I Pledge Allegiance

Written by: Libby Martinez & Pat Mora

Illustrated by: Patrice Barton

Genre: contemporary realistic fiction 

Awards: 

Denton Record-Chronicle Award, 2015

International Latino Book Award, 2015

CCBC Choices, 2015

Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, 2015

Summary:

Libby's great aunt, Lobo,  is preparing to become a United States citizen. She and Libby have been working diligently to memorize the Pledge of Allegiance for the upcoming citizenship ceremony. Libby's teacher is also letting her lead the morning Pledge recitation. The two practice the pledge very often, using every moment to get it right. They share stories and memories of why American citizenship is valuable to them. Libby successfully leads her classmates during the morning pledge and supports her aunt at the ceremony the next day. Libby and Lobo stand proudly with their hands over their hearts as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance at the citizenship ceremony.

Teacher Evaluation:

I think this is a great book and would be beneficial for a lesson on citizenship or analyzing language. For lower grades, kindergarten through second, I would use this book for teaching what it means to be a good citizen. We would define citizenship and give examples of good citizenship skills. We would also identify what it means to be a good citizen in the classroom, and I would help students practice citizenship daily. 

For older students, we would use this book as an introductory text for analyzing language. We would do a station assignment where each group would evaluate a different part of the story. Students will look for how the language used establishes the theme of the story. Students would then present their assigned section and explain their findings.