Make Lemonade - by Virginia Euwer Wolff



"This word COLLEGE is in my house,/ and you have to walk around it in the rooms/ like furniture." So LaVaughn, an urban 14-year-old, tries to earn the money she needs to make college a reality. She and her mother are a solid two-person family. When LaVaughn takes a job babysitting for Jolly, an abused, 17-year-old single parent who lives with her two children in squalor, her mother is not sure it's a good idea. How the girl's steady support helps Jolly to bootstrap herself into better times and how Jolly, in turn, helps her young friend to clarify her own values are the subjects of this complex, powerful narrative. The themes of parental love, sexual harassment, abuse, independence, and the value of education are its underpinnings. LaVaughn is a bright, compassionate teen who is a foil for Jolly, whose only brief role model was a foster parent, Gram, who died.

Review by Carolyn Noah, Central Mass. Regional Library System, Worcester, MA

Make Lemonade, written by Virginia Euwer Wolff.  New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1993.

This book represents a young woman who has two children at the age of 17.  This symbolizes a great book for a classroom, because any teacher's students can have parents who are or were teenage parents.  This proves there are all varieties of cultures and backgrounds in any classroom.

To Kill a Mockingbird - by Harper Lee



A lawyer's advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of Harper Lee's classic novel—a black man charged with the rape of a white girl. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much.

Review by http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Mockingbird-50th-Anniversary/dp/0061743526/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288557553&sr=1-1

To Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee.  Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott and Company, 1960.



Although banned in many classrooms, this book represents a perfect example of racism and overcoming it.  In a classroom, students must build a community where they get along with all cultures and backgrounds, and teachers must provide the opportunity for it.

Seedfolks - by Paul Fleischman

Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community.

Review by http://www.amazon.com/Seedfolks-Joanna-Colter-Books-Fleischman/dp/0064472078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288555550&sr=1-1

Seedfolks, illustrated by Judy Petersen.  New York: HarperTrophy, 1997.

This book uses multiple characters that are from different backgrounds yet come together to take part in one community activity-- creating a garden.  This is perfect for a middle school classroom, because although students are from different cultures, they must come together to form a community within the classroom.

When You Reach Me - by Rebecca Stead



Shortly after sixth-grader Miranda and her best friend Sal part ways, for some inexplicable reason her once familiar world turns upside down. Maybe it's because she's caught up in reading A Wrinkle in Time and trying to understand time travel, or perhaps it's because she's been receiving mysterious notes which accurately predict the future. Rebecca Stead's poignant novel, When You Reach Me, captures the interior monologue and observations of kids who are starting to recognize and negotiate the complexities of friendship and family, class and identity.

Review by Lauren Nemroff in http://www.amazon.com/When-You-Reach-Rebecca-Stead/dp/0385737424/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288554282&sr=1-1

When You Reach Me, written by Rebecca Stead.  New York: Random House, 2009.

This book identifies many varieties of cultures within a classroom-- poverty, race, class, etc.  By reading this in a classroom, students can become aware why having friends with different cultures is so important.

The Bluest Eye - by Toni Morrison



Originally published in 1970 and set in Lorain, Ohio, in 1941, The Bluest Eye is something of an ensemble piece. The point of view is passed like a baton from one character to the next, with Morrison's own voice functioning as a kind of gold standard throughout. The focus, though, is on an 11-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove, whose entire family has been given a cosmetic cross to bear:

You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question.... And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it.

There are far uglier things in the world than, well, ugliness, and poor Pecola is subjected to most of them. She's spat upon, ridiculed, and ultimately raped and impregnated by her own father. No wonder she yearns to be the very opposite of what she is--yearns, in other words, to be a white child, possessed of the blondest hair and the bluest eye.

Review by James Marcus in http://www.amazon.com/Bluest-Eye-Vintage-International/dp/0307278441/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288553380&sr=1-1

The Bluest Eye, written by Toni Morrison. New York: Plume, 1994.

This is a great book, especially for a middle school classroom.  It represents an African American culture.  Students are focused on looks, and this novel allows students to look inside themselves to find their true beauty.

Miss Rumphius - by Barbara Cooney



Seeking adventure in faraway places, Miss Rumphius fulfills her dream and then sets out to make the world more beautiful.

Review by http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Rumphius-Barbara-Cooney/dp/0140505393/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1288552939&sr=1-1

Miss Rumphius, written and illustrated by Barbara Cooney.  New York: Puffin Books, 1982.

This book is also a good historical example for students in a classroom.  The young girl describes her grandfather immigrating to America.  This explains that not all cultures come from the same background, and teachers must have background knowledge to explain this to their students.

The Small One - by Alex Walsh

Forced to sell his beloved donkey Small One, now old and weak, a young boy from Nazareth finds the perfect buyer in a man who is seeking a donkey to carry his wife, Mary, to Bethlehem, in a heartwarming story based on a Disney animated short.

Review by http://www.amazon.com/Small-One-Alex-Walsh/dp/0786830875/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1288552348&sr=1-1

The Small One, illustrated by Jesse Clay.  New York: Scholastic, 1995.

This book is excellent for students to read, because it identifies a different culture other than one of cars, skyscrapers, and excessive amounts of food.  It is a great choice for a classroom, because it is very cultural by taking place in Nazarath, and it shows a lesson of helping friends when they are in need.

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest - by Gerald McDermott

All the world is in darkness at the beginning of this traditional tale from the Indian cultures of the Pacific Northwest. Raven feels sorry for the people living in the gloomy cold, so he flies to the house of the Sky Chief in search of light and warmth. To get inside, Raven pulls a shape-shifting trick that allows him to be born to the god's daughter. As a spoiled and comic infant, Raven demands and gets the shiny ball that the gods have hidden away.

Review by Carolyn Polese, Gateway Community School, Arcata, CA

Raven: A Trickster Tale from the Pacific Northwest, written and illustrated by Gerald McDermott.  New York: Scholastic, 1993.

This book represents a different culture that believes in the "Raven" which provides light to the world from a mere ball.  Not all students in a classroom are going to have the same religious and cultural views as the teacher, so this book is a good choice to read in a classroom.  This also proves that tricks are possible, and teachers must be aware of their students abilities.

Soap! Soap! Don't Forget the Soap! - by Tom Birdseye

Forgetful Plug goes to the store for his mother, repeating the phrase, "Soap! Soap! Don't forget the soap!" But with each encounter he forgets the phrase, picking up a new one, getting into trouble, and getting dirtier each time. By the time he remembers the soap, he is in desperate need of it when he gets home.

Review by http://www.amazon.com/Soap-Dont-Forget/dp/082341230X

Soap! Soap! Don't Forget the Soap!, illustrated by Andrew Glass.  New York: Holiday House, 1993.

This story in itself represents some students of any future teacher's classroom.  Not all students are going to be financially stable or live in a culture that buys something as important as soap; they also may not have great memory to remember everything a teacher tells them.  This is retold as an Appalachian Folktale, so it's written as an oral story.

Hooway for Wodney Wat - by Helen Lester

Poor Rodney Rat is teased mercilessly by all the other rodents because he can't pronounce his R's in this beginning to read title by Helen Lester (Houghton, 1999). When Camilla Capybara joins the class and announces that she is bigger, meaner, and smarter than any of the other rodents, everyone is afraid, especially Wodney. One day he unwittingly catches Camilla out in a game of Simon Says, and surprises himself and saves his classmates from big bully Camilla. This retelling nicely reflects Wodney's transformation from shy rodent with a speech impediment to hero of the class.

Review by Shauna Yusko, King County Library System, Bellevue, WA

Hooway for Wodney Wat, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.

This book is excellent for a classroom, because it shows speech impediments.  Not only is this written about a rat, it is a young rat who is made fun of in a classroom.  No matter what culture or country a student is in, there will still be impediments, and teachers must help overcome them.

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale - by Demi

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village in India. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days.  Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson.

Review by www.amazon.com/One-Grain-Rice-Mathematical-Folktale

One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale, illustrated and written by Demi. New York: Scholastic, 1997.

This is a great multi-cultural picture book for a classroom, because not only does it make its readers think mathematically, it shows that greed is prevalent in all countries- not just in the U.S.  This also involves the country of India, which represents India's form of royalty and government.

The Handmade Alphabet - by Laura Rankin

From a hand grasping two asparagus stalks to a zippered sleeve tracing the letter Z, Rankin's alphabet book is a glorious success as it displays the American Sign Language alphabet. The colored pencil illustrations on charcoal paper of varied hues depict one letter on each page--a pencil's eraser rubs away at a hand that signs the letter E , an icicle is balanced on a pinky, a muscular hand makes a V while holding a valentine. The hands here are as diverse and individual as the objects surrounding them--a baby's chubby fingers grip plastic keys, matronly hands with magenta-polished nails form the letter N , vivid bones of a hand, seen in an X-ray, show off X . Rankin's prefatory note describes how her deaf stepson "gained more thorough undertanding and total communication" when he learned sign language at Gallaudet University.

Review by Publishers Weekly, Reed Business Information, Inc. 

The Handmade Alphabet, illustrated and written by Laura Rankin. New York: Scholastic, 1991.

This book shows that not everyone learns the same way, especially in a classroom.  There are different cultures and people who learn through braille or sign language.  This book allows the reader to learn the alphabet through a different way of education-- sign language.



Do Like Kyla - by Angela Johnson

"In the morning my big sister Kyla stands at the window, tapping at the birds. I do like Kyla . . . ." So begins a day of follow-the-leader between a young child and her older sister. This simply told story highlights such every day events as eating oatmeal and walking to the store, aptly capturing a small child's sense of pleasure in imitating an older sibling. There is a nice twist on the last page; before going to bed, the younger sister taps on the window, and Kyla follows suit. The illustrations, done in richly colored oils, often add excitement by use of interesting perspectives. For example, readers see the children from above as they march home stepping in their own snowy foot prints.

Review by Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY

Do Like Kyla, illustrated by James E. Ransome. New York: Scholastic, 1990.

This book represents an African American family.  It also shows that younger siblings of any culture can follow their older siblings, because of modeling.  This would be good in a classroom to identify strong sibling relationships and African American families.

Hiawatha - by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The classic American poem The Song of Hiawatha is developed into a tale covering the childhood of Hiawatha and telling the story of his early years, when he first learned the Native American way of life from his grandmother.

Review by www.amazon.com/Hiawatha-Picture-Puffins-Wadsworth-Longfellow

Hiawatha, illustrated by Susan Jeffers. New York: Scholastic, 1983.

In a classroom, this book is necessary, because Native American culture has always been common in the United States.  This also shows oral story telling through a grandmother's point-of-view.  To many people, family is extremely important.

Uncle Jed's Barbershop - by Margaree King Mitchell

In the segregated South of the 1920s, Uncle Jed was the only black barber in a county of sharecroppers. He always dreamed of owning his own barbershop, but his generous heart and some bad luck during the Depression forced him to defer that dream for years. Finally, on his 79th birthday, Uncle Jed opened the doors of his new shop.

Review by www.colquitt.k12.ga.us/hamilton/BOM_March.jpg

Uncle Jed's Barbershop, illustrated by James Rasome. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1993.

This book is great for a classroom, because it shows historical moments, such as the Great Depression.  It exemplifies a hard-working African American man, allowing the reader to understand all cultures and races are important and can help their family and others in times of financial need and sickness.