Esperanza Rising

Author:  Pam Munoz Ryan, 2000, Scholastic

Esperanza Rising is the story of a privileged young Mexican girl, her servants, and their radical life change.  Esperanza Ortega is the daughter of a wealthy ranch owner in Aguascalientes, Mexico.  She means everything to her father, and he dies suddenly after being attacked by bandits.  Her whole life changes instantly when her greedy uncles take over the ranch, burn it to the ground, and force Esperanza, her mother, and their servants out of the country when one of the uncles imposes marriage on Esperanza's mother.  Alfonso and Hortensia, the servants, and their son, Miguel, take Esperanza and her mother to the United States, but they had to leave Abuelita behind due to an illness.  Esperanza finds her place in a whole new world, one in which she must work to provide for her family.  She is used to ordering people around, but now, she is equal to her former servants.  When her mother falls ill with Valley Fever, Esperanza desperately longs for her to get well, and she eventually does.  Secretly, Miguel goes back to Mexico to retrieve Abuelita many months after they fled.  When the family is together again, so is Esperanza's heart.

I thought this was a poignant story of major life changes, heartache, and new friendships.  Esperanza embodies the idea that present circumstances are not set in stone for ever.  I was saddened by the reasons for her life change, but I think she embraced them as best as she could.  This would be an excellent reading choice for upper elementary and junior high students.  I think the boys would like it, even though it features a female protagonist.  It is especially indicative of the time period, and, while it is difficult to imagine, it tells a real story in a fictional way.

Weedflower

Author:  Cynthia Kadohata, 2006, Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Cynthia Kadohata takes her readers on a trip of sadness and heartbreak in the book Weedflower.  Twelve-year-old Sumiko and her six-year-old brother Tak-Tak live with their aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandfather on their flower farm in California.  Sumiko and Tak-Tak came into their relatives' care when their parents perished in a car accident.  Their family unit is very strong, and their main struggle is to fit in with the rest of the world.  That is not a big issue, however, until December 7, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.  Suddenly, Japanese-Americans become the target of hostility, racism, and segregation.  Sumiko's uncle and grandfather are moved to a work camp in North Dakota, and the rest of her family, including Sumiko, are shipped to Poston, Ariz. where there is a permanent relocation site for Japanese.  As far as the reader knows, Sumiko never returns to her home in California; rather, she spends many days in Poston, then moves near Chicago.  During her time in Poston, Sumiko makes many friends, and it is sad when she has to leave them behind.  This was a time of great sorrow for Japanese-Americans as they were treated like baggage instead of human beings.

I loved this book from cover to cover.  When I started reading, I did not realize that the setting was December, 1941, so I had no idea what was ahead.  Sumiko struggles to fit in with her peers, but she finds steadfast love and friendship in Poston.  I was amazed by how caring Sumiko was to Tak-Tak.  Tak-Tak seemed innocent and trusting, and he followed his sister everywhere.  Through the heartbreak of losing their parents to being relocated in a concentration camp, Sumiko and her brother never seemed to lose hope in the future.  Honestly, I do not know if I would have been as calm as Sumiko had I been in the same situation.  Looking back, some of the greatest injustices in history were done to some of the most innocent people, and Weedflower documents a story of strength, trust, and determination through a time of injustice.  For that reason, I will always remember this book.    

The Cats in Krasinski Square

Author:       Karen Hesse, 2004, Scholastic
Illustrator:  Wendy Watson
Genre Study--Historical Fiction

I must be honest:  I know very little about the non-American portions of World War II.  For someone who loves history, I need to study that period more closely.  Recently while doing so, I came across a fantastic piece of historical fiction called The Cats in Krasinski Square.  If the book included a time stamp, it would be set in Poland in the late-1930's and early-1940's.  A little girl who has escaped from a Jewish ghetto blends with the people of Warsaw.  She and her sister plan to sneak food into the ghetto but hear rumblings that the Gestapo (German State Police) will be at the train station with dogs to sniff for food.  The little girl cannot be outwitted, however, and she uses cats she feeds in Krasinski Square to lure the dogs away from the train station, thereby allowing the sisters to take food to their Jewish friends.

A book like this takes me back to a different time.  I assume a different mindset; one that allows me to empathize with people such as this little girl.  This was a horrible period in world history, and children who read this book will gain a tiny bit of insight into the life of a refugee.  In addition, there is a historical note included in the back of the book that gives information about Jews living in Poland.  I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a piece of historical fiction for middle and upper-elementary students.

Woods Runner

Author:  Gary Paulsen, 2010, Random House
Rebecca Caudill Award Winner - Illinois (2012)

All Stations! Distress!

Author:   Don Brown, 2008, FlashPoint (Roaring Brook Press)
Bluestem Award - Illinois (2012)

On the evening of April 14, 2012, the world will recognize that 100 years have passed sinced the Titanic began to sink in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean.  This book accurately portrays the events surrounding that fateful journey by allowing the reader to visualize exactly what happened.  The author uses direct quotations from passengers and crew members who lived to tell a tale of horror, distress, sadness, and for some, survival.  The illustrations, most likely created by the author himself, give a brief glimpse into the lives of Titanic passengers.  Some were prestigious and well-to-do; some were "poor, yet ambitious," traveling to America as immigrants at the beginning of a new century.  The pictures show men, women, and children of all different classes enjoying the amenities of a world-class luxury liner.

But that luxury liner would never make it to America.  The Titanic would hit an iceberg and sink two miles beneath the ocean's surface.  I enjoyed when the author mentioned specific people who were traveling on the ship.  For example, Isidor and Ida Straus, owners of Macy's Department Store, were ones who unfortunately perished.  This was new information to me.  I enjoy shopping at Macy's, and I had no idea that the owners of an iconic American store were part of the Titanic's guest list.  This is proof that literature work for children can be more than entertainment:  It can be factual. 

Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book.  I would even venture to say that adults will like it too.  Instead of probing through countless sources of information to find out the gist of what happened aboard the Titanic on April 14-15, 1912, one could start with this truthful, accurate account in a very interesting place:  A children's book.