Somebody's New Pajamas

Jackson, Isaac, Somebody's New Pajamas, 1996, Dial Books for Young Readers.

Keywords: Traditions, Friendship, Different backgrounds, sleepwear, family life.

Brief Summary: This book does a good job telling the reading that class and color are not always related. Jerome the main character is friends with Robert a new boy at school. Jerome lives in a small house while Robert lives in a big house and has lots of nice clothes. Jerome learns that there's more than money to a family, there is always the fun, love and respect. He also learns that families are different and they do things different.
This book is great for children ages 4-8. 

Teaching Suggestions: We can teach about social diversity, social class, traditions, culture and family altogether. It is also a good way to experience and learn new vocabulary and not have students talk about poor and rich, it leads us to a good way to talk about things that we can afford and things that we can't afford. It gives a sense of more equality and less restrictions between rich and poor. 

Uncle Rain Cloud

Johnston, Tony, Uncle Rain Cloud, 2000, Charlesbridge.

Keywords:  Mexican-American, Translating, Family and culture, speaking English.

Summary:  Carlos tries to help his uncle, who is frustrated and angry at his inability to speak English, and adjust to their new home in Los Angeles. Carlos loves it when his uncle tells him amazing stories of Mexico, and the myths of gods and goddesses with weird tongue-twisting names. 
This book would be great for ages 4-8.

Teaching Suggestions : This book its a good source to understand the things a child goes through when the parents or guardians don't speak English. The children often end up being the translators and interpreters in the store, classroom and with official letters.  This book emphasizes the responsibility that a child has when he or she becomes the interpreter of the house. I used to be the interpreter in the house...and still am. I related a lot to this book.We can use this book when learning about overcoming misunderstandings, difficulties of living in a society where you don’t know the language, communication between persons. This book also helps to clear up misunderstandings that people don't want to learn the languages. It helps to see the reasons on why some people are afraid to speak up.

Sarah, Plain & Tall

MacLachlan, Patricia, Sarah, Plain and Tall, 1987, Harper Collins Publishers.

Keywords: Family, Places, Letter writing, maps.

Brief Summary: This is a  tale set in the late 19th century. It is about a widowed midwestern farmer with two children, Anna and Caleb. The farmer advertises for a wife. When Sarah arrives she is homesick for Maine, especially for the ocean which she misses greatly.Their mother died during childbirth, when having Caleb,  She goes on a trip to town and when she comes back she explains to the children that even though she misses her home, "the truth of it is I would miss you more." 

Teaching Suggestions: I think that students will clearly have questions regardless if they like or don't like the story. This story helps the students understand of things that happened back in the day and they will also learn about cultural things, as to ask for a wife.

I'm not sure how i feel about this story. It is a joy and then blank...Maybe because of my beliefs or my background, or maybe I'm just old styled...I can't feel good because he's asking for a mom for his children, but then i feel good because the children will finally have a mom... I'm not sure how to approach this.

Learning to live with stress!!!

So i just want to rant about my life...
So I got 2 jobs and I'm a full-time student while I'm planning a wedding...:D yay!!!.....please tell me that's not crazy??!!! I know...so i go to the doc and he says..."well...you might have anemia...or you might have a problem with your thyroid"....so he makes me do some labs and they turned out great!! So now I'm stressed out because I got a bunch of things to do.. but they all seem to interconnect somehow!! Oh and FAFSA is coming up!! wow!! and then scholarship season is coming up!! oh and then I didn't pass the Praxis II tests!! so I got to pay again for these tests and since I'm doing the bilingual and reading endorsement I got two extra Praxis II tests to take!! Blah like seriously Blah!!! :D