Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story

Written by: Kevin Noble Maillard

Illustrated by: Juana Martinez-Neal

Genre: poetry, informational

Awards: 2020 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal

               American Indian Youth Literature Picture Book                          Honor Winner 2020

            NCTE Notable Poetry Book

Summary:

This story embraces the significance of fry bread in Native American culture. It is about more than fry bread as a food; it enchants readers with the history of fry bread and its importance to the perseverance of a people. Through lyrical poetry, readers gain an in-depth understanding of the many roles of this dish to the Native American community. The illustrations help readers acknowledge the struggles of the Native American people and identify how far the people have come. The book ends with a recipe and more information about the history of fry bread. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book as a read-aloud for a fifth-grade classroom. This would be a supplemental text in my class in a unit on American history. We would consider the progression of the country beginning with Native American people's initial development of the land. Students would research the contributions of this group to the country and create a poster showing their traditions and other valuable information. I would use this book as an introduction to the culture and for discussion about what we know/need to learn. Students could also consider foods that are important in their cultures and create their own story similar to "Fry Bread."

Pecan Pie Baby

 

Written by: Jacqueline Woodson

Illustrated by: Sophie Blackall

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: ALA Notable Books

               Booklist Best Book

               Ebony Magazine’s favorite children’s books of 2010

              New York Library’s 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing 

              Bank Street Best Book 

              CCBC Choices

Summary:

Gia is about to become a big sister, only she cannot stand that "ding-dang baby." Everywhere she looks, people are talking about the baby and she is not at all interested. Gia is sure that the baby will change everything in her life, especially her relationship with her mom. There is only one good thing: the baby loves pecan pie just as much as she does. After a rough thanksgiving dinner, Gia feels very lonely and separated from the rest of her family. Her mom encourages her to hold on to memories of life before the new baby and share those times with everyone.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for a third-grade classroom to begin teaching text analysis. This story leaves room for prediction and textual connections which would be a good starting point for third graders. After the read-aloud, I would ask students to share some things they identify with from the book. We would consider how Gia dealt with her feelings and think of ways the students deal with theirs. Once we've made connections, I would have students predict what happened for Gia after the baby's arrival. Students would create a short story to extend this book and explain what they believe will happen. This activity would allow students to practice writing skills and literary analysis. 

Lola Levine is Not Mean!

Written by: Monica Brown

Illustrated by: Angela Dominguez

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: We Are Kid Lit Summer Reading List 2017

Summary:

This story follows second-grader Dolores "Lola" Levine who's been dubbed 'mean' after accidentally injuring another kid while playing soccer. She is an enthusiastic young girl and her love for soccer is sometimes expressed a little too zealously. Lola struggles to connect with her peers after the accident and is banned from playing by the school principal. Her family offers her support and advice which boosts her confidence and guides her as she makes amends. Her family does not try to change her personality but encourages her to be more careful. Throughout the book, Lola demonstrates her Latin and Jewish heritage through her diary entries and other cultural references. 

Teacher Evaluation:

This book is a great transitional story from picture books to chapter books for first and second graders. It's not text-heavy and includes some unique black and white drawings to keep students engaged. I would use this book for character analysis since each character is charismatic in a variety of ways. We would create a character trait chart with textual evidence to support our findings. We would also consider how the character descriptions help readers create a picture of these characters in their minds. 
 

Bee-bim Bop!

 Written by: Linda Sue Park

Illustrated by: Ho Baek Lee

Genre: realistic fiction

Awards: Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year

New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

Summary:

This story follows a young girl as she makes bee-bim bop, a traditional Korean dish, with her mother. They begin at the store getting all the ingredients. Then, they go home where they prepare the rice, eggs, beef, and veggies to go into the dish. The girl helps to set the table and calls her family into the dining room. In the end, they all enjoy the time spent eating with each other. This book also includes a recipe at the end, which teachers could copy and send home with students. 

Teacher Evaluation: 

I would use this book for a kindergarten classroom since it's told using rhyming and repetitive poetry. I would use it to help students answer questions about the text and practice story sequencing. While reading, I would ask students to answer questions based on the information we read. Students would answer orally using a prompt from the teacher, which allows them to practice expressive language skills. For story sequencing, I would create a worksheet for students to cut and paste the events in the correct order. I would use the ingredients in bee-bim bop as different plot points for students to build the story. 

Under my Hijab

Written by: Hena Khan

Illustrated by: Aaliyah Jaleel

Genre: multicultural

Awards: Amelia Bloomer book list 2020

               Bank Street College Best Children's Books of the Year

Summary:

As a young girl observes all the women in her life, she dreams of the possibilities for her life. She considers all the ways these women wear their hijabs then compares it to how they wear their hair underneath. The girl notices how each woman's hijab reflects the wearers' personality, like her aunt's fun one and her sister's stylish one. She dreams of a bright future where she can do anything, in life and with her hijab. This book also includes information about the religious and cultural significance of the hijab for readers at the end. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book in a first-grade classroom; their are several social and academic learning activities this book can supports. I would use it to teach comparing/contrasting and point of view. My classroom would create venn diagrams to share similarities and differences between two women in the book. Students would write two sentences using a sentence stem that explains the features they pointed out. To promote social awareness, I would ask students to explain how they can be kind to women in hijabs. I would also show real women who where hijabs and they contributions they've made to the world. 

Way Too Many Latkes: A Hanukkah in Chelm

 

Written by: Linda Glaser

Illustrated by: Aleksandar Zolotic

Genre: multicultural

Awards: N/A

Summary:

In Chelm, the village of fools, latkes are very important in the Hanukkah celebration. Faigel makes the best latkes in the village, but this year she forgot the recipe! She asks her husband Shmuel for help remembering and he insists on going to the rabbi. He asks the rabbi how many potatoes, eggs, and onions to use for the meal. Each time, the rabbi tells the couple to use all their ingredients. Consequently, there are tons of latkes, too many for anyone to eat. The rabbi has one final idea: invite everyone in the village to eat and celebrate Hannukkah.

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for pre-k through second-grade classrooms. Students could work on counting or measuring by following a latke recipe. Teachers can use stickers or magnets to represent the different ingredients discussed (potatoes, onions, eggs). Students can build latkes by following different recipes to get different amounts of completed latkes. Teachers could also talk about how other cultures celebrate during the holiday season. Students could draw pictures and describe how they celebrate and find similarities in this book. 

New Kid

Written & Illustrated by: Jerry Craft

Genre: realistic fiction, graphic novel

Awards: Newbery Winner 2020

               Coretta Scott King Author Award 2020

               #1 New York Times Bestseller

              Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature 2019

Summary:

Jordan Banks is a seventh-grader who loves drawing. Though he wants to attend art school, his parents send him to the prestigious Riverdale Academy Day School. Here, Jordan is one of few kids of color and struggles to fit in with the other students. His new school also causes issues with his friends from the neighborhood, furthering his confusion. Jordan takes a variety of classes, gets involved, in some sports, and of course continues to draw. He deals with racial stereotypes and a bully, along with the common struggles of school. Along the way, Jordan finds friends whom he can relate to and learns more about himself and life. 

Teacher Evaluation:

I would use this book for a sixth-grade class and add it to my classroom library for a secondary classroom. I would use this for a book discussion while reading. We would split the book in half and do two Socratic seminars. Students would create seven discussion questions (one for each chapter in the half) and present them to their peers. While reading, I will ask students to keep track of themes that stand out to them. At the end of the book, students will create a comic strip using one of the themes they noticed. Students will present their comic strips and explain their chosen theme in detail, using evidence from the book to support their themes.