Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins is one of my multicultural selections, written by Scott O'Dell in 1960. It is intended for children ages 7-10.

A young girl, Karana, lives on an island off the coast of California with her people and brother, the Ghalas-at. One day, a ship comes to take her people to a new land. Karana's brother goes back for his spear, so Karana jumps off the boat. Her brother is killed by wild dogs on the island, leaving Karana to fend for herself alone until another ship comes.

This book falls under the historical fiction genre. It is actually based off a real story of a girl who was left on San Nicolas Island in the 19th century. This story is set in the 1800's. The character seem well developed. They talk and act the way I would imagine indians in the 1800's would have. Ramo, Karana's little brother, used a lot of similes when he talked. He compared the calm ocean to a smooth blue rock.

I liked this book. It's interesting that it was based off a real story of the same thing. Scott O'Dell is one of the most respected historical fiction authors. Some of his other books include: The Black Pearl; Black Star, Bright Dawn; and Streams to the River, River to the Sea.

Motivational Activities:

• Write a paragraph about how you would survive if you were stranded on an island. What would you do first? What about the animals on the island?
• Draw a picture of the island. Draw how you think it would look. Include things you would build and use for survival. Do you have a pet dog too? Draw what you think it would look like.

Reader Response Questions:

• Do you think Karana should have gone back for her brother? Why or why not?
• Do you think she should have tried harder to leave the island?
• What do you think would happen if Karana never got rescued?

O'Dell, S. (1960). Island of the Blue Dolphins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. 

The City of Ember

The City of Ember was written by Jeanne DuPrau in 2003. It is intended for children ages 8-12.

This book takes place in the underground city of Ember as a last refuge for the human race. The lights that keep the city lit are beginning to flicker. Everyone is assigned jobs around the city. Lina wants to be a messenger, but ends up as a pipeworks laborer. Her friend Doon gets messenger and wants to trade jobs. Together they find an ancient message that they try to figure out in hopes of saving their city from darkness. 

This is a sic-fi book with a few sci-fi themes, such as: life in the future and survival. The story is interesting, detailed and believable. There is even a map of the city in the beginning of the book, which I think is really cool because you can actually see what the city would look like if it were real. The characters are multidimensional and think logically throughout the story. I also think the themes are meaningful, because their life in the future isn't exactly what it is now. Things are harder, people work harder for less, almost like back a few hundred years ago. Everything they do is for their survival. I think it would make someone think a lot about life and how afferent it would be. The City of Ember doesn't have many illustrations, but there is one of what the message they found says. So you get to see what they are trying to decipher, and could eve think about it yourself. There is also the map to show what the city of Ember would look like.

I really enjoyed this book. I think it has interesting concepts and a fun storyline to watch the kids on their adventure.

Motivational Activities:

• Create a fake message that a friend would have to decipher. Give it to a friend and see if the can figure it out.
• Write an alternate ending to the story. What if the kids never figured out the message? Decide on a different way you think the story could end. 

Reader Response Questions:

• Would you like to live in Ember? Why or why not?
• What job would you rather have?
• Do you think it was a good idea to create an underground city? Why or why not?

 DuPrau, J. (2003). The City of Ember. New York: Random House. 

The Three Billy Goats Gruff

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a Norwegian folktale retold and illustrated by Janet Stevens in 1990. It is intended for children ages 4-7.

This story is about three goat siblings: the oldest, middle, and youngest. They try to cross a bridge up to the mountain to find sweeter grass, but encounter a troll that wishes to eat them. Each goat tries to get past the troll, but the older goat is the most clever. He gets the three goats safely across the bridge.

This book is a folktale story. This story is very similar to the original I found. The only difference is the language and wording. The original is a bit more mature in language than this one. The illustrations in the story are done with watercolor and are very nice to look at. They definitely compliment the story.

I liked this version of the book, it was a very cute story. I liked that it had a happy ending. I think this is a good book for children to read because it teaches them that they can overcome any obstacle. Other books by Janet Stevens:

• Tops & Bottoms
• The Tortoise & The Hare
• The Little Red Pen
• My Big Dog
• Cock-a-Doodle-Do!

Motivational Activities:

• Compare and contrast the Norwegian version of this story to a version from another country.
• Write your own version of this folktale. Keep it similar, but be creative.

Reader Response Questions:

• What would you do to outsmart the troll?
• Do you think the Billy Goats could have found sweeter grass somewhere else?
• Was it a good idea for the Billy Goats to find different grass? Why or why not?

 Stevens, J. (1987). The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Brace & Company. 

If You Lived 100 Years Ago

...If you Lived 100 Years Ago is a nonfiction book written by Ann McGovern and illustrated by Anna DiVito in 1999. It is intended for children ages 7-10.

This books talks about differences between New York City in the 1890's versus now. It tells how 100 years ago, there was no electronics, movies with sound, and even foods that we eat today like pizza, frozen foods and potato chips. The smells and sounds were even different from now. They used horses and carriages instead of cars and buses. Their wardrobes differed greatly from now.

The information in this book is very detailed and the story itself is entertaining to read. Organizationally, it is logical and understandable and the design is very eye catching. The illustrations are colorful and cartoonish sketches, but look like they accurately depict the story.

I liked this book. I learned a lot of new things that the story talked about, like some major differences and what things have changed. I also learned a lot of new things. This would be a good book for kids to realize the kinds of things people had to live without and what their daily lives were like. I think they would learn a lot about what it was like 100 years ago.

Motivational Activities:

• Compare and contrast New York in 1890's vs. now. What are some major differences. Are there any big similarities?
• Write an essay about living 100 years ago. Talk about things you would enjoy and things thou might to enjoy. 

Reader Response Questions:

• Would you like to have lived 100 years ago? Why or why not?
• What are some things we have now that they did not have back then? What are your favorite things?
• What do you think of the outfits they wore; would you like to wear something like that? Why or why not?

 McGovern, A., & DiVito, A. (1999). ...If you lived 100 years ago. New York, NY: Scholastic. 

Who was Dr. Seuss?

Who was Dr. Seuss is a biography and memoir book written by Janet B. Pascal and illustrated by Nancy Harrison in 2011. It was intended for children from ages 8-12.

This book recounts all the important facts of Theodor Seuss Geisel's life before he became Dr. Seuss and what led him to become Dr. Seuss. His parents would always take Theodor to the zoo, which he loved. When they got home, he would draw pictures of the animals he saw on his bedroom walls. They never looked quite right, so he gave them sill names and created his own kind of creatures.

Pascal included a bibliography at the end of the book, so the information should be accurate since she can prove its origins. Dr. Seuss had quite an exciting life; Pascal shows all the important details, accomplishments, and even some interesting tidbits. The illustrations in this book are hand drawn sketches that follow along with the story and help the reader see what is happening at the time.

I thought this book was very interesting. I learned a lot of things about Dr. Seuss that I never knew before. I think this is a great book for children to read because they would learn a lot about a well known and popular children's author. Other books by Janet B. Pascal are:

• Who was Abraham Lincoln?
• Where is the Empire State Building?
• What is the Panama Canal? (What was?)
• What was the Great Depression?
• Who was Isaac Newton?

Motivational Activities:

• Write a letter to Dr. Seuss. Ask him questions, or tell him about ideas you have. Tell him about your favorite books of his and why.
• Make up your own silly story with wacky characters to match.

Reader Response Questions:

• What do you think of Dr. Seuss' life?
• What is your favorite Dr. Seuss book?
• If you could spend the day with Dr. Seuss, what would you talk to him about? What would you want to do?

 Pascal, J. B., & Harrison, N. (2011). Who Was Dr. Seuss? New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap. 

Mixed Me

Mixed Me is a book about a little boy who gets a lot of questions about his race. It was written by Taye Diggs and illustrated by Shane W. Evans in 2015. It is intended for children from ages 4-8.

Mike's mother and father are of two different races, making him biracial. Kids at school say that Mike's parents "don't match". But Mike is proud of who he is and his parents. He knows that he is loved the same and does not feel any different than anyone else.

This book is a contemporary realistic fiction picture book and also another multicultural book. It involves a situation that any mixed family could face. This book has very eye catching illustrations. They seem to be done in acrylic. They are very colorful and nice; they accentuate the story well.

I enjoyed this book. It has a great lesson for children of biracial families and children who know biracial children. It teaches kids that they should be proud of who they are no matter what race they or their parents are. It teachers other children that it is normal and there is nothing wrong with a child's parents being different races.

Scott Leo "Taye" Diggs is an actor that was in the broadway music rent. Another book written by Taye Diggs is Chocolate Me.

Motivational Activities:

• Write a paragraph about your family. Think of things that might make your family different from others.
• Make a comparison chart of biracial children versus single race families. 

Reader Response Questions:

• Do you like Mike's confidence?
• Do you think Mike's friends should have asked questions?
• Do you think that Mike's parents explained everything to him?

 Diggs, T., & Evans, S. W. (2015). Mixed Me! New York, NY: Feiwel & Friends. 

Giraffes Can't Dance

Giraffes Can't Dance is a story of Gerald the Giraffe, who loves to dance. It was written by Giles Andreae, and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees in 2001. It is intended for children ages 4-8.

Gerald loves to dance, but his legs are too skinny and his neck is too long. All his friends make fun of him because he looks silly. A wise cricket encourages Gerald to try something different with his dancing, because "sometimes when you're different, you just need a different song."

This book is my poetry selection. The rhymes in this story are very lyrical. You can hear a rhythm while reading this story. Quality poetry should be understandable to the reader it is intended for, which I think it is. It has interesting words and language that would keep anyones attention.

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a cute story with a good message that I think all kids could learn from. The illustrations were very bright and colorful and just made the story even more beautiful. They were done in watercolor and pen and ink. Some other books by Giles Andreae are:

• Dinosaurs Galore
• Commotion in the Ocean
• Bustle in the Bushes
• Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
• Love is a Handful of Honey

Motivational Activities:

• Write a story about a talent that you have and love to do. Explain what makes it special and why you love it.
• Dance with a friend. If you feel uncomfortable, help each other. Write a paragraph about it; explain how you felt and what you thought. I think this would follow Saint Leo's core value of respect, because giving someone respect means respecting things that they love and enjoy doing. Instead of telling someone they are bad at something, or they shouldn't do it, you should help them feel better about it and enjoy it with them instead.

Reader Response Questions:

• How would you treat Gerald if you saw him dance?
• Would you stick up for your friend if someone was being mean to them?
• What do you think of the crickets advice?

 Andreae, G., & Parker-Rees, G. (2001). Giraffes Can't Dance. New York: Orchard Books. 

Treasure Island

Treasure Island is a Historical fiction book written by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was first published in 1883, and is thought to be one of the greatest pirate stories in English literature. Although it seems like a book more for older ages, R.L. Stevenson intended the book to be for children.

Jim Hawkins writes a story of the time he visited Treasure Island, as requested by his friends. He tells the story of him meeting Billy "The Captain" Bones, his adventure to the island, what he encountered, and what they were in search of.

This book is historical fiction. It is set in the mid 1700's. The events that occurred in this story are ones that could have happened, and actually did. There have been many known pirates throughout time. I think piracy is rare today, but I believe there are still some out there. The illustrations in the book are black and white sketches that depict a line from the book. They are captioned with a quote from the book.

This is another book I read and loved at a young age. I've always loved pirates, so any type of pirate book always interested me.

Robert Louis Stevenson was born November 13, 1850 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He was a poet, novelist and travel writer. Some other novels are:

• Kidnapped
• Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

Motivational Activities:

• Think of an adventure you had. Write an essay about your adventure. Talk about where you went, who you were with, and what you did.
• Do some research on real pirates. Compare and contrast fictional pirates to real pirates.

Reader Response Questions:

• What do you think of Jim Hawkins' adventure?
• What would you do if you were a pirate?
• Would you travel with a pirate that you just met?

 Stevenson, R. L., & McAllister, A. J. (1989). Treasure Island. New York: Baronet Books. 

The Sandwich Swap

The Sandwich Swap is a book written by Raina Al Abdullah, Kelly DePucchio, and illustrated by Tricia Tusa in 2010.

The story is about two girls, Lilly and Salma, who are best friends. Lilly always has peanut butter and jelly for lunch and Salma always has a hummus and pita sandwich. Each girl thinks the others sandwich look gross. The girls become mad at each other and a food fight breaks out. They let each other try their sandwiches, and find them to be tasty. They then organize a picnic so that their classmates can try each others food and see a little of their cultures.

The Sandwich Swap is a realistic fiction multicultural book. This could happen to anyone, anywhere. I thought this book was really cute. I think it s a good way for children to see that people are different, but they shouldn't be judged by their culture.
Other books by Raina Abdullah are:

• The King's Gift
• Eternal Beauty

Motivational Activities:

• Ask permission for your teacher to have the class bring in food that represents their culture. This activity would align with Saint Leo's value of respect because it would give children a chance to try something from a different culture, especially before judging it. it gives the children a chance to respect their peers cultures.
• Write a list of differences and similarities between you and your best friend. Then discuss what things you like most about your friend.

Reader Response Questions:

• What would you do if you and your best friend had different tastes?
• Do you think that Salma and Lilly should have judged their friend before trying the sandwiches?
• How would you have handled Lilly and Salma's situation?

Abdullah, R. A., DiPucchio, K., & Tusa, T. (2010). The Sandwich Swap. New York: Hyperion Books. 

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux was written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering in 2003. It is intended for readers aged 7-10. This book follows the story of Despereaux Tilling; a brave little mouse on a quest to save a princess from a rat named Roscuro.

Despereaux is an unusually small mouse with large ears. His family tries to teach him to be afraid like a mouse, but Despereaux is curious, adventurous, and very brave. He meets a beautiful princess named Pea, and is instantly enamored by her. Roscuro the rat falls into the Queen's bowl of soup, which caused her death. Princess Pea was disgusted by Roscuro, and for that he intended to punish her. However, Despereaux does everything he can to stop Roscuro.

DiCamillo uses an interesting style in this book. This fantasy story is divided into four books; three following the story of a different character and the fourth follows all. One major theme of fantasy is a struggle between the forces of good and evil. Despereaux was born upstairs in the light of the castle and Roscuro was born in a dungeon, in the darkness; the protagonist and antagonist are literally light (good) and dark (evil). Throughout the story, DiCamillo refers to the reader, like she is talking to you; it seems like a great attention getter. That's something I don't see often when reading. I enjoy her use of the word reader, because it makes the story seem more personal. The illustrations depict a certain line from the book. They are even captioned with the quote, giving you an idea what the picture is showing. They appear to be black and white sketches of the scene being mentioned.

I love this book. I read this somewhere between third and fifth grade and could not put it down. Kate DiCamillo did an excellent job when writing this book. This was by far one of my favorite childhood books.

Other books by Kate DiCamillo include:

• Because of Winn-Dixie
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
• Flora & Ulysses 
• The Tiger Rising
• The Magician's Elephant

Motivational Activities:

• Write a paragraph about one time that you had to be brave. Explain how you felt in that situation.
• Compare and contrast rats and mice. What makes them so different? Which animal do you like better?

Reader Response Questions:

• How would you react if you saw a rat? A mouse?
• What makes Despereaux unusual for a mouse?
• Why do you think Pea liked a mouse more than a rat?

DiCamillo, K., & Ering, T. B. (2003). The tale of Despereaux: Being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Romeow & Drooliet

Romeow & Drooliet was written and illustrated by Nina Laden. The book was published in 2005.

This story takes an interesting twist on the classic love story of Romeo & Juliet. Romeow the cat, and Drooliet the dog, meet by chance at a party thrown by Drooliet's family. They instantly fall in love and nothing can keep them apart, not even Turbo; a Rottweiler in Drooliet's cat hating family.

Picture books use words and pictures to tell a story. The words tell us things that the illustrations leave out, creating a story within both the words and illustrations. I think Nina Laden did an excellent job with her illustrations. They portray the story, as well as tell their own.

I enjoyed this book and thought it was really good. The way the author wrote this picture book  made it an interesting way for kids to read a classic love story. It's a great way to teach children that anything is possible if they believe. Some other works by Nina Laden incude:

• The Night I Followed the Dog
• Clowns on Vacation
• When Pigasso Met Mootisse
• The Blues of Flats Brown
• Once Upon a Memory 

Motivational Activity:

• Romeow almost loses Drooliet, someone he loves very much. Write a letter to someone that you love, telling them so.
• Compare and contrast Romeow & Drooliet with the original Romeo & Juliet.

Reader Response Questions:

• How would you feel if you were friends with someone your family did not like?
• What do you think of Turbo? Is he unreasonable for not wanting Romeow and Drooliet to get married?
• What do you think would have happened if Romeow and his pals never went to Drooliet's party?

 Laden, N. (2005). Romeow & Drooliet. San Francisco: Chronicle Books. 

My Name is Maria Isabel

My Name is Maria Isabel is a story about a hispanic girl in an American school. Her teacher insists on calling her Mary Lopez, but all she wants is to be herself; Maria Isabel Salazar Lopez. This book was written by Ada Flor Alma in 1993 and illustrated by K. Dyble Thompson, intended for grades 3-5.

Maria is unsure of going to a new school in a place where she is unfamiliar. She is not sure she will like it, or if she will be able to make any friends. Her teacher wants to call her Mary instead of Maria, because there are already two more Marias in the class. Maria does not recognize the name Mary and never answers her teachers questions when she is called on. She does not get a part in the classes winter pageant since she did not realize the teacher was asking her about it. Maria's teacher asks the class to write an essay about "My Greatest Wish". In Maria's essay, she tells her teacher that she would like to be called Maria Isabel Salazar Lopez and that she would also like to sing in the winter pageant. The teacher then realizes this is important to Maria and accepts her request.

This contemporary realistic fiction book will teach children that it is very important to be true to themselves. Things of importance should be recognized, no matter who you are or where you are from. Maria's experience could be a problem that any child may face. It may teach them how to handle this kind of situation. I really liked this book and I think it is a great book for children to read, especially if they can relate to Maria's situation. Alma Flor Ada has written many children's books and poetry, such as:

• Dancing Home
• Island Treasures
• Love, Amelia 
• Gathering the Sun
• Dreaming Fish

Motivational Activity:

• Maria's family is very important to her; that is why her name means so much. She is named after her grandmothers and grandfathers. Create a family tree of your family going back as far as you can. Write something important about each family member. 
• Ask your parents why they chose your name or what it means. Write a paragraph about what it means and the importance it may have.

Reader Response Questions:

• How would you react if your teacher wanted to call you by another name?
• Would you tell your teacher to call you by your given name? How would you tell her/him?
• Would you change your name if given the choice? Why or why not?
• What do you think it would be like living in a new place and going to a new school?

 Ada, A. F., & Thompson, K. D. (1993). My name is María Isabel. New York: Atheneum.