MY WISHLIST TO IMPROVE & BALANCE MY CLASSROOM LIBRARY by Heather Hagood

1.
Book Analysis Form Ghetto Cowboy by Greg Neri
Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson

Publication Date & 2011 - English

Language
Genre Young Adult Fiction/Domestic
Author Ethnicity/Race African American
(Illustrator Class/SES Lower (Now Middle)
?) Sex/Gender Male
Authenticity Greg was raised in the ghettos of Los Angeles, CA, and then
(match w/ moved to Santa Cruz, California, for college. He found a
Protagonist?) passion for riding horses during his college years. He did
extensive research about the real-life urban cowboys that
inspired this story.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race African American
t Class/SES Lower
Sex/Gender Male/Male
Family Separated.
Structure
Justification including a I really love how unique this book is in breaking stereotypes like
Quote from a course reading cowboys are only made up of white men in Texas. Cole is sent
in Perusall to live for the summer with his father, whom he has never met
beforehand, because his mother can’t handle his bad behavior
anymore. I believe many of the boys in our school who live with
a single parent and are constantly getting in trouble could
relate to this story of trying to find something that gives them a
purpose. This book helps address the gap in my collection of
African American stories, lower-class and separated parents'
family structure.

“Nor is it easy to talk with children about social issues, but if we

select fine literatue and let children’s questions and comments
 guide us, our discussion will, no doubt, prove rich rather than
poor.” (Wolf, Chapter 4, 2014)

2.
Book Analysis Form The Mighty Miss Malone by Christopher Paul Curtis

Publication Date & English

Language
Genre Historical/Juvenile
Author Ethnicity/Race African American
(Illustrator Class/SES Lower
?) Sex/Gender Male
Authenticity Christopher was one of five children in his family in Flint,
(match w/ Michigan where his father was often away for work and his
Protagonist?) large family struggled to make ends meet.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race African American
t Class/SES Lower
Sex/Gender Female
Family Married parents
Structure
Justification including a Struggling through the Great Depression, Deza tries her best to
Quote from a course reading use her smarts to survive and find her father that left looking
in Perusall for work. This is a great book to include in my library because it
talks about the struggles of surviving by just trying to get the
necessities like food and power that many of our students
struggle with at home and feel like they have to help hold the
family together. This addresses the gap in my collection of
African American female protagonists and historical fiction
where children can see events through a story instead of a
history textbook.
 “[Children’s literature] is a particularly valuable source of
historical information about everything from how children in
the past looked” (Reynolds, Chapter 1, 2011)

3.
Book Analysis Form Solo Girl by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Illustrated by Nneka Bennett

Publication Date & 1997 - English

Language
Genre Chidlren’s Reaslistic Fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race African American
(Illustrator Class/SES Lower Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity Ms. Pinkney was drawn from her personal experiences as a
(match w/ pre-teen when she had to move to a new city and was the only
Protagonist?) black student at her new middle school.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race African American
t Class/SES Lower
Sex/Gender Female
Family Foster Mother and two brothers.
Structure
Justification including a This is a great book to include in my library collection that shows
Quote from a course reading support for a young girl, Cass, who is smart in math but doesn’t
in Perusall fit in like her two brothers. It’s a great introduction to young
girls for STEM to show how math can be important and
helpful. Many of my students can relate to this story as they are
living with a foster parent or an extended family member and
struggling to fit in with friends at school.
 “Children’s literature can be the vehicle for providing a
meaningful context for learning in mathematics as it helps
learners value mathematics” (Shatzer, Pg. 650, 2008)

4.
Book Analysis Form Suki’s Kimono by Chierei Uegaki
Illustrated by Stephane Jorisch

Publication Date & 2003 - English

Language
Genre Children’s Picture Book
Author Ethnicity/Race Japanese Canadian/Asian
(Illustrator Class/SES Upper Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity The protagonist and author are both middle-class females from
(match w/ traditional Japanese families and are trying to assimilate into a
Protagonist?) new culture.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race Japanese/American
t Class/SES Middle-class
Sex/Gender Female
Family Single parent (mom), grandmother, and two siblings (both
Structure sisters).
Justification including a This is a great cultural book to add to my collection. Suki loves
Quote from a course reading her Kimono, a prized possession that she got while attending a
in Perusall festival with her grandmother. This book is a great story that
shows pride in her Japanese culture and the special
relationship between extended family.

“Authors and illustrators of children’s literature well remember

their own childhoods and infuse their texts with words, images,
and feelings of what it’s like to be a child.” (Wolf, Chapter 7,
2014).

5.
Book Analysis Form Stef Soto, Taco Queen by Jennifer Torres
Publication Date & 2017 - Spanish and English
Language
Genre Children’s Realistic Fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race Hispanic American
(Illustrator Class/SES Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity Ms. Torres is Mexican-American just like the protagonist, Stef
(match w/ Sot, where she grew up making tamales with her family.
Protagonist?)
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race Hispanic American
t Class/SES Lower-Class
Sex/Gender Female
Family Both parents and extended family.
Structure
Justification including a I love this story where it shows a girl who is embarrassed by her
Quote from a course reading father’s taco food truck that he owns and wants him to get a
in Perusall normal job. This is great to include in the collection as many
students are sometimes embarrassed by their parents' jobs, and
this story could help illustrate that they should feel pride in
their parent’s hard work to help provide for their family. It also
describes the struggles that an immigrant family faces,
especially the children, in trying to fit in with new friends.

“When analyzing a “Latino Text” for cultural authenticity, the

goal is not to search fr a single image that represents the
“authentic” Latino. It is to analyze how the author
contextualizes the story and, more important, how the
representations in the story contribute to a better
understanding and appreciation of the richness and
complexities of Latino culture and literature and how issues of
power are embedded in the text.” (Martinez-Roldan, Pg. 7, 2013)

6.
Book Analysis Form Say Hello! by Rachel Isadora
Publication Date & 2010 - English
Language
Genre Children’s Picture Book
Author Ethnicity/Race American/White
(Illustrator Class/SES Upper Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity Ms. Isadora was raised in New York City, NY and became a ballet
(match w/ dancer. She then moved to Africa for 10 years after she was
Protagonist?) injured and switched careers. She has found a love for
multicultural areas through both her career and where she has
lived.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race American Afro-Latina
t Class/SES Middle-Class
Sex/Gender Female
Family Single parent (mom) and Carmelita.
Structure
Justification including a This is a great book to highlight all of the different cultures that
Quote from a course reading make up America’s diversity. I like to include this book because
in Perusall. both the language and culture of people are represented,
including things such as clothing and food is depicted in this
book as Carmelita is walking her dog through the
neighborhood. This book shows different languages and
acceptance of each other fitting together in one neighborhood.

“Teachers and children should have access to a variety of books

that collectively represent students from various backgrounds
and communities.” (Martinez-Roldan, Pg. 13 , 2013)

7.
Book Analysis Form Blended by Sharon M. Draper
Publication Date & 2018 - English
Language
Genre Children’s Relistic Fiction
Author Ethnicity/Race African American
(Illustrator Class/SES Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity Ms. Draper has worked and traveled all over the world and seen
(match w/ both the divide and coming together of people from different
Protagonist?) races and class statuses. While both of her parents were African
American, her mother had lighter colored skin to she relates to
others thinking she as mixed.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race Mixed Race of African American and Caucasian
t Class/SES Lower Class with Mom
Upper Class with Dad
Sex/Gender Female
Family Divorced Parents
Structure
Justification including a This would be a great addition to my collection as it touches on
Quote from a course reading the struggle of having divorced parents who then create new
in Perusall separate families of their own as well as being split between
both racial and class divides by her two parents. Her dad is rich,
and his new family is all black, versus her poor mom whose new
family is all white. A lot of our students are of mixed race and
struggle to fit in with their extended families on both sides who
aren’t mixed.

“While books for young readers may make light of friction

between family members, for older readers, such tensions may
still be shown as potentially damaging.” (Reynolds, Chapter 4,
2011)

8.
Book Analysis Form Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love
Publication Date & 2019 - English
Language
Genre Children’s Picture Book
Author Ethnicity/Race White
(Illustrator Class/SES Upper Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female
Authenticity Ms. Love drew from her childhood experience of her friend
(match w/ transitioning for inspiration for this book.
Protagonist?)
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race Afro-Latino/American
t Class/SES Middle-Class
Sex/Gender Male/Trans
Family Grandmother
Structure
Justification including a This book follows Julian after he is inspired b women dressed up
Quote from a course reading as mermaids. He is so passionate to become one and is worried
in Perusall about what his grandmother will think. I want to include this
book as it shows the struggles with transitioning yourself
outside of social and cultural norms and finding acceptance for
that both from yourself and your family.

“Many modern authors are writing non-fairy tale fiction that

portrays a more equitable view. But why do these patterns and
shifts in stereotypes matter? Quite simply, they matter to
children who receive their notions of gender roles from a
variety of sources including the books they read.” (Wolf,
Chapter 5, 2014)

9.
Book Analysis Form Watch out for Clever Women! by Joe Hayes
Issustrated by Trego Hill
Publication Date & 2019 - Spanish and English
Language
Genre Folklore
Author Ethnicity/Race White
(Illustrator Class/SES Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Male
Authenticity Mr. Hayes grew up listening to his father’s folktales that he now
(match w/ shares with his own kids and readers. His family moved to
Protagonist?) Benson, Arizona in his late childhood where he learned
Spanish.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race Hispanic
t Class/SES A mix of lower-class and middle-class
Sex/Gender Female
Family This is a collection of stories and represents different family
Structure dynamics in each story.
Justification including a These are folktales from European and Russian origins with a
Quote from a course reading spin on them of typically male characters rewritten as Hispanic
in Perusall females. The stories are told in both Spanish and English
simultaneously to read side by side. This is extremely helpful
for English-language learners and for students who want to
learn Spanish.

“Fairy tales have the advantage of being tales: they are stories
and as such, they have context in the form of meaning that
guides their telling and retelling.” (Pagel, 2016)

10.
Book Analysis Form The Girl with a Mind for Math, The Story of Raye Montague
Written by Julia Finley Mosca
Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Publication Date & 2018 - English
Language
Genre Children’s Non-Fiction, STEM
Author Ethnicity/Race White American (Illustrator is White British)
(Illustrator Class/SES Middle-Class
?) Sex/Gender Female (Illustrator is Male)
Authenticity Ms. Mosca is a former journalist and the author of The Amazing
(match w/ Scientists series of children's books. She does interviews with
Protagonist?) the women whom she writes the books about, as well as their
family, friends, and co-workers.
Protagonis Ethnicity/Race African American
t Class/SES Middle-Class
Sex/Gender Female
Family Nuclear and extended family.
Structure
Justification including a This follows the true story about Raye Montague, a female
Quote from a course reading American naval engineer who is credited with creating one of
in Perusall the first computer-generated naval ships. I want to include this
in my library because STEM is so important, especially for
females who want to join male-dominated fields of work.

“Literature should lift us and allow us to dream what we never

thought we could.” (Wolf, Chapter 4, 2014)

Reference:
Martínez-Roldán, C. M. (2013). The representation of Latinos and the use of Spanish: A critical content analysis of
Skippyjon Jones. Journal of Children's Literature, 39(1), 5.

Pagel, M. (2016). Anthropology: the long lives of fairy tales. Current Biology, 26(7), R279-R281.

Reynolds, K. (2011). Children's literature: A very short introduction. Oxford University Press.
Shatzer, J. (2008). Picture book power: Connecting children's literature and mathematics. The Reading Teacher,
61(8), 649-653.

Wolf, S. A. (2014). Interpreting literature with children. Routledge.