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Multicultural Text Set

1. Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat
 This is a story of a young Haitian American girl whose mother is sent to an
immigration detention center. While in the detention center she tapes bedtime
stories to give to her daughter to ease the separation. She writes an article to aid in
her mother’s cause and helps lead to her release. This book is appropriate for
children age’s five to eight, so it would be good to use in a kindergarten or first
grade classroom. Three key words that represent unique characteristics or themes
are: immigration, imprisonment, and family.
 This book interrupts social injustice because although the mother is wrongfully
imprisoned, in the end she does end up being released. It also promotes the idea
that every child has the power to make a difference.
 This book could be used to introduce the concept of immigration. This is a
culturally relevant topic because many children in the Harrisonburg Public School
system are children of immigration or children of families who immigrated to the
United States. It could be read before an activity on comparing and contrasting
immigration stories of the past with the present. Will also discuss people’s reason
for immigrating during activity.
 SOL Standard: Civics 1.12c The student will recognize that communities in
Virginia include people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions,
who make contributions to their communities, and who are united as Americans
by common principles. Activity on comparing and contrasting immigration stories
will help support this because we will discuss some reason people may have had
for immigrating to the United States and settling in Virginia.
2. Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena
 This is the story of a young boy CJ and his grandma who ride the bus home every
Sunday after church. In the end we find out that they are riding to the soup
kitchen. CJ starts to question why they ride the bus instead of owning a car, why
he does not own an iPod, or why they get off the bus in the dirty part of town. For
each of his questions the grandma has a positive and encouraging answer. This
book is appropriate for age’s three to five and could be used in a preschool or
kindergarten class. Three key words that represent unique characteristics or
themes are: multigenerational, poverty, and positivity.
 This book introduces the concept of poverty and shows children to stay positive
no matter the situation. It could help children see the beauty in everything.
 In the early grades children are still learning to label and explain emotions and
feelings. CJ’s emotions changed often throughout the book. After reading the
book give the students a two column chart. In the first column they will draw a
picture of something CJ is doing or saying and it the second column students will
write how CJ may be feeling.
 SOL standards: Civics 1.12b The student will recognize that communities in
Virginia benefit from people who volunteer in their communities. Here you could
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talk about the soup kitchen and its volunteers. Essential Health Concepts K.1n
Identify emotions. This will be addressed in the activity after the book is read.
3. Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras by Duncan Tonatiuh
 This story tells how the Calaveras, skeletons performing various every day or
festive activities, came to be. It is appropriate for children age’s six to ten and
would be good to read aloud to children in a first or second grade class and have
as part of the class library in a third, fourth or fifth grade class. Three words that
represent unique characteristics or themes of this book are: art, celebrations, and
cultural heritage.
 This book promotes inclusiveness because it teaches about another culture that a
lot of students may not be aware of. It teaches about the traditions of this culture
and how they came about.
 This book could be used to introduce celebrations that other cultures participate
in. After reading this book you could do an activity on the Spanish “Day of the
Dead.” After reading the story have students go back to their seats and write one
sentence in their journal about something they learned about the “Day of the
Dead” or the Calaveras. Students may draw a picture to go with their sentence.
 SOL standard: Reading 3.5i Identify the main idea. Drawing and writing sentence
about something they learned will identify if they know what the main idea was.
4. New Shoes by Susan Lynn Meyer
 This story in set in the South during the time of segregation. Ella Mae’s mother
takes her to a shoe story to buy a new pair of shoes. She watches a little white girl
try on shoe after shoe trying to find one to buy and the shop owner will not let
Ella Mae put her feet in a single pair of shoes to try them on. She shares what
happened with her cousin and they begin dong chores to raise money and get
outgrown shoes from people. In the end they set up a used-shoe shop in Ella
Mae’s backyard. Giving people a place where they can try on as many shoes as
they want and be treated fairly. This book is appropriate for children age’s six to
nine and would be good to read aloud in a first or second grade class. Three words
that represent unique characteristics in this book are: prejudice, racism, and
activism.
 This book promotes inclusiveness and interrupts injustice. It shows how the girl
was treated because of the color of her skin and how she responds to it. Instead of
feeling bad for herself or getting angry she works hard and creates her own shoe
shop in her back yard.
 Have students identify what kind of book this is: fiction or nonfictions. Then
introduce the concept of realistic fiction and explain how although the story is
fiction because it did not really happen, it is realistic fiction because it is
something that could have happened. Then have students draw a picture of
something that happened in the book and write a sentence.
 SOL standards: Reading 3.5l The student will differentiate between fiction and
nonfiction. They will do this by identifying which this book is.
5. Drum Dream Girl: How One’s Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle
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 This story is set long ago on an island filled with music. There was a rule that
girls could not be drummers, only boys could. One girl was fond of drumming,
but since she was not allowed to, she played in secret. One day her music was
heard by others and it was decided that both boys and girls should be free to drum
and dream. This story is appropriate for children age’s five to eight and would be
good to have in classrooms Kindergarten through third grade. Three words that
represent unique characteristics in this book are: social inequality, dreamers, and
tradition.
 This book interrupts social injustice. This girl was determined to play the drums
in a world and society that told her she could not. She played anyway and once
she was heard the societal rules were changed. It displays bravery and that
although she was a dreamer, she was able to bring change.
 After reading this book have students write a sentence and draw a picture of the
girls dream (to play the drums) and a goal they have or something they want to be
when they grow up. This will help students establish text-to-self examples.
 SOL standard: Reading 3.5i The student will identify the main idea. They will do
this by displaying that they know the girls dream in this story was to be able to
play the drums. Reading 1.9a The student will relate experiences to what is read.
They will identify the main character’s goal and then create a goal that they have
for themselves.
6. Wangari Maathai: The Woman Who Planted a Million Trees by Franck Prevot
 This story tells about Wangari Maathai who helped bring peace and democracy to
Africa in a nonviolent struggle. She did this through reforestation. Her
organization planted thirty million trees in thirty years. This book is appropriate
for children age’s six to nine and would be good for a first, second, third, or
fourth grade class. It would be something you would read aloud in a first or
second grade classroom. Three key words that represent unique characteristics or
themes of the story are: reforestation, nonviolent protest, and activism.
 This book promotes social justice. It displays a courageous woman who took on a
nonviolent protest in African to bring about peace and democracy. It also
demonstrates how important it is to protect the environment.
 This could be used in a first grade class to talk about environmental protection
and why we need trees. Have a discussion with class after the reading and talk
about the basic function of trees and what they need to grow and survive. Also
talk about our use for trees- how it is a natural resource. Then have students go
back to desks and write something they learned about what trees need or why we
need trees. They may draw a picture and write a phrase.
 SOL standards: Life processes 1.4a The student will understand that plants need
nutrients, air, water, light, and a place to grow. This will be discussed after
reading the book and talking about all of the trees that she planted. Earth
Resources 1.8a identification of natural resources. We will talk about how a tree
is a natural resource in the discussion.
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7. One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of the Gambia by Miranda
Paul
 This story tells about an incidence in Gambia in the 1980’s. They switched from
using baskets made of natural materials to using non-biodegradable plastic bags.
These bags would be discarded when they were no longer useable which attracted
disease bearing insects and animals were dying after eating them. Isatou Ceesay
decided to collect to discarded bags and crochet them into small purses to sell in
the city. This story is appropriate for children age’s six to nine. Three words that
represent unique themes in this story are: activism, environmental protection, and
recycling.
 This story could be used to segment into an activity on recycling. Ceesay took
discarded plastic bags and reused them to make something else. Make a list with
class of items that can be recycled and some that cannot be recycled. Give them a
chart to take back to their desk and they will draw and label pictures in each
column of items that can and cannot be recycled.
 SOL Standard: The student will investigate and understand recycling, reusing, and
reducing consumption of natural resources. This will be enforced by the activity
done after reading the story.
8. Finding the Music by Jennifer Torres
 Reyna accidently breaks Abuelito’s vihuela (a small guitar like instrument) so she
ventures out to find someone who can fix it. While trying to find someone she is
told stories of Abuelito and his music. Along the way she realizes how much she
is learning about him, how valued he was in the community, and the power of
music. This story is appropriate for children age’s six to ten. Three words that
represent unique characteristics or themes in this story are: family, music, and
Hispanic values.
 This story promotes inclusiveness. It shows how one man had such an immense
impact on his community and how music really brings this community together.
 After reading this book with the class the students will create a story map. Before
reading and throughout the book students will be reminded to look out for main
characters and events that are happening. There will be five pictures and students
will have to draw and label a picture of things that happened throughout the story
in order.
 SOL Standard: Oral language 1.1b the student will demonstrate the ability to tell
and retell stories and events in logical order. They will do this by adding five
events that happened in the story to their story map in order. Reading 1.9f the
student will identify characters, setting, and important events.
9. Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin A. Ramsey
 This book tells the story of Ruth, who is going on a trip with her family from
Chicago to Alabama to visit her grandmother in the 1950’s. Along the way she
realizes there are many places, gas stations and motels for example, that refuse to
service black people. At one gas station, an attendant hands them a little green
book that tells of all the places that will welcome black travelers. This allows
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them to safely finish their journey. This book is appropriate for children age’s six
to nine. Three words that represent unique characteristics or themes in this story
are: Jim Crow laws, segregation, and discrimination.
 This story interrupts social injustice and promotes inclusiveness. The man at the
gas station did not have to help these people. But out of his own kindness he
provided this family with a way to safely travel to Alabama.
 This book could be used to introduce comparing and contrasting to the students.
Each student will be given a Venn diagram. They will discuss ways that life is
different in Chicago and traveling to Alabama. Then in the middle they will add
similarities. It would be discussed as a whole class before sending them to work
on the Venn diagrams.
 SOL standard: 1.9f the student will read and identify characters, setting, and
important events. These will be used to add items to the Venn diagram.
10. Buffalo Bird Girl: A Hidasta Story by S. D. Nelson
 This picture biography tells the story of Buffalo Bird Woman, a Hidasta Indian.
She was born around 1839 and lived in a Native American community along the
Missouri river. They depended on agriculture for food rather than hunting. It talks
about the chores she had to do and the friends she played with, but also the
dangers of her lifestyle. She lost many family member to small pox, so her aunt
took her in. The white man’s influence started to affect the tribe and they had to
move onto a reservation. This book is appropriate for children age’s six to nine.
Three key words that represent unique characteristics or themes in this book are:
Native American, Hidatsa tribe, white influence.
 This book interrupts social injustice. Although the white people came and pushed
the tribe onto a reservation, Buffalo Bird Girl tried to keep the traditions alive.
She retold her life story to anyone who would listen.
 Have the students compare their lives to the life of Buffalo Bird Girl. In one
column they will write things that Buffalo Bird Girl does throughout her day,
activities she may participate in, food she may eat, clothes she wear. The students
will then compare themselves to Buffalo Bird Girl and see how similar or
different they are from her.
 SOL standard: Reading 1.9 the student will relate previous experiences to what is
read. They will do this by comparing their own experiences and lives to those of
Buffalo Bird Girl’s.