Illustrator: Tom Pohrt
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN (library bind): 978-1-4169-4102-6
Price: $15.99 #pages: 152 Call number: FIC DUR
This historical fiction provides a fascinating glimpse into the 17th century slave trade activities by the Spaniards in Cartagena, Colombia, South America. It is based on the true lives of the Jesuit priest Pedro Claver, his interpreters and benefactress.
A dangerous adventure follows Calepino, a thirteen year old African slave boy who speaks eleven languages and his work as an interpreter for Claver and as an aide to a doctor in a leper colony. Although Calepino would rather stay behind the castle walls and read Cervantes all day, his work helping the doctor leads him to betraying the ones he trusts and helping slaves escape.
Showing posts with label multiculturalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label multiculturalism. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Monday, October 20, 2008
Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN (library bind): 13-978-1-4169-1171-5
Price: $16.99 #pages: 346
Call number: FIC Had
Annotation:
Against the backdrop of the Triangle Waist Company Fire, one of the worst workplace disasters in history before 9/11, the threads of the lives of three young women are woven together telling a story of the struggle for women's suffrage, the plight of immigrants in America, and the fight for fair labor practices and decent working conditions. Bella is a new immigrant from Italy who has come to America for work to try to save the lives of her starving family back home. She must rely on others to help her with everything and she is cheated and victimized by most of them. Yetta, a Russian Jew, lives with her sister and is consumed with the new union movement. Jane, a bored socialite, begins to educate herself and is exposed to the young, immigrant working girls during their strike. Her encounter with Yetta during picketing eventually leads Jane to meet Bella and to translate a sad, devastating letter from Italy for her. Jane’s compassion for Bella’s situation stirs her to bring the young woman to her home to comfort and nurse her in her grief. When Jane eventually breaks from her father, she runs to the Triangle factory and her friends who shelter her. Finding a job as governess to the daughters of one of the Triangle owners, Jane learns first hand about the life of a working girl on the lower East Side. In the harrowing final pages, all three young women find themselves at the Triangle factory on the day of the fire. Sadly, many lives are lost. Margaret Haddix has always been able to write a good page-turner and this is no exception. Uprising reaches another level, however, because of her emotional involvement with the characters. As in her earlier book,Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, this one will haunt you long after the final chapter.
Recommended grade levels: 7 and up
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN (library bind): 13-978-1-4169-1171-5
Price: $16.99 #pages: 346
Call number: FIC Had
Annotation:
Against the backdrop of the Triangle Waist Company Fire, one of the worst workplace disasters in history before 9/11, the threads of the lives of three young women are woven together telling a story of the struggle for women's suffrage, the plight of immigrants in America, and the fight for fair labor practices and decent working conditions. Bella is a new immigrant from Italy who has come to America for work to try to save the lives of her starving family back home. She must rely on others to help her with everything and she is cheated and victimized by most of them. Yetta, a Russian Jew, lives with her sister and is consumed with the new union movement. Jane, a bored socialite, begins to educate herself and is exposed to the young, immigrant working girls during their strike. Her encounter with Yetta during picketing eventually leads Jane to meet Bella and to translate a sad, devastating letter from Italy for her. Jane’s compassion for Bella’s situation stirs her to bring the young woman to her home to comfort and nurse her in her grief. When Jane eventually breaks from her father, she runs to the Triangle factory and her friends who shelter her. Finding a job as governess to the daughters of one of the Triangle owners, Jane learns first hand about the life of a working girl on the lower East Side. In the harrowing final pages, all three young women find themselves at the Triangle factory on the day of the fire. Sadly, many lives are lost. Margaret Haddix has always been able to write a good page-turner and this is no exception. Uprising reaches another level, however, because of her emotional involvement with the characters. As in her earlier book,Don't You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey, this one will haunt you long after the final chapter.
Recommended grade levels: 7 and up
Monday, October 6, 2008
Author: Cooney, Caroline B.
Title: Diamonds in the Shadow
Publisher: Delacorte Press Date: Sept. 2007 ISBN: 978-0385732611
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 228 Call number: FIC COO
Annotation: Diamonds in the Shadow introduces you to two families: The Finches who live in suburban Connecticut. They are good people, but naïve about the task they about to undertake. You will also meet the battle-scarred Amabo family of African refugees who are temporarily living with the Finches. These two families come together as the Finches agree to host the church-sponsored family from Sierra Leone. At first skeptical, teenage Jared warms quickly to the Amabos, especially to Mattu who is adjusting well to American life. The two boys bond quickly. On the other hand, sixth grader Mopsy loves her new friend Alake. However, as hard as Mopsy tries, Alake does not respond to anything Mopsy says or does, and has chronic nightmares. To confirm a growing suspicion about the family, Jared and Mopsy snoop through a box that is supposed to be the remains for Matte’s grandparents and discover uncut diamonds. They begin noticing how this family doesn’t really seem to act like a family at all. While the Amabos are adjusting to their new life and happy to escape their terrible past, a killer lurks closely watching their every step. Suddenly, both families find themselves in terrible danger.
Strength: Incredible plot! Great characters! A story that you will not want to end! Grabs
you at the end!
Title: Diamonds in the Shadow
Publisher: Delacorte Press Date: Sept. 2007 ISBN: 978-0385732611
Price: $16.99 #of pgs: 228 Call number: FIC COO
Annotation: Diamonds in the Shadow introduces you to two families: The Finches who live in suburban Connecticut. They are good people, but naïve about the task they about to undertake. You will also meet the battle-scarred Amabo family of African refugees who are temporarily living with the Finches. These two families come together as the Finches agree to host the church-sponsored family from Sierra Leone. At first skeptical, teenage Jared warms quickly to the Amabos, especially to Mattu who is adjusting well to American life. The two boys bond quickly. On the other hand, sixth grader Mopsy loves her new friend Alake. However, as hard as Mopsy tries, Alake does not respond to anything Mopsy says or does, and has chronic nightmares. To confirm a growing suspicion about the family, Jared and Mopsy snoop through a box that is supposed to be the remains for Matte’s grandparents and discover uncut diamonds. They begin noticing how this family doesn’t really seem to act like a family at all. While the Amabos are adjusting to their new life and happy to escape their terrible past, a killer lurks closely watching their every step. Suddenly, both families find themselves in terrible danger.
Strength: Incredible plot! Great characters! A story that you will not want to end! Grabs
you at the end!
Author: C, Kashmira
Title: Keeping Corner
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780786838592
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 281 Call number: FIC SHE
Annotation: Keeping Corner is the story of a young girl named Leela who has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She and her family live in a small village on the border of India and Pakistan (around 1918-19) where Leela focuses most of her attention on jewelry, clothing and her pending arranged marriage to a boy she hardly knows. She has no use for or interest in school, learning or the growing unrest in her country between the British colonists and the people of India; many of whom live in poverty. Rather, Leela spends her days looking forward to the presents and adoration that she will receive when she gets married. But when Leela's new husband dies and her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with attention and expensive baubles, she finds that she must "keep corner" for an entire year. During this period of isolation, Leela must shave her head and give away her most prized possessions in preparation for the life of mourning she will now be expected to live for the remainder of her life. However, it is only during this period of seclusion that Leela's eyes are opened to the plight of her countrymen, the political unrest that is shaking her nation and the wave of excitement being started by the non-violent protests of a man named Gandhi.
Strength: Historical fiction with sympathetic and interesting characters. Topics relating to
multiculturalism and social justice are explored with honesty and wit.
Weakness: Unfamiliar terminology
Title: Keeping Corner
Publisher: Hyperion Date: 2007 ISBN: 9780786838592
Price: $15.99 #of pgs: 281 Call number: FIC SHE
Annotation: Keeping Corner is the story of a young girl named Leela who has been sheltered and spoiled her entire life. She and her family live in a small village on the border of India and Pakistan (around 1918-19) where Leela focuses most of her attention on jewelry, clothing and her pending arranged marriage to a boy she hardly knows. She has no use for or interest in school, learning or the growing unrest in her country between the British colonists and the people of India; many of whom live in poverty. Rather, Leela spends her days looking forward to the presents and adoration that she will receive when she gets married. But when Leela's new husband dies and her life changes forever. Instead of being showered with attention and expensive baubles, she finds that she must "keep corner" for an entire year. During this period of isolation, Leela must shave her head and give away her most prized possessions in preparation for the life of mourning she will now be expected to live for the remainder of her life. However, it is only during this period of seclusion that Leela's eyes are opened to the plight of her countrymen, the political unrest that is shaking her nation and the wave of excitement being started by the non-violent protests of a man named Gandhi.
Strength: Historical fiction with sympathetic and interesting characters. Topics relating to
multiculturalism and social justice are explored with honesty and wit.
Weakness: Unfamiliar terminology
Author: Smith, Roland
Title: Peak
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-15-202417-8
Price: $15 #of pgs: 246 Call number: FIC SMI
Annotation: Peak Marcello is 14 and has a passion for climbing, so much so that he is arrested for scaling tall buildings. His family makes a deal with the judge to send him to live with his father, who is preparing for a Himalayan expedition to climb Mount Everest. Peak could be the youngest climber to reach the summit. His father's motives for wanting to join the group are less than fatherly as he is using the trip for financial gain and publicity. While preparing for the climb Peak works under a Sherpa for training and befriends Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy his own age. As the climbers are about to make final preparations an overzealous Chinese police captain searches them for passport and underage violations. Mix the dangers of mount climbing, family issues, international cultural struggles and Peak's difficult decision concerning all of those issues and you will find this story well-crafted.
Strength: Well crafted plot development; exotic setting; cultural diversity; adventure
Title: Peak
Publisher: Harcourt Date: 2007 ISBN: 978-0-15-202417-8
Price: $15 #of pgs: 246 Call number: FIC SMI
Annotation: Peak Marcello is 14 and has a passion for climbing, so much so that he is arrested for scaling tall buildings. His family makes a deal with the judge to send him to live with his father, who is preparing for a Himalayan expedition to climb Mount Everest. Peak could be the youngest climber to reach the summit. His father's motives for wanting to join the group are less than fatherly as he is using the trip for financial gain and publicity. While preparing for the climb Peak works under a Sherpa for training and befriends Sun-jo, a Nepalese boy his own age. As the climbers are about to make final preparations an overzealous Chinese police captain searches them for passport and underage violations. Mix the dangers of mount climbing, family issues, international cultural struggles and Peak's difficult decision concerning all of those issues and you will find this story well-crafted.
Strength: Well crafted plot development; exotic setting; cultural diversity; adventure
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