Tap Dancing on the Roof: Sijo Poems by Linda Sue Park

 

-from lindasuepark.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda Sue. 2007. TAP DANCING ON THE ROOF. Ill. by Istvan Banyai. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 978-0-618-23483-7.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
This entertaining collection of Korean sijo poems starts with a poem titled, “Breakfast” and ends conversely with “Day’s End.” In between, some of the structured syllabic verses cover broad topics like the months of “October” and “November,” while others are about the minutiae of everyday life, like “Pockets” and “Laundry.” The sijo form brings an extra serving of fun to the end of each poem, with a twist, a pun or a play on words. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

These poems are a delight! Written for children, the subject matter is light and joyful, even silly. Several seem very whimsical, like “Long Division.” Linda Sue Park takes something mundane, like a math problem, and personifies the numbers.  The poem describes the numbers as “bumping the wall, digging up the cellar, tap dancing on the roof.”  The illustrations by Banyai are entertaining to look at, as the numbers and little characters interact around the equation. 

Many of the poems are about things in nature- a frog, a summer storm, snow, etc.  The descriptions or perspective of the poems are child-like. Park utilizes personification as a figurative language tool to bring life and personality to many of the natural elements, like the “daffodils blare out the news” and my favorite, “Lightning jerks the sky awake to take her photograph, flash!”

Honestly, the cultural markers are hard to find. The art form itself is Korean, and widely unknown. Most have heard of a Haiku, but I had never heard of a Sijo before this book.  Originally, sijos were songs, passed down orally. 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2008

Booklist starred, December 2007

Horn Book Magazine, September 2007: “Banyai's illustrations enhance the collection with an extra element of wit and imaginative freedom; he staves off sentiment with ironic, retro-style cartoons, carefree lines, and playful interpretations of the verbal text.”

Horn Book Magazine starred, April 2008

Kirkus Reviews starred, September 2007

School Library Journal starred, November 2007: “The selections are thoughtful, playful, and quirky; they will resonate with youngsters and encourage both fledgling and longtime poets to pull out paper and pen. The author's note includes historical background on sijo, further-reading suggestions, and a helpful guide to writing in the form. A smart and appealing introduction to an overlooked poetic form.”

E. CONNECTIONS

Tap Dancing on the Roof is a wonderful book of poetry that can be enjoyed by all ages. Other poetry books that can be shared and enjoyed by elementary-age students and above are Out of Wonder: Celebrating Poets and Poetry by Kwame Alexander, Song of the water boatman & other pond poems by Joyce Sigman, Come with me: Poems for a journey by Naomi Shihab Nye.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

 

-from goodreads.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Say, Allen. 1993. GRANDFATHER’S JOURNEY. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0-395-57035-2.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
A young Japanese man makes the great voyage to the new land of America. There he sees many wondrous sites and meets many different kinds of people. He returns to Japan to wed, but then longs to revisit America. Once he settles in California, his family grows, as well as his desire to see his homeland. He returns to Japan, where eventually his heart grows anxious for America once again, but the world war disrupts his plans. Although he could not revisit, his grandson will carry on his love for both Japan and America, as he travels back and forth between the two great lands. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Say’s illustrations are beautiful!  His character drawings are so lifelike. Several of the drawings look like and feel like family portraits. The way he juxtaposes the long figure against majestic backdrops of scenery are very powerful. The contrast draws a connection between the land and the man. 

In the story, clothes are a cultural indicator.  Say gives a varied representation of how his characters dress. The clothes of the characters change significantly, depending on which country they are living in, but also the occasion or context of what they are doing in that country.  

There are also a few examples of architecture in the book that represent the differences in traditional structures of Japan and of the United States. Say includes both the urban and rural aspects of both countries.  He highlights modes of transportation, by including several different boats and a train, which I think represent progress and forward movement. 

He also includes the presence of war in Japan, and absolute destruction it wreaked on the land and its people. It disrupted his grandfather’s plans, and afterwards, he “never kept another songbird.” 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Caldecott Medal, 1994

Horn Book Guide Starred, March 1994: “The immigrant experience has rarely been so poignantly evoked as it is in this direct, lyrical narrative, accompanied by soft-toned watercolors.”

Kirkus Reviews Starred, 1993: “In lucid, graceful language, he chronicles these passages, reflecting his love of both countries--plus the expatriate's ever-present longing for home--in both simple text and exquisitely composed watercolors: scenes of his grandfather discovering his new country and returning with new appreciation to the old, and pensive portraits recalling family photos, including two evoking the war and its aftermath. Lovely, quiet--with a tenderness and warmth new to this fine illustrator's work.”

Publisher’s Weekly, August 1993: “The tranquility of the art and the powerfully controlled prose underscore the profundity of Say's themes, investing the final line with an abiding, aching pathos: ‘The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other.’''

E. CONNECTIONS
This poignant book about immigration and emigration would be lovely to read along with other picture books about similar experiences, like Watercress by Andrea Wang, The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco, With lots of Love by Jenny Torres Sanchez, and Tomatoes in my Lunchbox by Constantia Manoli. 

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

 

-from erinentradakelly.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Kelly, Erin Entrada. 2017. HELLO UNIVERSE. New York: Greenwillow Books, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062414151.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Virgl is a quiet boy.  He struggles to let his feelings and thoughts come out.  Thankfully, he can consult his personal psychic and close friend, Kaori.  On the first day of summer, the neighborhood bully goes too far, and Virgl is forced to be heroic.  However, attempting to save his best friend’s life may end his own. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Kelly does a great job of writing a story with a diverse set of kids that all seem unique and similar at the same time. But isn’t that almost the definition of humankind? 

Virgil Salinas is painfully introverted. Valencia Somerset is hearing impaired. Kaori Tanaka believes she is psychic. They all feel misunderstood by their families, so they find comfort in other things like a guinea pig, a journal, and fortune-telling crystals. 

The presence and influence of Lola in Virgl’s home is a cultural marker. Multi-generational homes are more common in some Asian cultures, one expression of valuing the elderly and their wisdom. Lola is a great source of wisdom, but also of love and attention for Virgl. The Filipino folk stories that Lola tells him become a part of his consciousness, and in his hour of need, the stories both haunt him and help him.  

Language is a prominent cultural marker in Virgl’s part of the story also. His Lola uses Cebuano words and phrases, which is a language also known as Visayan, used in the central and southern Philippines. The meaning of the words can usually be ascertained by context. Some of her words are “anak,” which means ‘son’ and “mahal kita,” which means ‘I love you.”

The Tanaka sisters, who are “second-generation Japanese American from Ohio,” are a different  representation of Asian Americans in the story. Their lives portray typical American values and interests, with perhaps a stronger than average emphasis on fate and reincarnation. 

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2018

Newbery Medal, 2018

Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee

Booklist starred, December 2016

Kirkus Reviews starred, December 2016

Publishers Weekly starred, December 2016: “Kelly rotates among the viewpoints of Kaori, Virgil, Valencia, and neighborhood bully Chet, who contribute their own distinct stories, voices, and challenges. Infused with humor and hope, this book deftly conveys messages of resilience and self-acceptance through simple acts of everyday courage. Readers will be left inspired to tackle life's fears head-on.”

School Library Journal starred, January 2017: “ Unlikely friendships are formed and heroism abounds as the group of young people try to find their way in the world. Plucky protagonists and a deftly woven story will appeal to anyone who has ever felt a bit lost in the universe.”

E. CONNECTIONS

This middle-grade novel addresses an important and pertinent issue- bullying. Some other quality books that would be great to include in SEL lessons or literature circles for discussion are Starfish by Lisa Fipps, Restart by Gordon Korman, or Save me a seat by Sarah Weeks. 

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

 

-from Gracelin.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lin, Grace. 2009. WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON. New York: Little, Brown and Co. Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-316-11427-1.

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Minli was a bright and happy little girl, but her parents and her village struggled.  In the shadow of Fruitless Mountain, their lives were full of hard work and lack. So Minli decides to change the fate of her family, and leaves in search of good fortune. Along her way, she will exchange kindnesses with several people, but her new best friend will be a dragon!  She will learn where true value lies. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
There are so many stories within this story! The entire book reads like a mythical folk story.  It is a timeless setting, but it is definitely before the industrial age. Many of the elements of the story seem archetypal.The family lives in a poor village. They have only one child. They farm for rice. However, their only entertainment, storytelling, brings a sense of exuberance to their lives.  It is the father’s storytelling that inspires Minli to leave on her adventure in search of good fortune. 

The fantastical elements of talking goldfish, rabbits and dragons are entertaining as well as conductors of wisdom. Wisdom is valued more than treasure. It is often shared through storytelling, but sometimes insight is simply interjected into a conversation.  

There is a consistent theme of humility throughout the story. Every great and powerful figure is presented in a humble posture. The king was disguised as a poor man in the market.  The dragon walks along the ground instead of flying. Even the Old Man of the Moon simply sat on the side of a mountain road when the Magistrate first encountered him. 

The closeness of the villages was also a cultural marker. The good of the family or the community is more important than the individual. There is a strong sense of connectedness, and it is that connection that brings happiness. I loved the idea of the red threads that connected the people together.  The Old Man says, “All the people you’ve met in your life have been brought to you by the red cords I tied.” 

The evil Magistrate Tiger was the timeless villain. He was the embodiment of selfishness and greed, the antithesis of the cultural theme of communal care.  His evil spirit eventually becomes an evil Tiger. Of course, he is bested by a pair, Da-Fu and A-Fu, working together to defeat him. 

I have to say that this book brought me to tears.  In “The Story that Ma Told” there is great wisdom, and I am so grateful that I had a chance to read it. As they continue to wait and hope for Minli to return, Ma tells Ba her one and only story, and she says of herself, “For all the time that she had been longing for treasures, she had already had the one most precious.” Oh my… it was a powerful reminder.  

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

ALA Notable Children's Books, 2010

Newbery Honor, 2010

Parents' Choice Gold Award, 2009

Booklist starred, May 2009: “With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot. Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude.”

Horn Book Magazine, September 2009

Kirkus Reviews starred, May 2009: “Lin deftly incorporates elements from Chinese folk- and fairy tales to create stories within the main story and provide context for Minli's quest. With her "lively and impulsive spirit," Minli emerges a stalwart female role model who learns the importance of family, friendship and faith during her amazing journey. “

Library Media Connection starred, November 2009

School Library Journal starred, July 2009

E. CONNECTIONS
I would love to include this book with a study or unit on Fairy Tales and Folklore.  It could be read alongside other great middle grade books that include folktales and myths such as Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris, The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera, and/or The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo.  

Fire Keeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

 

-from Macmillan

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Boulley, Angeline. 2021. FIRE KEEPER’S DAUGHTER. New York: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-1-250-76656-4.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Daunis Fontaine and her family have had more than their fair share of tragedy.  In fact, Daunis Fontaine herself feels like she was an unfortunate event, being born to a sixteen year old mother, whose family didn’t approve of her father because he was Ojibwe Indian. In order to prevent more tragedy from happening to her community, Daunis agrees to go undercover with the FBI to stop a local drug ring. She has lived her whole life, split between her Native family and her Zhaaganaash (white) family. Now Daunis will need both sides to help her stay alive and find the ones who are trying to destroy everything she loves. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
Daunis Fontaine is a modern, young Native American woman.  Her daily life is a beautiful depiction of what ancient culture and tradition can look like in the present day. Each morning, Daunis’s prayers begin with a pinch of semaa (tobacco) at the eastern base of a tree, and a declaration of her Spirit name. Boulley introduces several elements of Ojibwe religion to the reader throughout the book. Daunis speaks about the Seven Grandfather teachings, 

The religious beliefs are closely tied to the medicines and ceremonies in the book. The knowledge and power of natural medicines is referenced several times. There is a great contrast between the good tribal medicines found within and the harmful drugs or bad medicine that is brought from outside the community.  The powwows that the characters attend also facilitate more room for cultural teaching; the most poignant is the Jingle Dance of healing. 

There are so many rich cultural markers within this book. Another is how the book is divided into the four directions, East, South, West and North. Each means something different to one’s journey.  Divisions of four is a marker of American Indian lore.  Also, there are many incorporations of the Anishinaabemowin language.  Daunis uses it frequently with her friends and family, and also in her inner dialogue with herself. The most simple are “Aho” for the end or Amen, and “Kwe” means woman. 

Boulley does an excellent job of highlighting the beauty of her culture, but she also shines a light on the ugliness that plagues it.  The abuse of substances is a salve that continues to fester the wounds of the Native American tribes.  Also, the abuse and violence toward native women that goes unprosecuted is deplorable.  There needs to be more action and assistance in addressing these crippling issues.     

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

American Indian Youth Literature Honor, 2022

Michael L. Printz Award, 2022

William C. Morris YA Debut Award, 2022

Booklist starred, February 2021: “Boulley, herself an enrolled member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, writes from a place of love for her community and shares some key teachings from her culture, even mixing languages within the context of the story. She doesn’t shy away from or sugar-coat the very real circumstances that plague reservations across the country… An incredible thriller, not to be missed.”

Horn Book Magazine starred, May 2021

Kirkus Reviews, January 2021: “While dealing with tough topics like rape, drugs, racism, and death, this book balances the darkness with Ojibwe cultural texture and well-crafted characters. Daunis is a three-dimensional, realistically imperfect girl trying her best to handle everything happening around her. The first-person narration reveals her internal monologue, allowing readers to learn what’s going on in her head as she encounters anti-Indian bias and deals with grief. A suspenseful tale filled with Ojibwe knowledge, hockey, and the politics of status.”

Publishers Weekly starred, February 2021: “Hitting hard when it comes to issues such as citizenship, language revitalization, and the corrosive presence of drugs on Native communities, this novel will long stand in the hearts of both Native and non-Native audiences.”

School Library Journal, March 2021

E. CONNECTIONS

Firekeeper’s Daughter gives a clear, yet sobering look at modern day tribal life. Other well-reviewed books that give an authentic look into the lives of American Indians are The Second Chance of Benjamin Waterfalls by James Bird, The Star that Always Stays by Anna Rose Johnson, and Rez Ball by Byron Graves. 

**Listen to the prayers from the book in the Anishinaabe language at : https://ojibwe.net/firekeepers-daughter/

Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac

 

-from goodreads.com

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 2018. TWO ROADS. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1-72542-440-1.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
Two Roads is a story about Will and Cal Black, a father and son who are living the Hobo life in the 1930s. After losing their beloved wife/mom, they also lose their farm, and they are forced into a transient life. The two live by the rules of the road together. In a life-defining moment, Will reveals to Cal that they are Creek Indian, and when Cal is sent to Indian boarding school, he will embark on his biggest adventure yet.  

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
For the first sixty-plus pages, the main character (and the reader) are completely unaware that this is a Native American story. The young narrator, Cal Black, tries to forget the immense loss he has already experienced in his young life, and focuses on learning the ways of the “Knights of the Road” life with his father.  

There are clues that his dad, Will, may be unique among the other hobos.  He is keenly aware and uses his senses readily. Early on, he and Will track a thief that was stealing from a friend.  Will is also a great storyteller, and he has a gift with animals.  These are stereotypical skills of an American Indian.   

The story centers on the abhorrent experience of the Native American Boarding school.  First, Will prepares Cal by recounting some of his experiences from his youth.  The intentions of the school are absolutely awful. From Cal’s dialogue, the reader learns that these “schools” were meant to strip the native culture from the children and replace it with complete conformity to white government standards. First their appearance was changed; hair was cut; clothes replaced.  Then they were told to only speak English, and they were punished for speaking any native languages. The children were forbidden to practice their religion or ceremonies 

However, the magnificent irony of this tale is that it is at the boarding school where Cal learns about his Creek Indian culture.  He learns more of the language and customs from the other boys. One of the most moving acts of rebellion that the boys do is to practice their stomp dances out in the woods together.  For Cal’s situation, the boarding school has some redeeming qualities, like a bed to sleep in every night, regular meals, and skill-based learning. Nevertheless, it is the brotherly camaraderie and the Creek customs that are the most meaningful.     

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist, October 2018

Horn Book Magazine starred, November 2018: “Cal, who always believed he was white, confronts this heretofore-unknown part of himself while adjusting to a school designed to "kill the Indian" within him. His first-person narration rings true in this tautly paced, compelling story of family and identity.”

Kirkus Reviews, September 2018

New York Times, November 2018: "Cal's cleareyed first-person narration drives the novel. Meticulously honest, generous, autonomous and true, he sees things for what they are rather than what he'd like them to be. The result is one of Bruchac's best books." 

E. CONNECTIONS
Two Roads is a historical fiction novel from the 1930s.  To get a fuller picture of Native American culture, one could read other novels like the highly reviewed Rez Dogs by Bruchac, which is set in modern day or Moon of two dark horses by Sally M. Keehn, set in the American Revolution time period. 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom by Tim Tingle, Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges

 

-from Lee & Low Books

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tingle, Tim. 2006. CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 978-0-329-70170-3.

B. PLOT SUMMARY
In the days when one side of the river meant freedom, and the other meant slavery, a friendship was formed between a Choctaw girl named Martha Tom and an enslaved boy named Little Mo. Crossing Bok Chitto was dangerous for Martha Tom, when she went searching for berries, but it became life or death for Little Mo and his family, when they went searching for freedom. 

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

I love this book! The illustrations are enchanting, and the story is uplifting. Tim Tingle tells a powerful story of friendship and freedom, and then he gives great contextual information afterward on the Choctaw nation and Choctaw storytelling. Tingle says, “We Choctaws live by our stories.”

This story highlights the kindness and bravery of the Choctaw. The girl and her mother show great kindness to their “neighbors” of a different culture. It also shows the cleverness of the tribe, both in the way the tribe built up stones in the river to create a safe path and in the way they help save the slave family. At the end, Tingle quotes an elder that says people within the Mississippi Choctaw band did help slaves escape to freedom. 

There are markers in this story for both the Choctaw culture and the African American culture.  

The power and unity in family is present for both. The strong familial ties extend beyond the nuclear family for both cultures, and into their communities.  It was the help of the community that got Little Mo and his family across the river during their escape. 

Another strong element of culture- music- tied the two communities together.  Martha Tom heard the captivating and unifying songs of the slave church, and she made them her own by singing them in Choctaw. Music can be a beacon of hope, as well as a strong bond between people.   

D. AWARDS & REVIEW EXCERPTS
ALA Notable Children's Books, 2007

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008

Booklist starred, April 2006: “In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring results.”

Library Media Connection, November 2006: “ Through the poetic cadence of oral storytelling and a quiet, yet penetrating voice, Tingle brings this early American tale to print as a strong read- aloud for young or middle level students or for a great quick read for older readers. The language is vividly brought to life through rich earthen-toned illustrations by Jeanne Rorex Bridges.”

Publishers Weekly starred, March 2006

School Library Journal, July 2006: “Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition.”

E. CONNECTIONS

This beautiful picture book could be one of several that are used for “read alouds” any time of the year, and especially for Native American Heritage Month.  Other similar picture books are Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, Keepunumuk : Weeachumun's Thanksgiving story by Danielle Greendeer, and Fry Break: a Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard.