Notable Books for a Global Society Project 1

Notable Books for a Global Society Project

Emily Moog and Caroline Siewert

Washington State University

Introduction
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 2

Annually, around twenty-five books are chosen as winners of the Notable Books for a

Global Society (NBGS) award. These books represent the best multicultural books published in

the United States in multiple categories including poetry, nonfiction, and fiction books

(Childrens Literature, 2011). The books are geared toward students in grades K-12. The criteria

for such an honor of an award are, without a doubt, intense and specific.

The criteria for the Notables award, according to the Childrens Literature & Reading

Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association includes, Accuracy and

authenticity of the people depicted in terms of physical characteristics, social and economic

status, intellectual and problem-solving abilities, and displays of leadership and cooperation,

richness of detail concerning the group or groups depicted, an approach that honors and

celebrates diversity as well as the common bonds of humanity, in-depth treatment of issues,

depiction of substantive and authentic interaction among characters within and across groups,

inclusion of members of a "minority" group for purposes other than tokenism or fulfillment of

any type of "quota", thought-provoking content that invites reflection, critical analysis, and

response, uniqueness of language or style, high quality as determined by evaluation in terms of

generally accepted criteria for the genre, appealing format, and enduring quality (Childrens

Literature, 2011). These criteria are hard to master and implement within a book, but the books

on the Notable Books for a Global Society list have done so well. The criteria is specific to make

sure that each chosen book is impacting its readers in specific ways in order to push generations

toward a global society and toward unity. Each criteria is important to consider when reading a

book from the list.

According to Childrens Literature, Briefly, multicultural books can, foster an

awareness, understanding, and appreciation of people who seem, at first glance, different from
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 3

the reader (Tunnell, M. O. et. al., 2016). This is one of the most important accomplishments of

multicultural literature, because instead of simply teaching readers facts about other cultures, this

type of literature is creating something larger than knowledge; it is creating unity within the

world. Multicultural literature allows an individual to see life through the perspective of someone

else who may have a different worldview or different life experiences. Different does not mean

bad. We often equate different people to being weird or sometimes, in the worst of cases, to be of

lesser value than ourselves. This is simply not true and must be fought against in each

generation. Yes, teaching children the facts about other cultures is important, but fostering an

appreciation and understanding for those that are different from ourselves is crucial to building a

more accepting and loving worldwide culture.

Multicultural books do more than entertain or tell facts; they fight racism. We see riots

and murders, hear stories of emotional turmoil and cultures disagreeing. What causes these fights

and disagreements? The inability to accept, understand, and love. Reading may seem like a

trivial pastime when it comes to what is going on in the news today. However, had radical people

been taught long ago that different is not bad and that people other cultures merely seem

different from you, perhaps the fights would lessen and acceptance would overcome. The

Notable Books for a Global Society Award recognizes books that would foster that awareness

and build upon the next generation in hopes of coming closer to a more loving future generation.

These are more than mere books. They are fuel for world changers.

Selection and Completion Process

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As Caroline and I, Emily, began thinking about the Notables Project, we knew a few

criteria about what needed to be done and how we should choose our books. We knew that we

needed eight books, four of which needed to be chapter books. Completing a project with a

partner means doing your fair share, and so, we decided that each of us would take two chapter

books and two shorter books, usually picture books. We planned far in advance so that we would

be able to order books from the library and have plenty of time to work on the project before

Thanksgiving break for a head start. Caroline took The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Freedom

Walkers, Dear Mr. Rosenwald, and We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball. I

chose Moses, I Lost My Tooth in Africa, Crossing the Wire, and The Book Thief. The Boy in the

Striped Pajamas and The Book Thief had both been books that we had heard about but never

read. We decided that this was a perfect opportunity to do so. I had read Moses for the Coretta

Scott King Visual Literacy project before and thought that it would be interesting to read the

book from a different perspective this time and with new eyes, considering multicultural

literature rather than just the criteria for the Coretta Scott King Award. The other books were on

the list of Notable Books that we found online and were new to us. We found a variety of

different topics and events within the books that gave us a wide range for multicultural literature

to enhance our knowledge and stretch our thinking. Our original plan was to read our books and

have the summaries and strengths and weaknesses according to the criteria for NBGS done by

the Monday of Thanksgiving break so that we could discuss the books and come to conclusions

about which books deserved to be our winner and two honor books. However, an unforeseen

hardship came into Carolines life the first weekend of break. This hardship understandingly took

up a lot of her time, thought, and emotions, meaning that some restructuring during the difficulty

was needed. I took The Boy in the Striped Pajamas to add to my list, taking some work off her
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load. Though trial and hardship were evident during our project, we were able to push through

and complete the Notable Books for a Global Society Project with vigor and are proud of the

work that we have to submit.

Definition of Multicultural Literature

Emily Moog
My definition of multicultural literature has started from ground zero during this project

and worked its way up to a well-thought out definition and understanding. Before working on the

Notable Books Project, I thought that multicultural literature simply meant that the book talked

about different cultures. I pictured a book with a lot of facts and information about another

culture and thought that they would be boring because they wouldnt be relatable to me. My

goodness, my thoughts have changed. Through talking about multicultural literature in class,

reading about it in our textbook, looking at the Notable Books criteria, and reading the selected

books for this project, I have grown an appreciation for multicultural literature and see how

valuable it is to every culture. There are not many ways to experience other cultures other than

visiting and living within that culture for yourself. It is hard to grasp a lifestyle, race, or belief

system that is different from your own. However, because visiting other countries and cultures is

not practically possible for most people, reading about characters within those foreign cultures is

helpful and important to unifying our earth. There cannot be unity without understanding and

acceptance. By reading multicultural literature, readers can connect with characters within those

books to find similarities between them, unifying them from afar. As readers find similarities

between themselves and the characters, they can begin to comprehend that though there may be

differences in how they each live practically, they are still each human beings and, most likely,

value many of the same things. We arent all that different throughout the world. We all have
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values, opinions, and live for something important. Discovering what we live for and how we

live similarly to other people will help to unite us. My definition of multicultural literature was

changed by this realization. I now understand that the definition includes more than just race and

pushes readers toward acceptance and love.

Caroline Siewert
My original definition of multicultural literature is literature that explores different

cultures and experiences that have occurred throughout time that the majority of cultural groups

have not had very much experience with. My original thoughts on multicultural literature were

that it describes experiences and cultures that many people have not seen or experienced first-

hand. As I continued through the project I realized that multicultural literature is more than just

descriptions and experiences from cultural groups. Multicultural literature allows for readers to

make connections with characters in these books teaching them that despite the cultural

differences there are similarities in people across all different cultures. Multicultural literature

also gives different views on cultures allowing for readers who may have had jaded and

unfavorable views on certain cultures to see what they are truly about. Through this project I

have found that Multicultural literature is more about teaching than knowing.

Multicultural Titles

Freedom Walkers

Freedman, R. (2006). Freedom walkers: the story of the montgomery bus boycott. New
York, NY: Holiday House.

Freedom Walkers focuses on the Montgomery Bus Boycott. This book in a nonfiction

book that focuses on the struggles and accomplishments of African Americans during the Civil
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 7

Rights Movement. This was a very important time in American history as a minority group stood

up for themselves and their rights in a society that did not treat them equally. African Americans

struggled to get their rights as citizens throughout American history and this book captures an

important event that helped them gain essential civil rights that they were not given before.

Throughout the book essential people in the Montgomery Bus Boycott were described chapter by

chapter as the history of this event unfolded. It was amazing to see how many different people

led to the boycott and how many people played essential roles in the boycott. There were many

people that were mentioned in this book that I did not know where a part of the Montgomery Bus

Boycott before I read this book. Freedom Walkers did not only focus on famous people from the

boycott, but instead it included all of the people who

played a role within the boycott. One critique of this book is that it talked about what led to the

boycott and it described the boycott in great detail, but what happened because of the boycott

was not described in a lot of detail. As a reader it would have been great to see what happened

after the boycott in more detail because of the fact that the boycott was monumental in the Civil

Rights movement.

Freedom Walkers is a book that does a really great job of meeting the criteria for the

Notable Books for a Global Society book list. Each book on the list must meet at least one of the

criteria from part one and all of the criteria from part two. This book meets many of the criteria

within part one of the list. Cultural accuracy is portrayed in this book as the Montgomery

Boycott is described in detail. One example of this cultural accuracy is when the author describes
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the leadership of the Montgomery Improvement Association as they plan out the details of the

boycott. The book described the in depth planning the leaders did perfectly as they planned for

the carpool. Freedman said To be effective, the carpool had to be planned and executed as

precisely as a military campaign. An intricate web of pickup and drop-off points was needed

(Freedman, 2006). Freedom Walkers included members within a cultural group as well as the

relationship among cultural groups as the leaders of the Montgomery Improvement Association

tried to work with leaders in the government to get them the rights they wanted and deserved.

This book also focused on a minority group and did not include the minority group just to reach a

quota. All three of these criterion were a part of the first part of the criteria for Notable Books for

a Global Society.

Freedom Walkers meets all of the requirements in part two of the criteria. This book

invites reflection and analysis many times throughout the book. An example of this is in the last

line of the book as the author uses a quote from E.D. Nixon that says There are hundreds of

people who made a contribution. The children coming on behind us ought to know the truth

about this. The truth will set you

free (Freedman, 2012). Unique language is used in this book as the author uses quotes to

capture the way that people talked in this time frame in America. Through this readers are able to

see the derogatory terms used by white people towards African American people. This is a

nonfiction book that qualifies and meets all the requirements to be a book in that genre. The last

requirement in part two that this book meets is the requirement for the book to have an appealing
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format. This book has chapters that tell their own story, but still intertwine with the rest of the

storyline. There are many pictures used within this that are actual pictures from the Montgomery

Bus Boycott. Meeting all of these requirements makes Freedom Walkers a great book to have on

the Notable Books for a Global Society list. This is a book that gets the reader to reflect on a

time period in America where a minority group fought hard to earn their rights.

Dear Mr. Rosenwald

Weatherford, C.B. (2006). Dear mr. rosenwald. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Dear Mr. Rosenwald is a book based in the 1920s. In this book an African American

community comes together to build a new school house for the children. Mr. Rosenwald is the

owner of Sears and he has committed to helping the community build a school if they can come

up with some of the funds themselves. Each family contributes to the fundraising efforts in their

own way. Finally, the town reaches their goal and a brand new school is built for the children.

The best part of this book is that it shows the poor conditions of the school's African American

children were learning in. At one point in the book it describes the schools that African

American children go to as shacks, corncribs, or not at all (Weatherford, 2006). A critique of

this book is that Mr. Rosenwald is important enough to make the title of the book, but he does

not play a large role in the book at all. In fact it actually took a few times reading the book before

I fully understood who Mr. Rosenwald was and what part he played in the storyline. The book

was also written in verse which made it difficult to fully follow the story line
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and get a complete understanding of what the book is about.

This book fits a few criteria in part one of the criteria list for the Notable Books for a

Global Society list. The criteria that this book does the best job on is including rich cultural

details. At one point the children have to take a break from school to help their parents pick

cotton to sell and pay off their debt. This part of the book is described well as the main character

says Six long weeks, down row after tow, me and Junior worked right alongside Mama and

Daddy, picking cotton till our fingers bled (Weatherford, 2006). This part of the book along

with the rest of the book shows the reader what it was like to be an African American child

growing up in the southern states during the 1920s. This book also explores African American

people and the culture they established during this time period. As the community comes

together to make the school it shows just how important education and the opportunities that

come with education are to this cultural group during this time frame in American history. Dear

Mr. Rosenwald is also based upon a minority group for more than the purpose of just meeting a

quota. This book instead explores African American culture and the life that African Americans

lived in the south during this time period.

Every criteria on part two of the list must be within a book for the book to be on the list

of Notable Books for a Global Society. Dear Mr. Rosenwald is a book that meets these all of the

criteria in part two. This book causes the reader to critically analyze and reflect on the cultural of

the African American people and especially the children as they were forced to be educated in

buildings that were not safe or sanitary if they were even allowed to be educated at all. It is
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 11

appalling that children were put in these conditions because the government in the United States

did not look at African American people as equal during this time period. There is unique

language in this book that pinpoints how people talked in the south during the 1920s. The

following passage captures the language and culture of African

American community during this time I was born a slave. Worked hard even after freedom

came. Never had time for book-learning. Heres a dollar, from money I been saving for my

burial. Hurry and build that school so I can learn to read my Bible (Weatherford, 2006). This is

a book that fits the criteria of good literature in the historical fiction genre. The format of this

book is intriguing as it is written in verse. Each page is a poem describing what is going on and

the pictures allow for the reader to envision what the words are saying. The pictures also help the

reader pick out who is more important as the important people are often painted bigger than the

rest of the people or are the focal point of the picture. Overall this is a great picture book to use

to teach kids about the culture and history of African American people as they were oppressed by

the rest of America and treated unequally.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: the story of negro league baseball. White Plains,
NY: Hyperion Book.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball is another story about the African

American culture as it was oppressed by the rest of the United States. This book is based in a
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time where African American people were not given equal rights, but they still found a way to as

a group of people come together and have fun. Negro League Baseball was just like Major

League Baseball, but it was for African Americans who could not play in the major leagues.

Eventually the Negro League was shut down because most of the players were called to the

major leagues, but the Negro League was not paid anything from major league teams as they

took their players. This caused a shortage of players and money in the Negro League causing the

league to collapse. The best part of this book is that each chapter is named after a different inning

like in baseball. There are nine innings, chapters, and an extra inning with each one describing

how Negro League Baseball got started, how the league progressed, important players in the

league, and then finally how the league collapsed. One critique I have of the book is that each of

the chapters was very long and contained a lot of information. It was almost as if

the chapters had too much information and caused the reader to get confused as more

information was added to the story. If a more simplistic approach was taken and less detail was

used this book would be even better than it already is.

This book does a really good job of meeting many of the criteria from part one of the list

of criteria for the Notable Books for a Global Society book list. One criteria that this book meets

is cultural accuracy in the physical appearance of the baseball players. Kadir Nelson does an

incredible job of drawing and painting the illustrations to make the people look real. The

illustrations look as though they are real photographs of the players themselves. This book also

honors and celebrates diversity as the Major Leagues and the Negro League are compared and
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contrasted. This is done incredibly by Nelson as he describes what the Negro League was like in

the following excerpt we played a different brand of baseball from the majors. Negro baseball

was fast! Flashy! Daring! Sometimes it was even funny. But always very exciting to watch

(Nelson, 2008). This book had a lot of cultural detail as the game of Negro League Baseball was

described as not only a game, but a lifestyle for the players who were in the league. In this book

a minority group was described for cultural insights instead of just as a way to meet quota. The

cultural insights in this book an even more intriguing book for readers.

We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball fits all of the criteria in part two as

it invokes reflection and critical analysis, demonstrates unique style, meets the general literary

criteria for non-fiction books, and has an appealing format. Reflection and critical analysis come

into play when the reader realizes that the Negro League is something that African Americans

loved so much and even that was taken away by white people who believed that they were

superior to African American people. This piece of the book is described perfectly in the

following excerpt Major league owners began to

sign many of our ballplayers but paid the Negro League owners next to nothing if

anything at all (Nelson, 2008). This book has a unique style as each chapter describes different

aspects of the Negro League. The creativity from this book is incredible as even the chapters are

called innings to relate to the baseball theme. As this book is creative it still has information that

is accurate. This allows the book to meet the literary requirements of the nonfiction genre. The

formatting of this book is incredible. Kadir Nelson incorporates illustrations on almost every
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single page that reinforces the text and allows for the story to grow. The illustrations are

amazing, Kadir Nelson creates realistic looking people through his illustrations. Overall this

book was written and illustrated in an incredible manner allowing for the reader to feel as though

they were in this time period watching Negro League Baseball.

I Lost My Tooth in Africa

Diakite, P. (2006). I lost my tooth in Africa. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

I Lost My Tooth in Africa, written by Penda Diakite is a picture book depicting life and

culture in Mali, Africa. Amina, the main character, from Portland, Oregon, goes to visit family in

Mali. Her main concern throughout the story is for her loose tooth that she hopes to wriggle free.

As she waits and hopes, many customs of the Mali people are seen and described relating to her

loose tooth and waiting. Just as Amina had to wait for her tooth to come free, she also has to wait

for chickens to hatch from the eggs. While waiting for both of these exciting prospects in her

life, Amina discovers more about Mali African culture.

The illustrations within this story are crucial to the development of characters and

storyline. The colors of outfits and prints on dresses were chosen purposefully to depict what

men and women wear in Mali. Borders were drawn on each page to represent key parts within

the story on that page. Houses, trees, bare ground, and animals were illustrated and colored to

show how the people of Mali lived. They did not have that would be typical of the average

American. Instead, their houses looked to be made out of cheaper brick materials and had floors

that were simple dirt. These illustrations give us insight to an area of the world that we may

never be able to visit but can better visualize due to the beautifully crafted pictures.
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The author of this book, Penda Diakite, wrote this book in honor of his daughter, whom

the book is based upon. On the back of the book, there is a picture of Penda, his daughter, and a

black and white chicken, which is an important piece to the story. The dedication to Pendas

daughter and the picture on the back of the book show that this story is not meant to give

tokenism to a certain race. The book is meant to give life to a culture that is not usually described

and to honor a story of a young girl that a father loves very much. The accuracy is also seen

through the account behind the book. Pendas daughter went to Africa and had these experiences,

meaning that the descriptions of the people group are fair and well-represented.

Critical analysis and reflection are brought about through the ending of the book.

Children, the audience for whom this story was written, are able to think about the importance of

waiting and what good waiting patiently can bring about. Amina had to wait for her tooth to

come loose and for the chicken to hatch and learned so much about her familys culture in the

mean-time. This is an important lesson for children to learn. Thinking about the differences in

culture is also important for children to engage in. Africa is far from America and not an area

that children tend to know well or from personal experience. Children can read I Lost My Tooth

in Africa and identify differences in American culture from that of the Mali culture as well as see

where they overlap. This allows for discussion about embracing other cultures and finding ways

to relate in order to unite.

Crossing the Wire

Hobbs, W. (2006). Crossing the wire. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
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Crossing the Wire, written by Will Hobbs, is a dynamic and culturally important book for

the 21st century. Victor Flores, the main character, is struggling with his family in Mexico to

survive. Economic conditions are terrible and his family does not have enough money to eat.

Determined to help his family, this courageous fifteen year old leaves his home to sneak over the

border into the United States. However, alone and without money, Victor soon realizes how

difficult the task of making money and finding shelter and food of his own on this journey will

be.

Crossing the Wire is a controversial book for this day in age. Over the past decade, and

especially within the last five years, bills and laws have been put into effect to stop illegal

immigration from Mexico. It is assumed that millions of people have found their way through the

border to seek refuge in America and to build a new life for themselves and for family back

home. However, the process is never easy whether they try to do so legally or illegally, and

illegally is much cheaper. The ethical dilemma comes into play of what should be done with

people who come to America illegally. As the book rightfully and authentically shows, these

people have overcome amazing odds to survive and live through terrible conditions in both

Mexico and America. The story of heat, starvation and dehydration are true. The hardships are

real when coming to America the way that Victor did. What should be done with people who are

found to be illegal? The question is important to discuss with children and teenagers as they are

forming political and ethical views about what is going on in America today.

Though this book could be seen as a token story of illegal immigrants, the storyline

tells otherwise. The authenticity of events within the story show that this is not a token book.

This minority group has gone through serious turmoil both within and outside of Mexico and the

United States. Though fictional, Crossing the Wire gives details to events that do happen to
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 17

many people and serves as a reminder to look deeper into situations before judging character of

circumstance. It is so easy to look at illegal immigrants and tell them to get a passport or to go

back and do things the right way. However, they have family that could be starving, dying, or

in danger back home. Most people would do anything for their family, friends, or loved ones.

Crossing the Wire tells a story not many people want to hear or consider. It honors people who

make sacrifices for those they love and provokes thought as to what is best for both Americans

and Mexicans trying to enter the United States in this day in age.

Choices for Inclusion as Notable Books for a Global Society

Honor Book: Moses

Weatherford, C., & Nelson, K. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to
Freedom. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Moses, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrated by Kadir Nelson tells the

story of Harriet Tubmans courage and faith that freed many souls from the bondage of slavery.

Moses, while telling of Harriets courageous acts, focuses more on her faith in God and internal

battle with trusting His timing. This book includes many criteria for the Notables award. Moses

has thought-provoking content that invites critical analysis through the mention and use of

specific words about slavery as well as in-depth treatment of issues. This is a childrens book for

students that are elementary aged. An author must be very careful when talking about an issue as

heavy and important as slavery with this age group. You cannot use serious language about

slavery such that students are afraid or disturbed, but the severity of what happened through

slavery in America is an important concept to teach children. Carole Boston Weatherford is

careful in choosing words for children such that they understand what is being said and that
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 18

Harriet Tubman is being treated incorrectly and is seeking freedom from oppression. For

instance, Harriet, when praying to God says, I am your child, Lord; yet Master owns me, drives

me like a mule. Now he means to sell me south in chains to work cotton, rice, indigo, or

sugarcane, never to see my family again (Weatherford, 2006). Harriets plea to God describes

being treated unfairly, being owned as an individual and being worked tirelessly. Children

would be able to contemplate what it means to have a master and what slavery is within the

safety of careful explanation.

The last quote also applies to richness of detail concerning the group or groups depicted

and a depiction of substantive and authentic interaction among characters within groups. Her

prayer is representative of how many African Americans were treated during this time as well as

how they interacted with God. God has a huge place in the African American culture, especially

during this time of such hardship and turmoil. They relied on God for strength as well as answers

to their present condition and their hope for freedom. The inclusion of members of the African

American population is meant to provide thought-provoking material on the suffrage of African

Americans regarding slavery and give more sympathy to a situation where empathy is not

usually accessible.

Harriets prayers are part of the unique style and language in which this book is written.

The only voices or characters within this book are the narrator, God, and Harriet. Often times,

more characters are used in stories to give depth in the storyline and to liven up the words.

However, more characters are not needed due to the nature of the book. Harriets relationship

with God and her reliance on Him during her flee to freedom is the main focus of the story. More

people within Moses could take away from the power of her prayer life and dependence on God.
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 19

Moses was incredibly accurate in depicting crucial characteristics of Harriet Tubman.

Illustrations seen throughout the story show Harriet physically. There are not many words in

Moses that verbally describe her physical attributes. However, considering this is a picture book

for children, the illustrations are a key part of the story and provide insight to the physical

features of Harriet Tubman and give a visual as to her life throughout the story.

Harriets economic status is clearly seen through her prayers to God regarding slavery

and has such a strong sense of leadership. Not only does she succeed in leading and caring for

slaves as they seek freedom, she also shows leadership in her ability to humble herself and seek

out God by questioning Him and calling out to Him. For instance, throughout the book, Harriet

calls out to God saying things like, Have You deserted me, Lord? or, How far, Lord?

(Weatherford, 2006). The best leaders are also followers and have servant hearts.

Moses surpassed other books and was selected as an honor book because of the accuracy

and rich history within the pages. As mentioned before, the reliance on God that Harriet Tubman

exudes is accurate to how she has been recorded historically and is accurate of many people

within the confines of slavery. Songs were written and sung by slaves about freedom and being

saved by God. These songs and faith in God were represented by Harriets prayers. Though one

character was represented within this book, readers are able to connect with Harriets desire for

freedom from oppression and her strong faith, therefore connecting with African American

culture and experience. Though most of us cannot say from firsthand experience what it would

have been like to be a slave to someone else and to be treated with malice and persecution,

Moses allows us to take a peek into what it would have been like to yearn for freedom and trust

throughout the process of gaining it.

 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 20

Honor Book: The Book Thief

Zusak, M. (2005). The book thief. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.

The Book Thief, written by Markus Zusak, is one of the most interesting and well-written

books I have read. Markus Zusak uses intentional and powerful language as well as special

techniques to tell a story of the Holocaust and its effects on the Jewish race. Death, the unusual

narrator, talks about his job of picking up souls and taking them from bodies to the next phase of

life. While doing his duty as Death, he comes upon a young girl named Liesel multiple times and

tells of the circumstances in which he finds her and follows her life story. Liesel, a lover of

books, experiences much of life due to this loved hobby and expands upon her relationships

through the impact of books in a dark period of Europes history.

The story of the Holocaust is gruesome and hard to empathize with. Though everyone

goes through trials and hardships, there are not many hardships, especially within the United

States that are similar to the struggles that millions of people endured through the Holocaust.

However, learning about this period of history and the people within the true stories is important

to preventing another Holocaust and to unifying different people groups. The Book Thief was

wonderfully descriptive of characters and depicted them well and authentically. Death, as

narrator, was able to see characters souls and outside appearances, making the descriptions more

in-depth. From a physical point of view, the descriptions were valid of the Jewish people and of

how the Holocaust played out. In the beginning, Death talks about the different times in which he

encountered the Book Thief. One of these times was during a bombing. The descriptions of the

scene captured me, as a reader and I was able to visualize the crumbling buildings, bodies strewn

about, and horror on the faces of those witnessing and seeking help. Death, describing the scene

after the bombing says, The streets were ruptured veins. Blood streamed till it was dried on the
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 21

road, and the bodies were stuck there, like driftwood after the flood (Zusak, 2005). These

sentences, besides being gruesome in the story that they told, captivated my thoughts because I

could visualize pictures that I have seen in documentaries about the Holocaust that show this

very thing: bodies piled up and blood all around. The words within this book, though being told

from a fictional character, represent true characteristics of the time period and culture being

depicted with rich detail.

The common bond of humanity is seen throughout this book in the evident empathy you

feel for survivors and those who lost their lives in the Holocaust. The attention to detail that

Markus Zusak had when writing is important to getting the full effect of how inhuman killing

people truly is. As mentioned before in the description of the bombing in which Death saw the

Book Thief, the carefully chosen words describing the blood that dried as if after a flood, gives a

visual of how many lives were lost and how ghastly the deaths were. I have never seen a pile of

bodies in person, but the account given by Death burns an image in my mind that makes it all

seem so real and awful, like it truly was. I am better able to humanize what happened during the

war and see that all of those people who were killed, specifically the vast number of Jews, were,

in fact, people with blood just like mine, who were killed unjustly.

The deaths within The Book Thief are particularly profound and thought-provoking. So

many character who have a large impact on the life of the main character, Liesel, are killed,

including a young boy that was Liesels friend. Any time a young person is killed within a book,

special thoughts arise. We begin to think that they were too young and had too much of their life

ahead of them to live, and its true. There are no good explanations as to why someone would be

killed at a young age. It doesnt seem fair. But this opens up conversation about the deaths of

Jews and non-Jews within the World War. Why did so many people die? What was the purpose
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 22

of having such a gruesome time in our history? These types of questions help the reader to focus

on the humanity of what was done and relate to the people affected by the Holocaust.

The Book Thief was chosen as an honor book for our list of Notable books because of the

unusual and unique style of writing. Death is a very interesting character to have in a book, let

alone as a narrator. Through Deaths perspective, there is a sense of cynicism, as you would

expect from a character depicting Death. However, the descriptions given by Death allow the

reader to grasp what was done during the Holocaust to so many people. If you expect Death, as a

character, to describe a scene in a gruesome way, then it is more acceptable to read the words

and visualize something that we usually do not want to think about or see in our minds.

However, we are also given a more terrible picture, and can see what history books talk about.

Without being able to see for ourselves what happened during the Holocaust, it is almost

unimaginable. But, with the help of books that tell difficult stories, we, decades later, can

sympathize a little more with the fictional and real people hurt and killed, tying us together as

part of a greater story and humanity.

Winner: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Boyne, J. (2006). The boy in the striped pajamas. Random House Childrens Books.

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is one of the most impactful multicultural and historical

books I have ever read. The style of writing kept me intrigued throughout the story and the

ending left me shocked, devastated, and thoughtful. The main character, Bruno, is a young boy

living in Nazi Germany at the time of the Holocaust. In the beginning he is informed by his

mother that his family must move for his fathers job. Brunos father, a man lacking much kind-

heartedness, has been promoted by the Fuhrer, assumed to be Adolf Hitler. Bruno, upset about
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 23

the move, and not wanting to leave his friends or his old house, unwillingly leaves and moves

with his family. While trying to make the best of his move, Bruno, the hopeful adventurer,

discovers a concentration camp near his home and befriends a boy his age within the confining

fence. The boy is dressed in a striped uniform Bruno assumes are pajamas. Brunos knowledge

of the boy and what goes on within the cams walls expands some, but is not the focus of the

story. The unlikely friendship between the two boys and the inhumanity of the Holocaust

happenings are what make this book a true impactful success.

Once again, there are so many things to consider when writing a book that is appropriate

for young teens and young adults. There must be care to choose words carefully so that children

understand the gravity of what was done in the Holocaust while being sheltered enough to

remain child-like and to abstain from being frightened. Though the book is recommended for

readers aged twelve and up, it would be easy to to see children and young teenagers as young as

twelve being greatly hurt or upset by the ending of this book. However, it was written tastefully

and without graphic detail of the final and impactful deaths.

John Boyne did exceptionally well in creating a thought-provoking text that invites

reflection and critical analysis. Throughout the book, written from a little boys perspective, you

are forced to think about life the way that a little boy would. Your perspective of the world

changes. For instance, within the story, Bruno may answer his father by shouting without first

planning to shout. Then, surprised by his own outbursts, he thinks about what he has done. At

first, from the outside, it may seem that Bruno is being rude to his father by shouting. However,

from Brunos perspective, he does not mean to shout or be insubordinate to his father. One of the

big problems within the book for Bruno is that he does not want to move with his family. He

doesnt like the new house as much as his house in Berlin and constantly disagrees with his
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 24

parents, saying that moving was a bad idea. From a parents perspective, he may be annoying

and troublesome. However, from Brunos perspective, the move means losing his best friends

and having to cancel plans previously made to have fun with those friends. He thinks of smaller

things such as playing games, whereas his parents comprehend that the move must be made for

the sake of his fathers job. Children cannot always grasp situations outside of their own thoughts

or ideas. Telling a story from a childs perspective provides uniqueness of style considering that

children view life differently than adults. They do not have formed opinions about the world or

about people groups. They are still learning and are open to all people groups.

The slow progression of understanding from Bruno and the way in which he began to see

the world for how it truly was, though he still died as an innocent child, incapable of truly

understanding what had happened to him, showed in-depth treatment of issues. The details of the

concentration camp and how Nazis treated Jews were brought about slowly as Bruno thought

about them. Often times, Bruno said something or noticed something without fully understanding

what was going on. However, as a reader older than the character of Bruno, we are able to

comprehend what was going on in the story and build upon the details of the circumstances and

scenery.

Though thinking like a child through the narration provides thought-provoking content,

one of the main ways that reflection and critical analysis are brought up is through the

introduction of Jews in the concentration camp and through the controversial ending of the book.

First, the people living in the concentration camp are seen by Bruno as real people with thoughts

and feelings similar to him. He knows that it is abnormal for a group of people to be wearing the

same thing and for them to be working hard under the control and oppression of guns held by

soldiers. Though adults and soldiers of the time viewed Jews as the lowest of people, often not as
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 25

people at all, Bruno, being a child, didnt see race or color. He saw people. The way in which

adults in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas treat other people is something to be considered and

thought over. How do we treat other people of other races and colors? Do we participate in racist

thinking or actions whether or not it is as gruesome as the actions of the Nazis at the time?

Second, the ending of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas is the most well-remembered part

of the story. It is controversial for obvious reasons. A young boy is killed within a concentration

camp because he cared about his new Jewish friend enough to sneak in and play with him. They

should not have been friends according to the customs of that time. Bruno was the son of a high-

ranking officer of Germany and Shmuel was a Jewish boy restricted to the confines of the

oppressive concentration camp. Their friendship was controversial and forbidden within that

time. This friendship celebrates diversity and the common bonds of humanity well. The boys,

being so young, do not have conflict with each other because of their differences. They only see

each other as friends and question one another in the ways in which they live, in an innocent

way, rather than with judgment or negativity. They treat one another the way that we should treat

others as part of humanity as a whole; with love and respect. The friendship and the way in

which the boys were killed shows the inhumanity of what was done by the Nazis to the Jewish

people in Europe. In chapter nineteen, Bruno put on striped pajamas to look like Shmuel in order

to help him find his relative. As he dressed, he realized that the boys were, in fact, similar to each

other and that perhaps, the only thing that differentiated the boys was their dress. As the two

boys proceeded throughout the concentration camp, Bruno was able to understand the two kinds

of people within the camp: unhappy and hurt people, and soldiers.

The story behind The Boy in the Striped Pajamas was written to give perspective about

the Jewish people that were hurt and to show how things have changed over the years. The book
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 26

ends by saying that something as horrible as the Holocaust could never happen again because

things have progressed too much. However, the way in which it was said seems to suggest that

perhaps it could and we are to do our part to make sure that it never happens again. Though the

characters are fictional, the truth still remains; the Holocaust did happen and is a dark time in our

worlds history that should be remembered and thought through culturally.

Conclusion

Multicultural literature is important, plain and simple. Originally, I was skeptical and

somewhat afraid of reading multicultural literature, not wanting to stretch my comfort zone or

branch out in my selection of reading topics. However, as I have progressed through this project

and read books that I may not have ordinarily picked up on my own, I not only learned that I do,

in fact, life to read multicultural books, but I also understand the importance of learning about

and from other cultures. If all seven plus billion people on this Earth are a part of the same

planet, we are all important and are all unified in that. We are all people with feelings, thoughts,

hardships, and joys, and all have so much to learn. Though we live in different places and have

different ideas of how to live life practically, we all share so many common bonds. Instead of

viewing cultures as different, we should strive to understand and accept those cultures more fully

so that we can unite and spread love instead of hate or discrimination. Susan Corapi and Kathy

G. Short talk about the importance of using multicultural literature in classrooms and everyday

life. In their article Exploring International and Intercultural Understanding through Global

Literature they say that, Understanding the values and beliefs of others has become critical for

addressing local and global issues in ways that benefit everyone involved (Corapi & Short). By

including multicultural literature in our classrooms, we are preparing students for life outside of

school. As teachers, our job is not to give kids facts and tell them good luck in life. We teach
 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 27

them social skills and how to interact with others. By teaching them about other cultures and

getting them involved in conversation, we are giving them a headstart to succeeding in the

greater world. The Notable Books for a Global Society helps put this hope into action by

bringing books that celebrate diversity and culture to the spotlight and offering awareness to all

people groups. Multicultural literature is important to all children and in all classrooms and will

help positively build our future generations.

 Notable Books for a Global Society Project 28

Bibliography

Boyne, J. (2006). The boy in the striped pajamas. Random House Childrens Books.

Corapi, S., Short, K. G. Exploring International and Intercultural Understanding through Global
Literature.

Diakite, P. (2006). I lost my tooth in Africa. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Freedman, R. (2006). Freedom walkers: The story of the montgomery bus boycott. New York,
NY: Holiday House.

Hobbs, W. (2006). Crossing the wire. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: the story of negro league baseball. White Plains, NY:
Hyperion
Book.

Tunnell, M. O. et. al. (2016). Childrens literature, briefly. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Unknown. (2011). Childrens Literature & Reading Special Interest Group of the International
Reading
Association
http://clrsig.org/nbgs.php

Weatherford, C.B. (2006). Dear mr. rosenwald. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Weatherford, C. (2006). Moses: When Harriet Tubman led her people to freedom.
New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Zusak, M. (2005). The book thief. New York, NY: Random House, Inc.
Notable Books for a Global Society Project 29