Diverse Text Set #2- Socioeconomic Status
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Those Shoes
Summary:
Those Shoes is a story about a boy who wants a pair of shoes that everyone else at school has. Jeremy’s grandmother tells him they cannot afford the shoes, and he needs to learn to decipher between needs and wants. When he finds the shoes at a thrift store and buys them with his own money, he does his best to try and make them fit, but they just don’t no matter how much he tries. Later, Jeremy notices his friend, Antonio, has shoes that are falling apart, and he decides to be a good friend and give the shoes to Antonio. This is inspiring story about want and needs and being able to help others.
Critical Review:
Maribeth Boelts is a former preschool teacher, and the perspective of this story comes from within. In the author’s note at the end of the book, Boelts discusses the inspiration for this story came from experiences she has had with students in her life that have been in situations much like Jeremey’s but still chose to be selfless and give to those who were more in need. This book has won many awards including the Charlotte Zolotow Award, Highly Commended Selection, National Network of State Teachers of the Year’s Social Justice Booklist, and A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Winner. The illustrations, done in watercolor, pencil, and ink, are very colorful and inviting to the reader. The characters are shown wearing the same things in different colors which gives some form of equality between the characters. There are children across different cultures included in the illustrations. The illustrations do not have a lot of detail in them, but enough so the reader can tell what they are. This book could be said to stereotype, as the main character is an African American male living with his grandmother in low socioeconomic status within an urban area. This is made up for by the diversity of the other characters and what Jeremy does for others in the story. Jeremey interacts with a diverse crowd of people; his teacher is white, and the children are all of different cultures throughout the story.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- Sometimes we can only afford the things we need, and we may not have money for the extra things we want but don’t need. No matter what, we can always help those who are more in need than ourself.
Activities- This book can be used for many things in the classroom. I could use this as a book to teach about giving to others and have the class do a service learning project where we collect items for those in need in our school. This could also be used as a book to teach about needs and wants and the difference between the two.
Additional Resources:
- Author: Maribeth Boelts
- Illustrator: Noah Z. Jones
- Publisher/Year: Candlewick Press, 2007
- ISBN Number: 978-0-7636-2499-6 (Hardcover)
- Number of pages: 40 pages
- Lexile Reading Level: 680 (Grade 3)
- Grade Level: K-3
- Interest Level: 5-8 years
- Genre: Fiction
Summary:
Those Shoes is a story about a boy who wants a pair of shoes that everyone else at school has. Jeremy’s grandmother tells him they cannot afford the shoes, and he needs to learn to decipher between needs and wants. When he finds the shoes at a thrift store and buys them with his own money, he does his best to try and make them fit, but they just don’t no matter how much he tries. Later, Jeremy notices his friend, Antonio, has shoes that are falling apart, and he decides to be a good friend and give the shoes to Antonio. This is inspiring story about want and needs and being able to help others.
Critical Review:
Maribeth Boelts is a former preschool teacher, and the perspective of this story comes from within. In the author’s note at the end of the book, Boelts discusses the inspiration for this story came from experiences she has had with students in her life that have been in situations much like Jeremey’s but still chose to be selfless and give to those who were more in need. This book has won many awards including the Charlotte Zolotow Award, Highly Commended Selection, National Network of State Teachers of the Year’s Social Justice Booklist, and A Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Winner. The illustrations, done in watercolor, pencil, and ink, are very colorful and inviting to the reader. The characters are shown wearing the same things in different colors which gives some form of equality between the characters. There are children across different cultures included in the illustrations. The illustrations do not have a lot of detail in them, but enough so the reader can tell what they are. This book could be said to stereotype, as the main character is an African American male living with his grandmother in low socioeconomic status within an urban area. This is made up for by the diversity of the other characters and what Jeremy does for others in the story. Jeremey interacts with a diverse crowd of people; his teacher is white, and the children are all of different cultures throughout the story.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- Sometimes we can only afford the things we need, and we may not have money for the extra things we want but don’t need. No matter what, we can always help those who are more in need than ourself.
Activities- This book can be used for many things in the classroom. I could use this as a book to teach about giving to others and have the class do a service learning project where we collect items for those in need in our school. This could also be used as a book to teach about needs and wants and the difference between the two.
Additional Resources:
- Lesson Plan/Teacher Guide
- This is a link to a PDF that is a teacher’s guide for the story that is Common Core aligned.
- Link
- Maribeth Boelts- Official Website
- This is the official website of the author. It includes information about her, school visits she does and her contact information. It also includes the books she has written and news from Boelts.
- Link
- YouTube Read Aloud
- This is a link to a read aloud of the book on YouTube.
- Link
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/0/4/110452015/published/unknown-1.jpeg?1524065493)
A Shelter in Our Car
Summary:
In A Shelter in Our Car, Zettie and her mom, who recently left Jamaica after Zettie’s father died, now live in America and are both going to school. Zettie’s mother is unable to find a steady job, so they cannot afford a place to live and must live in their car. Mama’s love and support is enough to get Zettie through most days. This book encompasses many of the struggles that children and their parents face when being homeless. Zettie realizes that no matter who makes fun of her or how embarrassed she may be, she has a mom who loves her very much, and together they can get through anything.
Critical Review:
The author, Monica Gunning, is from Jamaica and moved to the United States when she was young to further her education. She does not explicitly say that when she moved to the U.S. she was homeless, but she knows what it is like to move to another country to further your education while working, much like Zettie’s mother is doing in this book. The illustrations in this book , done in chalk pastels, really bring the story to life. The characters in the story have features that represent their culture; Zettie and her mother are drawn with dark skin and curly hair, as they are from Jamaica. The characters are drawn with big noses and lips, which can be stereotypical of their culture. They are not dressed in anything overdramatic; just typical “American” clothing. This book could reinforce the stereotype of underprivileged, black immigrants and Americans. There is also the fact that Zetties’ mom is a single mother with a daughter trying to get by that can be considered stereotypical. These things are made up for by the story of Zettie and her mother; her mother works hard and is able to find a job, so they can afford to live outside of their car. Zettie interacts with those of other cultures throughout the story. She attends a public school, which consists of children of other cultures. The other homeless family that they interact with is white. Although the police officer’s face is not shown in the book, it appears that his hands are white, and he makes sure Zettie is safe until her mom picks her up.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- The main theme of this story is immigrants overcoming obstacles. We all go through hard times, some more than others. With the help of others, hard work and the love of family, you can get over some pretty big obstacles.
Activities- I could use this book to teach about homelessness in my classroom. It can be read aloud and would prompt a lot of good discussion with students. This may be directly relevant to a student in my classroom, and I could read it with them, so they understand that there are others like them, and we can get what they need to be successful. This could be the basis of a service learning project where as a class we collect things for those in need in our school and community.
Additional Resources:
- Author: Monica Gunning
- Illustrator: Elaine Pedlar
- Publisher/Year: Lee and Low Books, 2004
- ISBN Number: 0-89239-189-8
- Number of pages: 32 pages
- Lexile Reading Level: 560 (2nd grade)
- Grade Level: 1-2
- Interest Level: K-2
- Genre: Fiction
Summary:
In A Shelter in Our Car, Zettie and her mom, who recently left Jamaica after Zettie’s father died, now live in America and are both going to school. Zettie’s mother is unable to find a steady job, so they cannot afford a place to live and must live in their car. Mama’s love and support is enough to get Zettie through most days. This book encompasses many of the struggles that children and their parents face when being homeless. Zettie realizes that no matter who makes fun of her or how embarrassed she may be, she has a mom who loves her very much, and together they can get through anything.
Critical Review:
The author, Monica Gunning, is from Jamaica and moved to the United States when she was young to further her education. She does not explicitly say that when she moved to the U.S. she was homeless, but she knows what it is like to move to another country to further your education while working, much like Zettie’s mother is doing in this book. The illustrations in this book , done in chalk pastels, really bring the story to life. The characters in the story have features that represent their culture; Zettie and her mother are drawn with dark skin and curly hair, as they are from Jamaica. The characters are drawn with big noses and lips, which can be stereotypical of their culture. They are not dressed in anything overdramatic; just typical “American” clothing. This book could reinforce the stereotype of underprivileged, black immigrants and Americans. There is also the fact that Zetties’ mom is a single mother with a daughter trying to get by that can be considered stereotypical. These things are made up for by the story of Zettie and her mother; her mother works hard and is able to find a job, so they can afford to live outside of their car. Zettie interacts with those of other cultures throughout the story. She attends a public school, which consists of children of other cultures. The other homeless family that they interact with is white. Although the police officer’s face is not shown in the book, it appears that his hands are white, and he makes sure Zettie is safe until her mom picks her up.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- The main theme of this story is immigrants overcoming obstacles. We all go through hard times, some more than others. With the help of others, hard work and the love of family, you can get over some pretty big obstacles.
Activities- I could use this book to teach about homelessness in my classroom. It can be read aloud and would prompt a lot of good discussion with students. This may be directly relevant to a student in my classroom, and I could read it with them, so they understand that there are others like them, and we can get what they need to be successful. This could be the basis of a service learning project where as a class we collect things for those in need in our school and community.
Additional Resources:
- Teacher Guide
- This is a link to a PDF that is a teacher’s guide for how you can use this book in the classroom. This guide is common core aligned.
- Link
- Read to Kids Link
- This link is to a lesson plan that can be used in the classroom. It includes discussion questions and a craft idea.
- Link
- YouTube Read Aloud
- This is a link to a read aloud of the book on YouTube.
- Link
![Picture](/uploads/1/1/0/4/110452015/published/unknown-2.jpeg?1524065499)
Maddi’s Fridge
Summary:
In Maddi’s Fridge, two girls are best friends. While playing at the park one day, Sofia decides she would like a snack and runs into Maddi’s house. The fridge is empty. Curious, Sofia asked why, and Maddi explains that they don’t have enough money to fill the fridge like at Sofia’s house. Maddi asked Sofia not to say anything to anyone. Stuck between wanting to keep the secret and wanting to help her friend, Sofia finds herself in a tough situation. She decided that helping her friend out is more important, and with the help of her mom, they are able to help Maddi and her family.
Critical Review:
This book is the winner of many awards including Winner of the 2015 International Literacy Association Primary Fiction Award, 2015 Mitten Honor Book, and A 2014 Top Mighty Girl Book for Younger Readers. The author writes this story from personal experience. When she was kid, she opened her friend’s refrigerator to find only a small carton of milk that they hand out at school. Brandt chose to write this story about the memory she never forgot. The families in this story are all white, and there really is not a of diversity included in this book. This helps avoid stereotypes of other races living in poverty, but it does not give the reader a look at diverse characters. This is made up for by the kindness that Sofia shows toward Maddi and her family.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- The main theme of this story is childhood hunger and poverty; sometimes families cannot afford to keep their fridges full of nutritious food. We can help them when we ask for help from others.
Activities- This story can be used to teach about the needs of others, and to bring awareness of the subject to students. This could be read as a read aloud, and then the class could do a service project and collect items for those in need. This could also be used as a writing prompt about what students would do if they were in a similar situation.
Additional Resources:
- Author: Lois Brandt
- Illustrator: Vin Vogel
- Publisher/Year: Flashlight Press, 2014
- ISBN Number: 1936261294
- Number of pages: 32 pages
- Lexile Reading Level: 560 (2nd grade)
- Grade Level: K-3
- Interest Level: 4-8
- Genre: Fiction
Summary:
In Maddi’s Fridge, two girls are best friends. While playing at the park one day, Sofia decides she would like a snack and runs into Maddi’s house. The fridge is empty. Curious, Sofia asked why, and Maddi explains that they don’t have enough money to fill the fridge like at Sofia’s house. Maddi asked Sofia not to say anything to anyone. Stuck between wanting to keep the secret and wanting to help her friend, Sofia finds herself in a tough situation. She decided that helping her friend out is more important, and with the help of her mom, they are able to help Maddi and her family.
Critical Review:
This book is the winner of many awards including Winner of the 2015 International Literacy Association Primary Fiction Award, 2015 Mitten Honor Book, and A 2014 Top Mighty Girl Book for Younger Readers. The author writes this story from personal experience. When she was kid, she opened her friend’s refrigerator to find only a small carton of milk that they hand out at school. Brandt chose to write this story about the memory she never forgot. The families in this story are all white, and there really is not a of diversity included in this book. This helps avoid stereotypes of other races living in poverty, but it does not give the reader a look at diverse characters. This is made up for by the kindness that Sofia shows toward Maddi and her family.
Classroom Connections:
Main Theme- The main theme of this story is childhood hunger and poverty; sometimes families cannot afford to keep their fridges full of nutritious food. We can help them when we ask for help from others.
Activities- This story can be used to teach about the needs of others, and to bring awareness of the subject to students. This could be read as a read aloud, and then the class could do a service project and collect items for those in need. This could also be used as a writing prompt about what students would do if they were in a similar situation.
Additional Resources:
- Lesson Plan
- This is a link to a lesson plan idea. It is common core aligned.
- Link
- Lois Brandt-Official Website
- This link is to the author’s website. It is all about the book and includes lesson plans and activities to go along with the book. It also tells a little about the author and her blog.
- Link
- YouTube Read Aloud
- This is a link to a read aloud of the book on YouTube.
- Link