Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Emily Sands and Ashley Richardson

Washington State University

4/20/2016

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Introduction

Multicultural literature is important to establish a connection between religion, cultures,

and sexuality. The point of this project is to better understand the views of multicultural books

and how they can ultimately be related to students within the classroom. At a young age children

begin to develop their attitude and viewpoint on racial and sexual bias. The reason that children

begin to develop so young is due to their parents attitudes toward the subject as well as the

environment that surrounds them. To help break these biases, children must be introduced to

multicultural literature at a young age to help them better understand the diversity in our world

today. There are many advantages to reading and introducing multicultural literature to students.

These books allow students to gain an awareness and develop and understating of people who at

first seem different from them. It also allows them to fully appreciate and create a positive image

of their own culture. Ultimately it allows them to be open minded.

Purpose

The main point of this assignment is to better understand the use of multicultural books

within the class room and for children, as well as us, to gain a more culturally diverse

understanding of the world. By introducing children to a culture unlike their own it allows them

to get a whole world view of the situations at hand. However there are some people who simply

dont want to understand or fear other cultures. Those that fear individuals that are different from

them, such as strangers or foreigners, judge their culture bias strongly on their limited

understanding of the culture itself. This fear can also be called Xenophobia, and is one of the

reasons for cultural and global conflict in todays world. Literature can be one of the most

powerful tools for combating the ignorance that breeds xenophobia and judgmental behaviors,

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

(Tunnel, 2013, p. 202) those that are most susceptible to gaining these manipulated views are

children. The purpose for including multicultural literature in a class like Survey of Childrens

Literature, is so that teachers can broaden their students understanding and acceptance of all the

mass diversity that will surround them for their entire life. By utilizing different types of

multicultural literature, teachers allow students to gain their own ideas about the subject rather

than forcible pushing it upon them. The world changes according to the way people see it, and

if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way a person looks at reality, then you can change it.

(Tunnel, 2013, p.202).

Steps We Took

When we first began the assignment it was difficult to narrow down which books we

wanted to choose. Each year had a large variety of choices based upon the parameters of Notable

Books for a Global Society. When going through the books we tried to understand that the

conceptual understanding is the awareness that culture is a social construct and that there are

individual differences within culture (Loui, 446) In order to pick a book we had to grasp the

concept that culture is also social and students may already have ideas about what teachers are

presenting. When going through the books for each year, we looked for books that had different

concepts about what multicultural literature means. For each year we found different books on

race, cultural bias, and sexuality. Because we could only chose eight books, it made the search

that much more difficult. We wanted to incorporate as many years as possible, instead of

focusing on a select few years, this allowed us to broaden the range of books which we chose.

Instead of just focusing on just race we wanted each of our books to follow the criteria of

celebrating diversity while also honoring bonds in humanity. Each book we chose follows the

criteria set for the Notable Books for a Global Society, and focuses on both fiction and non-

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

fiction. Ultimately we wanted our choices to be as diverse and cover as much ground as possible,

for instance we chose George for knowledge on transgender individuals and chose El Deafo for

the ultimate understanding of accepting ones own differences. By creating diversity within the

books we chose it allows us to fully grasp what the award is truly trying to accomplish.

When we were looking for books we also wanted to find books that appealed to multiple

grade levels. We decided to choose four picture books and four chapter books. Picture books, or

intro books, allow children to subconsciously be introduced to books about diversity and cultural

differences. By using books that dont push ideas or bias upon children, and lets them create the

ideas on their own, helps children begin to grow their cultural understanding. The book Ten

Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes, is a simple entry level book that at first glance wouldnt seem

to hold such a deep meaning. The book shows the diversity of each child, but then relates them to

one another by explaining that each baby has ten fingers and ten toes. The books allows the

child to subconsciously attain the understanding that though each baby looks different, with their

clothes, size, skin color, and hair color, they are all still similar and simply human. By showing

this to children at a young age and using introductory books such as this within the classroom,

children get to see the diversity and differences that exist and will continue to exist as they grow

older. Growing up they are not always exposed to the diversity they get to experience within the

school and eventually within their adult lives, these books help them appreciate differences and

come to value their own differences.

Chapter books, and more advanced placement books, allow students to deepen and

broaden what society and daily life has already taught them. Advanced books such as this allow

individuals to either deepen an understanding they already have, and pushes them to expand on

bias they have not yet explored. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon puts the reader in a world

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

based on Chinese folklore, allowing them to immerse themselves in the culture. By using stories

and tales, the book broadens the readers idea of the Chinese culture and creates new elements to

what the student or child may already know. The book itself engages the reader in an adventure

through the eyes of a child allowing them to relate to the main character while also learning

about the cultural differences.

When choosing which books we wanted to use for the project cultural differences was

one of the main points we focused on. Originally we had picked Separate is Never Equal, but

later decided instead to use a different picture and focus more on Mexican WhiteBoy. Since we

had already done a project on Separate is Never Equal, we wanted to expand our horizons.

Mexican WhiteBoy pinpoints diversity and how often times, an individual can be stuck in both

worlds. The main character Danny is judged with one glance at his brown skin, however people

dont know that his mother is white with blonde hair and blue eyes. People also dont realize that

Danny doesnt speak Spanish at all. Because we wanted to focus on diversity and race as a whole

we wanted to choose one book about the Mexican culture. This is another reason why we

decided to use Mexican WhiteBoy instead of Separate is Never Equal. We thought that Mexican

WhiteBoy was an amazing book that focused on children that came from two separate

backgrounds. It was important to us to focus on a book that touched on how hard it is for

children of mixed race families to feel as though they belong to a set race. We thought Separate

is Never Equal lacked in this area, though it focused on diversity and the Mexican culture, we

wanted to go a step further. A lot of children can relate to the struggle that Danny is going

through due to identifying with two different cultural backgrounds.

One chapter book we rejected was Brown Girl Dreaming. Though choosing this books

would add a larger diversity to the books we chose we decided that we wanted to just stick with

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

fiction and non-fiction, instead of including poetry. Though the book has won many awards we

both had a difficult time reading it and appealing to it. The message itself is uplifting and

relatable, however the fact that it is written in verse made it extremely difficult for us to finish

and neither us really got into it. Due to excluding poetry from our choices and the difficulty of us

finishing the book, we decided to reject Brown Girl Dreaming. Though African American bias

seems to be the most prevalent issue within America today, we also wanted to include more

diverse books on different races rather than just focusing on African American bias.

Views on Multicultural

Emily

When beginning this project I had my own view on what multicultural meant. To me

multicultural was limited to ideas about race and cultural differences. Growing up on the west

side of Washington there really isnt a lot of diversity. I went to a private school with mostly the

same Caucasian race and not a lot of diversity. Growing up I never really thought about the

differences between individuals, but as you grow you begin to get a skewed view of what the

world wants you to think about culture through the news, text books, and even teachers. I wont

say that all my ideas were shaped by those factors but they had a strong impact. I never thought

of multicultural literature effecting viewpoints till this project. After reading some of the titles

and looking through the books I began to see that even books like these could help diversify and

change the outlook children have. However I began to notice that it was not simply about race

and culture, but about other things such as sexuality.

As we began to look at the different book titles that we could do for the project, my views

began to change rapidly. When looking for books I went from the newest books to the oldest

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books, and the first book that popped out at me was George, which is about a transgender

individual who biologically is a boy but intrinsically is a girl. This immediately changed my

original view on what multicultural literature entailed, it was clear that it also encompassed

sexuality and diversity, not just race and cultural bias.

By doing this project it was made clear that Childrens literature should show diversity,

yet not push it directly upon the child. It helped me see that there are so many different types of

books that range from introduction to diversity and multiculturalism as well as in depth advanced

books such as George, where the message is clear. In order for students to get a well-rounded

idea of multicultural literature introduction must occur as well as a vast variety in the types of

books presented.

Ashley

My definition of multicultural literature is every person is equal and understands every

culture has his or her own beliefs and values. Not everyone agrees with the beliefs and values

due to not being a part of the cultural. Multicultural is perspectives of people from different

cultural backgrounds which strives to remove barriers to peoples different cultures. Overall,

multicultural to me is everyone accepts everyone regardless of his or her country or place of

birth. Cultural values are held very important to people and children. Learning about different

cultures can strengthen and add to an ever changing, and development of a whole.

It is important for each individual to immerse themselves in cultures from around the

world. Educating yourself in several cultures not only leads to a better understanding of the

world and its inhabitants but also creates an individual comfortable with travel and various ways

of living. America was built on accepting idealisms from each culture. With each generation,

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comes a brand new set of impressionable minds. With the inclusion of multicultural literature

the future generations can have an understanding and a general acceptance of cultures different

then their own. It is important for every person to experience the same amount of different

cultures in order to not base their view just upon their own cultural.

There are several opportunities for one to learn of different cultures, never the less, the

easiest and simplest way to educate one on all of those cultures is within the education system

itself. This way a bigger demographic is reached. Multicultural literature will touch on religions,

ethnicities, and idealisms from around the world and the very diverse aspects within each.

Having a multicultural education does not simply mean you are aware of a culture; it means you

have immersed yourself within that culture as much as mentally possible. The Notable Books for

a Global Society project has made me understand and appreciate how diverse the world is due to

cultures, religions, and ethnicity. I come from a very diverse family were my father is

Panamanian and my mother is Hispanic. I get the pleasure of having two different beliefs

brought into my life by celebrating each holiday and traditions that both my parents enjoyed as a

child and a young adult. Im greatly impacted by a very opening family that celebrates many

different holidays due to having more than one religion, speak different languages, and also

accept people for who they want to be or be with, and to believe things we want to believe

instead of being forced into a belief.

Gino, A. (2015). George. Scholastic Press.

George

Summary

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The first book that we chose to do was a controversial book called George. George is a

newer book that talks about a boy and his struggles knowing that he is transgender. The story

begins with George struggling to find his sexuality and his brother talking to him about girlie

magazines that he was looking at in the bathroom. The story goes on to follow George and his

struggle to fit into a world that he feels estranged from. George knows shes a girl. With his

friend Kelly, George decided that she wants to play Charlotte in the school play. Throughout the

novel, Georges mother is in denial of the fact that George is having problems with accepting the

fact that she is in fact a girl and not the boy that his mother had raised. Near the end of the novel

George gets some of the acceptance that she was looking for throughout the book. He has her

good friend with her throughout the way and eventually George comes to terms with who she

truly is and helps everyone else accept it as well.

Strength and Weakness/ Criteria

The strengths of this book are endless. The novel was beautifully written and simply

done. It gives elementary grade children a first glance of what it would be like to be a young

transgender child in a world that doesnt so readily accept them. Gino, the author, does a great

job showing the inner struggle of whether or not George should tell her mother about what she is

going through. One of the most influential quotes in the novel came from the altercations

between George and his mom. George stopped. It was such a short, little question, but she

couldnt make her mouth form the sounds. Mom, what if Im a girl? That quote alone shows the

difficulty that George is going through when confronting his mom about being a transgender

individual.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Another major strength in the book is the fact that the author uses the she pronoun instead

of using him. This allows the reader to get an idea of what it is like for George and what she is

going through. She knows that she is a girl even though her body may be male. The use of

pronouns allows the reader to be placed in Georges shoes and to see what George is really going

through. It also helps show the struggle of a boy who is so young.

A flaw that can be found in George is the fact that this topic is very controversial for a lot

of individuals. Many are not accepting of the LGBT community and this book practically throws

you right in the middle of it. Especially with the fact that George is to play Charlotte. One of the

other weaknesses that can be found in close relation is the way Gino portrays what it means to be

a girl. To George in the book, being a girl means he gets to dress up and wear make-up. The

book makes it sound like that in order to be a girl you have to fit the gender stereotypes that may

or may not be true. Indeed in some cases in order to feel like a woman it is nice to dress up and

put a skirt on, however there are women who never wear skirts and still identify themselves with

the female gender.

At first we could not see how this book was related to Multicultural literature, but after

looking at the criteria for the award we saw that the book met the necessary parts in order to

make it a credible award winner. When looking at the Criteria for the Notable Books for a Global

Society, George only meets one of the main criteria that needs to be met in section one and that

is the celebration of diversity and the common bonds in humanity. The book itself doesnt really

touch on race or cultural diversity which a lot of the other books that won the award touch on.

However it does help create the connection between humans and helps celebrate the diversity of

the LGBT community.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The book does in fact meet all the criteria from the second portion. The one that stuck out

to us most is the way it challenged the generally accepted criteria of quality for the genre. Since

there are few books about the LGBT community it is hard to get a basis off of which to judge the

book as a whole. It is important that the book puts the community itself in a good light and gets

rid of stereotypes. The second it really hits is the unique language or style. By using different

pronouns for George it helps give the book a unique feel. The reader is reading about a boy but

the pronouns used are those of a girl. By doing this the author helps the reader grasp what it is

like for George. The book itself pushes what the award is all about and creates a new meaning to

what multicultural literature is and what it means.

The purpose of multicultural literature is to be able and utilize a strong message and

relate it to a message within the classroom. Using the book George in the classroom would have

to be gone about in a special way. Due to the fact that the topic is so strong for the transgender

community, the audience would have to be of an older more advanced age. When introducing it

to a classroom, we feel as though there would be many upset parents. However at the same time

we feel as though there are many children struggling with the same thing that George is going

through and introducing this book will help others get a concept of what it is like to be

transgender and feel like you dont belong. We think a lot of the time people are ostracized due

to the fact they are misunderstood and misinterpreted. We both think Gino does a good job of

trying to put away previous thoughts and assumptions about the transgender community.

Lin, G. (2009). Where The Mountain Meets The Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Co.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Summary

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The story is about a young girl named Minli who lives with her struggling parents in a

village within the Valley of the Fruitless Mountain. The girl wants to help her parents in every

single way she can so in order to do so, she travels to try and find her family fortune. In order to

find the solution to her problem she seeks to find a man that her father talks about in his tall

tales. The man is called the Old Man of the Moon who is said to never have been found. After

making up her mind, she sets out to find the man and ask him how she can achieve eternal

fortune for her family.

As Minli journeys she encounters many different obstacles and individuals. Along the

way she meets a beautiful dragon who for some reason cannot fly. The Dragon decides to go

with her to see the Old Man of the Moon to ask why he cant fly, so they start again on the

journey together. When they reach to place where Minli must go off on her own, Dragon tells her

not to forget to ask his question as well. When Minli finally climbs the mountain she meets the

old man and he tells her all she has is one question. Minli goes back and forth for some time till

she finally decides to ask the dragons question instead. The Man tells her that there is a stone that

impairs the dragon from flying. It turns out in the end that the stone can actually make the

Minlis family rich. So in the end, everyone wins.

Strength and Weakness/ Criteria

Multicultural literature encompasses diversity and a variety in cultural appreciation.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon falls under this category due to its focus on Chinese

folklore that Lin utilizes throughout the story. The author of Where the Mountain Meets the

Moon grew up with book similar to the ones she writes, ones that are filled with folktales and

imagination. When writing her own books Lin uses these stories as well as her own experiences

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and imagination to help her create the magical world shown within her books. By using both of

these, it helps create an interesting imagery shown throughout the tale. This is one of the major

strong points that comes with this book. By Lin using her own experience and relating it back to

Chinese folklore, it makes the book feel more relatable and creative.

The way the book is organized is through a main story line with folktales written in that

directly relate to the story being told. This could be considered both a strength and weakness

when looking at the book from a critical standpoint. Though the book can be followed as one

narrative the stories within may confuse children or detract them from the story that is being told.

As she weaves the folktales into her novel, children must investigate what each story means to

the novel itself and how it directly relates to the text at hand. Often times readers can do this

easily, but some may have difficulties staying connected to the story and this could be seen as a

major flaw and weakness with this book. This makes the folktale aspect of the book both a

strength and a weakness depending on who is reading the novel. However, by using pictures

throughout the book, Lin creates a stunning visual to match each Chinese folktale. This is a

major strength due to the fact that it makes the story more visual and the child can put a face to

the name and create their own imagery in their head.

One flaw seen in the book is that it will not appeal to all readers. Though the book is

award winning, since the book is folklore and fantasy it narrows down the variety of individuals

reading the novel itself. Though many like us enjoy folklore, it is not everyones cup of tea, and

for those who do not enjoy its mystical feel, it could be hard to relate to, ultimately making it

difficult to finish the novel. The book itself isnt as suspenseful or riveting as many other books,

it is instead consistent and moves a slower pace. The book itself must rely on readers who enjoy

the mystical tales that it tells.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The purpose of multicultural literature is to be able to use it within the classroom and to

have it teach the children about differences and diversity. The overall strength of the book is that

it gets to expose children to the Chinese culture, not only by the story itself, but the ancient

folktales that are within the story line. Though children may be exposed to Chinese culture

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon will deepen and reinforce any previous teachings. The

book would be great to use in a classroom while learning about Chinese history, it would give

students a fun story line while still learning about the folklore that lies within the culture itself.

This is what makes the book a fantastic piece of multicultural literature.

Since this book is about ancient Chinese culture and is considered to be a folklore book,

it meets and exceeds the criteria for the first portion of the Notable Books for a Global Society.

The book itself includes characters within a cultural group who interact authentically, for

example Minlis ma and pa. By using ancient folklore and Chinese culture the book is also rich

in cultural details and encompasses much of what the award is all about. It ultimately allows

children to get an idea about the cultural diversity of the Chinses community, and immerse

themselves into Chinese culture. The criteria from section two is all met as well. On point that

the book touches on is the unique language and style that is used

Fox, M., & Oxenbury, H. (2008). Ten little fingers and ten little toes. Orlando: Harcourt.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Summary

The book opens with a simplistic scene that shows a landscape stating that there was a

baby born far away and the next page it says a baby was born the very next day. The book then

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goes on to show two different races of babies on the next page, however it then relates them two

one another by saying they both had ten little fingers and ten little toes. Throughout the book it

goes from one baby to another still relating them back to having the same ten little fingers and

ten little toes. It shows the babies in different situations and with different skin tones. The book

ends with the author or narrator having her own child and it two having ten fingers and ten toes.

The illustrations in the book are simple and straight forward. They make the babies look

cartoonish almost while still having a realistic feel to them. The textbook states that well written

multicultural childrens books may serve to help our new generations see people living in far-

flung parts of the globe or even in their own city as equal and valuable citizens. This book helps

children get a concept of what other people look like and where they come from, allowing them

to gain appreciation for different cultures.

Strengths and Weaknesses/ Criteria

The message of the book is simple. It is trying to relate different backgrounds of race and

ethnicities to being ultimately equal. The rhythm within the book helps the reader follow the

story of the different babies being portrayed. Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes never

actually tells the reader what exactly it is trying to get across. Every child portrayed in the book

is different, by relating them all by having the same amount of fingers and toes it tells the reader

that though we are all different we are all still human in a sense the same.

The fact that it relates all humans to one another is a real strength to this short picture

book. By relating everyone to one another, and to use mainly the illustrations to show color and

difference is an incredible way to showing and introducing diversity early on. By using this

book, it would help children get an early start to diversity and equality of human kind. Without

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the pictures the story would be lacking and it would be unable to get across the overall message

the book is trying to get across. Another strength to the book is the repetitive versing that is

consistent throughout the book, because they use the same language throughout it makes the

book more understandable for children.

The short little picture book has one major weakness that isnt really talked about. What

if a child isnt born with exactly ten fingers or ten toes? The book is leaving out an important

aspect that isnt really anticipated. Though there may not be a substantial amount of children

born with less or more toes and fingers than a typical child, it is important not to leave out a

group of individuals even if the number is so low. For children reading this book who dont meet

the typical stereotype of fingers and toes, it could make them feel different as well as less

appreciated than everyone else, yes the overall message about race and equality will still be there

but it would bring a whole new aspect to it.

This book was chosen due to the fact that it met all the criteria for the Notable Books.

The picture book however approaches the subject of diversity and multicultural literature in a

less direct way taking a more subtle route. In order to meet the criteria for the Notable Books for

a Global Society the book must meet at least one criteria from section one and all of them from

section two. In the first section of criteria the book mainly falls under the category of honoring

and celebrating diversity as well as human bonds. The fact that the children have ten fingers and

ten toes makes them relate to each other and creates a strong bond between all of the children in

the picture book, no matter what color skin they have.

The book also meets all of the criteria in part two such as demonstrating and inviting reflection,

critical analysis, and response. By not directly addressing the fact of diversity within the text it

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makes the reader look deeper and reflect on what is being illustrated by the pictures. By

including rich illustrations in the book it helps depict their place of birth as well. While small

children could not fully grasp the connection to diversity in the book, it could be used for an

older classroom and spark reflection of how this book could show the relation between different

cultures and ultimately connect us as a human race. The book itself is a good introduction for a

controversial topic.

Fox, M., & Oxenbury, H. (2008). Ten little fingers and ten little toes. Orlando: Harcourt.

While You are Sleeping

Summary

This book shows an escape to different time zones around the world. AS one child is

going to bed, it shows another child waking up on the other side of the world. The opening page

features a mother and her child reading in Alaska with the time and date on the page. The next

page, when you lift the flap, it jumps to Nigeria and features people getting ready for their day.

As the book goes on it shows different individuals in a multitude of times zone and relates them

to one another. The story book utilizes the flap to help tell a different story and to jump across

time and space and relate each individual back to one another.

Strengths and Weaknesses/ Criteria

One of the first strengths that can be seen within the book is the use of the flaps that lift

on each page. The flaps allow children to be interactive with the book and get involved with the

story. Story book flaps are rarely seen and the way the author utilizes them is in a unique way.

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On each page the story in one part of the world relates to the story in the other part. One shows a

night view while the other shows a day view. This helps children see the connection between the

stories and acknowledge the fact that there are other people in the world just like them, though

they may be thousands of miles away. A weakness that goes alongside this is that the stories

arent directly related and often times they are doing different things. It may have been beneficial

to show them doing similar acts such as one falling asleep and one waking up, or one dreaming

about drinking water and another from Africa as the woman goes to collect water. Though the

flaw is simple, it would help better connect children to the picture book and help them get better

relate. Another flaw is the fact that it creates stereotypes for cultures across the world.

The book accurately portrays cultural differences and strives to include charters within

multiple cultural groups. Though the book is simple it helps children to see the different cultures

and vast cultural differences throughout the world. It also helps children to relate to one another

so that they get a better concept of what it is like in other places. The book create a reflective

environment and pushes children to think analytically. Because of this the book also follows all

the criteria necessary under section two. The one that we both think it follows the best is the

appealing format and enduring quality. We have both never really seen a book that uses flaps to

tell a story, and thought it was creative and insightful, it was one of the reasons we decided to

choose the book to begin with.

Pea, M. D. (2008). Mexican Whiteboy. New York: Delacorte Press.

Mexican whiteboy-

Summary

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Sixteen-year-old Danny searches for his identity while being confused of being half-

Mexican and half-white. Danny spends the summer with his cousin and new friends on the

baseball fields and the back alleys of San Diego, California. Danny does not believe he fits in

anywhere and he does not understand why. He feels like an outsider with his Mexican father's

family while being a part of a white school. He wonders if he father was confused too, which

made his father leave him.

Danny also struggles with his obsession for baseball. He is a gifted player with a blazing

fastball even though he lacks control of his game. With the support of a new friend and his

caring cousins, Danny begins to deal with the multitude of problems in his life. Which include

his tendency to cut himself. The author juggles many plotlines well, and the portrayal of Danny's

friends and neighborhood. Where the story really lights up is in the baseball scenes, which sizzle

like Danny's fastball. A violent scene, left somewhat unresolved, is the catalyst for him to

confront the truth about his father. Danny's struggles to figure out where he belongs in life just

like his father.

Strengths and Weaknesses/Criteria

A strength we had with the book was it's a very well written, engaging story about

identity and what it means to be half-something in America. The mood that this writer set

throughout the book was unlike anything Ashley has ever read. The imagery created by the

author is also amazing because we could not stop visualizing these places (streetscapes,

landscapes, even the graffiti) in my head as both of us read this book. And, of course, the

character development is phenomenal. It deeply explores the themes of racial inequality and

discrimination is a way that can be grasped by the target audience. With that being said there are

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twenty-two chapters total in the chapter book. The book fits perfectly for students around the age

of fourteen to seventeen to read. Also, Ashley loves baseball so that was a major part of the story

that interested us, which at the age of fourteen to seventeen students are playing baseball or

softball for high school.

The most interesting aspect of this novel is that the author seems to be portraying a

stereotypical community of Mexican young adults. However, take away the Spanish slang and

the novel could illustrate any group of teenagers. The theme of finding oneself between two

different cultures is an issue rarely written about in the young adult genre, but an important one

nonetheless, especially considering how our country is evolving.

Matt de la Pena successfully creates authentic teenage characters. The characters are

relatable to readers of the Mexican descent, but young adults across a range of ethnicities. The

bond that Sophia and her gang of sassy chicas share is strong and relatable for many teenage

girls. They hit on boys and talk smack to them. We both can remember ourselves as a teenage

girl, trying to be attractive while maintain an attitude.

A weakness we decided that the book had was the character Danny, due to being unable

to understand him. He has so much resentment towards his mother that we both didn't

understand. After all, she is supporting him and loving him which he should appreciate. Perhaps

a teenage boy would relate to it better. He despised her because she represented the white half of

himself he hated.

Many young adult readers may not be able to relate with the main character Danny in the

sense that he is trying to find his identity among two cultures, but they can relate to how it feels

when you dont believe you are good enough to fit in any category. For example, Danny does not

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even feel like he conforms to the other teenage males because he is skinny and lanky. He feels

awkward because his body should be maturing and wants to have muscles. Dannys insecurity

with his body image is relatable to many teenagers, girls and boys. This novel, deals with other

typical young adult themes including underage drinking, drugs, sexual references and violence.

Overall, this novel is refreshing because it looks at a situation that is rarely written about, being

stuck between two heritages and constantly feeling like you are never good enough. Feeling

inadequate is an emotion many teenagers can relate to regardless of the situation, but this novel

also opens our eyes to the negative effects of stereotyping.

Curtis, C. P. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Press

Elijah of Bruxton-

Summary

Elijah Freeman was the first-born kid in Buxton Canada born free. Buxton Canada is a

place where everyone is free and equal to each other. The settlement, located in Buxton, was

established to help and protect runaway slaves escaping from America. One of the founders of

the settlement, Mr. Frederick Douglass, visited once when Elijah was a baby. Delivering a

passionate speech, Mr. Douglass held baby Elijah, tossing him into the air. Unfortunately, baby

Elijah vomited on his head. The story of this incident has been hilariously embellished over the

years by the town folk, leaving Elijah with a reputation not only for his status of the first

freeborn child in Elgin, but for this embarrassing mishap, as well. Elijah is a fra-gile eleven

year-old boy.

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Elijah has several friends such as the Preacher, Cooter, and Mr. Leory. Elijah learns a

lesson to treat his elders with respect after his ma pays him back on a practical joke. Elijah pulls

a snake out of a cookie jar and runs around screaming through the woods, which shows him how

sensitive he is.

The misery of the southern slave comes through in many ways. Mr. Leroy is a quiet man

who has suffered terribly and wants nothing more than to free his family. He carries pain around

with him that is vented in his hard labor. A gentle man, he slaps young Elijah to the ground for

using a racist word that has stung him all his life. Elijah joins Mr. Leroy on a dangerous journey

to America in pursuit of the disreputable preacher, and he discovers firsthand the horrors of the

life his parents fled. The expeditions to get the money back from the preacher or to kill the

preacher for what he did. Even though Elijah trusts the preacher. Before they find the preacher,

Mr. Leroy dies of a heart attack. This is when Elijah makes a dramatic turn and is no longer the

fra-gile child his mother makes him to be. He became a young man who takes care of the

business he promised he would to Mr. Leroy.

Strengths and Weaknesses/Criteria

We both chose to read this book because Emily wanted to read a historical fiction book to

learn about the Underground Railroad and slavery in the 1800s due to both of our grandpas

working for the railroad. The strengths of this book are for students to learn the history through

the tale of a fictional character. It teaches the reader about respect, about growing up, about

friendship and family, and about achieving the goals that are set for them and overcoming the

difficulties that come with them. There was a very powerful part were students would have a

hard time reading but how impactful one part can be to show how hard it is being a slave. For

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example, when six runaway slaves are in the barn chained up and dehydrated. Elijah quietly gets

the slaves water so he does not wake up the sleeping guard. Elijah tried his best but was

unsuccessful to keep the six runaway slaves alive.

The weakness Ashley had been due to some parts being slow, which Ashley believed

could have been removed from the book. There were several of the slower parts that did a good

job at building Elijahs character by taking him from a fra-gile boy to a responsible and

respected young man.

The book is historical fiction for students of age eight to twelve. There are twenty-four

chapters total in the chapter book. The book involves slavery, equality, confronting and resolving

issues. The issues of slavery, and freedom from it, predominate this story. Although this is an

uplifting tale written with a substantial degree of humor, the horrors of slavery in America are

shown starkly through the narration of the first freeborn black boy in Buxton. William King's

vision of a haven for runaway slaves turned into a thriving Settlement where those who were

lucky enough to get away, could live their lives in safety, freedom and self-respect.

Hopkinson, D. (2006). Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America. New York:

Scholastic Nonfiction.

Up before day break-

Summary

In the book, Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America are voices of the

forgotten men, women, and children who worked in the cotton industry in America over the

centuries. The voices of the slaves who toiled in the fields in the South, the poor sharecroppers

who barely got by, and the girls who gave their lives to the New England mills spring to life

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

through oral histories, archival photos, and Hopkinson's engaging narrative prose style. These

stories are amazing and often heartbreaking, and they are imbedded deep in our nation's history.

This book traces back in history through the cotton industry in America since the cotton

trade began in the seventeenth century. It includes quotes from ex-slaves, mill workers, women

in a growing industry, and other hard laborers throughout history as a result of cotton. Through

oral histories she captures voices of forgotten men, women, and children who have worked in the

cotton industry. It includes stories that are amazing and often heartbreaking as they embed deep

in our nations history.

Strengths and Weakness/ Criteria

A strength we both thought this book had is its abundance of stories and interviews from

people who have lived through the cotton industry and have been involved first-hand. The

reading level for this book is seventh to twelfth grade and the themes include agriculture, the

industrial revolution, jobs, abolition, and the Underground Railroad. We both believe emotional

readers would feel this book is informative and readers would benefit from everything in this

book.

The weakness in this book is we both thought it was a little iffy reading this book about

slavery times because a white person wrote it and a white person did the interviews. Emily and

Ashley understand that the author did their research to probably the best of their ability but over

all we both do not see how you can put yourself in someone elses shoes with such a big cultural

difference. Emily did like how there were interviews done from people of different rolls in the

cotton fields giving the reader several different viewpoints of the history. But Ashley would have

enjoyed the book if the author researched people with a more direct connection to slavery.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The black and white photographs do bring another layer of reality to this book but we

both would have liked to seen more pictures. Over this entire book still enriched my knowledge

of the given topic and we both believe that it is helpful to read all view point and to have your

own impression of them. While the premise and the photographs are terrific, the book failed to

captivate me completely, and many aspects of labor and social history seemed brushed over

rather than delved into. We both found ourself thoroughly bored by long stretches of this book.

Emily knew it was on the Children's Notable List but Emily is unable to think of a lot of child

who she would recommend it to.

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. Amulet Books.

El Deafo-

Summary

Cece is a girl that becomes deaf over time. She is starting at a new school with a giant

hearing aid strapped to your chest. Before coming to a new school she was at a school where

everyone in Cece's class was deaf. Cece is different due to being deaf and having her classmates

staring at the Phonic Ear. Which is the powerful aid that allows her to hear and be involved in

her class. Then Cece makes a startling discovery. With the Phonic Ear she can hear her teacher

not just in the classroom, but anywhere her teacher is in school. For example, Cece is able to

hear her teacher in the hallway, teachers lounge, in the bathroom. Which gives Cece

superpowers. But the superpower of the Phonic Ear isolates her from her classmates. Cece is on

her way to becoming El Deafo, as the listener for all.

Strength and Weakness/ Criteria

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

The strength of the book was Ashley did not realize before reading it that it's semi

autobiographical, which was a nice surprise. We both really enjoyed getting a personal account

of what Cece went through and how she felt growing up deaf. Children would enjoy reading this

book due to it being funny and becoming a superhero. This funny perceptive graphic novel book

is different type of books that girls and boys would enjoy reading. The book includes,

embarrassing moments that would have children being laughing throughout the book. We both

liked the illustrations a lot. My best friend who pasted away when we were in fifth grade was

deaf and she would tell me how it felt being deaf. The illustrations incorporated the perspective a

deaf person would feel like by including picture.

The reader exactly knows what Cece is hearing, or not hearing is a very important thing

to show in a story about deafness. Cece was in the hospital and she gradually lost her hearing, so

the speech in the balloons begins to fade. Which reflected a lot on how Ceces hearing was

fading away. Loved that Cece was a bunny and how that emphasized her ears. Loved the

superhero and all her other daydreaming. Loved how the story became just as much about her

range of emotions with friendships, growing up and a first crush as it was about her deafness.

Her hearing issues changed how she navigated these experiences but they were still completely

relatable.

We both only had one weakness on the book that we believe impacts the book a lot.

Ashley is not really a big fan of graphic novels. Ashley did appreciate the effort but for the most

part, the book didnt do anything for Ashley. Ashley was lost most of the book and confused due

to the text. Which some students can relate to and not be interested in this type of book. Ashley

found them over stimulating and sometimes even stressful to try and follow. The questions we

had during the book were Where do I look? What should I pay attention to and in what order

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

should I read everything?

Honor Books

Honor #1

For our first honors book we decided to choose a chapter book called Mexican WhiteBoy.

When looking at the book it met all the criteria necessary in order to fulfill the standards met by

the Notable Books. The book talked about diversity, acceptance, and a coming of age story. We

wanted to find a book that not only was different but encompassed two different races coming

together. Often times in classrooms as well as in life we tend to focus solely on one race and the

discrimination against that said race. However, we fail to realize that there are individuals who

are torn between two races.

Ashley comes from a mixed background with a diverse family. Emily also comes from a

family whose heritage is different from one another. When looking at the book it was relatable to

both of us. Because Ashley is part Hispanic she directly related to the book. She saw the struggle

in trying to find out who you really are the need to identify herself with one race. The book talks

about how the boy tends to be automatically judged just by the color of his skin. As a teenager he

feels just like any other teen going through puberty and problems that arise with it. Not only is he

struggling to fit in due to the color of his skin, but also due to the fact his body and structure are

different from the people around him. Just like many struggling teens he turns to things that may

not be the right path for him, falling down and giving up.

The Notable Books for a Global Society award goes to books that help children relate as

well as grasp a concept of what diversity and difference truly means. This book helps individuals

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

relate their lives to the diverse lives of another. By making the main character, Danny, relatable

with the other issues he is going through such as alcohol, drugs, and violence it allows for a

larger audience. Because the book is relatable by the use of the normal pubescent behavior it

makes the book more approachable and easier to use in a classroom setting. We both believed

that when looking at this book, it sparked reflection in the reader and pushed them to analyze

their own life and their own cultural background. Both of us began to think about where we had

come from and the struggles we had gone through. By reflecting back on our lives it helped

make the book feel more real. In the end that is why we chose it to win the honors award. We felt

that it made a difference and it taught individuals to never do any less than value ones own self.

By using this book in a classroom setting or for a take home read, it helps teach students

that there is more to life, and it is not always necessary to find a specific social standard to

belong to. The book shows that while it is important to know who you are and where you came

from you must also find yourself. A lot of children and a lot of teens struggle with this idea. The

need to fit in and to conform often times clouds the judgement of many. As a teacher it is

important to use books such as Mexican Whiteboy in order to show students that though they

may feel torn as to where they belong, there is nothing that can take you away from being

yourself.

Honor #2

Our second book we chose for the honors award was the picture book Ten Little Fingers

and Ten Little Toes. When children are younger they have not yet been exposed to the cultural

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bias and discrimination that the world has to offer. Children are in a moldable stage in their lives,

during this stage it is important to let children come to their own conclusions about diversity and

to expose them as much as possible without directly pushing the topic on them. By introducing

the topic it gives children a basis on which to turn their own beliefs too.

This book is an extremely helpful book to introduce or dip your toes into the world of

diversity. By relating the book to fingers and toes, it allows children to visualize something that

they have and relate it directly to someone else. For example when using this book in the

classroom the teacher could have the students hold up their hands and look at their own fingers

or even take of their shoes and look at their toes. By doing this it also allows the children to see

the different colors of hands around them. Often times children are color blind and dont see the

differences between them and the other around them. By using this book it helps kids objectively

look at the different ethnicities around them and see the different skin colors in the book.

The book also shows children the different places that individuals come from. For

example in one scene it shows a little eskimo girl in the snow and on the next page it shows a

darker skinned boy in the desert sun. This allows children to see not only the skin tones of

individuals but also the background they may have come from. It also helps them see that no

matter what climate or place they grew up in they still all have the same thing in common, ten

fingers, and ten toes. We both loved this book due to the fact that it focused so much on creating

a common human bond. Often times in a world filled with war and anger we forget how similar

we actually are. That is why we also both though that this book could be used in an older

classroom. Sometimes cultural bias changes the minds of individuals and they forget that we are

all the same. It is important to go back and simplify the prejudices we already have and to make

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clear that though we may look different, and come from different places it is humanity that unites

us.

Winner

When considering who we wanted to win the Notable Books for a Global Society award

we decided to choose a book we both never though the ward would be about. George was a book

that stood out to us from the very beginning. When looking at the list of books to choose from,

we never thought a book that was so controversial and seemed on the surface to have nothing to

do with diversity would be such a monumental book to us while doing this project. We have

both read George before and thought the book was truly amazing and challenged what is socially

controversial.

At first glance we were both confused as to where the book fit in the criteria for the first

section. It had little to do about cultural diversity and a lot to do with sexual orientation.

However the one criterion we solely focused on was the link between humanity. After reading

this book for the second time it was clear to us the connection between humanity and it

celebrated the diversity that George had from the rest of humanity. By using a book about

transgender individuals it allowed us to explore a topic neither of us had really gone into before.

We both knew little about the transgender community and had never heard of a book written

about it before this class. Because of this we wanted to explore more deeply and understand what

George was going through. After first reading the book we both thought it was a little strange

that the author used pronouns that were different from the male gender. However after we both

re-read the book we knew that it was necessary in order to portray the message that George did

in fact feel like a girl trapped in a boys body.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

To us the book met all the necessary criteria that needed to be met in order to win the

award, we also thought the book gave us a new view on what multicultural literature meant, and

we feel as though in a classroom it would do the same. However when using George in a

classroom setting it is important to tread easily and not force the books on the students. Though

we both thought the book would help children understand the transgender community better we

both agreed that the controversy surrounding the book would be an issue with parents. We

decided that it would be a good book to recommend to students and eventually maybe use it in

the classroom or with the consent of the parents. When used in the classroom it would help open

the mind of students, that not everyone is the same. All students struggle with fitting in, if not in

the class within their own bodies. By using this it is easy to relate the story to the children. Many

of them will never experience the things George is going through, however they will experience

the everyday life of a growing teenager.

The book allows individuals to see the connection between diversity and multicultural

literature. By using the book in the classroom it will help students see how no matter what you

should never be afraid to find yourself. Due to the fact that Kelly stayed with George through the

entire process shows that there are true friends in this world, and that some bonds can never be

broken. The book allows students to gain values while trying to understand someone who is so

different from them. We thought this book was one of the best books weve ever read and would

recommend it to anyone.

Conclusion

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Both of us went into this assignment not fully understanding what multicultural literature

meant and encompasses. Though we had a basic idea of multicultural literature being about

diversity and ultimately being different as we began to read we saw that there was so much more

to it. Multicultural literature encompasses the bonds that we have as humans, it allows us to see

the differences in one another yet still understanding that we are the same. When first looking at

the list of books we were shocked to see that George had made the list. We were both confused

and had to figure out together why a book about sexual orientation had made it into an award we

thought was solely based on racism and inequality. However after digging up the definition and

reading the criteria necessary for the book to win the award we found that it was also about the

inequality of humans on all levels. By using George as one of our books it allowed us to dig

deeper into the meaning of this assignment and to broaden what multicultural literature meant to

us. We began to understand that not only did it encompass diversity of skin color but also sexual

diversity and sexual orientation. When beginning the assignment we both had no idea that was

what the definition truly meant.

What Ashley would change if we did this assignment again was I would narrow my

selection down to one criteria instead of choosing many different criterias that explain

multicultural. The main criteria I would focus on only one ethnicity, which would be Mexican

because Im one fourth Mexican. I feel I would be able to relate to all of the eight books due to

what my grandfather has been through in Mexico and then moving to Washington. I went to a

high school with primarily Caucasians, which was hard to try and fit into a group due to having a

mixed family that comes from two different places.

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Ashleys fathers family came from Panama while her mothers family is from Mexico.

Ashley came from a family that accepts anyone no matter there. Which is what Ashley brought

to my high school by being brave, and surrounding myself into different groups in high school,

and being involved in leadership, sports as in basketball, golf, and volleyball, and a part of the

committee for honor society. Ashley believes Emily and her did a good job on deciding how to

choose the books and pick books from each year. Our main focus would be based upon the

different discrimination the book presented against it from different books. We did enjoy reading

the books that we choose but think narrowing it down to just one criteria would have related

better to me.

What Emily would change if we did this assignment again would be to choose books

from the same year. Due to the fact there are almost twenty-five books it is difficult to narrow

down which ones to choose. Because we chose to do books from many different years it didnt

allow us to directly see why each book was chosen compared to the other books within the year

itself. Emily thought it would be interesting to see the diversity of the books chosen within a

specific year and to see how the books created a different amount of diversity. By looking at one

year it would allow us to get a better perspective of the criteria and the different books that were

chosen in the same span.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Citations

Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2014). El Deafo. Amulet Books.

Curtis, C. P. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Press.

Deacon, A. (2006). While You Are Sleeping. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Fox, M., & Oxenbury, H. (2008). Ten little fingers and ten little toes. Orlando: Harcourt.

Gino, A. (2015). George. Scholastic Press.

Hopkinson, D. (2006). Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America. New York:

Scholastic Nonfiction.

Jacobs, J. S., & Tunnell, M. O. (2016). Children's literature, briefly. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:

Merrill

Lin, G. (2009). Where The Mountain Meets The Moon. New York: Little, Brown and Co.

Louie, Belinda. (2016). Guiding principles for teaching multicultural literature. The Reading

Teacher. Vol. 59

Pea, M. D. (2008). Mexican Whiteboy. New York: Delacorte Press.

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