Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron

Title: Nappy Hair

Category: Multicultural

Author: Carolivia Herron

Publisher/Year: Knopf Books for Young Readers / 1997

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 32pp

Summary: The setting is at a family picnic and the youngest girl is getting all kinds of comments are her hair. It is written as mostly dialogue showing the African tradition fo "call and response".

Comments: It is a cute book with beautiful pictures of a girl with the biggest curliest hair you've ever seen. Children wil love listening to and looking at the book.

Classroom Application:
Lexile: AD200L
Age: 5-10 years old
Because it is written in a dialogue format it would be a great Read Aloud!

The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida

Title: The Bracelet

Category: Multiculural

Author: Yoshiko Uchida

Publisher/Year: Puffin / 1996

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 32pp

Summary: Emi and her family are sent to live at an internment camp in Montana during World War II with other Japanese-American families. Her best friend from her home in California sends a bracelet with her to always remember her. She loses the bracelet in all the shuffling around the are made to do. She is upset at first but realizes she doesn't need a bracelet to keep her friend's love and memory with her.

Comments: What a sweet, sweet story! All ages would love to read this book!

Classroom Application:
Lexile: 710L
Age: 5-10 years old
This is a great look at what others experienced during World War II, even living in the United States. It could work within a history lesson. It could also just be a great story of friendship.

The Bat Boy and His Violin by Gavin Curtis

Title: The Bat Boy and His Violin

Category: Award Winner

Author: Gavin Curtis

Publisher/Year: Aladdin (1998)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Multicultural

Awards:

• Coretta Scott King Honor (1999)

Pages: 32pp

Summary: Reginald is a boy who loves to play the violin but his dad thinks it's a waste of time playing a "fiddle". Reginald goes with his dad, who is the coach of a team in the Negro National League, to the baseball games to help as the bat boy. He soon starts playing the violin during the game and the team improves and is unstoppable throughout the season. Will they win their last big game with Reginald's musical help?

Comments: A really cute book about a boy who can love music more than sports. The boy is persistant and confident in his talents and dreams even when his dad teases him about it.

Classroom Application:
Lexile: 700L
Age:  5-10 years old
This is a neat look at the Negro National League right before they disbanded and the black and whites played together. It would be neat to use during a study of the Civil Rights.

Encounter by Jane Yolan

Title: Encounter

Category: Reconstructive Text

Author: Jane Yolan

Publisher/Year: Sandpiper (1996)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 32pp

Summary: A young Taino Indian boy tells the story of Christopher Columbus arriving to America. He is kidnapped with others from his tribe but escapes and tries to warn others as he finds his way back to the village.

Comments: I highly recommend this book. The story is refreshing and causes you to think about historical events in a different way.  It is beautifully illustrated as well.

Classroom Application:
Lexile:
Age: 6-12 years old
A great way to teach that every story has two sides. This is an excellent match for a social studies or history class. It is also available in Spanish and could be used in Spanish class ("Where is San Salvador") Read it on Columbus Day even!

Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill

Title: Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Category: Award Winner

Author: Laban Carrick Hill

Illustrator: Bryan Collier

Publisher/Year: Little, Brown / 2010

Genre: Biography

Awards:

• Corretta Scott King Award Winner (2011)
• Caldecott Honor (2011)

Pages: 40pp

Summary: Dave is a slave that knows how to make pottery. Most slaves were not allowed to do skilled work. Dave also knows how to read and write which is rare. He inscribes poetry on his pottery and dates them. His made thousands of pieces and was well known as a good potter because he could make such strong and large pottery.

Comments: I really like this book it is poetic and yet informative as well. It tells of an amazing man and his talent.

Classroom Application:
Accelerated Reader: Level 6 (0.5 points)
Lexile: AD1100L
Age: 8-18 years old
The back of the book is full of information and facts that could be used when teaching about slavery.

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

Title: The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Category: Multicultural

Author: Sherman Alexie

Publisher/Year: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers / 2007

Genre: Multicultural

Awards:

• National Book Award winner (2007)
• School Library Journal's "Best Book of 2007"
• California Young Reader Medal (2010)

Pages: 288pp

Summary: Junior lives on an Indian reservation in Spokane Washington with his dad, mom, sister and grandmother. Life on the rez is pretty dull. Everyone is really poor and the adults are drunk all the time. Junior was born with multiple problems that cause him to get picked on and beat up a lot. He's a smart kid and is excited to start high school. When he sees that the textbook he has to use is so old that was his mom's over thirty years ago he throws the book and it hits his teacher. He's suspended from school and decides to attend the "white" school off the reservation to try and change his destiny. Everyone hates him: the whites won't accept him and the Indians on the rez are mad at him for turning his back on them. Even his best friend wants to beat him up.

Comments: This was a book I could not put down. Junior is very sarcastic but tells a good story. He likes to draw comics so the book is full of them and that just adds to the message. There is excitement and sadness and even a little romance. It was an easy read and I loved how it ended. I also learned a lot about the problems American Indians face today.

Classroom Application:
Lexile: 600L
Age: 12-17 years old
This would be great to use in a Social Studies class when studying about American history and American Indians. I think it would just be a great book to read for enjoyment or book clubs. It wou;d be fun to start a "diary" or journal similar to Junior's with sketches and little vignettes.

Restavec by Jean-Robert Cadet

Title: Restavec

Category: Autobiography

Author: Jean-Robert Cadet

Publisher/Year: University of Texas Press / 1998

Genre: Biography (Autobiography), International

Pages: 182pp

Summary: This is the story of Jean-Robert Cadet and his incredible life starting in Haiti as a child-slave. He was given to a woman to be raised when his mother passed away. He was only a toddler. He grew up in slavery and was severely abused, like the other 300,000 child slaves still living in Haiti. Miraculously he ended up in the United States but he continued to suffer the outcomes of such an upbringing. He worked his way up in the U.S. Army, went to college, worked in corporate America, and yet maintained such a caring and thoughtful personality. He also experienced racism at it's worst here in the United States where he should have found rescue. Despite all the odds that were against Cadet, he has risen to a position of influence and success and continues to fight for the Restavec children still under slavery in Haiti.

Comments: I was challenged to read this book with my church, as we partner with organizations in Haiti to help the poor (and more specifically) the restavecs. I was blown away by the horrors that still occur in the western hemisphere in the 21st century, only a few hours flight from me. Children are either given or born into this slavery, and sometimes given on purpose or given by their poor family in hopes that they will have a better life. It was a very interesting read and I honetsly could not put the book down. It is realistic and matter-of-fact. I knew that there was some hope by the end of the book because I knew that he now headed The Restavec Freedom Alliance so it fueled my motivation to find out how he would overcome so many trials. There were truly some miraculous things that led him to the life he has today and there so many more children that are not as fortunate.

Classroom Application:
I think this book would be a great high school read. You could compare it to:

• historical slavery in the United States
• the Civil Rights Movement
• studying modern-day slavery
• third world study/struggles

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Title: The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963

Category: Class Novel

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Publisher/Year: Yearling / 1995

Genre: Multicultural, Historial Fiction, Young Adult

Awards:

• Coretta Scott King award (1996)
• Newbery Honor (1996)

Pages: 210pp

Summary: This book share a collections of stories told from young Kenny's point of view. Kenny lives with his family in Flint, MI in 1963. His older brother Byron is continually getting into trouble and the family finally decides to drive down to Alabama to let Byron spend the summer with his grandmother to shape him up. There are some near fatal incidents that happen while they are in Alabama that forever change Kenny, Byron, and the rest of the family.

Comments: The family is very fun and goofy and the stories are entertaining. It is a great read. I found myself laughing out loud through the book. There are lots of issues addressed in the book, like bullying, friendship, and identity.

Classroom Application:
Lexile: 1000
Age: 10-14 years old
Topics to explore when reading the book:

• Character development
• Theme 
• Word Choice
• Civil Rights 
• Bullying
• Friendship
• Identity