Books for My Presentation with Jane Gangi at 5th Annual Conference: Literacy Essentials

Tomorrow I will be co-presenting at the 5th Annual Conference: Literacy Essentials with friend and co-author, Jane M. Gangi at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT.  Our topic is "The Wonderful World of Multicultural Children's and Young Adult Books." Jane and I will be engaging participants in selected multicultural literature through performance, discussion, examination of art conversation artifacts, and a "Check it Out" book pass. In preparation for the conference I am listing the books I will have on hand, so that participants will have a bibliography to refer to after the event.

Global, Multicultural Books to Study Writer's Craft & Visual Art
Alarcon, Francisco X. 2005. Laughing Tomatoes: And Other Spring Poems / Jitomates Risuenos: Y Otros Poemas de Primavera. Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Argueta, Jorge. 2006. Talking with Mother Earth/Hablando con Madre Tierra. Illustrated by Lucia Angela Perez. Toronto: Groundwood Books.
Atkins, Jeannie. 1995. Aani and the Tree Huggers. Illustrated by Verantius J. Pinto. NY: Lee & Low.
Baker, Jeannie. 2001. Home in the Sky. London: Walker Books.
Bruchac, Joseph (Abenaki). 2002.  Navajo Long Walk: The Tragic story of a Proud People's Forced March from Their Homeland. Illustrated by Shonto Begay (Navajo). Washington D.C.: National Geographic.
-----------------------------, Jonathan London. 1992. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back. Illustrated by Thomas Locker. NY: Philomel.
Campbell, Nicola (Interior Salish & Metis Ancestory). 2005. Shi-Shi-etko. Illustrated by Kim LaFave. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press.
Chambers, Veronica. 2002. Double Dutch: A Celebration of Jump Rope, Rhyme, and Sisterhood. NY: Jump at the Sun.
Cheng, Andrea. 2008. Where the Steps Are. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.
Cohn, Diana. 2005. ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. Illustrated by Francisco Delgado. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Erdrich, Louise (Chippewa). 1999. Grandmother's Pigeons. Illustrated by Jim LaMarche. NY: Hyperion.
Figueredo, D.H. 2003. The Road to Santiago. Illustrated by Pablo Torrecilla. NY: Lee & Low.
------------------. 1999. When This World Was New. Illustrated by Enrique O. Sanchez. NY: Lee & Low.
Goldberg, Dana (ed). 2007. On My Block: Stories and Paintings by Fifteen Artists.  San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Gollub, Matthew. 1998. Cool Melons - Turn to Frogs: The Life and Poems of Issa. Illustrations by Kazuko G. Stone. NY: Lee & Low.
Girmay, Aracelis. 2005. Changing, Changing. NY: George Braziller.
Grimes, Nikki. 1998. A Dime a Dozen. Illustrated by Angelo. NY: Dell.
Herrera, Juan Felipe. 2003. Super Cilantro Girl/La Supernina del Cilantro. Illustrated by Honori
Robledo Tapia. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Ho, Minfong (Trans.). 1996. Maples in the Mist: Children's Poems from the Tang Dynasty. Illustrated by Jean & Mou-sien Tseng. NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.
hooks, bell. 2002. Homemade Love. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. NY: Jump at the Sun.
-------------. 2002. Be Boy Buzz. Illustrated by Chris Raschka. NY: Jump at the Sun.
Hubbard, Crystal. 2005. Catching the Moon: The Story of a Young Girl's Baseball Dream. Illustrated by Randy DuBurke. NY: Lee & Low.
Issa. 2007. Today and Today. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. NY: Scholastic.
Jiménez, Francisco. 1998. La Mariposa. Illustrated by Simon Silva. NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Johnson, Angela. 2004. Just Like Josh Gibson. Illustrated by Beth Peck. NY: Simon & Schuster.
--------------------. 2003. I Dream of Trains. Illustrated by Loren Long. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Johnson, D.B. 2002. Henry Builds a Cabin. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Lee, Milly. 2006. Landed. Illustrated by Yangsook Choi. NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Letria, Jose Jorge. 2006. The Moon Has Written You a Poem. Illustrated by Andre Letria.  Translated by Maurice Riordan. Kent, England: Winged Chariot Press.

Lofthouse, Liz. 2007. Ziba Came on a Boat. Illustrated by Robert Ingpen. La Jolla, CA: Kane/Miller.
Lord, Michelle. 2008. A Song for Cambodia. Illustrated by Shino Arihara. NY: Lee & Low.
Medina, Tony. 2001. DeShawn Days. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. NY: Lee & Low.
Messinger, Carla (Turtle Clan Lenape) and Susan Katz. 2007. When the Shadebush Blooms. Illustrated by David Kanietakeron Fadden (Wolf Clan Mohawk). Berkeley, CA: Tricycle Press.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2009. Amiri & Odette: A Love Story. Paintings by Javaka Steptoe. NY: Scholastic Press.
Nelson, Marilyn. 2005. A Wreath for Emmett Till. Illustrated by Philippe Lardy. NY: HarperCollins.
Neri, G. 2007. Chess Rumble. Art By Jesse Joshua Watson. NY: Lee & Low.
Shange, Ntozake. 2004. Ellington was not a Street. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. NY: Simon & Schuster.
Sheth, Kashmira. 2010. Boys Without Names. NY: Balzar & Bray.
Shin, Sun Yung. 2004. Cooper's Lesson. Illustrated by Kim Coogan. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Smith, Charles R. Jr. 2002. Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with The Boys Choir of Harlem. NY: Jump at the Sun.
Tapahonso, Luci (Navajo). 1999. Songs of Shiprock Fair. Illustrated by Anthony Chee Emerson (Navajo). Walnut, CA: Kiva Publishing.
Testa, Maria. 2005. Something About America. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Tran, Truong. 2003. Going Home, Coming Home/Ve Nham, Tham Que Huong. Illustrations by Ann Phong. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
WeatherfordBirmingham, 1963. Honesdale, PA: Wordsong.
Wilkes, Sybella. 1994. One Day We Had to Run! Refugee Children Tell Their Stories in Words and Paintings. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press.
Williams, Mary. 2005. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. NY: Lee & Low.
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2001. The Other Side. Illustrations by E.B. Lewis. G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Zinn, Howard (ed). 2004. The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known: Dramatic Readings Celebrating the Enduring Spirit of Dissent. NY: Perennial.

A Poem about Tempo (and fluency too)

Tempo

 By Charles Smith From Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with The Boys Choir of Harlem.

(Antiphonal 1: Read quickly)

If-the-tempo- is-too-fast-it-makes-your-words-crash-and-
causes-your-song-to-sound-like-trash.

(Antiphonal 2: Read Slowly)

But. . .
If
the
tem-
po
is
too
slow
you
lose
the
flow,
you
know?

(Antiphonal 1: Read with a moderate pace)

Keep the tempo at a moderate pace.
Let the music be your guide and don't chase.

(Antiphonal 2: Read with a moderate pace)

Not too fast or too slow,
just let the words go
with just the right pattern of temp.

A poem for Two Voices and a Chorus

The Last Word
by Nikki Grimes from A Dime a Dozen.

Voice 1: granddaughter
Voice 2: Grandma
Chorus: Chop! and Chop! Chop!

I peeled several potatoes
and tossed them in a pot.
                                         Chop!
Said Grandma, "You should boil them first,
then peel them when they're hot."
                                         Chop! Chop!
When they were done, I cubed them
into pieces one-inch thick.
                                         Chop!
"No! No!" she said. "You slice them fine.
Like so. I know the trick."
                                         Chop! Chop!
"The recipe is mine," I said.
(As if she cared a lick!)
                                         Chop! 
"Just do it my way: Do it right.
Here! Hand me the knife!
                                         Chop! Chop!
"You'd better learn to cook well
if you want to be a wife."

                                         Chop! Chop!
"I'll have you know, I've made
this salad many times before.
                                         Chop!
"I'm grateful for your help
but I don't need it anymore."
                                         Chop! 
"No need to get all huffy,"
she said, "handing back the knife."
                                         Chop! Chop!
      I asked, "Oh by the way
     who said I planned to be a wife?"
                                         Chop!





Art Conversations
Samples of student work developed through art conversations.
The books that were used in concert with the poetry and artwork included:
Wilkes, Sybella. 1994. One Day We Had to Run! Refugee Children Tell Their Stories in Words and Paintings. Brookfield, CT: The Millbrook Press.
Williams, Mary. 2005. Brothers in Hope: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Illustrated by R. Gregory Christie. NY: Lee & Low.

These paintings and poems were composed  by newly arrived middle school English Language Learners from Frelinghuysen Middle School in Morristown, NJ.