Resources

Fall 2004

Curriculum Resources

Crossing into America: The New Literature of Immigration Edited by Louis Mendoza and S. Shankar (New Press, 2003). 365 pp. $28.95 (hardback).

Thirty-four essays by people from various backgrounds who reflect on their experience of coming to America. Includes well-known authors like Jamaica Kincaid, Martín Espada, Julia Alvarez, and many more. Excellent resource for high school and college.

*Echoes of Brown: Youth Documenting and Performing the Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education. By Michelle Fine, et al. (Teachers College Press, 2004). DVD and book. 96 pp. $25.

A unique collection of performance, poetry, and interviews with youth from urban and suburban schools examining issues of race, discrimination, and segregation. Includes poignant interviews with "elders" such as Sonia Sanchez. Excellent motivator for middle and high school youth.

Night Is Gone, Day Is Still Coming. Edited by Annette Piña Ochoa, Betsy Franco, and Traci Gourdine (Candlewick Press, 2003). 145 pp. $16.99.

A powerful collection of 58 poems, stories, and memoirs by 21 Native-American teens and adults. The writings deal with racism, grandparents, alcohol, and identity. Useful for upper elementary through high school.

100 Native Americans Who Shaped American History. By Bonnie Juettner (Bluewood Books, 2003). 112 pp. $7.95.

One-page biographies with photos or drawings of the most influential and important Native-American leaders, starting with Dekanawida, the founder of the Iroquois Confederacy, up through modern leaders such as Winona LaDuke, Wilma Mankiller, and Leonard Peltier.

*The People Speak: American Voices, Some Famous, Some Little Known. Edited by Howard Zinn (Perennial Books, 2004). 96 pp. $10.

A brief history of the United States told through voices of activists from Shay's Rebellion to the Flint sit-down strike, to the Civil Rights Movement up through the Gulf War — all interspersed with commentary by Zinn.

Magic Capes, Amazing Power: Transforming Superhero Play in the Classroom. By Eric Hoffman (Red Leaf Press, 2004). 208 pp. $31.95.

A teacher/parent-friendly book that examines young children's fascination with superheroes. The author, an experienced early childhood educator, looks at issues of gender, violence, and stereotypes in the dramatic hero play of children. He offers concrete suggestions for encouraging such play to go in constructive directions. Listing of other valuable resources is very helpful. A must for teachers working with young children.

Taking Back the Vote. By Jane Eisner (Beacon, 2004). 156 pp. $16.

An analysis of how to get American youth more involved in voting. While the author ignores important connections with social movements, the chapter summarizing the history of the 26th Amendment, which lowered the federal voting age to 18, is useful for civics teachers.

Teaching Toward Freedom: Moral Commitment and Ethical Action in the Classroom. By William Ayers (Beacon, 2004). 168 pp. $23.

Five thoughtful essays that examine how teachers need to value their students, challenge themselves, and teach for freedom.

Troubled Water: Saints, Sinners, Truths and Lies about the Global Water Crisis. By Anita Roddick with Brooke Shelby Biggs (Anita Roddick Books, 2004). 147 pp. $17.95.

An amazing and eclectic book of essays, facts, quotations, drawings, and diagrams that examines the pending water crisis from a variety of viewpoints. Excellent for science and social studies and students of all ages.

Policy Matters

All Work and No Play: How Educational Reforms Are Harming Our Preschoolers. Edited by Sharna Olfman (Praeger, 2003). 215 pp. $39.95 (hardback).

A powerful collection of essays on the importance of childhood play and how children are endangered by standardized tests and misuse of technology.

The Mind at Work: Valuing the Intelligence of the American Worker. By Mike Rose (Viking, 2004) 249 pp. $24.95

A beautifully written book that examines the intellectual demands of every day blue-collar and service jobs — the lightning-fast calculations of the waitress, the complex spatial mathematics of the carpenter, the aesthetic and diagnostic acumen of the hairstylist. The chapter on the paradox of vocational education is a strong indictment of both tracking and how schools approach "career education."

No Child Left Behind? Bring Back the Joy. Produced by David HB Drake and Cap Lee (2004). CD. $15.

A compilation of 15 songs about school and horrors of the NCLB-inspired testing craze. Includes George Grove of the Kingston Trio, Tom Chapin, and David Drake. For more information go to www.wholechildreform.com.

Why Is Corporate America Bashing Our Public Schools? By Kathy Emery and Susan Ohanian (Heinemann, 2004). 266 pp. $22.

A well-documented analysis of how corporations are using groups like the Business Round Table and the Education Trust to attack public education.

Chapter Books

Pocahontas. By Joseph Bruchac (Harcourt, 2003). 173 pp. $17 (hardback).

Drawing on the personal journals of John Smith and knowledge of Native-American history, Bruchac reveals an important part of history through the eyes of two historic figures.

The Winter People. By Joseph Bruchac (Dial Books, 2002) 168 pp. $16.99 (hardback).

A riveting historical novel in which Saxso, a fourteen-year-old Abenaki boy, survives an attack on his village by British soldiers during the French and Indian War. Saxso sets off to rescue his mother and sisters after they are taken captive. An engaging, important book for young readers from one of the United States' most prolific Native-American authors.

Picture Books

Estrellita se despide de su isla/Estrellita Says Good-Bye to Her Island. By Samuel Caraballo, illustrated by Pablo Torrecilla (Arte Público Press, 2002). 32 pp. $14.95 (hardback).

A bilingual, poetic tribute to the island of Puerto Rico through the memories of a young girl who has left.

Murals: Walls That Sing. By George Ancona (Marshall Cavendish, 2003). 48 pp. $17.95 (hardback).

Using beautiful color photographs and clearly written text the author documents the history of murals. He shows their importance through many examples of outdoor murals that express neighborhood concerns. A valuable addition to any school library, art room, or classroom.

*Say Something. By Peggy Moss, illustrated by Lea Lyon (Tilbury House Publishers, 2004). 32 pp. $16.95 (hardback).

The young narrator sees children at her school push, tease, and bully others. But she figures she would never do these mean things herself. Then one day something happens that shows her that being a silent bystander isn't enough. Resources help parents and children talk about teasing and bullying.

Super Cilantro Girl/La Superniña del Cilantro. By Juan Felipe Herrera, illustrated by Honorio Robledo Tapia (Children's Book Press, 2003). 32 pp. $16.95 (hardback).

A clever interweaving of a Super Heroine and the crucial issue of border crossing, barriers, and human rights. Bilingual.

*Walking on Solid Ground. By Shu Pui Cheung, Shuyuan Li, and Aaron Chau; edited by Deborah Wei; photographs by Ming Chau and others (Philadelphia Folklore Project, 2004). 64 pp. $13.

A beautifully photographed story about Philadelphia's Chinatown as seen by three people: Mr. Shu Pui Cheung, the community's teacher of lion dance and kung fu; Ms. Shuyuan Li, a fourth-generation Beijing opera artist and a recent immigrant to Chinatown; and Aaron Jin Chau, the 13-year-old student of both of these artists. The book shows how folk arts help build and sustain this urban community. Bilingual Chinese/English.

Resources compiled and reviewed by Bob Peterson
* Available from www.teachingforchange.org

Fall 2004