2018-2019 LAT Diversity Committee Book Collection
LAT_Books_18_19.xlsx
Stepping Stones A Refugee Family’s Journey by Margriet Ruurs
In the book, Stepping Stones A Refugee Family’s Journey, Margriet Ruurs beautifully paints a picture of what life was like for Rama and her family before the war in Syria. Life was so normal, so warm, so loving; full of family and food and freedom. When the bombs get too close to home, it is time for Rama and her family “to join the river of people, time to leave all that they knew.” As they travel in search of a new home, they face suffering and death while clinging to the hope of peace and a new life. The illustrations in this book are exquisite. Each image, lovely and full of emotion, is created with stones, collected by the artist, from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
SYRIA, MIGRANTS, CIVIL WAR, REFUGEE BOATS
Discussion Questions:
Did Rama like her life in Syria before the war? How do you know?
What parts of the text show us that Rama has a strong body AND spirit?
Do you think it was a good choice to illustrate the book with images made from stones? Why?
My Beautiful Birds by Suzanne Del Rizzo
Sami, a young Syrian boy, and his family flee their country to escape the bombs of civil war. They make it to a refugee camp safely and do their best to establish some normalcy, but Sami sorely misses his most treasured friends, his birds. One day, he runs from camp and finds some new birds. These new friends bring him comfort, and in the end, help him to comfort another child.
SYRIAN REFUGEES, TENT CITY, CIVIL WAR
Discussion Questions:
If you had to flee, like Sami, what would be difficult for you to leave behind?
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
A child flees her country with her mother and sibling after losing her father to the war. They travel night and day, having to leave possessions behind as they go. When they reach a border wall, they cannot climb it and must hide from guards. The children learn to deal with their fears by telling each other stories. They find hope in the possibility of safety and peace in their new land.
MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, BORDERS, CIVIL WAR
Discussion Questions:
The author doesn’t tell us very much about the children. What do you think they were like before the war? What kind of things did they enjoy doing?
What item or person would have been hardest for you to leave behind?
Can you think of another way the children could have handled their fear?
Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World) by Yara Kono
Three Balls of Wool (Can Change the World) tells the story of a family who flees Portugal where many people are poor and few are allowed an education. They settle in Czechoslovakia where at first things seem much better because as mother says, “There are no poor people and all the children go to school.” By fall, it becomes cold and the family notices that the only sweaters available are gray, green and orange. Mother and Father understand that the new country may not be everything they had hoped for, but Mother has a simple solution to the blandness of their options. Her creativity inspires others and brings hope and a sense of belonging in a foreign land.
MIGRANTS, REFUGEES, PORTUGAL, COMMUNISM
Discussion Questions:
When the child talks about lines appearing on his parent’s foreheads, what does he mean? What was making his parents worry?
Can you think of another way momma could have made the family feel more at home in their new country?
Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees by Mary Beth Leatherdale and Eleanor Shakespeare
Stormy Seas: Stories of Young Boat Refugees is a compilation of first-hand accounts told by boat refugees. The author begins the book by informing the reader that although when we hear the word “refugee”, we initially think of today’s headlines, refugees risking their lives at sea is not a new phenomenon. Included are stories from survivors of the Nazi Holocaust, war torn Vietnam, communist Cuba, Taliban run Afghanistan, and Libya. Some travelled with family, and some were children traveling alone. They were all seeking peace, freedom, and basic needs like food and shelter. They all risked their lives because staying in their country meant certain death. The book is filled with maps and photographs that help the stories come alive.
BOAT REFUGEES, NAZI HOLOCAUST, VIETNAM, CUBA, CASTRO, TALIBAN, AFGHANISTAN, IVORY COAST, LIBYA
Discussion Questions:
What kinds of conditions or situations in your country would make you want to risk your life to leave?
Would you be able to leave your family?
What would you miss most about your home?
Do you think you would be brave enough to leave?
ElDeafo by Cece Bell
El Deafo is a graphic novel about a young girl who becomes deaf after a brief illness. She attends her neighborhood school and is friends with the kids on her block, but her deafness makes the simplest things difficult. As she grows, she learns how to navigate being a severely deaf child in a hearing world.
The story is told through the eyes (and ears) of Cece, the author. She focuses on explaining the way it felt to be that little girl, but in her explanation her readers are given a wealth of information about deafness and the importance of inclusion and acceptance of diversity.
DEAFNESS, HEARING AIDS, INCLUSION
Discussion Questions:
Do you remember who gave Cece her nickname? What do you think of that?
Which hearing aid do you think was better, the Sonic Ear or the smaller hearing aid that wasn’t so noticeable?
How does the author's note situate this story in her own life?
The Snow Rabbit by Camille Garoche
Beautifully illustrated, The Snow Rabbit escorts the reader into a peaceful snow covered forest and the imagination of a young girl in a wheelchair. The lack of words allows the reader to attach meaning to the contrasting muted colors and sharp images. This book is joy to the eyes and wings to the soul.
WINTER, WHEELCHAIR, RABBIT
Discussion Questions:
Do you think this really happened or was it all in the girl’s imagination? Why?
Are there really twin girls or just one girl?
Why Am I Me? By Paige Britt, Sean Qualls, and Selina Alko
Why Am I Me? celebrates the ways we are all different and yet the same. As a young boy travels with his dad on the subway, he wonders why he is who he is and why other kids are different. Beautiful illustrations and a simple yet thought provoking text lead readers of all ages to examine the beauty of diversity.
INDIVIDUALITY, DIVERSITY, CITY LIFE
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever imagined that you were someone else?
How are you and your friend alike?
How are you different?
Nino Wrestles the World by Yuyi Morales
Nino Wrestles the World is a playful book about a young Mexican boy pretending to be a luchadore ready to take on any opponent in the theatrical style of wrestling called Lucha libre. He wins every time, but can he conquer his final challengers?
WRESTLING, MEXICO, MAKE BELIEVE, IMAGINATION
Discussion Question:
If you were a luchadore, who would you want to wrestle?
What move would you use to beat your opponent?
Juana & Lucas by Juana Medina
Juana, a funny and passionate young girl from Columbia, struggles with learning a new language. Throughout the book, she searches for a meaning and purpose in learning “the English.” Juana & Lucas is a clever and entertaining book that’s packed with information about Bogota, Columbia and the Hispanic culture. The author places Spanish words throughout the text in a way that can be easily understood. It’s a joy for readers of all ages.
COLUMBIA, HISPANIC CULTURE
Discussion Questions:
How could you tell what the Spanish words meant in the text without knowing Spanish?
Why didn’t Juana want to learn English?
Who convinced her to learn English? Why?
Stolen Words by Melanie Florence
When seven-year-old Teniki’s grandfather picks her up from school, she asks him a question that he cannot answer and learns that as a young boy he was taken away from his parents with other children in the Cree Tribe. In the end, Teniki knows just what to do to heal her grandfather’s heart.
On the surface, Stolen Words is a sweet book about the love between a granddaughter and grandfather. If you dig a little deeper, you find the harsh reality of Cree children being ripped from their parents and sent to boarding schools to be made like white men. This book could be used in lower grades but would also be a wonderful introduction to this sad part of history for middle school students.
CREE INDIAN TRIBE, GRANDFATHER, FAMILY
Discussion Questions:
Can you think of other times in history when people were taken from their homes and families and made to live in another culture?
What did Teniki do to help her grandfather? Did she need to ask someone else to help her?
A Boy and a Jaguar by Alan Rabinowitz
Alan is a young boy with a big problem. He stutters badly, but he doesn’t stutter at all when he’s talking to animals. As he grows up, he finds his voice and becomes a voice for his favorite animal, the jaguar. This is the true story of Alan Rabinowitz, a zoologist, conservationist and spokesperson for the Stuttering Foundation of America. The book explains what it feels like to be a stutterer and inspires the reader to overcome adversity.
STUTTERING, DISABILITY, OVERCOMING ADVERSITY, WILD CATS, JAGUAR, JUNGLE, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION
Discussion Questions:
Have you ever known someone who stutters?
How do you think it would feel to have trouble speaking?
What do you admire about Alan?