Inclusive Literature for Children: Marina Budhos, ASK ME NO QUESTIONS

Bibliography:
Budhos, Marina. 2006. Ask Me No Questions. New York: Simon & Schuster Publishing Group. ISBN: 9781416903512

Summary:
Ask Me No Questions by Marina Budhos is based on immigration issues, particularly those of Arabian descent, after September 11, 2001. According to the endnote, “In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. government began crackdown on illegal immigrants and an investigation of Muslim communities… If they were found to be residing illegally, or if they had any minor infractions on their visas, they were jailed, detained, or deported. … Although this is a work of fiction, these are the events that inspired this book.” The story told within the book is presented through the voice of fourteen year-old Nadira, daughter of a Bangladeshi man who was detained by INS at the Canadian-American border. Nadira and her older sister, Aisha, must leave their parents behind (The mother stays in a shelter near the prison to try and argue for her husband’s freedom.) and go back to New York as if nothing ever happened, but they are Bangladeshi and “They always say that no matter what happens to Bangladeshis – floods, storms, droughts, riots, strikes – we keep going.” So Nadira and Aisha must work together, despite their differences, to save their father and their family’s citizenship.

Critical Analysis:
Even though Marina Budhos’ book, Ask Me No Questions, is a fictional story, Budhos writes with such conviction that the story feels real. Budhos eloquently depicts a story of illegal aliens here in the United States, in which the children are taught to live their lives unnoticed. “You can’t tell which ones aren’t legal. We try to get lost in the landscape of backpacks and book reports. To find us you have to pick up on the signals… We all agree not to notice.”

Throughout the story, Budhos reveals many cultural markers that link the characters to their Middle Eastern heritage. Some obvious cultural markers are the characters’ names, including the fact that they call their father “Abba,” and references to their native foods, “Coconut flakes, Ma jokes. We’ll go outside and scoop them up, and I’ll make you some polao.” The descriptions of the women’s clothes, such as the “shalwar kameez,” and stories of the girls early childhood in Bangladesh are also mingled into the story. However, there are not only cultural markers for their heritage, but markers about their immigration status and experience as well, such as the banging on the door by the INS in the middle of the night to take away the girls’ uncle. Or dealing with a lawyer who takes their money but does not properly file for their visas, which is the reason they become illegal in the first place.

Furthermore, it’s not simply the fact that this story portrays one of illegal aliens here in the United States that make it an incredible book, but the fact that it’s a story of two sisters who otherwise don’t get along find a way to appreciate each others’ strengths and differences that make this a story that any young girl can relate to. Budhos does an excellent job of tapping into a multi-faceted story to develop a book that will sit well with many young adolescents.


Reviews from the Experts:
Kirkus Reviews
“Illegal immigrant sisters learn a lot about themselves when their family faces deportation in this compelling contemporary drama. Immigrants from Bangladesh, Nadira, her older sister Aisha and their parents live in New York City with expired visas. Fourteen-year-old Nadira describes herself as "the slow-wit second-born" who follows Aisha, the family star who's on track for class valedictorian and a top-rate college. Everything changes when post-9/11 government crack-downs on Muslim immigrants push the family to seek asylum in Canada where they are turned away at the border and their father is arrested by U.S. immigration. The sisters return to New York living in constant fear of detection and trying to pretend everything is normal. As months pass, Aisha falls apart while Nadira uses her head in "a right way" to save her father and her family. Nadira's need for acceptance by her family neatly parallels the family's desire for acceptance in their adopted country. A perceptive peek into the lives of foreigners on the fringe.”

VOYA
“Budhos's descriptive writing style helps the story seem more realistic. Nadira's conflicting emotions are portrayed in such a way that even though teens might not identify with her situation, they can easily relate to her feelings. The topics addressed in this book are very relevant in today's society, and teens will quickly be able to make real world connections. Although not all teens would choose to read this book on their own, it could be effectively used in the classroom.”

Connections:
Author Website:
http://www.marinabudhos.com/

Other Books by Marina Budhos:
House of Waiting, ISBN 9780964129221
The Professor of Light, ISBN 9780399144738
Remix: Conversations with Immigrant Teenagers, ISBN 9781556356100

Inclusive Literature for Children: Cynthia Lord, RULES

Bibliography:
Lord, Cynthia. 2008. Rules. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 9780439443838

Summary:
As a parent of a child with autism, author Cynthia Lord writes from the heart in her first novel Rules. It is a story narrated by twelve year-old Catherine who struggles with self-conflicting battles and her feelings towards her younger brother, David, who has autism. In order to help her brother, Catherine creates rules and teaches them to David to prepare him for social situations and spare her some embarrassment. Then, as if Catherine needs more conflicts in her life, she meets Jason, a paraplegic boy her age who communicates through picture and word cards. Through her friendship with Jason, Catherine realizes that her rules are not only for David but for herself, and sometimes rules are meant to be broken.

Critical Analysis:
As a mother of two children, the youngest with autism, Cynthia Lord writes Rules from an insider’s perspective. She and her family understand first-hand what it’s like living with someone like David in the story. As an insider her descriptions on David's behaviors and words adequately depict a child with autism. For example, when David is unable to find his own words to speak, he mimics the words from his favorite story, Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel. By portraying the family’s difficulties through twelve year-old Catherine’s eyes, Lord puts the story into terms that today’s youth can relate. Even if the reader does not have a relative with autism, the reader may connect the story with a friend’s family or a classmate. Perhaps the reader, young or old, knows no one with autism; the reader will still find the story enlightening and learn about acceptance.

The story effectively depicts many cultural markers representing books about characters with disabilities. In this case, Lord uses the relationship between eight year-old David with autism and his older sister, Catherine, to demonstrate the toll an autistic family member may take on a family. Catherine is often left in charge of David when her parents are busy. In order to avoid the unusual actions of David, like continually putting toys in the fish tank, Catherine creates rules for David. “That’s [Catherine’s sketchbook] where I keep all the rules I’m teaching David so if my someday-he’ll-wake-up-a-regular-brother wish doesn’t ever come true, at least he’ll know how the world works, and I won’t have to keep explaining things.” As Catherine makes rules to help prepare David for social situations (“A boy can take off his shirt to swim, but not his shorts.”), she also makes rules for herself. “I have rules, too, and one of mine is: Sometimes you’ve gotta work with what you’ve got.” Each chapter title is a rule in which applies to the chapter’s situation. These rules created by Catherine demonstrate her love for David (she wants to take care of him), but they also represent a struggle within herself (she doesn’t want to be embarrassed by David’s actions).

Furthermore, Lord pursues Catherine’s inner struggle to accept David’s differences by channeling Catherine’s focus on a new friend named Jason. Jason is a twelve year-old paraplegic who cannot orally communicate and therefore relies on picture cards with words written at the top. Lord effectively sheds light on Jason’s feelings as Catherine makes more expressive word cards, like embarrassed, murky, and dazzling, for him to add to his book. As Catherine and Jason’s friendship develops, Catherine slowly begins to accept others for who they are.


Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
“… Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.”

Publishers Weekly
“ … In the able hands of the author, mother of an autistic child, Catherine's emotions come across as entirely convincing, especially her alternating devotion to and resentment of David, and her guilt at her impatience with him. Through her artwork, the heroine gradually opens up to Jason, a wheelchair-bound peer who can communicate only by pointing to words on cards. As she creates new cards that expand Jason's ability to express his feelings, their growing friendship enables Catherine to do the same. A rewarding story that may well inspire readers to think about others' points of view.”

Connections:
Author Website:
http://www.cynthialord.com/
Author Blog:
http://cynthialord.livejournal.com/

Other Books by Cynthia Lord:
Hot Rod Hamster, coming February 2010
Touch Blue, coming September 2010

Classroom or Library Activities:
Visit these websites for Resources for Educators and Autism
C.A.R.E.
http://www.careumw.com/links.htm
Department of Health and Human Services http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/resources/educatorresources.htm
National Association of Special Education Teachers
http://www.naset.org/autism2.0.html
Web Toolbox for Educators and Parents
http://www.ed.sc.edu/caw/toolboxautism.html

Inclusive Literature for Children: Ken Setterington, MOM AND MUM ARE GETTING MARRIED

Bibliography:
Setterington, Ken. 2004. Mom and Mum Are Getting Married. Ill. by Alice Priestley. Ontario: Second Story Press. ISBN: 9781896764849

Summary:
Ken Setterington presents the story of a same-sex wedding told from the perspective of Rosie, a young girl. In preparation for the small wedding, Rosie is determined to be a part of the wedding and develops the perfect plan to allow her and her little brother to carry the rings and throw flower petals. “In no time, Uncle Peter and I had done it! Jack and I each had a basket filled with petals. And in each basket there was a perfectly wrapped little present, tied to the handle with a bow.”

Critical Analysis:
Literature for elementary-age students about gay and lesbians is few in number, but books like Ken Setterington’s Mom and Mum Are Getting Married may help increase the numbers in school libraries. Setterington portrays the story through the eyes of Rosie, a young girl who is so excited to be a part of a wedding that the same-sex relationship is easily infused into the story. Many children, especially girls, will relate to Rosie’s flower girl enthusiasm, placing the focus on Rosie and not solely on the wedding between two women.

Being able to see yourself within a story or relate to a story’s characters is what draws many readers into a book. There are children who are not only able to relate to Rosie’s wedding excitement, but relate to having same-sex parents as well. It is this feature that makes Mom and Mum Are Getting Married an important piece of literature. A child with two moms or two dads may discover this book and celebrate that their family is finally represented in a picture book. Perhaps the book may even provide comfort to a child whose friend has two moms or two dads; it may show the child that his or her friend’s family is not so different.

Evidence of the homosexual relationship beyond the book’s title is intertwined throughout the text, (“They [Mom and Mum] unwrapped the rings and put them on each other’s fingers. Then they kissed.”) as well as the illustrations. The first picture of the two women together shows them holding hands. After the wedding ceremony, the couple is portrayed embracing one another with their wedding guests around them. Illustrator, Alice Priestley, uses bright colors to depict a happy moment in this family’s life.

Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
“Rosie's two mothers are going to get married. When Mom tells her daughter about their plans, the youngster asks if she can be a bridesmaid or a flower girl, but Mom just wants a small celebration. Rosie offers another option-she and her brother, Jack, will carry the rings. Predictably, when the big day arrives, the rings are temporarily misplaced (by the couple). Rosie comes up with a solution to prevent them from getting lost a second time, and the wedding comes off without a hitch. "A perfect day," says Mum. The ink-and-colored pencil drawings are somewhat flat but colorful. While the story is slight and not particularly engaging, libraries needing to augment their collections on gay lifestyles may want to consider it.”

Kirkus Reviews
“Gay picture books are unfortunately still rare enough that they all matter regardless of literary and artistic quality. This one happens to be stilted and static. Rosie's Mom and Mum are getting married. Rosie's only concern is whether or not she'll get to be a flower girl, ring-bearer, or something else crucial to the ceremony (which she wishes would be bigger and fancier than it is). The concept and rightness of this two-mother family (and the same-sex marriage itself) are never questioned; there is no antagonist of the type often created specifically to facilitate a tolerance message. However, Setterington's text plods along, feeling forced. Priestley's drawings, though brightly colored, lack vibrancy and feel stale. This clearly deliberate piece has a worthy agenda and will stand in until better quality versions come along. Artistically tepid but socially valuable.”

Connections:
Other Books by Ken Setterington:
Clever Katarina: A Tale in Six Parts, ISBN 9780887767647
Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, ISBN 9780887764974
The Wild Swans: An Adventure in Six Parts, ISBN 9780887764974

Classroom or Library Activities:
Students can paint a family picture and participate in a discussion on how families can be different and alike. Students can also write a response to the following question: “How would the story be different if the wedding rings were lost?”

Asian American Literature for Children: Laurence Yep, COCKROACH COOTIES

Bibliography:
Yep, Laurence. 2000. Cockroach Cooties. New York: Hyperion. ISBN: 9780613457309

Summary:
In the novel Cockroach Cooties Laurence Yep portrays the Asian American culture through the eyes of two young brothers, Teddy age 9 and Bobby age 8. They share the typical bond between brothers: “However, there was one part of brotherhood I took seriously. In fact, it was the privilege of all big brothers. Nobody could do serious damage to my little brother except me.” So when it comes down to the school bully, Teddy feels he must protect his little brother. However, it’s Bobby who manages to find a way to outsmart the bully known as “Arnie-zilla.” The boys learn that it takes bugs and brains to ward off the bully and in the process they also learn what it is that makes Arnie so mean. “I [Teddy] wondered what it would be like with no father and almost no mother. He had no one to get rid of the bugs like our parents did. Or protect us. If I grew up on my own, I guess I’d have to be pretty tough, too.”

Critical Analysis:
When portraying the Asian American culture in children’s literature, there are very few authors who can write as seamlessly as Laurence Yep. From Yep’s realistic fiction novels, like Cockroach Cooties, to his fantasy novels, he is able to share a story without overloading it with cultural markers yet the reader still grasps the ways of many Chinese Americans. Perhaps it’s because he is writing from within his own culture and has lived the journey of many of his characters.

In Yep’s short novel Cockroach Cooties there are cultural markers present; however, the reader must pay close attention to notice them because they are embedded so fluently into the story. Yep does not describe the physical appearance of the characters or portray religious practices, but he does depict the surroundings. For example, as Yep describes the setting the reader can visualize Chinatown and its very crowded environment. “… the sun was shining. It hardly ever made it past all the buildings in Chinatown. So I just stood there and soaked up the warmth.” There are also references to the Chinese American foods as the boys walk through the streets of Chinatown. “There were always plenty of fresh vegetables and meat and fish and fruit.”

Furthermore, Yep infuses Chinese culture through the boys’ school lessons. The school that the boys attended provides one hour of Chinese each day, in which the students learn about their Chinese heritage, including the government and the language. Many of the sub-characters names seem to lend themselves to Asian descent as well, including the landlord Mr. Wong and the teachers Miss Lee and Mr. Chin.

Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
“Set in the Chinatown section of San Francisco, this modern-day tale is about two brothers, eight and nine, previously featured in Later, Gator (Hyperion, 1995). Teddy, the older child, narrates. Bobby feels responsible for getting Teddy involved with a treacherous bully at school, so he devises a plan to scare the fiend with a cockroach that he obtains from "The Bug Lady," a neighbor studying entomology. The plan is effective until the roach meets with an unfortunate end, but Bobby has a new secret plan that brings Arnie to his knees. Eventually, they realize that his tough attitude is a result of uncaring parents and a difficult home life, and a tentative friendship is formed.”

Publishers Weekly
"There are two kinds of people in this world--the bullies and the victims," Teddy tells his younger brother, Bobby; the two have just incurred the wrath of their schoolmate Arnie, better known as Arnie-zilla. "Guess which bunch we belong to?" However, the boys inadvertently discover that the bully is afraid of cockroaches, and the tables turn. Bobby promptly adopts a critter, which he names Hercules, and introduces Teddy to their eccentric neighbor, the Bug Lady, with whom Bobby has long shared a passion for all things creepy-crawly. Brains win out over brawn as Bobby uses cookies with a mystery ingredient to trick Arnie into a peace treaty--and compassion wins out over vengeance, as the brothers discover that Arnie is more to be pitied than feared.”

Connections:
Author Interview:
http://www.readingrockets.org/books/interviews/yep

Other Books by Laurence Yep:
Dragonwings, ISBN 9780064400855
The Earth Dragon Awakes, ISBN 9780060008468
Hiroshima, ISBN 9780590208338
Later, Gator, ISBN 9780786800599
Skunk Scout, ISBN 9780786806706
The Tiger’s Apprentice, ISBN 9780060010157


Classroom or Library Activities:
Visit these websites for Lesson Ideas Against Bullying
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson191.shtml
http://www.goodcharacter.com/GROARK/Bullying.html
http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/8493.aspx
http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=377

Asian American Literature for Children: Lensey Namioka, YANG THE YOUNGEST AND HIS TERRIBLE EAR

Bibliography:
Namioka, Lensey. 1992. Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear. New York: Random House, Inc. ISBN: 9780329588786

Summary:
Lensey Namioka shares the story of a newly immigrated Chinese family in her novel, Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear. Yingtao, the youngest Yang, born into a family of musicians tries to convince his family that he does not have an ear for music but instead has other talents. However, his father insists that he continue to practice and partake in the family’s music recital.

Critical Analysis:
Lensey Namioka knows what it’s like to move to a new country at a young age (She moved from China to the United States at the age of nine.); and therefore, is able to flawlessly write stories like Yang the Youngest and the Terrible Ear and share the experiences from an insider’s perspective. Readers will be able to endure the challenges of learning a new language and new culture through the eyes of Yingtao and the rest of the Yang family; a story portraying Chinese immigrants adjusting to a new way of life in the United States.

Cultural characteristics are interspersed throughout the book depicting the Yang’s Chinese heritage. One of the most obvious cultural markers is the names of the Yang family in which Namioka describes at the beginning of the story: “I’m the youngest in our Yang family of four children. According to our Chinese custom, I’m not allowed to call my elder brother and my two sisters by their given names. Instead, I have to address them as Eldest Brother, Second Sister, and Third Sister. They call me Fourth Brother.” Namioka also addresses the family’s adjustment to American names, “Hi, my name is Mary,’ interrupted Third Sister. I stared at her. I didn’t even know she had an American name. She must have picked it without telling the rest of the family. Maybe she felt it would be easier for her new friends to remember.”

Other cultural markers present in the story that demonstrate an immigrant family adapting to an American lifestyle include the Yang family learning the English language (Third Sister kept a notebook on which she wrote English words and phrases.), differences in foods and customs, as well as differences in living arrangements (“In China, all four of us had to share one bedroom. We ate our meals in the living room, and that’s where my parents slept at night. At least we were lucky and had our own kitchen.”). Furthermore, Yingtao (or Fourth Brother) learned additional American customs by learning to play baseball with his newfound friend Matthew and shared his family’s culture through their musical talents. While there are many cultural markers that depict a Chinese American family immigrating to America, it is not only a book for American immigrants to enjoy but any reader who can appreciate a humorous story about friendship and light family matters will enjoy the book as well.

Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
"... Joining Matthew at practice, Yingtao discovers he's a natural athlete. Namioka uses their growing friendship to explore cultural differences and the problems of adjustment to a new society with a light but sure touch. Warm, humorous black-and-white sketches illuminate each character with casual, but astute, perception. Simpler and less incisive than Bette Bao Lord's In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson (HarperCollins, 1984), which is set in an earlier era, this multicultural music and sports story will have a broad appeal for young readers."

Horn Book
“Namioka explores issues of diversity, self-realization, friendship, and duty with sensitivity and a great deal of humor.”

Connections:
Author Website:
http://www.lensey.com/home.html

Other Books by Lensey Namioka:
PICTURE BOOKS:
The Hungriest Boy in the World, ISBN 9780823415427
The Laziest Boy in the World, ISBN 9780823413300
The Loyal Cat, ISBN 9780152000929

THE YANG FAMILY SERIES:
Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family, ISBN 9780440412311
Yang the Second and Her Secret Admirers, ISBN 9780316597319
Yang the Eldest and His Odd Jobs, ISBN 9780316590112

Classroom or Library Activities:
Literature Comparison:
In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord, ISBN 9780064401753
After reading both books, students and teacher/librarian can compare and contrast the two stories. Teacher/librarian can lead discussion about how baseball helped both main characters learn to speak English.

Asian American Literature for Children: Allen Say, GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY

Bibliography:
Say, Allen. 1993. Grandfather’s Journey. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 9780547076805

Summary:
In this picture book, Allen Say combines his soft water color palette with his concise words to depict a story of a Japanese American man as he recalls his grandfather’s journey from Japan to America. “Of all the places he visited, he liked California best. He loved the strong sunlight there, the Sierra Mountains, the lonely seacoast.” Eventually, the grandfather returns to his native land in Japan. The narrator, who was born in Japan, also makes the journey to America. “After a time, I came to love the land my grandfather had loved, and I stayed on and on until I had a daughter of my own.”

Critical Analysis:
Allen Say uses his artistic talents to portray an immigration story. One could almost infer the entire story through Say’s simplistic yet powerful pictures. The pictures alone portray a man traveling from one side of the world to the other. The story begins with a man wearing traditional Japanese clothing on one page, then wearing a hat, tie, and trench coat in the next picture as he stands on a ship. The backgrounds in the pictures depict scenery from the mountains and ocean-sides of the United States, as well as the mountains and villages in Japan. These images demonstrate the differences and similarities in Japan and the United States.

However, Say’s text strengthens the story line as he describes the history of his family moving to (“The more he traveled, the more he longed to see new places, and never thought of returning home.”) and from America (“Finally, when his daughter was nearly grown, he could wait no more. He took his family and returned to his homeland.”). Throughout the story the reader understands, based on text and images, that migrating to a new country takes courage and, in this case, desire. However, it is also evident that one never forgets where he came from. “But I also miss the mountains and rivers of my childhood. I miss my old friends. So I return now and then, when I can not still the longing in my heart.”

While Grandfather’s Journey is a story of immigration from Japan to the United States, there are not many cultural markers in the text that portray the Japanese culture. The text does however follow a very sequential order like many other Asian American stories and lacks a strong problem and resolution that is typical in most Western literature. Furthermore, there are only a few cultural markers in the pictures that connect the book to Japan: the small, dark eyes on each of the faces, dark-smooth hair, robe-like clothes and wooden flip-flops. There is one particular picture of the grandfather in Japan that does reflect the Japanese culture rather vividly: He is sitting on the floor wearing Japanese clothing, legs and arms crossed, with a small tea pot next to him, bamboo-like shades hanging in the windows, and paved stones outside near a man-made pond. This image clearly depicts the Japanese culture.


Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
“A personal history of three generations of the author's family that points out the emotions that are common to the immigrant experience. Splendid, photoreal watercolors have the look of formal family portraits or candid snapshots, all set against idyllic landscapes in Japan and in the U.S.”

Horn Book
“Say's grandfather travels throughout North America as a young man but, unable to forget his homeland, returns to Japan with his family, where the author is born. Say now lives in California and returns to his native land from time to time. "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other. I think I know my grandfather now." The immigrant experience has rarely been so poignantly evoked as it is in this direct, lyrical narrative, accompanied by soft-toned watercolors.”

Connections:
Author Website:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/

Other Books by Allen Say:
The Bicycle Man, ISBN: 9780395506523
Emma’s Rug, ISBN: 9780618335237
Erika-San, ISBN: 9780618889334
How My Parents Learned to Eat, ISBN: 9780395442357
The Lost Lake, ISBN: 9780395630365
Stranger in the Mirror, ISBN: 9780395938836
Tea with Milk, ISBN: 9780547237473

Classroom or Library Activities:
Origami boats:
Students can learn and create an origami boat, like the one on the title page. Then, the teacher or librarian can display a world map and students can “float” their boats from Japan to California on the map. Students can then recreate a map and illustrate the path traveled.

Native American Literature for Children: Cynthia Leitich Smith, INDIAN SHOES

Bibliography:
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2002. Indian Shoes. New York: Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN: 9780060295318

Summary:
In Cynthia Leitich Smith’s short novel, Indian Shoes, Ray Halfmoon and Grampa Halfmoon share many heartwarming moments together. The two characters depict a contemporary lifestyle for Seminole-Cherokees. From taking care of neighbors’ pets during the Christmas holidays to playing in a youth baseball game, Grampa and Ray Halfmoon are there for each other.

Critical Analysis:
Ray and Grampa Halfmoon’s life is perfectly portrayed in such a way, by author Cynthia Leitich Smith, which children from all cultures can relate to the mild trials and simple moments of glory. While Ray Halfmoon is Seminole-Cherokee, his life is parallel to any other young boy growing up in today’s modern society. Adding a modern aspect to the characters’ American Indian ancestry makes Indian Shoes an authentic representation of contemporary fiction by a Native author.

Other than the Native author and the characters’ Native American heritage, there are other cultural markers that deem this book as an authentic Native American literature piece. For starters, the characters’ names, particularly the last name “Halfmoon,” note the American Indian heritage. Also, Grampa tells of his family living in Oklahoma, one of the most popular states in which Natives reside in today. Images by Jim Madsen throughout the story depict Grampa Halfmoon with a long ponytail, a physical trait linking the character to his Native ancestry.

Furthermore, the Seminole moccasins, that Ray traded his hightops for in order to get the moccasins as a gift for Grampa, also link the contemporary story to the Native past; hence the book's title. There are also other characters with different Native American ancestry mentioned in the chapter “Don’t Forget the Pants!” Jonah, the Groom from Polish-Menominee from Chicago, was marrying Nancy Lee, a Choctaw girl from Oklahoma and a friend to Ray and Grampa. In the “Night Fishing” chapter Ray is described with “a Cherokee Seven Clans quilt wrapped him cozy and safe.” It is these simple cultural representations that portray the story as an authentic Native American literary work, proving that a book does not have to be oozing with cultural markers to make it authentic.

Reviews from the Experts:
School Library Journal
“Smith adds her voice to the precious few authors portraying realistic contemporary life for Indian children. Although she tells little of his background, the author uses six vignette chapters to introduce Ray, an affable mixed-blood Cherokee-Seminole boy living in Chicago with his Grampa Halfmoon. … There are no mystical nature spirits or cathartic history lessons, only the everyday challenges common to any contemporary kid, as experienced by an Indian boy who is firmly grounded in his own family's heritage. With its unadorned portrayal of urban Indian life, Shoes is a good book for any elementary-aged reluctant reader, and a necessity for indigenous children everywhere.”

Kirkus Reviews
“… Ray and Grampa have a warm and loving intergenerational bond that's an added treat. With a nod toward contemporary Native Americans, Grampa tells Cherokee and Seminole family stories, and when Ray gets to be in a wedding party, the groom is Polish-Menominee and his bride is Choctaw. An excellent choice for younger readers from the author of the bittersweet Rain Is Not My Indian Name (2001).”

Connections:
Author Website:
http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/

Other Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:
Eternal, ISBN 9780763635732
Jingle Dancer, ISBN 9780688162429
Rain Is Not My Indian Name, ISBN 9780739380185
Santa Knows, ISBN 9780525477570
Tantalize, ISBN 9780763627911

Classroom or Library Activities:
Book Extension Activity:
Students can create a new chapter to add to the book depicting Ray and Grampa Halfmoon in a new situation. The teacher or librarian should brainstorm with the class prior to writing to ensure that students continue with an authentic contemporary portrayal of the Native Americans.