Author: Sandra L. Pinkney
Illustrator: Myles C. Pinkney
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 28



Summary
Several quick facts about the Latino culture using the five senses.

Illustrations
The photographs are colorful and apply to the text. They help to define what the text is talking about without overpowering the text.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was simplistic and informative, a great combination for a kindergarten or first grade class. There are many new words that ELL students can read and listen to and many Spanish words that English speaking children can learn how to say and what they mean. It would be a very useful tool in any classroom, especially a bilingual environment.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
7

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Arthur Dorros
Illustrator: Elisa Kleven
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Copyright: 1991
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 40



Summary
A young girl and her grandmother, who speaks mostly Spanish and a little English, love to go on adventures in the park. They imagine that they can fly and take the reader through their journey in their imaginations.

Illustrations
The illustrations are colorful and full of life. They are just as imaginative as the story itself and float and fly with the text in a way that cannot be accurately expressed in words.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was full of imagination and adventure that many readers of all ages can enjoy. The words are rich in detail and the illustrations say so much more than the words ever could. The author's use of English and Spanish is seamless and explanatory all at the same time.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
9

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Pat Mora
Illustrator: Maribel Suarez
Publisher: Rayo; HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Genre: , Multicultural and International
Pages: 24



Summary
A young girl tells about lunch time with her family in English and in Spanish.

Illustrations
The illustrations are simplistic and cartoony. They fit well with the language of the book because the book is written at a lower level. They are bright, colorful, and informative to the text.

Personal Response
I thought that this book was simplistic and an easy read. It is a great book for a student who is new to English and/or reading. Because it is written in Spanish and in English, I feel that a student with even a limited ability to read in Spanish would enjoy this short story.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
7

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Arthur Dorros
Illustrator: Rudy Gutierrez
Publisher: Rayo: HarperCollins
Copyright: 2008
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 28



Summary
A young boy and his father have an adventure in the park. While they are having fun and exploring, they talk to each other in English and Spanish about their adventures.

Illustrations
The illustrations are lively and adventurous. They are highly imaginative and fun. The create inferences for the reader as they turn the pages and see a new explosion of color confront them.

Personal Response
I enjoyed reading this short picture book. I thought that the use of the bilingual Spanish and English was seamlessly created and that even those who do not speak Spanish, like myself, can understand what is happening in the story without second guessing the words.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
8

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Arthur Dorros
Illustrator: Arthur Dorros
Publisher: HarperCollins
Copyright: 1993
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 40



Summary
Diego tells the story of his family moving from town to town and farm to farm as migrant workers. He is friends with David, another migrant worker, but because his family has to move constantly to keep up with the crops, he doesn't always get to see David. Diego describes the working conditions and the travel between towns through a child's eyes.

Illustrations
The illustrations are vivid and colorful. They are rich in detail and follow the story and elaborate on what the words say.

Personal Response
I thought that this story was a great representation of what it might be like to be a migrant worker or the child of a migrant worker. The author wrote Diego's character as an innocent witness to a difficult lifestyle. I found this story to be encouraging and inspirational. I also thought that including Spanish translations on each page was a strong additive for the story. This way, many more children will be able to enjoy and appreciate a story worth reading.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
9

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Mark Allen Stamaty
Illustrator: Mark Allen Stamaty
Publisher: Knopf, Borzoi Books
Copyright: 2004
Genre: Graphic Novel, Multicultural and International
Pages: 32



Summary
A librarian from Iraz named Alia strives to save all of the books from the library in Basra, Iraq where she works from the dangers of war. She starts by taking books home at night after she is off from work and ends up getting the entire community involved in saving the library books just before the library is set aflame.

Illustrations
The illustrations are set in a graphic novel layout. They are simple and yet rich in detail. The illustrations are the story, the words just help to build a bridge between the images.

Personal Response
Even though this is not my first encounter with Alia, I find her story truly inspiring. The first time I read about her was in a picture book. I feel that this short novel shares so much more detail about what happened to Alia and her books. There was so much information to explain in a short time and I feel that the author displayed those details expertly through his drawings and simplistic dialogue.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)
8

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Book Talk

Author: Ken Mochizuki
Illustrator: Dom Lee
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Copyright: 1993
Genre: Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 32



Summary
While living in the American Internment Camps, the Japanese Americans come together and build a baseball field to help them pass the time.

Illustrations
The illustrations start bleak, dull, dusty, and yellow like the desert. As the story progresses and hope grows in the hearts of the interned, the colors grow brighter and livelier. They illustrate the story and they also provide inferences for the reader throughout the story.

Personal Response
I have a fascination with the Japanese internment camps. This story was able to provide some information on what happened in the camps and why but kept the language and the level low so that young readers can also enjoy this story. I feel that the internment camps are an important part of our history that so few Americans know about and those who do would rather not talk about it. This story shared part of that history beautifully and in a way that was not uncomfortable for the reader.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)

9

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud

Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright: 2004
Genre: Chapter Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 246



Summary
Naomi is shy and quiet. She lives a simple life with her grandmother and her little brother and likes it that way. Naomi's world is turned upside down when her mother, who had been gone for over seven years, suddenly returns into her life and wants Naomi, just Naomi to live with her in Las Vegas.

Personal Response
This novel was a very fast-paced read. There was so much happening all the time and yet there was no confusion as to what was happening. I feel that there is a lot that students from any background can relate to, whether it is having different cultural backgrounds, mixed race families, or simply being the shy kid, there is some connection to be made with every reader. This is a book that many people will enjoy reading. The author has a unique flair for writing that was entertaining and had a pleasant flow to it.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)

9

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Book Talk

Author: Xiaolu Guo
Publisher: Doubleday
Copyright: 2007
Genre: Chapter Book, Multicultural and International
Pages: 283



Summary
Zhuang, or Z, travels to Great Britain at her parents' insistence to learn English and live a better life than they did. Soon after renting a room in a hostel, then a room from a Chinese family, she meets a mysterious man in a movie theatre. Not long after meeting, she moves into his run-down house and becomes his lover. During the year that Z lives with this man, she grows into a stronger and more independent woman than she ever imagined.

Personal Response

While I believe this book to be a work of literary art, I do not feel that it is appropriate for the classroom at any time. There is a lot of adult content that I do not find appropriate for a teacher to provide to their students. That said, I do feel that it is an important piece of literature for educators to read. It dives into the mind of an English Language Learner in ways that are unmatched by any other book I have come across. This book would be a fantastic reference for any educator or person who is curious about how someone who knows no one and does not speak the language reacts to a full immersion into Western culture. The transition from Z's choppy English in the beginning to her near flawless English by the end of the novel is only noticeable when the reader goes back and compares. This novel is truly an original work that should have its place on every reader's shelf.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)

7

Classroom Uses

Silent read for the teacher outside of class

Author:  Jon J. Muth
Illustrator:  Jon J. Muth
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Copyright:  2003
Genre:  Picture Book, Multicultural and International
Pages:  32

Summary

Three monks enter a town that has been damaged because of a battle.  The people are not friendly and do not share anything.  The monks decide to boil a stew and ask for the help of the townsfolk.  Soon, a delicious stew is created and the people open up to each other, all from three stones in the bottom of a pot of water.

Illustrations

The illustrations  in this story are vivid in color and action.  They depict what the words are saying and flow gracefully from one image to the next.

Personal Response

I have always enjoyed this story, although this is one from an entirely different part of the world than what I have formally known.  It is a story that is rich in both detail and in the lessons that it provides.  I appreciate how the story tells the reader to be bold and share with their neighbors without being preachy or overbearing.  The message in this story is subtle, but extremely powerful.

Rating (1-10, 10 being best)

10

Classroom Uses

Classroom Library
Read aloud