Megan Woodford

Multicultural Text Set Assignment

Section 4

1. The Name Jar

Written and illustrated by: Yangsook Choi
This book is a book about a child who has just moved from Korea and is worried about her peers not
being able to pronounce her name. Instead of introducing herself right away, she spends the first week
trying out and finding a different American name to be called. Other students help to fill a jar with
names. One day a peer finds out her real name and knows it has a special meaning. When she
discovers that she cannot find the name jar on the day she was going to decide on a name, she is
encouraged by her friends to use her real name and she helps them all pronounce it.
Early elementary
Differences, identity, social
questions about difference and identity underlie Unheis consideration of taking an American name
rather than using her given Korean name at school.
The Name Jar encourages a consideration of assimilation, particularly cultural assimilation, one
example of which is often the changing of ones name.-
http://www.teachingchildrenphilosophy.org/BookModule/TheNameJar
A lesson that could be implemented with this book is talking about differences and how society works
to accept everyone around them, but this can sometimes also lead to isolation of specific groups of
people.
SOLs related: English
1.5 The student will apply knowledge of how print is organized and read.
a) Read from left to right and from top to bottom.
b) Match spoken words with print.
c) Identify letters, words, sentences, and ending punctuation.
d) Read his/her own writing.

2. Click, Clack, Moo

Written by: Doreen Cronin, Illustrated by: Betsy Lewin
This book is about Farmer Brown and his cows who type all day long. The cows want things from the
farmer, but the farmer doesnt give them to him. The cows then refuse and the other animals follow
and it continues on.
Early elementary
Lifestyles
Children can learn about the different lifestyles of people by hearing about how farmers live in this
book. Some children may not know that farmers live on a farm and have animals that provide typical
things that can be bought from the grocery store.
A lesson that could be implemented with this book is talking about different types of communities
(rural, urban, suburban) and how they live differently or the same and then discuss the different things
that are within a community and the kind of community each of us live in.
SOLs related: (Geography)
1.6 The student will describe how the location of his/her community, climate, and physical
surroundings affect the way people live, including their food, clothing, shelter, transportation, and
recreation.

3. Grace For President

Written by: Kelly DiPucchio, Illustrated by: LeUyen Pham
This book is about a girl wanting to become the first female president and she runs for a mock election
in her own school. She runs against a boy who is popular but she stays focused and remembers to be
the better person.
Early elementary
American governmental system
Children can learn about the American electoral system, the value of hard work, courage, and even to
have independent thought.
 A lesson that could be done with this book could be a mock election in the classroom. They could learn
all about the process in a more simplistic way and talk about character building and citizenship while
doing it.
SOLs related: Civics
1.10 The student will apply the traits of a good citizen by
f) Participating in classroom decision-making through voting.

4. Amazing Grace
Written by: Mary Hoffman, Illustrated by: Caroline Binch
This book is about a little girl who loves all kinds of different stories. She loves to act them out and
play the parts in them. Her school is putting on the play Peter Pan and she wants to play the part of
Peter Pan. Her classmates point out that Peter was a boy and white so she couldnt be that part. She
learns that she can be anything she wants to be and steals the show.
Early elementary
Prejudice and tolerance
Children can learn that you can be anything you want to be no matter what you look like, what
background you may come from, or your state of being. They learn about pride and self-esteem and
how to be an individual.
A lesson plan to go along with this could be to create a caring manual demonstrating the different
ways they show care for each other and those they love in the same way her mom and Nana supported
her in the book.
SOLs related: English
1.13 The student will write to communicate ideas for a variety of purposes.
a) Generate ideas.
b) Focus on one topic.

5. New Shoes
Written by: Susan Lynn Meyer, Illustrated by: Eric Velasquez
This book is about the time of segregation and how a girl is not allowed to go try on/buy new shoes
because of the color of her skin. She and a friend clean old shoes and make them nice to sell to those
African Americans in the community who also cannot buy new shoes in the store.
1st-4th
Prejudice and racism
Children can learn about segregation and how blacks were treated unfairly before laws were put into
place.
A lesson plan to go along with this book could be a written assignment for the students to write a
journal about a time they felt like they were getting treated unfairly and to talk about how they felt.
SOLs related: English
3.9 The student will write for a variety of purposes.
a. Identify the intended audience.
b. Use a variety of prewriting strategies.
c. Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.
d. Write a paragraph on the same topic.

6. Drum Dream Girl

Written by: Margarita Engle, Illustrated by: Rafael Lopez
This book is about a little girl who lives around a lot of drummers, but in her society she is not allowed
to be one because she is a girl. She would love to be a drummer, but she has to hide from everyone
when she does. Her music was heard one day and everyone loved it and danced to it. After that, all
boys and girls were allowed to drum.
Early elementary
Girls and women
Children can learn that different cultures have different societal rules and that women and girls are not
always valued everywhere.
 A lesson that could be implemented with this is a creative one. You could have each child create a
drum unique to them at home and bring it in to play together and create a song (poem) as a class with
the drums that talks about all of their differences.
SOLs related: (Music)
3.4 The student will perform rhythmic patterns

7. Last Stop on Market Street

Written by: Matt De La Pena, Illustrated by: Christian Robinson
This book is about a boy and his grandma riding around the city on a bus. The boy asks many
questions about why he doesnt have the things his friend has. Throughout the ride grandma gives him
examples of things that are much more fun and enjoyable in the world around them than just
materialistic things.
3rd- 5th
Poverty
Children can learn that not everyone can have everything materialistically and that that is okay. There
is much more to the world than just money and things.
A lesson that could be used with this book could be a creative writing activity that encourages the
students to think about a time that they really wanted something (ie a toy, candy, etc.) but couldnt get
it. Then, they follow up on that answer with writing about what things are enjoyable around them that
could be just as fun as that toy or thing they wanted and couldnt get to replace it .
SOLs related: English
3.9 The student will write for a variety of purposes.
e. Write a clear topic sentence focusing on the main idea.
f. Write a paragraph on the same topic.

8. One of a Kind, Like Me

Written by: Laurin Mayeno, Illustrated by: Robert Liu-Trujillo
This book is a bilingual book about a boy who wants to be a princess for the schools parade. His
mother takes him to the thrift store to help and fine his costume
Early childhood
Gender Bias
Children can learn that just because you are a boy or a girl doesnt mean anything. You can be
whoever you want to be and it is okay to do that.
A lesson that could be used with this book could be creating a class book all together with drawings
from the students of their self-portrait. The book would be called, One of a kind like US!
There are no SOLs for Pre-K, however I think that this is a great lesson for creativity and helping them
express emotion through fine motor skills.
9. And Tango Makes Three
Written by: Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, Illustrated by: Henry Cole
This is a book about a penguin family who have a child but are both males. When the zoo keeper sees
them attempt to hatch a rock as if it were an egg, he gives them a fertile egg that can then be theirs.
The chick is named Tango because it takes two to make a tango.
Early childhood
Different families
Children can learn and discuss about what constitutes a family and what makes a person unique.
A lesson that could be used with this book could be having children create a family tree with all of
their immediate family members on it. When they tell each other about it, they can share what they like
about their family members.
There are no SOLs for Pre-K, however I think that this is a great lesson for creativity and teaching
about families. It also helps them express themselves and show who they are and where they come
from.

10. Alfredito Flies Home

Written by: Jorge Argueta, Illustrated by: Luis Garay
 This is a book about a boy named Alfredito who is going to El Salvador for Christmas and it will be
their first time flying. They were refugees so they left on foot. They go home and soar over the Earth to
go meet up with the family and friends from home.
Early childhood
Social
Children can learn that different people may live in other countries and have family from there. They
can learn that some people have to fly on a plane to see their extended families.
A lesson that could be used with this book could be a big airplane diagram that represents traveling to
family. Inside the plane, the children can go home and ask their parents where they go to see family
and then come back and write all of the places they travel to go see other family members.
There are no SOLs for Pre-K, however I think that this is a great lesson for children to explore their
own families more and for children to understand that not everyones families and social lives are the
same. Some people are different than others.