CULTURE 6 – INCLUSIVE LITERATURE

Bibliography

Budhos, Marina Tamar. 2007. ASK ME NO QUESTIONS. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 9780545043557.

Brief Summary Plot

Fourteen-year-old Nadira and her family have been living in the United States for several years. Her father, Abba, is a hardworking man who wants to see his daughters succeed. Aisha, Nadira’s older sister, is an excellent student, a teacher favorite, who has assimilated into American culture quite naturally. She is a senior in high school who has applied to many reputable universities. Unless the family’s legal status changes, Aisha will not be able attend nor receive financial assistance. When her father’s visa expires he hires a lawyer to help process the paperwork. The lawyer takes the father’s money in what would eventually be found out to be a scam. The family continues to live in New York and moves several times without informing the proper authorities.

After the events of 911 occur, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) begins to move very quickly to detain and deport many people who are in the country illegally, some through no fault of their own. Nadira’s father makes the decision to seek asylum in Canada. At the Canadian border, the family is turned away. The family has no other choice but to reenter the United States, knowing that the father will be arrested, detained, and held for questioning and possible deportation back to their homeland of Bangladesh. Nadira’s mother remains with Abba, the father, and seeks refuge at Salvation Army until Abba’s fate is determined. Nadira and her older sister, Aisha, return to school and are told to “not say a word to anyone.”

The story chronicles the journey of two sisters who are forced to rejoin their daily activities as if nothing has happened. Aisha, who is strong and resourceful, begins to falter under the stress. Nadira, the overlooked daughter, begins to find within herself the resolve she will need to help get her father’s case heard and possibly gain legal residency.

Critical Analysis

Marina Budhos has written an authentic story about the effects Muslim families encountered after the events of 911. The process for legal status in this country is difficult enough, but after 911 the racial profiling of all Muslims being labeled terrorists, especially men, became extreme. The author has effectively conveyed the paranoia Muslim families experienced and the degree to which some would attempt to become invisible.

The plot of the story centers on Nadira and her family who have emigrated from Bangladesh to the United States to get away from the violence that has troubled their homeland. The family has established a life for themselves in the United States although they keep a low profile. Nadira, who is fourteen and overshadowed by her outgoing and academically gifted older sister, Aisha. Their relationship is a cross between jealousy, survival, and sisterly bond. Nadira feels that she always has to chase after her parents approval because Aisha is as Nadira puts it, “like a firstborn son.”

As the story plays out, it is Nadira who steps out of her sister’s shadow and seeks to find the evidence needed to rescue her father from possible deportation. The story is balanced nicely with the unlikely disparity between the two sister’s journeys. The reader sees Nadira grow in her ability to assert herself and also is witness to Aisha’s decline from confident student to a shell of her former self-fading quickly into depression. A majority of the setting takes place in Queens, New York where the Hossain family has lived and the girls currently attend high school. Other locations mentioned within the plot include, Canada, Burlington, where Abba is detained, Dhaka, the small village in Bangladesh where the Hossains grew up, and Flushing High, the school that Nadira and Aisha attend. The style of writing is narrative and told from the point of view of Nadira. The themes included in the story include illegal immigration, citizenship, ethnic profiling, discrimination, prejudice, family, culture, belief in one’s ability to be self confident, and to never give up. As Nadira stated in the story, “Aisha, Are you just going to throw all of your hard work away? All that you have worked for? We can’t give up! We can’t!”

The book, ASK ME NO QUESTIONS, is rich in cultural markers. Skin tone is mentioned when Nadira states that “Ma and Aisha look a lot alike: They’re both fair skinned and thin.” Dialect or first language is detailed by the mention of the family speaking Bengali the language of Bangladesh. There are words and phrases that which add to the authenticity of the book. These include the phrase “ar chor gora, ei niye amader jobon,” which translate into “The land breaks and new land forms.” The words shada-chele mean white guy. The character, Tareq, says “niger dom noshto ko’ro na,” which means, “don’t waste your breath.”

Cultural markers for character names are seen abundantly throughout the text. Examples of names include Nadira, Aisha, Tareq, Taslima, Ahmed, Naseem, and Hossain. The cultural markers for form of address are noticed by the mention of the sister’s calling their father “Abba.” The names of an uncle, either friend or relative, is preceded by the first name and followed by uncle. Examples of this form of address would be Ali-Uncle or Naseem- Uncle.

Foods are mentioned throughout the story. Examples of food would include luchis, a deep fried dough, doodh-cha, tea with milk, palao, moori, a puffed rice dish, bhel pooris, which is dish made with rice, and mustard oil.

Articles of clothing include shalwar kameez, worn by Nadir’s mother. A sari, an unstitched length of clothe, draped around the body. Men for religious reasons wear a skullcap.

Cultural markers for hairstyle mentioned the use of applying coconut oil to the hair of both men and women. Abba’s friend Ali-Uncle is described as wearing a kurta, a long skirt, and having a beard. Nadira mentions that her mother and sister have frizzy hair. Ma wears her hair in a bun or long braid.

A final cultural marker is the brief mention of religious practices and celebrations. Although the Hossain family has not attended mosque, Nadira mentions “Abba and Ma they do some holidays, like they fast for Ramadan, but it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Abba pull out the prayer rug rom the closet.” There is also mention of prayer five times a day. Celebrations include Ramadan and the Bengali New Year.

The story, ASK NO QUESTIONS, is a relevant story to today’s headlines and the amount of fear that is experienced not only by those of the Muslim faith, but by those who falsely label an entire culture as terrorist due to their lack of tolerance and ignorance. I thought the addition of portraying the female characters as strong and opinionated showed promise and gave a voice to a subculture within the Muslim culture. If we could all see as Aisha asked at her high school graduation, “All I ask of you is to see me for who I am. I want what you want.”

It really is that simple.

Awards

American Library Association Notable Books for Children, Winner 2007

Best Children’s Book of the Year Bank Street College of Education, 2007

James Cook Book Award, Winner 2007

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, American Library Association, 2007

Review Excerpts

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books reviewed March, 2006: Fourteen-year-old Nadira s family has been living illegally in the United States since she was seven; they, like many others, came on tourist visas from Bangladesh and never left. In the post-9/11 world, however, a new law requiring Muslim men to register with the government has led her family to journey to the Canadian border and pleads for asylum. They are denied and, upon returning to the U.S. border crossing, her father is arrested and imprisoned. Budhos novel follows Nadira and her sister Aisha, who return to New York City and attempt to go about life as usual while their mother moves into a Vermont shelter to be near their father and help his cause. The complexity of this novel comes in the myriad other conflicts the two girls are dealing with in addition to their father s imprisonment; in many ways, the novel reads like an exploration of different methods of coping, from the angry to the silent, from finding one s voice to losing it. Much of the novel is devoted to exploring the tension between Nadira, an average, overweight, passive freshman, and eighteen-year-old Aisha, the seemingly perfect, overachieving valedictorian (You’re on the road with your sister, and your father is in INS detention, and your ma is sleeping on a shelter cot, and you figure maybe the two of you have a lot to talk about. We don’t). It is, in fact, Aisha s own self-destruction that motivates Nadira to be more proactive, and this surge of activity unearths the information necessary to help get her father out of jail. Budhos has composed a compelling and thought-provoking contemporary examination of the human side of the law; further, in illustrating the secret burden that Nadira and Aisha carry with them to school each day as they pretend that nothing is the matter, she reminds readers to think differently about the people around them. Sure to elicit discussion, this novel would work very well for a teen book club selection. An endnote is included. – Hope Morrison

Horn Book Magazine reviewed March 1, 2006: Budhos alludes to the grueling horrors of detention but, appropriately for her audience, focuses on its indirect emotional impact on her teenage protagonist. Nadira and Aisha's strategies for surviving and succeeding in high school offer sharp insight into the narrow margins between belonging and not belonging, and though the resolution of the story is perhaps more optimistic than realistic, it feels earned.  

Connections

Students can discuss the stereotypes that are associated with the Muslim community and what can be put in place to make sure that discrimination is not tolerated.

Students can discuss the effects of 911 and if any student has experienced those effects.

Have a guest speaker of the Muslim faith come and speak to the class. Have students prepared to ask relevant questions.

Pair this book with La Linea by Ann Jaramillo, which details the harsh conditions, experienced by two youth crossing the Mexican-American border illegally to reach their parents.

References

The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. “Ask Me No Questions.” bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

 https://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/bulletin_of_the_center_for_childr

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|16639451|13848901&mc=USA

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/0/oiPLNkmmmQjmkMlM/bdrtop

(accessed November 22, 2015)

Bibliography

Newman, Leslea. 2012. OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPARD. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763658076

Brief Summary Plot

On the night of October 6, 1998, twenty one year old Matthew Shepard, a college student at the University of Wyoming, was enticed out of a bar by two men under false pretenses. Matthew Shepard just happened to be gay and the two men who coaxed him away just pretended. The two men, Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson, drove Matthew to an isolated area, brutally beat him, tied him to a fence, and left him to suffer and die. Matthew was discovered eighteen hours later by a cyclist who thought at first glance that Matthew was a scarecrow. Matthew died five days later surrounded by his family. His murderers were arrested, tried, and sentenced to double life sentences.

Author Leslea Newman as written a collection of sixty-eight poems told from multiple perspectives. In the beginning there is an introduction that briefly states the occurrences of that tragic October night. The introduction also includes the author’s own personal connection to Matthew Shepard as the keynote speaker for what was the upcoming Gay Awareness Week at the Wyoming University campus the following week. On the ten-year anniversary of the death of Matthew Shepard, Leslea Newman wrote a series of poems to gain a better understanding of that tragic night. She states the “poems are not objective writing, rather my own personal interpretation.”

   

Critical Analysis

Leslea Newman has written a deeply moving account of what she has interpreted to be the events that led up to the murder of Matthew Shepard and the consequences of those actions. Her unique perspective has been written purposely in various styles of poetic form. She masterfully provides multiple viewpoints including that of the fence that held the body of Matthew Shepard in his final stages of consciousness, the tree, which would be the burial casket, and the doe that rested near Matthew’s body as he clung to life tied to the fence.

In this Stonewall Honor book of 2013, the author has created a story that is told in chronological order. Each poem tugs at the reader’s heart and is meant to stimulate an emotional response. The fence is given voice on three separate occasions. In the prologue, The Fence (before) takes center stage. It asks the question, “Will I ever know why I was put on this earth?” Already having the details surrounding Matthew’s death, the reader is hit with uneasiness. In The Fence (that night), the fence has witnessed the beating taken by Matthew. It is given the responsibility of holding Matthew’s body and “cradling him just like his mother.” The final poem about the fence gives mention to the numerous encounters that have taken place in its presence and its destruction, “ripped apart, ripped away, gone, but not forgotten.”

The author holds nothing back emotionally as she recounts in part one the opening poem, Outnumbered, what could possibly be Matthew Shepard’s state of mind. Another example of Matthew’s frame of mind is vividly detailed in the poem, Scared to Death, with lines like “After they laughed and spit in my face, After they beat me and beat me and beat me.”

The author herself does not hold back her resentment and detest she holds for the convicted. In the poem, Sorry Boy, which is about the judge’s decision to reject the accuser of the defense “Gay Panic”, the poet writes, “Forgive me for pointing out the obvious: there was someone gay and panicked that night but that someone wasn’t you.” Brilliant!

Infused throughout the book are factual quotes from various parties including friends of Matthew’s, his father, mother, defense attorney, police officers, girlfriends of the convicted, and many others. These quotes offer authenticity to the events, even though the poetry created around them was purely fictitious. Examples of poetry from statements made include, The Patrol Officer’s Report, which recounts Officer Reggie Fluty’s recollection of Matthew Shepard’s blood stained face. He said, “The only place that didn’t have any blood on him, on his face, was what appeared to be where he’d been crying.” Heartbreaking. Another example, in the poem, Mercy, shows the depth of forgiveness one parent can have for another parent’s child. In a court statement, Mr. Shepard, Matthew’s father, addresses Aaron McKinney by declaring; “I give you life in the memory of one who no longer lives.” How eloquently expressed.

Personification is also heard throughout the book. One example would be in the poem, Heartfelt Apology, a touching poem that expresses the regret of Matthew’s heart in having to stop beating.

I have included the poem in its entirety because its words are so affective.

Heartfelt Apology

This is just to say

I’m sorry

I kept beating

and beating

inside

your shattered chest

Forgive me

For keeping you

alive

so long

I knew it would kill me

to let you go.

How can one not be moved to tears by the poet’s words in this poem?

Cultural markers are not evident in this book, but there are blasphemous slurs in regard to sexual orientation. These references include faggot, queer, fags, homo, freakin’ fairy, lesbo, lezzie, dyke, queen, and fruit. Signs and emails said, “God Hates Fags,” “Matt in Hell,” and “Congratulations on the faggot being beaten to death there in Wyoming.” Other offensive terms were used, but I have chosen not to include them in this analysis. These words and signs were used by a fraternity at Colorado State University for a homecoming parade and Westboro Baptist Church, which held up signs at the funeral of Matthew Shepard.

The book concludes with an epilogue titled, Pilgrimage. The poem consists of prayers taken from many spiritual paths. These include biblical scripture, a traditional Navajo prayer, the Kaddish, the Jewish mourners prayer, and the traditional Tibetan Buddhist prayer of compassion. There are also notes and resources at the end of the book that give way to explanations for quotes used and models for poetry titles.

Common themes throughout the book include bullying, respect, diversity, bias, and tolerance.

Leslea Newman did not know Matthew Shepard, but she has given readers the opportunity to delve into an event that still, to this day, is reprehensible. A young man’s life was taken so brutally and senselessly. We must all come to the realization that we are wonderfully made and our differences are what make for the beauty of diversity. It is through fear of the unknown that we choose to hate and act out violently. Leslea Newman wants Matthew Shepard’s story to remain relevant, to inspire a generation “to make a difference and honor his legacy by erasing hate and replacing it with compassion, understanding, and love.” A worthy and lasting honor for a life that really had not begun to live.

I dare anyone to read this book and not be touched by it. I found myself unable to put it down, as difficult as it was to read. As a parent, I could relate to the poem, How To Have The Worst Day of Your Life. This book is a must read. It should be on the shelves of every school library in the country. We all must learn to be tolerant. We can no longer sit back and say this could never happen to me.

Awards

Stonewall Book Award, Honor Book 2013

YALSA Best Book for Young Adults American Library Association, 2013

Review Excerpts

Children’s Literature: The author of this collection of poems, inspired by Matthew s story, delivers sixty-six poems that touch on Matthew and his family, the two men who killed him, and the objects that witnessed his beating/torture and that watched over him during the eighteen hours he was tied to a buck-rail fence. The poems use a variety of forms but clearly highlight the individual voices of all involved (although the poet does make the point that none of the words in her poem were ever spoken publicly by anyone involved). Occasionally, the actual words of someone involved in the incident or its aftermath are used at the beginning of a poem; citations are found in the back of the book and the excerpts often add a clarification or poignancy to the poem with which it is paired. The collection is thoughtful and thought provoking. – Dr. Jean Boreen Ph.D  

Publishers Weekly reviewed July 30, 2012: Just days after 21-year-old Matthew Shepard was killed in 1998, Newman (Heather Has Two Mommies) visited his school, the University of Wyoming, as the keynote speaker for its Gay Awareness Week. Writing from this personal viewpoint, Newman crafts 68 poems, imagining the perspectives of Shepard, his convicted killers, the stars above, the fence to which he was tied, a nearby deer, and many more. Despite the variety of voices and poetic forms Newman uses (haiku, pantoum, villanelle, and others), the poems read as a somewhat repetitive chorus of rage, shame, and disgust ("I can take anything/ I'm tough as time/ But when I saw him/ between the two of them/ trapped in that truck/ it made me want to heave," says the road). It's a visceral, painful read, but it's difficult to say how singsongy couplets from Shepard's cat ("Where is the boy? Will he ever be back? / I'm cold and I'm lonely and I need a snack") or a punny offering from the rope used to bind him ("They roped me in/ I was fit to be tied") make this tragedy more real.

Connections

Students can discuss their feelings about the LBGT community and the events of the book.

Questions to include can be:

What can be done to reach out to all members of our community for inclusiveness?

What would you have done if you were a member of the jury?

Have you ever slander another person with an antigay term?

Have you ever witnessed another person being bullied for their sexual orientation?

What is one thing you could do to end homophobia?

Research Matthew Shepard and the Matthew Shepard Act.

References

Publishers Weekly. “October Mourning.” Publishersweekly.com

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7636-5807-6

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|38420361|37756329&mc=USA

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/0/KiPPjipNoQjmMNMN/bdrtop

(accessed November 22, 2015)

Bibliography

Rabinowitz, Alan. 2014. Ill. by Catia Chien. A BOY AND A JAGUAR. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN 9780547875071

Brief Summary Plot

Alan has the disability of being a stutterer. He can do two things without stuttering, sing and talk to animals. One day his father takes Alan to the Bronx Zoo. Standing near a jaguar’s cage, Alan moves in close to the bars to whisper to the animal. His father asks him what he is doing. Although this disability causes great pain in his early years when he must interact with humans, he converses quite well with animals without stuttering. At school he is placed in a classroom for “disturbed children” even though his parents do not see him as disturbed. Alan feels as if he is “broken.” Each day Alan goes to his room and gets his animal pets out of his bedroom closet to tell them his dreams, without stuttering. He makes a promise to his animals and the jaguar at the zoo that if he “can ever find his voice, he will be their voice and keep them from harm.” With the help of a teacher in college, Alan learns to talk without stuttering. Still feeling broken, Alan, at first, studies black bears in the forest and later goes to the jungles of Belize to study jaguars. It is during this time that he feels more alive than ever. Eventually, Alan is able to keep his promise of being the voice to those who have no voice and establishes a preserve to protect the jaguars from hunters. His story concludes, just as it began, with an encounter with a jaguar. Alan has found his voice, a feeling of completeness, and all it took was a whisper.

Critical Analysis

Alan Rabinowitz, a renowned zoologist and conservationist, writes of his life in this autobiographical story. Through first hand accounts, he has supplied detailed information that accurately depicts his character with the disability of stuttering. In this 2015 Schneider Family Book Award winning book, he relives the pain of his debilitating disability of stuttering and his inability to express himself, even in simple conversation.

Alan begins his story as a small boy who has been labeled “disturbed” by his teachers and placed in a classroom with other children where he cannot “disrupt his class.” I find this ironic considering his inability to actually communicate is impeded; yet he is the one being disruptive in the class. The sadness expressed in the text, as Alan states that his teachers consider him “broken,” is only multiplied when he begins to question his own self worth and ponder the possibility that he could be broken. As with many students who have a disability, Alan finds ways to mask his stuttering. The text states that Alan got “through school by learning tricks, when not to speak, avoid situations, and just not be around people.” As with the animals, he is mistreated for a condition that is of no fault of his own. His ability to persevere through silent suffering is admirable to say the least. He has provided insight into his life through his honest and heartbreaking portrayal of a person with a stuttering issue. Having been a victim of the world’s misunderstanding in regard to stutterers, the author has skillfully explored the truths people with this disability encounter avoiding the stereotyping one could display to promote his cause. The settings of the story take place at the Bronx zoo, a safe haven for Alan, classrooms, doctor’s office, and his journey into the wilderness.

The literary quality of the book is well written. The style of writing is arranged for an evenness of simple sentences followed by lengthy sentences. This formatting makes the text easily readable by a school age child. The text is unique in that the font changes colors to match the background. An example of how the text has a powerful effect on the reader can be seen when Alan has finally had a breakthrough in college in his ability to overcome his stuttering. The text is choppy and uneven. His words of “I still feel broken” are slowly descending toward the bottom of the page in a solitary, lonely fashion.

The plot of the story is a journey of overcoming insurmountable obstacles to achieving overwhelming recognition and the ability to keep one’s promise through all the self-doubt. Alan is even given the title of “the Indiana Jones of wildlife conservation” by Time magazine. As Alan becomes an adult, he sees his disability as a gift instead of a burden. A gift that not only gives him a sense of wholeness, but also can bring about positive change for the animals he has cared about his entire life. The author confronts his disability by providing the reader with an intimate look into the emotional pilgrimage he takes to overcome the stigma of stuttering and fulfill the promise to a species that has no voice.

When examining the text for cultural markers, the examples are limited. The reader can see language patterns identified when Alan has enrolled in college for an experimental program. Although he has been told he “will always be a stutterer, if he works at it he can be a fluent stutterer.” The illustration supports this marker as you see the main character trying to communicate. Letters are seen flowing out of his mouth, yet they do not form words, are upside down, backwards, and visibly fading.

Catia Chien has beautifully illustrated this story with acrylic and charcoal pencils. She has masterfully provided the reader a very personal invitation into the emotionally driven world of the author. The illustrator uses bright colors of yellows, greens, and white space to depict Alan at his happiest moments when he is surrounded by animals. When Alan is confronted with the stigma attached to his stuttering at school, the illustrator chose to portray the classroom in a deep wine hue. Another example of an illustrations providing the emotional heaviness the author experienced are the charcoal grey depiction of people holding hands and turning their backs toward Alan as he walks sadly away, avoiding people. He is also depicted looking inside panes of glass, which are a pale blue, from the outside world from which he feels so cut off. In the final pages of the story, the illustrator captures the scenic beauty with a bird’s eye view of the jaguar preserve.

Cultural markers for facial features show a young Alan Rabinowitz trying to explain his reasoning, yet terrified to speak due to his disability. He is depicted head down and defeated as he stands in the middle of the class for disturbed students. The reader has an overwhelming sense of sorrow for the young boy as he is shamed by his teacher’s finger pointing. When Alan is subjected to medical professionals’ poking and prodding, his expression is one of desperation for his mother to rescue him. Poachers are identified by faceless beings riding on horses streaked in black. Cultural markers for skin tone accurately identify government officials from the country of Belize with darken skinned.

The themes of this story are loneliness, isolation, acceptance, the disability of stuttering, conservation of wildlife, and perseverance. This book explores the world of a stutterer and can provide much need empathy to those who know little of the disability or who have preconceived misconceptions regarding stuttering. Children can identify with the theme of loneliness or isolation and what brings them comfort, as in Alan’s case that comfort was in animals. This book also provides children information about the dangers that animals face in the wild with hunters and the need for wildlife conservation. 

An inspiring tribute to add to this story can be found on the back of the book jacket. The review reads, “A beautiful book that will inspire stutterers to succeed and make a positive difference in the world.” This quote can be attributed to Temple Grandin, a noted activist for autism.

   

Awards

Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year, Winner 2014

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books, Winner 2014

American Library Association Notable Books for Children, Winner 2015

Ezra Jack Keats Book Award – New Writer, Honor Book United States 2015

Schneider Family Book Award, Winner United States 2015

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Review reviewed May 20, 2010: A simple memoir recounts a lifelong bond between a child who felt “broken” and the animals, especially jaguars that have informed his life’s work.

The narrator explains his teachers must think he is “broken” when he is switched from his regular class due to his severe stuttering. But he can talk with his own small menagerie at home—in fact, he says, he can only speak fluently when he is singing or when he talks to animals. He promises the sad, caged jaguar at the Bronx Zoo that one day he will be a voice for the animals. In college, he finds ways to manage his stuttering; as an adult, he studies black bears and, later, jaguars. In a triumphant moment, he helps persuade Belize to set aside land as a jaguar preserve. Chien’s acrylic-and–charcoal-pencil art is filled with light and warm, rich colors, her edge-to-edge illustrations inviting, emotional and engaging. The forests of Belize are seen as deeply gray-green, a few animal faces peeking from the thick growth of vegetation. A note about Rabinowitz along with a brief Q-and-A pitched to young understanding confirm the promise kept: The author continues to use his voice to advocate for big cats throughout the world, as well as for stutterers.
Moving and sweetly resonant. (Picture book/biography. 3-8)
Publishers Weekly reviewed March 3, 2014: In his first book for children, conservationist and adult author Rabinowitz frames his lifelong struggle with stuttering against his equally long-held love of animals, which led to a career spent studying and advocating for them. "I am a stutterer," he explains. "If I try to push words out, my head and body shake uncontrollably." The first-person present-tense narration creates an intimate connection to the author's pain as he is placed "in a class for disturbed children," subjected to unsuccessful treatments, and considered "broken" and disruptive by teachers. With animals, however, his words flow easily, and a young Alan promises a lonely jaguar at the Bronx Zoo: "If I can ever find my voice, I will be their voice and keep them from harm." Shadowy charcoal lines and the often-muted colors of Chien's paintings amplify Alan's solitude, but also reflect the profound joy; wonder, and healing he discovers studying animals in the wild. It's a candid and deeply resonant account of a hard-fought battle against societal stigma, and an embrace of one's true talent and calling.

Connections

Students can discuss the importance of keeping your promises.

Students can write about a time when they made a promise and kept it.

Students can research jaguars and other endangered animals.

Students can write a letter on behalf of an endangered species, providing factual information on the need to assist in need to contribute to its survival.

Students can discuss the importance of making sure all children have a voice and feel valued in the classroom and outside of school.

Students can discuss the differences that all people have and how these differences make us unique.

I have included a link to an interview with the author, Alan Rabinowitz, which aired on NPR June 8, 2014. The interview discusses the book, A Boy And A Jaguar, and why it is still painful for him to talk about his own story.

http://www.npr.org/2014/06/08/319420681/a-boy-and-his-jaguar-speak-to-children-who-feel-misunderstood

References

Kirkus Review. “A Boy And A Jaguar.” Kirkusreview.com

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alan-rabinowitz/a-boy-and-a-jaguar/

(accessed November 22, 2015)

Publishers Weekly. “A Boy And A Jaguar.” Publishersweekly.com

http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-547-87507-1

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|45367782|44090192&mc=USA

(accessed November 22, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/1/iIqpkjpnLPIonmMK/bdrtop

(accessed November 22, 2015)

                         CULTURE 5 – ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN LITERATURE

Bibliography

Say, Allen. 1999. TEA WITH MILK. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

ISBN 0395904951

Brief Summary Plot

A Japanese American girl called Masako by her parents, but May by all others, has recently graduated high school in San Francisco. May’s dream of attending college in the near future is quickly interrupted when her parents decide to return to their native country of Japan because of their homesickness. May is no more and Masako must learn to absorb a culture, which is foreign to her. She must return to school, although already graduated, to learn the Japanese language. Her classmates, who consider her a “gaijin,” a foreigner, shun her. The customs of her parent’s native country seem irrelevant to her, especially when she learns of an arrangement made by a matchmaker, at the request of her parents. May/Masako decides to leave her parent’s home and pursue a life that she can have control over in the urban environment of Osaka. This decision proves to hold great promise for her as she finds employment and also the affection of a man who has similar interests. As this relationship develops and grows, May/ Masako learns that her happiness and home is where you make it.

Critical Analysis

Allen Say has written a story, which recounts his mother’s upbringing as a young Japanese American girl living in San Francisco, the struggle of relocating to her parent’s homeland of Japan, and eventually releasing her inability to be inclusive to both cultures as her journey included starting her own family.

The character of May/Masako is challenged from the onset of the book with two very different cultures. On page one we see May standing outside her home. She is dressed as any small girl would in a dress with matching socks and shoes. Hanging from the doorframe of her home is the American flag, as her father is partially hidden behind the curtain. As she assimilates into the American way of life, her friends call her May, she eats pancakes, fried chicken, and spaghetti, and she speaks English. She has hopes of attending college and getting her own apartment one day. At home, Masako is spoken to only in Japanese. Her meals consist of green tea, rice, and miso soup.

Her life quickly changes with the move to Japan. Details from the book, which cite examples of Japanese culture, include Masako having to wear kimonos, sitting on the floor instead of chairs, living in a drafty house with paper windows, and being given lessons on how to become a proper lady. As is custom in Japan, she must also bow as part of the traditional Japanese greeting.  May/ Masako clearly does not want to disappoint her parents, but at the same time her character is determined to seek out a life for herself. As May contemplates her future one night in bed after her arranged meeting between her and her potential husband, she states, “I could never marry someone like that. Never!” Masako, May’s birth name, is frequently used throughout the book. When she meets Joseph, Masako is quick to let him know that she prefers for him to call her May.

The setting initially takes place in San Francisco and shifts halfway across the Pacific Ocean to Japan. The illustrations do not indicate that the family’s home was located in a large metropolis like San Francisco, yet when May leaves her parent’s home to take the train to Osaka, she once again feels excitement.

Cultural markers for text include names of characters, which are Masako or as her parents call her Ma-chan, which are both Japanese names. Although the text does not specifically mention any physical attributes, the text is specific to the Japanese culture.

Examples to the cultural marker of identification of a specific culture include wearing kimonos, sitting on the floor “for long stretches,” taking lessons in calligraphy, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony. The hiring of a matchmaker for potential suitors for Masako can also be considered an identifying cultural marker. Her mother says to her, “A young lady needs a husband from a good family.” In contrast to her Japanese upbringing, May clearly and quite forcibly tells her mother, “A husband! I’d rather have a turtle than a husband!” A final example specific to Japanese culture is the traditional bow, which all proper Japanese ladies do.

First language is identified with the mention of character names, as previously stated and schoolmates calling her “Gaijin,” which means “foreigner” in Japanese. Cultural markers for foods are also cited in the story with the mention of miso soup, plain green tea, and rice. In contrast to drinking tea plain, May likes to drink her tea with milk and sugar because that is how she used to drink it in America with her friends. When she meets Joseph, her future husband, he too likes his tea with sugar and milk.

The illustrations are also the work of the author, Allen Say. The pictures contribute equally to the story, as does the text. The balance between the text and the watercolor images are quite complimentary. The first illustration depicted shows May in San Francisco outside her home. The picture is bleak with an almost black and white simplicity to it. As the story evolves, color is added to the illustrations. Sometimes the hues are subdued, while at other times the color is bright and bold. These changes can be noted as May/ Masako begins to assert herself, especially as she makes her way to Osaka.

Cultural markers for skin tone and facial features are a realistic portrayal of Japanese ethnicity as Allen Say has authentically differentiated his characters varying skin tone, hairstyles, facial features, and body types. Some characters are represented with short, dark hair, while other female characters are seen with wearing a knot of hair, similar to the more traditional chignon.

Examples of clothing cultural markers can be seen as Masako/ May assimilates into Japanese culture when she must wear the kimono. The illustration on page 7 shows her posture slightly slumped over a definite true representation to her dissatisfaction with her situation. As May/ Masako is sitting on the floor in her kimono for her calligraphy lesson, her posture is stiff and her facial expression is blank. Throughout the book, most women are wearing kimonos with the traditional obi. Some male characters are also seen wearing subdued kimonos. A clash of cultures can be seen when May/ Masako clothes herself in “the brightest dress she had brought from California.” This act could be seen as May’s way of asserting herself.

Cultural markers for architecture and homes are accurately on display with the text description of May’s home in Japan having paper windows and being drafty. Her homes seems to have very little furniture, as indicated when she has to sit on the floor “until her legs were numb.” When the matchmaker introduces May to the young banker, the illustration depicts May and her suitor stiffly sitting in an open area reminiscent of a Japanese garden.

The themes throughout this book include cultural identity, acceptance, family, tradition, and loneliness, and finding your way. Readers can identify with moving from a familiar place one calls home, having to make new friends, being accepted for who you are, and not having to change to meet another person’s expectation of what they think you should become. As Joseph tells May as they make plans for a life together, “home isn’t a place or a building that’s ready-made and waiting for you, in America or anywhere else.”

Awards

Best Children’s Book of the Year, 2000 Bank Street College of Education

Notable Children’s Book, 2000 American Library Association

School Library journal Best Books, 1999 Cahners

Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association, 2000 Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Guide reviewed September1, 1999: Continuing to explore place and home, Say tells the story of his mother, first introduced to readers in Tree of Cranes. Born in California to Japanese immigrants, Masako is miserable when she moves to Japan with her parents after high school. The illustrations capture Masako's unhappiness and also her eventual contentment as she learns to combine two cultures.

Kirkus Review reviewed April 1, 1999: In describing how his parents met, Say continues to explore the ways that differing cultures can harmonize; raised near San Francisco and known as May everywhere except at home, where she is Masako, the child who will grow up to be Say’s mother becomes a misfit when her family moves back to Japan. Rebelling against attempts to force her into the mold of a traditional Japanese woman, she leaves for Osaka, finds work as a department store translator, and meets Joseph, a Chinese businessman who not only speaks English, but prefers tea with milk and sugar, and persuades her that “home isn’t a place or a building that’s ready-made or waiting for you, in America or anywhere else.” Painted with characteristic control and restraint, Say’s illustrations, largely portraits, begin with a sepia view of a sullen child in a kimono, gradually take on distinct, subdued color, and end with a formal shot of the smiling young couple in Western dress. (Picture book. 7-9)

School Library Journal reviewed May 1, 1999: Say's many fans will be thrilled to have another episode in his family saga, which he relates with customary grace and elegance. The pages are filled with detailed drawings featuring Japanese architecture and clothing, and because of the artist's mastery at drawing figures; the people come to life as authentic and sympathetic characters. This is a thoughtful and poignant book that will appeal to a wide range of readers, particularly our nation's many immigrants who grapple with some of the same challenges as May and Joseph, including feeling at home in a place that is not their own. Ellen Fader, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR

Connections

Students can identify the differences and similarities between both the Japanese culture and American culture. Students can chart each and discuss.

Students can discuss what family traditions they have within their own family.

Students can discuss and chart what culture is and give examples.

Students can discuss how Masako felt out of place when she had to go back to school in Japan. Students can write about their feelings when they were in a new situation and what they did to feel like they belonged.

Students can research their own ancestry by interviewing relatives.

References

Kirkus Review. “Tea with Milk” Kirkusreview.com

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/allen-say/tea-with-milk/

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|2136402|47732429&mc=USA

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/0/OenPmmmnLMgPlOll/bdrtop

(accessed November 5, 2015)

Bibliography

Lin, Grace. 2006. THE YEAR OF THE DOG. New York: Little Brown. ISBN 0316060003

Brief Summary Plot

Pacy is a young Taiwanese-American girl about to welcome in another Chinese New Year with her family. This year will be known as the Year of the Dog. Pacy’s mother informs her the Year of the Dog is for family and friends, but more importantly “it’s a good year to find yourself.” Pacy’s year will be about discovering who she is, where her talents lie, and how she can balance her Taiwanese/Chinese/American culture so she can equally identify with each. During the year Pacy becomes best friends with another classmate, Melody, who just happens to be Taiwanese herself. She quickly discovers another side to her Taiwanese culture through their friendship. Through her self-discovery, she participates in the Science Fair, acts in the school play, attends Taiwanese-American Convention (TAC), and writes and illustrates her own book. As the year comes to a close and the New Year to be ushered in becomes the Year of the Pig, Pacy reflects on all the events that had come to past and concludes that the Year of the Dog had indeed been a very good year.

  

Critical Analysis

Grace Lin has written a coming of age book about a young Taiwanese-American girl because “this is the book I wished I had growing up.” Just like Grace Lin, Pacy lives in upstate New York, New Hartford to be exact. Pacy tells her story in first person as she shares her life with her family, which consist of her Dad, Mom, older sister, Lissy and younger sister, Ki-Ki. At school Pacy is known is known by her American name, Grace and her sister, Lissy is called Beatrice. Besides her sister Lissy, Pacy is the only Chinese girl at her school until Melody enrolls. She too is Taiwanese - American. The girls quickly bond and although they do have their differences, the friendship that is forged is deeply connected by their similarities. Pacy is conflicted by her mixed culture; at one point she says to her mother, It’s not fair. To Americans, I’m too Chinese, and to Chinese people, I’m too American. So which one am I supposed to be?”

The author has written a story that is authentically accurate. She alternates from the current day setting of upstate New York to a previous era when Pacy’s mother would share stories from her childhood or even Pacy’s grandfather’s life. When the mother is giving the details of each story the font changes in the text to italicized. Each story would somehow connect to a conflict that Pacy would be currently experiencing. For example, when Pacy was exhausted and was too tired to go to school, Mother begins to ask, “Did I ever tell you about the time I feel asleep in school?”

Another example would be when Pacy was feeling discouraged about her book. Her mother tries to inspire her with “ The Paper Piano.” Pacy’s mother says, “work on your book a little bit every day, if you want it to be good, just like practicing the piano.” Each short narrative within Pacy’s story is engaging and is perfectly paired to offer a moral or lesson with Pacy’s dilemma. 

Cultural markers within the text for a specific culture are well represented as Pacy and her mother give details into their culture by the stories told by each. Pacy is trying to understand her own identity, but is confused by the conflict presented between her American culture and Chinese culture.

Cultural markers for language can be seen with the New Year celebration in chapter one. Dad exclaims, “Gong xi-gong! Xin-nian kuai le!” which means Happy New Year! Pacy is frequently asked “Ja Ba bei?” at a family gathering. Hong Bao are the Chinese words for red envelope. At cousin Albert’s Red egg party, a large red banner was displayed with Chinese letters saying, "Welcome Albert!” Identifying cultural markers for names of characters include Pacy, Lissy, Ki-Ki, Mei, and Uncle Shin.

Food plays an important role throughout the book. For celebrations, grocery shopping, and visiting friends there is mention of food. Some food items mentioned include roasted duck, New Year’s candy (sticky taffy melon candy), fried dumplings, vegetables, shrimp in milky sauce, steamed buns, pork colored a brilliant ruby pink, rice porridge, foo yung don, lychees, yellow ginger soup, and tofu.

Celebrations are also a frequent cultural marker. Chinese New Year is introduced as the story opens, as well as at the end. For her cousin Albert’s birth, a celebration took place called Red Egg party. Red eggs symbolize good luck. The eggs are died red from the dye of red envelopes. At the celebration, red envelopes containing money are also placed in Albert’s crib.

Several stereotypes are portrayed within the book. For example, when Pacy attends Taiwanese-American Convention, several girls discover that she can’t speak Chinese or Taiwanese. One girl calls her “a Twinkie” because she is “yellow on the outside, but white on the inside.” At school, a lunch lady mistakenly assumes Pacy has come back for seconds. She is suspicious of Pacy and assumes that because she is the only Asian American at the school, so she assumes Pacy has to be lying about getting additional spaghetti and fries. In reality, a new student, Melody, also Taiwanese enrolled at school the same day. Finally, Pacy is excited to audition for the lead role of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz production at school. When Pacy inquires to Becky about being Dorothy, Becky replies, “You can’t be Dorothy. Dorothy is not Chinese.” The Five Chinese Brothers picture book is also mentioned in the story. Pacy is looking for Chinese people in books at the library to decide what topic she will write on. When she discovers that the only book with Chinese people in it is The Five Chinese Brothers, she immediately says, “These aren’t real Chinese people, …..Your brother doesn’t have a ponytail.”

The illustrations within the book are simple ink drawings. The sketches are quite helpful to identify events happening throughout the story. Since Pacy is the one drawing each picture, the pictures have a childlike quality to them, but easily understood. She also labels each picture she draws. When Pacy draws her family, she pictures them with dark hair, but she does not identify their ethnicity by facial features.

One cultural marker to note within the illustrations is when the family attends Albert’s Red Egg party. Pacy draws her sisters in traditional Chinese dresses that were “all silky and shiny and had collars that were buttoned close around the neck.” She also depicts children wearing traditional clothing while celebrating the fictitious “Day of the Unicorn.”

The themes for this story would include self-acceptance, respect for others, racism, friendship, and family. As Pacy begins to understand her culture, she takes pride in her culture, yet she does not let it define who she is.

At the end of the book are the author’s notes where Grace Lin gives insight into why she wrote this book. She saw everything she loved and lived in the books she read growing up, but she didn’t see herself. By writing this book “the fabric of my life is richer.” Grace Lin has also written a sequel to this book called The Year of the Rat.

Awards

American Library Association Notable Books for Children, Winner 2007

Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, Honorable Mention United States 2006 -2007

Bluestem Award, Master List Illinois 2011

Texas Bluebonnet Award, Master List Texas 2007 - 2008

Review Excerpts

Booklist reviewed January 1, 2006: Told in a simple, direct voice, her story follows young Grace through the Year of the Dog, one that Grace hopes will prove lucky for her. And what a year it is! Grace meets a new friend, another Asian girl, and together they enter a science fair, share a crush on the same boy, and enjoy special aspects of their heritage (food!). Grace even wins fourth place in a national book-writing contest and finds her true purpose in life. Lin, who is known for her picture books, dots the text with charming ink drawings, some priceless, such as one picturing Grace dressed as a munchkin. Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace's parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage. Lin does a remarkable job capturing the soul and the spirit of books like those of Hayward or Maud Hart Lovelace, reimagining them through the lens of her own story, and transforming their special qualities into something new for today's young readers. Ilene Cooper

Publishers Weekly reviewed January 2,2006: Lin, best known for her picture books, here offers up a charming first novel, an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship. Lin creates an endearing protagonist, realistically dealing with universal emotions and situations. The well-structured story, divided into 29 brief chapters, introduces traditional customs (e.g., Hong Bao are special red envelopes with money in them, given as New Year's presents), culture and cuisine, and includes several apropos "flashback" anecdotes, mainly from Pacy's mother. The book's inviting design suggests a journal, and features childlike spot illustrations and a typeface with a hand- lettered quality. Girls everywhere, but especially those in the Asian-American community, will find much to embrace here. Ages 8-12.

Connections

Students can write a story about their own life, following the examples provided within the text.

Students can write about a quality that they find unique about themselves.

Students can research the Chinese zodiac and identify which year they were born and qualities associated with the animal the year they were born.

References

Publishers Weekly. “The Year of the Dog”. Publishersweekly.com http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-316-06000-4

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|14987547|11597058&mc=USA

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/1/qhoomlNMHnKPmNMn/bdrtop

(accessed November 5, 2015)

Bibliography

Yangsook, Choi. 2005. THE NAME JAR. New York: Knopf. ISBN 9780375906138

Brief Summary Plot

Unhei, a young Korean girl, moves from her homeland of Korea to the United States. As she departs her native country of Korea, her grandmother gives her a small gift to remember where she originates. The gift is a small red pouch with a wooden block and inkpad inside. The wooden block has Unhei’s name embossed on it. When Unhei is riding the bus to school on her first day, she experiences teasing from the other children over the pronunciation of her name. Unhei begins to worry that maybe she should change her name so that it sounds more American. When her mother learns of Unhei’s decision to change her name, she is surprised that Unhei would want to change her beautiful name. Her mother tells Unhei that her and her grandmother went to a name master for her name. The children in her class decide to help Unhei by creating a “name jar” that would offer name suggestions to choose from. After receiving a letter from her grandmother back in Korea, who reminds Unhei of the beauty of her name and with the help of her new friend, Joey, Unhei realizes the uniqueness of her name and embraces it.

Critical Analysis

Yangsook Choi has written a beautiful story about how a young Korean girl, Unhei, struggles with her identity. Unhei’s name identifies where she has come from, yet she sees an opportunity for acceptance with the changing of her name to match her new American home. Unhei’s story begins as she and her family depart Korea and journey to their new home in America. The setting is present day and is explicitly depicted with a modern airport; school building, home, and neighborhood stores. The style of writing is light and can be easily understood by a younger audience.

In her new country, Unhei experiences anxiety when her first day of school approaches, as do many children having to go to a new school and wanting to be accepted. She is ridiculed on the school bus with the teasing of her name. Various mispronunciations of Unhei’s name are expressed. Although the Unhei’s name was not pronounced correctly, the level of teasing should not be considered bullying. In this picture book, Yangsook Choi has simplified the conflict a small child experiences to assimilate into a new environment that is foreign to them. Though Unhei worries over her name, children could easily relate their own experience of acceptance from the storyline. With the support of a new school friend, a neighborhood grocer, and family, Unhei ultimately affirms her name and her identity.

Cultural markers can be seen throughout the text. The identification of the specific culture of Korean is written as Unhei says goodbye to her grandmother at the airport. While discussing with her mother the possibility of changing Unhei’s name, you can see that dinner is being prepared and will be eaten with chopsticks, held by both Unhei and her mother.

Cultural markers for first language can be seen in the family home, specifically the kitchen, where a wall hanging can be seen in the background with Korean writing. At Mr. Kim’s neighborhood market, signs are posted in Korean, as well. When Grandmother gives Unhei the small gift with her name inside a pouch, the wooden block is in Korean lettering. Unhei tells her classmate, Joey, that she can use the block as a signature for her name to open a bank account or write a letter. The letter Unhei receives from her grandmother is written in Korean, but the text shows the letter in English. 

Evaluating cultural markers for names of characters include Unhei, Korean for grace, and Mr. Kim. At the end of the story, Joey selects the name of “Chingu”, which is Korean for friend.

When looking at cultural markers for foods, Unhei and her mother shop at the local neighborhood Korean market where they purchase “kimchi,” a spicy pickled cabbage and seaweed. Her mother makes the comment, “Just because we moved to America doesn’t mean we stop eating Korean food.”

Yangsook Choi has also incorporated details into the illustrations that are accurately detailed. The illustrations were created with rich colors of green, gold, red, blue, brown, orange, and purple. Cultural markers for skin tone and facial features are seen as you look at Unhei’s family. Her father’s skin is a slightly warmer tone than that of Unhei, her mother, brother, and grandmother. The family’s eyes have the appearance of almond shape. Diversity can be seen throughout this book with the inclusion of many ethnicities, especially evident within the school setting.

The clothing worn by Unhei’s family is representative of a typical American family wearing pants, shirts, blouses, skirts, and vests. Yet, cultural markers for clothing are evident as we see Unhei’s say goodbye to her grandmother at the airport. Her grandmother appears to be wearing a kimono.

Cultural markers for the family’s hairstyles include grandmother’s greying hair pulled back into a tight bun.

The conversation that Unhei and her mother had in the kitchen is worth noting. While Mother is inquiring about Unhei’s day, she makes the comment that, “ I am glad you are learning English well. You must study hard, behave nicely, and get good grades to show that you are a good Korean.” These comments made in the story show the high expectation that Korean parents have for their children. I also wonder if this comment enforces some of the stereotypes help by people about Asians and academics.

The recurring themes throughout the books include identity, acceptance, family, and friendship. This book is an invitation for any student who is feeling uncomfortable about entering a new school, especially when there are cultural differences. This book supports taking pride in your heritage and to be yourself without having to conform. The lessons of choosing our words and behavior towards another person are addressed in the text. One misspoken word or comment, though not intentionally meant to be hurtful, can cause irreparable damage. This book should remind us that we are all unique and each of us brings something special with diversity.

Awards

Sharing Cultures: Asian American Children’s Authors, 2001 ALSC American Library Association

Teachers’ Choices, 2002 International Reading Association

Review Excerpts

Horn Book Guide reviewed April 1, 2002: The sensitively told story is illustrated with warm paintings that portray Unhei's multicultural urban neighborhood and school.

Kirkus Review reviewed May 20, 2010: Choi draws from her own experience, interweaving several issues into this touching account and delicately addressing the challenges of assimilation. The paintings are done in creamy, earth-tone oils and augment the story nicely. (Picture book. 4-8)

The New York Times reviewed February 10, 2002: The author, who as a Korean immigrant herself chose the name Rachel, tells an age-appropriate story that quietly alludes to some weightier issues. Changing a name is typically just the surface evidence of some major internal shift (Jacob to Israel, for instance). When we move to another location spiritually (as Jacob did), emotionally (as in a marriage or divorce) or geographically, like little Unhei, the questions arise: What do we take with us? What do we leave behind? Carefully weighing the input of family and new friends -- a Korean grocer and an American classmate -- Unhei arrives at her decision. She tells her class, ''I like the beautiful names and funny names you thought of for me. . . . But I realized that I liked my name best, so I chose it again.'' And Unhei proceeds to instruct her classmates patiently in how to pronounce her name. Predictable? Perhaps, but Unhei's reflection and inner strength are noteworthy; cultural details freshen the story, and Choi's gleaming, expressive paintings are always a treasure. ''The Name Jar'' feels very American and very accessible. Despite the more cartoonish feel, the illustrations are again lovely, especially in the characteristically expressive close-ups of faces. Like Unhei, Choi adapts thoughtfully to her new environs, without submerging her unique artistic identity. Julie Yate Walton

Connections

Students can read other books that have to do with a character’s name. Books to include are:

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes or My Name is Yoon by Helen Recorvits.

If any student can write in a different language, students can write a word or phrase in another language and share.

Students can think of a symbol for their name and draw it on a piece of paper.

References

 Kirkus Review. “The Name Jar”. Kirkusreview.com

 https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/yangsook-choi/the-name-jar/

(accessed November 5, 2015)

New York Times Review. “The Year of the Dog”. Nytimes.com

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/02/10/books/review/_0210ch-choi.html

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database – Books In Print

http://ezproxy.twu.edu:3959/TitleDetail/DetailedView?hreciid=|7705286|6495114&mc=USA

(accessed November 5, 2015)

TWU Library Database - Children’ Literature Comprehensive Database

 http://ezproxy.twu.edu:4529/ - /bookdetail/1/0/riopnnMMKnmPlojL/bdrtop

(accessed November 5, 2015)