Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos

1.  Bibliography
Budhos, Marina.  2006.  ASK ME NO QUESTIONS.  New York:  Anteneum Books For Young Readers.  ISBN 9781416903512

2.  Plot Summary
Naidra and the her family are not legal citizens of the United States.  They don't want to be deported, so they decide to seek asylum in Canada.  "And in my head, words keep drumming:  special registration, deportations, green card, residency, asylum" (1).  The family relocated from Bangladesh, but for some reason their has always been a kink in them becoming legal citizens.  Ever since 9/11 things have become more complex.  When they stop at the border Naidra's dad is arrested and held for questioning.  Her mom decides to stay with the father and the girls are sent back to stay with their uncle until everything can be figured out.  Naidra and her older sister Aisha are supposed to act normal and wait for their parents return.  Aisha cannot handle the pressure and falls to pieces.  "Soon Aisha is barely going out.  She sits in Talima's room and stares out the window" (93).  It is up to Naidra to save her family. 

3.  Critical Analysis
This book is recommended  for grades 7-10.  There are no illustrations in the novel.  The setting takes place in Canada, Vermont, and New York City.  The plot of the story is the journey of the two sisters to find a plan to free their parents and make their family citizens of the United States.  The theme of the book is about growing up and making a difference.  The story is told from the point of view of Naidra the youngest sister.

These are the cultural markers in the book that help the reader identify the culture the characters come from.  "Ma and Aisha look a lot alike:  They're both fair skinned and thin..." (5).  The characters skin color is described in book to let the reader know what the characters look like.  The culture is recognizable by the names  of the characters, tales of where they are from, religious practice, names of clothing, and foods.  The two girls names are Aisha and Naidra.  They call their parents Abba and Ma.  Throughout the story Naidra tells the reader about where her family came from.  "My family lived in the part of the world where these is no difference between land and sea.  Bangladesh sits on the northeast corner of India called Bengal and looks like a great fan traced with purple-brown veins of rivers" (19).  The Muslim religion is mentioned in the text.  "Every man over eighteen from certain Muslim countries had to register" (9).  The next marker is the traditional clothing the mom wears from Bangladesh.  "I notice the pale bottom of her shalwar kameez flutter up around her jacket" (4).  The last marker that helps the reader realize what culture this book is about is the food.  "She asks Ma is she's low on mustard oil for cooking..." (3).  "Then Abba began working as a waiter in a restaurant on East Sixth Street...is lined with Indian restaurants" (8).  The language in the book is American, there are no cultural markers.  All of the markers in the novel are correct they add up to fit the culture and portray the book as a realistic event. 

4.  Review Excerpts
BOOKLIST says:  "*Starred Review* Gr. 7-10. What is it like to be an illegal alien in New York now? In a moving first-person, present-tense narrative, Nadira, 14, relates how her family left Bangladesh, came to the U. S. on a tourist visa, and stayed long after the visa expired ("Everyone does it. You buy a fake social security number for a few hundred dollars and then you can work."). Their illegal status is discovered, however, following 9/11, when immigration regulations are tightened. When the family hurriedly seeks asylum in Canada, they are turned back, and Nadira's father, Abba, is detained because his passport is no longer valid. The secrets are dramatic ("Go to school. Never let anyone know. Never."), and so are the family dynamics, especially Nadira's furious envy of her gifted older sister, Aisha."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "Following their father's arrest and detention, the teens put together the documentation and make a case that requires the judges to see them as individuals rather than terror suspects. The author explains their situation well, but the effect is more informational than fiction. Nadira and Aisha are clearly drawn characters, but they don't quite come alive, and their Bangladeshi-American background is more a backdrop than a way of life. Still, this is an important facet of the American immigrant experience, worthy of wider attention."

5.  Connections
This book would be wonderful to read aloud or have students read on their own to learn about the life of Arab Americans after 9/11.
Other books about Arab American Girls:
Abdul-Fattah, Randa.  DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIT IN THIS.  ISBN 978043922333
Karim, Sheba.  SKUNK GIRL.  ISBN 9780374370114
Stratton, Allan.  BORDERLINE.  ISBN 9780061451126

In Our Mothers' House By Patricia Polacco

1.  Bibliography
Polacco, Patricia.  2009.  IN OUR MOTHERS' HOUSE.  New York:  Philomel Books.  ISBN 9780399250767


2.  Plot Summary
Marmee and Meema are married with three children.  They are just like every other family in their neighborhood.  They work hard and raise their family in happiness and love.  But there is one family in their block who does not accept them for who they are.  They don't like how there are two mommies in the family.  "Why doesn't that lady like us Meema?" I asked my mother" (28).  This is a good story about growing up in a wonderful family and the importance of love.


3.  Critical Analysis
The setting in the story takes place in a close knit neighborhood.  The skin tones of the characters are all different.  The moms are both Caucasian and they have adopted three children.  The races of the children are Caucasian,  African American, and Asian American.  Each skin tone, facial features, and hair texture is recognizable to their specific culture.  The clothing is normal to an American family.  The homes and environment in the story is a normal suburban household and town. 
In the text of the story the author never mentions the difference of physical characteristics of the characters nor mentions any specific culture.  Any culture male or female can relate to this story.  A slight mention of one of the mothers being Italian is mentioned in the text.  "Our Italian grandpa, our nonno, was in charge of cooking" (22).  The authors talks about some of the Italian food that is made for their family dinners.  The cultural markers of Italian Americans is given by the food and the name that the grandpa is called by the children.  There a mention that the children have two mothers'.  "Our mothers were so different from each other that all of us often wondered how they found each other at all" (7).  The book does not contain any stereotypes.  The two woman in the story are strong characters that have wonderful jobs.  They support and love their family.  "Meema was a pediatrician...Marmee was a paramedic who rode in an ambulance" (8).  "Then they'd both get tears in their eye when they'd tell me what it was like to hold me in their arms for the first time" (5).  Everyone in the story is accepted for who they are.  Culture and gender is not important.  It is important  to grow up happy and loved. 

4.  Review Excerpts
BOOKLIST says:  "Meema explains, “She’s afraid of what she cannot understand: she doesn’t understand us.” The energetic illustrations in pencil and marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem with family activities and neighborhood festivity. Quieter moments radiate the love the mothers feel for their children and for each other. Similar in spirit to the author’s Chicken Sunday, this portrait of a loving family celebrates differences."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "Most of the neighbors are supportive, except for one woman who tells Marmee and Meema, "I don't appreciate what you two are." Eventually, the children grow up, marry heterosexual spouses, and return home to visit their aged parents with their own children. Is this an idealized vision of a how a gay couple can be accepted by their family and community? Absolutely. But the story serves as a model of inclusiveness for children who have same-sex parents, as well as for children who may have questions about a "different" family in their neighborhood. A lovely book that can help youngsters better understand their world."

5.  Connections
This book is good to parents looking for stories about same gender parents to share with their children.  
Other books about same gender parents:
Garden, Nancy.  MOLLY'S FAMILY.  ISBN 0374350027
Newman, Leslea.  DONOVAN'S BIG DAY.  ISBN 9781582463322
Newman, Leslea.  MOMMY, MAMA, AND ME.  ISBN 1582462631 

Reaching For Sun By Tracie Vaughn Zimmer

1.  Bibliography
Zimmer, Tracie Vaughn.  2007.  REACHING FOR SUN.  New York:  Bloomsbury Children's Books.  ISBN 97859990377


2.  Plot Summary
Josie is a seventh grader with cerebral palsy.  She is the narrator giving the reader the insight of her year in seventh grade leading up to the next year of school.  Josie lives with her mom and grandma on a farm that as been in their family for generations.  Grandma loves plants and is very opinionated.  Her mom works two jobs and is going to college. "Mom flies through the front door from her job waiting tables at the Lunchbox Cafe next to the Ford plant" (11).   She expects Josie to work hard and do all her therapies and exercises to fight her cerebral palsy.  She as never met her father.  "I wonder if he ditched me and Mom when he found out about my disability..." (15).  Josie just wants to be a normal girl and be excepted for who she is.  A new boy Jordan moves into town and they quickly become friends.  "A wedge of light and a boy slip through" (49).  Josie is excited to have a friend to share her life with and to help her understand her family and herself.


3.  Critical Analysis
This book has one illustration on the corner of the bottom right side of each page.  In the beginning there is nothing on the pages, but as the story goes on and the main character changes the pictures goes from a seed to grow into a beautiful flower.  If the reader turns the pages really fast it looks like a mini cartoon.   This small illustration is a great way for the reader see how the character starts from nothing, becomes a seed, and than grows into a beautiful flower.  The progress of the characters growth in the book is measured by the growth of the flower.  Very interesting concept!
This book is written in free verse poems that begin in the fall and proceed through each season.  Giving the reader a year of insight into the main characters life.  The first poem in the story introduces the reader to the disability of the main character.  "With my odd walk and slow speech everyone knows I've got special ed" (4).  "But my thumb will always be pasted to my palm, and my left wrist and shoulder connected by an invincible rubber band called cerebral palsy" (6).  The author provides an accurate picture of the character and her disability.  The words in the book are appropriate and do not include any stereotypes.  The book clearly depicts the feelings and what the character is struggling with in her life.  "But I'm sick of spending all my time working on what's wrong with me. "I don't want to be pruned or pinched back like a wilting petunia" (80).  The book is well written and creates a journey of growth that happen to the characters in the book.  The main character is tired of all the therapy and just wants to enjoy her life, but doesn't know how to break the news to her mom.  "I promise Mom I'll exercise and wear my brace more, but squeezing my courage, I add:  "But I don't want to take speech or OT at school anymore" (154).  Josie deals with her disability reasonable knowing that she will always have it, but that maybe she can not concentrate on it so much.  The other characters in the story also grow and change with the main character to help her figure out who she wants to be.  This is a wonderful story told just the right way about problems and growing up.

4.  Review Excerpts
Schneider Family Book Award
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL says:  "Through growing maturity and Granny's wisdom, she gains confidence in herself. Reaching for Sun will have wide appeal for readers of diverse ability. Reluctant readers will be attracted to the seeming simplicity of the text, with short chapters and lots of white space on the page. They may not even realize that they are reading poetry. More sophisticated readers will find added enjoyment as they begin to appreciate the poetic structure and imagery. Readers of all levels will enjoy spending time with Josie and may gain an increased awareness of what it's like to live with a disability."
BOOKLIST:  "Written in verse, this quick-reading, appealing story will capture readers' hearts with its winsome heroine and affecting situations."

5.  Connections
Great book for teaching poetry, learning about juveniles with disabilities, or a wonderful book to learn about finding yourself while growing up.
Other books about cerebral palsy and growing up:
Draper, Sharon.  OUT OF MY MIND.  ISBN 9781416971702
Koertge, Ronald.  STONER AND SPAZ.  ISBN 0763616087
White, Andrea.  WINDOW BOY.  ISBN 9781933979144 

Tea With Milk by Allen Say

1.  Bibliography
Say, Allen.  1999.  TEA WITH MILK.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN 9780395904954


2.  Plot Summary
May grew up in San Francisco with her family who are Japanese.  "At home she had rice and miso soup and plain green tea for breakfast.  At her friends' houses she ate pancakes and muffins and drank tea with milk" (4).  When May grows up she wants to go to college in San Francisco an have her own apartment.  She wants to take part in more of the American culture.  But when she graduates high school her parents decide to return to Japan to live.  She as to start High School over and take part in the Japanese traditions.  Eventually she will have to marry a Japanese man.  "Mother is determined to find a husband for me she tole herself" (12).  May departs for Osaka to see if she can find what she is seeking.

3.  Critical Analysis
The setting of the story begins in San Francisco and concludes in Japan.  The characters in the story are a Japanese family that try to live in America, but prefer Japan.  The text of the story does not have any physical descriptions of the characters.  The people in the story are seen in the realistic illustrations as they turn each page.  The people in the pictures have dark hair, tan skin, and eyes that are Asian.  The main character in the story wears a kimono in several pictures which is an indicator of the Japanese culture.   "She had to wear kimonos and sit on the floor until her legs were numb" (6).  The architecture and environment in the story are of a modern day city in Japan.  All of the signs on the building are written in Japanese letters. 
The text in the story shows identification of the specific culture.  The main characters name Masako is Japanese.  The foods mentioned rice, miso soup, and green tea for breakfast are cultural indicators.  The lifestyle of the characters is a marker.  The main character takes specific lessons.  "At home, Masako took lessons in flower arranging, calligraphy, and the tea ceremony" (10).  A matchmaker is going to find a husband for the young woman.  These are all cultural markers for the Japanese culture.  The author gives plenty of indicators in the text and illustration for the reader to decide exactly what culture this book is about.

4.  Review Excerpts
PUBLISHER WEEKLY says:  "With his characteristic subtlety, Say sets off his cultural metaphor from the very start, contrasting the green tea Masako has for breakfast in her home, with the "tea with milk and sugar" she drinks at her friends' houses in America. Later, when she meets a young Japanese businessman who also prefers tea with milk and sugar to green tea, readers will know that she's met her match."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "Kindergarten-Grade 6-Continuing the story he started in Grandfather's Journey (Houghton, 1993), Say explores familiar themes of cultural connection and disconnection. He focuses on his mother Masako, or May, as she prefers to be called, who, after graduating from high school in California, unwillingly moves with her parents to their native Japan. She is homesick for her native country and misses American food. She rebels against her parents, who force her to repeat high school so that she can learn "her own language"; the other students tease her for being "gaijin" or a foreigner."

5.  Connections
This book can be used to show how young Japanese girls grow up or contrast the cultural differences between how American girls and Japanese girls are brought up differently.   
Other books about growing up in a different culture:
Altman, Linda Jacobs.  AMELIA'S ROAD.  ISBN 978180000274
Say, Allen.  GRANDFATHER'S JOURNEY.  ISBN 9780547076805

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon by Grace Lin

1.  Bibliography
Lin, Grace.  2009.  WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON.  New York:  Little Brown And Company Books For Young Readers.  ISBN 9780316114271

2.  Plot Summary
Minli spends everyday working besides her parents in the rice fields.  Their village is in the valley of fruitless mountain.  Every night her dad tells her stories about the Jade Dragon and the Old Man In the Moon.  "What kept Minli from becoming dull and brown like the rest of the village were the stories her father told her every night at dinner" (3).  Minli decides to go on a journey to find the Old Man in the Moon to bring prosperity back to her village.  She wants her family to be wealthy and not to have to work so hard. 

3.  Critical Analysis
The book is full of beautiful illustrations that are symbols of the Asian culture.  Each chapter begins with a picture in a single color.  The first chapter shows the young girl Minli skipping with flowers.  The rest of the book contains single illustrations that are in different chapters of the story and are also in color.  The facial features and hair color of the characters are Asian.  The clothing in the story is the traditional dress of the Asian people.  The environment where the story take place is in the Asian countryside, villages, and palaces.  The architecture of the building in the illustrations are filled with symbols and colors that are traditional to the Asian culture. 

The text of the story is also full of Asian cultural markers.  The characters in the story have Asian names for example Minli, Ma, Ba, A-gong, and Green Tiger.  These are only a few of the characters that have Asian names.  There are no physical descriptions of the characters to link them to their culture.  The language patterns, dialect of the language, and forms of address link the book to the Asian culture.  Ma and Ba are what the young girl calls her parents.  The food in the book gives away the culture.  The characters drink tea and eat a lot of white rice with chopsticks. The text is full of cultural markers.

This story is full of Asian cultural markers.  There is no presence of the American culture.  The identification of the Asian culture is very clear in the illustrations and the text of this book.

4.  Review Excerpts
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL starred review:  "The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Minli's determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human."
BOOKLIST:  "*Starred Review* In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means “quick thinking,” lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling."
Newberry Honor Book

5.  Connections
Story to have children read when they are learning about Asian folklore and legends.
Other stories about Chinese folklore:
Chin, Oliver and Jennifer Wood.  THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON:  TALES FROM THE CHINESE ZODIAC.  ISBN 9781597020282
Wu, Faye-Lynn.  CHINESE AND ENGLISH NURSERY RHYMES:  SHARE AND SING IN TWO LANGUAGES.  ISBN 9780804840941
Yu, Mingmei.  CHINESE CHILDREN'S FAVORITE STORIES.  ISBN 9780804835893 

Apple Pie 4th Of July by Janet S. Wong

1.  Bibliography
Wong, Janet S.  2002.  APPLE PIE 4TH OF JULY.  Ill. by Margaret Chodo-Irvine.  New York:  Harcout Inc.  ISBN 9780152025434


2.  Plot Summary
Its the Fourth of July and nobody eats Chinese food on this American holiday.  The food at the restaurant is going bad while people buy everything but Chinese food.  "No one wants Chinese food on the Fourth of July, I say.  "My parents do not understand all American things.  They were not born here" (14).  By dinner time customers come to the store to buy dinner.  Eventually, it is time to close the store and watch the fireworks and eat apple pie. 

3.  Critical Analysis
The characters in the story are a Chinese family with a young daughter who run a convenience store that serves Chinese food.  The daughter keeps telling her family that people don't want Chinese food on an American holiday, but in the end of the story people want the food no matter what day it is.  In America all of the culture are one is the theme in the story.
The text does not include any descriptions of the skin colors or features of the characters.  The words in the story describe the food in the story which is a give away for the American Chinese culture.  "...Chow mein in our kitchen" (5).  There are no names of the characters in the story.  They are only mom, dad, and the daughter.  The language pattern and dialect are English.  The food in the story and reference to nobody wanting to eat Chinese food are the only indicators in the story that makes it part of the American Chinese culture.
The illustrations show the facial features and hair color to make the characters Asian.  They have tan skin and dark hair.  The environment that they live in and the clothing they wear are American.  There is nothing to distinguish them to make them their own culture.  The Chinese food in the pictures is a cultural marker that lets the reader see what culture the book is about.  The pictures illustrate the food in the story to show the difference between the American and Asian culture.

4.  Review Excerpts
PUBLISHER WEEKLY says:  "The author and artist teamed for Buzz return for this carefully honed story about a girl's experience as a first-generation Chinese-American. Readers first encounter the unnamed narrator as she looks unhappily out the glass door of her parents' market, open for business even on the Fourth of July. Hearing the "boom, boom, boom" of the approaching parade, sniffing the apple pie baking in a neighbor's..."
CHILDRENS LITERATURE remarks:  "In a lyrical look at a young Chinese-American girl's 4th of July in her family's convenience store, Wong paints a unique picture of the evolving diversity in U.S. culture. On a day that celebrates the independence of our nation, we mostly see patriotic portrayals of our Federalist period when European Americans and European culture dominated our society. This book shows that this holiday can be celebrated in a diversity of ways, including a trip through a Chinese buffet after a parade."

5.  Connections
A excellent book to read to children before the Fourth of July to show the holiday is about all cultures not just one.
More books by Janet S Wong:
Wong, Janet.  ALEX & THE WEDNESDAY CHESS CLUB.  ISBN 0689858906
Wong, Janet.  THE DUMPSTER DIVER.  ISBN 9780763623807
Wong, Janet.  HIDE AND SEEK.  ISBN 0152049347
Wong, Janet.  HOMEGROWN HOUSE.  ISBN 9780689847189

Crazy Horse's Vision by Joseph Bruchac Illustrated by S.D. Nelson

1.  Bibliography
Bruchac, Joseph.  2000.  CRAZY HORSE'S VISION.  Ill. by S.D. Nelson.  New York:  Lee & Low Books Inc.  ISBN 978880000946

2.  Plot Summary
This is a story of the life of Crazy Horse.  "Many children cry when they are born, but not Crazy Horse" (2).    His name was Curly before he had the vision that would change his name.  When he was a young boy he hunted buffalo, broke wild horses, and led his people.  "Although Curly's life as a boy was good, things were about to change" (10).  The white settlers begin to make homes in the land of the Lakota.  After a battle where one of the Native American men is wounded severely Curly decided to go to the hills and seek answers from a vision. 

3.  Critical Analysis
The setting of the story takes place in the plains where the Lakota Native Americans reside before the white settlers made they move.  The theme of the story is the life of Crazy Horse from a baby to a young man who will lead his people.
The illustrator paints the pictures in traditional ledger book style of his ancestors the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.  The artists used the following media to create this ancient style:  pencils, pens and watercolors.  The Native Americans in the pictures have many different skin colors.  They are red, brown, yellow, green, and blue.  The white settlers have only one skin color which is white.  The characters do not have any distinct facial features this is due to make the pictures meet the standards of the ancient art.  The bodies of the characters are square with strong lines.  None of the shapes are soft in the pictures they stand out and make their presence known.  The Native American and settlers wear the correct attire for the time period.  The Lakota wear loin clothes and feathers in their long dark hair and the army men wear blue and gold uniforms.  The homes are tepees and a fort for the white people.  All of the elements in the pictures go with the time period of the story and follow the rules of the traditional ledger book style of drawing.  The illustrator is conveying the message of an ancient style of art for the illustrations in the time period of the story.

The text the author as no descriptions of the characters physical attributes.  They are evident with the illustrations.  The identification of the culture in the text is through the characters names, their way of life, the name of the Native American tribe, the events that take place in the story, and religious practice.  The names of the characters in the story are Crazy Horse, Tashunka, and Chief Conquering Bear.  The story introduces the reader to the life of Crazy Horse which includes breaking horses and hunting buffalo.  "I give this buffalo to all those in our camp who have no hunt for them" (7).  The name of the Native American people the Lakota is mentioned several times in the book to let the reader know exactly who the author is talking about.  The events that happen in the story introduce the reader to how Crazy Horse's life begin before he started to lead his people.  The religious practice that is introduced in the story is vision's to find a person's way.  "What would happen now to his people?  Who would defend them?  Curly decided he needed a vision to guide him" (16).  The author provides many great cultural markers to show the reader what group of people he is talking about in this story.

4.  Review Excerpts
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY:  "As he did in Gift Horse, Sioux artist Nelson blends contemporary and traditional elements for the striking illustrations that accompany this story of the legendary Lakota warrior. Bruchac (A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull) traces Crazy Horse's boyhood, zeroing in on a pivotal event in his life and highlighting an important Native American rite of passage. As a youth, Crazy Horse (then known as Curly) witnesses U.S. Army soldiers brutally and unjustly attack his people."
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL:  "PreSchool-Grade 3–Joseph Bruchac's excellent picture book (Lee & Low, 2000) about the brave Lakota warrior presents information about his youth. The beauty of the story is not quite realized in the narration by Curtis Zunigha, former Chief of the Delaware (OK) Nation. While richly voiced, he reads Bruchac's spare narrative inordinately slowly and mechanically."

5.  Connections
This is a great book to introduce children to the life of Crazy Horse before he became a legend.
Other books about Crazy Horse:
Brimmer, Larry Dane.  CHIEF CRAZY HORSE:  FOLLOWING A VISION.  ISBN 9780761430612
Freedman, Russell.  THE LIFE AND DEATH OF CRAZY HORSE.  ISBN 9780823412198
Landau, Elaine.  CRAZY HORSE:  AMERICAN INDIAN LEADER.  ISBN 0766022161