Notable Books for A

Global Society Project

By: Natalia Howard
Intro
The Notable Books for a Global Society committee was formed in 1995 to celebrate
books that display diversity. Each year they select twenty-five children’s books that exemplify
diversity to help make people aware of similarities and revel in the differences among people.
These books are outstanding books that can really make an impact on children who read them. It
is important to teach children at a young age to be culturally aware and accepting of everyone.
These books do a great job of doing that and in a way that children will really enjoy them. I read
eight books from this list and chose my favorite three, which was not an easy decision.
The purpose of this assignment is to help make us aware of this list of books, which I am
sure not many of us had previously heard of. It is making us more aware of the different types of
books out there and the ones that will be super important to read to our students. Having us read
so many of these books helps us appreciate other cultures more. It is important for us to be
culturally aware and appreciative so we can teach that in our classrooms. An article about
multicultural literature in the classroom says that teachers should “…move from informing to
empowering themselves” (Mohammadzadeh, B. (2009)). As teachers we need to do more than
just have information about cultural and other groups. This way we can teach our students to the
best of our abilities. This project also helps us to find good books that we will use in our future
classrooms. These books are very important to use in the classroom for both minority and
majority groups. Minority groups need to read books that will boost their self-esteem (Tunnel,
M.O. (2016)). On the other hand, majority groups need to read books that will help them learn
about conditions that are different from their own (Tunnel, M.O. (2016)). This way people can
feel comfortable and accepted for who they are. This project had many purposes and it helped
me learn a lot.
The books I selected are kind of random. I did not choose a specific topic or theme for
them, I just chose books that stood out to me and seemed interesting. After selecting the books, I
read each of them and kept in mind the criteria for this list. I also made notes as I read so that I
would know which books I liked best and which were most enjoyable to read.
Multicultural literature represents the diversity in our world, especially for the minority
groups. As I have completed this project, my definition of multicultural literature has broadened.
This type of literature can represent more than just cultures, but disabilities, sexuality, religion
and more. I previously believed that these books were just meant as a celebration of cultures. I
was not wrong, but it is so much more than that. A lot of the books I read did deal with culture
and a couple even dealt with disability. They also demonstrated the struggles that people have to
endure while being apart of a minority group.
Eight NBGS Books
The Tree in the Courtyard by Jeff Gottesfeld tells the story of Anne Frank’s life when her
family was staying in the annex to hide from the Nazi’s. The book centers around a tree that
Anne would often look out at. The tree watches Anne and sees what her and her family go
through as the Holocaust is occurring. It sees Anne and her family when they first move into the
Annex for safety up until Anne’s father returns when the war is over. The sad part is that when
Anne’s father returns, he is alone. It is odd to think of a tree having emotions, but putting
yourself in the tree’s perspective allows the reader to feel the sadness the tree must have felt
witnessing this. I think the emotions this story brings up are important. Allowing the reader to
feel these emotions can help them to understand the cultural importance of this book. This book
tells the story of a group of people who were murdered because they were Jewish. The purpose
of this book is not to glorify what the Nazis did, but to bring awareness to what happened. This is
important as we attempt to create a kinder society. Teaching about events like this and about
other groups of people can help bring awareness to these things and possibly prevent things like
this from happening in the future.
The book is very simple and doesn’t directly state what happens which makes it very
unique, but is the part that I didn’t like too much. There is a page in the very back that talks
directly about what happened to Anne Frank which makes up for it. The illustrations are detailed
drawings in black and white, which allows the reader to focus more on the writing. This is meant
to be a kid’s book, but I think it could get hard to follow as you have to infer what is happening
at times. Since it is like this though, it could be a good, light introduction to the Holocaust or
Anne Frank. Even though I thought it could get confusing because it was not super direct, I think
that was the purpose so it was not a bunch of heavy information for kids. Overall, this was a
pretty good book that introduced the life of Anne Frank in a very unique way.
Gottesfeld, J., & McCarty, P. (2016). The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking through Anne Frank’s
window. New York: Random House Childrens.
Caldecott medalist Allen Say wrote Silent Days, Silent Dreams about an artist from
Idaho. The unique thing about this artist is that he was deaf and autistic. He got bullied a lot for
being deaf, autistic and making art. He often got in trouble because only girls could take art
classes and people thought he was crazy because of his conditions. His art was his escape and
many of his pieces are displayed throughout the book. Another unique thing about this artist is
that his art was not famous and was not even shown until recently when his nephew found it.
Displaying his art in the book helps to get his art out there and show readers the talent he had.
I liked this book because it was a unique story about disability and showing that you
should still be proud of your hobby even if not everyone supports it. I think this is a really good
children’s book to show that just because someone seems different, we are all the same on the
inside and we all have feelings. I would definitely like to use this book in my classroom to teach
students about uniqueness.
Say, A. (2017). Silent Days, Silent Dreams. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books, An
Imprint of Scholastic.
Look Up! by Jung Jin-Ho tells the story of a girl who is in a wheelchair and just wants
people to notice her. She is sitting on a balcony and can only see the tops of people’s heads. She
yells down at the people to look up so they can see her, but everyone just keeps walking by.
Finally, a boy notices her and lays down so she can see his face. Other people begin to follow
and the girl becomes happy since people are finally starting to notice her. This book is a picture
books of black and white drawings with only the words “look up” displayed a couple of times in
the story. Although it was all pictures, I think the message was still easy to grasp. The reader
could really feel the emotions of the girl which makes the message even more important. On one
of the last pages of the book, the girl looks up and smiles, making for a happy ending.
I really liked this book because it has a great message in it and is easy to understand for
children. I also liked that it has lots of illustrations and few words. It is a simple story that is easy
for children to understand. Teaching a book like this is important, because then students will
grow up not being judgmental of others because of their differences. I don’t think there are any
weaknesses to this story. I would love to use it in my classroom in the future.
Jin-Ho, J. (2016). Look Up!. New York, NY: Holiday House.
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds is about a unique society where the main rule is to
get revenge. Will, the main character, has a big decision to make. Should he get revenge? His
brother was murdered and getting revenge is the big rule of this community, which makes for a
difficult choice. As he is taking the elevator down to the main floor, gun in his pocket, he comes
across many important people from his life that were murdered. Each floor brings a new person
and each person talks to him. This makes him really consider what he is about to do. We
ultimately do not know his decision, which makes the story unique as the reader is left to
imagine or decide what happened.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It was very unique in both the story and the style,
which is verses. I also like how it makes the reader really think about this difficult decision. The
reader can put themselves in Will’s position, which can bring about lots of emotions. It is also an
important message about gun violence. This can be a very controversial topic, so having so much
emotion into this book and leaving the ultimate decision unknown, allows for the reader to take a
stance on what they believe. It really gets the reader to think which is important in forming an
opinion. This story was very unique, but interesting to read. I did not want to put it down and I
would definitely recommend it.
Reynolds, J. (2019). Long Way Down. New York, NY: Antheneum.
Piecing Me Together is about a girl named Jade who has many ambitions that are being
held back because of her race. Jade thinks that if she can just leave her neighborhood, then things
will change. Her mother’s advice is to take every opportunity that comes her way. This leads her
to getting a scholarship to a really good high school. She thinks everything will be different here,
but it isn’t. People treat her differently because she doesn’t have as much money as everyone
else. She gets invited to join a program for at risk girls, which really just is for black girls. Not
the sincerest invite, but she still accepts it. One would think that a group of black girls would
make for an understanding group of people, but Jade doesn’t feel like these people understand
her. She wanted to make a difference in this world, not just stand back and let people treat her
differently. By the end of the story, the characters have come to realize that they shouldn’t judge
people before they really understand their life and what they go through.
I really enjoyed reading this book and liked the message in it. I think this would be a
good book to recommend to young adult readers. Many people can relate to how Jade feels and
people can be inspired by her courage. People can also see that how we treat others really matters
and affects people.
Watson, R. (2018). Piecing Me Together. Place of publication not identified: Bloomsbury
Children’s Books.
Caminar is about a boy named Carlos who is forced to figure out how to be a man as a
war is going on. Guatemala’s civil war is occurring and people are dying. Carlos must try to take
care of his mom and go save his grandma. Carlos joins a group of guerillas so he can go to the
mountain where his grandma lives. He must warn them of the Communists before it is too late.
He loses a lot throughout the story, including his mom and his village, but ultimately figures out
who he is in the end. What he goes through helps him become a strong, independent man. The
style of this book is unique because it is written in poetry, but that makes the story even more
powerful.
This was an interesting story about a topic I did not know much about prior to reading
this book. I think this is a good introduction to this important event in history. This story helps
readers learn about another culture, which is important for students to learn about. It also
appropriately tells the story of mass killings without it being too intense for a children’s book.
Overall, I think this is a good story for children to read about as it introduces many important
topics to them.
Brown, S. (2014). Caminar. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Ruby on the Outside tells the story of eleven-year-old Ruby whose mother is in jail. She
finally meets a girl, Margalit, who she thinks could be her best friend. The only problem is that
her new friend may have some connection to her mother being in jail. Margalit’s brother died
and Ruby thinks somehow her mom may be connected to it, but she doesn’t want to tell Margalit
about this. Ruby doesn’t really know what her mom did in prison and part of her never wants to
find out. Ruby ends up writing a story about her mother dying because she doesn’t want to face
the fact that her mother is in jail. The author goes into detail about Ruby’s life and what she goes
through. It gets into detail about what it feels like to wait to visit a parent in jail or what it is like
wondering if and when they will come home. It gets emotional, but is overall a great story.
This is a unique and interesting story that keeps readers wanting to find out more. I liked
this book and I liked that it is meant for younger ages because this can be relatable to many
students. There are not many books about this subject, someone’s parent being in jail. This is
something that can be difficult for anyone, especially children, to deal with. Ruby can help
students to not feel different because of this. This story can help them relate to Ruby and maybe
help them deal with what they are going through. This is an important book to have in
classrooms so students can learn about diverse backgrounds and so students can find a book to
relate to.
Baskin, N. R. (2016). Ruby on the Outside. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers.
Out of Wonder by Kwame Alexander is a series of poems celebrating poets. This book
won the Coretta Scott King award in 2018. It has many inspiring and beautiful poems from many
different poets. There are poems in the book about poetry itself, like how to write poetry and
what poetry means to different people. Poetry can mean a lot to people, as they can be full of
inspiration and memories. There were many inspiring poems in this book that I loved reading. It
made me feel good inside after reading them. They were about being brave and embracing your
beauty. The poems utilized a lot of powerful words to really hit home to the readers. While not
everyone may feel the power these poems contain, I think many people may find inspiration in
them. The book has amazing, colorful artwork to go with each poem. I enjoyed reading all of the
poems in this book. They were unique and inspiring. It helped me to appreciate poetry even more
than I did before.
I think this is a fun poetry book to have in the classroom. It shows diversity, emotion,
memories and many more concepts. I want my students to feel inspired and I think many
students could find inspiration in this. I used to love poetry and before reading this book I kind of
forgot how much I loved it. This may also happen for others or it may make them appreciate
poetry if they didn’t previously.
Alexander, K., Colderley, C., Wentworth, M., & Holmes, E. (2017). Out of Wonder: Poems
Celebrating Poets. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Criteria for Notable Books for a Global Society
There are lots of criteria to consider when choosing the books to be added to this list.
Many of the criteria have to do with detail, quality, format, etc. One of the criteria is “in depth
treatment of issues”. I think that Silent Days, Silent Dreams represents this one very well. It
really goes into detail about how the main character was treated because of disabilities. They
called him names like dummy and crazy Jimmy. Kids would also destroy his artwork. This story
also goes into detail explaining how he did not let this bother him and he was still nice to the
kids. This book is also very thought-provoking. As I was reading this it made me feel sad, but
also made me realize how important it is to be respectful and inclusive of all groups of people.
Ruby on the Outside also fits that criteria as it goes in depth about Ruby having her mom in jail.
This is an issue that isn’t usually brought up in children’s book which makes it unique. Long
Way Down has a very unique style for a book like this which is another criteria. It is written in
verses, which makes the message that much more powerful. Look Up! was also very unique in
the fact that it had very few words, but still had a very important message in it. Out of Wonder
really fits the criteria that states that it honors or celebrates diversity and the purpose of this book
is to honor poets. Many of these poems celebrate diversity, so this is a great representation of this
criteria. All the books I chose fit all of the criteria very well in the fact that they are authentic,
demonstrate diversity and have quality stories with appealing formats. The books I chose have
unique stories about diversity whether that be with race, disability or something else they are
going through.
NBGS Winner
Look Up! by Jung Jin-Ho is my favorite book out of the eight books that I chose to read.
It is a very simple story, but has a strong message. The message is to pay attention to everyone.
The girl in the book has a disability and is in a wheelchair and she just wants people to notice
her. Once a boy finally does, other people start to notice and it makes her happy. Although this is
such a simple thing to make someone happy, it is very important to remember. This doesn’t just
have to apply to people with disabilities either, it applies to everyone. It applies to people of
different races, cultures, backgrounds, etc. No one should feel left out because something about
them seems different than everyone else. I think this is a simple, but easy to understand book that
I would love to read in an elementary classroom. I would read it to my students to teach them
acceptance.
 I chose this book to be the winner because I loved the message and I loved how the
author displayed the message. There were few words in the book and it mainly focused on the
illustrations. The illustrations are black and white drawings. Even though there are few words
and the illustrations are only in black and white, it is easy to feel the emotions in this book. You
feel sad when everyone is just walking past and not paying attention to the girl, but then when
people start to pay attention to her, you get happy. When she looks up and smiles, it makes you
even happier knowing that she was finally noticed and feels the happiness of being noticed like
she’s always wanted. I don’t really think there were any weaknesses in the book because the
message was very clear. If anything, the author could have added more words, made it a longer
story or added some color to the illustrations. This would have made it even more powerful, but
since it is a children’s book, I think the style of this book is very appropriate and it is easy for
children to capture the message.
I chose this one over the other ones for many reasons. As I said, I love the message and
the simplicity of the book. Going off of that, it is easy for elementary students to understand. It
was my favorite book that I read that I was excited about reading to my students in the future.
The other books had great stories as well, but I think this one can apply to everything and
accepting everyone. That would be easy for children to understand as well. Some of the other
books I read seemed like it could get boring for children to read or they could be difficult to
understand. This book fits my criteria for a good multicultural book because it demonstrates
diversity as the main character is in a wheelchair. This story demonstrates the struggles that
many people have to endure because they are seen as “different”.
The plot of this book is a girl just wanting people to notice her on a balcony. The only
words in the book are her saying “look up” when she is trying to get people to see her. Finally, a
boy sees her and lays on the sidewalk below so she can see him. Then others start to follow. At
the end she smiles and you can tell how happy she is that people finally noticed her. The theme
of this book is acceptance or belonging. It is teaching readers that sometimes people just want to
be noticed because they feel left out for something that people may think is weird, when it is
really just something that is part of them. The main character is the little girl and then there is the
boy who first notices her. There are eight other people that with the boy so the girl can see them.
Since there aren’t many words, there isn’t really a writing style. It is mostly left up to the reader,
but the illustrations do help tell the story so the reader can get what the author/illustrator are
trying to say. The illustrations show the girl looking down from the balcony and saying “look
up”. It continues to show her looking down while she watches the boy lay down followed by
other people. At the end she looks up so you can see how the plot progressed and how she
became happy at such a simple gesture. Although this style is unique, it clearly tells the story and
displays the theme.
Honor Books
The first honor book I chose is Out of Wonder. I liked this book because it had beautiful
poetry to celebrate various poets. I like poetry, but sometimes it can get confusing or boring to
me. This book however, was very interesting and easy to understand. I really enjoyed all of the
poems in the book. I found some really inspiring lines that just gave me an overall good feeling
after reading them. It made my appreciation for poetry come back. The colorful illustrations on
each page were also a great touch to the book. The colors along with the poems, made me feel
happy. Many of the poets it honors are from various races, which makes it fit the NBGS criteria.
It demonstrates diversity in a unique way and has great detail and stories about the different
topics discussed. This could be used in the classroom during a poetry lesson or a lesson about
different cultures.
The second honor book I chose is Silent Days, Silent Dreams. I chose this book because it
had a very unique story that I really enjoyed reading. First of all, the fact that the main character,
James, is from Idaho which is where I am from. This made me feel sort of a connection to the
story. The next unique thing about the book that I liked is that it displayed many disabilities that
usually are not shown in books. James was deaf, autistic and dyslexic. He never spoke, but he
lived through his art. He was bulled quite a bit for being “different”, but he never let that get to
him. He would just continue doing art and being nice to people. Finding supplies could get
difficult so he would often have to get creative with what he used for his art, which made it that
much better. This showed lots of diversity and went into great detail about it. It was a very
unique book, but told a great story that perfectly fits the NBGS criteria. It displayed a lot of
James’ artwork which I also enjoyed. I would use this in the classroom to show diversity. It can
also show that even if people don’t like your hobby, you shouldn’t give up on it. It has many
important messages in it that could be very useful in the classroom.
Conclusion
I learned a lot about diversity in more ways than just culture. A lot of the books I read
about were more than just culture, but disabilities as well. I learned about multi-cultural literature
and how important it is to read to students. My definition on multi-cultural literature changed a
lot throughout this project. I realized it is more than just celebrating cultures. It is about lots of
diversity issues and bringing awareness to them. Although I liked the fact that I didn’t choose a
theme for my books, it could be interesting to choose one if I did this project again. It would be
interesting to explore one issue such as disability. Then I could learn more about this topic and it
could also make choosing a winner and honor books easier. It was hard for me to choose the
books, because they were all so unique in their own way. One thing we talked a lot about in my
teaching and learning class last semester was about cultural awareness. This project really
reminded me of that because we talked a lot about the importance of us as teachers being
culturally aware as well as teaching our students to be culturally aware. It also ties in a lot to
other assignments we’ve done in this class. We have talked a lot about different awards and book
lists. We have also talked a lot about diverse books and we have read a wide variety of book
genres and stories. We have read about different cultures, sexualities, etc. This reminds me of
many of the topics we have discussed during class. Ultimately, it is just about being aware and
accepting.

References:
Alexander, K., Colderley, C., Wentworth, M., & Holmes, E. (2017). Out of Wonder: Poems
Celebrating Poets. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
Baskin, N. R. (2016). Ruby on the Outside. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young
Readers.
Brown, S. (2014). Caminar. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Gottesfeld, J., & McCarty, P. (2016). The Tree in the Courtyard: Looking through Anne Frank’s
Window. New York: Random House Childrens.
Jin-Ho, Jung (2016). Look Up!. New York, NY: Holiday House.
Mohammadzadeh, B. (2009). Incorporating multicultural literature in English language teaching
curriculum. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 1(1), 23–27.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2009.01.008
Say, A. (2017). Silent Days, Silent Dreams. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books, An
Imprint of Scholastic.
Tunnel, M.O., Jacobs, J.S., Young, T.A., Bryan, Gregory. (2016). Chilren’s Literature, Briefly.
S.I.: Pearson.
Reynolds, J. (2019). Long Way Down. New York, NY: Antheneum.
Watson, R. (2018). Piecing Me Together. Place of publication not identified: Bloomsbury
Childrens Books.