Multicultural books are most often about a culture that is unlike the readers. In most cases that means it is a book about African Americans, Native Americans or Hispanic Americans, just to name a few. In years past this has been a contentious genre as the culture being portray was not always portrayed correctly. Fortunately that trend is being reversed and today's multicultural books are much more factual.
The Composition
By: Antonio Skarmeta
Illustrated By: Alfonso Ruano
Reviewer: Brandon Berrey
Grade Level: 4-6
Reading Level: 3.9
Pedro is a normal 9 year old boy. He is small for his age, but being a soccer player he is fast. One day he scores a goal against his friend Daniel, but no one cares. Daniel's father is being taken away by the army. Daniel says it is because he is against the dictatorship. The next day at school Captain Romo visited them with a very important assignment. They were to write about what their parents did at night and the best paper would win a medal and a place in the parade. Pedro was not sure to write, but he knew if he won he would buy a soccer ball by selling the medal. Several weeks later the general returned with their papers and candy. Unfortunately their class did not win, but they got their papers back. At home that night Pedro tells his parents what they had to do. They are appalled and want to read the paper. What do you think the paper said? Pick this book up and find out.
Sold
By: Patricia McCormick
Reviewer: Mike Slowinski
Grade Level: 7-9
Reading Level: 4.8
Lakshmi is a 13 year old Nepalese girl whose irresponsible step-father sells her into the world of sexual slavery in order to make ends meet at home. The innocent Lakshmi, like many young girls who are sold, is unaware of her eventual fate as she is smuggled across country lines and eventually ends up in the "Happiness Home," where she is trapped and forced to become a prostitute. The book follows Lakshmi's struggles to cope with her situation and her encounters with the evil men and women who enslave her. Although, Mumtaz, the owner of the brothel, promises that any of the girls can earn their way out by making enough money, she constantly changes the record books, and Lakshmi realizes that there may not be a way out. One day, a strange American man comes in to visit Lakshmi, but rather than exploiting her, he simply engages her in a conversation, leaves her his card, and tells her he will be back to help. Will Lakshmi ever be rescued from this living hell? Sold, by Patricia McCormick is a well-researched novel that helps students understand the very real and scary atrocities of human trafficking. This is a great novel to supplement a unit on human rights.
Heat
By: Mike Lupika
Reviewer: Joseph Diefenthaler
Grade Level: 5-8
Reading Level: 5.6
Many years ago, Michael Arroyo came from Cuba and now he lives in the Bronx with his older brother Carlos. Living in the shadows of Yankee Stadium, Michael dreams of becoming a professional baseball player and he could do it, especially with his arm. He once threw a ball from home plate and hit a thief escaping police, right in the back of the head. He was good, too good. As he continued to play baseball, his team makes it into the Little League World Series and coaches begin to question his age. "No 12 year old could throw like that." Without a birth certificate and a mother or father to go back to, he has no way to prove that he is only 12. Worse than getting kicked out of the World Series would be if Social Services found out that he was living alone with his brother and no adult. Will Michael get to play in the game of his dreams or be seperated from his only family?