Diversity Books
Books reflecting only literature on or by different ethnic backgrounds, religious backgrounds, and differing physical and mental abilities.
Bully By: Patricia
Polacco
Lyla goes to a new school and makes one good friend, Jamie. The cool kids Kenya, Gage and Meave become friends with her and show her how mean they are by writing mean comments on Facebook pages. When they start making fun of Jamie she stands up for him and they don’t like it. They frame her for stealing test answers and then cyber bully her so the whole school hates her. When Jamie tells the principle he saw her in the test room justice is served.
This really shows children all sides of cyber bullying. The bullying in this book stands out and children can pick up easily what is right and wrong.
Lyla goes to a new school and makes one good friend, Jamie. The cool kids Kenya, Gage and Meave become friends with her and show her how mean they are by writing mean comments on Facebook pages. When they start making fun of Jamie she stands up for him and they don’t like it. They frame her for stealing test answers and then cyber bully her so the whole school hates her. When Jamie tells the principle he saw her in the test room justice is served.
This really shows children all sides of cyber bullying. The bullying in this book stands out and children can pick up easily what is right and wrong.
Coming on Home Soon By: Jacqueline Woodson
A mother leaves her daughter because they are hiring colored women in Chicago. Her grandmother comforts her when she’s sad and tells her she can’t keep a kitten when it comes scratching on the door. They end up keeping the kitten and grandma keeps telling her not to get attached. Day after day they wait for a letter from Ada Ruth’s mom and one day they get one with money that says, ”Tell Ada Ruth I’ll be coming on home soon.”
I think this story shows great patience for a young girl especially when it is your mother you are waiting for. It is a great story to show children that they don’t have it so bad.
A mother leaves her daughter because they are hiring colored women in Chicago. Her grandmother comforts her when she’s sad and tells her she can’t keep a kitten when it comes scratching on the door. They end up keeping the kitten and grandma keeps telling her not to get attached. Day after day they wait for a letter from Ada Ruth’s mom and one day they get one with money that says, ”Tell Ada Ruth I’ll be coming on home soon.”
I think this story shows great patience for a young girl especially when it is your mother you are waiting for. It is a great story to show children that they don’t have it so bad.
Daisy Comes Home By:
Jan Brett
Mei Mei had 6 happy hens and the smallest one she named Daisy. Daisy was picked on by the other hens and decided to sleep outside in a basket. The tide came up and took the basket away in the river. The Basket floated to a house boat with a dog on it, under the legs of a water buffalo, and to a tree with red tailed monkey’s. Last she was found by a fisherman who was ready to sell her. Mei Mei went to sell her eggs at the marketand saw Daisy when the fisherman said finders keepers. She did the special call and Daisy came running to her.
This is a well told story, I liked how it all worked out.
Mei Mei had 6 happy hens and the smallest one she named Daisy. Daisy was picked on by the other hens and decided to sleep outside in a basket. The tide came up and took the basket away in the river. The Basket floated to a house boat with a dog on it, under the legs of a water buffalo, and to a tree with red tailed monkey’s. Last she was found by a fisherman who was ready to sell her. Mei Mei went to sell her eggs at the marketand saw Daisy when the fisherman said finders keepers. She did the special call and Daisy came running to her.
This is a well told story, I liked how it all worked out.
Elmer By: David McKee
This is about a patchwork elephant who was always the funny guy. One day before everyone woke up he went into the jungle and found elephant colored berries and covered himself in them so that he looked like a regular elephant. When he got back no one noticed him because they didn’t know it was Elmer. Everyone was so serious and Elmer couldn’t resist so he screamed boo and all the elephants jumped in surprise. At that moment it started to rain and it washed the berry juice off of Elmer. They all recognized him and had a good laugh. It was one
This is about a patchwork elephant who was always the funny guy. One day before everyone woke up he went into the jungle and found elephant colored berries and covered himself in them so that he looked like a regular elephant. When he got back no one noticed him because they didn’t know it was Elmer. Everyone was so serious and Elmer couldn’t resist so he screamed boo and all the elephants jumped in surprise. At that moment it started to rain and it washed the berry juice off of Elmer. They all recognized him and had a good laugh. It was one
I Don’t Want to Talk
About It By: Jeanie Franz
This girls parent tell her they are getting a divorce but she keeps telling them she doesn’t want to talk about it. She does not voice any of her feelings of how she wants to be different animals to deal with it; like a lion to yell as loud as she can or an elephant to run down her parents door to stop the yelling. In the end they do talk about how they will never leave her and will always love her.
This book is great for children with parents going through a divorce. It shows them that they aren’t the only ones with parents divorcing. It also shows that their parents will always be there for them no matter what.
This girls parent tell her they are getting a divorce but she keeps telling them she doesn’t want to talk about it. She does not voice any of her feelings of how she wants to be different animals to deal with it; like a lion to yell as loud as she can or an elephant to run down her parents door to stop the yelling. In the end they do talk about how they will never leave her and will always love her.
This book is great for children with parents going through a divorce. It shows them that they aren’t the only ones with parents divorcing. It also shows that their parents will always be there for them no matter what.
I Love Saturday’s y
Domingos By: Alma Flor Ada
On Saturdays the girl goes to her father’s parent’s house and on Domingos she goes to her mother’s parent’s house. Her grandparents have a cat and make her pancakes while her abuetas make her eggs and have a dog. Her grandparents play the circus for her while her abuelitos takes her to the circus. Her grandpa has an aquarium and her abuelito takes her to the shore. Her grandparents get her a doll while her abuelitos get her a doll house. Then the whole family comes together for her birthday.
This is cool story because it shows a girl half American and half Spanish and her grandparents share her on the weekends. I kind of felt that the story was trying to show that the Spanish was better because they seemed to be one upping the grandparents every time and that just didn’t sit well with me.
On Saturdays the girl goes to her father’s parent’s house and on Domingos she goes to her mother’s parent’s house. Her grandparents have a cat and make her pancakes while her abuetas make her eggs and have a dog. Her grandparents play the circus for her while her abuelitos takes her to the circus. Her grandpa has an aquarium and her abuelito takes her to the shore. Her grandparents get her a doll while her abuelitos get her a doll house. Then the whole family comes together for her birthday.
This is cool story because it shows a girl half American and half Spanish and her grandparents share her on the weekends. I kind of felt that the story was trying to show that the Spanish was better because they seemed to be one upping the grandparents every time and that just didn’t sit well with me.
Mockingbird By:
Katheryn Erskine
Caitlin a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome tells about The Terrible Awful. She likes books because they are not like people, books are safe and don’t change like people. She is also a very talented artist but does not like to use color. Devon was Caitlin’s older brother and best friend. He had been making a chest as his eagles scout project before he died. There was a shooting at Devon’s middle school and he had been shot in the heart. I think the unfinished empty chest symbolizes Devon’s empty chest without his heart. When Caitlin finally realizes what closure is and what it means she decides to finish Devon’s chest.
I loved this book because I have never read anything in such a way that it is written. Reading from the point of view of a girl with Asperger’s was very fascinating, enticing and a bit humorous at points. Definitely something I would recommend not just to children but people of every age.
Caitlin a girl with Asperger’s Syndrome tells about The Terrible Awful. She likes books because they are not like people, books are safe and don’t change like people. She is also a very talented artist but does not like to use color. Devon was Caitlin’s older brother and best friend. He had been making a chest as his eagles scout project before he died. There was a shooting at Devon’s middle school and he had been shot in the heart. I think the unfinished empty chest symbolizes Devon’s empty chest without his heart. When Caitlin finally realizes what closure is and what it means she decides to finish Devon’s chest.
I loved this book because I have never read anything in such a way that it is written. Reading from the point of view of a girl with Asperger’s was very fascinating, enticing and a bit humorous at points. Definitely something I would recommend not just to children but people of every age.
So Far from the Sea By:
Eve Bunting
A family of four goes to visit their grandfathers grave one last time at the Manzanar War Relocation Center before they move from California to Boston. They were kept in these camps when Japan and America were at war. The government thought the Japanese living in America would do something to help Japan so they were put in these camps. Laura brings Thomas’ old neckerchief and ties it down to the grave to symbolize that grandfather was a true American.
I think this book is great to teach children something they probably never knew about America. It shows that even a country as great as ours isn’t perfect.
A family of four goes to visit their grandfathers grave one last time at the Manzanar War Relocation Center before they move from California to Boston. They were kept in these camps when Japan and America were at war. The government thought the Japanese living in America would do something to help Japan so they were put in these camps. Laura brings Thomas’ old neckerchief and ties it down to the grave to symbolize that grandfather was a true American.
I think this book is great to teach children something they probably never knew about America. It shows that even a country as great as ours isn’t perfect.
And tango makes three
By: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
This story is about two male penguins falling in love at the zoo. In this story they can do everything the other penguin couples can except have a baby. When they realize they are different because of this they begin sitting on a rock to try and hatch it but nothing happens. Finally the zoo keeper notices and has an extra egg that needs taking care of so he puts it in their nest. They take turns sitting on it until finally little Tango hatches.
This is good book for kids because it teaches them that not everyone has a mom and dad some have two dads or two moms. It slowly introduces children to homosexuals.
This story is about two male penguins falling in love at the zoo. In this story they can do everything the other penguin couples can except have a baby. When they realize they are different because of this they begin sitting on a rock to try and hatch it but nothing happens. Finally the zoo keeper notices and has an extra egg that needs taking care of so he puts it in their nest. They take turns sitting on it until finally little Tango hatches.
This is good book for kids because it teaches them that not everyone has a mom and dad some have two dads or two moms. It slowly introduces children to homosexuals.