The Misfits

The Misfits by James Howe

Novel for children ages 10-12

5 out of 5 stars

When the gang of five, the kids who were referred to as misfits by rest of the school’s population, decides to create a third party to run in this year’s student council elections they teach everyone a valuable lesson on the effects of name calling.

The Misfits represents a great, well-written story for many reasons. First of all, the narrator of the story is the main character named Bobby. While he speaks in dialogue and narrates the story, he uses very precise language. He says the reason for this is because of the fact that his father read him detailed novels and he watched many classic movies. Due to this precise language, the reader knows exactly what it is that the author wants to get across and it helps the reader to feel as if he or she is actually in the scene. The rich vocabulary provides an immense amount of detail. Another reason why this story is considered well written is due to the fact that so many developed characters exist within this story. This is great because the wide range of children that will read this story will each have a character to relate to, which is important for readers of this age. Above all of that, the story teaches a valuable lesson about the popular saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.”  Most people know that this is not true; words in fact do have an effect on people and this is projected loud and clear through this story. Through this theme, students learn the effects labeling and name-calling has on others and they come to terms with the effects that it has on themselves and hopefully they will be learn to deal with their own issues and refrain from committing the hurtful act of calling other people names.

Due to all the reasons listed above as well as for the high level of reading that this book offers, I definitely want to use this book within my classroom if I teach the upper elementary school grades. While reading this book with children, I would do a similar activity with my students as the gang of five does in the story; I would have each student list all the names that they remember being called in their life time. After this, as a class we would discuss the different names, the meanings, and the effects that labeling and name-calling have on people. Lastly, I would have my class complete an advocacy project similar to the one in the story where they would make posters and sponsor a “No Name-Calling Day”. Hopefully little by little students and people everywhere will learn to refrain from name-calling due to the negative effects it has on most people.

A Family Like Yours

A Family Like Yours By Rebecca Kai Dotlick, Illustrated by Tammie Lyon

Picture Book for Children Ages 2-8

5 Out Of 5 Stars

All over the world, between humans and animals, many different characteristics of families exist, but the only family that is right for you is the one that is your own!

A Family Like Yours represents a wonderful as well as a well-written story. The flow of the text brings music to the ears as it is written in a poetic fashion with many rhyming words between lines. The illustrations match the text perfectly and provide extra detail about the family characteristic that the page is displaying. Another wonderful part of the illustrations is that they represent metaphors of the text. For example, on page states “And others are happy just hanging around.” On this page, the illustration is of a family of possums pictured literally hanging, upside down, from a tree. The large variety of descriptions of families, represented as opposites, make this picture book a great book to show that differences between families are okay. Each person who reads this story can identify with at least one, if not half, of the descriptions described in this story. While reading this story, children will reflect upon their own families and other families that they know and characterize them. At the end, they will learn that one family is no better than another based upon its characteristics, but that each family is perfect just the way they are. A Family Like Yours represents a behavioral type of culture because it describes the family structure as a culture. While reading this story, children will be able to validate their own personal images of their family and their family’s backgrounds while also gaining the perspective of what other people’s families might be like. Due to this parallel, this book could be considered both a mirror and a window book.

I would definitely use this book within my classroom, especially if I was teaching the second grade where the main theme in Social Studies is the family. Regardless of whether I used A Family Like Yours as a trade book in Social Studies or Reading/Language Arts, I would use it in the same way. First, I would have my students complete a drawing and writing activity of their view of the perfect family. Some students might draw their own families, some might draw their friend’s families, and others might just draw a fictional family. We would then tape all of these pictures up onto the board and discuss what it is that the students think comprises a perfect family. Next I will read A Family Like Yours. At the end of the story, I will ask the students what they think of the book, and if they have learned anything about their idea of the perfect family. Next, I would have the students draw and write about their own family and the things they like about to show it. Each student would then present their drawing and read what they wrote about their family and why it fits just right for them. My whole goal of this activity is get the students to understand that each family is different, but that no family actually is perfect or better than a different family. Hopefully each student will gain a broader perspective of the different family cultures that exist and also learn to celebrate these differences because each family is a great family for its own reasons.

Richard Wright and the Library Card

Richard Wright and the Library Card by William Miller, illustrated by Gregory Christie

Picture Book for children ages 8-13

4 out of 5 stars

As a boy, Richard Wright loved hearing the stories of his grandfather and mother, but was never taught to read stories of his own. When Richard did finally learn to read, he was unable to obtain a library card due to the color of his skin, but this did not stop Richard from finding ways to beat the system.

Richard Wright and the Library Card is a culturally conscious story that gives people a whole different perspective on what life would have been like being a black boy in the early 1900’s. This story would definitely be a “mirror” book, in regards to multicultural literacy, for me. This story provides an insight of the world of Richard Wright; a black boy who does not attend school, is refused a library card, and is discriminated against just for the color of his skin. Richard Wright lived the opposite life of me as a child. I learned to read early on, always had books on my bookshelf, started school when I was five, received my first library card at the age of seven, and never had someone judge my intelligence level based on the color of my skin. Because of these dramatic differences in lifestyles, I have learned to appreciate the wonderful life I lead in a whole different way. Just like Richard, I have always loved to read, but I have never been denied that opportunity.

I want to use this book in my classroom if I am teaching middle or upper elementary students. First, the reading of this story can provide a history lesson on the discrimination, from the government agencies even, against people of different races and different cultures in the past. Richard Wright and the Library Card also gives insight on the life of the famous Richard Wright, a man who became an excellent author even though he learned to read later in life than most individuals. The most important lesson from this book though is that of appreciation. I would like to read this book to my class and have them put themselves in the shoes of Richard Wright and think about what it would be like to be denied access to a library based solely on the color of their skin. Or what it would be like to have parents that cannot read very well, which ultimately affects the reading skills of the child. Although times can be hard for everyone, we must always remember to appreciate what we have and to never give up on our dreams. These important lessons can easily be taught from the storybook Richard Wright and the Library Card, which is why I want to use this book within my classroom.

Visit this website to learn more about the life of Richard Wright.

Too Many Tamales

Too Many Tamales Written by Gary Soto, Illustrated by Ed Martinez

Picture Book for children ages 5-10

4 out of 5 stars

When Maria is honored with the privilege of helping her parents makes tamales for Christmas dinner, she wants to take her new grown-up privilege a step further by trying on her mother’s ring. Hours later, while playing with her cousins, Maria realizes that her mother’s ring is no longer on her thumb and thinks that it must be in the tamales, causing Maria and her three cousins to eat all the tamales in hopes of finding the ring.

Too Many Tamales represents a multicultural book for a many different reasons. Multicultural is defined by the breakdown of the word. Multi means many and culture represents the behaviors and belief characteristics of any kind of group. In this story many different behaviors and belief characteristics can be found; for example, the Spanish heritage of making tamales is described, as well as family traditions, celebrating Christmas, which leads to religion, and age groups. Upon discovering the different cultures found in this one story, I started to realize how much I can see myself and my life within the story. Although I am not of Spanish heritage, I still have certain traditions, belong to an age group, celebrate Christmas, and am a religious person. Before Thanksgiving, my cousin, grandmother, mother, and I make lefse for us to eat on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Lefse is a Norwegian and Swedish treat and it is something special that we only get to have on these two holidays. I see myself in the character of Maria because she is so excited that her parents are allowing her to help them make tamales for the first time this year. I was just like Maria when my grandma finally asked me to help her make lefse and learn the tricks of the trade. I also find myself enjoying new privileges that come with age and I also enjoy looking into the future wanting to receive the new privileges that come with that next age group as well. From this book, I have learned how although someone might be from a different heritage and have a different ethnicity than myself it doesn’t mean that we are entirely different people. In fact the opposite is true, people can find more similarities amongst other people of what they think to be different cultures than they think.

Based on what I learned about myself, other cultures, and the true meaning of multicultural I want to use this book in my classroom to teach the same lessons to my students that I have learned. First, I would teach a lesson on the definition of multicultural and have the students come up with many different types of cultures. Next, I would have the students do a brainstorming activity where they would describe themselves in terms of the culture groups that they belong too. I would then read this book to the class and have a class discussion on the similarities and differences they found between the culture groups of the characters in the books and their own. Finally, I would have each student read a different multicultural book and complete a writing activity about what they have learned about themselves and other cultures based on the class activities and what they read in their books.

Fly Away Home

Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by Ronal Himler

Picture book for children the age of 7-11

5 out of 5 stars

Andrew and his father, along with many other families, make their home in an airport after the death of Andrew's father. Even though he can get angry and jealous of others who have a home, he always remembers the hope he found by watching a trapped little bird finally find an opening in a window leading him out of the airport and back to his home.

Fly Away Home is an emotional story that really makes the readers learn to appreciate what they have in life. Through the wonderful watercolor illustrations, the readers see the true emotions of Andrew, the four year old boy illegally living in the airport with his father,  that are also expressed in the text. Here the illustrations and the text work as companions to convey the message of the story. The message of the story relates to appreciation, but more importantly it teaches about hope. Andrew discovers a bird that is trapped within an airport terminal one day. This bird flies into the window many times because he is trying to break free and return home, just like Andrew and his father. One day, the bird finds an opening in a sliding piece of glass, and he proceeds to fly away home. Andrew is given hope from the escape of the bird. He learns that he just needs to be patient and that one day him and his dad will be able to fly away home as well.

No matter what age group I teach in the future I want to use this book within my classroom. I think that the lessons Fly Away Home teaches on appreciation as well as hope are valuable life lessons that all students need to learn or relearn. After reading this book with my class, I would have a discussion with my class on things that we have, use, and do every day that we take for granted. Next, I would implement a writing activity where students would write about what five things they would take with them if they were told they were only allowed to keep five things out of everything they own. These two activities would require the students to do some deep thinking about how good they really have it in life compared to that of Andrew in the story. On the topic of hope, I would have the students journal about something that is going wrong in their lives and then write about where they find hope or where they can find hope to help them get through this difficult part of their life.

Bailey Goes Camping

Bailey Goes Camping by Kevin Henkes

Picture Book for Children Ages 3-7

4 out of 5 stars

Bailey’s older brother and sister are off for an overnight camping trip and Bailey has to be left at home. After moping around for a few hours, Bailey’s parents help her realize that she can have all the same fun of a campout right at home!

Bailey Goes Camping is a fun book for young readers. The story and the text are both fairly simple with the pictures representing what the text states along with the emotions of the characters of the story. The emotions of the characters in the story are not explained in the text, but are in the illustrations. For example, the first page of the book explains how Bailey’s older brother and sister are “Bunny Scouts” and are going camping and Bailey has to stay home. The two older Bunny siblings are shown dressed in the “Bunny Scout” uniforms smiling. Bailey however, who has a frown upon his face and is in his mother’s arms, is clearly unhappy. As the story unfolds, the different emotions of the bunnies in the story, particularly Bailey’s, are easily seen and also change as Bailey and his parents embark on a campout themselves without ever leaving the house.

I would use this book in my classroom if I taught a primary grade-level class. The story is fun and enjoyable, but it is also very simple. Simple is great for young students and young readers, but is insulting for the middle and upper elementary grades. I remember having my Media Specialist read my 5^th grade class the story Fluffy Bunny and we all thought that the teacher thought we were dumb and not good readers due to the level of the book being read to us. But I would like to add Bailey Goes Camping to own personal library if I were to teach a primary grade level. The story and illustrations encourage imagination, which is something that many kids lack these days. After reading this story with the kids, I could have them think of something that they have always wanted to do, but have always been told that they were too young to do it. After they have come up with that something, I would have them draw an illustration of how they could make it work in the home or what they think it would be like to actual get to do whatever it is they have never been allowed to do before. Then I would have the class share their drawings. Regardless of whether I use this story as an assignment in my class, I would like it to be in my classroom library for students to be able to read during free read as I think they will like it and it will spark their imaginations!

To read more of Bailey's adventures or about the adventures of the mouse clan, check out Kevin Henke's website!