Wow, I LOVE Reading! Mrs. Gibbs' Book Blog: Culture and Diversity

Newman, L., & Cornell, L. (2015). HEATHER HAS TWO MOMMIES. Candlewick Press.   Heather has two mommies. Being three years old, she doesn’t see that anything is different about her family. When Heather goes to school for the first time, someone asks her about her daddy, but Heather doesn’t have a daddy. Then something interesting happens. When Heather and her classmates all draw pictures of their families, not one drawing is the same. In fact, most of the kids in the book are living in a nontraditional family setting. All of them are fine, and none of them see anything wrong with Heather or her family. In everything I have read about this book, it was much more accepted in 2015 than it was in 1989. When it was first published, people went nuts. There were members of the clergy stealing it from libraries. It amazes me how much society has changed in the now 33 years this book has been in print. It was a trailblazer. I will say this, I found the book in a branch of a city l...

Bailey, J., & Song, M. (2019). A FRIEND FOR HENRY. Chronicle books.   In his classroom, Henry is looking to make a new friend. It can’t be the class pet, because Gilly the fish can’t play on the swings. It can’t be his teacher. As Henry considers different children in his class, he realizes that some of them are too colorful even when you try to do something nice for them. Others don’t listen very well like a friend would. Other kids break the rules or play with worms. Henry found himself watching Gilly in her fishbowl. Katie is watching Gilly too. Henry thinks about Katie. The two play blocks together quietly and Katie listens to Henry and he listens to her. They play together but each in their own way. It’s just right. This story portrays a boy with Autism and what he wants in a friend. Henry has strong opinions about friends, ones that make him angry when they are dismissed. When Henry gets too frustrated, he ends up in a bit of trouble at school. It is great to see a ...

          Mbalia, K.,& Alston, B.B. (2021). BLACK BOY JOY. Delacorte Press.   This anthology includes 17 adventurous short stories from Black children's and teen authors such as B.B. Alston, Jay Coles, Julian Randall, and Jason Reynolds. In these stories, Black boys are able to cry, laugh, be indifferent, have uncommon interests, and even compete in intergalactic races. The mix of stories allows its readers to experience loss, grief, and finding one's voice. There are also stories that focus on the everyday, like picking out the perfect outfit for the first day of school, playing sports or performing in front of a large crowd.   The term “Black Boy Joy” was coined in 2016 by Danielle Young. It has grown to encompass the excitement and fun of growing up as boys in and out of the hood. I found the book to be enlightening. While reading these stories, I could picture many of my students (of all races) in these stories just enjoying being ...

Lin, G. (2006). THE YEAR OF THE DOG A NOVEL. Little, Brown and Company.   It's the Chinese year of the dog! When Pacy's (also known as Grace), mom tells her that this is a good year for friends, family, and "finding herself," Pacy begins searching right away. She does find a good friend, Melody, who is also Taiwanese-American just like Pacy. As the year goes on, she struggles to find her talent. She enters the science fair, a book-writing contest, and tries out for the school play. Pacy deals with disappointment and success. In the end, the year of the dog is a lucky one for her.   Some universal themes of friendship, family, and finding one’s passion in life run throughout the book. The symbolism I found also deals with culture. Many of the Chinese New Year’s traditional foods represent different things. For example, a New Year’s candy tray symbolizes sweetness in the coming New Year. Each year, the candy tray is set out with delicious, sweet candy to signal sweet ti...

          Yep, L. (1991). THE STAR FISHER. Morrow Junior Books.   In 1927, 15-year-old Joan Lee moves with her family from Ohio to a small town in West Virginia. As the only Chinese Americans in town, the Lees face racism from townspeople who boycott the Lee family business. Joan herself feels tensions between the pressure at home to follow strict Chinese traditions and the pressure at school to assimilate into a white American mainstream. The book centers around the  Chinese folktale of the star fisher, a bird/woman caught between two worlds. Joan told the story to her sister, and comparisons are woven throughout the story. Joan finds a friend in Bernice, whose family is involved in the theater ( a big no-no). In the end, the town accepts their new neighbors because of an apple pie and a persistent landlady. The myth of the star fisher--half-bird, half-human, confined to the earth but yearning for the stars--weaves through the story. It is a meta...

Park, F., Park, G., & Choi, Y. (2002). GOODBYE, 382. National Geographic Society.   In this story, Jangmi moves from her home in Korea to a new home in the United States. At first, she is sad about leaving behind her friends and Korean customs and traditions, but once she arrives in America she begins to adjust. She becomes hopeful that someday America could feel like home, too.  The book is based on the experience of the authors' older sister, who moved with their parents from 382 Shin Dang Dong to 112 Foster Place in 1956. To make sure to get the pictures just right, the illustrator (who herself emigrated from Korea to the U.S. at the age of 19) returned to Seoul to paint the illustrations during the Monsoon season. https://www.amightygirl.com/good-bye-382-shin-dang-dong   As I read the book, I see many cultural markers. The main character is named Jangmi which means “Rose” in English. When Jangmi wakes up on the morning they are to leave, she thinks about the ...