The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story (Joseph Bruchac)

Title:  The First Strawberries

Author:  Joseph Bruchac

Illustrator:  Anna Vojtech

Just the Beginning

“Long ago when the world was new, the Creator made a man and a woman.  The two of them were made at the same time so that neither would be lonesome.  They married, and for a long time they lived together and were happy.”

Summary

One day, the man says unkind words to the woman. She walks away in anger. The Sun takes pity on the repentant husband, so he sends raspberries first, then blueberries, and then blackberries to the earth in an attempt to stop the woman. It is with the strawberries—the final gift—that she stops.

“She knelt down and plucked one and bit into it.  She had never tasted anything like it before. Its sweetness reminded her how happy she and her husband had been together before they quarreled.” 

As she gathers some to take back to him, the man catches up.  He asks for her forgiveness.  She answers by sharing the sweet berries. 

Evaluation

The story is simple but beautiful. I read it for the first time several days ago, yet it has stayed with me. I will never eat another strawberry without remembering this lovely Cherokee tale. The soft watercolor illustrations compliment the narrative perfectly. 

The ending is noteworthy: “To this day, when the Cherokee people eat strawberries, they are reminded to always be kind to each other; to remember that friendship and respect are as sweet as the taste of ripe, red berries.”  The strawberry, also, reminds me of the power of forgiveness and the importance of gratitude for the sweetness of life.

If you are teaching about Native American culture at home or in the classroom, I urge you to use this book as part of your lesson or unit plan. However, The First Strawberries is a powerful story on its own. I recommend picking up a copy to read for enjoyment, character building, or multicultural enrichment. The straightforward text is appropriate for ages 5 and up. 

Joseph Bruchac has written many books highlighting the stories and culture of Native Americans. He represents a genuine voice of the culture.  

Growing Up Pedro (Matt Tavares)

Title:  Growing Up Pedro

Author:  Matt Tavares

Illustrator:  Matt Tavares

Summary from the Publisher

Before Pedro Martinez pitched the Red Sox to a World Series championship, before he was named to the All-Star team eight times, before he won the Cy Young three times, he was a kid from a place called Manoguayabo in the Dominican Republic. Pedro loved baseball more than anything, and his older brother Ramon was the best pitcher he’d ever seen. He’d dream of the day he and his brother could play together in the major leagues—and here, Matt Tavares tells the story of how that dream came true.

Just the Beginning

“One sunny day in the village of Manoguayobo, Pedro Martinez sits in the shade and watches the older boys play. He wants to play too.”

Evaluation

Matt Tavares presents a compelling narrative about Pedro Martinez’s rise to baseball stardom. He begins with Pedro’s watching his brother, Ramon, play ball in their small village. Stars are in his eyes as he admires Ramon’s pitching skills.  His brother mentors him while they are growing up and even after he leaves to play professional ball. Immediately, Tavares sets the heart of the story not about baseball, but about the relationship and mentorship of the two brothers.

Years after his brother is drafted into the Major League, Pedro follows. Whenever he takes the mound, “he is a lion fighting for his food.” It is an apt description because he plays every game with everything he has in him. He remains determined and humble even when he reaches super stardom. 

Pedro has set backs and obstacles, but he always perseveres.  As Pedro succeeds, his countrymen in the Dominican Republic cheer along and celebrate with him, including his team’s experience in the American League Championship Series. 

The book ends where it begins—with the two brothers practicing back home in their village.  Pedro and Ramon never lose touch with what is important—family and community. Parents and educators can use the book to discuss important character qualities as well as to provide role models for young people. 

Brilliant watercolor illustrations round out this stunning oversized picture book, perfect for reading out loud in a classroom or cuddling up on the couch before bed. I recommend Growing Up Pedro for ages 5 and up.

Locomotion (Jacqueline Woodson)

Title

Locomotion

Author

Jacqueline Woodson 

Summary from the Book Jacket 

When Lonnie Collins Motion "Locomotion" was seven years old, his life changed forever. Now he's eleven, and his life is about to change again. His teacher, Ms. Marcus, is showing him ways to put his jumbled feelings on paper. And suddenly, Lonnie has a whole new way to tell the world about his life, his friends, his little sister Lili, and even his foster mom, Miss Edna, who started out crabby but isn’t so bad after all.

Favorite Passage/Poem

“Mama”

Some days, like today

and yesterday and probably

tomorrow—all my missing gets jumbled up inside of me.

You know honeysuckle talc powder?

Mama used to smell like that. She told me

honeysuckle’s really a flower but all I know

is the powder that smells like Mama.

Sometimes when the missing gets real bad

I go to the drugstore and before the guard starts

following me around like I’m gonna steal something

I go to the cosmetics lady and ask her if she has it.

When she says yeah, I say

Can I smell it to see if it’s the right one?

Even though the cosmetics ladies roll their eyes at me

they let me smell it.

And for those few seconds, Mama’s alive

again.

And I’m remembering

all kinds of good things about her like

the way she laughed at my jokes

even when they were dumb

and the way she sometimes just grabbed me

and hugged me before

I had a chance to get away.

And the way her voice always sounded good

and bad at the same time when she was singing

in the shower.

And her red pocketbook that always had some

tangerine Life Savers inside it for me and Lili

No, I say to the cosmetics lady. It’s not the right one.

And then I leave fast.

Before somebody asks to check my pockets

which are always empty ’cause I don’t steal.

Evaluation

Locomotion is written in free verse poetry through the eyes of a fifth grade boy who is living in a foster home after the sudden death of his parents. I was drawn into this story immediately!  Lonnie’s voice grabs you and does not let go until the last line. 

The story often flashes back to shed light on Lonnie’s life before living with Mrs. Edna while also progressively revealing the mystery of his parents' death. Much of the story takes place in the present as he develops familial ties with Mrs. Edna’s family, connects with his little sister living with another family, and navigates school and friendships. 

There are the layers of his experience that will be enlightening to some children while many will empathize with other parts. Lonnie is African-American and a foster child.  He struggles to fit in at school and to deal with loss.  Fortunatley, Lonnie is able to create new family and community ties which help him with his struggles. 

Woodson does an amazing job capturing this young character’s middle grade experiences.  There are heart-breaking and heart-warming moments.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoy this story. 

Among Locomotion’s numerous honors, it was National Book Award Finalist and a Coretta Scott King Honor winner. I recommend this book for ages 9-13.  However, it is a story that teens and adults will enjoy as well.

For teachers, here is a Literature Circle Guide.

Visit Ramblings of a Wanna Be Scribe for more Marvelous Middle Grade recommendations.  

I'm New Here (Anne Sibley O’Brien)

Title:  I’m New Here

Author & Illustrator:  Anne Sibley O’Brien

Summary From the Book Jacket:

At their new school everything is different…Back in Guatemala, Maria knew the language.  Back in Korea, Jin could read and write.  Back in Somalia, Fatimah felt like she fit in.  Now, in the United States, there are new words and new ways.  But with a little support—and a lot of courage—Maria, Jin, and Fatimah begin to find their way.

Preview of the Text:

“Back home I knew the language.

My friends and I talked all day long.

Our voices flowed like water and flew between us like birds.”

Evaluation:

Three new students—Maria, Jin, and Fatimah—are introduced to the class.  Each child represents a different cultural background, yet their thoughts and feelings have many similarities.  They are shown in their home culture on one page while the corresponding page illustrates how the new culture seems strange to them.  The author does an excellent job with both the illustrations and words showing the contrast.  For instance, Maria is playing soccer while smiling and talking with her friends in her home culture.  She is the same size as the other children.  On the other page, she is small and alone.  She is looking and listening to other children with lots of unfamiliar sounds going on.  It is large and chaotic.

When the immigrant children first arrive, they feel alone, confused, and sad.  However, the more they work at learning to speak, to write, and to understand the culture, the more they begin to fit in.  I like how the author encourages their active efforts to assimilate. The American children also play a vital part.  They are helpful, encouraging, and accepting.  The characters are excellent models for young children. 

The foreign students find they have a place in their new school and new home country.  I love how the book ends:  “Here there are new beginnings.  Here there is a place for me.  Here is a new home.”  Lively pictures of the children integrating as well as enjoying their new school and friends accompany each sentence. However, the parts that make them unique also continue to thrive—Maria loves to play soccer. Jin loves stories.  Fatimah loves drawing.  The story celebrates what makes people unique and what makes them the same. 

This book is an excellent opportunity to build empathy and compassion because children learn what it is like to come into a new cultural.  The story is an encouragement to new immigrant students who are trying to figure out how to acclimate.  The author ends by giving an important resource for educators and parents.  It is a website whose focus is on children’s books and reading projects that build bridges between new arrivals and long term communities.  Visit I’M Your Neighbor Books for more book suggestions and articles on this topic. 

I’m New Here is an essential book for libraries and classrooms.  I highly recommend it for ages 3-9. 

Other Teaching Ideas

• Similes:  Discuss the various similes used in the story.  Students can write their own similes about how they think they would feel going into a new culture and listening to a foreign language. 
• Social Students:  Pick one or more cultures of students in the class or people in the community to learn more about.  Discuss ways to make people of that culture feel more welcome. 
• Welcome Kit and Activities designed to go with the book.

My Diary from Here to There (Amada Irma Perez)

Summary of My Diary from Here to There (Amada Irma Perez)

Mi Diario de Aqui hasta Alla (Spanish Title)

Amada learns that her family must leave their little house in Juarez, Mexico for better opportunities in the United States. Both nervous and intrigued, Amada, along with her mother and siblings, stays with relatives in a border town while her father moves to California to get work and to secure green cards for them.  From waiting for all the preparations to be made for their immigration to their final move to a new country, Amada records her memories, fears, and hopes in her diary. 

Evaluation

Perez records each diary entry by Amada in both Spanish and English, representing her cross-cultural experience and family (her father is an Mexican American citizen). Amada expresses feelings typical for children in this situation.  She is sad to leave her home and friends as well as nervous about learning a new language and culture.  Her younger siblings annoy her, but close ties with her family and extended family are evident. Overall, Amada is hopeful and positive for their future.  The Latino voice and migrant experience are based on the author’s own journey to America as a child, making them genuine and vivid.   

Illustrator Maya Christian Gonzalez has created strong character images in bright colors contrasting with neutral tones.  She captures well the sense of community in the culture.  Nearly every page includes several members, often multi-generational, of Amada’s family close together. 

I chose to highlight this title because the topic is relevant and relatively new in the picture book world.  With millions of migrant and immigrant children in American schools, their experiences are important to share and to discuss in the classroom.  An additional picture book title to examine is Two White Rabbits.  While the topic is similar, the experience is quite different. 

My Diary from Here to There is a Pura Belpre' award winner.  I recommend it for ages 6-11.  

Lesson Plan Ideas and Extension Activities

• Literature:  Read both My Diary from Here to There and Two White Rabbits.  Compare and contrast the two stories using a Venn diagram.  Pam Munoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising, a middle grade fiction, is also about the migrant experience.
• Journaling:  Have students write about a time they were nervous or afraid because of a change or unknown situation. 
• Social Studies:  Show a TV program in Spanish OR have someone present a short lesson in a non-native language.  Afterwards, discuss how the children felt as they listened.  How would they feel if instruction, signs, and everything around them were in Spanish/another language?  Connect it to Amada and other immigrants’ experiences. 
• Writing:  Discuss the parts of letter.  Practice composing a letter (like Amada does).  Write to either a friend or relative who is far away.  Another idea is to connect students to a pen pal in other country to share cultural experiences. 
• History:  Learn about Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers.
• Language Art Lesson Plan with multiple ideas and activities.