International Children's Literature

A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return by Zeina Abirached

Title: "A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return"

Author: Zeina Abirached

Illustrator: Zeina Abirached

Publisher:Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Copyright: 2007

Number of Pages:

Genre: International Children's Literature

      Imagine being a young child living in a city torn apart by war. Within the pages of this book, author Zeina Abirached opens a window to see what it was like to live in Beirut in the 1980s. This story takes place on an afternoon when the author's parents went to visit their grandmother.  The distance for the visit was only a few blocks away. However, due to the war in the city, there are snipers located outside their apartment building and sounds of bombs are constantly in the background. Abirached and her brother wait with neighbors in their building for their parents to return safely. Although it is a stressful situation, the two siblings still find a sense of normalcy as they play games during the wait. Read to find out how friends help support each other during a trying time while also carrying on with their day. This book portrays the importance and strength of family and community. 
       Illustrations in this book are simple but compelling.  With a color palette of black and white, the author and illustrator has created a comic book style layout.  

Classroom Connection

Suggested grades: 2nd-6th
     This piece of literature could be used to help students have a different perspective by giving a glimpse of life for youth in other parts of the world.  History and social studies could be discussed while learning about the time period the author wrote about.

Diverse Perspectives Children's Literature Book Blog

Title: Paper Wishes

Author:  Lois Sepahban 

Publisher:  Margaret Ferguson/Farrar, Straus & Giroux
Copyright:  2016

Pages: 192
Genre: Multicultural/Diverse Culture's Children's Literature

     Teaching students about the bombing of Pearl Harbor is common in most classrooms in our country. What we might not be doing is giving our young learners a different perspective.  In the book Paper Wishes by Lois Sepahban, the author introduces us to Manami. She is a young girl of Japanese American descent who lives with her parents and grandfather in Washington state. When the United States entered World War II, Manami and her family are forcibly relocated to an internment camp in the desert of California.  Taking only a few of their things, the family is faced with hardships and numerous challenges as they settle into their new lives. In spite of these unfortunate events, Manami and her family work together to overcome adversity with grace and strength.
     Connection to the classroom:  This book would be ideal for the 8 to 12 year old range. Taking the text and reading together would be a good way to help students work through questions they might have. You can integrate history by discussing World War II. Social studies could be introduced by talking about the geography and the different cultures that are mentioned in this text. A writing assignment for language arts could accompany this as well. Students could write on the topic of how they would have felt if they were in a similar situation.

Children's Literature Book Blog #1

Children's Literature Book Blog #1

Title: "You're All Kinds of Wonderful"

Author: Nancy Tillman

Illustrator: Nancy Tillman

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends New York, Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC

Copyright: 2017

Number of Pages: 30

Genre: Picture Books

     Each one of us is created with a unique design. Learning how to embrace what makes us special might take a little time. In the book, You're All Kinds of Wonderful, author Nancy Tillman takes us through a beautiful journey of finding our own exceptional abilities. She shows us that we all have our own "bells and whistles" and not to give up to make those bells ring! It's not as simple as "just be yourself." With each turn of the page, we will see there are trials. However, if we persevere, the end result will be magnificent. Everyone has a story worth unfolding. Read this book to find out more form this beautiful story!

     The illustrations in this book were digitally created in a collage style using various software programs.  The combination of photographs and mixed media is creative and pleasing to the eye. Each page features a child with an animal. From hanging in a tree with a sloth to ballet dancing with a kangaroo, these pictures are sure to please readers of all ages. The author's granddaughter even makes an appearance in this amazing piece of literature!

Grade: Kindergarten-3 (No age limit, appropriate for ALL ages)

Content

     In the classroom, this book could be read to your students. Afterwards, have students write and/or illustrate something unique and amazing about themselves.  This could be as simple as a drawing and caption with younger children. Older students could write a few sentences in their journals. Discuss with students how everyone has their own unique abilities and that all are worthy to be celebrated! This could lead to relationships being built in your community of learners.