JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY

Gantos, Jack.  Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key.  New York:  Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.  ISBN 0-374-33664-4. 


Plot Summary

Joey is a young boy who has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  His meds, when they work at all, wear off in the middle of the day.  Because of his actions while he is so wired, the adults in his life have run out of options on how to help him.


Critical Analysis

Jack Gantos has a way of weaving an entertaining tale even when dealing with a subject such as ADHD.  In Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, Gantos describes the life of Joey Pigza from Joey’s point-of-view.  Joey is a good kid, but he’s wired bad.  He takes medication to help with his ADHD, but it wears off by lunchtime.  His body seems to have a mind of his own that he cannot control.  One afternoon, his teacher tries to help him work out his hyperactivity by getting him to sharpen a box of pencils for the class.  He sharpens all of the pencils to a fine point within an inch of the eraser.  Then he sharpened two pieces of chalk and made small fangs that he stuck in his mouth.  He was enjoying himself so much, he tried sharpening a popsicle stick that he found in the arts and crafts supplies.  That didn’t work out so well because the popsicle stick got jammed in the sharpener.  After yanking on the stick, he managed to get it out, but in the process, fell on the floor and broke his fangs.  When the teacher heard the commotion, Joey tried to stand as still as possible and pretend as if nothing happened.  When she went back to her schoolwork, Joey noticed that the pencil sharpener had large holes – large enough to stick a finger in.  His fingernails were so long that he scratched himself in his sleep.  He could use the pencil sharpener to cut his fingernails back…  One good turn of the pencil sharpener was all it took for shrieking, a cut finger, and a nail hanging on by a thread.

Gantos allows the readers to better understand that regardless of how hard Joey tries, and no matter what doctors his mom takes him to, things are just out of control for Joey.  Joey’s grandmother and father suffer from the same condition and have had to live in a state of semi-control their entire lives.  It seems as if all hope is lost that Joey’s fate will be any different than theirs.  Joey’s dad and grandmother left Joey’s mom to deal with this Tasmanian devil residing in the core of Joey’s body. 

Because Joey’s mom worked late, Joey kept his house key on a string.  For fun, he practiced swallowing the key and pulling the string to pull the key back up.  When his teacher caught him doing that during class, she took her sharp scissors out of her drawer and cut the string to keep Joey from doing that anymore.  Once she turned her back, he went back to his key-swallowing practice session.  After he swallowed the key, he remembered he had no string to pull the key back up.  He had to wait for nature to take its course.

The last straw was when Joey decided to make bumper stickers out of a piece of cardboard.  His safety scissors weren’t strong enough, so he quickly ran to the teacher’s desk and took her sharp scissors when no one was looking.  On the way back to his desk, he tripped and accidently sliced off the end of another student’s nose!  Gantos tells these incidents in such a way that the reader wants so badly to help Joey, but what can anyone do?   His mother and the school staff are at their wits end. 

Joey is sent to the Lancaster County Special Education Center.  His caseworker is known as Special Ed.  He wants to help Joey by getting more regulated medication and to teach him to make better decisions.  Joey is sent to the Children’s Hospital in Pittsburg for a brain SPECT test.  The doctor prescribed a transdermal patch to better regulate a steady dose of his medication 24 hours a day.  From the very first patch, Joey “could feel [himself] winding down like [he] was on a swing that was slowly stopping.”  When Joey goes back to school, one of the mothers told him that it gave her hope that if he got better, maybe one day her son would get better as well.

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is sad in some respects because it shows the struggles Joey faced trying to act like everyone else but being neurologically unable to do so.  For much of the story, it seemed as if nothing would ever help Joey act like other children his age.  But in the end, a treatment is found for Joey.  It doesn’t solve all of his problems, but it gives him the tools to start on the path to a non-hyper existence.

Readers of all ages can appreciate the tenacity of Joey to try to fit-in in spite of his condition, which fights against him every step of the way.  Joey’s triumphant over his set-backs can encourage others to keep trying even when all hope seems lost.  No matter how dark things may appear, there is always a glimmer of hope to which one must cling.  It is important to remember that it was the turtle who never gave up who won the race.  The going may be slow and tedious, but perseverance will make one victorious.  It also helps readers to realize the behavior of those around them may be something they cannot control.  An extra dose of patience and understanding will help everyone come out a winner.

 

Awards and Honors

California Young Reader Medal, 2002 Winner Junior High California
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature, 1999 Honor Book California
     United States
Maine Student Book Award, 1999 Third Place Maine
Maryland Children's Book Award, 2003 Winner Intermediate Maryland
National Book Award, 1998 Finalist Young People's Literature
Sasquatch Reading Award, 2001 Winner Washington
Virginia Young Readers Program, 2001 Winner Middle School Virginia

     

Review Excerpts

“Down deep, Joey's a good kid who struggles with ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder]. Told in the first person, from Joey's perspective, this fast-paced book is sometimes funny, and sometimes sad, but always entertaining." ~ Mary Jane,  BookHive

"Most teachers and students know at least one child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and this book will surely help them become more understanding, even as they enjoy Gantos' fresh writing style and tart sense of humor.” ~ Susan Dove Lempke, Booklist, December 15, 1998 (Vol. 95, No. 8)

"Gantos takes the reader into the fractured world of the child with what we today call ADHD. Whose road to what we might call normalcy is rocky beyond imagining. The reader follows that road in this story, with Joey's direct, edgy, matter-of-fact voice as guide. Gritty, often disturbing, yet ending with a glimpse of the awesome resilience of this young protagonist." ~  Uma Krishnaswami, Children's Literature


Other Books Written by Jack Gantos

Hole in My Life
Dead End in Norvelt
What Would Joey Do?

Visit his website for more information:  http://www.jackgantos.com/.


Book Connections

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin
Playing with Matches by Brian Katcher
ADHD by Philippa Pigache


Connection Activities

• Consider how Joey felt when he was told he would have to go to another school after accidently cutting off the tip of his classmate's nose.  How do you think he felt?  Have you ever felt like that?  Write a poem about how you or Joey felt.
• Joey talked about waiting hour upon hour by the window for his mother to return.  His grandmother told him that he was too bad for his mother to come back for him.  Do you think Joey's mother left him because he was bad?  Write a letter to Joey and tell him what you think.

OCTOBER MOURNING: A SONG FOR MATTHEW SHEPHERD

Newman, Lesléa.  October Mourning:  A Song for Matthew Shepherd.  Somerville, Massachusetts:  Candlewick Press, 2012.  ISBN 978-0-7636-5807-6.


Plot Summary

On October 6, 1998, Matthew Shepherd, a gay twenty-one year-old university student, was lured out of a bar by two men.  They beat him, tied him to a fence, stole his wallet and shoes, and left him to die.  This collection of 68 poems gives various perspectives on this vicious hate crime.


Critical Analysis

Lesléa Newman was preparing to be the keynote speaker for an event during the University of Wyoming's Gay Awareness Week.  Matthew Shepherd was one of the students working to help coordinate the planned activities for the following week.  After attending a planning meeting of the University of Wyoming's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association on Tuesday night, he went to a bar.  Two men, pretending to be gay, lured him into their truck and drove him to a remote area outside of Laramie.  They pistol-whipped him, hitting him 18 times in the head, and tied him to a fence.  They stole his wallet and his shoes before driving off into the cold still night.  This transpired around 11:45 p.m. Tuesday night.  A mountain biker was riding past the fence on Wednesday evening around 6:00 p.m. when he spotted what he thought was a scarecrow tied to the fence.  Upon closer inspection, he found a man covered in blood with the exception of two white trails down his face where a flood of tears had washed his blood away.  The mountain biker rushed to the nearest house for help.  Although Matthew was still alive, help was too late in coming.  He never regained consciousness and died five days later. 

Assured that Matthew's assailants had been captured, Newman, with the security of a personal bodyguard, followed through with her commitment to be the keynote speaker at the University of Wyoming's Gay Awareness Week.  She called on all of the students, homosexual and heterosexual alike, to be allies in the fight against homophobia.  Stop the violence, stop the hate, and stop the fear.  Newman wrote a collection of 68 poems with her thoughts on what might be the perspectives of various objects surrounding the tragic beating of Matthew.   In addition to her poems, in the back of the book, Newman included historical data collaborating the information upon which she based her verse novel.

Newman used snippets of actual events or comments from those involved at the beginning of some of her poems.  In her poems, she imagined the perspectives of things such as the fence, the road, the truck, the state of Wyoming, the clothesline used to tie Matthew to the fence, the pistol which was used to beat Matthew, and the doe lying nearby as if she was keeping a vigil over Matthew.  Newman includes extensive notes in the back of October Mourning:  A Song for Matthew Shepherd.  She explained the various poetic forms which were used.  One of the poetic forms used was a haiku.  She explains, "a haiku is a Japanese form of poetry that consists of three lines.  The first line contains five syllables, the second line contains seven syllables, and the third line contains five syllables.  The last line of the poem often contains a moment of sudden awareness or epiphany."  Another type of poem used by Newman was the pantoum.  "A pantoum is a Malayan form of poetry consisting of four-line stanzas.  The second and fourth lines of each stanza become the first and third lines of the next stanza.  And then the first and third lines of the first stanza are repeated in the last stanza, so that every line of the poem is used twice."  Still another form was a villanelle.  "A villanelle consists of six stanzas:  the first five stanzas contain three lines, and the final stanza contains four lines.  The first line and the third line of the first stanza serve as the last line of the next four stanzas.  In the final stanza, these lines appear as the third and fourth line (the last two lines of the poem).  A villanelle also contains a rhyme scheme of aba in the first five stanzas, and abaa in the final stanza."

Some poems were fashioned after the poem "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams, which are poems of apology.  (You can view my post from February 25th to see a more detailed explanation of poems based on "This is Just to Say" by William Carlos Williams.)  Other poetry forms included a found poem (text found in everyday life), a concrete poem (how the poem physically takes up space on the page), rhymed couplets (a poem consisting of pairs of lines which rhyme and complete one thought), a list poem (a list of things--often repetitious), an alphabet poem (all 26 letters are used at the beginning of a line in alphabetical order), and an acrostic (the first letters of each line spell out a word).  Newman models her last poem on prayers from the following:  a traditional Navajo prayer, the twenty-third Psalm, the Kaddish (the Jewish mourner's prayer), the traditional Tibetan Buddhist prayer of compassion, and from Matthew 5:5.

Throughout October Mourning:  A Song for Matthew Shepherd, Newman calls for peace and understanding.  A basic human compassion extended one to another is not much for which to ask; however, some did not even have the decency to show that little.  Newman describes the hateful actions of some after the attack on Matthew.  On the morning Matthew died, the chair of the University of Wyoming's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Association and two other gay organizations received the following e-mail message:  "Congratulations on the faggot being beaten to death there in Wyoming!  I hope it happens more often!"  While Matthew lay dying in the hospital, just a few miles away a fraternity float in the homecoming parade for Colorado State University sickly depicted Matthew as a scarecrow tied to a fence with the words "I'm Gay" and homosexual slurs painted on it.  During Matthew's funeral, members of Westboro Baptist Church picketed with signs which read "God Hates Fags" and "Matt in Hell." 

Whether one is heterosexual or homosexual, there is never an excuse for hate and cruelty.  The Bible teaches us to love all people even if we do not agree with their actions.  Matthew's father, Dennis Shepherd, did just that when giving his statement during the trial of Aaron McKinney, one of the two men who beat his son leading to Matthew's death.  This is an excerpt from Mr. Shepherd's statement:  "I would like nothing better than to see you die, Mr. McKinney.  However, this is the time to begin the healing process.  To show mercy to someone who refused to show any mercy.  Mr. McKinney, I am going to grant you life, as hard as it is for me to do so, because of Matthew....May you have a long life, and may you thank Matthew every day for it."  The prosecutor could have sought the death penalty for Aaron McKinney, but because of the mercy of Matthew's family, Aaron McKinney was given two consecutive life sentences instead.  A brief article about the sentencing can be viewed at http://texasdude.com/Guilty.htm.

Readers of all ages and ways of life have a lot to reflect upon when reading October Mourning:  A Song for Matthew Shepherd.  Each person has to make the effort to stop the hate and violence.  Everyone must stand up to fight against bullying and hate crimes instead of pretending that it isn't any of their business.  Each one is put on the earth to make a positive difference in the world.  What are you willing to do to make a difference today?

Awards and Honors

Stonewall Book Award, 2013 Honor Book Children's and Young Adult Literature

     United States

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2013 American Library Association

    

Review Excerpts

“Written with love, anger, regret, and other profound emotions, this is a truly important book that deserves the widest readership, not only among independent readers but among students in a classroom setting, as well. Most importantly, the book will introduce Matthew Shepard to a generation too young to remember the tragic circumstances of his death." ~ Michael Cart,  Booklist, September 15, 2012 

"[O]n October 6, university student Matthew Shepard was brutally beaten, targeted because he was gay. He died on October 12. Newman, who arrived in Laramie already aware of the attack, never forgot the anguish surrounding it and Shepard's death. In this beautiful, heartbreaking work, she explores that pain, and the tragedy that fueled it, through poems that examine what happened from multiple and often surprising perspectives.” ~ CCBC (Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices), 2013

"Matthew Shepard was a gay university student who was beaten nearly to death, tied to a fence in an isolated area, and left to die. Although October Mourning is a fictional novel-in-verse, it is grounded in fact and provides (fictional) insights from various points of views. Each poem provides powerful and unique perspectives, allowing readers opportunities to think and talk about serious issues." ~  Dianna Geers, VOYA, December 2012 (Vol. 35, No. 5)


Other Books Written by Lesléa Newman

Jailbait
Write from the Heart
Still Life with Buddy

Visit her website for more information:  http://lesleanewman.com/.


Book Connections

Shine by Lauren Myracle
A Perfect Snow by Nora Martin
The Christmas Menorahs:  How a Town Fought Hate by Janice Cohn and
     illustrated by Bill Farnsworth


Connection Activities

• "In her introduction, Newman writes that the bench dedicated to Matthew is inscribed with the words "'He continues to make a difference'" (xi).  How might this book contribute to making a difference?  How has it made a difference with you?  How might it make a difference with others?"
• "Why do people bully others?"  "Have you ever been bullied?"  "Have you ever bullied anyone?"  "Have you ever witnessed someone being bullied?"  "What did it feel like?"  "Did you intervene?"  "Did you tell anyone?  Why or why not?"

These discussion topics, and many more, are from the teacher's and discussion guide located at:  http://www.lesleakids.com/OCTOBER_MOURNING_Teacher_Guide.pdf.

 

DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS?

Abdel-Fattah, Randa.  Does My Head Look Big in This?  New York:  Orchard Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2007.  ISBN 978-0-439-91947-0.


Plot Summary

Amal is an Australian-Muslim-Palestinian teenager in the 11th grade of her Australian prep school.  She faces criticism and concern from all sides when she decides to wear the hijab, the Muslim head scarf, full-time as a symbol of her beliefs.


Critical Analysis

Abdel-Fattah produces a brilliant debut as she weaves a sensitive tale concerning the trying of a young girl's faith with cutting wit and humor.  When Amal first considers becoming a "full-timer" by wearing her hijab anytime she is in the presence of males who are non-family, the thought scares her so much it makes her "nostril hair stand on end."  Amal is currently a "part-timer," meaning she only wears her hijab as part of the school uniform at an Islamic school, when attending mosque, or to cover up a bad hair day.  Part of Amal's dilemma is that she is the only Muslim who attends McCleans Preparatory School.  It is hard enough for a teenager to "fit in," and wearing a hijab full-time will make her stick out like a sore thumb.

Amal was born in Australia to Palestinian parents who were both born in Bethlehem, but currently have 52 years of Australian citizenship between them.  They live in Camberwell, Australia, which is a suburb of Melbourne.   Her dad is a doctor who drives a metallic red convertible while listening to Italian opera or Palestinian folk songs.  Her mom is a dentist who is an obsessive clean freak.  When Amal feels the need to start a fight with her mom, she purposefully leaves "microscopic crumbs on the kitchen counter, a towel on the bathroom floor, [or] an insect screen open."  Amal thinks every teenager should say ""you're ruining my life" to their mother at least four times a week."

Like any teenager, Amal spends her time gauging her life's course through the popular magazines such as Glamour, Teen Vogue, Cosmo, Women's Weekly, and Us Weekly.  She obsesses over boy bands and listens to music by various artists such as J. Lo, Justin Timberlake, Craig David, the Spice Girls, Aretha Franklin, Shania Twain, and Celine Dion.  Her favorite pastime is going shopping at the mall.  However, when she considers wearing her hijab full-time, this causes her to wonder if she has enough courage to wear it at the mall, let alone at school!

Arabic words in Does My Head Look Big in This? include "yallah" ("come on" or "hurry up"), "Assalamu Alaykom"/"Walkaykom Wassalam" (traditional greeting and response "Peace be upon you"), "wuduh" (ablution--wetting of hands, face, arms, feet, and crown of head before prayer), "fajr" ("prayer"), "Inshallah" ("God willing"), "Mashallah" ("God be praised"), "Mabruk" ("Congratulations"), "Ramadan" (month of fasting from dawn until dusk), "Eid al-Fitr" ("Festival of Breaking the Fast"), "Kola San Winta Bikhair" ("May every year bring you happiness"), and "Eid Mubarak" ("Happy Eid").

Amal is perturbed that some people think there is a "Muslim appearance."  A Muslim can be dark-skinned or light-complected; be any shape or size; and have brown, black, blonde, brunette, or a variation of colored hair which can be curly or straight.  Once a teacher did not believe that Amal was Muslim because she had light hair and green eyes.  There is no "one look" for a Muslim.

Some of Amal's favorite foods are pizza; mango, strawberry, and pistachio gelatos; mud cake; strawberry shortcake; and fat-free hot chocolate.  Other foods mentioned include "mansaf," which is rice mixed with pieces of chicken and pine nuts; hot yogurt soup; "fatoosh," which is a salad topped with pieces of bread dipped in olive oil; pickled cucumbers; radishes; chilis; minced meat pastries; "warak aneb," which are vine leaves stuffed with spicy rice; "makloba," which is a spicy rice dish with pieces of marinated lamb, fried cauliflower, and egg plant; sliced potatoes and chicken breasts covered in hot cream, garnished with tarragon leaves and fried pine nuts; and tomatoes and zucchini stuffed with rice which is cooked in tomato paste with minced meat.  Muslims avoid eating pork.  When eating out, a devout Muslim must make sure the dishes do not contain pork or come in contact with pork.  For example, in Does My Head Look Big in This? a restaurant manager is asked if a separate cutting board was used when slicing the pork and the lamb.

Muslims practice their faith in varying degrees.  Amal's aunt and uncle are on one end of the spectrum by ordering pizza with extra ham.  Amal is on the other end of the spectrum by choosing to "wear a badge of [her] faith" by her own free choice.  Does My Head Look Big in This? is set in 2002, around the first anniversary of 9/11.  News reports in Australia constantly surround the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the U.S. and a recent attack in Bali.  She faces hostility from friends and foes alike because she is labeled a "terrorist," "towel-head," "diaper-head," and "camel jockey" when she starts wearing her hijab full-time.  She is able to find an inner strength and purpose for standing up for her beliefs.  People of all faiths can commend Amal for her bravery in choosing to face persecution for her beliefs with strong resolve.

All readers can relate to feeling peer-pressure when deciding whether or not to stand up for one's beliefs.  Amal was true to herself and her beliefs.  She didn't let the judgment of others stop her from following her faith.  Amal's struggles and triumphants can be an inspiration to others to stand tall in spite of the taunting of others.  What matters is not what others say about you but what you know to be true about yourself.

Awards and Honors

Australian Book Industry Awards, 2006 Australian Book of the Year for Older
     Children
Best Children's Books of the Year, 2008 Bank Street College of Education; New
     Beginnings: Life in a New Land
Booklist Top 10 First Novels for Youth, 2007 Booklist
Booklist Top 10 Religion Books for Youth, 2007 American Library Association
Books Useful for Therapists, 2005 Australian Family Therapists
Capitol Choices, 2008 The Capitol Choices Committee
Children's Book Sense Picks, Summer 2007 American Booksellers Association
Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2007 Kirkus
Notable Book, 2006 Children's Book Council
West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA), 2006 Nominee
White Ravens Award, 2006 Winner Australia International

   

Review Excerpts

“One thing readers will gain from this book is knowledge of self-love and an appreciation of their culture." ~ Lacrisa Darby,  Children's Literature, November 2010 

"As Amal struggles with her identity in a post-9/11 world (“Do you have any idea how it feels to be me, a Muslim\n, today? I mean, just turn on the television, open a newspaper.... It feels like I'm drowning in it all”), her faith—and an array of ever-ready quips—help her navigate an often-unforgiving world. Using a winning mix of humor and sensitivity, Abdel-Fattah ably demonstrates that her heroine is, at heart, a teen like any other. This debut should speak to anyone who has felt like an outsider for any reason.” ~ Publisher's Weekly

"Determined to prove she's strong enough to "wear a badge of my faith," Amal faces ostracism and ridicule as she dons her hijab with both good humor and trepidation. Wearing the hijab full-time shuts some doors, but opens others for Amal as she emerges a bright, articulate heroine true to herself and her faith." ~  Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2007


Other Books Written by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Where the Streets Had a Name
Ten Things I Hate About Me
The Friendship Matchmaker Goes Undercover

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.randaabdelfattah.com/index.asp.


Book Connections

My Name is Bilal by Asma Mobin-Uddin and illustrated by Barbara Kiwak
Celebrating Ramadan = Ramaodaan Al-mu Aozozam by Diane
     Hoyt-Goldsmith and illustrated by Lawrence Migdale
Muslim Child:  A Collection of Short Stories and Poems by Rukhsana Khan and
     illustrated by Patty Gallinger with sidebars by Irfan Alli

 

Connection Activities

• "In the book Amal makes a list of all the reasons why she should wear the
  hijab. Discuss with the class what they would have done if they had been in
  Amal’s position. Divide the class into 2 groups for a class debate. Choose 2
  students to be the adjudicators. Topic: That Amal should wear the hijab to
  school."
• "Write about a time in your own life when you felt discriminated against
  because you were different from the people around you. Now write about
  a time when you have discriminated against someone because they were
  different from you. What feelings motivated you to discriminate against
  another? What feelings motivated others to discriminate against you? How are
  these feelings similar or different?"

The two connection activities above, plus many more, are written by Pan Macmillan Australia and are located on the following website:  http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/resources/RA-DMHLBITNotes.pdf.
 

THE BOY IN THE GARDEN

Say, Allen.  The Boy in the Garden.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.  ISBN 978-0-547-21410-8.


Plot Summary

Jiro is read the story of The Grateful Crane by his mother.  When he visits a garden with a bronze statue of a crane, Jiro pretends the statue is the crane in the story.  He falls asleep and dreams the crane turns into a lady, just as it did in the folk legend.


Critical Analysis

The Boy in the Garden begins with the folk legend The Grateful Crane.  A poor woodcutter rescues a crane from a snare and sets it free.  Later that night, a beautiful woman, who is lost in the snowstorm, seeks shelter at the woodcutter's house.  The two would eventually marry.  The story concludes by revealing the woman is the crane who was saved by the woodcutter when he sees her weaving by feeding her feathers into the loom. 

Jiro is a young boy with his black hair cut above his ears and neckline, with bangs almost to his eyebrows.  He is short and stocky with an olive complexion.  For most of the story, he is dressed in reddish-brown pants, a dark green coat, a yellow scarf, yellow mittens, and brown shoes.  During his dream, he is wearing a blue plaid kimono, which is a full-length robe, tied with a light yellow obi, or sash, and tabi, which are split-toe socks.  The crane wife from the folk legend is pictured with a pale complexion wearing a green kimono with a yellow and red obi.  Her long, straight, black hair is worn in a ponytail tied with a yellow piece of fabric.  The crane woman from Jiro's dream is short, has an alabaster complexion, and is seen wearing a white kimono with a lime-green obi.  Except for one illustration where she is wearing a green scarf over her head, the crane woman wears her long, straight, black hair loose.  Mr. Ozu, the owner of the garden, is of medium height and is a fair-skinned man who dresses in a very formal fashion in a green nagajuban, which is an inner kimono worn beneath the outer kimono, a burnt-orange kimono, brown obi, and a lime-green haori, which is a thigh-length jacket worn over a kimono.  Mr. Ozu appears to be bald.  Jiro's father is tall, has a very light brown complexion, and is shown wearing a brown overcoat, black dress pants, a white dress shirt, a green tie, an orange scarf in one illustration, a magenta scarf in two other illustrations, black leather gloves, and black dress shoes.  His hair is combed to the right side and is cut above his ears and neckline.  All of the characters appear to have black eyes which are slightly slanted.  Say uses the term kimono, but the other terms for the Japanese articles of clothing were acquired from the following website:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimono.

Say does not mention in which country The Boy in the Garden takes place.  It appears to be set in modern times, with the action taking place in and around Mr. Ozu's famous garden.  Jiro and his father visit Mr. Ozu on January 3rd to wish him a Happy New Year.  Jiro's father carries a red package, presumably to give to Mr. Oku.  Mr. Oku gives Jiro a red envelope which Jiro knows is filled with money, but it is considered impolite to open it in front of the giver, so he will open it later.  Although not stated, red is a traditional color used during celebrations.  Jiro is seen briefly in a great hallway with wooden floors in Mr. Ozu's house.  The hallway has a wooden wall on one side and a wall of windows, which face the garden, on the other side.  Other than a painting of a lady wearing a kimono, there are no cultural markers in this illustration.  The garden has various topiaries, white stepping stones, large gray rocks, a stone river bed, various stone sculptures, and a bronze statue of a life-size crane.  The teahouse walls and floor appear to be wooden and the windows and doors are made of shoji screens, which are wooden frames that are covered with rice paper.  There is a fire pit in the middle of the floor over which a cast iron pot and fish are hanging from a metal hook attached to a bamboo pole which descends from the ceiling. 

The Boy in the Garden revolves around the retelling of The Grateful Crane.  While walking alone in Mr. Ozu's garden, he spies the bronze crane and pretends to rescue it, as the woodcutter did in the story.  When his father and Mr. Ozu, who see him from the house, find his actions humorous, Jiro hides in the tearoom and falls asleep.  In his dream, the crane woman comes to the tea room and gives him some soup.  The next day in Jiro's dream, he tells the crane woman he is going to go to work, sell some firewood, and buy them something to eat.  He returns that night with no food.  When the crane woman says she is going to do some weaving, Jiro begs her not to because he knows that will cause her to turn back into a crane.  It is at this point that Jiro's father wakes him up from his dream and tells him that it is time to go home.  His father tries to join in the fantasy by telling Jiro that, for just a moment, the crane statue looked like a real crane.

Say's watercolor illustrations are very colorful and depict a sense of Japanese culture.  He uses a lot of browns and greens in his background colors.  His characters are slightly different from each other.  The skin complexion of each one is a different shade.  The blending of the traditional Japanese dress of the two women and Mr. Ozu is in sharp contrast to the more western-world attire worn by Jiro and his father.  Say's illustrations in The Boy in the Garden would be a great way to introduce young children to various aspects of Japanese dress and architecture.  The illustrations of the garden and the tearoom make the reader want to jump in the book and go visit this location in person. 

In searching for a universal truth, the only thing which stood out was in the story of The Grateful Crane.  The woodcutter had a beautiful wife who could weave lavish material to be sold whenever they ran out of money.  Because of the woodcutter's greed and by breaking his promise, he lost everything.  The reader could be reminded to be content with what one has and to keep one's word.  Other than that, The Boy in the Garden tells the story of a boy with a vivid imagination who tries his best to provide for the crane woman so she will be kept from having to revert to her existence as a crane.

Readers of all ages can remember their dreams which sometimes seemed more real than true life.  Using one's imagination is something that one should never outgrow.  Continue to dream and use your imagination to explore new possibilities.  Life can be a series of exciting adventures if one is willing to look past the ordinary boundaries of reality.

 

 

Awards and Honors

 

Parents' Choice Award, 2010 Silver Picture Books United States

   

Review Excerpts

“Say's watercolors have a smooth, even control that's perfect for his realistic portraiture, with far-reaching landscapes emphasizing Jiro's isolation, but that mode also manages to shade seamlessly into an airy, slightly stylized folkloric style in the crane wife herself and in her household with Jiro; the first view up the curving path of stones to the little cottage is a silent evocation of embarkation into the world of legend." ~ Deborah Stevenson,  The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, November 2010 

"Say uses watercolors to create his full-page naturalistic scenes of the characters, buildings, and garden. Jiro is a curious, attractive youngster. The woman in her white robe and long black hair is convincingly magical. The visuals add significantly to the tone and emotions of the fantasy.” ~ Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz,  Children's Literature

"A series of dreamlike paintings done in the Caldecott winner's customarily precise and beautifully lit watercolors blurs the lines between reality and fantasy and limns Jiro's conflicted emotions as he seems to enter the story that bonds him to his mother, only to awaken to his father's voice telling him it is time to return home. This is a beautiful, moving, quietly mysterious read, ripe with possibilities for interpretation and contemplation." ~  Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2010


Other Books Written by Allen Say

Grandfather's Journey
Music for Alice
Emma's Rug

Visit the publisher's website for more information: 
     http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/authors/allensay/author.shtml


Book Connections

The Crane Wife retold by Odds Bodkin and illustrated by Gennady Spirin
The Loyal Cat retold by Lensey Namioka and illustrated by Aki Sogabe
One Leaf Rides the Wind:  Counting in a Japanese Garden by Celeste Davidson
     Mannis and illustrated by Susan Kathleen Hartung

 

Connection Activities

• Share one or more of the 19 animated Japanese folk legends available for viewing at http://web-japan.org/kidsweb/folk/index.html.
• Every May 5th, Kodomo no hi, or Children's Day, is celebrated in Japan.  Carp are a symbol of Children's Day because they are strong enough to swim upstream, even up waterfalls, and represent strength and success in life.  Families hang carp kites to signify their children will be strong and successful in life.  Have your students create their own carp kites using the pattern and instructions located at http://www.activityvillage.co.uk/carp-kite-craft.

THE YEAR OF THE DOG

Lin, Grace.  The Year of the Dog.  New York:  Little, Brown and Company, 2006.  ISBN 0-316-06000-3.


Plot Summary

Pacy Lin, a young girl with Chinese and Taiwanese parents, finds her Chinese-Taiwanese-American heritage at odds from time to time.  Based on events from Grace Lin's childhood, The Year of the Dog chronicles the year Pacy Lin found herself (even though she didn't know she was lost).

  

Critical Analysis

The Year of the Dog centers around Pacy Lin, or Grace Lin as she was known in school.  Pacy's parents were from Taiwan, and the story takes place in America  during the Chinese Year of the Dog.  On a twelve-year-rotational cycle, the Chinese specify a particular animal as the New Year animal.  The twelve animals are the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig (http://www.travelchinaguide.com/intro/social_customs/zodiac/).  The Chinese Year of the Dog, according to tradition, is a year in which you will find your best friends, discover your values, and decide what you want to do with your life.  Pacy didn't think she had any talent, so she was excited that this would be the year she would discover her own hidden treasure. 

The Chinese New Year is a time of great celebration.  It is a tradition to have a platter full of New Year's candy, which is a "sticky taffy melon candy, the color of the moon" so that one's year will be full of sweet things.  Pacy's father approved of her adding M&M's to the platter of traditional New Year's candy so they could blend Chinese and American cultures in their candy, just as they have blended Chinese and American cultures in their lives.  The New Year's meal consisted of whole fried fish (with its eyes boring a hole into Pacy), "meat dumplings fried golden, vegetables shining with oil, steamed buns that looked like puffy clouds, shrimp in a milky sauce, and pork colored a brilliant ruby pink."  Pacy's dad said that all the food on the table symbolized wealth.  The dumplings, in particular, symbolized gold coins.  The more dumplings you ate, the wealthier you would become that year.

Another tradition during the Chinese New Year was to honor the departed spirits of one's loved ones.  When she visited her Aunt Alice's house, Pacy didn't understand why there were two empty chairs at the end of the table with big plates of food on the table in front of them.  Her aunt told her that these were for the ghosts of her dead parents.  Her aunt served the invisible honored guests hot tea, stir-fried noodles, shiny roasted duck, and dragon red pork.  She served each course one by one, then she took all the food back into the kitchen, reheated it, and served it to her guests who were still among the living.

Not every Taiwanese family prepared their food the same way.  When Pacy visited the house of her new friend, Melody, she did not like anything that Melody's mother cooked.  The rice was brown instead of white, the vegetables weren't stir-fried, and the tofu was dry without any sauce.  The dessert was dried apricots, which looked like "shriveled orange mushrooms" to Pacy. 

When visiting her newborn cousin's party, the dinner consisted of "brown stir-fried noodles; cooked duck shiny with oil; fresh lychees with their prickly pink skins; eggplant in brown sauce; shrimp with vegetables; snow-white rice; and puffy, white pork buns with flame colored meat."  The women were the only ones allowed to eat the yellow ginger and chicken soup because it was thought it gave them energy to care for babies.  The meaning of baby Albert's name is "cooking duck."  A traditional Taiwanese greeting is "Ja-ba, bei?"  The English translation is, "How are you doing?"  But it also means, "Have you eaten yet?"  Food is a very important part of the Taiwanese culture! 

Red is a significant color in the Chinese culture.  The children received their Hong Boa, special red envelopes, filled with money to celebrate the New Year.  When a Chinese baby is born, he or she is given a Red Egg party.  Everyone brings red-colored eggs and red envelopes stuffed with money to the Red Egg party to welcome the new baby into the world.

On a special occasion, Pacy and her two sisters wore silk dresses with long sleeves, collars which buttoned up at the neck, and hemlines which reached to their ankles.  Pacy's dress was a dark parsley green, Lissy's dress was peacock blue, and Ki-ki's dress was pink with embroidered flowers.  Pacy and her siblings loved to sing an echo song while traveling in the family car, and they would sing it over and over until their dad couldn't stand to listen to it anymore.  Pacy practiced her singing so she could try out for the part of Dorothy in the school play, The Wizard of Oz.  She was devastated when one of her classmates told her she could never play the role of Dorothy because "Dorothy wasn't Chinese."

Pacy seemed to have some trouble adapting to both the Chinese-Taiwanese and the American culture.  Throughout The Year of the Dog, Lin pointed out the differences between families which shared the same culture.  Pacy is shunned by other Taiwanese girls at camp because she couldn't speak Chinese or Taiwanese.  One of the girls insulted Pacy by calling her a "Twinkie."  The girl explained, "My brother said Chinese people who are Americanized are Twinkies.  Yellow on the outside but white on the inside."  On Pacy's first day of school, the teacher called her "Grace" instead of "Pacy."  Pacy tried to explain to the teacher that her name was "Pacy," but the teacher insisted that her "real" name was "Grace."  Pacy was very upset that the teacher used an unfamiliar name when addressing her.  When she asked her sister about this, her sister told her that when Pacy was born, her parents were instructed by the hospital staff to give her a Chinese and an American name.  She informed Pacy that Americans have trouble pronouncing Chinese names and asked, "Why do Chinese people always have to have these weird names?"  That is how Pacy Lin became known as Grace Lin.

Pacy's ah-ha moment during The Year of the Dog was when she wrote and illustrated a book about ugly vegetables.  Out of 20,000 entries nationwide, Pacy was awarded fourth place and $400 for her book.   The Chinese Year of the Dog had helped her discover what she was to do in life.  The real-life Pacy, now known as Grace, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design.  Her book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, is a 2010 Newbery Honor Book.

 

Readers from all cultures can appreciate Pacy's uncertainty as she tries to adapt into an "acceptable" cultural mold.  Although Pacy had bumps and bruises growing up with her mixed heritage, she was able to find herself and her calling in life.  Regardless of who/what one is or who/what one isn't, everyone has something to share with the world.  Be true to yourself and you will find your hidden treasure!

 

 

Awards and Honors

 

Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2006-2007 Honorable Mention

     Text United States

National Parenting Publications Award, 2006 Gold Book Ages 9 & Up United

     States

  

Review Excerpts

“Most of the chapters are bolstered by anecdotes from Grace's parents, which connect Grace (and the reader) to her Taiwanese heritage." ~ Ilene Cooper,  Booklist, January 1, 2006 

"Lin, best known for her picture books, here offers up a charming first novel, an autobiographical tale of an Asian-American girl's sweet and funny insights on family, identity and friendship.” ~ Publisher's Weekly

"Being Taiwanese-American is confusing, and being the only Asian kid in your elementary school-except for your older sister-is not always comfortable. Pacy has high hopes for the Year of the Dog, which, she learns, is a year for finding friends and finding yourself." ~  Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2005


Other Books Written by Grace Lin

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon
Ling & Ting:  Not Exactly the Same!
The Year of the Rat

Visit her website for more information:  http://gracelin.com/ or
     http://www.gracelinblog.com/


Book Connections

A New Year's Reunion by Li-Qiong Yu and illustrated by Zhu Cheng-Liang
Mei Fuh:  Memories from China by Edith Schaeffer and illustrated by Lesley Liu
Beyond the Great Mountains:  A Visual Poem about China by Ed Young


Connection Activities

• Think about the New Year's traditions in your family.  What is the significance of what you do to celebrate the New Year?  Draw a picture of one of your traditions and share it with the class.
• In The Year of the Dog, Lin chronicles one year in her life which she felt was a turning point for her.  Remembering the details from a turning-point year in your life, write a poem about what happened and how that affected you.

THE FIREKEEPER'S SON

Park, Linda Sue.  Ill. by Julie Downing.  The Firekeeper's Son.  New York:  Clarion Books, 2004.  ISBN 0-618-13337-2.


Plot Summary

Building a signal fire on top of the mountain was a honored duty passed from Sang-hee's grandfather to his father.  When his father is unable to light the nightly fire, Sang-hee must decide whether or not he will continue the tradition of lighting the fire to signal that all is well in the land.

  

Critical Analysis

Linda Sue Park explains in her notes that, although the characters in this story are fictional, the bonfire signaling system was a very complex system of communication used in Korea.  The fires were able to tell the king which of his eight provinces were in danger, the size of the enemy's forces, and how well-armed they were.  Park references the writings of a British traveler in Choson:  The Land of the Morning Calm, published in 1885, as mentioning the current use of signal fires in Korea.

Sang-hee and his family live in an "important" village in Korea, according to his father.  Sang-hee doesn't think there is anything special about his village.  They live in huts made of wood and mud with straw roofs.  Their village is nestled in a lush green valley surrounded by cloud-covered mountains on one side and the sea, lined with fishing boats, on the other.  The Firekeeper's Son takes place in early 19th century Korea.  The calm countryside is filled with the activity of people working in the fields or tending to their cows and chickens.  The only mode of transportation in the illustrations is the three boats along the shore.

The villagers are dressed in jeogoris, which are upper garments with 3/4 length sleeves.  There are no pockets, and a sash ties the garment together.  The males are dressed in bajis, which are loose-fitting pants.  The women are dressed in chimas, which are floor-length skirts.  The women's hair is completely covered with scarves tied around their heads.  The boys' hair is straight, black, and braided in the back.  Sang-hee's father wears a rice paddy hat, which covers most of his black hair, except for his braid hanging down his back.  The males appear to be wearing rain shoes but, because the women's shirts are so long, their shoes are not visible.  Park does not offer any Korean terms in her book.  The terms above were found in the following websites:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_Paddy_Hat, http://centuriespast.tumblr.com/post/18784298549/rain-shoes-19th-century-korean-art-collection, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanbok.

Sang-hee's father points out that their village sits next to the first mountain by the sea.  If the enemy tried to attack their part of Korea, Sang-hee's father would be the first one to see the enemy's ships approaching.  Although there has always been peace in the land during the time of Sang-hee's father and grandfather, the possibility of war was always on the horizon.  When Sang-hee's father lit the first signal fire each night, the signaler in the next village would see his fire and light the fire on the next mountain, the third one would do the same, and the fires would continue to be lit on every mountain so that the king would know that all was well in the land.  If, however, Sang-hee's father did not light his fire, which would signify that the enemy had been spotted, none of the other signalers would light their fires either, and the king would disperse his soldiers to come attack the enemy.  That's why Sang-hee's father said their village was very important.  Their signal fire was the first line of defense, and the lack thereof was the soldier's call to battle.

Sang-hee is pictured playing with small clay horses and soldiers, with twigs for swords.  How wonderful he thought it would be to see real soldiers, just once, so he could learn how to be a brave and strong sword-fighter like the tall soldiers he envisioned.  Julie Dowling's illustrations capture the wonder in Sang-hee's non-slanted brown eyes as he gazes into the fire and "sees" the soldiers fighting valiantly to protect his country.  The villagers are depicted having an olive complexion.  Dowling's background colors are primarily green, brown, blue, and yellow in her watercolor and pastel illustrations.  Her illustrations are simplistic, yet warm and inviting.  The most dramatic of her illustrations occur when Sang-hee is contemplating whether he should light the fire, as he knows he should, or keep the fire silent, so that he can be visited by the soldiers he longs to see.  Sang-hee's body language in Dowling's illustrations shows the inner struggle that is occurring.  His eyes convey a thousand words when he peers over the rim of the brass pot and sees the lone coal standing in limbo between a peaceful signal fire and a horde of angry, yet majestic, soldiers.

Sang-hee's decision whether to do what is best for his country or choose to fulfill his dream is one that makes the reader pause to contemplate the consequences of one's actions.  Everyone, at some point, must choose between what is best for the individual versus what is best for all.  It is not always easy to set aside personal goals and dreams to selflessly choose the betterment of all.  The Firekeeper's Son  conveys to the reader that making the right choice and letting go of personal gains can bring more pride and fulfillment than choosing one's pleasure in spite of the determent it will cause others.

Awards and Honors

 

Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2004-2005 Winner Illustration

     United States

Irma S. and James H. Black Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2004

     Honor Book United States

Parents' Choice Award, 2004 Recommended Picture Books United States

 

Review Excerpts

“This engaging fictional story set in the early 1800s is based on the bonfire signal system used in Korea until the late nineteenth century. Sang-hee's understandable desire for excitement is balanced with a welcome portrayal of heroic behavior during peaceful times." ~ Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices (CCBC), 2005 

"Even in the darkness the watercolor illustrations glow with vibrancy. The cover illustration is especially striking: Sang-hee bright-eyed at the orange-and-yellow fire flickering before him. A lovely telling that will bring readers back to read or hear this story one more time.” ~ Kirkus Reviews, February 15, 2004 

"Newbery Medalist Park (A Single Shard\n) [sic] brings an accomplished novelist's sensibility to this suspenseful picture book set in 19th-century Korea, fully developing her characters despite the abbreviated format." ~  Publisher's Weekly


Other Books Written by Linda Sue Park

When My Name was Keoko
A Single Shard
Project Mulberry:  A Novel

Visit her website for more information:  http://www.lindasuepark.com/


Book Connections

The Royal Bee by Frances Park and Ginger Park and illustrated by Christopher
     Zhong-Yuan Zhang
Keeper of the Light by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch
Land of Morning Calm:  Korean Culture Then and Now by John Stickler and
     illustrated by Soma Han

Connection Activities
 

• Discuss the following:  Sang-hee had to choose between what he wanted and what he knew to be the right thing to do.  Have you ever had to choose between something you wanted and making the right choice?  What did you do? 
• Think about what you have learned about Korea.  What was the most interesting thing to you?  Write a poem about it and illustrate it with drawings.

NAVAJO LONG WALK: THE TRAGIC STORY OF A PROUD PEOPLE'S FORCED MARCH FROM THEIR HOMELAND

Bruchac, Joseph.  Ill. by Shonto Begay.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland.  Washington, D.C.:  National Geographic Society, 2002.  ISBN 0-7922-7058-4.


Plot Summary

In 1864, the Navajo Indians were driven from their sacred homeland and forced to walk 470 miles from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation.  They endured unbearable living conditions until they were allowed to return to their homeland in 1868. 

 

 

Critical Analysis

Joseph Bruchac is of Abenaki heritage, and he has authored numerous books on various Native American cultures.  Unfortunately, Bruchac does not provide any historical notes or reference any data to collaborate his story.  Navajo Long Walk:  The Tragic Story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland is told from the Navajo perspective and is set in New Mexico, with information spanning from 1540-1869.  Bruchac's introduction tells the reader, "we were given two ears so that we may hear both sides of every story." 

The Navajos call themselves "Diné," which means "the People."  "Dinetah" is the name given to their sacred homeland.  The Navajos learned to raise crops and become animal herders.  The term "Navajo" means "people with planted fields."  They were a people who wanted peace and only retaliated when outsiders struck the first blow.  They were unable to convey their peaceful intentions to the army.  The Navajos were not viewed as human beings by General James H. Carleton, who was the New Mexico military commander in the 1860's.  ""An Indian," he wrote, "is more watchful and wary an animal than a deer.  He must be hunted with skill...""  The Navajos call the time of their exile "Nidahadzid daa," which means "Fearing Time."  They were forced to leave their homeland as the army burned down their hogans, their homes made of logs and mud, and killed anyone who dared attempt an escape.  A map of the United States, with the New Mexico territory enlarged, shows the deadly 470 mile trek the Navajos were forced to march from Fort Defiance/Fort Canby to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo Reservation, as the army rode on horses or in wagons.

Shonto Begay is of Navajo descent and portrayed such great emotion in his illustrations.  If one only had Begay's illustrations and notes, a very moving story would quickly unfold.  The most interesting aspect of his work are the notes he provides to the reader for his acrylic paintings on clay board.  For example, the first blue and white illustration is of a coyote in the foreground with a long line of people trudging along a path overseen by a man on horseback holding a rifle.  Begay's note explains his work:  "The coyote foresees the hardship and death that lie ahead for the Navajos.  The monochromatic color scheme emphasizes the darkness of this terrible time."  The Navajos are barely distinguishable in this illustration as the darkness of the painting hides their features in its shadows.  In contrast, Begay's last acrylic illustration is much brighter.  The blue and white coyote is again in the foreground.  A circle of Navajos are adorned in breechcloths, moccasin boots, and cloth headbands which secure their long, black hair.  All of the clothing is the same blue and white as the coyote.  There is a lot of yellow, perhaps representational of fire, which illuminates these men with light- or medium-brown skin tones.  Begay's note explains this painting:  "Coyote gently exits the circle, foretelling the Navajos' impending release.  The bright light represents the hope that negotiations with the Peace Commission will be successful."

According to the Tribal Directory website, "The figure of the coyote holds a variety of meanings for Native Americans. In Native American storytelling, the role of a coyote in a story helps to communicate a particular lesson about life to listeners. Native Americans also look to the behavior of the coyote in nature as a guide on how to lead a life of balance and happiness"  (http://www.tribaldirectory.net/articles/coyote-facts.html).  Bruchac says this about the  coyote in the Navajo culture, "Coyote is one of the Navajo Holy People and holds a deeply sacred place in Navajo belief."

In between the hauntingly beautiful acrylic illustrations are watercolor illustrations in brown, black, and white.  It appears that two of the illustrations show a Navajo with either a goatee or mustache, which would not be historically accurate.  Another watercolor illustration shows a Navajo with what appears to be a baseball cap facing backwards.  Surely, this is not the case for an illustration set in the 1800's; however, that is the way it looks.  In the illustrations depicting the Navajos enduring the forced march, they all appear to be wrapped from head to foot in blankets.  This contradicts the text when Bruchac recounts what General Carleton wrote, "The weather was very inclement, with terrible gales of wind and heavy snow.  The Indians were nearly naked."  Putting aside the raised eyebrow over questions of historical accuracy and lack of symmetry with the text, the illustrations portray the devastation felt by this proud people and their determined defiance to overcome the travesty of justice imposed by the white man.

In spite of the hardships and injustices endured by the Navajo people, they banded together and kept the flame of faith alive that one day they would return to the land which was rightfully theirs.  Readers of all cultures can learn from the strength of these Native Americans.  Life may not deal a fair hand, but one must play through to the end.  Never waver.  Never give up.  Stay strong to the end, and always have hope that one day redemption will rise above the horizon.

 

 

Awards and Honors for Joseph Bruchac

 

Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas

Rockefeller Humanities fellowship

NEA Poetry fellowship

 

 

Review Excerpts

“In the 1860s, thousands of Navajo were forced to relocate from their sacred land in western New Mexico to the Bosque Redondo Reservation hundreds of miles to the east; the story of that relocation is recounted here through text fiercely sympathetic to the Indians' plight and through a gallery of metaphor-rich paintings rendered in powerful jabs and swirls of densely applied acrylics." ~ Elizabeth Bush, The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, March 2002

"Together the words and pictures reveal not victims, but the strong community and culture that helped the Navajos survive atrocity and return home.” ~ Hazel Rochman, Booklist, May 1, 2002

"Historical background that led to this event is carefully detailed, recounting the harsh treatment and broken treaties. With restraint and a straightforward style, Bruchac tells of the 470-mile march through inclement weather with scant food, and Indians "nearly naked...and dying from dysentery."" ~ Beverley Fahey, Children's Literature

Other Books Written by Joseph Bruchac

Raccoon's Last Race:  A Traditional Abenaki Story, illustrated by James Bruchac
The Boy Who Lived with Bears:  And Other Iroquois Stories, illustrated by Murv
     Jacob
The First Strawberries:  A Cherokee Story, illustrated by Anna Vojitech

Visit his website for more information:  http://josephbruchac.com/


Book Connections

A Rainbow at Night:  The World in Words and Pictures by Navajo Children by
     Bruce Hucko
The Unbreakable Code by Sara Hoagland Hunter and illustrated by Julia Miner

Sing Down the Moon by Scott O'Dell


Connection Activities

 

• Watch clips about the Navajo Long Walk provided by PBS.org:  http://www.pbs.org/pov/sunkissed/video-the-long-walk-navajo.php#.VE2bmbstDmI. 
• Gain a greater appreciation for the contributions the Navajo people have made to society by listening to interviews with actual Navajo Code Talkers or by watching a video describing the history of the Navajo Code Talkers in WWII:  http://navajocodetalkers.org/.