Multicultural Bookshelf Organizer

Elizabeth Revelo

Book #1 Title & Image: Vamos! Let’s Go Eat by Raúl the Third

Annotated Bibliography: Third, R. (2020) Vamos! Let’s Go Eat. Versify.

The main character Little Lobo is looking forward to seeing a wrestling match with El Toro in
his busy border town. He gets lunch from the nearby luchador where he takes readers on a tour
to see the different foods made, quesadillas, Mexican-Korean tacos, and more. Be careful, this
book will leave you hungry!

Inclusive Perspectives: This background is Mexican or Latino. This book is both a mirror and a
window. It is a window because my non-Latino students can see into the comida of my
Latino’s students and cultures. This book is a mirror for my Latino students who can see their
food from their native country reflected in the book.

Readers Response Strategy:

Think-Pair-Share: A collaboration strategy that allows students to discuss their responses with
a peer while answering a question.

Book #2 Title & Image: Digging for Words by Angela Burke

Annotated Bibliography:

Kunkel, A. B. (2020) Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built.
Schwartz & Wade.

In Bogota, Columbia we follow the story of a middle-aged José Alberto Gutiérrez who is a
garbageman who collects books. On Saturdays, he opens up his home that he has turned into a
library. On Saturdays, all the local little children can come and leave with 1 book, therefore
building literacy and a love for a reading. This inspiring story will give you faith in humanity
again, just in case you lost it.

Inclusive Perspectives: The background is Colombian or South American. This story is a

mirror where students can see themselves in the lives of the children who visit Jose’s library.
Every child loves to read once they find a book they enjoy and every child can relate and see
themselves in the joy of finding a diamond in the rough.

Readers Response Strategy:

T-Chart: This strategy allows students to visually arrange and present information and show
the differences or similarities as well as effective note-taking. One column could be reflecting
on the older Jose and the other column can reflect on the younger Jose.

Book #3 Title & Image: The Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and
Artist by Julie Leung
Annotated Bibliography:

Leung, J. (2019) Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist.
Schwartz & Wade.

We follow the story of Tyrus Wong, a little boy who immigrated over to the United States
from China. He has a rough start when he is held for weeks, apart from his father, waiting for
interrogation and to be let into America. Finally, he is let through and as he grows up he finds
his love for creativity and art. As he becomes an adult, he goes to school to become a better
artist and how he was a part of the greatest cinematic movies of Disney’s time and he was not
credited. It shows the double standards of who deserves credit when you are not a person in
power, which is important for kids who are minorities to relate to. This story will make you
feel happy and want to start making art again, maybe hoping one day you yourself can be in
the MOMA.

Inclusive Perspectives: This book is a window that readers can see into the life of Tyrus Wong.
The background is Chinese-American.

Readers Response Strategy:

Talk Moves: Sentences frames or sentence starters to help students express ideas and interact
with each other. My students can use Talk Moves to talk about how Tyrus may have felt about
the double standards of his work and the fear of being separated from his family.

Book #4 Title & Image: The Every Body Book: THE LGBTQ+ Inclusive Book for Kids about
Sex, Gender, Bodies, and Families
Annotated Bibliography:

Simon, R. E. (2020) The Every Body Book: The LGBTQ+ Inclusive Book for Kids about Sex,
Gender, Bodies, and Families. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

This chapter book is very inclusive, wonderful, and awesome. It goes over everything, from
the two different definitions of sex both the verb and the noun, how gender is different from
sex, and how we should be accepting of different families. It has informational diagrams and
the author worked in collaboration with doctors and nurses to create this book. I would start
out by reading this book together if I had a child, but overall this is a great book. I even learned
something new, which scared my friend who’s a nurse. I would recommend this book!

Inclusive Perspectives: This book is a mirror that reflects the lives of the readers. This book is
very informational of how children grow and age through puberty and the ways they change.
The background is inclusive of LGBTQ+ humans as, the difference between gender and sex is
discussed very well and at an age appropriate level.

Readers Response Strategy:

Talk Moves: Sentences frames or sentence starters to help students express ideas and interact
with each other in an appropriate way. If I were to use this book, which I don’t anticipate, but
if I needed to, I’d use a specific chapter and guided reflection on changes in puberty and how
that can make students feel sometimes and how we can be kinder to each other during these
changes.

Book #5 Title & Image: The Arabic Quilt

Annotated Bibliography:

Khalil, A. (2020) The Arabic Quilt. Tilbury House Publishers.

We follow the story of Kanzi, a little girl who is an immigrant from Egypt who is starting the
first day of school. She is an Egyptian-American who loves to swim and write poetry and is in
the 3rd grade. She is surprised when her mother comes through the classroom door with her
lunchbox and Kanzi is teased by the other students when her mother talks bilingually. Her
classroom creates a beautiful paper quilt with all the student’s names written in Arabic where
everybody can see it. This beautiful paper quilt is inspired when the class learns about her
tieita’s beautiful, authentic quilt from Egypt. By the end of the story, the same student who
scoffed at her is more accepting and learns that they are not so different. It is a great story that
shows how people can speak non-English and still be American. Learning about different
cultures can unite us all and it is a beautiful thing.

Inclusive Perspectives: The author is also an immigrant who came from Eygpt to the US. This
book is a mirror, that reflects the realities of my students whose culture are sometimes rejected
and teased about. The story, in itself, however is a sliding glass door as the children hear
Kanzi’s poem and create their own quilt in Arabic. The background is Egyptian-American.

Readers Response Strategy:

Hot Seat: One student will be sitting in front of the rest of the class, the student responds to
classmates’ questions while staying in character in that role. This can be expanded into a few
students taking on different characters and acting as them. This can create a meaningful
connection with empathizing with Kanzi and how she felt when she was rejected as well as
how she felt when her culture inspired other projects.
Book #6 Title & Image: Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura
Belpré

Annotated Bibliography: Denise, A. A. (2019) Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and
Storyteller Pura Belpré. HarperCollins.

This picture book follows Pura Belpré, in 1921, who immigrates from Puerto Rico to New
York with the stories her abuela taught her. She takes a new job at the local library where she
can speak English, Spanish, and French. She finds no books from Puerto Rico in the library. In
the children’s room, she elaborately describes the stories she learned growing up. Her life’s
work becomes to plant new seeds of stories and folktales in English and Spanish and she soon
becomes a published author, where her stories reach even more hearts. By the end of the book,
when she finally returns to New York, she sees the inspirational movement she’s started and
how it’s grown with stories from other cultures as well. This book is a beautiful way to
illustrate how one person can change a community, planting and collecting stories.

Inclusive Perspectives: This story is a window, where readers can peer into the immigrant life
of Pura Belpré. A few of my students are young immigrants so those students can relate to the
feelings she felt when she came to the US and holding onto the stories of their family’s culture.
The background is Latina-American.

Readers Response Strategy:

KWL Chart: A three column chart that reflects what students know, want to learn, and what
the have learned. This can create a meaningful connection in comprehension and with Latino
cultures.