Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, Joseph. 2005. Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two. New York: Dial Books.  ISBN 0-8037-2921-9

SUMMARY
Here is a story of profound beauty and strength. Ned Begay is sixteen years old and a Navajo Indian.  Well, his name is really Kii Yazhi, but Ned is the name a white man gave him at the Rehoboth Mission School.  It was there that he and other Navajo children were told that everything Indian about them must be forgotten; their language, their traditions, even their names.  Soon after Ned turns 16, the United States enters WWII. When the United States wants to recruit Navajo Indians, Ned has no idea that he and fellow Navajos would create a code that would never be broken and helps America to win the war.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
A recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers' Circle of the America's, Bruchac (born as Green Corn Moon), has written an exciting, and often, eloquent, story about the Navajo Code Talkers during World War II. Told in first person narrative, this is the story of Ned Begay.  Ned's early life follows the path of many Navajo Indians; going to boarding school to learn the white man's world.  As Ned states, "I began my day as Kii Yazhi and ended it as Ned Begay."  Although Ned adapts well to boarding school, he has a hard time forgetting his heritage believing "[Do] I really have to give up everything to succeed in the modern world?" 

Bruchac's book offers a view of Navajo history not known to many. When the U.S. declares war on Germany, Italy and Japan, it's only when the Tribal Council also declares war on this enemy, that Navajos are able to join.  Bruchac eloquently expresses Ned's overwhelming sense of pride of being Navajo and helping their sacred land. While Bruchac is of Abenaki Indian heritage, he often writes about Native American heritage which is widely acclaimed. 

This book will appeal to adults and grades 6+.   It will appeal in particular to people who enjoy reading about Navajo history, as well as WWII history buffs. 


REVIEW EXCERPTS
With its multicultural themes and well-told WWII history, this will appeal to a wide audience.--Kirkus Reviews 

Grades 5 Up. In the measured tones of a Native American storyteller, Bruchac's gentle prose presents a clear historical picture...Non-sensational and accurate, Bruchac's tale is quietly inspiring...--School Library Journal 

Gr. 6-9...The narrative pulls no punches about war's brutality and never adopts an avuncular tone. Not every section of the book is riveting, but slowly the succession of scenes, impressions, and remarks build to create a solid, memorable portrayal...Even when facing complex negative forces within his own country, he is able to reach into his traditional culture to find answers that work for him in a modern context.  Readers who choose the book for the attraction of Navajo code talking and the heat of battle will come away with more than they ever expected to find.--Booklist (Starred Review) 

CONNECTIONS
-Teachers can review Scholastic's "Literature Circle Guide" for teaching ideas:  http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/lit_circle_pdfs/code_talker_t.pdf

-For geography, follow Ned's travels as a code talker on a map. 

-Before reading the book, have students do a KWL on Navajo Indians.  This will bring up any stereotypes they might have.  After they've read the book, discuss with students their KWL before and after.  How have their perceptions changed? 

-Here is the official "Navajo Code Talkers" website.  http://www.navajocodetalkers.org/ 

-If students are interested in a non-fiction book on this subject, have them read: 
     - Code Talker: The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez and Judith Avila. ISBN 978-0425247853

-For students to be able to hear the Navajo language and to make a real-life connection with the story, teachers can play sections of the audio version that contain the Navajo language. 

-Show students the History Channel's DVD series "WWII Unsung Heroes" - Disc 5 "Navajo Code Talkers":  http://shop.history.com/detail.php?p=271015&SESSID=18db7a958aa14f134dd9fd17a7127b80&v=history
  

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Alexie, Sherman. 2007. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Illustrated by Ellen Forney. New York: Little, Brown & Company. ISBN 978-0-316-01368-0

SUMMARY
Arnold Spirit is known as Junior on the Spokane Indian reservation where he and his family live. The Indians on the reservation are so poor that when 9th grade starts, he receives a 30 year old geometry book that used to be his mother's.  When his teacher encourages him to leave the reservation and go to a white school in town, Junior knows it's his only opportunity to leave and to make something of himself.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this semi-autobiographical novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and a "Best Books of 2007" by the School Library Journal.  In 2008 it was named by YALSA as a "Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults", as well as receiving a 2008 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry. 

Sherman Alexie is a Native American poet, writer and director.  Alexie uses his experiences growing up on the Spokane Indian reservation to write this first novel.  Young adults will relate to the themes of race, home, family, poverty, friendship, mortality, hopes/dreams, traditions and perseverance. Junior feels like he must leave the reservation if he ever wants to make something of himself, but doesn't believe he's worthy enough, stating; "But we reservation Indians don't get to realize our dreams." Alexie shows Junior's evolving identity and character growth while acknowledging stereotypes on both sides. In an honest moment, Junior's teacher confesses, "We were supposed to kill the Indian to save the child." 

The illustrations are by Ellen Forney, who teaches cartooning at the Cornish College of the Arts. Since Junior loves drawing and expressing himself through cartoons, Forney's black and white illustrations are touching and an important feature to show readers how Junior sees his world. He believes "...the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny lifeboats."  Particularly interesting was Junior's view on how Whites dress compared to Indians. 

Containing a reference to masturbation and anger at God, this book has often been banned or challenged.  However, it's a realistic view of a young adult trying to understand himself and those around him.  Recommended for grades 9 and up. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS
...Alexie's first foray into the young adult genre, and it took him only one book to master the form. Recently nominated for a National Book Award, this is a gem of a book...Sherman Alexie has explored the struggle to survive between the grinding plates of the Indian and white worlds...may be his best work yet... —The New York Times

Screenwriter, novelist and poet, Alexie bounds into YA with what might be a Native American equivalent of Angela's Ashes,a coming-of-age story so well observed that its very rootedness in one specific culture is also what lends it universality, and so emotionally honest that the humor almost always proves painful...Unlike protagonists in many YA novels who reclaim or retain ethnic ties in order to find their true selves, Junior must separate from his tribe in order to preserve his identity. Jazzy syntax and Forney's witty cartoons examining Indian versus White attire and behavior transmute despair into dark humor...--Publishers Weekly

Alexie's portrayal of reservation life, with the help of a great lineup of supporting characters, is realistic and fantastical and funny and tragic-all at the same time. The story is engaging, but readers will also gain insight into American Indian culture and politics as well as a sense for human nature and the complexities of living in a diverse society. Cartoonist Forney's drawings, appearing throughout the book, enhance the story and could nearly stand alone...Recreational readers, especially boys, will enjoy this book, but teachers will also find it filled with lots of material to rouse a good classroom discussion...based on Alexie's own memoir.--VOYA

"Alexie's humor and prose are easygoing and well suited to his young audience."--Booklist

"Deftly taps into the human desire to stand out while fitting in."--BookPage

"Fierce observations and sharp sense of humor...hilarious language."--Newsday

"The line between dramatic monologue, verse novel, and stand-up comedy gets unequivocally-and hilariously and triumphantly-bent in this novel."--(starred review) - Horn Book

CONNECTIONS
-Collaborate with the Art teachers to discuss cartooning and expressing feelings.  Have students create a comic book with a story that has a beginning, a middle and an end. 

-Have students research the Spokane Indians.  http://www.spokanetribe.com/

-Scholastic has an excellent teaching guide for Grades 9-12 which offers ideas on vocabulary, comprehension, pre/post reading discussion questions, Content Area Connections and more. 
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/absolutely-true-diary-part-time-indian-storia-teaching-guide

-Junior says on pg. 181, "They expected me to be good. And so I became good." Ask students if they believe that other people's beliefs of who they are impact their life and, if so, should it? Has there ever been a person in their life that believed in them and had a positive impact? Who is in their life that believes in them?  If there is no one in their life like this, how can they find one?  Would the student be able to approach that person and talk to them?  

-Here are some discussion questions for students: 

• How are being Native American and poor related in Junior's mind? 
• Why does Junior think so many Native American's drink alcohol? 
• What did Mr. P mean when he said teachers were supposed to "kill the Indian to save the child?" (p. 35)
• Why do you think Junior's parents agreed so quickly to him attending school at Reardan? (p. 46) 
• What does it mean to be a part-time Indian? Do you ever feel like a part-time person? 
• Junior knew that many Indians at the reservation were going to hate him for attending Reardan.  He knew his best friend, Rowdy, wouldn't understand.  Yet he did it anyway.  Do you think Junior had to be strong to make this decision?  Do you think the decision was hard for him? Was the decision right for him? Is it hard to make a decision that you know so many people will disagree with? 

Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom by Tim Tingle

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Tingle, Tim. 2006. Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom. Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.  ISBN 978-0-938317-77-7

SUMMARY
"Set in the old South, Crossing Bok Chitto is an Indian book, written by Indian voices and painted by an Indian artist" (author's note). 

Bok Chitto is a river in Mississippi that divides the Choctaw Indians on one side and the plantation owners and their slaves on the other side. Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, helps a slave family gain freedom by crossing the Bok Chitto. This is a touching story about friendship and faith. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Tim Tingle's, Crossing Bok Chitto is a story about the interaction and empathy between the Choctaws and black slaves in Mississippi before the Civil War and the Trail of Tears. Within this touching story are the themes of faith, friendship, and freedom.  Tingle, a Choctaw himself, shares some aspects of Choctaw life, including a wedding ceremony and Choctaw songs, as well as describing the lives of the plantation black slaves with forbidden church services and being sold to another owner. 

Tingle's text is often lyrical. When Martha Tom comes across the slaves forbidden church service, she hears them sing a call/response of "We are bound for the promised land" and its rely, "We will come with you."  He also offers the Choctaw wedding song "Way, hey ya hey ya / You a hey you ay / A hey ya a hey ya!"   Readers must suspend disbelief when Tingle has Martha Tom and the slave, Little Mo, walk in front of the plantation owners and not be seen, as if invisible.  Invisibility also allows the slaves to walk past slavers in their bid for freedom. This magical element adds to a spiritual feel of the Choctaw's helping the slaves. 

In the back of the book, there is a brief account stating that the Choctaw's are the third largest Native American population in the United States, with 160,000 of the Choctaw's in Oklahoma, and approximately 9,000 remaining in Mississippi and of which 85% speak Choctaw as their first language and English as their second.  With such a strong population, having a story written about an important part of their history is keeping their history alive. 

The illustrations are by Jeanne Rorex Bridges, who is of Cherokee descent.  Using acrylics and the Native American style called Oklahoma Flat style, the strong lines and rich earth tones compliment the story.  

Recommended for ages 8+. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"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… the story [has a] powerful impact on young readers." —Booklist, starred review

"Crossing Bok Chitto… tells a tale with a happier ending, but its journey is no less a departure from the narrative of American uplift. In literature for children, this is a lesson as old as the Grimms. But these realities cut deeper than any fantasy." —The New York Times

"Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers." —School Library Journal

"A moving and wholly original story about the intersection of cultures…Bridges creates mural-like paintings with a rock-solid spirituality and stripped-down graphic sensibility, the ideal match for the down-to-earth cadences and poetic drama of the text." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

"Crossing Bok Chitto is very highly recommended for all young readers as a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and unity in a remarkable production of expert authorship and invaluable illustrations." —Midwest Book Review, starred review

"A very moving story about friends helping each other and reveals a lesser-known part of American History: Native Americans helped runaway slaves...While, this is a picture book; it would make a wonderful read-aloud for middle elementary students." —Children's Literature

CONNECTIONS
-Questions for a class discussion: 
   1. Why did Martha Tom cross the river? 
   2. Who were the African-Americans at the church hiding from? Why were they hiding? 
   3. Why did the men chasing the slaves let them escape? 

-In the back of the book, there are notes from the author.  Using these notes, discuss the following with students. 
  1. What is the basic historical difference between the Mississippi Choctaws and the 

Oklahoma Choctaws? How are the two peoples alike?
   2. What was the Trail of Tears? 

-The illustrator, Jeanne Rorex Bridges is of Cherokee descent. Do you think having a Native American artist made the book more powerful?  What made the pictures look Native American?

-Jeanne Rorex Bridges describes her painting style as "Oklahoma Flat Style" where a solid color is applied in the shape of what you're drawing. This is her description: "Think, for example, of a woman in a blanket.  To create that initial shape, you must understand the position of her shoulders, her arms and back under the blanket. Pure Indian art would only allow fine lines of another color and/or gradual changes of flat colors to "shade" the blanket. Over the years, I've developed my own style by keeping the basic Flat Style while adding background work and shading.  

     -Have students paint a picture using the Flat Indian style and compare to how they usually paint pictures.  

-The publisher, Cinco Punto Press, has created a Study Guide that teacher's will find useful.  http://www.cincopuntos.com/pdf/crossing_bok_chitto_guide.pdf

NEVER FORGOTTEN by Patricia C. McKissack with artwork by Leo & Diane Dillon

NEVER FORGOTTEN by Patricia C. McKissack with artwork by Leo & Diane Dillon

Help Wanted: Stories by Gary Soto

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Soto, Gary. 2005. Help Wanted: Stories. Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 0-15-205201-1

SUMMARY
Teenagers will enjoy this series of ten short stories that deal with the real things in life, like race, family, friendship, death, loneliness, and acceptance. There's Becky, who's trying so hard to learn how to best the best at golf, but just not getting it, or Javier, who thinks his school friend Veronica tells lies all the time, or even, Luis Miguel, who wants to be called Michael, is trying not to be embarrassed when his mom doesn't speak English and still lives her own life likes she's back in Mexico.  Tweens and teenagers will see themselves in these stories and will appreciate their honesty. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Help Wanted, Soto writes about the realities of a young person's life: race, family, first love, friendship, death, loneliness, and acceptance just to name a few.  Even the title of the book gently touches on one of the main themes throughout the book; of young teenagers who are unsure of themselves. When a young boy wore his cadet outfit to school and came across two troublemakers, he "backed away from the sink, not with the sharp military turn of a cadet but with the wariness of a boy watching out for his survival." Soto doesn't neatly finish the stories in a feel-good manner; they often end as life does - with no resolution and wondering what's next. 

Using the occasional Spanish word or phrase, Soto utilizes his Mexican American background and infuses most of the stories with the flavors and sounds of a Hispanic household. Although the stories will resonate with boys and girls, this is an excellent read for reluctant boy readers. The stories are short, between 5-20 pages and contain mainly male characters set in situations that young boys will understand.  Recommended for grade 5 and up.

REVIEW EXCERPTS
"Soto excels at getting into the minds of both boys and girls . . . Readers, Latino or not, have a good chance of seeing themselves and their feelings in these compelling stories."—Kirkus Reviews

"Humorous . . . Thought-provoking."—School Library Journal

Gr 6-9-Ten original short stories about Mexican-American teens in central California. The fundamental theme of "needing help" is the common thread among the stories, which range from the satirical to the peculiar to the humorous to the sad...thought-provoking endings, compensate for intermittent awkwardness in the telling. The occasional insertion of Spanish words is done skillfully so that even non-Spanish speakers will understand all aspects of the stories, which are similar in style and tone to Soto's Petty Crimes. --School Library Journal

Gr. 7-10. The stories are sometimes funny, often poignant, and occasionally provocative. Spanish words and phrases, sprinkled throughout the stories, can be understood in context, but the appended glossary is helpful. The stories are laced with harsh, realistic observations and grungy, everyday details...naturalistic style gives the stories a hard, unpleasant edge, but it also makes them vividly believable.--Booklist. 

CONNECTIONS
-Have students write a short story about a boy or girl their age.  The story should be 4-10 pages to allow for a fully developed theme. 

-Have students create a story using www.storybird.com or, if they want to use and Ipad or Ipad mini, they can use the app storyrobe. 

-This is a link which includes 26 lessons in the "Author Study: Gary Soto" which utilizes many of Soto's poems, short stories, and novels, to offer a variety of lessons including ideas on prewriting, vocabulary, supporting a thesis, using literary terminology and much more. 
http://curriculum.dpsk12.org/lang_literacy_cultural/literacy/sec_lit/archives/planning_guides/7/7_5_author_study_lessons.pdf

-Help Wanted includes stories with a strong sense of place (home, neighborhood, family center). Discuss how this thread runs through much of Gary Soto’s work and how he may have been influenced by his own life growing up in Fresno, California.

The Wild Book by Margarita Engle

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Engle, Margarita. 2012. The Wild Book. Boston: Harcourt Children's Books. ISBN 978-0-547-58131-6

SUMMARY
Fefa is 11 years old and has "word blindness" which is now known as dyslexia.  To help Fefa with her to struggle to read and write, her mother gives her an empty book to write her "wild words."  Although Fefa has to struggle with unwanted attention from a farm worker and fears of kidnapping from rebels in the Cuban countryside, through the love of her family and her determination to "capture" words, Fefa is able get her disability under control. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Award-winning Cuban American poet and novelist, Margarita Engle's The Wild Book has won widespread acclaim including being named a Kirkus Reviews New & Notable Book for Children (March 2012), a Horn Book's Guide to 2012 Notable Books in Verse, and a 2013 Bankstreet's Best Children's Book of the Year. 

Based upon the life of the author's grandmother, Engle's novel-in-verse is told in the voice of Josefa, called Fefa.  Fefa discovers she has "word blindness" or what we call dyslexia. It makes her feel a "...deep dread / of slippery / vanishing words / that make me feel / so lonely." Set in Cuba in the early 20th century during the chaos following Cuba's wars for independence from Spain and the U.S. occupation of the island, we're able to experience Fefa and her family's fear of rebels roaming the Cuban countryside. 

Engle uses the occasional insertion of Spanish words which even non-Spanish speakers will understand and which add a cultural element to the story - "...I open my wild book / and write a bold word / Valentia. / Courage. / Maybe if I claim / my own share of courage / often enough, it will appear." 

The award-winning illustrator and author, Yuyi Morales created the beautiful book cover utilizing many of the themes within the book; a beautiful example is the faint bird over Fefa's face. When Papa tells Fefa that his own family comes from Basque ancestors by way of Columbia, and her mother's family is a mixture of native Cuban indios and musical Canary Islanders who used to know how to talk like birds, Fefa feels comfort in believing that she's part bird-person because "...birds come in all colors, / and they belong to many tribes."  

The theme of courage, learning how to overcome difficulties and being a part of a family are themes that young readers will appreciate. 

Recommended for ages 10-14. 

REVIEW EXCERPTS
A Kirkus Best Children's Book of 2012 & Bank Street College of Education Best Book.

"A beautiful tale of perseverance." ''Kirkus Reviews

"Readers will be enchanted." -- VOYA

"[A] lyrical glimpse of early twentieth-century Cuba." --Booklist

"Engle's writing is customarily lovely." --Publishers Weekly

"The idea of a wild book on which to let her words sprout is one that should speak to those with reading difficulties and to aspiring poets as well."--School Library Journal 

"[A] remarkable, intimate depiction of Fefa's struggle with dyslexia; Engle is masterful at using words to evoke this difficulty, and even those reader's unfamiliar with the conditional will understand its meaning through her rich use of imagery and detail."--Bulletin

CONNECTIONS
-In the poem "Uncertainty," Fefa thinks "Can a tower of fear / ever be transformed / into a tower / of hope?"  Talk to students about things they fear and whether their fear can be turned into something positive. 

-Fefa's sisters and brothers are very mean to her.  Why do you think her siblings are mean to her? 

-Give students an empty journal or essay book into which they can write their thoughts and ideas. Have them write into their journals for 2 weeks and then discuss with students about their experience.  Did they enjoy putting their thoughts down on paper?  Did it help them see their experiences differently? Would they consider journaling in the future?  Have students decorate and personalize the journal.  

-You can also have students journal online with: http://penzu.com/content

-Have students get into groups of 3 and to discuss the following questions.
     1.  Why is Fefa unhappy at school?
     2.  How can Fefa's friends help her feel better?
     3.  Do you like or dislike reading out loud in class?  Why or why not?

-If teacher's have access to TeachingBooks.net, listen to a 2 minutes discussion by Margarita Engle.  She discusses why she wrote the book and she reads a short excerpt.
 http://www.teachingbooks.net/book_reading.cgi?id=7874&a=1