Tornado Brain by Cat Patrick

Bibliography 

Patrick, C. (2021). Tornado Brain. Puffin Books. 

Plot Summary

Frankie is just like any other thirteen year old, except her doctors call her “neurodivergent”. She hates change, being touched, and loud noises, and is easily distracted. She hates having to take medicine and go to therapy, when no one else, like her Twin sister Tess, has to. She just wants to be “normal”. When her former friend goes missing, Frankie is determined to find her before it’s too late. 

Critical Analysis

Frankie’s struggles of being neurodivergent are shown through the first person narration throughout the books. For example, she shares that she struggles to control her emotions, knowing social cues like when to end a conversation, and she has had to take medication that makes her sleepy or foggy. Much of the story’s plot centers around Frankie trying to find out where her missing former friend is. Throughout the book, it is revealed that the reason Frankie and Collette had a falling out was that Frankie overheard Collette sharing her secrets of having to take tests in a small group and not standing up for her when another girl called Frankie “Tornado Brain”. When Collette goes missing, their falling out does stop Frankie from worrying and searching for her. Unfortunately, people do not seem to be listening to her as she starts finding clues, mentioning often that people thing she is just imagining things and not taking her seriously. In the end, it is Frankie who figures out where Collette is. 

This is a great story to expose children to neurodivergence and create empathy or be a mirror for those with similar diagnoses. However, something to be cautious of is Frankie’s decision in the book to stop taking her medication without her mom or doctors knowing which is not ever addressed seriously. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

From Kirkus Reviews: “Frankie’s first-person narration is spot-on as she describes her feelings about her attention-deficit and sensory-processing disorders and her Asperger’s syndrome as well as her distaste for the medications that impair her thinking. Her confusion with her own unexpected emotions as she falls for skateboarder Kai—who’s just as smitten with her—is poignant. Although all doesn’t end well, this moving account of Frankie’s emerging maturity—with extra challenges—is perfect. Colette, Frankie, and Frankie’s family seem to be white; it’s suggested that Kai is a boy of color. An intriguing mystery embedded within a richly insightful coming-of-age story.”

From School Library Journal: “Not only is it a good selection for mystery buffs, but its greatest strength is in helping listeners, both adult and young, develop empathy with anyone who is neurodiverse.”

Connections

Enjoy this free resource on resilience to accompany the book https://storage.googleapis.com/classroom-portal-production/uploads/2020/04/f14324cb-building-resilience-with-tornado-brain.pdf 

Stepping Stones: A Refugee Family's Journey by Margaret Ruurs

Bibliography

Ruurs, M., & Badr, N. A. (2016). Stepping stones: a refugee family's journey. Orca. 

Plot Summary

A young Syrian girl is forced to escape her homeland after a bombing near her home. 

Critical Analysis

This lovely and moving picture book starts by describing a typical morning for Rama, a young Syrian. She wakes up to the sound of a rooster to a breakfast of “bread, yogurt, juicy red tomatoes”. The book speaks of children playing, Papas telling stories, and drinking tea with neighbors. Everything is spoken about in the past tense, which lets the readers know that something has happened that this is no longer her life, “But that was then. And This is now.” The book then follows Rama and her family taking a journey to find “a place to be free, to live and laugh, to love again. In search of a place where bombs did not fall, where people did not die on their way to the market” after bombs fall close to their home.  

This book is written in both English and Arabic and features illustrations made of rocks. The rocks are all different shades of brown, tan, and gray. They show movement and emotion even though there are no faces. Particularly striking are the illustrations of the refugees walking carrying all their life’s belongings as they make their way out of Syria and of the family on boats with those who have fallen out and drowned below.  

This story is a beautiful and compelling telling of the refugee experience, and should not be missed. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

From Kirkus Reviews: “Ruurs writes purely and warmly, with the text set in both English and Raheem’s Arabic translation on each page, of a family who become refugees. She deftly conveys the happiness of peaceful childhood, then the confusion and the fears born of war and migration, and the relief and curiosity of arriving at a new home—and the uncertainty whether it will be forever. Artist Badr still lives in his birthplace of Latakia, Syria. Lacking resources, he began using the stones he collects from the sea to depict stories of his compatriots with love and compassion. Each illustration is masterful, with Badr's placement of stones as careful as brush strokes, creating figures positioned to tell the whole story without the benefit of facial expressions: dancing, cradling, working; burdened, in danger, at peace. A foreword describes how the book came to be. An astonishing book that allows the humanity of refugees to speak louder than politics and introduces readers to one of Syria's incredible artists.”

Connections

See this useful resource on teaching about refugees from The UN Refugee Agency https://www.unhcr.org/en-us/teaching-about-refugees.html 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

 

Bibliography

Johnson, L. (2021). You should see me in a Crown. Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, a Cengage Company. 

Plot Summary

When her scholarship falls through, Liz Lighty must figure out how she is going to attend her dream school, Pennington College, and become a doctor. That’s when her brother, who suffers from sickle cell disease, suggests that Liz runs for Prom Queen. The scholarship provided will help her be able to make her dreams of Pennington come true. Liz questions this because she believes that she is too unpopular to win. On her journey to become the prom queen, she starts to fall for one of the fellow prom queen contestants.  

Critical Analysis

In her book, Leah Johnson has created a dynamic black, queer character. Liz Lightly lost her mother to the same disease that her brother has, sickle cell, and both children are being raised by their grandparents. Liz is a talented, motivated musician and student with dreams of becoming a doctor. When her music scholarship falls through, Liz is devastated, but refuses to tell her hardworking grandparents for fear that they will sell their house in order to put her through college. Her brother suggests that she run for prom queen, something that is completely out of her wheelhouse for someone that considers herself an unpopular nerd that flies under the radar. In fact, Liz describes herself as purposefully trying to blend in because of her black, queer, poor background, “when you already feel like everything about you makes you stand out, it just makes more senes to find as many ways to blend in as you can”. 

This book deals with a lot of serious issues. For example, one of the other prom queen contestants, Rachel, makes racial comments to and about Liz throughout the whole book. At every turn, she tries to tear Liz down, and uses Liz’s identity to do so. Central to the story is Liz’s feelings towards Mack, another contestant in the running for queen. While Liz has come out to her family and close friends, she is not publicly out. Liz and Macks developing relationship is kept a secret because Liz fears that if she were to be publicly out, it would hurt her chances of winning queen and therefore her chances of being able to afford Pennington. When Liz finally starts to feel like she is fitting in with the classmates she never interacted with before, Rachel creates a derogatory display that says “Liz Lights is only Queen of the Queers” at their school, outing Liz to everyone. Initially, the principal attempts to ban Liz from the race for this and makes reminders about how Liz is not allowed to bring a date of the same sex to prom. Another teacher and one of Liz’s friends steps in, threatening the principal that this move could be bad for his own public image. 

Ultimately, the story ends with Liz winning prom queen and her school supporting her identity. While it does not address larger societal changes in their midwestern town, at least in her school community, Liz feels seen and accepted. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

Stonewall Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award, Honor 2021

From School Library Journal: “Johnson's pacing is perfect as the story unwinds at dizzying speed, while attacking some tropes and celebrating others. Occasionally, life has fairy-tale endings. Readers will fall in love with this refreshing book that celebrates the beauty of individuality.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Johnson does an excellent job of portraying the anxiety and internalized self-hatred from being different in a mostly White, affluent small town. Liz and Jordan are Black; supporting characters appear White by default. The queer prom romance you didn’t know you needed.”

Connections

Check out these other LGBTQIA+ reads:

The Henna Wars by Adiba Jairgirdar, ISBN 1624149685

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, ISBN 0062820265

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta, ISBN 0062990306

Paper Son: The inspiring story of Tyrus Wong by Julie Leung

Bibliography 

Leung, J., & Sasaki, C. (2019). Paper son: The inspiring story of Tyrus Wong, immigrant and artist. Schwartz & Wade Books. ISBN 1524771872

Plot Summary

Tyrus Wong, immigrant and artist, immigrated from China with his father as a young child under a fake name to gain entry into the United States. Wong goes on to become an artist and illustrator working for companies like Disney and influencing later generations of American animators. This picture book depicts his life. 

Critical Analysis

During his lifetime, America was a place that was not open to Chinese immigration. In fact, the book references the 1919 law that existed at the time which stated that “Chinese immigrants were not allowed in the United States unless they could prove they were citizens of high status”. According to the book, many Chinese people wanted to immigrate to “Gum Saan” which meant “Gold Mountain” because of the opportunities that were available there. 

The illustrations are beautiful, colorful and draw on inspiration from the Tyrus Wong according to the illustrators note. Simple, colorful landscapes with more detailed people mirror some of Tyrus Wong’s novel work in Bambi. They depict Chinese values of family, working hard, and the scary process of immigration. For example, one illustration shows a child-age Wong as he is being interviewed by three large, stern-faced men. The illustrations show the joy that Wong found in learning and drawing, all while his father sipped tea and supported him. 

The author’s note at the end provides important biographical information that places the story in context. For example, it explains that the story is set during the Chinese Exclusion Act which prevented people from the ethnic group entering the United States.

Review Excerpts and Awards

Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature Winner, 2021

From Kirkus Reviews: “The brief narrative moves swiftly, lingering on just two key moments: Wong’s immigration and the making of Bambi. The author’s note provides more information about the Chinese Exclusion Act, the proliferation of paper sons and daughters, and additional details about and photos of Wong. Unfortunately, neither text nor backmatter share contextual information about the reasons for immigration, benefits and sacrifices of immigration, or the racial prejudice Wong faced both personally and professionally.”

From School Library Journal: “The story concentrates on Lee's feelings about traveling alone to America, staying on Angel Island, and navigating the questioning. Failure would mean deportation, giving up the chance to help his grandparents, and losing the money his family paid. Large-scale illustrations, full-page and two-page bleeds, realistically portray the time and place and will help young readers with context.”

Connections

Have students compare Tyrus Wong’s illustrations with those of Chris Sasaki. What influences from Wong’s can be seens in Sasaki’s?

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

Bibliography 

Say, A. (2013). Grandfather's journey. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 0395570352

Plot Summary

Allen Say’s grandfather immigrated to America from Japan. He fell in love with California, and did not miss Japan until later in life. After returning to his once loved homeland, he thinks about California again.

 

Critical Analysis

The first two pages show two full page illustrations depicting Allen Say’s grandfather before and after immigrating to the United States from Japan. In one illustration he is wearing Kimono and in the other a peacoat. These large illustrations show an example of assimilation by Japanese immigrants coming to the United States. The book chronicles his experiences and lists some of the people he encountered in the United States, “he shook hands with black men and white men, with yellow men and red men.” It shows his growing love for the country, especially California. At one point after marrying and having his daughter in the United States, his grandfather decides to go back to Japan and see “the mountains and rivers of his childhood”. 

There is brief mention of the war that knowledgeable readers might infer to be World War II and leads to the grandfather being unable to return to California. Later in life, Allen Say decides to see the land that his grandfather loved so much, California. The book ends with this message about the struggles of making a home of two nations, “The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other.”

Illustrations depict the various cultures and time periods described in the story. They take up most of the pages with the minimal words in the story underneath. They depict Japanese characters with distinct facial features such as almond shaped eyes in both Japanese Kimonos and western dress depending on where they called home at the time.

 

Review Excerpts and Awards

Caldecott Winner, 1994

From Kirkus Review: “In lucid, graceful language, [Allen Say] chronicles these passages, reflecting his love of both countries—plus the expatriate's ever-present longing for home—in both simple text and exquisitely composed watercolors: scenes of his grandfather discovering his new country and returning with new appreciation to the old, and pensive portraits recalling family photos, including two evoking the war and its aftermath. Lovely, quiet—with a tenderness and warmth new to this fine illustrator's work.”

Connections

Have students look at only the pictures to start. Ask what they notice about the characters. What do they believe is happening in the story. Read the words together next. What have they learned after reading the words?

Have students make a map of grandfather’s journey.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Bibliography 

Lin, G. (2020). Where the mountain meets the Moon. Thorndike Press, a part of Gale, a Cengage Company. ISBN 0316038636

Plot Summary

Minli and her family work hard every day in the rice fields to make ends meet. Each night, Minli’s father tells her enchanting stories of how things came to be. To her mother’s displeasure, Minli is fascinated with these stories, and believes them to be true. She sets out to change the family’s fortune by going to find where the mountain meets the moon. She meets characters along the way like a dragon who cannot fly, and faces obstacles like greedy monkeys. Will Minli safely find her way home and help her family? 

Critical Analysis

Set in a village by the Jade river, the book's main characters are poor farmers who struggle to put food on the table despite how hard they work. They include “Ma” and “Ba” and their daughter, Minli. The characters are described as having distinct physical features such as Minli’s “black hair with pink cheeks”. Animals throughout the story talk like Minili’s goldfish and the dragon who can’t fly. The story’s lessons reflect important cultural values such as hospitality, obedience, honor, and fate. For example, Minli struggles with her decision to leave her family for her journey knowing that it would likely be against their wishes. She signs her note “you obedient daughter” to affirm that despite her leaving, she is doing it for the family and is not intending to be disobedient. Another important lesson in the book that is addressed is greed. At one point, Minli and her dragon companion are trying to get past monkeys that guard peach trees. Minli devises a trap with rice. When the monkeys put their hands in to get the rice, they can’t pull them back out with rice in their hands. Instead of dropping the rice, the greedy monkeys stay stuck in the trap. 

Also included in the book are various illustrations. They are colorful images that stick to royal, jewel tones. They depict traditionally dressed people and beautiful landscapes. Images of importance are created through the words as well. For example, the dragon is described as “brilliant red, the color of the lucky lantern, with emerald-green whiskers, horns, and a dull stone-colored ball like the moon on his head”. 

This book represents a more historical, traditional perspective on Chinese people and includes characters from Chinese folk tales, so it would be good to balance out this book with other more current representations of people. However, the stories show the values of the culture that still remain important today. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

Newberry Honor, 2010

From Kirkus Reviews: “Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk- and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli’s quest. With her “lively and impulsive spirit,” Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey. Richly hued illustrations reinforce the Chinese folk theme.”

From School Library Journal: “Interwoven throughout Minli's travels are tales whose characters and themes have been drawn from Chinese folklore. These stories help guide the journey and transform events in very believable ways.”

Connections

Have students research one of the Chinese folklore characters from the book. 

Each of the shorter stories within the book are great for teaching theme

Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard

Bibliography

Maillard, K. N., & Martinez-Neal, J. (2019). Fry Bread: A Native American family story. Roaring Brook Press. 

Plot Summary

In this poetic book, author Kevin Noble Mallard tells about the creation and meaning of fry bread. Accompanying the words are beautiful illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal. 

Critical Analysis

Maillard describes the variety of ways that this traditional fry bread can be made with “Perhaps milk, maybe sugar” and “flat like a pancake” or “round like a ball”, “Golden brown, tan, or yellow” or “Deep like coffee, sienna, or earth”. It can be served with “beans or soup”, “tacos, cheese, and vegetables”, or “honey and jam”. It can be eaten at many times including “Powwows and festivals”, and it is made in many places, “Alaska, Kansas, all the way to Maine”, by many nations, “Narragansett, Navajo, Nipmuc”. The story ends with the characters coming together and the words “FRY BREAD IS US”. Even though it is a book about Fry Bread, it’s a book about the diversity of Native American people, and about what connects them: community and love.

The illustrations by Juana Martinez-Neal bring life to the words and feature a multitude of Native American characters with a variety of skin colors, hair colors and textures, and distinctive features, but all with expressions of joy as they participate in the traditional making of fry bread. Characters include those with dark curly hair, red hair, straight blonde hair, dark braided hair, and more. Their facial features show the variety seen in Native American people of various tribal associations and descent. 

The book includes a complete recipe in the back that readers can use to make the traditional Native American fry bread. Also included in the book is a list of the hundreds of individual Native American tribes. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2020 Honor

From Kirkus Reviews: “Broken down into headings that celebrate what fry bread is, this story reaches readers both young and old thanks to the author's note at the back of the book that dives into the social ways, food ways, and politics of America's 573 recognized tribes. Through this topic that includes the diversity of so many Native peoples in a single story, Maillard (Mekusukey Seminole) promotes unity and familiarity among nations. Fry bread is much more than food, as this book amply demonstrates.”

From School Library Journal: “This warm and charming book shows and affirms Native lives. The informational text and expressive drawings give it broad appeal, making it a first purchase for all libraries.”

Connections

Use Kevin’s Fry Bread recipe at the back to make fry bread!

Research one of the individual tribes mentioned in the story. What can you learn about their history, traditions, current trends, etc.?

How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle

Bibliography

Tingle, T. (2017). How I became a ghost: A choctaw trail of tears story. CNIB. 

Plot Summary

Isaac, a ten year old Choctaw, and his family must leave their home. He begins seeing ghosts of Choctaw neighbors and people who have passed away from diseases and fires. His family and the rest of the Choctaw people are making their way from their homes to Oklahoma, where the Nahullos, or white people, have forced them to move. Along the way, the dangers that the ghosts have pre-warned Isaac about become reality. 

Critical Analysis

In this historical fiction book, author Tim Tingle tells the story of the Choctaw Trail of Tears through a ten year old boy. The narrator retells the story from the moment that his tribe is forced to make a treaty with the white settlers who are forcing them out of their homes. Shortly after, Isaac starts seeing ghosts that reveal the way his neighbors will die, and let him know that he too will die soon. This book includes elements of Choctaw spirituality with ghosts/spirits, shapeshifting people, and ceremonial events as the Choctaw people say goodbye to their homes. The ties of family and community are strong as they travel the trail of tears together. For example, Isaac must save another character, and afterwards he says, “Our deeds touch not only the living. We did more than save Naomi today. We made our people proud. That is the highest honor a Choctaw can ever earn, to make the ancestors proud.” Though this story is about the tragic and horrific experience of the Choctaw people during the forcible removal from their home, it speaks to the strength and hope of the Choctaw people. 

Full of ghosts, suspense, and historical fact, this book is a great read for middle grade readers!

Review Excerpts and Awards

American Indian Youth Literature Award, Winner 2014

From Kirkus Review: “Storyteller Tingle's tale unfolds in Isaac's conversational voice; readers "hear" his story with comforting clarity and are plunged into the Choctaw belief system, so they can begin to understand it from the inside out. The beginning of a trilogy, this tale is valuable for both its recounting of a historical tragedy and its immersive Choctaw perspective.”

Connections

See this author interview: https://youtu.be/EoGoRLA3Il0 

See these resources for teaching more of the historical context of the book: https://americanindian.si.edu/nk360/resources/The-Trail-of-Tears-A-Story-of-Cherokee-Removal

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac

Bibliography

Bruchac, J. (2006). Code talker: A novel about the Navajo Marines of World War Two. Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. 

Plot Summary

Based on real events during World War II, Ned Begay tells the story of how he and his comrades served in the military as the Navajo Code Talkers. From their Navajo language, once unvalued and shamed, they created and used a code to send important messages to and from military leaders during World War II. 

Critical Analysis

Written as an oral storytelling by a Grandfather to his grandchildren, the structure of Code Talker is unique. Each chapter occurs as a story told. While the stories sometimes stray from chronological order, mentioning things from the present time or jumping to later parts of the story, each chapter moves in chronological order. As the narrator states in the book, “a story is better if you have to wait a little bit for it to be spun out”. 

The characters include Navajo people, white people, or bilagáanaas, and people from the variety of places that the Navajo code talkers traveled to during WWII. In the beginning of the book, the main character and storyteller, Ned Begay, is sent to boarding school where he is forced to change his name, cut his hair, stop speaking his Navajo language, and assimilate into white culture. Teachers would make comments such as “Neddie, you are almost as bright as a little white child”. Customary signs of respect for Navajos such as looking down when an elder is speaking to you were seen as disrespectful and quickly punished, and speaking Navajo language at any time was unacceptable. Despite this experience, years down the line, Ned Begay was enthusiastic about joining the military and fighting for the land on which he grew up. Although he was not old enough to legally join the army, Ned enlisted with the support of his parents, a “blessingway”, a protection ceremony, is performed by people in his family and community, and his service begins. After finishing boot camp, where all of the Navajo enlistees train with more ease and resilience than their white counterparts, Ned is sent with many of his fellow Navajo marines to begin training as a code talker. The book describes the process of learning and then using this Navajo code to send secret messages through the military that the Japanese cannot decipher. Ned enjoys the importance of his task and the fact that it uses the language he loves. What was once punished at boarding school is integral to the success of the U.S. military. Even after noble service to the country, Ned still experiences racism unconsciously from his friends, like the one who calls him “chief”, and the conscious and purposeful exclusion and hate from people in civilian society as well. 

This book is an incredible historical account of the Navajo code talkers as well as a story with characters to fall in love with. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

From School Library Journal: “In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac assumes the persona of a Navajo grandfather telling his grandchildren about his World War II experiences...Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture of young men in wartime, island hopping across the Pacific, waging war in the hells of Guadalcanal, Bougainville, and Iwo Jima.”

From Kirkus Review: “Telling his story to his grandchildren, Ned relates his experiences in school, military training, and across the Pacific, on Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Guam, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience.”

Connections

Watch this interview with author Joseph Bruchac https://www.scholastic.com/teacher/videos/teacher-videos.htm#3193529731001/1688365625 

See the Native 360 Smithsonian resources including these images of Navajo artifacts https://americanindian.si.edu/collections-search/search?edan_q=code+talkers

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales

Bibliography

Morales, Y., & Sananes, A. (2019). Dreamers. Findaway World, LLC. ISBN 0823440559

Plot Summary

A mother and son leave their home of Mexico to journey to the United States. When they arrive, they discover a place, “Suspicious. Improbably. Unbelievable. Surprising.” It’s a place full of stories, the public library. It’s based on the actual journey that author Yuyi Morales made with her son. This story celebrates stories, love, and home in beautiful words and beautiful illustrations.  

Critical Analysis

Dreamers is the immigration story of a mother and her child. When they first leave the home they love, they are uncertain. The customs of this new place seem strange. There are moments where the characters unknowingly step outside these norms, such as when an illustration in the book features the characters swimming in a public fountain. Some illustrations show how some people purposefully make them feel unwelcome, like one that readers “speak English” in the clouds in the sky of an illustration of a cityscape. The illustrations include many intricate and colorful scenes like the one previously mentioned, but the characters are simple and faceless, as if they could be anyone with a similar story. 

The bulk of the story revolves around a discovery that the characters make in their new home, the public library. While initially unsure of it, the library becomes the place where they discover books of all kinds. In the detailed illustrations, one can see many hispanic books featured in the library’s displays, a nod to the importance of having books that honor the cultures of its patrons. In words the author states, “Books became our language. Books became our home. Books became our lives. We learned to read, to speak, to write, and to make our voices be heard.” 

The back of the book features a note from the author telling her story in prose. She describes the journey from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas that she and her two year old son made, and how libraries changed their lives. At the end, she lives readers with this message, “Now I have told you my story. What’s yours?”. This book is sure to delight for its words, for its pictures, and for its message of hope and books. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

Tomás Rivera Book Award, 2019

Pura Belpré Award, Illustrator Winner 2019

From School Library Journal: “This excellent memoir encapsulates the fears, hopes, and dreams that come along with immigrating to a new place and building a new life in an unfamiliar and often hostile landscape. A timely and much-needed selection.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Based on her experience of leaving Mexico for the United States, Morales’ latest offers an immigrant’s tale steeped in hope, dreams, and love.... No word is unnecessary, each a deliberate steppingstone onto the next...A resplendent masterpiece.”

Connections

See this great resource from the Anti Defamation League for activities: https://www.adl.org/media/12244/download

Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl's Courage Changed Music by Margarita Engle

Bibliography

Engle, M. (2019). Drum dream girl: how one girl's courage changed music. Findaway World, LLC. ISBN 0544102290

Plot Summary

Girls can’t be drummers. It’s been the rule for as long as anyone can remember. That is, until the drum dream girl. She loved to play her drums, and she was good too. She had to keep her drums a secret until the day when her music was heard, and people decided that anyone should be able to play the drums. Inspired by the real life story of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, Drum Girl Dream will inspire readers to follow their dreams no matter what people say.  

Critical Analysis

Based on the real life story of Milo Castro Zaldarriaga, this book inspires anyone, but especially girls, to follow their dreams no matter who says they should not. Based in the Cuba, or as it is called in the book “an island of music in a city of drumbeats”, this story features beautiful descriptions of a lively, musical, community, with “outdoor cafés that looked like gardens”, “wind-wavy palm trees in a flower-bright park”, and carnivals. These illustrations are equally as colorful and whimsical featuring bright, folk-art style images. As she moves around the city, communities of people including those of African, Chinese, Taino and Spanish descent are featured in this Chinese-African-Cuban girl’s story. While this story is about one girl’s dream, men throughout the story, including her father, are featured saying that only boys should play drums with stern, authoritative expressions on their faces. Her father relents and hires a teacher for the girl. She plays well, and learns so much more; and in the end, her community decides “that girls should be allowed to play drums and bother girls and boys should feel free to dream”.  

This is a beautiful read about a unique culture with a message that will inspire. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

Pura Belpré Award, Illustrator Winner 2016

From School Library Journal: “Engle's spare, rhythmic text gets at the heart of the struggle to achieve a dream in this picture-book biography about a Chinese African Cuban girl who aspired to play drums even when society's double standards stood as a barrier.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “The rhythmic text tells Millo's story and its significance in minimal words, with a lyricism that is sure to engage both young children and older readers. López's illustrations are every bit as poetic as the narrative, a color-saturated dreamscape that Millo dances within, pounding and tapping her drums. Though it's not explicit in the text, her mixed Chinese-African-Cuban descent is hinted at in the motifs Lopez includes. A beautiful account of a young girl's bravery and her important contribution toward gender equality in the creative arts…”

Connections

Have older students explore the topic of gender roles. Consider reading Bad Boy by Walter Dean Meyers, and have students list things that both girls and boys “can’t do” according to the society within which they live. 

Play Cuban music, let students dance. If possible, invite Cuban Musicians to visit in person or virtually. 

Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

Bibliography

Acevedo, E. (2020). Clap when you land. HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0062882767

Plot Summary

Camino lives in the Dominican Republic with her aunt. She sees her father a few months out of the year. Yahaira lives in New York City with her mother and her father. Her father spends three months in the Dominican Republic, where he is from, each year. When a plane from New York crashes on its journey to the Dominican Republic, both girls’ worlds are shattered. Not only have they lost their father, but they discover that he has two families, they have a sister in each other, and life will never be the same. This novel in verse by Elizabeth Acevedo, inspired by the real plane crash in 2001, is sure to stay with readers long after the last pages. 

Critical Analysis

Clap When You Land includes the perspective of both Camino, a Dominican teenager who, with the financial support of her father, is able to pursue opportunities that many in her community can not. She attends school, is kept safe from a man in the neighborhood who has questionable dealings, and dreams of one day moving to New York to become a doctor. Her aunt, whom she lives with, practices as a healer in her community, and Camino assists her. At one point, they help deliver Camino’s friend’s baby when she gives birth in the middle of the night, or “dando a luz”, as it is called. Camino’s aunt is often seen burning incense, praying to the saints. She prepares dishes such as stewed goat. Camino describes their home as a place where “the street doesn’t have sidewalks”, “water rises to the tile floors of your home”, and a place where people learn “the language of survival”. 

Yahaira, a first generation Dominican American, lives a very different life with her mother. She lives in a New York apartment and is an excellent chess player. Her girlfriend, Dre, lives next door and grows plants on her balcony. She attends school like everyone else in her community, and does not live in want. She is learning what her identity is as a Dominican-American who was “raised so damn Dominican. Spanish my first language, bachata a reminder of the power of my body, plátano & salami for years…” Yet she asks herself “Can you be from a place you have never been?”

Throughout the story, family is treasured including those who are related by blood, and those of the community that become family. The lessons learned by the characters show how important those ties are. It highlights the strength and struggles of womanhood too from which readers of many different backgrounds can relate. The writing is beautiful and full of metaphors that bring life to the characters and situations both good and bad. For instance, the character Camino states, “He must have realized his laugh was like one of those paper shredders making sad confetti of my hopes”. Or Yahira who states, “A queen offers her hand to be kissed, & can form it into a fist while smiling the whole damn time.” There are Spanish phrases woven beautifully throughout as well. Most readers will be able to determine the meaning of these through context, and it adds a rich authenticity to the stories of Camino and Yahira. This novel in verse is perfect for both YA and adult readers who love great stories. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

From Publisher’s Weekly: “Returning to verse, Acevedo subtly, skillfully uses language and rhythm to give voice to the sisters' grief, anger, and uncertainty; Camino's introspective openness; and Yahaira's tendency toward order and leadership. Raw and emotional, Acevedo's exploration of loss packs an effective double punch, unraveling the aftermath of losing a parent alongside the realities of familial inheritance.”

From Kirkus Reviews: “Every line is laced with betrayal and longing as the teens struggle with loving someone despite his imperfections. A standing ovation.“

Connections

Check out Elizabeth Acevedo’s other novels: 

• Acevedo, E. (2020). The poet x. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0062662805
  
• Acevedo, E. (2021). With the fire on high. Harpercollins Children's Books. ISBN 006266283X
  

Have students research the plane crash that inspired this story. They can find connections to the book or share stories they learned of when researching. 

Share readings from the author: https://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=18893