Annotated Bibliography Prepared for the Teach MLK Session, January 2010
Dr. Gwen Athene Tarbox, Department of English, Western Michigan University
Rationale
- Each entry includes bibliographic information, a brief annotation, and a reading level designation. “YA” texts are those that publishers have marketed to 13-18 year olds. “Intermediate ” texts are those that publishers have marketed to 9-12 year olds. “Early Readers” are texts that publishers have marketed to 4-8 year olds. This is by no means an exhaustive list; however, all of these novels and pictures books were given positive reviews by students in my children’s literature, adolescent literature, and American Literature courses.
Annotated Bibliography
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? Scholastic, 2005.
An engaging novel about a young Palestinian-Australian woman’s decision to wear the veil in urban Melbourne. Abdel-Fattah handles her heroine’s decision – and its outcome – in a manner that is extremely convincing and poignant. Intermediate
Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. Little Brown, 2007.
In his first novel written specifically for an adolescent audience, Alexie depicts the difficult journey of Arnold Spirit, a gifted young man who leaves his reservation each day to attend high school in a nearby town. In addition to showing the way that Arnold must overcome prejudice both at home and at school, Alexie adds fuel to the nature/nuture debate. This novel includes extensive illustrations by Ellen Forney. Intermediate
Alvarez, Julia. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. Algonquin Books, 1991.
Told from the viewpoint of Yolanda, a gifted poet and social observer, this novel traces the lives of the four Garcia sisters who, with their parents, escape political turmoil in the Dominican Republic in the early 1960s. Like most coming of age narratives set during this time period, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is concerned with intergenerational conflict, both within the immediate Garcia family and between the girls and their island relatives. YA
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Chains. Simon and Schuster, 2008.
In her second historical novel (Anderson’s Fever 1783 is a riveting read in its own right), Anderson illustrates the manner in which slavery was supported in both the northern and southern colonies during the Revolutionary War era. Moreover, she depicts the daily lives of women – both free and slave – underscoring the marginalization of most future citizens of the new republic. YA
Bat-Ami, Miriam. Two Suns in the Sky. Front Street, 1999.
This historical novel, set during World War II in Oswego, New York, focuses on the relationship between Catholic school girl Christine Cook and Jewish refugee Adam Bornstein. In addition to recreating a genuine feel for the era, Bat-Ami allows readers to see the story from the viewpoint of both main characters, and her attention to descriptive detail is superb. YA
Belton, Sandra. From Miss Ida’s Porch. Aladdin, 1998.
On summer evenings, the narrator and her friends gather on Miss Ida's porch to listen to the grown-ups tell stories in rich, colloquial language about their childhoods and the times they saw Duke Ellington and Marian Anderson. Belton successfully blends together fact and fiction and creates a distinctive mood and memorable characters. Realistic paintings capture the spirit of the people and the neighborhood. Early Reader
Block, Francesca Lia. Weetzie Bat. HarperCollins, 1989.
Block is the preeminent chronicler of the adolescent scene in Los Angeles. Her blend of magical realism and pop culture sensibility has captivated young readers for the last decade. In this, her first novel, she chronicles two young LA teens’ search for belonging and vocation. Intermediate
Bridges, Ruby. Through My Eyes. Scholastic Press, 1999.
Destined to be a classic in juvenile non-fiction, this autobiographical account of Ruby Bridges’ experience as the first black child to attend the William Frantz Public School in New Orleans is compelling and well structured. In addition to chronicling the tensions that erupted during her first grade year, Bridges provides a detailed history of the Civil Rights Movement and explains her reasons for becoming an advocate for social justice. The vintage photographs and the introduction by Henry Belafonte are added attractions to this superb account. Early Reader
Chin, Frank. Donald Duk: A Novel. Coffee House Press, 1991.
When I taught Multi-ethnic Adolescent Literature in California, many of my students recommended this novel for its humorous and innovative portrayal of a young boy’s journey of self discovery in mid-1980s San Francisco. Chin understands family dynamics in a way that is engaging, informative, and witty. Adult
Cisneros, Sandra. The House on Mango Street. Vintage, 1991.
One of the classics in adolescent literature (even if it was originally written for an adult audience), The House on Mango Street is the poetic, rich description of the coming of age experiences of Ezperanza, a young girl living in a tightly knit Chicago neighborhood. Adult
Cofer, Judith Ortiz. An Island Like You: Stories of the Barrio. Puffin, 1995.
This collection of twelve short stories chronicles the experiences of a group of teenagers growing up in El Building in Patterson, New Jersey’s Puerto Rican neighborhood. Cofer raises issues of peer pressure, intergenerational conflict, and identity construction. YA
Coleman, Evelyn. White Socks Only. Whitman & Co., 1996.
The story of a young girl’s first confrontation with Jim Crow Laws and the inventive way in which she and her neighbors manage to circumvent the “law.” Early Reader
Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. HarperTrophy, 1999.
This Newbery winning novel is set first in Flint, Michigan, and later in Grand Rapids – but it is the Michigan of the Depression era. Upon the death of his mother, young Bud Caldwell escapes from an abusive foster home and sets out in search of his father, a man he has never met. Armed with one clue – the fact that his father might have been a jazz musician named Herman E. Calloway -- Bud encounters a number of friends as he heads to Grand Rapids to track down the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, Herman E. Calloway’s band. Intermediate
---. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963. Delacorte, 1995.
Two young Flint, Michigan schoolboys travel to Birmingham, Alabama to visit their grandmother. After
witnessing the 1963 school bombing that took the lives of four young girls, the boys recognize the importance of the Civil Rights Movement. Intermediate
Davis, Ossie. Just Like Martin. Silver Burdett & Ginn, 1992.
Fourteen-year-old Isaac Stone greatly admires Martin Luther King, Jr., and is anxious to participate in the 1963 march on Washington with a group from his church, but his father feels differently and will not permit the boy to go. The novel, which delineates the difficulty of maintaining a nonviolent stance in the midst of violence, is an authentic voice of a troubled time in the history of America. Intermediate
Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. (1855; reprint, 1987) University of Illinois Press.
When William Lloyd Garrison commissioned Douglass to write The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), he asked Douglass to limit his autobiography to those events which best fit the pre-established pattern of the slave narrative. Douglass’ second autobiographical effort is rich with detail and contains a step-by-step description of his evolution from slave to civil rights advocate. Adult
DuBois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk. (1903; reprint, 1995) Signet.
DuBois sets out his opposition to the accomodationist practices of Booker T. Washington and bases his rationale for agitation upon the need for his generation to pave the wayfor their children. Adult
Ellison Ralph. Invisible Man. (1952; reprint 1995) Vintage.
One of the finest examples of an American bildungsroman – the narrator moves from naïve acceptance of
subordination to activist resistance. Adult
English, Karen. Francie . Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1999.
As a teenage girl growing up in the 1930s in Noble, Alabama, Francie holds on the promise that her father has made that he will send for her and her mother and brother, once he establishes himself in Chicago. However, as it becomes apparent that her father is not going to keep his word, Francie sets her sights on gaining an education so that she can help herself and her family. English creates a lively, thoughtful protagonist who faces life’s challenges with courage. Intermediate
Ewing, Lynne. Party Girl. Knopf, 1998.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Lynne Ewing, a native of Peru, worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services. Her experience with young gang girls is the basis for this compelling novel in which Kata tries to face out of a gang and get over the death of her best friend. Intermediate
Flake, Sharon G. The Skin I’m In. Hyperion, 1998.
This moving story won the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for new authors. Flake shows the way a young girl deals with skin color prejudice and develops a mentoring relationship with a dynamic teacher. Intermediate
Frank, Anne. The Diary of A Young Girl. (1947; reprint 1996), Anchor.
Although over 50 years have passed since Anne Frank and her family went into hiding to avoid deportation to a concentration camp, Anne’s diary continues to inspire and to educate young readers on the coming of age experience and on the banality of evil. Intermediate
Frank, E.R. Life is Funny. Dorling Kindersley Publishing, 2000.
Frank, a social worker from Brooklyn, has an uncanny ability to render the voices of her characters in a truly realistic fashion. The novel is told from the viewpoints of a variety of teenagers who are coming of age in varying degrees of safety. The characters weave in and out of each other’s lives and mature through their attempts to find vocation and love. A great novel from a talented new author. YA
Gaines, Ernest. “The Sky is Gray.” in Bloodline (1967; reprint 1997) Vintage. YA
Gaines pairs a traditional Southern preacher against a college student in a contest of wills. The
young college student embraces activism, and in so doing, influences the destiny of the narrator of the story – an eight year old boy who is gripped with the desire to go to college and to use his education as a way out of poverty.
Garden, Nancy.
Annie on My Mind. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1982. YA
Good Moon Rising. Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1996. YA
One of the first authors to openly address lesbian issues in her novels, Garden is an expert at creating characters who struggle with their identities, but eventually learn to trust themselves. Good Moon Rising is particularly interesting as a counterpoint to Miller’s The Crucible.
Giovanni, Nikki. Rosa. Square Fish Books, 2007.
A fine biography of Rosa Parks, including illustrations by Bryan Collier, Rosa won a Caldecott Honor in 2007. Early Reader.
Grove, Vicki. The Starplace . Putnam, 1999.
Celeste is the first black student to attend the white junior high school in Quiver, Oklahoma, in 1961, and she is treated with contempt by her fellow students. However, Frannie, a self-conscious 8th grader becomes her friend, and the two girls test the limits of that friendship while learning important lessons about Quiver’s past. Intermediate
Hamilton, Virginia. Zeely. Simon & Schuster, 1968.
Geeder's summer at her uncle's farm is made special because of her friendship with a very tall, composed woman who raises hogs and who closely resembles the magazine photograph of a Watutsi queen. The text includes a fine discussion of African-American women’s history. Intermediate
Hidier, Tanuja Desai. Born Confused. Scholastic, 2002.
Dimple Lala, an Indian-American girl growing up in New Jersey, has a fascination with photography and a need to understand the way that she “fits in” to US culture. Although she agrees to help her friend Gwyn pursue an Indian boyfriend, Dimple learns more about her parents’ culture and more about her own heart. YA
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. (1937; reprint 1992) Vintage.
After Janie’s grandmother explains in careful detail the subjugation of African-American women both during and after the Reconstruction period, Janie goes out into the world to find her place. Adult
Jennings, Patrick. Faith and the Electric Dogs. Scholastic, 1996.
In Mexico, a stray dog is called “un perro corriente” – a common or no good dog – and since the word “corriente” or “current” is like the word “electric,” the term “un perro electrico” has evolved and become part of the language. This fascinating novel, narrated by un perro electrico named Edison, describes the journey that he and his unhappy owner take in a rocket ship that she builds herself. You have to suspend disbelief a great deal, but this narrative is rich in language and style. A great, inventive story that should appeal to those of you who are tired of jaded, cynical protagonists. Intermediate
Johnson, Angela. The First Part Last. Simon Pulse, 2004.
In a break from the typical single mother narrative, Johnson portrays the impact of single fatherhood on a young man whose love for his child is neither romanticized nor trivialized. YA
Johnson, James Weldon. Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man. (1912; reprint 1989) Vintage.
The narrator’s early school experiences with discrimination mark him for life – a fascinating look at racial politics from the author of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Adult
Johnson, Mat, and Warren Pleece. Incognegro. Titan, 2009.
A graphic novel set during the Jim Crow era, Incognegro is part mystery, part family drama, and part passing narrative. Pleece’s illustrations go a long way to underscoring the complexities of the color line. Adult
Kerr, M. E. Deliver Us From Evie. HarperTrophy, 1995.
Fifteen year old Parr Burrman and his older sister Evie have spent their lives growing up on a farm in conservative rural Missouri. When Evie falls in love with a local banker’s daughter, the two girls incite the anger of their parents and of the town. This novel, told from Parr’s perspective, chronicles the way the issues of class and sexual identity influence his relationship with his sister and with his friends. YA
Kessler, Cristina. No Condition is Permanent. Philomel Books, 2000.
Kessler, an American who has lived in Africa for over twenty-seven years, admits that writing this novel about a California teenager’s experiences in Sierra Leone was difficult for her. Jodie, the protagonist, attempts to interfere when her new friend Khadi begins the ritual that will lead, ultimately, to female circumcision or FGM (Female Genital Mutilation). Kessler respects both cultures, and although she, like many women’s advocates, opposes FGM, she also opposes the blatant interference of one culture’s mores upon those of another. This tension is apparent in the novel, making it a bit uneven in places, but it is a valuable read. YA
Kincaid, Jamaica. Annie John. (1983; reprint 2001) Farrar, Straus, and Gerrard.
A coming of age novel set in Antiqua, Annie John concerns intergenerational conflict and the loss of innocence. Adult
Lorbiecki, Marybeth. Sister Anne’s Hands. Dial, 1998.
In this story set in the 1960s, Anna learns that her new second grade teacher is Sister Anne, an African American. A hurtful note about the color of Sister Anne's skin causes tension, but the teacher proves as resilient as her class. With humor and understanding, Lorbiecki writes about a young girl's coming to terms with racial differences and about the pain that ignorance can cause. Early Reader
Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars . Laurel Leaf, 1994.
Set during WWII, this is the story of a young girl living in Denmark who joins her family in ferrying to safety a Jewish family. Intermediate
Martinez, Victor. Parrot in the Oven, mi vida. HarperCollins, 1996.
This first novel by poet Victor Martinez won the National Book Award, and deservedly so. In addition to charting the fourteenth year of Manny Hernandez, a bright high school student who strives to become a “vato firme” (a respected guy), the novel also contains a poignant portrait of the Hernandez’s family’s attempt to survive the economic roller coaster of 1970s Fresno, California. Intermediate
Mazer, Norma Fox. Good Night, Maman. Harcourt Brace, 1999.
For those of you who have read WMU Professor Miriam Bat-Ami’s Two Suns in the Sky, the story of a Jewish refugee boy who is sent to an Emergency Refugee camp in Otswego, NY, or, if you enjoyed The Diary of Anne Frank , then this novel is a must-read. Karin and her younger brother Marc are also sent to the same camp in Otswego, and there Karin learns English, makes friends, and tries to cope with the fact that she and her brother had to leave their beloved mother behind in France. Intermediate
Meyer, Carolyn. White Lilacs . Gulliver, 1993.
Based on a true story set in 1921, this thought-provoking novel chronicles the response of a Texas town's black community when they learn that local whites plan to raze their section of town in order to build a park. Meyer creates a fine portrait of intergenerational storytelling. Intermediate