Remington's Reading Space

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Tingle, T. (2014). No name. 7th Generation. ISBN: 978-1939053060 2.   PLOT SUMMARY Inspired by the traditional Choctaw story “No Name,” this modern adaptation features a present-day Choctaw teenager surviving tough family times―his mother left home and he is living with a mean-spirited, abusive father. The one place the teen can find peace is on the neighborhood basketball court. But after a violent confrontation with his father, the teen runs away, only to return home to find an unexpected hiding spot in his own backyard. His hiding spot becomes his home for weeks until the help and encouragement from a basketball coach, a Cherokee buddy and a quiet new next-door girlfriend help him face his father.   3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Although this was a quick read, it was not my favorite. This book touched on topics such as having an abusive father who suffers from alcoholism, poverty, and basketball. Throughout the story, we see some strong relations...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Alexie, S. (2009). The absolute true diary of a part-time Indian. Little, Brown & Company. ISBN: 978-0316013697 2.   PLOT SUMMARY Junior is a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot. Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, based on the author's own experiences and coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS This coming-of-age book is a must-read that shines a light on a culture often underrepresented. It touches on serious topics such as brain damage and the pain he felt after his dad pu...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Maillard, K. N., & Martinez-Neal, J. (2019). Fry Bread: A native american family story. Roaring Brook Press. ISBN: 978-1626727465 2.   PLOT SUMMARY Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS I loved this book! It was heartwarming and had a beautiful message about strong family bonds. I felt like anyone could relate to this story because “Fry bread is a nation.” I love how this story began by explaining how to make fry bread and then continued with what fry bread represented. I also loved the illustration! Looking through each picture reminded me of my family and how strong we are together. Seeing the children making the fry bread at the beginning of the book also reminded me of my own children when we wake up on Saturday m...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bruchac, J., Bruchac, J., Aruego, J., & Dewey, A. (2003). How chipmunk got his stripes: A tale of bragging and teasing. Puffin Books. ISBN: 978-0142500217 2.   PLOT SUMMARY Bear brags that he can do anything-even stop the sun from rising. Brown Squirrel doesn't believe him, so the two wait all night to see if the sun will rise. Sure enough, the sky reddens and the sun appears. Brown Squirrel is so happy to be right that he teases Bear. What happens when a little brown squirrel teases a big black bear? Brown Squirrel gets stripes and is called chipmunk from that day forward . . . Joseph and James Bruchac join forces to create this buoyant picture book, based on a Native American folktale. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS I really enjoyed reading this book. It was so cute, and it taught students a valuable lesson about teasing others and how one person can not do it all. I really enjoyed reading the dialogue between Bear and Squirrel, and the use of on...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY SANCHEZ, E. L. (2017). I am not your perfect Mexican daughter. EMBER. ISBN: 978-1524700515 2.  PLOT SUMMARY Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed. But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Mora, P., & López, R. (2012). Yum! mmmm! qué rico!: Americas’ Sproutings. Lee & Low Books Inc. ISBN: 978-1600608926 2.  PLOT SUMMARY Peanuts, blueberries, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and more -- here is a luscious collection of haiku celebrating foods native to the Americas. Brimming with imagination and fun, these poems capture the tasty essence of foods that have delighted, united, and enriched our lives for centuries. Exuberant illustrations bring to life the delicious spirit of the haiku, making Yum! ¡Mmmm! ¡Qué rico! an eye-popping, mouth-watering treat. Open it and dig in! 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS This is another must-read book that celebrates food through haiku writing. Mora does a fantastic job at writing this book. She writes about different foods such as papaya, chocolate, pecans, and corn, among other popular foods. Each of her Haiku poems perfectly describes how that particular food looks and tastes. As an added bonus, Mora al...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY De la Peña, M., & Robinson, C. (2018). Carmela full of wishes. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. ISBN: 978-0399549045 2.   PLOT SUMMARY When Carmela wakes up on her birthday, her wish has already come true--she's finally old enough to join her big brother as he does the family errands. Together, they travel through their neighborhood, past the crowded bus stop, the fenced-off repair shop, and the panadería, until they arrive at the Laundromat, where Carmela finds a lone dandelion growing in the pavement. But before she can blow its white fluff away, her brother tells her she has to make a wish. If only she can think of just the right wish to make. With lyrical, stirring text and stunning, evocative artwork, Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have crafted a moving ode to family, to dreamers, and to finding hope in the most unexpected places. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS This is a must-read for kids! This multicultural book touches on things such as her f...

  1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Ryan, P. M. (2002). Esperanza rising. Scholastic. ISBN: 978-0439120425 2.  PLOT SUMMARY Esperanza thought she'd always live a privileged life on her family's ranch in Mexico. She'd always have fancy dresses, a beautiful home filled with servants, and Mama, Papa, and Abuelita to care for her. But a sudden tragedy forces Esperanza and Mama to flee to California and settle in a Mexican farm labor camp. Esperanza isn't ready for the hard work, financial struggles brought on by the Great Depression, or lack of acceptance she now faces. When Mama gets sick and a strike for better working conditions threatens to uproot their new life, Esperanza must find a way to rise above her difficult circumstances--because Mama's life, and her own, depend on it.   3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS I enjoyed reading Esperanza Rising! Although this book is a little older, I loved how the author characterized Esperanza, and we saw her grow through her hardships. I also ...