One Crazy Summer

by Rita Williams-Garcia
Over winter break I read this book wondering if I should read it with my students. It was highly recommended to me by my school librarian. "One Crazy Summer" is a historical fiction novel that takes place in 1969 in Oakland, CA. The narrator is Delphine, the oldest sister. She and her two younger sisters travel to California to live with their mother for the summer. Delphine faces a lot of internal conflict as she deals with putting the pieces together with why her mother left them. Even though she is eleven, she asks like she is 30, having to take on the role of mother for ther two sisters. Their mother, Cecile takes the children in but does not want anything to do with the girls. The girls call their mom "crazy". They discover that their mom works for the Black Panther Party. Mom sends the girls to attend the breakfast program and summer camp that is not their traditional form of education. I loved this book because the characters focus on the roles of children and women and their role in the Black Panther Party. Rita Williams-Garcia has won a number of awards for this book. It is the "new hot shit" on my list.

I do plan to read this book with my class. I like it because the book really focuses on empowerment and looks at how one organization (though highly demonized in our history textbooks) took care of their own community. I will use the topic of controversial Black Panthers to my advantage as an opportunity for students to think critically. I will use primary and secondary sources about the Black Panthers to compare, contrast, analyze and evaluate sources for bias/objectiveness; facts/opinions. Though the reading level is lower, supplementing non-fiction materials to help us better understand the historical period will provide an enriching experience for my students.

Grade Level: 4.6
Lexile: 750

Absolute True Story of a Part-Time Indian

by Sherman Alexie

So a couple years ago, I had the pleasure of reading this book: The Absolute True Story of a Part-Time Indian. It is about a young teenager growing up as an adolescence living on the reservation while going to the all-white school. It is auto-biographical. Alexie uses humor and whit to reveal the pains and laughs of being the only "Indian" in his school. I am always amazed at a authors ability to share deep themes about identity, especially racial identity through the language that speaks to young adult readers. It is refreshing. It brought me to laughs and tears and spoke deeply to my heart. It is a must read.

One

By Kathryn Otoshi

So I bought this book for my sons when I ran across it at Busboys and Poets in Washington DC on our vacation. I love this book! It talks about bullying and how sometimes it takes just one to stand up to a bully. It also expresses the power the collective whole has when individuals stand together. It is a beautiful book! It's language and reading level is very low and it is yet able to present such complex themes. Written by Kathryn Otoshi, who also illustrates her books. She is coming out with another kid's book called "Zero". I am yearning to also read it. I think another reason I like this book is because Kathryn Otoshi has her own publishing label: KO Kid's Books. Praise and honor to our independent publishers.

Happy to Be Nappy

By Bell Hooks
Illustrated by Christ Raschka

Summary: This book celebrates black hair. As oppose to the negatives messages often portrayed in media about natural black hair, Bell Hooks uses poetic language to describe it's beauty and creativity. It is a book for young women giving a message that affirms their hair.

Special Notes: The art is beautiful. It compliments the text very well as she describes all the different ways to describe and style hair. A book like this is very important because it affirms the identity of black women. I find the title to be filled with irony because she uses the word, "nappy" in a positive light. When the general public would associate "nappy" as bad, Hooks embraces the word and challenges the norms of what "good hair" is. It is a celebration of black hair. This book is beautiful.

Here is a great book review from this blog.

Be Boy Buzz

By Bell Hooks
Illustrated by Chris Raschka

Summary: This book uses poetry to celebrate being a boy and it's complexities and wonder.

Other Notes: I really value this book because it celebrates boys. The spirited boy, the tender boy, the talkative boy, the quiet boy. It is absolutely wonderful and I especially appreciate how it is not a book that reinforces gender stereotypes. These are rare to find. The art is also beautiful with the text.

"I be boy. All bliss. All fine beat. All beau boy."

A book for toddlers.

Homemade Love

by Bell Hooks
Illustrated by Shane W. Evans

Summary: This is a story about a girl and how she is loved by her parents. Her parents call her, "Girlpie" who knows that she is treasured and adored by her mother and father. Even when she makes a mistake, every hurt is healed and everything will be forgiven. Life will move on and she feels safe knowing she is loved.

Notes: I love this book. Taj loves the poetry in this book and the pictures bring the words to life. The main character has the freedom and charisma as a young child who explores the world. She feels safe knowing and having memories of her parents who will always be with her. This book is absolutely delightful to read.

Activities: Analyze the poetry, pictures to make inferences

Apple Pie 4th of July

by Janet S. Wong

Illustrated by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Genre: Fiction

Summary: A young, feisty Chinese-American girl tries to teacher her parents a lesson about "Americans". While all the store close on the forth of July, her parents are working at the restaurant cooking food for customers. As the parade passes and people are celebrating, the business is slow. She is convinced that Americans do not want to eat Chinese food on such a holiday. At the end of the story she finds that the restaurant is busy with customers until the store closes where she watches fireworks and participates in the celebration.

Notes: There is a strong theme in this story that emphasizes inclusion. The US is a diverse country and Janet Wong expresses how everyone is a part of being American. That you can celebrate the 4th of July and still eat Chinese food. I like the character in this book and the poetry is witty. However, I do not agree with her analysis of the 4th of July and being Chinese American in the US. The 4th of July is very symbolic of freedom in our country but yet the very foundations of this country was never built on such for all peoples. This is a false lie that needs to be let known. All people cannot take part in the privileges of being an American. We need to find literature (especially written from an Asian-American perspectives) for young children that can critically analyze the effects of White Supremacy and it's effects on the Asian community. We also need to find a strong voice that is forward thinking towards dismantling the systems that limits us and isolates us from other disenfranchised groups.

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