LS 5653 - Culture 6-IN OUR MOTHERS' HOUSE

BIBLOGRAPHY

Polacco, Patricia. 2009. IN OUR MOTHERS' HOUSE.New York: Phiomel Books. ISBN: 978-0-399-25076-7.

PLOT SUMMARY

This is a story about two women partners, Meema and Marmee, who adopt three children. The story is narrated by the eldest daughter who is African American. Her siblings are Will, oriental, and Millie, white with red hair. Meema is a doctor of Italian descent and loves to sew. Marmee is a paramedic and keeps the house organized and loves to clean. The story talks about how they play old records, slide down the banister, make memories in front of the clinker brick fireplace, learn to cook Gnocci with Nonno who is Meema’s father. The story also includes the character of Mrs. Lockner who does not like their family relationship and is very vocal about it especially at the neighborhood block party. The narrator describes the situation as that the children do not understand what the problem is all about. The story finishes with all three children marrying into a heterosexual relationship with someone who has similar skin tones and features. The narrator tells of the passing of Meema and Marmee and how Will now lives in the house and is raising his family.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This text covers a controversial subject matter with same sex parenting. The author does an excellent job at simply explaining everyday life with only a few incidents of less tolerant neighbors. It is positive that even the extended family is included in the story and the children have good memories of them. The story’s ending is interesting that all of the children marry and one of them moves into the house with his family. It is one way to show that same sex parents did not influence their children’s relationship decisions.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Children’s Literature – “The family "in our mothers' house" is like many others, filled with love and fun, clearly seen in the smiling characters on the jacket. It is unusual only in that there are two mothers.”

School Library Journal- “This gem of a book illustrates how love makes a family, even if it's not a traditional one. The narrator, a black girl, describes how her two Caucasian mothers, Marmee and Meema, adopted her, her Asian brother, and her red-headed sister. She tells about the wonderful times they have growing up in Berkeley, CA.”

CONNECTIONS

This book touches on controversial subject matter. As a teacher I would not bring this topic up on my own. If a student asked then a discussion about different types of families could follow.

Website - http://lesbianfamily.org/
Website - http://www.prideandjoyfamilies.org/
Website – P.F.L.A.G.- http://community.pflag.org/Page.aspx?pid=194&srcid=-2
Kaeser, Gigi and Gillespie, Peggy. LOVE MAKES A FAMILY:PORTRIATS OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PARENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. ISBN: 1558491619.

Book cover image from Barnes & Noble.

LS 5653-Culture 6 - JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY

BIBLOGRAPHY

Gantos, Jack. 1998. JOEY PIGZA SWALLOWED THE KEY. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN: 0-374-33664-4.

PLOT SUMMARY

Joey Pigza is a delightful young boy who has an attention problem. He tries to attend regular school and varying events cause him to visit the Special Education room downstairs. He tries to calm down and his mother had taken him to the doctor for medication. Sometime after he was born his father and mother left him with his paternal grandmother. She asked him to do many things which sometimes scared him and sometimes made him happy. His mother finally returned and the grandmother left. The mother tries hard to teach Joey and help him but his attention disorder is a huge problem. There is a very bad accident at school and Joey is suspended to the Special Education Building downtown. Joey is scared but then sees many students who are “more messed up” then he is on his worst day. They try and help him at the center and he gets to see a different doctor who gets him different medication that seems to work better. After six weeks he is able to return to a mainstream classroom with visits to the Special Education room in the building. Joey and his Mother learn a lot from each other through the story.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Joey is a young man who has the diagnoses of Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD. The text relays that Joey’s mother and father leave him and his grandmother cared for him. However, as the text unfolds you see Joey’s grandmother portrayed as sometimes cruel and not knowing how to help Joey and resorts to unconventional efforts. When Joey’s mother returns the grandmother up and leaves one day. Joey’s mother tells Joey that when he takes his medicine she will take hers (an alcoholic drink). Joey’s behavior is expertly conveyed in the text. As you read you can almost see the whirlwind of a child in front of you going through all of the motions. The new doctor at the Special Education Center really tries to help Joey and gets him some different medicine. This seems to help and Joey is excited and scared to return to his mainstream school. This book allows a glimpse into the life of a child and his family dealing with ADD. Until you have lived and worked with a child with this disability you will not truly understand the day to day struggles they encounter.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

American Library Association Notable Children's BooksCalifornia Young Reader MedalNational Book Awards - FinalistSchool Library Journal Best Books of the Year
(accessed from http://www.jackgantos.com/joeypigzaswallowedkey.html)

Horn Book Review, Starred – “In this rollercoaster of a ride, ingenuously and breathlessly narrated by Joey himself, readers are treated to an up-close and personal introduction to life with attention deficit disorder.”
Publisher’s Weekly, Starred –“In a starred review, PW called this National Book Award finalist "an accurate, compassionate and humorous appraisal of a boy with attention-deficit disorder."

VOYA-“There are plenty of Joeys in schools today, and it is good to have one of their stories told with such skill and sympathy.”

Children’s Literature-“Gantos takes the reader into the fractured world of the child with what we today call ADHD. Whose road to what we might call normalcy is rocky beyond imagining. The reader follows that road in this story, with Joey's direct, edgy, matter-of-fact voice as guide. Gritty, often disturbing, yet ending with a glimpse of the awesome resilience of this young protagonist.”
School Library Journal, Starred-“Joey Pigza is wired. His prescription "meds" are no match for his mood swings. His mom's been warned that if he keeps acting up he could be transferred to the downtown special-ed center for problem kids.”
Kirkus Reviews-“Gantos takes readers right inside a human whirlwind where the ride is bumpy and often frightening, especially for Joey. But a river of compassion for the characters runs through the pages, not only for Joey but for his overextended mom and his usually patient, always worried (if only for their safety) teachers. Mature readers will find this harsh tale softened by unusual empathy and leavened by genuinely funny events.”
CONNECTIONS

This book touches on a child with a disability. This is an opportunity to discuss other disabilities that children in the school or area may have. Some children may be reluctant to share private information and should not be forced to share.

ADD/ADHD Parenting tips - http://helpguide.org/mental/adhd_add_parenting_strategies.htm
ADD/ADHD Teaching tips - http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource/content2/add.html
C.H.A.D.D. (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder)- http://www.chadd.org/


Book cover image from Barnes & Noble.

LS 5653 - Culture 6- HABIBI

BIBLOGRAPHY

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 1997. HABIBI. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0-689-80149-1.

PLOT SUMMARY

Liyana is a young girl with one brother Rafik and her parents, Kamal and Susan. Her father is a doctor in the United States but grew up in Jerusalem. Liyana is doing just fine with her life and visiting with Peachy Helen, her maternal grandmother, when her father announces that they are all moving to Jerusalem. Liyana and Rafik and not pleased about leaving all of their friends and home and moving half way across the world. Dr. Abboud tells the family that he wanted to move back sooner but the “unrest” in the area was too great and not safe. It is now safe to move back. Upon arriving in Jerusalem Liyana is confused with meeting all of her father’s relatives and especially the appearance of Setti, her paternal grandmother, with her tattoos and shrill noise making. Rafik takes to the new surroundings better than Liyana. She does befriend a young boy named Omer. Omer happens to live on the other side of Jerusalem and is Jewish. This goes against the religious practices of her father’s family. Liyana grows and discovers many new things in her new world – a kiss, unrest, an unjust world, cruelty, and lack of acceptance.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This book was very interesting to read. I felt like I had to keep reading. There are no illustrations in the book except on the cover. You have to use your imagination from the text to create your own mental image of the landscapes, clothing and cities. This book tells the story of a young girl and her family relocating in to a politically charged city. Liyana is young and does not seem to understand the thousands of years of history of the city and how certain peoples do not get along. This would be a challenging text for young people as it does not just tell a story of a young girl but the political and militant state in which she lives. There is one interesting part when Omer comes with Liyana’s family to meet her Setti. Omer makes a comment that he didn’t know the land was so beautiful. It showed that even Omer had been told things that were not true of the city and its surroundings. The title of the story is translated as dear one or loved one or darling.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Jane Addams Children’s Book Award

Publisher’s Weekly-“This soul-stirring novel about the Abbouds, an Arab American family, puts faces and names to the victims of violence and persecution in Jerusalem today. Believing the unstable situation in that conflict-ridden city has improved, 14-year-old Liyana's family moves from St. Louis, Mo., to her father's homeland. However, from the moment the Abbouds are stopped by Jewish customs agents at the airport, they face racial prejudice and discord.”

Children’s Literature-“In this first novel by poet Naomi Shihab Nye, the conflict between Arabs and Jews is vividly depicted through characters whom readers will admire and come to care about.”

VOYA – “This story is told mainly from sensitive, introspective Liyanna's point of view, with a few disrupting shifts to those of her parents, Rafik, and her grandmother.”

School Library Journal- “An important first novel from a distinguished anthologist and poet. When Liyana's doctor father, a native Palestinian, decides to move his contemporary Arab-American family back to Jerusalem from St. Louis, 14-year-old Liyana is unenthusiastic.”

Kirkus Reviews – “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

This book contains so many different topics that can be drawn out into lessons: Jerusalem, religion, political unrest, youth, growing up, cultural differences, discovering new lands and foods and trying to conform. I would recommend this title for middle school and above. The political unrest in the novel may be advanced for younger readers.

Book cover image from Barnes & Noble.