The Year of the Dog

Lin, Grace. 2006. The year of the dog. Ill. by Grace Lin. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316060003

Plot Summary

It is the Year of the Dog, a time for making friends and deciding what you want to be when you grow up. For Pacy, known as Grace at school, the friend part comes easily when she meets Melody, another Taiwanese American girl. Figuring out what she wants to be when she grows up is a lot harder. After a few false starts, Pacy figures it out just in time to welcome the Year of the Pig.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The Year of the Dog is the light-hearted story of a young Taiwanese American girl trying to find her place in the world. A semi-autobiographical tale, it is the story that Grace Lin “wished I had had when I was growing up”. The story is filled with a year’s worth of Chinese foods, celebrations and traditions as Pacy tries to figure out not only what she will be when she grows up, but also what it means to be both Taiwanese and American. When Pacy dreams of being Dorothy in the school production of The Wizard of Oz, her hopes are dashed when a classmate scoffs “You can’t be Dorothy, Dorothy’s not Chinese.” When Pacy meets other Taiwanese American girls at a summer camp, they call her a “Twinkie” because she does not know how to speak Taiwanese. Even her name is a contradiction, one name for when she is at home with her Taiwanese family, another for when she is at school with her American friends and teachers.

Grace Lin skillfully conveys a lot of information about Taiwanese heritage through the story. Lin includes descriptions of celebrations and foods, information about the difference, similarities and confusion between Taiwanese and Chinese, and glimpses of a childhood in Taiwan through the stories that Pacy’s mom tells. Lin also explores the differences between Taiwanese families. Melody’s mom cooks Chinese food, but it is nothing like the food that Pacy’s mom cooks. Pacy does not know how to speak Taiwanese or Chinese, while other girls take great pride in being multilingual.

Pacy’s hopes and frustrations will be familiar to readers from any culture. Whimsical line drawings with descriptive captions are scattered throughout the text and offer both humorous visuals and rich detail. An author’s note offers more biographical and historical details.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Bubbling with sparkling similes and irresistible humor, Lin's delectable narrative comes seasoned with tiny sketches and mounds of mouth-watering Chinese food.”

Horn Book Magazine: “With a light touch, Lin offers both authentic Taiwanese-American and universal childhood experiences, told from a genuine child perspective… Appealing, childlike decorative line drawings add a delightful flavor to a gentle tale full of humor.”

Kirkus Reviews: “This comfortable first-person story will be a treat for Asian-American girls looking to see themselves in their reading, but also for any reader who enjoys stories of friendship and family life.”

Connections

The story continues in:

Lin, Grace. 2008. The year of the rat. Ill. by Grace Lin. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 9780316114264

Grace Lin’s website, at www.gracelin.com, offers suggestions of related activities and photos of the real life inspirations behind some of the events portrayed in the book.

Behind the Mask

Choi, Yangsook. 2006. Behind the mask. Ill. by Yangsook Choi. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 0374305226

Plot Summary

Halloween is coming and Kimin is trying to decide what his costume will be. Kimin’s mother suggests that he look through his grandfather’s boxes of photos and Talchum (Korean mask dance) dance costumes for inspiration. Kimin is reluctant to go through the boxes because his last memory of his grandfather was frightening. Kimin braves opening the boxes and decides to honor his grandfather by going as him for Halloween. His friends think his costume idea is silly, until they see the mysterious masked dancer. When Kimin makes what he fears is a tragic mistake, he receives a precious gift that shows him how much his grandfather loved him.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Yongsook Choi blends the Korean traditional mask dance, Talchum, and Korean traditions of honoring the dead with the American Halloween traditions of wearing costumes and trick-or-treating. The colorful illustrations capture the movement of the dance, and the exaggerated features of the masks. The illustrations show culturally authentic Korean details such as the rice paper door and Korean lettering, along with American details such as a jack o’ lantern and fanciful Halloween costumes. The details of the Talchum, with more information provided in an author’s note, will interest children of all cultures, and the underlying theme of missing a deceased grandparent is universal.

Review Excerpts

Booklist: “Quiet and well crafted, the story manages some subtle emotional shifts as well as the smooth weaving of one tradition into another.”

School Library journal: “This is an evocative look at a Korean tradition and an interesting intergenerational and multicultural story for Halloween.”

Connections

There are many videos on YouTube of Talchum dances, from amateur to professional, and instructional videos for learning the dances and making the masks. Here are a couple to start with:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dcmSwgtY3E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgOjkG5xDtY

Grandfather’s Journey

Say, Allen. 1993. Grandfather’s journey. Ill. by Allen Say. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395570352

Plot Summary

A young Japanese man sails to America where he explores and falls in love with the beauty of North America. He returns to Japan to bring his wife to America and they settle in California where they raise their daughter. After many years, the man misses Japan and returns home with his family.  He often tells his grandson, who was born and raised in Japan, about America and how he hopes to see California again, but war prevents him from returning. When the grandson is grown he moves to America and comes to understand why his grandfather loved California, and why he missed Japan.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Through Grandfather’s Journey, Allen Say portrays both the enticement of exploring a new land, and the longing to return home. “The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other.” This is a bicultural story that spans generations with the grandson completing the grandfather’s journey.

The richly detailed watercolor paintings capture the variety of landscapes, villages, and cities in both America and Japan. The clothing is detailed and reflects both the time period, and the locations. The paintings have the feel of family photos that manage to capture the strangeness of wearing unfamiliar clothes, the camaraderie of new and old friends, the culture shock of coming “home” to a foreign homeland, and the desolation of a city destroyed by war.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “The brief text is simple and unaffected, but the emotions expressed are deeply complex. The paintings are astonishingly still, like the captured moments found in a family photo album.”

Horn Book Magazine: “The soft-toned watercolors have the feel of a family album... They seem to be moments taken from a life, intensely personal and at the same time giving voice to and confirming an experience shared by countless others.”

Connections

The story of Allen Say’s mother, a Japanese American who moved to Japan with her family when she was a teenager, is told in:

Say, Allen. 1999. Tea with milk. Ill. by Allen Say. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395904951

Saltypie

Tingle, Tim. 2010. Saltypie: A Choctaw journey from darkness into light. Ill. by Karen Clarkson. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9781933693675

Plot Summary

A Choctaw Indian tells about his Mamaw’s life and some of the difficulties she faced. From her childhood in an Indian boarding school, to a violent attack she suffered as a young mother, to the eye transplant that allowed her to see her grandchildren. “Saltypie” is a term coined by her son, the narrator’s father, that the family uses to shrug off troubles.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Tim Tingle’s story of his grandmother’s life reveals a modern day Choctaw Indian family shaped by the events and wisdom of the past. The story touches on the injustices the grandmother suffered, but the grandmother’s love for her family, and their love for her, is the enduring message of the story. Cultural details include the evening talking time and the importance of stopping to listen to what the silence reveals.

A author’s note fills in more details of the story and places it in the context of the forced relocation of the Choctaw people, Indian boarding schools, racial violence, and how the Choctaw people have persevered. The author’s note explicitly states his intention to contradict many of the stereotypes of Indians as skin wearing teepee dwellers. Clarkson’s illustrations support this aim, showing a family who looks like any other modern day family in terms of their dress and home. The illustrations of the gathering of the extended family show a variety of skin tones, facial features, and hair colors.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus Reviews: “A grandmother's life story centers this welcome depiction of a contemporary Choctaw family… Tingle provides a corrective view of contemporary Native American life, as his author's note reveals was his intent. Clarkson's evocative illustrations bathe each scene in a soft light that accentuates the warmth of the family's love.”

School Library journal: “Tingle tells his family's story from their origins in Oklahoma Choctaw country to their life in Texas. The account spans generations and weaves in ghosts from the past to the present day.”

Connections

Other books about Choctaw Indians by Tim Tingle:

Tingle, Tim. 2003. Walking the Choctaw road: stories from Red People memory. Ill. by Norma Howard. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9780938317746

Tingle, Tim. 2006. Crossing Bok Chitto: a Choctaw tale of friendship & freedom. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 9780938317777

Tingle, Tim. 2007. When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation. Ill. by Stacey Schuett. Atlanta, GA: August House LittleFolk. ISBN 9780874837773

Skeleton Man

Bruchac, Joseph. 2001. Skeleton man. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0060290765

Plot Summary

When Molly’s parents disappear one night, she is certain that they will be back. Even when she is placed in the care of a man claiming to be her uncle, an uncle she has never heard of, she is convinced that her parents are still alive and waiting for her to find them.  As weeks pass, Molly grows more suspicious of her “uncle” who bears eerie similarities to the Skeleton Man of Mohawk legends. In the legend, Skeleton Man ate himself and everyone else in his family, except for his brave and cunning niece.  Molly will have to rely on her own cunning, and trust in her prophetic dreams, in order to save herself and her parents from the Skeleton Man.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

In Skeleton Man, Bruchac  takes a traditional Mohawk legend and weaves it into the story of a modern heroine. In the Acknowledgments, Bruchac mentions the bravery and self-reliance of women in American Indian stories and this is a central theme of Skeleton Man. Initially, Molly does not seek help from other adults, and when she does, they are easily fooled by the wily ghoul.  Frequent references to the stories she learned from her father about her Mohawk heritage provide a framework for Molly’s decisions and actions. From his teachings, she knows to trust in her dreams, which provide the clues she needs to outwit the Skeleton Man.

Bruchac skillfully weaves modern life with ancient legend. In Molly’s dreams, she is surprised by her deerskin dress, until she realizes that she is dreaming the part of the ancient heroine of the story. The modern day Skeleton Man uses surveillance equipment and his apparent motive for capturing Molly and her parents is to gain access to the father’s banking passwords. Molly and her parents, however, know that the Skeleton Man’s motives are actually much simpler, and more sinister.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Molly's knowledge of and immersion in her Mohawk heritage is something she takes for granted, as are the wisdom and strength that come from understanding the traditional tales and listening to one's dreams...The suspense draws readers in and keeps them engaged. In the classic horror tradition, Bruchac offers a timely tale that will make hearts beat and brows sweat, and it has the bonus of a resourceful heroine to put the world right again.”

Connections

The story continues in:

Bruchac, Joseph. 2006. The return of skeleton man. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780060580902

In the story, Molly mentions that she is “the daughter of a Mohawk man who worked the high iron”. To learn more about Mohawk ironworkers, check out:

Weitzman, David. 2010. Skywalkers: Mohawk ironworkers build the city. New York: Roaring Brook Press. ISBN 9781596431621

Jingle Dancer

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2000. Jingle dancer. Ill. by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu. New York: Morrow Junior Books. ISBN 0688162428

Plot Summary

Jenna loves to watch the videotape of her Grandma Wolfe jingle dancing at a powwow and is excited when her grandma says she can dance at the next powwow. Unfortunately, there is not enough time to order the tin needed to make the jingles for Jenna’s dress. Jenna needs four rows of jingles, without them, Jenna’s dress won’t sing. The next day Jenna visits her aunt, cousin, and a neighbor and asks them each for enough jingles to make a row. Jenna only asks for one row each, because she doesn’t want their dresses to lose their voices. When she returns home, Grandma Wolfe gives her the jingles to make the fourth row. At the powwow, Jenna dances the jingle dance for the four women who gave her the jingles so her dress could sing.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Jingle Dancer shows how a modern day Muscogee Indian girl looks forward to carrying on the traditions of her people through dancing at a powwow. The setting is contemporary, but each of the women take pride in honoring their heritage and helping Jenna to continue the jingle dancing tradition. An author’s note explains the origins of the traditions and offers more information about the foods and activities at the powwow. The note also explains the importance of the number four, reflected in the story through Jenna’s goal of borrowing enough jingles from four women to make four rows. The watercolor illustrations show the variety of jingle dresses and other regalia worn at the powwow.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Seeing Jenna as both a modern girl in the suburban homes of her intertribal community and as one of many traditionally costumed participants at the powwow will give some readers a new view of a contemporary Native American way of life... This picture book will not only satisfy a need for materials on Native American customs, but will also be a welcome addition to stories about traditions passed down by the women of a culture.”

Book Links: “This is a rare book depicting a contemporary story of a Native American child. There are rich opportunities to explore dance, family, and the Muscogee-Creek Nation.”

Connections

More books by Cynthia Leitich Smith with a focus on Native American characters:
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2001. Rain is not my Indian name. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780688173975
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2002. Indian shoes. Ill. by Jim Madsen. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060295318

Mice and Beans

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2001. Mice and beans. Ill. by Joe Cepeda. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439183030

Plot Summary

Rosa María is busy making preparations for her youngest granddaughter’s seventh birthday when her whole family will squeeze into her tiny house for the celebration. Each day, Rosa María completes another task on her long to-do list, and each evening she sets a mousetrap to make sure no mice are around to spoil the celebration. When Rosa María discovers that various things have gone missing, a napkin, feathers from the turkey piñata, a candle, and each and every mousetrap she has set, she chalks it up to forgetfulness, oblivious to the mice in the house. When Rosa María does forget one important task, it is up to the mice to save the celebration.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

Mice and Beans offers a playful tale of a grandmother who shows her love for her large family through her careful preparations for a traditional Mexican-American family birthday party. The bright and colorful illustrations show the preparations from a mouse’s point of view, either from the floor or from high atop furniture. The illustrations tell the tale of the fate of all of the missing items. A recipe for rice and beans is provided on the back cover.

Spanish words and phrases are skillfully woven throughout the story. The meaning of these words and phrases are made clear through contextual translation, through supporting illustrations, and through literal translations. While many of the Spanish words that are introduced refer to food, objects, and events that may be familiar to English speakers, the story also includes less familiar expressions such as “¡Qué boba soy! Silly me” and “No importa”.  A glossary and pronunciation guide is hidden among the publication information on the last page for further clarification of terms.

Review Excerpts

Publishers Weekly: “Munoz's rollicking birthday tale stars one Spanish-speaking grandmother, one very long list of party preparations and a band of enterprising mice... The dialogue is rich in Spanish phrases, descriptions of Mexican food and images of a boisterous extended family.”

School Library journal: “The text, interspersed with Spanish expressions, appears on vivid full-page illustrations, creatively drawn from a mouse's perspective. This imaginative and artistic book combines richly colored and angled illustrations with a variety of text fonts and sizes. Cepeda adds detail and expression to the smallest objects and inhabitants of Rosa Maria's casita--even the turkey pinata seems alive.”

Connections

Mice and Beans, with its recipe for rice and beans and depictions of traditional Mexican-American foods and party activities, provides a perfect opportunity to bring the story to life by having kids cook rice and beans for their own party, piñata and all.
Novels by Pam Muñoz Ryan:
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2004. Becoming naomi león. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439269698
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2000. Esperanza rising. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780439120418

Confetti: Poems for Children

Mora, Pat. 1996. Confetti: poems for children. Ill. by Enrique O. Sanchez. New York: Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN 1880000253

Plot Summary

A collection of poems showing a young Mexican-American girl celebrating the sights, sounds, and the culture of the Southwest.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The sights and sounds of the Southwest are expressed through free verse poetry with colorful illustrations providing visual support for the concepts presented. Spanish words are peppered throughout many of the poems, wherever poetically and thematically appropriate.  Most of the Spanish words are not translated within the poem, but they are made clear through context, including the context of the corresponding illustrations.  From the poem Sun Song, “Ranitas in the rocks hear the sun’s first song… Ranitas in the rocks croak their morning song.”, the meaning of the word ranita is suggested through the illustration of a little frog and the croaking of their morning song. A glossary is included for further clarification of the Spanish words.

Review Excerpts

School Library Journal: “Narrative poems in free verse capture the rhythms and uniqueness of the Southwest and its culture as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American girl… The beauty of the natural world is captured in Sanchez’s acrylic illustrations.”

Connections

More books by Pat Mora:
Mora, Pat. 2005. Doña flor : A tall tale about a giant woman with a great big heart. Ill. by Raúl Colón. New York: Knopf. ISBN 9780375823374
Mora, Pat. 1997. Tomás and the library lady. Ill. by Raúl Colón. New York: Knopf : Distributed by Random House. ISBN 0152054979
Mora, Pat. 2009. Book fiesta! : Celebrate children's day/book day. Ill. by Rafael López. New York, NY: Rayo. ISBN 9780061288777

Mora, Pat. 2009. Gracias. Ill. by John Parra. New York: Lee & Low Books. ISBN 9781600602580

The Afterlife

Soto, Gary. 2003. The afterlife. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152047743

Plot Summary

17 year-old Chuy is murdered in the restroom of a Fresno dance club when he compliments a guy on his shoes. Over the next few days, Chuy floats around Fresno as a ghost, playing ghostly tricks, mourning his lost life, saying goodbye to his friends and family, and falling in love with a ghost girl who committed suicide.

Critical Analysis (Including Cultural Markers)

The Afterlife presents a detailed picture of the Mexican-American community in Fresno, California as seen through the eyes of a young man homesick for the life he has lost. The people, culture, and surroundings are described with affection through the generous use of Spanish words. The general meanings of the Spanish words are easily understood through the context of the story. A glossary is included which provides the definitions needed to understand the finer nuances of the words.

Chuy is a likeable character, a typical teen with whom readers can easily identify. The story starts off strong, but quickly fizzles and becomes a meandering memorial. None of the plot lines are satisfactorily resolved. The identity, motive, and fate of Chuy’s murderer remain a mystery. Chuy’s discovery of love at first sight in his afterlife comes across as shallow, as shallow as his love interest’s motives for committing suicide. Despite the intriguing premise and authentic cultural details, the story is disappointing.

Review Excerpts

Booklist: “Soto has remade Our Town into Fresno, California, and he not only paints the scenery brilliantly but also captures the pain that follows an early death. In many ways, this is as much a story about a hardscrabble place as it is about a boy who is murdered.”

School Library Journal: “Soto's simple and poetic language, leavened with Mexican Spanish with such care to context that the appended glossary is scarcely needed, is clear, but Chuy's ultimate destiny isn't.”

Connections

More books for teens by Gary Soto:

Soto, Gary. 2007. Mercy on these teenage chimps. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152060220

Soto, Gary. 2006. Accidental love. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152054977

Soto, Gary. 2006. Jesse. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 9780152054250

Soto, Gary. 1997. Buried onions. San Diego: Harcourt Brace. ISBN 0152060227