Rain Is Not My Indian Name

Bibliography

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. 2001. RAIN IS NOT MY INDIAN NAME. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 006029504

Plot Summary

Cassidy Rain Berghoff is a mixed race (Native American and white) girl growing up in a small town. At fourteen, she has experienced the death of her mother and the shocking death of her best friend, Galen. When we meet Rain, she and Galen have started a budding romance after years of being best friends. The same evening of their first kiss, Galen runs home and is hit and killed by a car. Cassidy goes into hiding refusing to go to the funeral or to talk to anyone. Rain’s father is in the military and is stationed overseas leaving Rain and her older brother Fynn to live with their grandfather. Fynn’s girlfriend, Natalie has moved in rather quickly only to find out that she is pregnant. Everyone is worried about her but Rain refuses to even go to the grocery store. Fynn is especially worried and attempts to get her to go to the camp for Native American children that her aunt is hosting. She refuses but becomes interested in taking pictures of the camp when Natalie expresses that she wants to run a feature on the camp in the newspaper. When Rain accepts the job, she quickly realizes that there is racism and bigotry that accompanies the camp. When Rain steps up to join the fight, she begins to honor her heritage and to heal from the tragedy of losing Galen.

Critical Analysis

Cynthia Leitich Smith has written a story of tragedy and healing. Smith lived for a time in northeastern Kansas and attended college in Douglas County-the home of the fictional town of Hannesburg where Rain lives. In a note to readers, Smith explains that the county is real but the town of Hannesburg and the characters are fictional.

There are cultural elements throughout this novel, primarily focused around the main character and her struggle to embrace her Native American roots. Her mother embraced her heritage but her father and even Rain struggle with the identity. When she pulls out her mother’s traditional tear dress, Rain acknowledges that the dress “looked wrong somehow, more like a museum piece than part of living.”(21) Rain is Muscogee Creek-Cherokee and Scots-Irish from her mom's family and Irish-German-Ojibwa from her dad's family. In one of Rain's journal entries she says that her father never talked about their Ojibwa blood and that her grandmother "called herself "just Irish" or "black Irish" everyday of her life. Rain is presented as an ordinary American girl. She eats a wide variety of American foods, attends a Baptist church, is a fan of science fiction, and wears jeans and high tops. Rain loves photography so she always has her camera with her. Smith has written a novel that will allow readers to understand that Native Americans are not sleeping in tents and hunting animals with bow and arrows but are contemporary people. Contemporary issues such as racism, dealing with grief, gossip, friendship and pregnancy are all present in this story adding to the authenticity of the story.

Review Excerpts

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2002)
Fourteen-year-old Rain, of mixed Native American heritage, is devastated by her best friend's death. She comes out of her self-imposed seclusion to shoot photos for a local newspaper feature on a summer youth program for Native Americans in her Kansas hometown. The engaging first-person narrative convincingly portrays Rain’s grieving process and addresses the varying degrees of prejudice she encounters.

Uma Krishnaswami (Children's Literature)
Fourteen-year-old Rain decides to get herself a teen life, little knowing that disaster awaits her best friend Galen, about whom she is only just beginning to experience the first tingles of romantic promise. Ridden with guilt and misery, Rain closes her world in upon itself. But then her Aunt Georgia decides to run an Indian Camp, and Rain's reluctant actions on her behalf threaten to drastically backfire. What follows is a summer of turmoil and realization, in which Rain is forced to come to terms with the tragic events she has lived through, the world in which she lives and her sense of self. Smith (author of Jingle Dancer) portrays a protagonist with a genuine voice and an appealing sense of humor. Aunt Georgia's red hair, Grampa's notes from Las Vegas, pasta bridges and all, this rendering of a contemporary family of Native American heritage is wonderfully far from stereotypical "dream catchers, the kind with fakelore gift tags."

Connections

You can watch the book trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od9hedzOSkI

http://cynthialeitichsmith.com/CLS/teachers_guides/guide_to_rain.html

Other Books by Cynthia Leitich Smith:

Smith, Cynthia Leitich. INDIAN SHOES. ISBN 9780060295318
Smith, Cynthia Leitich. JINGEL DANCER. ISBN 9780688162412

Tomas and the Library Lady

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mora, Pat. 1997. TOMAS AND THE LIBRARY LADY. Ill. by Raul Colon. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 06790401

Plot Summary
Tomas and his family travel between Texas and Iowa as migrant farm workers. Tomas misses his home in Texas when they travel to Iowa for the summer. While his parents work, Tomas and his brother play and listen to stories told by their Grandfather. Soon, Tomas knows all the stories and his Grandfather tells him to go to the library and learn new stories to tell the family. Tomas is a bit nervous when he arrives at the library. Encouraged to come in for a cool drink by the librarian, Tomas enters into a world of adventure. Although he is unable to have his own library card, the librarian checks books out to Tomas under her name. Tomas’ love of reading and books blossoms over the summer. He develops a friendship with the librarian and is very sad when it is time to go back to Texas.
Critical Analysis
Pat Mora gives children a realistic look at life for a Mexican American migrant family. Traveling at night in a tired old car, being hot and tired, and missing their Texas home allows readers to see what a hard life this family leads. Although the work is hard, the family loves one another and is very close. A distinctive cultural marker in this beautiful book is the Grandfather. When he needs to cool off and rest, he tells stories to his grandsons. Although the text is in English, Mora sprinkles the story with bits of Spanish: Buenas noches, En un tiempo pasado, uno, dos, tres. None of the words interfere with this beautiful story and helps readers to see the culture of the family.
Throughout the book, Raul Colón's illustrations beautifully portray the warmth of summer, the family’s love and the mental pictures that Tomás imagines when he is reading the library books. The combination of watercolors and colored pencils in warm tones is a beautiful complement to the story being told.
Pat Mora based the story on the life of Tomas Rivera. An author’s note at the end of the book tells us that Tomas Rivera became a “writer, a professor, a university administrator and national education leader.” Readers will come to understand that the librarian in the story very likely helped Tomas Rivera become the educational leader. Truly, one person can make a difference in the life of any child.
Review Excerpts
Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
Tomas and his migrant family must work hard and travel frequently, but thanks to a kind librarian, Tomas becomes acquainted with a whole new world through books--and receives a special gift from her when he must move on. Inspired by the life of Tomas Rivera, who became chancellor of the University of California at Riverside.
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1997)
A charming, true story about the encounter between the boy who would become chancellor at the University of California at Riverside and a librarian in Iowa. Tom s Rivera, child of migrant laborers, picks crops in Iowa in the summer and Texas in the winter, traveling from place to place in a worn old car. When he is not helping in the fields, Tom s likes to hear Papa Grande's stories, which he knows by heart. Papa Grande sends him to the library downtown for new stories, but Tom s finds the building intimidating. The librarian welcomes him, inviting him in for a cool drink of water and a book. Tom s reads until the library closes, and leaves with books checked out on the librarian's own card. For the rest of the summer, he shares books and stories with his family, and teaches the librarian some Spanish. At the end of the season, there are big hugs and a girl exchange: sweet bread from Tomas' mother and a shiny new book from the librarian--to keep. Colon's dreamy illustrations capture the brief friendship and its life-altering effects in soft earth tones, using round sculptured shapes that often depict the boy right in the middle of whatever story realm he has entered.
Connections
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award, 1997
Author’s Website: http://www.patmora.com/
Activities and lesson plans:
http://www.hfrp.org/family-involvement/storybook-corner/the-reference-desk/teacher-guide-for-tomas-and-the-library-lady

Related Books:
Linda Jacobs Altman, Amelia’s Road. ISBN 9781880000045
Morris, Carla. The Boy Who was Raised by Librarians. ISBN 1561453919

The Skirt

Bibliography
Soto, Gary. 1992. THE SKIRT. Ill. by Velasquez Eric. New York: Delacorte Press.
ISBN-10: 0440409241

Plot Summary

Miata Ramirez is always losing things. Combs, sweaters, lunch money, homework, shoes and now, her folklorico skirt. As soon as the school bus rumbles away, Miata realizes her mistake. Not wanting to disappoint her parents, Miata devises a plan to retrieve the skirt in time to dance after church on Sunday.

Critical Analysis

Gary Soto has written an excellent book that deals with a little girl with a big problem. Miata’s problem is not new- young people everywhere often struggle to keep up with their things-and parents are frequently exasperated. Soto presents the daily issues present in families in a heartwarming way.

Several cultural markers allow readers to get to know the Ramirez family. One of these markers is Miata’s family. They are very close and supportive of each other. Miata’s father works hard to take care of his family-often working extra jobs. Miata’s mother also works hard at home providing a clean, house and good food for her family. When Miata’s little brother, Joe, comes in to the house dragging in dirt, Mrs. Ramirez calls him a “chango”. When Mr. Ramirez comes in later, her clarifies by calling his son a “little monkey”. These good-natured nicknames allow readers to understand that the Ramirez family loves each other and often put up with things-just as all families do. Soto has seamlessly infused the Spanish language into the text in a way that adds to the authenticity and does not detract from the story. Folklorico, bueno, papas fritas, chorizo con huevos are some of the words used. Although translations are not present, readers will be able to use the context of the story to determine the meanings of the words they do not know. Another cultural marker is the celebration of Ballet Folklorico. This is a traditional Mexican folk dance. The group performs wearing beautiful skirts. The story is focused on Miata’s problem of getting the skirt back so she will not disgrace her family for the Ballet Folklorico.

Eric Velasquez’s pencil drawings help readers get to know Miata and her family better by adding vision and depth to the characters. Velasquez portrays the family as a modern Mexican American family adding authenticity to the story.

The skirt is a great beginning chapter book with authentic details that will warm the readers heart.

Review Excerpts

Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Oct. 15, 1992 (Vol. 89, No. 4))
Frequently scolded for losing things, fourth-grader Miata Ramires can't bear to tell her parents that she's left her treasured folklorico skirt on the Friday afternoon school bus. Mom wore the skirt as a child in Mexico and now looks forward to watching Miata wear it when her dance troupe performs in the church courtyard on Sunday. With help from an old friend and an old enemy, Miata breaks into the bus yard, retrieves the skirt, and wears it in her performance. A good beginning chapter book, this uses simple words without sounding too simplistic. Velasquez's eight drawings break up the text, heighten the drama, and provide sympathetic portrayals of the characters.

Horn Book (The Horn Book Guide, 1992)
In this cheery snapshot of a Mexican-American family in California, Miata attempts to retrieve from her schoolbus the 'folklorico' skirt she left behind. There is just enough suspense in the spare story line to hold the attention of readers new to chapter books.

Connections

The official Gary Soto website: http://www.garysoto.com/

Other books about dance and losing things by Gary Soto

Soto, Gary. MARISOL. ISBN 1584859725

Soto, Gary. TOO MANY TAMALES. ISBN 0399221468

Chato and the Party Animals ISBN-10: 0142400327

Baseball in April and Other Stories ISBN-10: 0152025677

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez

Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. 2003. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. Ill. by Yuyi Morales. New York, NY: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN 0152014373

Plot Summary
Krull outlines the important life of Cesar Chavez, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in the world. She traces his life back to his childhood days when he was a boy who lived on a family ranch with lots of extended family to work and play with. Soon life was not as happy. A drought destroyed the family’s land and crop. Without the crops, the family was unable to pay their bills. After losing their ranch, the Chavez family was forced to work as migrant workers in California. There he saw his friends and family being mistreating by the company farm supervisors. Cesar grew older and began to realize that something had to be done to improve the working conditions for migrant workers. He began to gather supporters to agree with him that "truth was a better weapon than violence." This, in turn, led to his 340 mile march toward justice for La Causa in which they won better working conditions and higher pay for migrant workers.

Critical Analysis
Kathleen Krull has brought us a beautiful story. Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez! Krull has kept to her unique style of presenting historical figures in a child-friendly manner. Cesar Chavez is introduced to the reader first through his childhood allowing children to see him as a real person. Cesar Chavez is known for his nonviolent ways. Krull does an exquisite job of helping readers see how his mother and family instilled these values.
Yuyi Morales created beautiful illustrations in acrylic, handmade stamps and computer created cutouts on BFK Rives Paper. One illustration, shows Cesar and his family swimming in a cool, teal-blue river next to rich farm fields. The peace and happiness in this particular illustration contrasts sharply to the unhappy faces found on the migrant workers in the fields of California. Cesar, his family and the migrant workers are illustrated in a culturally authentic way with no trace of stereotypical features. The use of Spanish words sprinkled throughout the book adds authenticity and do not interfere with the story. In fact, the phrase, “La Causa” adds to the story and readers can “hear” the workers as they protest for better working conditions. Krull's story is accurate in historical details.. She has included an Author's Note that spreads across two pages near the back of the book. She has done a great job of researching and presenting the information in a format that all will enjoy. This book is necessary for any library or classroom collection.

Review Excerpts

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, July 1, 2003 (Vol. 71, No. 13))
Cesar Chavez, like his heroes Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, believed in non-violent change. He fought ceaselessly for the rights of migrant farm workers to have a decent living conditions and a living wage. Krull does not offer a birth-to-death biography, instead focusing on the influences of his early years, the organization of the National Farm Workers Association, and the first contract with the grape growers. She portrays Chavez as a quiet, patient, strong-willed man who believed implicitly in his "causa" and worked tirelessly for his people. She presents additional events in his life and the circumstances of his death in an author's note. Morales uses bright acrylic colors that flow across the pages, mirroring the constant movement in Chavez's life. The overall look of the work is reminiscent of a Diego Rivera mural. Krull and Morales introduce a long-neglected figure from recent history to a new audience in an informative, eye-catching manner.

Norah Piehl (Children's Literature)
The childhood and early career of Cesar Chavez are dramatically portrayed in this picture-book biography. Chavez and his family lived comfortably in an adobe farmhouse on a large Arizona ranch, until the Depression caused them to lose their family farm and become migrant workers in California, barely earning a living by working other people's farms. Painfully harvesting beets and thinning lettuce, Chavez grew more and more angry about the injustices of farm workers' lives and dedicated himself to fighting for their cause. His first major protest was a big one--a three-hundred mile walk to protest wages and working conditions on the grape farms of central California. The success of this nonviolent action, which is the climax of this biography, launched Chavez's career. The author includes a brief afterward, explaining Chavez's subsequent efforts on behalf of farm laborers. The book's illustrations are paintings in rich hues, portraying crops and rolling hills in colors evocative of the California landscape. Although Cesar Chavez might seem an unlikely subject for a picture book, the circumstances of his life and work should appeal to young people's sense of justice.

Connections

Awards and honors:
ALA Pura Belpre Honor Book
ALA Notable Children's Book
2003 Picture Book Award, Jane Addams Peace Association
Winner of 2004 Christopher Award
Honor Book, 2003 Americas Award

Illustrator’s Website

http://www.yuyimorales.com/hh1.html

Author’s Website

http://www.kathleenkrull.com/

http://www.colorincolorado.org/read/forkids/migrants

Pair this biography with a book of poems about Cesar Chavez: César : sí, se puede! yes, we can! By Carmen T. Bernier-Grand ; illustrated by David Diaz. ISBN: 9780761451723