Gandhi

Demi. (2001). Gandhi. New York: Maragret K McElderry Books.

            Gandhi, by Demi, is the story of Gandhi and his life. It starts at the beginning with where he was born and his family. It describes the work he did and the different people he fought for including black and Indian people and women. The main focus is about Gandhi and his fight to end British oppression. There are several history events including the Amirtsar massacre and the Salt March. Gandhi’s message of nonviolence is stressed throughout the book and is a great message for middle school students. This story shows that even though the British used violence, Gandhi stood behind his beliefs and practiced nonviolence.

            I would use this book in my classroom because of all the history and the important message that it contains. Because Gandhi is from India, it is very informative about some of the history and culture of India. I love how Gandhi’s message of nonviolence is stressed throughout because there were so many times Gandhi could have given up and become violent but didn’t. I also like how it discussed how important Gandhi was not only in India but the entire world. It is important for students to read about heroes from different cultures and not just their own. 

My People

Hughes, L. (2009). My people. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

            My People, by Langston Hughes, is Hughes’ poem, “My People,” with different pictures, taken by Charles Smith Jr, of black people; young, old, men, women, children, adults, etc. The poem is short so there are only two to three words on each page. There is a page at the end that explains why the pictures were chosen and why only black people are in it. It explains that Hughes wrote the poem in the 1920s to celebrate his culture. This book emphasizes that everyone is different but still beautiful.

            I would use this book to introduce a poetry section. I like how this short poem was turned into a book. This book would also be good to teach students about diversity. Black students will be in my classroom so I want to be able to incorporate as many different cultures and races into my curriculum. It is so important for students to learn that everyone is different and we need to embrace each other’s differences. You could also use this book to introduce a chapter book about the Civil Rights Movement or a different part of history involving equal rights. 

Traveling Man

Rumford, J. (2001). Traveling man. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            Traveling Man, by James Rumford, is the story of Ibn Battuta and his pilgrimage to Mecca. He travels through Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, India, and several other countries starting in 1325. He describes the people he meets and the things he encounters. He is faced with challenges but also rewarded with gifts. This book emphasizes the many rewards for traveling and the memories that come with it. The illustrations are also very pretty and show different cultures and clothes that people typically wore in each country. Ibn finds himself and learns many lessons along the way of his journey.

            This story is very original and gives a different perspective than what we are use to reading about. I like this book because it incorporates so many different countries and the different wonders of them all. I would like to use this story when covering story telling because it is all about his journey of Ibn Battuta. I would use this if students were writing stories of their own to show different writing techniques. I also like the glossary at the end of the book because students can use that to learn about history and the map shows all the countries he visited. 

I Live in Tokyo

Takabayashi, M. (2001). I live in tokyo. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

            I Live in Tokoyo is about a child named Mimiko and her life in Japan. The author, Mari Takabayashi is a Japanese author who moved to New York. Mimiko describes her school, a typical day there, and the things they learn. There are pictures about descriptions about different foods, rituals, and her way of life in Japan. Each month has two pages that describe typical events that take place in the different months and what the month is in Japanese. There are pictures and descriptions of different Japanese cultures and the words in Japanese. There is also a glossary at the end of the book with common words and how to say them in Japanese.

            Although this book is more for younger students, I think it is very informative about the Japanese culture. I would use it to introduce a book, unit, or topic that relates to Japan. There will be students with Japanese heritage so it is important that all cultures are represented in the curriculum because there usually is not a lot of material about Japanese culture. This book would be great to use because of all the pictures, descriptions, and Japanese words. Students would learn a lot from it.