The Only Road by Alexandra Diaz

Summary: “The Only Road” written by Alexandria Diaz revolves around a young boy named Jaime and the challenges he faces in his country, Guatemala. When his cousin is murdered by the local gang called the "Alphas," the gang gives him a choice - either work with them or get hurt or killed. Not wanting to join them, Jaime and his cousin Angela embark on a dangerous journey to flee Guatemala and immigrate to the United States to live with his older brother. They believe that this is the only way to make a better life for themselves and to escape from the dangerous lifestyle they were destined to live.

Target Audience: The target audience for this book would be students ranging in grade levels between 5th-10th grade. The topics that are discussed may be relatable to many students within these grade levels because this typically the time when peer pressure starts to arise and many children are faced with either appeasing their peers or doing the morally right thing. This book also talks about the ramifications of gang related activities, which unfortunately could also be relatable to students in urban communities. I think that older students who may have immigrated to the U.S. when they were young, or just students whose families have immigrated to the U.S. would really benefit from reading a book such as this because they would be able to relate to the experiences that Jaime and Angela have as well.

Evaluation Based on Donna Norton's Text: Within Donna Norton's (2007) text, "Through The Eyes of a Child," Norton gives criteria for evaluating multicultural children's literature. Based on Norton's criteria, I do believe that this book is suitable for students and is an accurate representation of diversity in children's literature. The book touches on very taboo topics, such as gangs, drugs, and violence and doesn't work to glorify any of the characters or the experiences that they go through. I admire that the book doesn't stray away from bluntly depicting the harsh realities that many children in other countries must face at such a young age.

Reader Response Activity: A reader response activity that I would have students participate in regarding this book would be to answer some reflective questions based on the book. In the back of the book, the author helpfully provides a "Reading Group Guide" that has a lot of useful questions to have students answer. I would group my students together in pods and have them work with each other to answer the questions. Then, we would come back together as a class and I would give student volunteers the opportunity to share out and discuss their thoughts.

APA: Diaz, A. (2016). The Only Road. Simon & Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Readibility Lexile: 830L

For more information visit: https://www.amazon.com/Only-Road-Alexandra-Diaz/dp/1481457500

Blog Requirements: Supports a diverse protagonist, Written in the last four years (2016).

Abuela by Arthur Dorros & Illustrated by Elisa Kleven

Summary: “Abuela” written by Arthur Dorros revolves around a young girl and her grandmother embarking on an adventure in New York City. The young girl's imagination begins to run wild after seeing some birds in the park. She begins to imagine herself as a bird and wonders what would happen if she were to fly high above the city with her grandmother. She pictures the various things that she and her grandma would see and do, such as visiting the top of the Statue of Liberty and the airport, both things that Abuela says reminds her of when she first came to America.

Target Audience: The target audience for this book would be students ranging in age from 3-7, in preschool to 2nd grade. I believe that children would really enjoy this book and the colorful illustrations. The plot is very interesting and a super fun read for children. I like that this book also incorporates phrases in Spanish, making it accessible to English Language Learners. In the back of the book there is a glossary of what the Spanish words mean, which makes it the perfect read for students who may not know Spanish and want to learn more.

Evaluation Based on Donna Norton's Text: Within Donna Norton's (2007) text, "Through The Eyes of a Child," Norton gives criteria for evaluating multicultural children's literature. Based on Norton's criteria, I would say that this book is an excellent representation of diversity in children's literature due to the fact that it highlights the bond between a young Latina girl and her Abuela. This book also vaguely hints at the fact that Abuela immigrated to America (more specifically Ellis Island) which is the immigration experience that many people have had. It allows students to be imaginative while also touching on significant topics.

Reader Response Activity: A reader response activity that I would have students participate in regarding this book would be to have students imagine that they were able to fly over any city in the world. They would write a couple of sentences explaining what city they would choose, and what person they would choose to fly with. Then, I would have them draw pictures of what places they would see and visit on their adventure.

APA: Dorros, A. & Kleven, E. (1991). Abuela. Penguin Random House Books.

Genre: Fantasy Fiction

Readibility Lexile: 510L

For more information visit: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/319521/abuela-by-arthur-dorros/

Blog Requirements: Supports a diverse protagonist, Different Fiction Genre (Fantasy).

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo

Summary: “The Poet X” revolves around a young girl named Xiomara who discovers slam poetry and uses it as a creative outlet for her frustration and anger regarding life. While growing up in Harlem results in her developing a knack for being fierce in the face of adversity, Xiomara must learn to use her voice for the greater good despite those who try to silence her. This book perfectly encapsulates what is means to be resilient and to overcome the obstacles that life throws at you. Xiomara shows resilience as refuses to back down and is brave in the face of sexism, body-shaming, as well as deciphering her own identity, and dealing with family struggles (some in the form of parental abuse) to top it off.

Target Audience: The target audience for this book would be students aged 14 and up, and in ninth grade and up. This book touches on a lot of topics that students may be experiencing within their own personal lives, making it an extremely relatable and relevant book to include within the classroom. Additionally, the main character is Afro-Latina, making this a good representation of diversity within children's literature and another accessible trait that students may be able to relate to.

Evaluation Based on Donna Norton's Text: Within Donna Norton's (2007) text, "Through The Eyes of a Child," Norton gives criteria for evaluating multicultural children's literature. One of the questions Norton (2007) asks is, "Does the author avoid glamorizing or glorifying nonwhite characters?" which the author does not do in any way. The author accurately depicts the hardships that a teenage girl must overcome by having to experience less-than-ideal situations.

Reader Response Activity: A reader response activity that I would have students participate in regarding this book would be writing a poet about a time where they have felt frustrated with the curve balls that life will often throw at us. It is my hope that this reader response would have students be reflective and on their own experiences in relation to Xiomara's experiences and use the poetry assignment as an outlet to release their inner creativity, much like Xiomara did within the novel.

APA: Acevedo, E. (2018). The Poet X. Harper Collins.

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Readibility Lexile: HL800L

For more information visit: https://www.amazon.com/Poet-X-Elizabeth-Acevedo/dp/0062662805

Blog Requirements: Supports a diverse protagonist, Written in the last four years (2018).

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Summary: "A Long Walk to Water," written by Linda Sue Park is told by alternating between two stories. One of the stories details the life of Salva Dut in 1985 and the trials and tribulations he faced when he must leave his home in search of safety and refuge from the war going on in Sudan. The other story details the life of a young girl living in the year 2008 named Nya who must walk for miles each and every day to retrieve water for her family. Near the end, both of their stories collide in a deeply impactful way.

Target Audience: The target audience for this book would be students ranging in age from 10-12 years old, between 5th-7th grade. The main characters within the book are African American, making this a good form of representation of diverse cultures within the media. I think that students would really enjoy this book and learning about the lives of people from other parts of the world. It also may make students realize how much we take for-granted in the United States by reading about Nya's long treks just to simply get unclean water for her family everyday. While the experiences that Salva and Nya go through may not be entirely relatable to students, I still believe that they will become engaged with the plot and will love how the book ends with the two main characters meeting each other.

Evaluation Based on Donna Norton's Text: Within Donna Norton's (2007) text, "Through The Eyes of a Child," Norton gives criteria for evaluating multicultural children's literature. One of the questions Norton (2007) asks is, "Is the culture accurately portrayed?" (p. 79). I do believe that Park was able to accurately capture the details of Salva's life and the emotions that came with the challenging experiences he endured. In addition, in the back of the book at the end Salva actually wrote a brief description of the events and also shared more information on his organization "Water for South Sudan." While Linda Sue Park did not experience the culture herself, she is close friends with Salva who was able to provide her with insight on his culture and experiences.

Reader Response Activity: In regards to a reader response activity for this book, I would have the students use this opportunity to learn more about Salva's organization "Water for South Sudan." Students will be researching more about this organization and what exactly they do for South Sudan by implementing water wells within their communities. Then, I would have the students use what they've learned to write a reflective essay on the importance of this organization and the significance it has to Sudan.

APA: Sue Park, L. (2011). A Long Walk to Water. HMH Books for Young Readers.

Genre: Fictional Biography

Readibility Lexile: 720L

For more information visit: https://www.amazon.com/Long-Walk-Water-Based-Story/dp/0547577311

Blog Requirements: Supports a diverse protagonist, Informational Text (Fictional Biography).