This post consists of a book list from a Donors Choose project I had funded in 2019. I was creating an author study and realized how lacking my classroom library was in diverse materials after 13 years of teaching. Sure, I had some books we used during Black History Month and Women's History Month, a couple of copies of diaries from Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary, as well as some whitewashed versions of Thanksgiving and Native American group profiles. But so many segments were not adequately represented, including many that my coworkers and students (past and present) could relate to - Jews, Muslims, female scientists, Hispanics, visible and invisible disabilities, divorced and / or nontraditional families, imprisoned family members, immigrants, and even just fictional characters from different cultures, among other categories.
First, read the project description. Then check out the books and summaries of their plots. Don't forget to check out other books by these authors.
Help me give my students books like Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets, Nonni's Moon, Pashmina, and Lailah's Lunchbox. These books will help us celebrate diversity in our classroom!
My Students
“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to people who prepare for it today." - MX
My lively bunch of 28 students come from different cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds.
Each student has a unique and valuable set of experiences that they contribute to the class. We have worked hard to build bonds with each other and consider our class to be like a family, while our classroom is like a home. Students truly feel safe to be themselves, take risks, and explore.
My Project
Students will get to read books about characters from their cultures and others within our classroom. Reading books with diverse characters will motivate my students to read as they will be able to make connections with the characters and other students in our class.
These books will help students understand different aspects of their lives so that we can create a more inclusive, caring classroom.
Students will be able to understand social and cultural norms that may differ from theirs. This will help further our dialogue of multiculturalism and acceptance of all people. Children are learning to be productive members of a global classroom and society!
The first inhabitants of the Turtle Island, name formerly given to North America, were also people rich in legends. One of these famous legends is Gluskabe, the colossal and prodigious hero of the Wabanakis people.This first book of Gluskabe’s magical adventures tells you about the coming of our hero on Earth.
In Gluskabe's time, the squirrel was not the cute little rodent leaping from branch to branch that we see nowadays. It was a frightening beast, the size of the largest bear. “Gluskabe, I'm not afraid of your humans, the ALNOBAK. If they dare coming near my territory I will fight them, I will crush them. I will mash them into cranberry compote!” the squirrel retorted in a threatening tone.
The Game Bag is a ten thousand years old legend that joins today’s plea for a more equitable sharing of the natural resources. A fantastic read for children and grown-ups alike and an homage to our Abenaki environment advocate "Alanis Obomsawin".
Gr 4–8—Priyanka is a teenage girl who loves to draw. Her mother emigrated from India years ago, leaving Pri's father behind. Pri is eager to learn about her father and her Indian heritage, but her mother refuses to discuss the subject. Then Pri finds an old pashmina in her mother's suitcase, and when she puts it on, she is magically transported to the India of her dreams. Pri is greeted by an elephant and a peacock, who offer to show her around the country. Though they provide some answers, they inspire even more questions, and Pri must figure out how and why reality and her dream world overlap. This heartwarming story about family problems and female empowerment will inspire readers to make their voices heard. Much of the artwork is reminiscent of the illustrations in Vera Brosgol's Anya's Ghost: black-and-white with clear thick lines. Whenever someone dons the pashmina, the pages are suddenly drenched in rich colors. VERDICT This dazzling blend of realistic fiction and fantasy is perfect for fans of characters who have to overcome obstacles on their way to growing up.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library
From personal experience, the author Nidhi Chanani is awesome, and her illustrations are beautiful. After reaching out on Twitter and telling her how beloved her book has been, she sent us some illustrations we proudly displayed in the classroom.
Lailah is in a new school in a new country, thousands of miles from her old home, and missing her old friends. When Ramadan begins, she is excited that she is finally old enough to participate in the fasting but worried that her classmates won’t understand why she doesn’t join them in the lunchroom.
Lailah solves her problem with help from the school librarian and her teacher and in doing so learns that she can make new friends who respect her beliefs. This gentle, moving story from first-time author Reem Faruqi comes to life in Lea Lyon’s vibrant illustrations. Lyon uses decorative arabesque borders on intermittent spreads to contrast the ordered patterns of Islamic observances with the unbounded rhythms of American school days.
Missing someone far away is hard. It's hard if you're a grown-up. It's even harder if you're a child.No one knows more than Beanie how hard it is to live far away from loved ones. But then she figures out a way she and Nonni can send messages back and forth.... through the moon!
You will love Nonni's Moon because it is important to keep family and friends close to our hearts, even at great distances and circumstances. It can help explain bereavement or absence of a loved one to children learning how to make sense of an adult world. Nonni's Moon will instantly become a bedtime favorite for all.
This sweet tale follows Yasmeeen, a seven-year-old Pakistani-American Girl, as she celebrates the Muslim holidays of Ramadan, "The Night of the Moon" (Chaand Raat), and Eid. With lush illustrations that evoke Islamic art, this beautiful story offers a peek into modern Muslim culture—and into the ancient roots of its most cherished traditions.
Naila’s conservative immigrant parents have always said the same thing: She may choose what to study, how to wear her hair, and what to be when she grows up—but they will choose her husband. Following their cultural tradition, they will plan an arranged marriage for her. And until then, dating—even friendship with a boy—is forbidden. When Naila breaks their rule by falling in love with Saif, her parents are livid. Convinced she has forgotten who she truly is, they travel to Pakistan to visit relatives and explore their roots. But Naila’s vacation turns into a nightmare when she learns that plans have changed—her parents have found her a husband and they want her to marry him, now! Despite her greatest efforts, Naila is aghast to find herself cut off from everything and everyone she once knew. Her only hope of escape is Saif . . . if he can find her before it’s too late.
Crack, crack, crack! The cookies snap open and the family’s fortunes are revealed. Mei Mei wants to know how hers will come true. Jie Jie scoffs—they never come true. But Pacy isn’t so sure. As she waits and watches, she notices magical things happening in her family. Could the fortunes really be right? And what about Pacy’s fortune: “You will see the world in a new way”? Well, yes, it’s true! Pacy has been seeing the world through fortune cookies!
It's Chinese New Year, and Goldy Luck’s mother wants her to take a plate of turnip cakes to the neighbors. The Chans aren’t home, but that doesn’t stop Goldy from trying out their rice porridge, their chairs, and their beds—with disastrous results.
In this funny and festive retelling of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Natasha Yim and Grace Zong introduce a plucky heroine who takes responsibility for her actions and makes a new friend (and a whole plate of turnip cakes!), just in time for Chinese New Year.
Includes back matter about Chinese New Year and a recipe for turnip cakes.
The Empty Pot is Demi's beloved picture book about an honest schoolboy. A long time ago in China there was a boy named Ping who loved flowers. Anything he planted burst into bloom. The Emperor loved flowers too. When it was time to choose an heir, he gave a flower seed to each child in the kingdom. "Whoever can show me their best in a year's time," he proclaimed, "shall succeed me to the throne!" Ping plants his seed and tends it every day. But month after month passes, and nothing grows. When spring comes, Ping must go to the Emperor with nothing but an empty pot. Demi's exquisite art and beautifully simple text show how Ping's embarrassing failure is turned triumphant in this satisfying tale of honesty rewarded.
A great story for children learning mathematical concepts, The King’s Chessboard tells the story of a wise man who refuses the king’s reward for completing a favor. When the king insists the man accept a reward, the man proposes a deal: He will take a payment of rice equal to each square on the king’s chessboard—doubling the amount he receives with each day. This quickly empties out the royal coffers. . . .
The wind is blowing. It is a good day for kites! The whole family makes a trip to the local craft store for paper, glue, and paint. Everyone has a job: Ma-Ma joins sticks together. Ba-Ba glues paper. Mei-Mei cuts whiskers while Jie-Jie paints a laughing mouth. Dragon eyes are added and then everyone attaches the final touch . . . a noisemaker! Now their dragon kite is ready to fly.
Kite Flying celebrates the Chinese tradition of kite making and kite flying and lovingly depicts a family bonded by this ancient and modern pleasure.
Want to spark curiosity and arouse your little one’s leadership skills? Inspire your future entrepreneur to follow its passion and introduce him or her to the world of entrepreneurship with the story of Jasmine. The first perfect business book to share with your child to ignite interest in starting a business or launching a start-up.
This kids’ first business book instills lessons about hard work, creativity and determination, coaching your young, upcoming CEO to acquire the right mindset needed to turn a dream or vision into reality.
In this children’s book, kids will be exposed to the fundamentals of starting a business and get a glimpse into the career of an entrepreneur, including: – Following your passion – How to start-up and challenge the status quo – Focusing on a specific market – Taking risks, moving into action and seeking help when needed – The importance of teamwork and never giving up
Alvin, an Asian American second grader who's afraid of everything, is facing something truly scary: the idea that someone he loves might die. When Alvin's GungGung loses his best friend, Alvin (gulp) volunteers to go with him to the funeral.
A humorous and touching series about facing your fears and embracing new experiences—with a truly unforgettable character—from author Lenore Look and New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor winning illustrator LeUyen Pham.
Three decades and more than one million copies later children still love hearing about the boy with the long name who fell down the well. Arlene Mosel and Blair Lent's classic re-creation of an ancient Chinese folktale has hooked legions of children, teachers, and parents, who return, generation after generation, to learn about the danger of having such an honorable name as Tikki tikki tembo-no sa rembo-chari bari ruchi-pip peri pembo.
Deep in the forests of Cameroon, in the heart of Central Africa, a young girl named Snow Flower lives with her grandmother. One day Snow Flower is out collecting water with her friend, Remi. As they walk through the forest they hear a rustling sound nearby…What will Snow Flower and Remi do when they discover what is hiding in the bushes? Beautifully illustrated, the story of Snow Flower and the Panther is perfect for children ages 5 and up, and suitable for the whole family.
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