This week, the first book I had the joy of reading was Stargazing by Jen Wang. It is the surprising story of two young, Asian-American girls living very different lives with similar desires and dreams. It is a lovely story about friendship, compassion, hardship, and discovering who you are!
Summary
In Stargazing, two young Asian-American girls, who seem far from the same, find their way into a beautiful friendship. Even though the start was rough, and Christine had her doubts, she discovered that her new neighbor, a girl named Moon, was not how others depicted her to be. I love this story because it shows more of the "behind the scenes" of who a person is. This book shows readers how to look past what others see and what it looks like to be a true friend. I also love this book because it shows how bad things can also happen in friendships, but there are ways to resolve problems and treat people with respect.
Christine is a reserved girl raised in a conservative, Christian family. She has her close group of friends that are much like her and share the same interests. When Moon enters the picture, Christine is not sure what to think, but her friends don't hesitate to inform her that according to what they have heard, Moon is a troubled girl with a history of fighting. When Christine finds out that her family is renting out their spare building to Moon and her mom, she is hesitant to welcome them. Moon introduces herself in a way that shows Christine and her sister just how friendly and out-going she is. When Christine starts to realize how different Moon is compared to what others told her, the two quickly become friends. Throughout the story, the two team up to conquer school drama, the talent show, and math homework. Even though they face bumps along the way, when Moon is faced with an unexpected health issue, their friendship is put to the test. However, in the end, they both come to realize what being true friends is all about.
The next book I had the honor of reading is New Shoes by Sara Varon. I read this book earlier this summer while working with the Anderson Reading Clinic at Appalachian State University. We did some fun work with this book through the Literacy Casts focusing on vocabulary, empathy, science facts about animals, and more! That being said, I already loved the book. But reading a second time, I loved it even more! Great story line with great messages also. There is so much you can do with this book, especially with elementary-age children.
Summary
The main character, Francis, is a shoemaker living in Guyana with his other tropical friends Nigel and Rhoda (among others). Nigel, a spider monkey, is Francis' go-to guy for the tiger grass he needs to make his high-quality shoes. The tiger grass is only found in the jungle, a place Francis has never been, but Nigel is quite used to. One day, Francis is presented with the wonderful opportunity of making shoes for his favorite singer, Miss Manatee, the River Queen. Elated, Francis heads out to find Nigel, so he can have the best tiger grass pronto. However, Nigel has disappeared! Francis' friend Rhoda, a bird, offers her help. With Rhoda there to support him, Francis decides to go into the unknown to help find his friend Nigel. On their journey, Francis learns how to swim and about the other animals that live in the jungle. He also learns what fruits to eat and tries new things. They finally stumble upon Nigel, who has found himself in a sticky situation with the owner of the tiger grass. But eventually, everything is settled and Francis is able to make a very special "shoe" for Miss Manatee.
Critical Issues
Both of these books are very different, but they both can be used to address critical issues like immigration into the United States and what that looks like for those families (Stargazing) and economic justice or protecting endangered species (New Shoes). Many projects can be done with New Shoes involving science and the study of animals and natural resources found in Guyana and other parts of South America.
*Please see my Book Comparison Charts to see other ways I compare these two books!
Opinions/Experiences
When I first started reading Stargazing, I did not know what to expect in the ending (my favorite kind of book). I had never read a graphic novel about Asian-American culture, but really enjoyed reading from the perspective from someone who grew up in this culture. The illustrations in the panels were great and really aided my understanding and comprehension of the story. Some spreads did not even include words, but I still understood what was going on. I think this combination is good for children who struggle with comprehension, because the pictures prompt them to look beyond the letters. I also loved the panels that included both Chinese and English, so I could keep up but still dig deeper into this new language. Some of my favorite parts of the book were pages that included illustrations depicting their dances and the music they were listening to. These pictures helped me actually see them dancing in my head and almost hear their music.
In New Shoes, the text bubbles were always helpful when focusing on who was talking. I also loved the information pages about animals living in the jungle. This book was not only enjoyable and entertaining, but I also learned a lot about Guyana that I did not know before. The book is put together almost like movie with "scenes" that help readers comprehend what they are reading.
Author/Illustrator Information
One of the reasons I love Stargazing is because the author, Jen Wang, has personal experience that influenced the story. In the back of the book, she mentions that she is also Asian-American having grown up in America with a family similar to Christine's. She also mentions that she too had a brain tumor like Moon in her book. You can find out more about Jen Wang on her website: https://www.jenwang.net/
The author of New Shoes, Sara Varon, also brings some personal experience to her book. I had the pleasure of meeting Sara Varon via Zoom this summer and got to hear her speak about the process of creating this book. Her husband is from Guyana, so they book visit often. Some pictures are included in her book of Guyana that she actually took herself. She illustrates her books and adds such life to her characters through story. To find out more about Sara Varon and her other books, check out her website: http://chickenopolis.com/
I love this spread in Stargazing because I feel like it is a great page to use for determining how the characters are feeling.
Instructional Goals
- Make inferences about emotion; use vocabulary to describe emotion (happy, sad, confused, shy, excited)
- Make a prediction about what will happen next in the story
Instructional Steps
- summarize learning
- read page aloud with students
- analyze emotions of Moon, Christine, Vivian, and Babba
- use illustrations: What visual cues do you see? Have you ever felt like this?
- make a prediction
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