BIBLIOGRAPHY

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. Habibi: a novel. New York: Simon Pulse. ISBN 9780689801495

PLOT SUMMARY

Liyana is 14-years old when her native Palestinian father decides to relocate his family from the United States to Jerusalem. Even before the family’s departure from the states, Liyana receives a glimpse into her future. Her father refuses to let her take a pair of shorts that she loves, and most of their possessions are sold or left behind in storage. Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, things are not quite as peaceful as Liyana’s father believed. Palestinians are still looked upon with distrust by Israelis, and friendships with Jews are culturally forbidden. Liyana’s family is large and unknown and impossible to understand unless her father is there to translate. When Liyana meets Omer, she realizes that she does not miss her home in the United States as much as she did, but when she discovers that her father has been arrested and jailed for defying Israeli soldiers, she discovers a new strength in herself and begins to face the future and the changes that will be required for her to be successful in her father’s country.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

From the beginning of the story, the author immerses readers in the richness and tradition of the Palestinian culture. Although Liyana and her family have lived in the United States her entire life, their beliefs and traditions remain deeply rooted in their lives. When the time comes to transition to their new home, Liyana begins to understand the history that has kept her father bound to his homeland.

Although skin tone is not discussed in the story, Liyana does describe her mother’s skin as two shades lighter than Poppy’s and mentions that both she and her brother Rafik had inherited Poppy’s olive skin. Nye uses colorful language to describe the clothing worn by Liyana’s father’s family. “The women’s long dresses were made of thick fabrics, purple, gold, and navy blue, and stitched brightly with fabulous, complicated embroidery.” “Two of the older uncles, Zaki and Daoud, wore black-and white-checkered kaffiyehs on their heads….” It is descriptions such as this that let readers go beyond simply visiting Jerusalem and help them become part of the story, observing from the sidelines, but still completely involved.

Much of the story is told about mealtimes. In the story, as in the Arab culture, food is not only what is eaten to sustain life, but is prepared, served, and eaten in a way that celebrates the culture and traditions that are uniquely Middle Eastern. From lentils and saffron to lamb chunks and stuffed grape leaves, the family makes each meal an occasion for reconnecting and getting to know each other better.

Religious customs, although not an obvious focal point, are as important to the plotline as the characters and setting. Through Nye’s description and emotive narration, readers are convinced of religion as its own character in the novel. “A muezzin gave the last call to prayer of the day over a loudspeaker from the nearby mosque and all the relatives rose up in unison and turned their back on Liyana’s family. They unrolled small blue prayer rugs from a shelf, then knelt, stood, and knelt again, touching foreheads to the ground, saying their prayers in low voices.” Nye makes the point that the family did not mind that Liyana, Rafik and their parents were staring at them. This indicates that the religious demonstration is part of the family’s daily life. In addition to the religious practices displayed by Liyana’s Palestinian family, Liyana’s family attends a few celebrations and religious locations of their own in the course of the story. Liyana’s mother cries when the family visits the chapel of Calvary, the Garden of Gethsemane, and The Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and the entire family feels the joy of Christmas when they stand in line at the Church of the Nativity at midnight on Christmas Eve. Throughout the story, readers will notice Nye’s use of Arab forms of address—Liyana calls her father Poppy and her grandmother Sitti, similar to the American addresses Daddy and Grandma. Additionally, native language is used by all characters, infusing both Arabic and Israeli vocabulary into Liyana’s story.

Nye shares Liyana’s thoughts and feelings in a way that demonstrates respect for unknown customs and a willingness to draw new lines in dealing with others. Habibi is a novel ahead of its time, inspiring readers with hope for the future, and confidence in the young people that will write their own version of history as they grow.

REVIEW EXCERPTS Nye introduces readers to unforgettable characters. The setting is both sensory and tangible: from the grandmother’s village to a Bedouin camp. Above all, there is Jerusalem itself, where ancient tensions seep out of cracks and Liyana explores the streets practicing her Arabic vocabulary. Though the story begins at a leisurely pace, readers will be engaged by the characters, the romance, and the foreshadowed danger. Poetically imaged and leavened with humor, the story renders layered and complex history understandable through character and incident. Habibi succeeds in making the hope for peace compellingly personal and concrete…as long as individual citizens like Liyana’s grandmother Sitti can say, “I never lost my peace inside.”

Kirkus Reviews. In her first novel, Nye (with Paul Janeczko, I Feel a Little Jumpy Around You, 1996, etc.) shows all of the charms and flaws of the old city through unique, short-story-like chapters and poetic language. The sights, sounds, and smells of Jerusalem drift through the pages and readers glean a sense of current Palestinian-Israeli relations and the region’s troubled history. In the process, some of the passages become quite ponderous while the human story- -Liyana’s emotional adjustments in the later chapters and her American mother’s reactions overall–fall away from the plot. However, Liyana’s romance with an Israeli boy develops warmly, and readers are left with hope for change and peace as Liyana makes the city her very own.

CONNECTIONS

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Look for these other books about Arab countries:

Ellis, Deborah. The breadwinner. ISBN 9780888994196

Nye, Naomi Shihab. The flag of childhood: poems of the Middle East. ISBN 9780689851728

Oppenheim, Shulamith Levey. The hundredth name. ISBN 978 9780613034937

Winter, Jeanette. The librarian of Basra: a true story from Iraq. ISBN 0152054456

Heide, Florence Parry and Judith Heide Gilliland. The day of Ahmed’s secret. ISBN 9780688088941

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Say, Allen. 1991. Tree of cranes. New York: Hyperion Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 039552024X

PLOT SUMMARY

The main character in the story begins his narration by remembering the last day he visited the pond that was close to his home. Although his mother had warned him of the dangers many times, he still went. The day was cold and gray, “too cold for the fish to move around”. Instead of watching fish, he caught a chill. When he got home, he was surprised that his mother was not there to greet him because she had always greeted him before. He found her in the living room folding origami paper into cranes. After a hot lunch of rice gruel, the boy finds his mother in the garden digging up the tree that was planted to celebrate the boy’s birth. The confused boy promises to sit quietly if his mother will explain why she has been acting strange on this day—“seven days before the New Year’s Day”. His mother explains that in California where she grew up, this was a very special day. Everywhere you looked you would see trees decorated with bright lights and globes of gold and silver. The boy listens quietly as his mother explains Christmas and its traditions and falls asleep dreaming of a samurai kite. The paintings by Say afford serenity and peace to this touching tale of a mother sharing her childhood memories of a special season with her son.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Tree of Cranes is a tribute to the American holiday of Christmas, told by a master storyteller who understands both the American customs of Christmas and the Japanese customs of respecting your elders. With this story, Say effectively spins a bridge that spans the two cultures, giving readers a glimpse of a world alive with customs and traditions. The text is written with a peaceful tone, which provides an excellent backdrop for the paintings that do more to illustrate the Japanese way of life than does the text.

Only three characters are shown in the book, three members of the same family. The skin tones are similar as is the color of each character’s hair. The hairstyle of the mother in the story is conservative, yet chic enough to be seen in Japan or California today. The father and the young boy both have dark hair worn in a conservative style that is both respectful and timeless.

The surroundings of both home and nature are illustrated in neutral colors, emphasized here and there by the bright red of the boy’s scarf of the deep green of the pine tree that was planted on the day he was born. The neutral colors that dominate the illustrations beautifully illustrate the sense of peace and tranquility that rules the Japanese culture.

From the wooden tub where the boy is sent to warm up after his outdoor adventure to the sparse furnishings of the home and the slippers worn by both mother and father, Say brings a traditionally American holiday to the East with a “laudable sensitivity to Eastern and Western cultures—and to both the differences and similarities between them” (Publishers Weekly, 1991).

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Kirkus Reviews. When the young Japanese narrator comes home with a cold after playing in a forbidden pond, his mother “barely looks at him” and puts him into a hot bath and then to bed without so much as a story. She’s busy folding silver paper cranes; later, she brings in the little pine planted when the boy was born and decorates it with candles and the cranes, explaining for the first time how she celebrated Christmas in California, where she grew up.

Publishers Weekly. Heedless of Mama’s warnings, a Japanese boy cannot resist playing at an ice-cold pond “filled with carp of bright colors.” When he comes home, he is immediately treated for a cold, with a hot bath and rice gruel. His mother’s attitude chills him more than the weather, though; he cannot understand why she seems to be ignoring him. Hearing a noise in the garden, the boy spies Mama digging up the pine tree that was planted when he was born. She brings it inside and decorates it with paper cranes and candles. It is a Christmas tree, the first for the boy, and the first in many years for his mother, who tells her son she comes from “a warm place called Ca-li-for-ni-a.”

CONNECTIONS

This is a wonderful story to introduce customs and holidays from Japan and America. It could also be used as a read aloud to interest students in biculturalism.  

Look for these other stories by Allen Say:

Say, Allen. Kamishibai man. ISBN 978-0618479542

Say, Allen. The ink-keeper’s apprentice. ISBN 978-0395705629

Say, Allen. Tea with milk. ISBN 978-0395978603

Say, Allen. Under the cherry blossom tree: an old Japanese tale. ISBN 978-0395845462

Say, Allen. Emma’s rug. ISBN 978-0395742945

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Namioka, Lensey. 1995. Yang the third and her impossible family. Ill. by Kees de Kiefte. New York: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 0316597260

PLOT SUMMARY

In this sequel to Namioka’s Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear, the focus of the story shifts from “Fourth Brother” to “Third Sister”, Yingmei. Yingmei is trying hard to find her place in America after her family’s move from China. Although Yingmei is not shy, she is finding it difficult to find a best friend at school, and, has begun going by the name “Mary” to the other students. After seeing the resemblance between Holly Hanson and the princess on her candy box, Yingmei decides that Holly will be her new friend. It seems no matter how hard she tries to be friends with Holly, Yingmei’s family continues to embarrass her by their lack of knowledge about Americans and their customs and traditions. When Holly is worried about finding a home for a kitten, Yingmei volunteers to take her home without her parents’ knowledge. Yingmei continues to use the kitten as a conversation-opener with Holly, and finds herself accepted in the group, even though she is not sure she likes Kim, Holly’s best friend since kindergarten. With Kim’s help, Yingmei begins to see Holly, not as a princess, but as a spoiled child that she is not certain she wants to be associated with. Through her discovery of herself and her place in her new home, Yingmei rediscovers her respect for her family and her culture and receives a new respect for herself as well. The occasional pen and ink illustrations by de Kiefte highlight the personality of the characters, from Older Sister who is defiantly proud of her Chinese heritage, to Fourth Brother who enjoys being called “Sprout” by his American friends. Readers will find clues to a rich cultural heritage as they laugh along with the exploits of Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

“Since coming to this country, we have tried our best to do everything properly, but when Mother heard that preparing a Thanksgiving dinner involved roasting a turkey, she was horrified” (Namioka, 1995). Although most of the Yang family tried their best to fit in their new home, the cultures and traditions of the much younger United States make fitting in seem almost impossible. Throughout this story, Namioka relates Chinese traditions in a way that will inform readers without overwhelming them.

The form of address that Namioka uses throughout the book to refer to the siblings in the Yang family brings to mind a more traditional form of address than is typically seen in Chinese American families. From Oldest Brother and Second Sister to Fourth Brother and Third Sister, the children never use the names that they were given and are only called by their names by their new American neighbors.

When Yingmei shows embarrassment at her father’s speech patterns—“Where we live, the lice glows near the liver” rather than the rice grows near the river, Namioka is giving rise to the same stereotypes that have kept Asian Pacific Americans feeling foreign in the United States. Yingmei shows embarrassment at her family throughout the story, all for exhibiting a stereotypical behavior. Oldest Brother is more interested in music and school than in playing sports, making him a “nerd” to the American boys. Second Sister prefers to dress in her “Chinese clothes” including cloth shoes with a hole in them. Only Yingmei and Youngest Brother seem to escape these stereotypes by Americanizing themselves, occasionally by giving up pieces of their heritage.

The occasional illustrations by de Kiefte show the Yang family with varying hairstyles rather than typical ones, and physical characteristics such as face shape and body type are different between the members of the family. Other characters are also shown as individuals, although without added detail that would make identification of characters easier for readers.

Although Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family does not show the wit and humor that is evident in Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear, Namioka continues her story of the Yang family in a way that will endear them all to readers and make them look forward to the next installment of the Yang family.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

School Library Journal. Yingmei (a.k.a. Mary) Yang, the third of four children, tries to communicate the dichotomous feelings of a young Chinese girl, newly immigrated to the U.S., who is working hard to fit in, but whose efforts seem to be held back by the mannerisms and traditions of her family, the musical Yangs. Torn by her feelings of both pride and embarrassment for them, and yearning to win the friendship of a popular blonde schoolmate, Mary agrees to take one of Holly’s cat’s kittens, although she knows her family does not want pets because they fear animals would damage their expensive instruments.

Booklist. In Namioka’s popular comedy about a newly arrived Chinese family in Seattle, Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear (1992), the focus is on the immigrant son who prefers baseball to playing the violin with his musical family. Now the point of view switches to that of his sister Yingmei (Mary), who is desperately trying to be an American. Unfortunately, her family keeps disgracing her in public. Even while Mary is studying table manners and learning phrases and trying to make it with the in-crowd, her mother thinks it’s polite to compliment a guest on being old and fat, her father mispronounces words, and her sister dresses Chinese.

CONNECTIONS

A recurring theme in multicultural literature about Asian Pacific Americans is the adjustment to a bicultural way of life—respecting your history without compromising your present. This story can be used to discuss ways that students can be more accepting of other cultures as well as using multiculturalism to explore other ways of life.   

Look for these other stories about Chinese Americans:

Wong, Janet. Apple pie 4^th of July. ISBN 9780152025434

Wong, Janet. This next New Year. ISBN 9780374355036

Lin, Grace. Bringing in the New Year.  ISBN 0375837450

Lin, grace. Fortune cookie fortunes. ISBN 0440421926

Namioka, Lensey. Half and half. ISBN 0440418909

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bruchac, Joseph. 2002. Seasons of the circle: a Native American year. Ill. by Robert F. Goetzl. New York: BridgeWater Books. ISBN 0816774676

PLOT SUMMARY

Joseph Bruchac shares with readers time-honored traditions of several Native American tribes, beginning in January, when “Maliseet hunters follow the tracks of the moose through crusted snow” and ending in December, when “a Lakota elder tells stories of when earth was young.” In an author’s note at the beginning of the book, Bruchac details the importance of the circle, the seasons, and the traditions that the included tribes follow each year. Also included is a pronunciation guide and more detailed explanations of the customs and their importance to the tribes. Readers will also find a map of the United States with locations of the various tribes labeled. The extraordinary paintings that illustrate the text provide a more intimate look at the customs and traditions that pervade the culture of Native Americans. Each two-page spread shows both traditional and modern peoples celebrating the seasons of the year, the phases of the moon, and the way of life that has kept them strong throughout history.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

Throughout Seasons of the Circle, Bruchac uses a lyrical, almost poetic tone to inform readers of various traditions and cultures celebrated by North American Native American tribes. Each month is detailed with a different tribe paying tribute to Mother Earth and the traditions and cultures that make them each a community. Although Native American dialect is not used in relating the traditions, the author did provide additions to the book, one of which is a meaning and pronunciation of tribal names. In this guide, Bruchac gives more information about each season as well as the tribal customs that are used to celebrate and honor the specific time of year. Another informative addition is the list of Moon Names by month for the Mohawks, Lakotas and Suquamish tribes. The names given by each tribe more effectively describe the time of year and the happenings during that time.

The illustrations by Goetzl complement the expressive text and honor each tribe and their customs with respect. The earth tones used in each two-page spread remind readers that Mother Earth plays a very important role in the lives of all Native Americans. Although readers will see similarities in facial features between the tribes, Goetzl portrays the Native Americans with varying body types and facial features. The skin tones of the characters, although typically darker, cover a variety of shades, providing added individuality for the illustrations. Additionally, the hairstyles of the characters are not identical. Although some Native American men are seen with feathers in their hair, most are shown with hoods, hats, or short hair as one would expect to see today. The women are also portrayed with different body types and hairstyles, some with no adornments, others with braids, and still others with ponytails or pigtails.

Characters of many ages are shown, from young babies being held by mothers to aged men and women sharing their years of experiences with younger tribal members. Additionally, the clothing styles and settings of the illustrations portray both traditional and modern representations of the tribes. Although the general environment of the illustrations leans toward the rural, many of the settings also show buildings and other urban sights, illustrating without words that although there is a history of celebrating seasons, the traditions do not prevent the Native Americans from contributing to society today while still staying true to their culture and heritage.

Together, the text and illustrations meld to provide readers with a respectful and informative look at several Native American tribes and their people. This book is a wonderful addition to libraries and will provide readers with a brief overview of a calendar year and the seasons that mark the circle of time.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Booklist. From Maliseet hunters following moose tracks in the snow in January to a Lakota elder’s winter tales during a cold December evening, this lyrical tribute to American tribal nations cuts across the seasons. Pictures of Lenape women gathering sap from trees in April, Apache celebrating a girl’s journey into womanhood in July, and Menominee harvesting rice as they paddle through the cool September water sweep across double-page spreads to make this book both pleasing to look at and informative.

Kirkus Reviews. The prolific chronicler of Indian culture for children tries to distill a complicated set of cultural signals into the great circle of the seasons. In doing so, this package falls victim to its own reductionism and in the end serves up little more value than as an introduction to young children of the different tribes and key moments in their years.

CONNECTIONS

Readers can compare the year of Native Americans with customs and traditions celebrated during their own calendar year. This could also be used in a unit or discussion of calendars around the world.

Look for these other Native American books by Joseph Bruchac:

Bruchac, Joseph. Code talker: a novel about the Navajo marines of World War II. ISBN 9780142405963

Bruchac, Joseph. Skeleton man. ISBN 9780064408882

Bruchac, Joseph. Sacajawea: the story of Bird Woman and the Lewis and Clark expedition. ISBN 9780439280686

Bruchac, Joseph. First strawberries: a Cherokee story. ISBN 9780140564099

Bruchac, Joseph. Between Earth & sky: legends of Native American sacred places. ISBN 9780152020620

Sis, Peter. Madlenka. 2000. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.Madlenka lives “in the universe, on a planet, on a continent, in a country, in a city, on a block, in a house, in a window, in the rain”, and Madlenka has a loose tooth. With the excitement that comes with losing a first tooth, Madlenka wants to tell all her friends in the neighborhood in which she lives. She runs from neighbor to neighbor, accepting congratulations, and takes a trip around the world as she visits. As Madlenka visits each of her neighbors, the illustrations take us from the neighborhood to each neighbor’s home country. While visiting Mr. Gaston, the French baker, Madlenka visits Paris and the Eiffel Tower. From Mr. Singh in India, to Mrs. Kham in Asia, Madlenka visits different parts of the world as she tells each of her neighbors about her loose tooth. As each visit unfolds, Sis highlights both the expected and unexpected sites in each country with simple lined drawings that transform into more detailed illustrations with a simple turn of the page. Sis’ illustrations, along with his international greetings send readers around the world without leaving their seats.