(P) Annushka's Voyage by Edith Tarbescu
Annushka's Voyage is a story about a little girl named Annushka and her younger sister Tanya. They live with their grandparents in Russia because their mother passed away and their father moved to America to start a better life for his family. Every day the girls wait for a little to come from their papa to send for them to come join him. Finally, they receive the letter they have been waiting for. It is bittersweet because they now must leave their loving grandparents but they are excited to start their new lives in America with their papa. They journey is long and tough but in the end worth it when they finally become reunited as a family.
Annushka's Voyage is a story about a little girl named Annushka and her younger sister Tanya. They live with their grandparents in Russia because their mother passed away and their father moved to America to start a better life for his family. Every day the girls wait for a little to come from their papa to send for them to come join him. Finally, they receive the letter they have been waiting for. It is bittersweet because they now must leave their loving grandparents but they are excited to start their new lives in America with their papa. They journey is long and tough but in the end worth it when they finally become reunited as a family.
(P) The Color of Us by Karen Katz
This book features a little girl named Lena. Lena is seven years old and describes her skin as the color of cinnamon. Then she describes her mom as the color of French Toast. Lena's mother is an artist. Lena wants to create a self portrait. Lena's mother tells her she will help her mix the right browns together to create the color of Lena's skin. Lena is confused about this and doesn't understand because brown is brown. Lena's mother explains to her that there are different color browns. Her mother decides to take her for a walk to show her. First they go to the playground to see her friends. They describe their friends' skin colors with different foods. After the playground, they pass the pizza parlor. They describe all the skin tones of the people they see. After the walk, Lena's friends come over and the lie on the roof in the sun. Lena thinks about all the people she saw that day and how each one had their own beautiful color.
This book features a little girl named Lena. Lena is seven years old and describes her skin as the color of cinnamon. Then she describes her mom as the color of French Toast. Lena's mother is an artist. Lena wants to create a self portrait. Lena's mother tells her she will help her mix the right browns together to create the color of Lena's skin. Lena is confused about this and doesn't understand because brown is brown. Lena's mother explains to her that there are different color browns. Her mother decides to take her for a walk to show her. First they go to the playground to see her friends. They describe their friends' skin colors with different foods. After the playground, they pass the pizza parlor. They describe all the skin tones of the people they see. After the walk, Lena's friends come over and the lie on the roof in the sun. Lena thinks about all the people she saw that day and how each one had their own beautiful color.
(P) I Hate English! by Ellen Levine
Mei Mei hated English and school. She was good at school when she lived in China but was did not understand school since her and her family moved to New York. She didn’t like how in English, each letter was alone. She rather write and talk in Chinese because she could not speak in English.
Mei Mei hated English and school. She was good at school when she lived in China but was did not understand school since her and her family moved to New York. She didn’t like how in English, each letter was alone. She rather write and talk in Chinese because she could not speak in English.
(P )The Matzah That Papa Brought Home by Fran Manushkin
The little girl names things she has done such as counting plaques asked four questions during passover seder, eating her mama’s feast all while the Matzah her papa brought home. Each page something else is listed alone with the previous things. It was a story of Passover with another whole story explained in the back. I liked that the book was repetitive and described all things in the Jewish culture but I did not really like that it wasn’t explained well or what each object they talked about was.
The little girl names things she has done such as counting plaques asked four questions during passover seder, eating her mama’s feast all while the Matzah her papa brought home. Each page something else is listed alone with the previous things. It was a story of Passover with another whole story explained in the back. I liked that the book was repetitive and described all things in the Jewish culture but I did not really like that it wasn’t explained well or what each object they talked about was.
(P)My Name is Jorge: On Both Sides of the River By Jane Medina
This book is a Spanish poem book with English translation. There are 27 poems in the book. Each poem is about Jorge’s new life in his new country. The book goes through his new life in the new country, and the eventually having to leave the country to go back to Mexico. I like this book because it has a Spanish poem and an English poem on the same page. I think you can learn so key Spanish words from this book, plus get the experience of a boy who left his old country for a brand new country, and the struggles that follow moving to a new country.
This book is a Spanish poem book with English translation. There are 27 poems in the book. Each poem is about Jorge’s new life in his new country. The book goes through his new life in the new country, and the eventually having to leave the country to go back to Mexico. I like this book because it has a Spanish poem and an English poem on the same page. I think you can learn so key Spanish words from this book, plus get the experience of a boy who left his old country for a brand new country, and the struggles that follow moving to a new country.
(P) The Name Jar By Yangsook Choi (Chinese American)
Unhei was on her way to her new school for the first time. In her pocket, she carried a piece of wood that he grandmother gave her before leaving Korea. It has her name carved in it in Korean Characters. On the bus, she was teased because he name was different. The children made fun of the pronunciation of her name, and when the bus pulled up to the school and ran off. The class asked her what her name is, and she announced that she has not picked on yet, but when she does she will let them know. All the children were curious on why she didn’t have a name and made stories about why she doesn’t. When Unhei got home from school, she asked her mom if she could change her name so that she wasn’t different from all the American children, but he mom shot back that she is different and that is a good thing. Unhei arrived at school the next day with a jar on her desk that the classmates were putting names in that they like for her. Her friend Joey liked her name so he stole the jar so that she would share her real name. Everyone loved it. This is a great book on multicultural friendships.
Unhei was on her way to her new school for the first time. In her pocket, she carried a piece of wood that he grandmother gave her before leaving Korea. It has her name carved in it in Korean Characters. On the bus, she was teased because he name was different. The children made fun of the pronunciation of her name, and when the bus pulled up to the school and ran off. The class asked her what her name is, and she announced that she has not picked on yet, but when she does she will let them know. All the children were curious on why she didn’t have a name and made stories about why she doesn’t. When Unhei got home from school, she asked her mom if she could change her name so that she wasn’t different from all the American children, but he mom shot back that she is different and that is a good thing. Unhei arrived at school the next day with a jar on her desk that the classmates were putting names in that they like for her. Her friend Joey liked her name so he stole the jar so that she would share her real name. Everyone loved it. This is a great book on multicultural friendships.
(P) One Green Apple by Eve Bunting
Farah had to come to a new country and attend a new school. One day the boys and the girls sat next to each other on the hay ride to the apple orchard. Farah had to wear a dupatta to cover her head because of where she came from and the other kids did not have to. When the kids got to the apple orchard, Farah went to a small tree away from everyone else which grew only green apples. They went back to the classroom where all the children put their apples into the machine the teacher had to make apple cider. Farah was the only one with a green apple and when they chops them up in the machine and drank it she could taste hers. Farah also could not speak the new language around her but that day she said her first word which was apple.
Farah had to come to a new country and attend a new school. One day the boys and the girls sat next to each other on the hay ride to the apple orchard. Farah had to wear a dupatta to cover her head because of where she came from and the other kids did not have to. When the kids got to the apple orchard, Farah went to a small tree away from everyone else which grew only green apples. They went back to the classroom where all the children put their apples into the machine the teacher had to make apple cider. Farah was the only one with a green apple and when they chops them up in the machine and drank it she could taste hers. Farah also could not speak the new language around her but that day she said her first word which was apple.