eye problem instead of a mandatory eye check at school.  I find it sad she tells Ginny, "we read with our eyes, not our noses" and told her, "don't squint" when she should have recognized something was not right.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and colorful, you couldn't ask for more from an illustrator.  I love how the double vision is depicted in the illustrations so you get a true sense of what Ginny sees.  At the end of the book you see Ginny reading, cutting out bunny ears properly and climbing on the playground all the while with her eye patch proudly on.   

Review Awards and Excerpts:

2011 Schneider Family Award for Young Children

Connections:

• I think this is a great opportunity for children to discuss disabilities such as this one, if they know anyone who has a disability or if they have one.  Discuss how it can impact someone and how they can help someone who has a disability.  Also the importance of standing up to children making fun of someone else for being different has to be discussed. 
• As an art project they could each make an eye patch like Ginny's and see what it feels like to read and walk around with only one eye. 

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

Bibliography:

Lin, Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York City, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0-316-06000-3.

Plot Summary:

Pacy is a young Taiwanese-American girl who learns what the real meaning behind Year of the Dog is and what it means for it to be a year of luck.  Over the course of the year Pacy makes a new friend who she identifies with, she writes a book, enters the science fair and goes to a convention in hopes of connecting with more Taiwanese-American children.  With the help of her new friend and her parents childhood stories she's able to weather disappointment and self-discovery. 

Critical Analysis:

I think the main character Pacy is such a wonderful young girl, she has such a kind spirit and is a good representation of what a young girl should be.  She's close to her family, she has nice friends and she weathers the ups and downs of life with dignity.  I love the relationship Pacy has with her two best friends, she has normal young girl conversations with them, spends the night at each others homes and they rely on one another.  She has a wonderful relationship with her parents who are always telling her stories from their childhood to help keep things in perspective for her.  She goes through a difficult time with mean girls at a Taiwanese-American convention but weathers it fine with the help of her parents. 

There are not any major descriptions of what Pacy looks like in terms of features other than dark hair but since you know she's of Asian decent it's just an understanding that she looks different than Caucasian children.  She does mention seeing another girl at school that is Asian because Pacy is accused of taking a second lunch by the lunch lady but it turns out to be a new girl at school named Melody who is also Taiwanese.

The most emphasis on Pacy's families heritage comes in terms of the food they eat and their celebrations like New Year and the birth of a baby.  I loved the families trip to New York City to go to Chinatown and the Asian Market, I'm very curious about Asian candy now.  I had no idea that eggs can be dyed using red envelopes, again very informative and educational.  I can always appreciate a book that incorporates educational aspects about another culture. 

Grace Lin, the author of The Year of the Dog, did a great job writing this book by sticking to what she knows and that is the life of a Taiwanese child growing up in the United States.  The way Grace Lin wrote on behalf of Pacy was brilliant, you felt like the story was truly being told from a child's perspective.  I didn't feel the story was all that exciting which is a common problem with Asian influenced books but it was fun with little bits of educational information thrown in about Taiwanese traditions.  I also love the little illustrations that Grace Lin included within the story.  There is a picture of a row of grandmothers that is beyond adorable, they are these cute little ladies, exactly as you would picture them, wearing long dresses, hair pulled back in a bun held by chopsticks and their sweet little smiles. 

Review Awards and Excerpts:

Starred Booklist Review

2006 ALA Children's Notable

2006 Asian Pacific American Librarian Association Honor

2006 National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) GOLD Winner

2007-2008 Texas Bluebonnet Award Masterlist

Connections:

• For each year that children were born we'd research that year and see what animal year it is and what it means in the Chinese culture. 

Peach Heaven by Yangsook Choi - Picturebook of Choice

Bibliography:

Yangsook, Choi. 2005. PEACH HEAVEN. New York, NY: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 978-0-374-35761-0.

Plot Summary:

Yangsook is a young girl who lives in a small village in South Korea.  Yangsook dreams of a peach orchard where she can eat all the peaches she wants unlike the one on the mountain behind her small village where she's not allowed to eat the peaches.  One day something very strange happens, there is a huge storm and it starts raining peaches!  Yangsook quickly realizes they are from the peach orchard nearby and decides she and her friends need to get the peaches back to the orchard for the farmers need to be able to sell the peaches.

Critical Analysis:

Peach Heaven is a cute little story that is actually a true story.  One of the heaviest rainfalls hit Puchon, South Korea on August 12, 1976 and it actually rained peaches, all coming from the nearby peach orchards.  I love a simple story that is actually a true story.  There is an author's note at the end of the story that explains what occurred on that fateful day but also how Koreans view the peach as a symbol of peace and a strong defense against evil. 

The illustrations in the book are beautiful and colorful, probably very true to what some of the small villages use to look like.  The homes depicted are traditional Hanoks, while the clothes are traditional clothing.  I love the homes and how the grandmother has a little role in the book, since it's common for generations to live under the same roof this is an accurate depiction.  Yangsook is a sweet little girl who loves the peaches but knows the farmers need the peaches so they can sell them for money so she selflessly comes up with the idea to round up the peaches and take them back. 

Yangsook Choi, the author is from South Korea and remembers the day that it rained peaches so the story and illustrations are true to her memory which is wonderful.  It's a great opportunity for children to see how a Korean family lives and what the village and countryside looks like.

Review Awards and Excerpts:

"The colored pencil artwork, full and double-page spread, has an appealing simplicity." - Booklist

"Yangsook's vision of peace and harmony mirrors Choi's personal experiences, and her thoughtful main character embodies the same pensive tone found in the soft brownish-greenish peachy palate, making the whole experience one tasty bite." - Kirkus Reviews

"Deftly told and gracefully illustrated, Choi's vibrant and appealing childhood recollection is a memorable tale of a young person making a difference." - The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Colorful illustrations clearly evoke the tale's setting and the emotions of the characters. Told from Yangsook's point of view, the narrative is sweet and direct." - School Library Journal

"Choi's vivid recollection of one extraordinary day takes on the timeless feel of a classic tale." - Publishers Weekly

Connections:

• I like the idea of it raining something that a child loves so they have a lot of it, I'd ask children what they hope it would rain and why.  What could they do with everything?  Could it be of help to someone?  How many uses could they have for that item?



Tea with Milk by Allen Say

Bibliography:

Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-90495-1.

Plot Summary:

Masako or May as she is called by her English speaking friends, is a young girl who's world is turned upside down when her parents move the family back to Japan from San Francisco.  May has always dreamt of going to visit San Francisco with her father, go to college and have her own apartment.  This is not possible in Japan, she is expected to wear kimonos, sit on the floor and marry a man from a good family.  May decides she cannot settle for this type of life so she leaves for the big city without her parents knowing, she gets a job and eventually meets a wonderful man with whom she identifies with. 

Critical Analysis:

This is a wonderful story, it is simple but between the story and the illustrations it just makes it very enjoyable.  May is a wonderful example of a young woman who will not settle but sets out on her own to make her dreams come true.  She has to find a balance between the American life she knew and the Japanese life she's living despite what her parents want for her.  She is a strong woman who does not let what she is supposed to do and be in Japan dictate her life and she ultimately finds a man who seems to be supportive of who she wants to be and the type of life she wants to have.  When Joseph asks May to have tea with him and she says in her best English that she'd love to but then bows as a proper Japanese woman, this embodies how she's found that balance between the two cultures.  I love a female character that shows this strength, it's a great example for young woman and young men to see a strong female character. I love how she wears a bright red dress brought from California as she makes her way to the city in search of a better life for herself, it symbolizes defiance against the life she's supposed to have but strength in finding the life she wants. 

The illustrations in this book are beautiful, I feel like I really get a sense of what Japan looks like, and how people dressed at one point as I'm assuming woman don't wear kimono's on a regular basis today.  The expressions on peoples faces are so realistic, the colors are so soft and lovely it's just a great story.

Allen Say, the author and illustrator, has real life experience with this story as it's his parents story.  There aren't stereotypes or embellishments in the difference between the two cultures, it's a wonderful example of how different Japan and American are.  I love that we find out this story is the story of how his parents met, it's give validity to the story.

Review Awards and Excerpts:

Caldecott Honor Winner

"Elegant is the operative word for this undeniably compelling piece of work." - Booklist

"This exquisitely illustrated story will encourage thoughtful adult child dialogue on the potentially difficult issue." - Publishers Weekly

"A straightforward text and arresting, translucent watercolors dramatically portray how the young artist see her world." - Horn Book

An American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"

Connections:

• I love how this story shows something as simple as how someone takes their tea to symbolize the differences between cultures.  I would discuss other small differences between cultures, what people eat, how it's eaten, cultural ceremonies and so forth.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Bibliography:

Alexie, Sherman. 2007. THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN. Ill. by Ellen Forney.  New York City, NY: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-01369-7.

Plot Summary:

Junior has lived his whole, poor-ass, life living on Spoken Indian Reservation or as Junior calls it "the rez."  Junior was born with water on the brain and was supposed to have died when he was a baby but he has never allowed his disorder to be an excuse for living life, trying new things and aspiring to be more than what is expected of him.  One day when Junior acts out in math class his teacher sees this as a sign that Junior is not satisfied with what he is being given so he encourages Junior to go to school outside of the reservation to allow himself more opportunities.  When Junior starts school in Reardon he slowly feels like he is half-white in Reardon but half-Indian when he's on "the rez."  During Juniors first year at Reardon he goes through many emotional highs such as being a basketball superstar and having his first girlfriend, to many lows such as feeling like he's betraying his family and friends for leaving the rez to losing his sister, grandmother and a close family friend.  Junior never gives up and continues to realize what is truly important to him.

Critical Analysis:

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian deals with so many incredible and true issues that Native Americans deal with on a daily basis.  Juniors and his family truly represents those struggles, alcoholism, poverty, bullying, lack of solid educations and death.  Sherman Alexie has first hand experience with these issues being that he grew up on the Spokane Indian Reservation just like Junior did.  This story is a semi-autobiographical story so it really sheds light on difficult situations and how a courageous young boy deals with it through the support of his family and his comics.

What I found interesting in some of the comics is the stereotypes of what some people think Indians look like, it made fun of how naive some people are in their beliefs of Indians; long hair with a feather, no shoes, leather pants and no shirt with a very angry facial expression.  This is not a true depiction of an Indian, especially today.  I thought it was a very cleaver way of saying this isn't what we look like, so lets laugh at it.  The way Indians look today was not really discussed in depth in this book but was depicted more in Juniors comics.   I especially love the drawing of Junior where he is half-white and half-Indian to show the stark comparison of what the white kids have versus the Indian kids and the evident monetary difference between the two.  Junior does mention when he first goes to school how incredibly white the kids at Reardon are compared to his darker skin.  He also discusses how he is aware of this and that the Reardon kids look at him. 

I did not find the way Junior, Rowdy, his parents or any of the other rez characters spoke to be very different that how the Reardon characters speak.  I believe Sherman Alexie was very aware of making sure the characters didn't have many differences that way because Indians don't speak differently like they did 150 years ago and learning English. 

Sherman Alexie approached many real topics in this story that statistics show are major issues.  The rampant alcoholism is truly depicted in this story and how innocent people are hurt by this problem.  The extreme poverty and how many children and adults go to bed hungry or go many hours without eating is horrifyingly accurate.  Junior makes a comment about how he's sure that none of the kids at his school in Reardon haven't gone all day and night without a meal.  The anger and bullying that takes place on the rez and how the rez people treat one another is also very different from what Junior sees at Reardon.  Junior decides to physically fight back at Reardon when Roger harasses Junior a bit, Junior is use to unwritten rules of how to deal with someone harassing you and Junior is shocked when Roger doesn't physically fight back but actually walks away from the situation and looks at Junior like he's crazy. 

Ellen Forney did an amazing job illustrating the comics on behalf of Junior, she worked collaboratively with Sherman Elexie and between the two of them they each represented the white characters and the Indian characters.  They were each able to represent the cultures accurately and make sure they are depicted in Juniors comics.  She did an amazing job and they added so much to the storyline.

Review Awards and Excerpts:

NEW YORK TIMES Notable Book of 2007

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Best Book of the Year

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Best Book of the Year

The National Book Award Winner

A NAPPA Gold Book

Best Book of the Year by Amazon.com

A BBYA Top 10 Book for Teens

"Heartbreaking, funny and beautifully written" - Association of Booksellers for Children

Connections:

• This book opens all sorts of doors to discuss life lessons such as death and alcoholism as well as excluding someone and stereotyping them.  I would use this book as a way to discuss difficult situations, how best to handle those situations and how to treat people justly.  This book also discuses how difficult friendships can be especially if you are different, I would have the children discuss ways to be a good friend and how they would have helped welcome Junior to his new school.  This book is for older children due to the content so the conversation is going to be of a more mature content.
• I would use Juniors comics as a guide to helping children express themselves through drawings and create their own stories.  Art is a wonderful way to express yourself so I would leave it up to the children to tell whatever story they'd like to share with the group.