Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Taylor Manrique & Cailyn Gale

Tch&Lrn 307
4/2/18
Notable Books for a Global Society

Introduction

Notable Books for a Global Society are books that exemplify cultural awareness through

authentic and accurate portrayals of one or more cultures, while also including uniqueness in

writing of the genre portrayed and are appealing to the eye. The committee in which decides

what books should be given this prestigious award, selects as many as 25 trade books to educate

readers on cultures throughout the world. For this assignment, we have selected eight previous

winners of this award that we believe gave this award the most justice. Each winner was

summarized and critiqued based on their strengths and weaknesses in relation to the NBGS

criteria. After completing each summary and critique of the eight winners, we then carefully

chose the three books we believe not only fit the NBGS criteria the best, but do the most

outstanding job of educating its readers on a particular culture or cultures. There will be one

overall winner that we will choose, along with two honor books. Although we are focusing

primarily on the books we have chosen and how they exemplify a Notable Book for a Global

Society, the main point of this assignment is to show our understanding of what multicultural

literature is and how we will be able to use this concept in the classroom as we become the future

teachers of America. By exploring these many genres of books that deal with many different

cultures of the world, we will be able to expand our knowledge of what makes a book

multicultural, while also expanding our horizon to many different books themselves. By the end

of this project, it is our goal to be able to identify if a book constitutes as multicultural or not, and

that we fully understand how we can incorporate the concept of multicultural literature into our

future classrooms in order to effectively educate our students.

Steps we used
 In order to complete this assignment, we first chose eights books that came from a variety

of years and genres of winners of the NBGS award. When deciding what book to choose as our

winner for this project, we had to consider the NBGS criteria and the concept of multicultural

literature and if we believed the book exemplified the criteria and that concept or not. Once we

were able to make that decision, we both had four books that we chose as our favorites(2 chapter

books & 2 picture books). Each book we chose came from a wide variety of different genres,

such as historical nonfiction, historical realistic fiction, fantasy, and realistic fiction, but all fell

under the same umbrella of multicultural literature. We wanted to have a wide variety of genres

so that we could experience how authors use these genres to introduce a diverse culture into the

world of children’s literature. Once we had all eight books picked out, we then moved into

deciding what book we would choose as our favorite. After much deliberation, we decided that

both loved Sitting Bull: Lakota warrior and defender of his tribe. We decided upon this book

because of its introduction of a culture that we both had no prior knowledge on, and the authors

ability to educate us on that culture and its beliefs and traditions. The book also fit each and

every portion of the NBGS criteria and exemplifies what multicultural literature is. For choosing

the honor books, we deliberated heavily between multiple books, but we ultimately chose books

that we felt not only spoke to different age groups, but incorporated critical thinking about

cultural issues and cultural diversity. As a team, throughout this project have been able to

collaborate our personal definitions of what multicultural literature means to one another. As we

worked to further to redefine and broaden our collaborated definition, we had to consider and

become knowledgeable about various topics, sensitivities, and diversities within multicultural

literature that as future educator we can bring to our culturally responsive curriculum.

Summaries
Black & White

Brimner, Larry D. (2011). Black & White: The confrontation between Reverend Fred L.

Shuttlesworth and Eugene “Bull” Connor. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Summary:

Black & White is a historical non-fiction story about Reverend Fred L. Shuttlesworth, a

pastor turned civil rights activist. Once Fred moved his family to Birmingham Alabama, Fred

earned a job as preacher of the Bethel Baptist Church, where he preached that the people of the

congregation needed to do more than just speak about change, they needed to take action towards

change. That is when Fred decided to join the NAACP(National Association for the

Advancement of Colored People) to fight against segregation. Fred would start movements for

change based on what problem was occurring during that time, and there was always a problem

occurring. The first problem he addressed when it came to segregation, was pushing the black

members of his congregation and of the community to register to vote, no matter how risky they

deemed it to be. Once more African American civilians took the initiative to vote, Fred began a

petition that would be sent to commissioners of the state, to ask that there be Negro police

officers to serve the community. Of course, the state commissioners denied and ultimately

ignored the petition. Fred then began a movement of boycotting the city transportation system

when a woman named Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving her seat up to a white man. Fred

urged his followers to either deny their seat to white folk on the buses, or not take the bus at all.

As that movement was taking place, Fred and his wife, Ruby, began a new movement, a

movement to desegregate white-only schools. Fred decided that he and his wife would even go to

the school itself with their daughters to try and get them enrolled once he saw a newsletter about

Brown vs. the Board of Education trial and verdict. Trouble lied ahead of each and every one of
these protests/movements, as KKK members and white supremacists attacked blacks as much as

they could. There were multiple occasions when churches and even Fred’s home was bombed,

supporters of desegregation were beaten, young black men were murdered, followers were

arrested multiple times, and even Fred’s wife was stabbed when they tried to integrate schools.

As a result of all the violence, many members drew back from the movement, and even Fred’s

family moved back to Montgomery for safety. All while Fred and his followers dealt with the

terror of the KKK and many other white supremacists, the commissioner of Public Safety,

Eugene “Bull” Connor, was gunning for the destruction of Fred and his followers. Connor did

anything in his power to shut down the movement, from banning the NAACP from meeting in

Birmingham, to telling police officers to respond late to allow KKK members to beat black

followers. Although the violence never wavered and the odds were always against them, Fred

and his followers never stopped fighting for equality. Now, Fred goes down in history as one of

the most influential people of the civil rights movement, and his work in fighting for equality

alongside Dr. King, set the tone for the change that would eventually come in the United

States(Brimner, 2011).

Strengths and Weaknesses:

The major strength of this book would be its “cultural accuracy and authenticity of

characters”(NBGS), which this book accomplishes by providing “in-depth treatment of cultural

issues(NBGS), two major aspects of the criterium for Notable Books for a Global Society. The

book does a great job of introducing an authentic, real-life character such as Fred, by focusing on

his leadership and cooperation, as well as his social and economic status. Many people many not

know about him, but should for his contribution to the Civil Rights movement, a major aspect of

American history. Many books focus on Dr. King and his strive for change, but this book
introduces another side to the story, focusing on another strong African American leader who

made a major impact in the Civil Rights movement. The book takes readers through Fred’s

journey as just a young preacher in Alabama, to his transition into a Civil Rights activist,

describing all of the many sacrifices he made and life-threatening risks he took in order to make

permanent change in America. In addition to that, all of the other real-life characters that the

author includes in the story, such as Eugene “Bull” Connor, comes with background information

and a visual representation of the person. The authenticity comes mostly from the many quotes

that the book includes, especially from Fred himself. My favorite quote from the book comes

from a conversation Fred had with a local minister trying to persuade Fred to call off his mass

meeting with the black community of Birmingham, Fred recalls the meeting by saying “He told

me the Lord told him to tell me to call the meeting off...I was in no mood to talk, and I said…you

go back and tell the Lord, if he really wants me to call it off, he’s got to come down here himself

in person and tell me…”(Brimner, 201, pg. ). This quote portrays not only authenticity of the

narrations, but the strength and perseverance of the main character of the story. A quote from

Eugene “Bull” Connor saying “I wish they’d carried him away in a hearse”(Brimner, 2011, pg. ),

about Fred as he was injured and taken to the hospital, shows both sides of the spectrum that

came during this time. The hate and competitiveness that plagued between not only Connor and

Fred, but between the white and black communities was evident throughout this book. The

cultural accuracy of this book comes from how the author’s ability to incorporate factual

evidence from this time in order to create this story as an accurate historical non-fiction book.

The author was able to do this, as he states, with the help of many other sources that helped him

gather all of these facts about Fred and his contribution to this movement. The author credits

many reliable and credible sources in the “Acknowledgments” section of the book for educating
him on this topic and this story, so much so that he was able to create a book to educates his

readers. At the end of the book, the author lists many credible sources that readers can refer to if

they want to gain more knowledge on this topic.

One critique I would give this book is its lack of portrayal of emotions of the characters.

Although this book is historical non-fiction and really focuses on factual evidence to tell readers

the story, I believe it is important to give the readers a personal connection to the characters as

they are reading the book, this way they do not feel as though they are just reading pages and

pages of facts. The author could have told the story as if they were a member of this movement,

recording and describing all of the things taking place around them. Although this would be

fictional, it would allow the readers to connect to the person telling the book, while still

educating them on these people and this movement.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Boyne, John. (2006). The boy in the striped pajamas. New York, NY: Penguin Random

House LLC.

Summary:

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is an incredibly heartwarming historical fiction novel

about a young boy named Bruno who becomes friend with an unlikely mate during the time

when Hitler ruled Germany. Nine-year old Bruno is the son of a commander of the Nazis party

who has just received a promotion to run Auschwitz. Because of this promotion, Bruno and his

family must pack up and move to a house that is located near the camp. Bruno isn’t making any

new friends and he is becoming angered by this move, he thinks this place has absolutely nothing

to offer him. Bored and full of imagination, Bruno asks the officer who works under his father to

help him locate a spare tire so that he can make a tire swing, but the officer just yells at the
family’s servant, Pavel, to do it. Pavel locates the tire for Bruno and carries it out for him.

Finally, Bruno has something somewhat fun to do, that is until he falls off the swing, cutting his

knee and nearly knocking himself out with the tire. Pavel rushes to his aid to clean him up and

make sure he is okay, but when Bruno’s mother returns home, naïve Bruno is confused why she

tries to take credit for cleaning him up, and why Pavel looks so worried. The confusion continues

as Bruno’s grandparents arrive for Christmas. Bruno’s grandmother is very unimpressed with his

father’s new uniform, which made Bruno wonder why. Bored once again and curious to see what

this new place has to offer him, Bruno goes exploring in the woods are his new house, something

he had used to do often. While exploring, he eventually encounters a large fence with a boy in

striped pajamas on the other side. Eager to make new friends, Bruno begins making conversation

with this boy named Shmuel. Once the boys get talking, Bruno becomes jealous of Shmuel

getting to be in a camp with a bunch of friends wearing the same pajamas, while he is stuck on

the other side with no friends. When Hitler(aka Fury) and his wife Eva came to Bruno’s house

for dinner one night, Bruno became very uneasy about this man, thinking he was the rudest guest

he’d ever encountered. Bruno returns the fence time after time, where him and Shmuel discuss

their old lives before things changed. As time went on, Bruno began to question what the fence

was for and what “Out-With”(Auschwitz) means. This is when his sister explains to him about

the Jews and they do not like their kind, and that is why they are inside the fence. Unconvinced

about what his sister told him, Bruno returns to the fence to see Shmuel sad. Shmuel tells Bruno

that is father is missing and he needs help looking for him, so Bruno decides he will sneak into

the camp and help Shmuel find his father. Shmuel and Bruno were never to be seen again(Boyne,

2006).

Strengths and Weaknesses:

 There are many strengths that I noticed throughout this book, but the main strength I

noticed was that the story “honored and celebrated diversity as well as common bonds in

humanity”(NBGS). This is an aspect of the criterium for Notable Books for a Global Society and

the main theme of the book. This section of the criterium is shown through Bruno and his

friendship with Shmuel, even though they are from completely different worlds, worlds where

they are supposed to hate each other. Their innocence allows them to completely ignore their

differences to share a common bond of adventure and curiosity of each other’s lives. They share

stories of their families and where they are from, sharing interest and giving praise to one

another for their completely opposite lifestyles. Bruno’s innocence and open-mindedness also

allows him to be his own person and ignore everyday norms that go on around him, such as

Lieutenant Kotler horribly mistreating Pavel and his sister trying to convince him to hate Jews.

Bruno only acts based on what he observes around him. He praises Pavel for cleaning up his

wound, no matter how he is “supposed” to act towards him. Bruno also continues his friendship

with Shmuel, despite what his sister had told him about Jews. Bruno and Shmuel, despite their

immense differences, are able to restore faith in humanity through their diverse friendship.

The plot of this story leads to another strength of this book, which is the author’s

demonstration of unique language and style of writing. This aspect makes up a portion of the

criterium for a Notable Book for a Global Society. The author makes the story told in third-

person omniscient, but only from the perspective of Bruno. Although someone else it telling

readers this story, the readers are only able to experience what is happening through the way

Bruno is experiencing what is happening around him. What is happening around Bruno is

horrific and brutal, but readers are not ever introduced to that because the horrific events are

shadowed by Bruno’s naïve innocence. Readers do not realize until the very end, when Bruno’s
perspective is no longer present, how horrible this time actually was through Bruno’s father’s

emotions once he had realized what had happened to Bruno. This aspect of the book also meets

NBGS standard of “Includes characters within a cultural group or between two or more cultural

groups who interact substantively and authentically”, which makes up a portion of the NBGS

criteria.

I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of this book, from the overall theme to its cultural

responsiveness, which made it difficult to critique the book. However, there are some critiques I

could give this book, such as its abrupt ending. I did not like how the author just said “and that’s

the end about Bruno and his family”(Boyne, 2006, pg. ), not giving any extension to how

Bruno’s family continued their lives after the horrific tragedy with Bruno, and what happened to

them once Hitler rule came to an end after the war. I believe he could have made the story

stronger by extending the story through the perspective of one of Bruno’s family members,

showing the reader’s a different point of view about this horrible time in history.

I would also critique the book based on how the author ended the story with the statement

“Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not

in this day and age”(Boyne, 2006, pg. ). This statement downplays the severity of the time that

this story took place in, making it seem as though it is nothing but fiction, so the readers should

not make an emotional connection to it. The statement also makes it seem as though we live in a

perfect time, which is not the case whatsoever. Readers of this story need to understand that

racism and inequality still plagues the world, and that having the mentality that Bruno had with

Shmuel of accepting him for all that he is and created a friendship with him based on their

commonalities, is something that all people in this world should do. The author did not do a very

good job of pinpointing that aspect of the story at the end.

Sitting Bull

Nelson. S. D. (2015). Sitting Bull: Lakota warrior and defender of his people. New York, NY:

Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Summary:

Sitting Bull is an incredibly eye-opening historical nonfiction story of the Lakota Sioux

tribe. The Sioux tribe lived peaceful lives within their tight-knit community, hunting and

gathering on their land, ultimately keeping to themselves. Trouble began to arise on their land

when large packs of white men began to come, claiming peace, but actually coming for their

personal gain. They began murdering large packs of buffalo(for fun or to turn into leather

goods), which was the main source of food and warmth for the Sioux. The white men also

convinced tribes to sign treaties to protect their land in exchange for rations of food and cloth,

just so the United States government could take over. But Sitting Bull(leader of the Sioux tribe)

and his tribe members were not falling for it, so they refused to sign any treaty, making them

enemies of the United States government. By being enemies, the Sioux were attacked by large

packs of white soldiers, killing dozens of men, women, and children. The Sioux counter-attacked

the white men, winning quite a few battles, but they ultimately lost the war when they were

forced to surrender due to starvation of their tribe members. By surrendering, the tribe was

forced to live on the “Standing Rock Agency”, where they could be monitored and controlled by

the United States government. There, they were fed very little and some tribe members even

began to take over the white man's lifestyle, becoming officers of the white man armies. Sitting

Bull found comfort only when he joined “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show”, where he became a

hit with the audience and was able to see a “civilized’ world, something he had never

experienced before. Once he returned to the camp, however, commanding officers began to
suspect that he was planning an attack on them, even though Sitting Bull pleaded that he wasn’t.

The white men feared him so much, that they dragged him from his tipi one night, and murdered

him(Nelson, 2015).

Strengths and Weaknesses:

This book was an amazing portrayal of the history of Native American culture, and the

struggles they have faced living in America as a “inferior” race. This is what gives this book its

many strengths. One strength that this book has is its “cultural accuracy and authenticity of

characters” by providing “in-depth treatment of cultural issues”(NBGS), which are two standards

that make up a portion of the criterium for Notable Book for a Global Society. The book

manages to accomplish this standard by first including accurate facts about the events that took

place during the time when the United States government invaded tribal lands in North America.

The author can be accredited for this by the obviously dedicated time of research that he

contributed in order to make the storyline of this book authentic, factual, and educational. At the

end of the book, in the Author’s Note, Nelson includes additional facts about the people of this

tribe, their religious practices, and their beliefs, showing that the author has become highly

educated on this topic and this particular tribe, so much so that he was allowed to create a

culturally accurate story. The author also credits sources in the Acknowledgments that helped

him gather factual evidence for this story and educate him about this tribe. The authenticity of

characters is shown through the narrator of the story, who is meant to be the perspective of

Sitting Bull himself. The narrator depicts emotions of Sitting Bull as he strived to lead his tribe

past the United States government’s control. The in-depth treatment of cultural issues is evident

throughout the entire story. It is obvious that the story is a good vs evil scenario as the tribes are

fighting to save their people, their practices, and their land, against the superiority of the white
men fighting for the United States government. The cultural issues are clear as the government

and the white race believe as though they are the superior race, so much so that they think they

can walk all over the Native American tribes and force them to do whatever they want them to.

These culturally issues have always plagued this nation, and continue to do so today, especially

when it comes to the manipulation of Native American tribes and their land. Although this story

took places over a century ago, it is important for readers to understand where these problems

began, and how they set the tone for similar problems that occur today.

Another strength that this story has is its use of “unique style and language” with “an

appealing format and enduring quality”(NBGS), another standard of criteria for Notable Books

for a Global Society. The unique style and language is portrayed through the narrations of the

story, which is told in first-person omniscient through the “perspective” of Sitting Bull. Although

the story is not actually told from the perspective of Sitting Bull himself, the author uses his

fictionalized point of view to give readers someone to connect to as they are taken on this

historical journey. The narrator depicts emotion and perspective that reflect the time the story

takes place in. The narrator made me as a reader, feel as though I was a part of the tribe, making

me angered when their land and life was taken from them, then saddened by all of the death and

dismay that the tribe endured, all while educating me on the Sioux tribe and their fight for their

land and their culture. I love how the author creatively used Sitting Bull to “narrate” this story,

making the story so much stronger than if he told the story himself. I was never bored reading

this story, I was always engaged and eager to read on, never feeling as though I was just reading

pages and pages of listed facts. The appealing format and endured quality came from the

illustrations throughout the story. The author captures authenticity and creativeness all at the

same time as he included not only real pictures of tribe members and their land and soldiers of
the white man army, but included colorful and graphic illustrations that depicted what the

narrator saw and endured. The color and lines in the illustrations depicts the tribes belief in

“medicine power”, which is what they counted on during battle. The use of bright colors in the

illustrations makes the story more appealing, especially to young readers. Using these graphic

and appealing illustrations draws young readers eyes and keeps them engaged in the story.

This story has many more strengths than weaknesses, so the one and only critique I can

pin point to give this book is the organization of its pages. Since this book is designed and

created for children, the layout of the page, which includes pictures, illustrations, text, and

quotes, may make it hard for young readers to stay on track with the story. With so much going

on on the page, they may lose track of what they’re reading and may never even finish the book.

The author should have included the quotes within the text only, and not included them

separately on the page. Nelson should have also had each page include a picture on one side and

an illustration on the other side, instead of having some pages just be illustrations and others just

be pictures.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Lin, Grace. (2011). Where the mountain meets the moon. New York, NY: Hachette Book

Group, Inc.

Summary:

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon is an adventurous fictional fantasy that is perfect for

young readers. Young and hopeful Minli lives with her family in the “Valley of Fruitless

Mountains”. Tired of all the many hours her and her family spend working hard in the fields,

Minli decides that she will set out on a quest to find the “Old Man of the Moon”, a tale her father

has told her night after night. By finding the Old Man of the Moon, Minli believes that he can
tell her how her and her family will be able to find great fortune, so that they will no longer have

to work countless hours in the field and instead live care-free. Shortly after beginning her

journey, Minli encounters a dragon who is tangled up in ropes. Dragon explains to her that he

had been born from a painting in order to serve the Magistrate Tiger, and is unable to fly.

Thinking that the old man can help Dragon too, Minli invites him to take along on her journey.

As the two continue the long journey, they first stop in the City of the Bright Moonlight, where

they must locate the King After a buffalo boy tells them where to find the King, Minli and

Dragon are able to find him and receive borrowed lines. With the help of the borrowed lines that

they had received from the King, Minli and Dragon make their way towards the mountain. On

the way up, they encounter Green Tiger (spirit of the evil Magistrate Tiger), who ends up

poisoning Dragon. Desperately trying to find help for Dragon, Minli runs into twins A-Fu and

Da-Fu, who agree to help Minli with the tiger and help cure Dragon. The twins are able to

distract the tiger and trick him into falling in a well. Once they had taken care of the evil tiger,

the twins treat Dragon with their special tea, curing him. Once Dragon is able to continue on, the

twins lead Dragon and Minli to the mountain, where they encounter yet another problem, they

cannot climb the mountain. They then realize that they can use their borrowed lines to make a

makeshift kite and fly up to the mountain. Once at the top, Minli uses the strings of the kite to

create a bridge that will bring her to the old man. The old man tells Minli that she may only ask

him one single question, so Minli then becomes torn on whether to ask him how Dragon will fly,

or how her family can find great fortune. It was in that moment that Minli decides that her life is

not so bad, and that she has everything she could ever need(a loving family), so she asks the old

man how Dragon can fly. The old man tells her that if she removes the rock from Dragon’s head,

he will then fly. Dragon can now fly and good karma then comes to Minli, her family, and their
village as the rock on Dragon’s head ends up being pearl that makes her family very wealthy.

Her village then becomes “Fruitful Mountain”. Both Minli and Dragon live happily ever after

after a successful journey(Lin, 2009).

Strengths and Weaknesses:

There are many strengths in this book, but the ultimate strength of this book is that it

“honored and celebrated diversity as well as common bonds in humanity”(NBGS), which is a

standard that makes up the Notable Books for a Global Society criteria. The author used this

book to introduce her readers of fairytales and cherished stories of the Chinese culture, honoring

and celebrating a unique culture through a magical story, something many readers may not have

experienced before. The story shows the uniqueness of the Chinese culture through Minli and her

family, and how although there is much power in the world, family is all you really need. The

common bonds in humanity is shown through Minli and her friendship with Dragon. Although

they come from very different worlds and are completely different in physical appearance, Minli

and Dragon were able to set aside their differences and form a friendship in order to help each

other reach the Old Man of the Moon. Also, Minli sacrificed her family’s wealthy fortune in

order to help someone who she thought needed the help more than she did. This selflessness and

putting others before yourself shown by Minli, shows young readers that there is much more to

life than just wealth and fortune, family and being kind is the best fortune you can have. “For the

line was made of only one word, written over and over again. And that word was thankfulness.

And suddenly, like the light when the clouds move away from the moon, Minli knew clearly

what question to ask.”(Lin, 2009, pg. 250).

The second strength of this book is clearly the author’s writing style and her use of

figurative and descriptive language. According to the NBGS criteria, this would fall under the
standard of “unique language or style”(NBGS). The unique language comes from the detailed

descriptions that are occurring along Minli’s long journey. The author lays out sights, sounds,

and smells so that readers can truly understand and visualize what is occurring at that moment.

And example of this is when Dragon is being healed after being scratched and poisoned by the

tiger, the author writes “the tonic was a clear yellow-green, with a gentle aroma of fresh flowers

and grass, reminding Minli of a spring morning”(Lin, 2009, pg. 180). The style of this book is

very unique, especially since it is based off of Chinese culture. Although the story is a fantasy,

the stories that make up this story are popular among Chinese culture, and are stories that have

been in the author’s family for centuries. Throughout the entire book, the author includes

sections of the stories that Minli’s parents have told her as she was growing up. The text is

written in a different font so that the readers know it is a separate story. At the beginning of each

chapter, the author includes a symbol that represents the theme of the chapter. Also, every so

often, the author also includes colorful artwork that she created to represent what is occurring in

the story. These presentations of artwork throughout the story give readers any idea of what

Chinese artwork looks like and why it is so unique. All of these elements that the author presents

in this book, make the style and language of the story unique, setting is apart from many

common fantasy novels.

Another strength of this book is its ability to “meet generally-accepted criteria for the

genre in which they are written”(NBGS), another standard that meets the NBGS criteria. The

author does a great job of introducing aspects of Chinese culture, while still fitting the criteria for

what makes a book fantasy. The inclusion of Chinese fairy tales and talk of dragons and magical

Gods, not only celebrates Chinese culture, but allows the book to follow traditional fantasy tales.
 I believe that this book is very well-written, culturally responsive, and teaches readers a

great moral lesson, making it very hard to find any critique to give the book. Therefore, the only

critique I could find to give this book, is point of view in which the story is told. I believe that if

the book would have been told in first-person omniscient, the readers could make an even better

connection to Minli and been able to feel as though they are on this journey with her. However,

the narrator did do a great job of telling Minli’s story and portraying everything that she was

seeing, hearing, feeling emotionally, and even smelling.

The Red Pencil

Pinkney D. A. & Evans W. S. (2014). The red pencil. New York, NY. Little, Brown and

Company.

Summary:

The Red Pencil, is a story of a young girl named Amira, who lives in Africa in a town

where young girls do not attend school. Her only wish is to go to school to learn how to read and

write. Sadly, her village is stormed by Janjaweed Militia, who takes away her home and all the

other things she finds familiarity in. Amira and her family leave her village to a refugee camp

where she loses hope in her dreams and future until one day she receives a little gift. The gift was

simple a red pencil, but this red pencil opened up the door for Amira to begin writing and allows

an escape and an outlet of expression for her to turn to while she is in the refugee camp. The red

pencil lightens her spirits and keeps her going. She uses the red pencil to escape the many

struggle she has to face, and finds strength in the red pencil and that brings strength in herself.

One strength that I find obvious in this poetic verse novel, is the ability of the author to

tell the story of this little girl through poems and also in the perspective of Amira. Not only does
this novel use unique style, but also reflects the reality for many girls who live in villages like

Amira’s that do not receive education but wishes they could have more for their future.

Another strength I believe this novel contains is the ability to highlight the cultural issue

of how many women/ young girls do not get to receive an education but are trained to only be

wives and work in the house. I think this novel would be a great example to show students that in

different cultures women are viewed differently, but are just as capable as anyone else. I think

though verse can be a difficult style of writing for some readers to follow or enjoy i believe that

The Red Pencil, would be a great novel to use in the classroom to highlight the writing style of

verse. Though verse is not always favored the poems written within this novel give the insight to

the reader of the imagination and journey Amira went through before and after receiving the red

pencil. Another strength that this novel holds are the accents of illustrations throughout the pages

that bring the poems to animation. I feel that the illustrations are enhancing the experience for

the reader as they can visualize the details of the poems within the novel.

The only weakness I could think of that it may be difficult for some readers to follow the

storyline because of the poetry. I do think that this novel could be used as a good read aloud to a

classroom to open up discussion ad have critical thinking about a culture that is unfamiliar to

many in the classroom. I also think this novel would be beneficial to read to students to remind

the class the importance of education and how many do not get to learn how to read and write. I

think this would be a good time to have students reflect on the opportunities they have because

they get to go to school.

Drowned City: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans

Brown D. (2015). Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans. Boston, New York.

Houghton Mifflin Harcout.

Summary:

Don Brown, tells the story of hurricane Katrina and its effects to the city of New Orleans.

This story is told in a unique cartoon style, with descriptions and illustrations capturing the

damage the hurricane had on these people of New Orleans. Don begins this story with the

starting place of hurricane Katrina. It was early August in Africa when the winds begin and push

towards the Americas. This hurricane reaches the point of a category 5 hurricane, heading

straight to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. This story tells the moment that the 1.2 million

people that lived in New Orleans, that the Katrina was going to hit in 24 hours. This story of the

drowned city of New Orleans, bring the reality of the tragedy that occurred into words and

illustrations. This story of the experiences that many people lived through, and some that lost

their lives to this tragic event. Brown also brings the reader the story of the lack of help that these

people received from their state government and the lack of help form the national government.

This story is an important read to remind readers or even inform readers for the first time of how

this hurricane devastated an entire city, and the reality behind this event for some many people

and how many felt they were left alone to fend for themselves.

Strengths & Weaknesses:

I felt Drowned City, was well deserving of this award. One strength that stood out to me

the most was the ability of the illustrations and depictions along with the illustrations that clearly

displayed the reality that came with the occurrence of the hurricane and the effects it had on the

city, and the nightmares that many of the people in that town faced. This book showed all angles

of this event. It revealed that so many people I this city couldn’t leave because many were not

wealthy enough to have a car or was unable to get out in time. It also tells the story of many of

the citizens that made the decision to stay with their homes no matter the cost. I felt that this
book met the criteria of depicting characters of this nonfiction event with accuracy and I could

sense the authenticity within the characters.

Another strength I felt this book encompassed was the ability to provide details of the

treatment that many of the people of this city experienced through a unique style of writing.

Brown was able to capture this story through the dialogue and reactions of the characters, and the

descriptions of the many difficulties survivors had to face through this time. Though the writing

was unique and effective, it was the illustrations that stuck out to me the most. The illustrations

brought the lives of those affected by this tragedy to the page and displayed to the reader the

many things that occurred. I felt this novel accomplished the authors goal to bring the very real

story of Hurricane Katrina to a younger audience, but also a reminder to older readers what

really occurred during this tragic event and how it still affects the town of New Orleans.

I believe this novel would be a great way to introduce students in the classroom of the

event of Hurricane Katrina and the many controversial topics that are held within in this event. I

think this book is a great read for middle school students that would be able to critically think

about this story from all the different angles, and also become aware of the mistreatment from

the government that occurred to majority of these people with in the town. This story also shows

the resilience that the people of this town had during one of the scariest nightmares coming to

life.

This book contained many strengths, and it was hard to pin pint a significant weakness.

One weakness I could concur from this action novel would be the unique writing style. Though

this style of writing is intriguing and fun fir many readers, it also may be difficult for some that

are not used to this writing style and they may get lost in the writing and miss the message within

the story.
Hanna Hashimoto, Sixth Violin

Uegaki C. & Leng Q. (2014). Hanna Hashimoto, sixth violin. Tonawanda, NY. Kids Can

Press Ltd.

Summary:

Hanna Hashimoto is about a little girl named Hana who tells her friends and family that

she will be performing the violin in her next school’s talent show. After announcing her plans,

her brother immediately makes fun of her, and tries to discourage her from participating because

is a beginner at playing the violin. This story captures the reminiscing of Hana and her memories

of the time she first fell in love with the violin, in Japan with her Grandpa. Her grandpa Ojiichan

who was once about of a great sympathy orchestra. Hana’s grandpa was so good that he

performed in front of the imperial family. Her memories of her grandpa playing the violin every

day as lullabies, and composing melodies that made the fireflies dance, began the fascination for

the violin. When Hana came back home to her parents she began to take violin lessons and just

like her Ojiichan, practiced playing every day. The time came for her talent show, Hana became

nervous but remembered that her grandfather was cheering her on, and she began to show the

audience how she plays the violin.

Strength and Weakness:

One strength I noticed in Hana Hashimoto, Sixth Violin, is the subtle incorporation of the

Japanese culture. This children’s book introduced some of the Japanese language. The reader

was able to see the love for her grandpa and japan when she recalled her memories of her time

spent there. I also enjoyed the story of a young girl facing the odds and getting over her nerves to

perform something that is special to her. I also think that this picture book sends a message that

one can take what they have learned from someone and make it their own. Though Hana was not
the most eloquent violin player such as her grandpa, she was confident and proud of the way she

played, and the reminder it gave her of her memories in Japan with her Grandpa. This picture

book shows Hana learning the culture of her grandpas within in Japan and his participation in the

paying and performing of the violin, and taking it upon herself to create a new culture to pass

down through her experience with learning how to play the violin her own way. I also felt the

illustrations allowed for the story to be told beyond just the written text. I enjoyed the very

detailed drawings of the settings and characters within this picture book.

One weakness I saw within this book is that it was not as in depth as a story as some of

the other books I read. I felt this had a very subtle integration of culture, but I felt there could

have been more. This book is great for young children, but I would not use this book to introduce

the Japanese culture. I feel other books do a better job on going more in depth.

Why am I me?

Britt P. & Qualls S. & Alko S. (2017). Why am I me?. New York, NY. Scholastic Press.

Summary:

The book Why am I me? is a children’s picture book about two strangers that begin to be

curious about what makes them, them. The young characters in this picture book wonder what it

is like to be someone else, and different from who they are. They wonder what it would be like

to be taller, darker, lighter and even bolder than themselves. This children’s book introduces the

thought to young readers about the people around them and the differences each person has from

each other. This book invites children to be curious and compassionate about the people around

them.

Strengths and Weaknesses:

One strength that I felt this book encompasses is the ability to bring to a young audience
the celebration of diversity and also sharing the commonality of humanity. Though this book

expresses the differences between people and the question of why am I myself and not someone

else, and points out the differences that we each have amongst ourselves. This picture book also

makes the point that we are who we are for a reason. I think this children’s book also allows the

reader to critically think about what makes them unique. At the end of the story the question is

asked of who are we in this world. I think that it is important to encourage children to think about

who they are in the world and let them know that they have an impact in this world because they

are themselves and they are unique. The illustration throughout this picture books highlights the

many different attributes people I this world have, and the journey these two children make. At

the end of the story the illustrations depict these two children of two different races coming

together and meeting as if they knew they were both thinking the same thing. The illustration

push the encouragement that friendships come from every shape, size, color, and culture of

people around us. I think that that this can be utilized within the classroom to push the students

to find friendships from all children.

One weakness I would have is that the story line was not too clear or in depth. I think it

would difficult for young children to fully understand without the help of an older reader, but I

do believe it would spark critical thinking.

Purpose of this assignment

As we work to become aspiring educators in today's time, it is important that we, as

teachers, prepare ourselves for all our students, and the many things we may encounter as

teachers. Our job as an educator is not only to be a role model, and be able to teach our students

how to read and write, and etc. It is our job, through to curriculum we choose to incorporate in

the classroom, to open the doors to the world they do not fully understand yet and the many
people, issues, and history within it. Gaining cultural responsiveness is an attribute we all should

strive to have for our classroom, especially as our students become more diverse. It is crucial to

make our students away of the other cultures that are different from their own. Within the

Children’s Literature Briefly, Tunnell & Jacobs bring the reader with the very real fear many

people have towards strangers or foreigners which is called xenophobia, that they express as the

reason behind our worldwide inability to live together peacefully. Tunnell & Jacobs also express

that many of the doings for children to inhibit xenophobia often comes from their parents, and

the encouragement given to children to mistrust, and fear certain groups of people that are not

like themselves(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 201). For this very reason alone, it is made important

for a teacher to combat those ideas and encouragements entering the classroom.

We feel the purpose behind this project is to build our teacher toolbox even further. This

is done through developing our knowledge of multicultural literature, so we may be able to

incorporate multicultural literature in our classrooms. In addition to introducing the various

genres, and cultures represented within this broad description of literature. The use of

multicultural literature within the classroom can open the door for us, as teachers, and with our

students to discover as a class what it means to become culturally aware and responsive, enabling

our students to have no fear to interact inclusively with those around them, despite the way they

look, the language they speak, or the differing traditions and characteristics they may have.

It is never too early to provide one’s classroom with multicultural material. Tunnell & Jacobs

express that there is not a point where children are too young to be introduced to multicultural

education. The earlier children begin learning about people that are different from them, the

more likely there will be a change in the right direction, away from xenophobia and passing

judgment on those not like oneself. It is important to introduce various topics within
multicultural literature, because literature is one of the strongest tools to use to combat ignorance

towards many controversial issues, and topics in today's society, and alter the sight one can have

towards the world and the many people living in it. Studies have shown that students’ prejudices

have been reduced or changed simply by the exposure to good multicultural books. The exposure

to multicultural material in the classroom can also help a child develop a deeper love, knowledge

and pride for their own culture(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 201-201).

As a teacher one of the most important things you can do is get to know your students. It

is immensely beneficial to yourself and the student when the effort is put in to get to know the

student as a learner and as a person. One’s culture can play a huge role in how they behave and

learn in a classroom. Learning more about a student’s culture can enable you as a teacher to gain

the ability to provide any further help and guidance if needed for certain students. I believe also

putting in the effort to learn about many various multicultural topics, especially the ones

represented in the classroom, shows the students that you care, and are still not only a teacher but

also learning from them to create a classroom community, that is both giving with information

and learning information from one another. An excellent activity that can be sparked by

introducing various multicultural topics throughout the year, is to encourage students to think

about their own culture and how it is special to themselves, then take the time for the students to

share to one another so we may learn more about each student individually and learn something

that we may not have known otherwise.

Many multicultural topics are covered under this umbrella of a category of literature that

children at a young age may not be aware of yet. Because of our very diverse society it is

important to create an environment within the classroom for children to learn about all aspects of

our society in an appropriate way. Some topics that multicultural literature covers are those
based on sexuality and gender identification, such as the LGBTQ community. Using literature

written about these topics can be a safe and educational way to start conversation and introduce

more controversial topics in today's society.

Multicultural definition

Cailyn’s Definition:

Before working on this assignment, I would define multicultural literature as an author

writing with a goal to introduce and inform readers of different cultures, perspectives, and

traditions of people around the world. My definition for multicultural literature derives from my

past experience with books i associated with the genre and the assumption of what multicultural

literature may entail.

Through completing this project and diving deeper into other books that hold this concept

such as those in this project my view and definition becomes broader in the sense of what

multicultural literature truly encompasses. I would define multicultural literature further as a

genre that discusses many cultural issues around the world, whether it is within the same culture,

or the relationship between two or more cultures, along with the relationship some cultures have

with their government. Through this project and throughout the course of the semester i have

learned that culture goes beyond just ethnicity and heritage tradition, but everyone has a sense of

culture in their lives, and within their family. Culture can be considered not only wordly but also

personal.

Within the article It’s not on the list: An exploration of teachers’ perspectives on using

multicultural literature written by B. Joyce Stallworth, Louel Gibbons, and Leigh Fauber, covers

the importance of providing an inclusive environment within the classroom. It has become part

of the standards for English language and arts that the curriculum and reading used within the
classroom reflects the diversity represented in America. The diversity represented within

America does not only include the different ethnicities within the united states but “it’s not on

the list”, expresses the importance that the cultural topics of gender, age, social class, religion,

and ethnicity be talked and incorporated in the curriculum in the classroom. One of the best ways

to do so would be through forms of literature that appropriately tackle these topics, while also

inviting beneficial an educational discussion. Through this article i was again reformed that

multicultural literature can be used as an educational tool to encourage inclusion and

understanding. Literature based on the topics of the broad subject of multicultural can provide a

reflection and pride in one’s own culture, while also giving the chance for the reader to look into

a lens of someone living in a much different culture. By stepping out as a reader and looking into

the lens of someone else’s culture, i believe it provides the reader with a better understanding

and compassion for the culture they are becoming familiar with.

The goal as a teacher and the goal of incorporating and encouraging reading of

multicultural literature is to be one step further from the constant reality of the Xenophobia that

many people have towards others that are unlike themselves. If I as a teacher can take that fear

from a student by providing them a simple book that can open their eyes, I am obligated as their

teacher and role model to do so. I also feel that it is my job to not only encourage my students

with multicultural literature but take it upon myself to show my students that I am engaging in

the drive to learn more about other cultures so again we may work towards creating a culturally

responsive environment, and that starts with me as a teacher.

My eyes have been opened through this project, our course textbook Children’s

Literature Briefly, discussions in class, and the article It’s not on the list: An exploration of
teachers’ perspectives on using multicultural literature, to the broad sense of multicultural

literature and the possibilities and learning it can provide for myself and my future classroom.

Taylor’s Definition:

Before gaining any knowledge on this topic, I had not had any prior knowledge on it.

However, if I had to define multicultural literature, I would define it as using different cultures

throughout the world to incorporate as a topic for writing. Authors may use this to write a book

based on the perspective of someone who is from a different culture than them, or from their

perspective on their own culture. I came to this definition by not only interpreting the word

“multicultural” itself, but by looking back on books I have previously read that I believe fit the

concept of multicultural literature. For example, the book Too Many Tamales is a book that I

would consider to be a multicultural book because of its inclusion of a diverse culture, but also of

a family’s personal culture.

However, now that I have taken this course and completed this assignment, my

understanding of multicultural literature has widely expanded. I have now realized that my

previous definition does not do the concept of multicultural literature justice. I have now realized

that the word “multicultural literature” is too broad of a word to use for this widely expansive

topic. Multicultural literature goes so much farther beyond a set number of cultures, because

culture is in everything and everyone has a culture. Culture also extends past just traditions,

religion, and ethnic diversity, it also includes things like gender identity and sexuality. Belinda

Louie, author of Development of empathetic responses with multicultural literature, discusses

how reading these multicultural stories allows the readers to think from a perspective that is

similar to the authors, seeing their point of view. This also gives them a vantage point into how

cultures and people from all around the world differ from them in unique ways. Louie also
claims that if readers take that next step in connection with the narrator or main character, then

they will ultimately develop a sense of empathy. Developing empathy not only means they feel a

close and emotional connection to the character(s), but they begin to develop an understanding,

or even the same perspective, of the perspective presented in the text(Louie, 2005, 566-567).

It is important that we as future teachers understand this concept to its full extent, and are able to

relay this message to our future students in a way that effectively educates them on it. According

to Children’s Literature Briefly, it has been proven that those students who have been exposed to

well-written multicultural books, have a better chance of being open-minded and avoiding

prejudice, which is why it is also important that the teacher be aware on how to choose good

multicultural books for their library. It is important that the teacher considers all genres when

choose a multicultural book, that way they can appeal to all types of readers that will be in the

classroom(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 190-191). As a teacher, it is my goal to effectively

introduce this concept to my students in a way that they become culturally responsive students

who promote and except widely diverse culture.

Our winning Book

Sitting Bull: Lakota Warrior and defender of his people

NBGS Winner(strengths&weaknesses/use in the classroom):

The winner that we chose was a clear decision for us. Sitting Bull is a book that

encompasses each and every standard of the NBGS criteria to the full extent. This is a book that

we believe also fully encompasses the concept of multicultural literature in a way that is

absolutely of great use for our classrooms.

At the beginning of the book, the standards of “unique language and style” and “having

an appealing format of enduring quality”(NBGS) are evident. The author is able to accomplish
the unique style and language by his use of the narrator. He uses the narrator to tell the story

through first-person omniscient from the point of view of Sitting Bull himself. Although Sitting

Bull is not actually telling the story, the author is able to use descriptive language to connect the

readers to his thoughts, feelings, and what is occurring around him. As he starts his manhood in

his tribe, he describes his first kill in order to feed his people, he says “When the buffalo fell, I

howled like a wolf in triumph. And yet, as I stood over the fallen creature, I also felt sadness

deep inside me. I knelt close to my first kill and whispered in his ear, “Thank you, Brother

Buffalo, for giving your life so that my people will live.””(Nelson, 2015, pg. 5). This language

shows the respect that the Lakota tribe had for their food and how members like Sitting Bull

expressed their gratefulness for the species that they survived off of. The language is not only

creative, but clever, convincing young readers that this story actually came from Sitting Bull

himself. This is also when the the appealing format of enduring quality comes into play. From

the very start of the book, it is evident that the author is going to intersperse archival images

from the Lakota Sioux tribe and the U.S. officials, along with his own colorful and detailed

ledger- art illustrations that he used to represent visual testaments of villages, battles,

ceremonies, and tribe members. The use of the bright and bold colors depict the tribe’s belief in

“medicine power” and how these colors gave them strength and protection. The use of lines

depict markings and shapes that were drawn on warriors’ bodies and their horses for battle. The

use of the photographs of the people involved in this story, give the story not only authenticity,

but clarity by showing the author’s dedication to capturing the accurate facts of the Lakota tribe

during this time. The author was able to use his own illustrations to depict battle in a way that is

interesting and understandable for young readers who may be reading this book.
 The author accurately portrays the characters in the book based on how they were in real

life. He is able to capture “physical characteristics” of the characters in his artwork by depicting

their clothing and the color of their skin. For the Lakota Sioux people, Nelson captures their

different shades of dark skin with long and colorful dress, all clothing differing. The warriors of

the tribe are the only tribe members with color on their face, depicting the “medicine power” that

they used to give them strength in battle. The white men of the U.S. army, are all the same pale-

colored skin, dressed in all the same dark blue uniforms. The physical characteristics of these

characters are also shown through real photographs of them. “Intellectual abilities and problem

solving capabilities” are shown mostly through Sitting Bull, the main character. Through him,

the author is able to show how young boys of this tribe grow up practicing for when they become

warriors, protecting goods from rival tribes and providing meat for their people. Sitting Bull

reflects how the men of the tribe are skilled in arrow shooting and spear throwing, tactics they

use to sneak up on game and to defeat their opponents in battle. They use their intellectual

abilities and hand-on skills to survive and keep members of their tribe alive. The problem-

solving capabilities is also shown through Sitting Bull in this story, as he ultimately becomes the

voice of reason for how the Lakota Sioux, as well as neighboring tribes, will defeat the white

men and take back their land. He first leads his men in their first battle against the white men,

then was chosen to lead the other tribes as they joined in on the fight as well. The “leadership

and cooperative dimensions” are once again shown through Sitting Bull as he was the leader of

all of the battles that took place against the white men, leading thousands of Native Americans in

a fight for equality and for what was rightfully theirs. Sitting Bull also shows cooperative

dimensions as he set aside their differences to come together as one with differing tribes, as well

as peacefully and respectively surrendered to the white men, doing anything and everything they
asked at the reservation camp, only to be murdered in the end. The “social and economic” status

of the Lakota Sioux tribe is evident as they live on land that they claimed decades before, with

no power, no money, and no resources, just surviving on the strength of their rituals and unity of

the tribe. As the status of the Lakota Sioux tribe is on the bottom of the food chain, it becomes

clear that the social and economic status of the white men is on a much different scale. The white

men have money, power, and resources. An example of this is when the white men show up on

Lakota land, basking in good and weapons, while the Lakota tribe are surviving off of local game

and man-made weapons. The white men use the tribe’s desperate need for goods and resources,

as a tool for manipulation so that they can take their land.

The inclusion of “members of a “minority” group for a purpose other than filling a

“quota””(NBGS) is clear throughout the story. The author did not write this story just the fill a

quota, he wrote it so that readers can understand the beauty behind the Lakota Sioux tribe, and

the struggles that they faced as they were manipulated and taken advantage of by their

government. Mostly all of the books written by S. D. Nelson are based off of Native American

leaders and Native American culture. The author himself is a member of the Lakota Sioux tribe.

For centuries, Native American tribes have been pushed under the rug, underrated and

unaccounted for by the United States government, never being able to live the free and peaceful

lives they have always strived to live. S.D. Nelson strives to take readers through the journey of

the beauty of the daily hunting sessions, village gatherings, spiritual beliefs, and traditional dress

and paint of the people of the Lakota Sioux tribe. He then switches gears as he takes readers

through the invasion of the U.S officials who manipulate the Lakota Sioux tribe so that they can

take their land. The author does a great job of accurately and authentically taking readers through

the everyday struggles that the Lakota Sioux tribe face living in America, which ultimately gives
readers an insight to what it is like for other tribes living in America as well. As the narrator,

Sitting Bull is able to let readers know that although people may try to stop you from being who

you are, you should always stay true to yourself and what you believe in no matter what. This is

why the Lakota Sioux tribe would be considered a minority group, because their traditions and

way of living is different from the typical “white man” lifestyle, therefore making certain groups,

like the United States government in this case, feel as though they are the superior race and can

walk all over Native American tribes and their land. Even though Native American tribes have

discovered most of the land throughout America and have been around for centuries, longer than

most, the government continues to take advantage of their power by taking Native American

land that they have claimed for hundreds of years, ultimately giving them their minority status.

Until the United States government puts an end to stealing Native American land, the tribes will

not be able to gather peacefully on land that has been in their family for centuries.

This is where the S.D. Nelson uses this story to “honor and celebrate diversity as well as

common bonds in humanity”(NBGS). Not only does he introduce a minority group, but he takes

readers through the diverse practices of the Sioux tribe. These practices differ from tribe to tribe,

so Nelson focused on the Lakota Sioux culture and traditions specifically. Many readers may

have no prior knowledge on what Native American history, rituals, practices, or beliefs look like,

therefore he wants to educate them by celebrating and honoring the beauty behind the cultural

history of this tribe, a tribe he is a part of. Nelson does this by using Sitting Bull to discuss with

readers his everyday life as a Lakota Sioux tribe member and the uniqueness of their practices.

He says things like, “We believed that there is a living spirit in all creatures and things”(Nelson,

2015, pg. 3), “My weapons seemed to have “medicine power” that gave me added

strength”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 4), “The bravest deep earned an eagle feather to wear in one’s
hair”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 6). Each of these accounts depicted the diversity of this Native American

tribe, honoring rituals and beliefs, as well as celebrating the lifestyle that they survived on for

centuries. Even at the end of the story, when all hope seemed to be lost for the Lakota Sioux

tribe, Sitting Bull claims, “To my people I say” Brave up! There will be heard times ahead.

Strong hearts to the front!”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 47), showing readers that no matter who tried to

put an end to this diverse culture, the Lakota Sioux would not give up being who they are and

what they believe in, no matter what anyone told them. As a member of this tribe himself,

Nelson finds great honor and responsibility in educating his readers on not only his Native

American history, but Native American history itself. He wants readers to know and understand

the diversity and beauty behind Native American culture and traditions, especially because they

are so different from other cultures. The common bonds in humanity become evident in this story

when the Lakota Sioux tribe decides that they will not let the white men kill any more of their

people and defend what is rightfully theirs, so they join forces with other tribes, tribes

completely different from them, in order to take down the white men. “We had seven tribes, or

bands, each with its own chief and elders.”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 16). Although they were

completely different and did not uphold the same beliefs as one another, they set aside their

differences to come together by sharing a common bond, which was to defend their people and

their land. Nelson uses his illustrations to show three leaders from three separate tribes sitting

together, painted and marked in bright colors of “medicine power” to protect them in battle.

Although this was a Lakota Sioux tribe ritual, they all used this ritual to show the white men that

they are one.

“Include characters within a cultural group or between two or more cultural group who

interact substantively and authentically”(NBGS), is clearly presented very early on in this book
between the white men and the Lakota Sioux tribe. The word substantively, in this case,

represents the consistent interaction between the Lakota Sioux tribe and the white men. The two

cultural groups meet for the first time on just the eighth page of the book, then continue their

interaction all the way to the end of the book. Their substantive interaction takes place mostly

through battle, but at first took place as a peaceful and innocent introduction. The battles

authentically depict the constant battle between different cultural groups during this time, and

their need to be superior over one another. The authenticity of these diverse cultural groups

interactions is evident as the author not only includes real photographs of both of these groups,

but follow them with illustrations that depict those battles. The interaction that shows this

authenticity is between the lieutenant of the great army that were sent to attack and force “hostile

Indians”, like the Sioux tribe, to surrender and go to the “Great Sioux Reservation”. The army,

led by George Armstrong Custer fought many battles with Sitting Bull and his tribe, attacking

each other back and forth, one after the other. The battles continued until the Sioux finally got

the upper hand on Custer, leading to him taking his own life(Nelson, 2015, pg. 20-28). These

particular interactions shows the realism behind these battles, and the tension that plagued

America, between the Indians and the white men. The author is clearly credible for these battles

as he includes a historical timeline at the end of the book, showing that he has proof of these

events between the tribe and the white men. These interactions between these two culturally

diverse groups of people also show the book’s reflection of “in-depth treatment of cultural

issues”(NBGS). As mentioned previously, the interaction between the Lakota Sioux tribe and the

white men came mostly from battle, making the cultural issues between the two groups as bright

as day. The white men, under the United States government, felt as though they were superior to

Native Americans, believing that they could manipulate the tribes to surrender their land with
promises of goods and security of life. When some tribes began to catch on to the white men’s

plan, they began to fight back. Sitting Bull recounts, “The wasichus(white men) were looking for

the yellow metal that made their hearts crazy with greed. Gold! It didn’t matter that the gold was

on Lakota land.”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 20). When the white men finally got what they invaded these

peaceful lands for, they continued to harass and degrade Native Americans by placing them in

camps, camps where they could keep and eye on them because they feared anything different

from how they lived and what they believed in. At the end of this book, in the author’s note,

Nelson includes a section called “The Nature of Truth”, where he makes a statement that not

only represents cultural issues from this story, but cultural issues that continue to exist today. He

says “Today, in the twenty-first century, many cultures fear change and cling desperately to the

past. They use their traditions to build walls against the future and against their

neighbors.”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 53). This statement rings true for the beliefs of the white men that

they are the superior race and of the superior culture over Native Americans in this story, but

address how these same issues are still evident today, no matter how much time as passed.

After considering all of these standards for what makes the NBGS criteria, it is clear that

this book is “rich in cultural details”, in so many ways. The book captures the true values,

traditions, beliefs, and lifestyle of the Lakota Sioux tribe at the time when this story took place.

The author, as a member of this tribe, uses traditional artwork and photographs to capture every

essence of the Lakota Sioux tribe. The inclusion of the narrator, Sitting Bull, uses a creative hook

in order to describe to readers the cultural aspect behind the Lakota Sioux tribe, and an inside

look on the historical and present struggles of Native Americans. The inclusion of the U.S. army

and their greedy wants and needs, genuinely depicts the selfishness and greed of the United

States government, by showing their willingness to undermine and murder a minority group that
hales from their own country. All cultural aspects of this story are accurately and authentically

depicted through Sitting Bull’s journey.

This book clearly meets “generally-accepted criteria of quality for the genre in which

they are written”(NBGS). The genre in which this book is written is historical nonfiction picture

book. The historical concept of this genre is evident as the book introduces readers to a story that

took place over a century ago in 1837, and educates them on a minority group that originates in

the United States. The nonfiction concept is shown through the fact that the characters in this

story were real people, the battles that took place actually happened, and the cultural groups that

are presented are real, making the book nonfiction. The picture book concept is evident as the

book includes illustrations to follow the narratives, such as photographs and drawings. This is

how Children’s Literature Briefly categorizes a picture storybook, saying that a picture

storybook is when the text and the illustrations work as one in order to tell the

story(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 67). According to Tunnell and Jacobs, nonfiction books are put

into categories based on if they are written as a biography, or written to be

informational(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 57). In this case, this book would be considered an

informational book. What makes this particular book informational, is it “presents current and

accurate knowledge about something found in our universe”(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 168),

which in this case is Native American culture from a time in history. According to Tunnell and

Jacobs, there are many things that make up a good informational book, such a attractive design,

compelling details(quotes,anecdotes,facts), fascinating comparisons, unusual subjects,

personalized content, and accuracy. After reading this book, we realized that it hits every one of

those standards. The attractive design comes from the real photographs of the people included in

the story, as well as bright and detailed ledger art done by the author. The compelling details are
evident as the author includes real quotes from tribe chiefs and U.S military leaders, anecdotes

from using Sitting Bull as the narrator who experienced these things first-hand, and facts that

spark readers interest in learning about the Lakota Sioux tribe. The fascinating comparison

comes from the illustrations, showing photographs versus ledger art drawings, and from

comparing the Lakota Sioux Native Americans and the white men from the United States army,

who differ immensely. The personalized content is evident as S.D. Nelson is writing about his

ancestors and his culture, and even though he did not experience these things himself, he knows

the story and is able to educate readers on it. The accuracy of this book is not even a question, as

Nelson uses his passion and knowledge on this minority group through real photographs, quotes,

and events, all in which he educates his readers through. All of these elements that make up this

story, allow it to fit the genre in which it is written in to a T.

All aspects of this story “invite reflection, critical analysis, and response”(NBGS). This is

clear as at the end of reading this story, we were able to do just that. Before reading this story,

we both understood how the United States government has treated Native Americans poorly

since the beginning of time, but we had no prior knowledge on this tribe in particular, or their

run-in with the United States government during this time. Once we read the story, we were able

to reflect on what we thought of the story, and how reading it has changed our perspective on

what we believe Native American culture looks like. Because Native American culture is not

talked about enough in history courses, we are able to take this book and analysis it for the use of

a classroom as if we were the students. Through the course of reading this book not only did it

advance our knowledge on this time and the history of this tribe, but it also called for critical

thinking around the treatment of this particular culture in American history. As a student we can
analyze those that were treated poorly in the past and also reflect and relate to the acts of

discrimination that continue to occur today in America.

There are many elements that make this book the great piece of writing that it is. The plot

of this story deals with cultural issues between two diverse ethnic groups, and the struggles of

the minority group to overcome horrific obstacles. The plot follows a heroic journey of a leader

trying to lead his people in a good guy versus bad guy scenario. Although the plot follows this

structure, the outcome is not the typical hero’s journey happy ending, instead, the ending is very

raw and real as the hero of the story dies in an unexpected and unheroic way. The theme of this

book addresses many different concepts, such as acceptance of one’s self,

discrimination/bullying, and uniqueness. All of these sub themes are shown when the author

introduces the conflict between the Lakota Sioux tribe and the white men. The theme of

discrimination and bullying comes from the white men thinking they can over power the tribes

into stealing their land because they believe they are the superior race. Because they are white

and dont have the same beliefs, the white men use their power to not only take over and destroy

Sioux land, but murder Sioux people in the process. This theme is easy to identify for readers,

and can be a concept they can relate to if they have ever experienced bullying. Uniqueness

comes from the Lakota Sioux tribe itself, and their unique culture. Despite social norms, they

continue to dress in a particular way, sing their particular songs, and follow their religious

practices. This shows readers that no matter what you do, you are unique in your own way, no

matter what society may tell you. The acceptance of one’s self is shown, even though he

surrendered, when Sitting Bull stated “I will remain what I am until I die.”(Nelson, 2015, pg.

40), showing that he will always be a Sioux and believe in what he believes in, no matter what.

This shows readers that you should stay true to yourself, no matter what anyone tells you.
Staying true to yourself is the most important thing you can do in the end. The voice of this story

is how the author expresses his feelings towards the treatment of his people back then, and how

he wants to celebrate the beauty of his culture. The author does this through Sitting Bull, whose

voice throughout the story is very strong and passionate, expressing his thoughts and feelings

towards the white men and their actions taken against his tribe in a way that is very biased. The

voice does not give perspectives as if one of the white men is telling the story, the voice is only

of a perspective of a Lakota Sioux tribe member. The voice is also very modern, meaning you

can tell that the story was written in present times as the narrator speaks the way he talks, but in a

way that is informative and educational. The author allows this book to be authentic in many

ways, but mostly through the inclusion of authentic characters, such as Sitting Bull, a real tribe

leader. Each character in the story, bad or good, was a real person who had a real impact on this

time in history. Some characters include Sitting Bull(tribe leader), Chief Red Cloud(tribal

leader), Lieutenant George Armstrong Custer(U.S. army colonel), and even Crow Foot(Sitting

Bull’s son). The writing style of this book, as mentioned previously, is very unique. The author

writes the book in first-person omniscient as if Sitting Bull is telling the story, even though he is

deceased. As Sitting Bull is “telling” the story, he speaks in very historical dialect, meaning he

speaks as though he is in the time of when this story takes place and he is living through it. He

narrates things like “I did not plan to surrender. Instead, I intended to teach the wasichus(white

men) a lesson.”(Nelson, 2015, pg. 14), acting as though he is Sitting Bull himself speaking of a

battle that he will soon endure. The author was very creative when he decided to use this writing

style, giving the narrations, although true, a fictionalized and historical feel to such a real story.

All of these aspects make the book what it is, a beautifully written and illustrated piece of

historical and culturally responsive children’s book.

Critical Reaction

Sitting Bull is a perfect book for a 4th grade, or older, classroom. The book is not only

appealing to the eye, but it it is a creative and fascinating introduction on Native American

culture for readers. The length of the story is perfect for beginning chapter book readers as it is

much longer than a normal picture book, but much less shorter than a chapter, allowing them to

read it in a shorter period of time. The use of bright colors and detailed lines of the drawings, and

the real photographs, keeps the book interesting and appealing for readers who need those things

to stay interested and focused on a story. The main character, Sitting Bull, is an easy character to

interest readers as he follows the typical, but at the same time not typical, protagonist hero. He

begins the story with a conflict and battles his way to a resolution, and although that resolution

was much different than the typical hero story, it keeps readers anxious to see if Sitting Bull(the

hero) will prevail in the end. Besides the hero’s journey theme that children love, they also love

the good guys versus bad guys plot, which is how this story ends up being structured, the good

Indians versus the bad U.S. army. This book can also appeal to those students who are of the

Native American race, giving them options of stories that appeal to their culture, even if they

may not be of this particular tribe. We also believe that this book is vital to have in the classroom

because of its cultural relevance. Native American culture is not talked about enough in history

curriculums, so having this book in our classroom shows our effort in discussing it more, and

that we consider Native American culture a culture to be shared. The only downside to this book

is that is shows that there is some bad within the United States, especially with government, and

some kids may not understand why a book would portray our country in that way. However, it is

a harsh reality that kids need to be introduced to and understand, even if it is not favorable. Any

curiosity that a child may have about Native American culture, can be addressed in this book.
Overall, the introduction to a diverse culture, along with the book’s overall theme of acceptance

and fighting for what you believe in, is great for older level students.

Although it was an extensively thought out decision for choosing our winner, Sitting Bull

was the book that ultimately stood out to us more than any others. It not only met every aspect of

criteria for a NBGS, but also met standards that make a book a piece of multicultural literature.

We thoroughly enjoyed the overall layout of this book, the cultural issues it addressed, the

underlying themes, the design and concept behind the illustrations, the reference to a historical

piece of U.S. that comes from the perspective of a minority, and the creative writing style. We

felt that all of these elements made this book and overall winner. This book also nailed concepts

that are considered to be multicultural literature. This book is considered multicultural literature

because it addresses many cultural issues and stereotypes within the Native American culture.

The author within this booked unveiled the past history of the Lakota Sioux tribe. According to

the Tunnel and Jacobs, racial or cultural stereotyping must be avoided within the writing.

Though the author of this book mentioned the stereotypes of the people of the tribe being

uneducated and easy to fool, the author also provides the story of the tribe and why they were

given a false stereotype by the white men. This story uses the stereotypes to highlight the falsity

behind them proving the strength and wisdom of the people of the Lakota Sioux tribe had.

Another point of qualification Children’s Literature Briefly, provides for a multicultural book

would be the authenticity behind the information and characters of the culture written about.

Sitting Bull, provides authentic historical information regarding the treatment of the Lakota

Sioux tribe, that also includes the stories of real tribe members that lived through these years of

poor treatment. Jacob and Tunnel, again expresses the importance to including multicultural
literature within the classroom and Sitting Bull, would be beneficial with the authentic cultural

information to provide to students(Tunnell&Jacobs, 2004, pg. 201-202).

To use this book in our classrooms, we would use it as a part of the our history

curriculum. We can spend each section of our history lesson discussing diverse cultures

throughout the world, introducing a new culture each day of week. Once we land on Native

American culture, we can use this book as a reference for a classroom read aloud. As we read the

story as a class, we can stop on each page to critically analyze the illustrations and what story

they tell before reading the text, getting students thinking and focused on the story. When we

finish the book, we can have students complete a compare and contrast venn diagram of what

they have learned about Native American culture in relations to maybe their culture, no matter

what that may be. This way, they can see that although there are differences between cultures,

there can still be similarities, which is why all cultures should be accepting of one another. This

can also allow them to tie any prior knowledge that they may have had before reading this book,

to the knowledge they now have. This book speaks to acceptance of one another, despite clear

differences, and fighting for what is right, which is an important lesson to teach young students

who will soon be moving in young adulthood. This book, without clearly mentioning it, also

speaks to the concept of bullying, which is something many children struggle with as they are

going through school. It is important as teachers that we address this concept and let our children

know what it feels like to be bullied and that it is not okay, no matter how powerful you may, it

just makes you look like the bad guy in the end. This book is a great introduction to Native

American culture, while at the same time teaching valuable life lessons. The truth behind this

story can be eye-opening and relatable for readers, which is why it is perfect for the classroom.

Honor Book #1: The Red Pencil

 The Red Pencil, is chosen as our honor because we felt that it exemplified many of the

criteria set for a NBGS award. The Red Pencil, incorporated within its verse writing style, a story

of a village girl that traditionally would go uneducated. This story reflects on the simply act of a

gift of a pencil that gives her the opportunity to begin to learn how to write and create stories.

This book exemplifies the qualities of an NBGS book through providing in-depth treatment of

cultural issues. The Red Pencil, touches on the issue that in many countries, many places women

do not get the equal chance at education, and go throughout the lives only working the jobs they

are told they can do. Education is such an important gift to receive in a child's life, and especially

a young girl. In this book, one can see the simply gift of the ability to write and have an outlet to

express her thoughts and feelings, can have the effect to change someone's attitude towards what

they are struggling with.

The Red Pencil, not only integrates the use of cultural issues, but also allows the reader

through the topic of the book to reflect, have critical analyzation of the book, and respond.

Through the cultural issue that Amira faces, while her village is taken over, and she must move

to a refugee camp, she struggles with the thought of how her dreams will never come true. We

think that though many people do not struggle with what Amira went through, we all have our

own personal struggles that set us back in our hopes for the future. These topic allow us to self

reflect on our past struggles and our dreams today. Along with the quality to invite critical

analysis, this novel is written in a unique style of verse, but still has the ability to provide the

reader with the story of Amira. Though versus may be hard for some readers, we believe the

author provides verse that gives insight on the feelings behind the character of Amira.

As future teachers, we believe that The Red Pencil, would be a great verse novel to

incorporate into the classroom as a read aloud, to an upper middle school classroom. This novel
would be easy to read a couple verses in a class a day and along the course of the time doing the

read aloud, have questions for the students that would encourage critical thinking about the

journey Amira has in her life, and also her love for writing. We believe this book is a great

source to use to highlight the importance of writing as well and the impact it can have in a life.

We would have the students reflect on questions, such as what are their dreams, how does

education play a role in achieving their dreams, and how would their life be different if they

never learned how to read or write? We think it is important for students especially those that

have easy access to education, know the importance of what they are getting, along with the fact

that many children do not get the same opportunities to education as them.

Honor Book #2: Why am I Me?

Why am I me?, is one the books we loved reading the most. We picked this book as one

of our honor books because it also holds many qualities that meet the criteria Notable Books for

a Global Society. One quality that was clearly made in this book was the celebration and honor

of diversity through this book while also acknowledging the commonality within humanity that

binds us all together. This book expresses the thought of why we are who we are and what it

would be like to be someone else. This story acknowledges that everyone is different, someone is

taller, shorter, darker, lighter or just not like you. It shows and celebrates the differences between

the people in this world, but also reminds the reader that we are all different and unique for a

reason. This book is a reminder that we are who we are, and that is how it is supposed to be.

Another quality Why am I me? encompasses, is the fact that this children’s picture book

can introduce to a young reader that there are people in the world that are different from them

and that is ok. We believe this children’s book would be a good opportunity to read to a young

child to begin critical thinking about the different people in the world. This story allows lets the
reader wonder and have compassion for those that live a different life from their own. This

children’s book encompasses through its message, the quality of inviting the chance to reflect on

the multicultural world we live in.

As future teachers, we would highly recommend integrating this children’s book into a

young elementary class. We would use this children’s book to introduce to the students about the

different cultures represented in the classroom and others that are represented in the world. We

also think this would be a good brook to read and ask the students to reflect on what makes them

unique from their classmates. This picture book can also be used to highlight the fact that we are

all different but that should not top us from being friends with one another. Not only does this

book point out the curiosity of what it would be like if you were someone else, but it also

reminds us to think about why we are who we are. We would also argue that this picture book

would also be a good start to have children think about what good they can do in the world and

that each one of us has a purpose and that is why we are who we are. This reflection of self and a

trigger of critical thinking will also allow you as a teacher to get to know your students even

better, while they can also get to know the teacher better as he or she shares with the class on his

or her reflection from this children’s book.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this project as advanced our knowledge and opened our eyes to all that

encompasses multicultural literature. From the beginning of this project we were unaware of all

that was considered multicultural literature and how useful all topics can be used within the

classroom. We believe this project as built our ability to provide our students of a variety of ages

with literature based on multicultural topics and subjects. The importance to integrate

multicultural literature within the classroom has been made clear through the process of this
project. Not only have we gained the experience with multicultural literature we as future

teachers have also began developing the skill of becoming a culturally responsive teacher, with a

classroom that learns the same quality. Creating a save and open environment for students to

explore their own and other’s cultures is one to be welcomed and strived for, when we are

creating our future classrooms. We feel that though this is a good start into the introducing of

multicultural literature in the books we have read, there are so many still to discover and that list

will come from the future students that we will have, and the cultures that we should learn about

as they become represented within the classroom. This only brings more excitement to us as we

continue to endeavor in the steps to become a teacher. The time we begin implementing what we

have learned within this class and other teaching classes will be the time we grow as educators

and role models the most. It is key to remember the impact a story in a book can have on

someone life and continue to integrate literature to open the doors of imagine and discovery for

our students in our future classrooms.

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Notable Books for a Global Society Selection & Criteria.

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