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Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Jenna Fenstermaker and Adam Jacobson

Tch Lrn 307: Survey of Children’s Literature

Barbara Ward

April 17, 2019

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Introduction
The award for Notable Books for Global Society is defined by a certain criterion listed
below. For this project we picked eight books that have received this award. The books we
selected were published between 2004 and 2009. This paper is a write up of the strengths and
weakness each book provided based on the criteria for Notable Books for Global Society. It
helped provide a deeper understanding of the cultural significance found within each book. After
reading all eight of these books, our definition of multicultural literature changed since we now
have a deeper understanding of what makes each of these books titles on the NBGS list. This
project outlined the importance for providing multicultural literacy books within our own
classrooms in the future. We picked one book as our favorite and described why we picked it and
its usefulness within a classroom. The goal of this project was to understand the significance of
this type of literature so that one day we can teach the importance of being culturally aware using
these books.

Purpose of the assignment

The purpose of reading and critiquing eight books on the Notable Books for a Global
Society list is for us, as future teachers, to gain a greater understanding of the importance and
relevance of multicultural literature in our lives and the lives of our students. It is important that
our classrooms are inclusive of all backgrounds and cultures, and we want every single one of
our students to feel represented and for them to know how important their cultures are to us.
Additionally, by incorporating multicultural literature in our classrooms, students that come from
different cultures and backgrounds will be able to understand the cultures of those that are
different from them. If students are not educated about cultures other than their own, they run the
risk of having xenophobia (having a fear of people that are different). It is crucial for students to
be open minded and accepting of people from other cultures. The books on the NBGS list show
how people from different places and cultures can come together and help make the world a
better place, which is something that should certainly be taught in classrooms. If teachers hope to
shape their students into open minded, culturally aware individuals, they should certainly read
books from the NBGS list to their classrooms. According to Botelho and Rudman (2009),
“critical multicultural analysis of children’s literature equips the reader with strategies to unmask
dominant ideologies, integrate what they know about themselves with what they learn about
others, and translate reading and thinking into social action” (p. 9). We have to read and critique
the NBGS books before choosing which ones to put in our classrooms so that we can examine
the strong and weak qualities of each book and be able to recognize the most exemplary books
on the NBGS list. After completing this assignment, we hope to gain a greater understanding of
multicultural literature so that we can pass that understanding on to our future students.

Steps to complete the assignment

To complete this assignment, we looked at the NBGS lists from blackboard and found
books that sounded appealing to us. We searched for the books that we wanted in the online
WSU library database. Many of the books we wanted were either checked out from the libraries
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on campus or only available at other WSU campuses. However, there were still books that
seemed interesting at the Owen Science Library, so that is where we checked out our books
from. However, before checking each book out, we read the inside of the cover to see if the topic
sounded interesting and to see if we thought it would be a suitable book to use for the project.

Our definitions of multicultural/global literature

Prior to reading this book we defined multicultural literacy as “Multicultural literature is
literature that focuses on many different types of people. It’s from different ethnicities and their
way of life. It allows for a reader to understand the difference in culture and what makes each
person unique”. After reading these books our definition was right but not nearly as detailed as it
should be. This literature tends to send very important messages regarding culture whether it is
within a family like Letter to a Prisoner”, or regarding entire communities like The Kite
Dragon. Each book has its own way of expressing what culture means to the characters within
the story. But it proves that each person is very unique, and their own ideas of culture and beliefs
vary. These books also do a tremendous job of allowing the reader to “step into someone else’s
shoes” and see how they might react if they were treated like someone from another culture. This
is particularly relevant in Harlem Hellfighters where the story follows a young black man being
discriminated against be fellow white soldiers during WWI. Overall, these books take multiple
different approaches to culture, but all contain the idea that each person is unique. It does not
matter if the individual is White, Black, Asian, or any other race, they have their own culture and
beliefs that need to be respected by all. After reading these books I have grown new appreciation
and respect for different cultures.

NBGS Selection Criteria

Part 1 (must meet at least one)
• Portray cultural accuracy and authenticity of characters in terms of (a) physical characteristics,
(b) intellectual abilities and problem solving capabilities, (c) leadership and cooperative
dimensions, and (d) social and economic status;
• Be rich in cultural details;
• Honor and celebrate diversity as well as common bonds in humanity;
• Provide in-depth treatment of cultural issues;
• Include characters within a cultural group or between two or more cultural groups who interact
substantively and authentically;
• Include members of a “minority” group for a purpose other than filling a “quota.”
Part 2 (must meet all)
• Invite reflection, critical analysis, and response;
• Demonstrate unique language or style;
• Meet generally-accepted criteria of quality for the genre in which they are written; and
• Have an appealing format and be of enduring quality.

Summaries and critiques of the eight books we read

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14 Cows for America

Deedy, C. A. (2009). 14 Cows for America. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Summary: This book takes place in a village in Kenya less than a year after the 9/11 attack in
2001. A man named Kimeli returns to the village, which is where he grew up, after studying in
New York City. He tells the Maasai (the villagers) what happened in America on September
11th. The people of his village are so heartbroken over the deaths of thousand of Americans that
they gather fourteen cows, which are valuable and sacred to them, and give the cows to a
diplomat from the US Embassy in Nairobi. The diplomat is greeted by the Maasai with a
ceremony, and is presented with the fourteen cows the Maasai want to give to America during
their time of suffering.

Strengths: One of the many strengths of this book is that it “honors and celebrates diversity as
well as common bonds in humanity.” The fact that the Maasai were willing to give fourteen
precious cows to America, a place in which they are far away from and have little connection to,
speaks volumes about the bond they share with people from other countries on Earth. Their act
of immense generosity highlights how people across the world can come together and help one
another, even if they don’t know each other. Another strength of the book, in terms of the NBGS
criteria, is that it includes “members of a ‘minority’ group for a purpose other than filling a
‘quota’.” The main characters of this book are the Maasai, and the story could not exist without
them. The story could have been told from the perspective of Americans and how they received
the gift of fourteen cows, but if it had, the book would likely not be considered for the NBGS
list. Deedy truly did the story and the Maasai people justice by making the book about them and
what they sacrificed, instead of about Americans. This book is also “rich in cultural details,”
which can be seen mainly through the illustrations. The attire of the Maasai people are drawn
realistically and with vibrant colors and details. The setting is also drawn with color and detail,
so the reader feels like they are actually in Kenya alongside the Maasai. The text discusses the
Maasai ceremony in which the cows are blessed, describing how “young warriors dance...women
sing mournful songs,” and “children fill their bellies with milk” (Deedy, 2009). This also shows
the readers what the culture of the Maasai is like, adding to the strength to the argument of
having this book on the NBGS list.

Weaknesses: Even though this book hardly had any weaknesses, it did not meet the criterion of
having a “unique language or style” as much as the other criterion. The illustrations added a lot
to the text, but there was not much text included on each page. There did not need to be much
text due to the detailed illustrations, but the author could have included more language pertaining
to the Maasai people. Even though this was one weakness, it does not detract from the strengths
of this book.

Tiger Boy
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Perkins, M. (2015). Tiger boy. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Summary: This story is about a young boy living in the Sunderbands, a chain of islands that are a
part of India. Neel is the best student at his school, and he has the chance of winning a
prestigious scholarship to attend an elite boarding school, but only if he scores high enough on a
test. However, Neel doesn’t want to win the scholarship because he doesn’t want to leave home.
One day, Neel’s friend tells him about a baby tiger that has escaped from the reserve nearby. The
baby tiger can either be rescued by someone noble and returned to the reserve, or given to the
evil Mr. Gupta (who plans on selling the baby tiger’s body parts on the black market) in
exchange for a reward. Neel wants to find and save the baby Tiger, but is conflicted because he
is expected to study for his exam. One night, Neel and his sister find the baby Tiger and are able
to return it to the reserve, somehow managing to escape the clutches of Mr. Gupta. Neel is
rewarded with books, and becomes motivated to pass his exam and go to the prestigious
boarding school so that he can return home and help his community. Luckily, Neel passes his
exam and receives the scholarship.

Strengths: One of the strengths of this book is portraying the characters and their culture
accurately, specifically social and economic status. Perkins uses very descriptive language to tell
the reader about Neel’s town and house--he lives in a hut that is separated into quarters, and his
family doesn’t make much of an income. His whole town struggles with raising enough money
for improvements, which is why Mr. Gupta has come in to create business, yet cause corruption.
Another strength of this book is its ability to “demonstrate unique language or style.” Perkins
uses words from both English and Bangla to narrate the story. The incorporation of Bangla
words, with the incorporation of a glossary at the end of the book, adds to the cultural richness of
the story and makes the way in which it is told unique.

Weaknesses: While the book meets all the criteria of the NBGS list, one of the main weaknesses
of the book in my opinion was the predictable, happy ending. Even though this book is made for
children/young adults, I found it unrealistic that Neel was able to rescue the baby tiger, help rid
the town of Mr. Gupta, convince Headmaster to tutor him, and win the scholarship. Because of
this, the criteria that this book exemplifies the least is “invite reflection, critical analysis, and
response.” The main lesson of this book seemed to be to sacrifice some things in order to save
what you care about. However, Neel didn’t end up sacrificing much in the end, because he saved
the baby tiger and won the scholarship, causing the main theme of the book to not hold up well.

Secret Keeper
Perkins, M. (2009). Secret keeper. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Summary: This book takes place in India in 1974. A young girl named Asha lives with her
mother and sister while her dad works in New York after losing his job in India. Asha records
her thoughts in her diary, also known as Secret Keeper (S.K. for short). Asha struggles with
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assuming the gender roles her culture prescribes to her, as she wishes to follow her own dreams
and make her own rules. However, she understands that she has to make sacrifices in her own
life to provide for her family. Asha finds out that her father has died, which causes Asha to have
to take care of her mother and sister as they mourn. Asha falls in love with her neighbor, Jay, but
has to make another sacrifice because in her culture, the eldest sister has to marry before the
younger sister. Therefore, she can’t marry or be with Jay until her older sister is married. Asha
convinces Jay to propose to her sister so that their family can be provided for, and Jay does even
though it breaks their hearts. The story ends with Asha and her mother moving to Delhi, and Jay
sending Asha a beautifully painted portrait of herself sitting on the roof. He names the painting
“The Secret,” and Asha decides to keep their love a secret even though it breaks her heart.

Strengths: One of the biggest strengths of this book was its inclusion of “characters within a
cultural group...who interact substantively and authentically.” This criterion is displayed on
almost every page when Mitaly writes about the interaction between Asha’s different family
members and friends. Their customs and traditions are apparent through the ways in which they
all interact with one another. For example, Asha calls her women elders “auntie,” and calls her
father Baba and her mother Ma, which is traditional in her culture. Another strength of the book
is how it provides an “in-depth treatment of cultural issues.” Asha struggles throughout the entire
book due to the roles she is supposed to hold in her culture that are gender-specific. Once she is
considered to be a woman in her culture, she is no longer allowed to do male-specific things that
she loves, like playing tennis.

Weaknesses: The most apparent weakness of this book is that it doesn’t exceed expectations of
having “unique language or style.” After reading Tiger Boy by Perkins and comparing that book
to Secret Keeper, I believe that she could have used more unique language like she did in Tiger
Boy. While she does incorporate Bangla pronouns, I think she could have used more Bangla
words to really incorporate the language of the culture into her narrative. Otherwise, this book
did not have many weaknesses.

The Orange Houses

Griffin, P. (2009). The orange houses. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Summary: This story begins with the three main characters, Mik, Jimmi, and Fatima, in a cave,
right before Jimmi is about to be hanged. After the prologue, the readers learn more about each
character. Mik is a teenage girl living in New York City who has hearing problems. Jimmi is an
eighteen-year-old war veteran who struggles with drug abuse and finding a will to live. Fatima is
a young immigrant who illegally moves to NYC, even though it puts her at risk of being found
and deported by immigration police. Mik and Fatima meet and become friends, and Mik tries to
help Fatima get an immigration lawyer so she doesn’t get deported. One day, Mik gets attacked
with a box cutter by a girl who believes Mik has stolen her man. Jimmi rescues Mik and brings
her to a secret hiding place, but when they resurface, Jimmi is separated from Mik, hanged
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upside down, and attacked further when the rope snaps. Fatima arrives to the scene and tries to
save her friends. Later on, an anonymous tip is sent to the immigration police about Fatima, and
she is detained. Mik finds out that the reason the immigration police know about Fatima being in
the US illegally is because an agent questioned Jimmi while he was on pain medicine in the
hospital, and he accidentally revealed the secret. The story ends with Fatima getting deported and
Jimmi making a recovery.

Strengths: The strongest element of this book that aligns with the NBGS criteria is its
demonstration of “unique language or style.” In this book, both the language and style were
unique. Having chapters about individual characters (Jimmi, Mik, and Fatima) helped add a
different perspective to the book, and also allowed the author to tell the order of events in a
creative way. Additionally, the author kept the dialogue true to the characters, which also helped
add a sense of uniqueness to the narrative. Another strength of this story is that it “invites
reflection, critical analysis, and response.” While reading the book, I kept asking myself what I
would do if I was in that given character’s situation. Fostering that kind of emotional investment
in readers is something that truly makes a book special.

Weaknesses: Although there were few weaknesses of this book, the most predominant one that
stands out is that it could have been more “rich in cultural details.” The cultures of each character
was touched upon, but the main focus of this book was on the dramatic events that unfolded.
Although I do not believe this element detracts from the overall quality of the book, it is a
weakness when the book is being considered for the NBGS list. I would have liked to know
about each individual’s cultures, specifically Jimmi, because I feel like this would have
strengthened the book as one of our contenders for the NBGS winner.

The Crossroads
Grabenstein, C. (2008). The crossroads. New York, NY: Random House.

Summary: This is the story of a young boy who believes in the spirits of the dead. In the
beginning he is lives in New York where the spirit of his dead mother lingers in his apartment.
She had died in the living room of their apartment after suffering for a long time. Zach, the
young boy, says he can still hear her talking to him and telling him to stop making up stories.
There is also a scary tree in New York that Zach senses spirits from. Once Zach and his dad and
stepmom move to North Chester, Connecticut, he thinks nothing is going to change since he still
is getting bullied at school, until he meant Davy. Davy is Zach’s first new friend and together
they learn how to build a tree fort. Zach’s father even gives him Zipper, his new dog, and Zach’s
life seems to be going smoothly in this new city. However, this new property has the same issues
with a scary tree and an old lady that visits the cross nailed to it each week. A bunch of different
strange things happen revolving around the tree and Davy and Zach create a plan to get rid of the
tree for good. Judy, Zach’s stepmom, had also noticed the strange things happening around the
tree so she decides to do some research to figure out what is going one. She discovers that a bus
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had crashed at the crossroads right by the tree, killing 40 people including the husband of the
lady that visits the tree. The anniversary of the bus accident, that may have been less of an
accident that originally thought, was approaching quickly. The tree gets struck by lighting and
the spirits are released. Zach is terrified because he is the grandson of the policeman that played
a significant role in the bus accident and is worried the spirits are coming for him.

Strengths: One strength of this book was its ability to “Honor and celebrate diversity as well as
common bonds in humanity”, it did this by incorporating a non-normal family and an array of
characters. The spirits and characters that linger throughout the story all have very different
backgrounds, but their stories all come together to give a very dramatic ending to the book and at
the end of chapters. Grabenstein also did a great job of “Meet generally-accepted criteria of
quality for the genre in which they are written”. This was a children’s mystery book and it nailed
the criteria for it. There were constant “chills” that I felt while reading the book because it was
truly a mystery what was happening and how the book was going to end. Each new chapter had a
different cliffhanger and dramatic sequence that made you want to read more and understand the
mystery that Judy and Zach are uncovering.

Weaknesses: One weakness I found while reading “The Crossroads” was not “rich in cultural
details”. Race was not a huge portion of this book compared to the diversity of family life and
where each character’s background is. There is not much inclusion of culture and how it plays a
role in the story. Zach’s Dad originally believes he is lying about everything he sees since in is
not a cultural norm to see “spirits”. But this was one of the only cultural significant factors of the
book so I would not say that rich cultural detail was a strength of this book.

Henry and the Kite Dragon

Hall, B. E., & Low, W. (2004). Henry and the Kite Dragon. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Summary: This is a culturally relevant story of a young Chinese boy named Henry Chu growing
up in Chinatown, New York. The beginning of the story is a detailed description of what life is
like in Chinatown. They talk about the food they eat, the characteristics of the city, and they
activities they enjoy. One of those activities is building and flying kits with Grandfather Chin,
the best kite maker in town. One day they build a butterfly kite and fly it around the sky chasing
pigeons as if it was to eat them. Then, out of nowhere rocks start flying at the kite from a young
Italian boy from Little Italy the neighboring town. His name is Tony Guglione, and at first,
Henry thinks he is doing this out of anger since he has never been nice to him when they are at
the park that neighbors the two towns. Grandfather Chin says its no big deal and they will just go
build another bigger and better kite. They build a caterpillar and chase it after the pigeons again
until rocks bring it town again and Tony stops the caterpillar. Now, Henry is upset and wants to
get his friends together to go fight Tony Guglione and his friends. Grandfather Chin advices
Henry to gather his friends and bring them to his apartment where he builds the kites. Henry does
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this, and instead of preparing them for a fight, they all work together to build a giant magnificent
dragon kite. They bring it to the rooftop of Grandfather Chins apartment building where once
again they see a pigeon and start talking about how they want the dragon to chase it. Before they
even get a chance to fly the dragon Tony throws more rocks their way and Henry decides enough
is enough and takes his friends to go fight the Italian friends. As the boys and girls discuss they
realize the reason Tony is upset is because those pigeons they are chasing were Tony’s pet
pigeons and sometimes they got so frightened by the kites that they never flew home again. So,
now both groups of friends apologized and set up times for when they can fly the pigeons and
when Henry can fly the kites. Now all families from different cultures can have fun in the parka
and watch the pigeons or the kites fly. They very end is a picture of the new kite that Grandfather
Chin made, and it is a giant Pigeon kite.

Strengths: The strength of this book was definitely “rich in cultural details” because the first
pages go into great depth about what life is like in a Chinatown, with a Chinese family. It begins
by talking about the streets, how they are tiny, narrow, and crooked just like a village in China
would be. Next, is Doyers Street which is a hub for tasty dumplings and tea. In the picture the
street is full of Chinese families shopping at a market where the author explains there is pickled
onions, sweet pork, and shrimp dumplings. These are all traditional Chinese family foods.
Furthermore, there is the kite making which is explained to be an old Chinese tradition that
Grandfather Chin did when he was growing up in China. The names in the book are also
traditional names such as Henry Chu, Grandfather Chin, and the Italian boy Tony Guglione.
Finally, is the dragon kite which is well known to have cultural significance to the people of
China.

Weaknesses: It was difficult to find a weakness to this book since it is culturally appropriate,
includes multiple nationalities, and the writing/illustrations are amazing. If I had to pick a
weakness it would be “Provide in-depth treatment of cultural issues” because it doesn’t go into
great depth about any major issues people in Chinatowns or Little Italy face. Some is covered in
the illustration you can tell families are suffering from poverty but it does not go into any depth
about this. The major conflict in the book is one between two races but there is not a lot of
background on why these two ethnic cities in China do not get along. I would of like to see more
detail about the major conflicts that were resolved by Grandfather Chin and the kites.

The Harlem Hellfighters

Brooks, M., & White, C. (2014). The Harlem Hellfighters. New York, NY: Broadway Books.

Summary: This is the story of a young Black man named Mark, who joins the “Black Rattlers”
an all black regiment during World War I. This is also known as the 369th infantry regiment, or
by the Germans as the Harlem Hellfighters. This comic book tells the real life story of what it
would be like to be a member of the Harlem Hellfighters. IT begins with them all in the line to
be enlisted into the military. They don’t know what to expect and are deeply terrified to be such
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a small part in the world’s biggest war. The comics follow the struggles from getting in fights
with other members and being discriminated against by white soldiers. It is particularly relevant
while at training camp in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 369th infantry had only a couple
weeks to train before being set overseas. White soldiers were given months to prepare. They are
sent overseas to France where they are placed on the front line in the trenches of battle. It
becomes a heroic tale of the honor and pride that these men showed our country while in battle.
It is amazing story of how these young men were constantly discriminated against and never
shown respect but that didn’t stop them sacrificing everything to never lose a trench during the
war. In addition, they had the most 191 combat days which was the most of any military group
white or black. When the men return home however, they are greeted by the same
discrimination, ignorance, and brutality from white Americans. Their heroics in battle were
shortly forgotten and one of the worst summers of racial violence.

Strengths: The strengths of this book were “Portray cultural accuracy and authenticity of
characters in terms of (a) physical characteristics, (b) intellectual abilities and problem-solving
capabilities, (c) leadership and cooperative dimensions, and (d) social and economic status”.
First, this book captured exactly what it looked like to be a member of the 369th infantry. The
sketches accurately represent the physical characteristic of the men that were members of the
infantry while the language is full of slang that was used by African Americans during this time
of history. Furthermore, Mark is faced with many obstacles along his journey with the Harlem
Hellfighters and the book does an amazing job of capturing reactions and how difficult it was to
be a black man in the early 1900’s. The accuracy is sometimes hard to read because of how
terribly these men were treated when they risked everything for our country. The social status of
white and black soldiers is accurately represented throughout the text since its clear black
soldiers are not respected by their white counter partners. Then, in times of distress Mark is
faced with making his own decisions in order to stay alive and win the war which demonstrates
his ability to lead even though he is not white. All in all, this book is an accurate portrayal of
what it was like to be a black man in a white man’s war.

Weaknesses: It was difficult to pick a weakness for this book from the criteria for Notable Books
for Global Society. The book does such a good job capturing culture and discrimination during
this time in our history. If I had to pick one I would say that it may not meet the criteria for this
genre of book. It is a comic novel with every page full of illustrations, but the accuracy of the
language involves curse words that may not be acceptable in all classes. The subject of the book
is WWI so it may be obvious young readers should not read this but since it’s has comics within
I could see some kids wanting to read it. This is a minor issue though and I think the language
adds so much to the mood and plot that its necessary to keep it, but make sure its known this is
not a tradition comic.

Letters to a Prisoner
Goldstyn, J. (2017). Letters to prisoner. Toronto, Ontario: Owlkids.
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Summary: This is the story of a man being arrested for a peaceful protest. This is a wordless
picture book that captures the story of a peaceful man wanted to talk to his daughter even though
he is in jail. The pictures capture the moment her dad gets arrested while she was with him at the
protest. Once he is in jail his daughter sends letters after letters that keep getting destroyed by the
guards. Eventually, she gets a bird to deliver the letter to her dad who was feeling very alone in
solitary confinement. The letter brings hope back to him, since he realized she hasn’t forgotten.
He then gets flooded with letters from across the globe and the guards can’t stop them anymore.
Through the help of the letters he is freed and reunited with his daughter.

Strength: One strength found within Letters to a Prisoner is “Have an appealing format and be of
enduring quality”. This book is told completely through illustrations which capture moments that
can’t be described by words. The book would not carry the same message if it had words since
the illustrations allow the reader to narrate the book themselves. The pictures are cartoonish
which adds a lighter mood to what at times is a sad story. The authors note explains it is written
for the human rights organization Amnesty International. This organization believes in human
rights and that all deserve the right to communicate with their families. This is a very touching
story how words and letters can have significant impact if many voices join together. The format
of the story makes it so everyone can understand and it also does an amazing job of quality and
style that invite deeper reflection.

Weakness: One weakness I found while reading this book was the fact it was a children’s book
with only illustrations but very deep context. I think it would be difficult for a child to
understand why someone’s parent would be separated and arrested from their family. It would be
hard to explain to a child what is right and wrong about the situation how the man is peacefully
protesting what he believes is right even though some do not agree. I think the idea of this is
more mature than intended audiences of children books, but it lead to such a powerful message
of hope and determination that some may overlook the difficulties of explaining why the girl lost
her father when he did nothing wrong.

Our Medal Winner: 14 Cows For America

After reading the eight books we chose to use for this project, we both came to an
agreement that our ultimate winner is 14 Cows For America by Carmen Agra Deedy. This is
because out of all the books, we believe that this book exemplifies the NBGS criteria more than
any other book we read. Even though a book only has to meet one of the criterion from part 1,
this book goes above and beyond for almost every single element of the NBGS criteria.
The first part of the criteria that 14 Cows for America not only meets but exceeds is
“portray cultural accuracy and authenticity of characters in terms of (a) physical characteristics,
(b) intellectual abilities and problem solving capabilities, (c) leadership and cooperative
dimensions, and (d) social and economic status.” One way in which the book does this is by
illustrating the Maasai characters accurately, having them wear accurately represented garments
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and accessories. The people themselves also look accurate when compared to real photographs of
the Maasai people. In regard to the Maasai’s “intellectual abilities and problem solving
capabilities,” the reader can assume that the portrayal of them is accurate, because they tried to
help America’s problem by giving them meaningful, valuable animals. The “leadership and
cooperative dimensions” are shown through the text and illustrations, which shows the Maasai
people coming together to listen to Kimeli’s story, as well as cooperating in order to have the
ceremony to bless the fourteen cows. The “social and economic status” of the Maasai is also
portrayed accurately in the book, because the reader is made aware that the Maasai people don’t
have much to offer to the Americans. On one page, the author writes that “Kimeli offers his only
cow,” which emphasizes that the Maasai are giving up a lot by giving America fourteen cows
(Deedy, 2009).
Additional elements of the NBGS criteria that the book goes above and beyond on are
being “rich in cultural details” and “provide in-depth treatment of cultural issues.” Throughout
the entire story, the reader is immersed in the Maasai culture through the illustrations and text.
The illustrations of the story show how kindness and generosity are values that are important in
the Maasai culture. Additionally, the culture of the Maasai is shown through the text. For
example, on one page, the author states that the Maasai were once “feared warriors,” and that
“now they live peaceably as nomadic cattle herders” and “they treat their cows as kindly as they
do their children” (Deedy, 2009). On another page, Deedy (2009) writes that “in a tradition as
old as the Maasai, the rest of the tribe gathers under an acacia tree to hear the story.” This book’s
text and illustrations are full of cultural details that educate the reader on the way in which the
Maasai live, and what is truly important to them.
This book certainly exceeds the expectations of another criterion, which is to “honor and
celebrate diversity as well as common bonds in humanity.” The book does this by showing the
connection the Maasai feel to other people across the world by feeling so hurt by their tragedy
that they willingly give them fourteen of their sacred cows. Even though the Maasai have never
met the victims and families of the victims that were impacted by 9/11, they still feel the
“common bonds in humanity.” Another criterion exemplified by this book is including
“characters within a cultural group or between two or more cultural groups who interact
substantively and authentically,” and including “members of a “minority” group for a purpose
other than filling a “quota.” The book does this by centering the entire story around the Maasai
people, instead of centering it around the Americans that received the gift of the fourteen cows.
Additionally, the main character Kimeli belongs to the minority group in America, thus making a
minority character the main character of the story. The Maasai also interact with the white
diplomat from the US Embassy in Nairobi, which shows them connecting to a member of a
different cultural group.
Not only does this book exemplify the criteria from part 1, but it also exemplifies the
criteria from part 2 of the NBGS criteria. The book “invites reflection, critical analysis, and
response” by allowing the reader to ask themselves how they would react to the tragedy of 9/11,
as well as how they would feel as an American and hearing about the gift of fourteen cows that
the country received after the attack. The book meets “generally-accepted criteria of quality for
 13

the genre in which they are written,” which in this case would be the nonfiction genre. This book
is about a true story, and the note at the end of the book from Kimeli Naiyomah is about his
experience of going back to his Maasai village and telling his family and friends about the events
that occurred on 9/11. Because of this special note, the readers are made aware that the events
that took place in the book are accurate and actually happened, which is a main component of the
nonfiction genre.
The book also has an “appealing format and be of enduring quality,” because this book
can be read at any point in time and still be relevant. It truly is a timeless story about generosity
and helping others in need, even when you may not personally know them. The format of the
book is appealing because of its beautiful illustrations and the way in which the text is presented
on each page. The reader can’t help but marvel at the beauty and intricacy of the illustrations on
each page.
As stated above, the weakest element of this book is the somewhat lack of “unique
language or style.” The book does not have much text, but it works perfectly for the book
because the story does not need much text to be told in a powerful way. The only reason this is
considered a weakness is through the lens of the NBGS criteria, but in no way does it make the
book itself any weaker.
We chose this book as our winner because out of all the NBGS criteria, it does the best at
exceeding each expectation. While all of the books that we read deserve to be on the NBGS, this
book does the best at meeting each criterion and truly showing the global impact that “common
bonds in humanity” can have.
In addition to the NBGS criteria, there are other elements of this book that led us to chose
it as our winner, including plot, theme, characterization, and voice/writing style. According to
Tunnel and Jacobs (2016), “a good plot shows what happens to the characters in such a way that
the reader cares about the outcome” (p. 18). In this book’s case, the readers are pulled in when
Kimeli returns to Kenya with news of a terrible event that has happened. Throughout the story,
the reader wants to know what the news is and what the Maasai people are going to do about it.
Tunnel and Jacobs (2016) also state that “the theme is the story’s central idea” and that
“themes are best expressed in complete sentences” (p. 19). The theme of 14 Cows For America
would be that it is important to be generous and help others in times of need, even when you
might not know them personally. This is shown in the book by the Maasai’s generosity towards
America, even from the opposite side of the world. The characters in this book also play an
important role in this book’s literary quality. Tunnel and Jacobs (2016) state that the “people
who live between the covers of a book must be as real as people who live across the street” (p.
17). In this case, the Maasai do not live “across the street” from us, but they are very believable
and are portrayed true to how they actually are in real life. The author and illustrator do this by
drawing them accurately, and writing about them in a way that shows the true personalities and
values of the characters. The main character is Kimeli, and his note at the end of the book
ensures the reader that his character was portrayed accurately as well.
Finally, this book’s voice and writing style are another reason why we chose it as our
winning book. Even though we mentioned earlier that it is a weakness in terms of the NBGS
 14

criteria, it is perfect for the book itself. Tunnel and Jacobs believe that “how a story is told is as
important as the story itself” (p. 17). Deedy incorporates Maa words, the language that the
Maasai people speak, into the story, such as “enkáng” and “Enkarûs.” This adds a deeper cultural
element to the story and its writing style.

Use of 14 Cows For America in the classroom

This book would be our top choice to have and use in the classroom. Before reading this
book, neither of us knew much about or had even heard of the Maasai people that live in Kenya.
For this very reason, it would be a great book for showing students how people in other parts of
the world live. After reading this book, students would have the opportunity to reflect on what
they previously might have known about people living in other parts of the world, and they could
further reflect on the similarities and differences their lives have in respect to the Maasai people.
It is also a good book, when used with other books about people living in different parts of
Africa, for students to truly understand how there are so many different cultures and
communities that exist in the continent of Africa. Some students have the misconception that
everyone that lives in Africa lives in a third world country and lives in a tribe or village, but that
could not be further from the truth.
Another way in which this book can be used is to talk about the history of 9/11. None of
our future students would have been alive during 2001, so they will not truly understand the
impact that the horrifying attack had on our country. However, after examining the tragedy
through many different lenses, they will be able to understand the global impact the attack had
on humanity. We could use this book as one way to learn about 9/11, but there would certainly
have to be other resources used to learn about it. Even though some might view the tragedy to be
too harsh or controversial to teach about at the elementary level, it is a part of history that we
cannot soften or even try to hide.
We believe that this book would appeal to students for many reasons. The first reason this
book would appeal to students is that it is simply a beautiful book. The illustrations are so
detailed and vibrant, and each page can be admired for minutes on end. It is also not too text
heavy, so older students that are proficient in English would probably not struggle while reading
it. The book is enticing and captures readers, which makes readers want to know what Kimeli
has come to tell his people about and what their reaction to the news will be.

Honor Books
Our two honorable mention books were, Henry and the Kite Dragon, and Letters to
Prisoner. We selected these as our honorable mention because they were some of the most
difficult books to identify weakness for. Both books do an exemplary job of meeting all criteria
for Part II of the Notable Books for Global Society. First, is Henry and the Kite Dragon, which is
the story of two different cultures learning to work with one another and be friends instead of
enemies. This book encourages the reader to respond to the text emotionally since its such a
touching story of children learning to be friends. It also demonstrated unique language that was
culturally relevant to these communities. The format and quality were strong as well since it
 15

pulled you into the text and made you want to read more. It also was so culturally accurate that it
felt necessary to include it in our honorable mentions.
Letters to a Prisoner also did a great job of meeting all criteria for Part II of the Notable
Books for Global Society. This is a wordless kid book that captures the story of a father being
sent to prison and removed from his daughter for a peaceful protest. This book went did a great
job of inviting reflection. Since its wordless it really makes the reader think and narrate the
books themselves. This allows for so much deeper thought then if it had words that described
exactly what was happening. The author makes you ask questions while reading and figure out
all the problems this father is facing. It doesn’t use much language, but as stated above the style
of the book makes it so words aren’t necessary which is unique. Finally, Letters to a Prisoner
was selected as an honorable mention because of the message the book is sending. Without
words it explains the power of words which is such a unique idea that many of never thought
about it demonstrating it this way. The power of words and family is a common bond in
humanity and this book goes above and beyond in expressing the importance of both.

Conclusion
While completing this assignment we learned a lot about multicultural literature.
Originally, we thought these books were made specifically for a certain ethnicity. But, after
completing this assignment we realized that these books are meant for everyone. Each book
carries a certain message whether its race specific or certain bonds between humanity, the overall
message of each book is important. We also learned a lot about how cultures react to be
discriminated against. This was particularly interested to us since we have never really had to
deal with discrimination and never really understood what it must feel like to be judged off your
culture.
One thing we would like to learn more about is the backgrounds of each author. It is clear
the viewpoints each author held regarding certain cultural beliefs and it would be very interesting
to me to understand why they hold these viewpoints. Some of this was explained in authors notes
but we would love to dive deeper into the backgrounds to figure out what made them want to
change the beliefs others hold towards human interactions and cultures. We would also like to
learn more about how people from these cultures view these books. Do they agree with the
cultural accuracy within the text? What things would they change if they wrote these books?
If we were to start this assignment over there are some things we would like to change.
One of these is our book selections. The books that were selected were mostly based off
availability, but if given the opportunity again we would do further research on these books and
pick ones that were all based on one culture. This would allow us to see multiple viewpoints
from different authors regarding a specific beliefs and values. We would have developed a
deeper understanding, rather than reading books based on multiple cultures.
One way this assignment can tie into this course is the ability to analysis and understand
multiple different forms of text. This is particularly important for a children’s literature class
since a majority of what we do is analyzing readings. It also outlined the importance of having
these books within your class. Now that we can see the importance of multicultural literacy, we
 16

understand the necessity to have it within our future classrooms. We could use what we’ve
learned from this assignment to structure an activity regarding multicultural literacy. Since we
have a deeper understanding of what qualifies a book as a Notable Book for Global Society, we
can use our knowledge to teach others the importance of understanding culture.
 17

Bibliography

Botelho, M., Rudman, M. (2009). Critical Multicultural Analysis of Children's Literature. New

York: Routledge, https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203885208.

Brooks, M., & White, C. (2014) The Harlem Hellfighters. New York, NY: Broadway Books.

Deedy, C. A. (2009). 14 Cows for America. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.

Goldstyn, J. (2017). Letters to prisoner. Toronto, Ontario: Owlkids.

Grabenstein, C. (2008). The crossroads. New York, NY: Random House.

Griffin, P. (2009). The orange houses. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Hall, B. E., & Low, W. (2004). Henry and the Kite Dragon. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

Perkins, M. (2009). Secret keeper. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Perkins, M. (2015). Tiger boy. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Tunnell, M. O., Jacobs, J. S., Young, T. A., & Bryan, G. (2016). Children’s literature, briefly. 6th

Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall.