Day of Tears by Julius Lester

Day of Tears is a 'novel in dialogue' that describes and details the experiences of Emma, a young slave girl who is owned by Master Pierce Butler. Her master gets into some trouble with a gambling debt and decides to have the largest slave auction in the States in order to pay it. Families are ripped apart, some slaves run away, and everything is changed. Emma takes care of her master's daughters and has been promised that she will never be sold, but on a whim on the last day of the auction, the master sells her to a woman from Kentucky. She moves, but soon marries and runs away to freedom.

Day of Tears was an interesting read. It was compelling, moving, and downright sad at some points. Emma's strength, however, gave the book a mood of constant hope. Julius Lester's writing style is amazing, and the format of the book was interesting as well. Perspectives shift frequently throughout the book as different characters take on narrating through dialogue. This was my first Julius Lester book, however as other historical books around that time period go, this book was unique. It won the Corretta Scott King Award recently, as well.  I'd never read a book that was so raw and still aimed at children. It had a few disturbing scenes, and didn't gloss over the horror of slavery, but I would still recommend it for students who are ready for the content and reading difficulty.
I learned alot form this book. The content was real, made an impact, and the writing style was just what children need to read as they become familiar with the structures of literature. The world of children's literature is lucky to have authors like Julius Lester.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt- made into a feature film in 2002

Tuck Everlasting is the fantastic story of a young girl in the 19th century who gets involved with a family that all share a very unique trait- they are immortal. Winnie Foster has grown up in a very affluent, strict family, and one day becomes overwhelmed and goes for a walk in the woods. She meets Jesse Tuck, who ultimately introduces her to the Tuck family. He becomes fascinated with her, and  they fall in love. Soon their immortality is revealed to Winnie, and as intrigued as she is, the cons of living forever soon become apparent. The Tucks have traveled the world over since they drank from the magical spring in the woods a century ago, and have never been able to settle in one place, lest the townsfolk become suspicious of their perpetual youth. The Tuck boys also never age, and though they cannot be injured or killed, will never become the old men they were intended to be. The Tucks have to move out of town and be on their ever-nomadic way, and Jesse and Winnie are devastated, as they have since fallen deeply in love. Jesse bottles the magical water from the spring and gives it to Winnie, imploring that when she reaches his age, to make the choice to drink the water and then find him. Decades later, Jesse returns to the Winnie's hometown to find the wood demolished and the spring concreted over. He searches for Winnie everywhere, but eventually finds her gravestone in the town cemetery.

The movie adaptation of this book was one of few that I remember staying actually fairly true to the plot of the the novel. I was pleased with the portrayal of Winnie (thought her family's role and her rebellion were slightly more dramatized) and Jesse was of course a bit more Hollywood-deamboat-esque than the novel version of his character.

I loved this book as a child and consider it a classic of children's literature. I was charmed and thrilled by the Tucks' immortality, and moved by Winnie's decision to live out her natural life. As a child it seemed a fantastic adventure, and reading it again as an adult I appreciate it even more for the argument it makes for the value of mortality and living life fully and richly. I don't think I've ever read anything else by this author, but do consider this book to be a treasure in the world of children's literature. It is an enthralling classic and students are still reading it with open mouthed delight today. I learned alot form this book- it managed to make a case against immortality while allowing you to fall in love with the Tuck family and relate to young Winnie. It was a novel that gave the reader alot to think about,even after reading it several times.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- made into a feature film in 2009

Where the Wild Things Are is a ten sentence picture book about a little boy named Max who was too wild and sent to bed without supper. While incarcerated in his room, he dreams up a magical land where other Wild Things live. He becomes their King, and they have a great time for a while, but eventually, Max becomes lonely and misses living in a place where people love him. So he sails home from his imaginary island and wakes up to his dinner, still hot, sitting in his room.

The plot of the movie version of this book had to be extrapolated, A LOT. Turning a ten sentence book into a feature length film is no easy task, and upon viewing it, I was confused to say the least. Virtually the only thing that remained of the plot I'd read a thousand times over was an angry little boy named Max, a fictional world, and some vaguely recognizable monsters. Beyond that, the movie also included some very complicated drama between the monsters, a new boyfriend for Max's mom, a huge, cylinder shaped home built from twigs and mud for all the monsters, throwing of dirt clods for fun, some owls that the monsters all seem to hate and same very scary scenes where the monsters threaten to tear one another limb from limb.
This book was written well before my time, but it has been a beloved classic for decades. I think I really fell in love with it when a little boy in the daycare I worked in during college fell in love with it. He wanted to read it every single day before his nap, and as I was learning that I loved working with kids, I rediscovered this book. I don't know that I've ever read anything else by Maurice Sendack, but this book definitely has stood the test of time for a reason. It is deceptively simple compared to other children's books, sentimental, but not overwhelmingly so, an captures the imagination of children in a way that is neither cliched or obnoxious.

Moon Over Star by Dianna Hutts Aston (Correta Scott King Honor, 2009)

Moon over Star is a book about a little girl named Mae who lives in a town called Star. The whole town, and the neighborhood children especially, are waiting and watching and praying for the astronauts who are about to land on the moon. Mae's grandfather is tired, and doesn't want to watch the moon landing, but she understands. Mae daydreams that one day she'll go to the moon, and when she tells her otherwise unenthusiastic grandfather, he is proud of her.

Moon Over Star is an endearing, hopeful little book, with fantastic illustrations by Jerry Pinkney. In only a few short pages, the reader gets a sense of a small dusty town in the midst of summer, of the people who are waiting anxiously for the spectacular moon landing, and of course, of Mae, who has big hopes and dreams.
I loved this little picture book, and unfortunately, I've not read any others by the same author. The format was different from most other picture books- nearly poetic in spacing on each page. Also, Mae was lovable without being cloying, and the respect that she had for her Grandfather's age and wisdom was the epitome of charming.

It's hard to say what I learned form this book. Big things come in small packages, perhaps? Even the simplest things can have a huge impact on a reader? Regardless, this book is a keeper.

The Dragon's Child: A Story of Angel Island - Laurence Yep

The Dragon's Child is based on actual conversations that the author had with his father and on research done on his own family's immigration through Angel Island. The boy in the story, Gim, has always suspected that he will have to leave China with his father. Gim barely knows anything about his father, and must accompany him on his return to America. Gim is profoundly sorry to have to leave his homeland, and even more concerned about how he will relate to his father. Gim doesn't use his right hand rather than his left as he is told he should, and when he gets nervous he sports a condemning stutter. More than anything he is terrified of having to endure the rigorous physical examination at Angel Island.

I liked this book for Gim's strong voice throughout. Even though I wasn't particularly keen on reading another book about people immigrating to America (it seems to me that my childhood education was nearly saturated with these through some fluke), Gim is a likeable and realistic boy whose emotions are easy to relate to despite his foreign situation. The real joy of this book is seeing how Gim and his father learn to relate to one another, and the eventual relief at the end when Gim and his father make it through Angel Island to their new home. I haven't read anything else by Laurence Yep, but as it compares to other books centering around the same topic, this book is unique for its integration of Chinese culture, the real emotions that it invokes throughout the story, and the discovery of a connection between father and son. Many of the books I read growing up were a touch contrived and the integration of historical facts always seemed somewhat forced. Laurence Yep does a fantastic job of keeping these issues at bay and weaving together a cohesive, enjoyable story,

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou - Books that address diversity

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a book that would only be suitable for older, more advanced students due to some questionable content. However, this is a true life memoir of Maya Angelou that describes in great and beautiful detail the hazards of growing up black and female in society a few decades ago. This is a book that takes my breath away every time I read it. Maya Angelou was bounced around the country as she was growing up, from the rural south to the heart of urban Chicago, and was raped by her mother's boyfriend along the way. Her tale of her trials and triumphs is a must read for upper level students, and was reserved for middle school when I read it due to the controversial content. I loved this book when I read it in school, and I bought it while it was in college, along with Maya Angelou's other memoirs. Angelou writes beautifully through all of them, and her prose is moving and poignant. I don't know what I learned from this book. It was a fascinating study of trauma in a young girl's life, and while I couldn't relate to all of it, there's no little girl out there who can't relate to most of the feelings Angelou writes about.

How My Parents Learned to Eat- Books that address Diversity

How My Parents Learned to Eat is a quaint little book that tells the story of a little girl's parents, way back before they were married. An American sailor and a Japanese schoolgirl fell in love, but they were both ashamed that they could not eat one another's food. The sailor did not know how to use chopsticks, and the schoolgirl didn't know how to use a knife and fork. So as they dated, they never ate a meal together, each being careful not to bring attention to their perceived handicaps. After a time, the sailor learned that his ship was going to set sail for the States. He was terrified that he would lose the girl he fell in love with, but he also reasoned that it would be unfair of him to ask for her hand if he could not eat the food she ate. "It is hard to be happy when you're hungry," he thought. So, in secret, he went to a Japanese restaurant and asked the waiter there to teach him to eat with chopsticks. It was a long night, but he finally learned. The next day, he asked the schoolgirl to dinner. She accepted, but quickly panicked. She was afraid that they would go to a Western restaurant, and she would be mortified at not knowing how to use all the foreign utensils. She went to her uncle, who had lived in England for a time. He took her to a Western restaurant, and taught her how to use a knife, spoon and fork. She was frustrated, but eventually, she learned. When the sailor picked her up that night, he noticed she wasn't wearing her kimono. "Aren't we going to a Japanese restaurant?" he wanted to know. She corrected him quickly, saying that of course she could eat Western food. So they made a deal, they would eat Western food tonight, and Japanese the next. Eventually the pair discover their partner's secret was their own, and get married. And that, says the little girl on the last page, is why they sometimes use chopsticks and sometimes they use knives and forks in their home. I loved this little story. It was more a love story about acceptance of other people and their cultures than a story about the little girl who narrates the story. This book teaches children that even if something someone does is strange or new to you, they might be having the very same feelings, and that acceptance and learning about one another is the very best way to go.

This book was a great one compared to other books about combing cultures. It wasn't contrived, it wasn't trite, and it wasn't cliched, it was just a very realistic, naturally flowing story about two people accepting one another's differences and being better for it.

I learned from this book that literature that addresses diversity doesn't have to be agonizingly contrived. I also thought that this sounded like a very real story, and would not be surprised if it were one based on a true story. It is one of the better books dealing with diversity that I have read, for its strong message layered beautifully with an engaging story.