Abuelita's Secret Matzahs
By Sandy Eisenberg Sasso Illustrated by Diana Bryer
$9.99
An interesting book exploring freedom to practice the Jewish religion in the context of a Latino family who has held their faith secret for years because of the history of anti-semitism that they have experienced. Jacobo, finally discovers the secret when a Jewish family who moves in next door and he sees that they keep many similar traditions to is own Abuelita (grandmother). Jacobo is distressed when Abuelita finally admits the deception and the book ends with an acknowledgement that he will now have to decide for himself if he is truly a Jew or a Catholic according to the traditions of those he has grown up around.
Pact says: It is nice to have a book that uses Spanish words and places Latino heritage as a backdrop for discussing religious freedom and the choices Jews must make in a Christian dominated society. A great discussion point to help kids understand religious history and freedom.
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All Families Are Special
by Norma Simon
$16.95
Beginning with an adoptive family, Norma Simon does a great job of describing the wide variety that exists among families. Big and small, one parent or two, adoptive or kinship, two mom's or none, she has made sure there is variety and validation for each and every constellation she describes and those she does not. With vivid illustrations, each family is talked about in terms that young schoolagers will relate to. Simon ends the book by talking about the ways families support each other during good times and bad.
Pact says: A very sweet book that affirms the differences between us while underscoring the significance of families. Ideal for classroom use or to curl up in a big chair and read with that one special child who might need to be reminded that his or her family is very, very special. Highly recommended.
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Always An Olivia: A Remarkable Family History
By Carolivia Herron, Illustrated by Jeremy Tugeau
$19.75
Tracing the history of Carol Olivia0AC122s African American heritage and Jewish ancestry, this books gives children and parents a template for honoring both heritages while acknowledging the special struggles and pride inherent to each.
Pact says: A book that recognizes the historical connections between the Jewish and African American communities can be a source of support and inspiration for children who are growing up as both.
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Amazing Grace
by Mary Hoffman
$16.99
When told she cannot be Peter Pan in the school play because she's a girl and because she's Black, Grace challenges the racist, sexist attitudes at her school (with the help of her family) and prevails. Grace's mother and grandmother teach her to fight bias by preparing, not by trying to protect her - a lesson useful for all parents.
Pact says: An inspiring favorite that should be in every child's library! A Pact bestseller.
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Chrysanthemum
by Kevin Henkes
$6.99
Chrysanthemum's parents always told her that her name was perfect, and she thought so too until her first day of school when the kids teased her. An old classic that helps children explore their fears about being teased and desire to fit in.
Pact says: For every child who struggles when other kids make fun of them. Inspirational and funny.
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Con Mi Hermano / With My Brother
by Kevin Henkes
$6.99
A young boy treasures time with his older brother and is sad when he goes off to school. A nice depiction of brotherly love, which characters who just happen to be Latino and bilingual text.
Pact says: A sweet book with colorful illustrations that speaks to how younger siblings look up to older ones.
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Dona Flor
by Pact Mora, Illustrated by Raoul Colon
$7.99
Un cuento de una mujer gigante con un gran corazon / A tall tale about a giant woman with a great big heart. A combination of color washes, etchings and pencils along with the expansive story and imagination of Mora, give Dona Flor a brilliant intensity that is representative of Latino lore. A bridge between the imagination and the natural world, Dona Flor links the two, a giant lady with a heart to match. Spanish words and glossary.
Pact says:A beautiful book; a story with heart and imagination.
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Double Dip Feelings
by Barbara Cain
$9.95
What we love about this book is that it identifies contradictory emotions and delivers the message that it is natural to have them. That makes this book really useful with children who are happy to be adopted but also sometimes feel sad. Unfortunately it has somewhat uninteresting iillustrations and somewhat boring text.
Pact says: This book doesn019t give a lot of hints for resolving problems, but in the hands of a good therapist and/or creative parent it offers reassurance about having conflicted feelings.
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Horace
by Holly Keller
$16.99
What makes a family belong together? Horace looks different from his mom and dad but comes to realize they belong together for reasons more important than appearance. This classic story has been a favorite of adopted children since its first publication and continues to offer a message that is reassuring without being saccharine.
Pact says: A great book that explores issues while offering reassurance. Appealing illustrations.
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In God's Name
by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Illustrated by Phoebe Stone
$16.99
Everyone and everything in the world has a name. What is God's name? In this appealing book relaying God's many names, the energetic illustrations enhance the feeling of celebration. The visual elements of this book invoke an implicit context which elicits a sense of wonder in the reader, the wondrous notion of a larger universal power, a notion all the more moving because people from many cultures share the belief in such a power and have named it in order to be able to communicate with and about it.
Pact says: This book can be particularly comforting to adopted children trying to make sense of their personal journey in a spiritual context. Non-deonominational, written by a Jewish Rabbi with an eye to interfaith sensitivity.
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It's Okay To Be Different
by Todd Parr
$9.99
The central idea of acceptance, understanding and confidence is the unstated message of every page but the book is not sappy or sugar coated. Funny and upbeat, this bright book delivers one-liners kids will relate to.
Pact says: Good job and even better message!
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Jalapeño Bagels
By Natasha Wing, Illustrated by Robert Casilla
$16.96
Pablo wants to bring something that reflects all of his cultures to school for International Day. since his family has a bakery he and his family try out several 0AC153creative0AC recipies before he invents the Jalapeño bagels that he will take to school. Recipes are included at the back of the book.
Pact says: We always appreciate books that remind us that people can come in all kinds of packages and validate the history of Jews of color.
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Let's Talk About Race
by Julius Lester, Illustrated by Karen Barbour
$16.99
Lester talks about race and racism in terms that young children can absorb. "Why would some people say their race is better than another? Because they feel bad about themselves.... " Simple words interspersed with bold pictures of people with different skin colors, he gives children language with which to understand how race matters and how it doesn't; offering the understanding of race as one, not the only, characteristic of self.
Pact says: Great job giving parents a way to talk about a topic that they are sometimes fearful to tackle.
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Lucy's Family Tree
by Karen Halvorsen Schreck, Illustrations by Stephen Glassler
$7.95
Lucy, adopted from Mexico by white parents, feels "different," hurt and weird when assigned to make a family tree. Her parents challenge her to find three families she thinks are "the same." In so doing, her aha conclusion is that since most families are different in some way, any family that turned out to be the same would be the one who was different. In the end, Lucy makes a clay Mexican tree of life, "glowing with color" as her family tree, with her birth parents and adoptive parents represented and all is well. In addition, Schreck provides models of other ways kids in diverse families can approach the family tree assignment.
Pact says: Because it does such an authentic job of capturing the powerful responses adopted kids have to identity issues raised by the family tree assignment, this book is an important contribution. Lucy's feelings as well as her parents are honestly portrayed and both her parents mistakes and positive steps in helping her to work through her sense of being "less than" provide terrific models for other adoptive parents. The flow would be improved if Lucy's interactions with other families were shorter but this is in general a well-written and useful book. Illustrations by Stephen Gassler add depth to the story and do a great job of bringing the text to life.
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Megan's Birthday Tree
by Laurie Lears, Illustrated by Bill Farnsworth
$15.95
A Story About Open Adoption. When Kendra, Megan's birth mother, writes to say she is getting married and moving to a different town, Megan is worried she will forget her, especially since the "birthday tree" she planted when Megan was born is in her old backyard. The story ends when Megan finds out that Kendra has transplanted the birthday tree, and will be continuing to send pictures of it to Megan each year,.
Pact says: Very sweet, this book explores the importance of their birth parents to children this age.
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Molly's Family
by Nancy Garden
$15.95
A kindergartener with two moms has to handle a classmate�s insistence that a two mom family isn�t a �real� one. When she gets home and tells her moms what happened at school, they reassure her that her family is real, and that there are all kinds of families.But Molly isn�t completely reassured until her teacher offers her support.
Pact says: A validating book for kids who have to deal with teasing about different that underscroes the need for parents and teachers to be proactive in helping children cope.
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Mommy Far, Mommy Near
by Betsy James
$16.99
Elizabeth was adopted from China. While her mother finds many openings to talk about adoption -- looking at her album, pointing out differences in how they look, describing how they adopted their dog, etc. - it isn't until Elizabeth sees a Chinese mother and daughter at the playground that she understands that she has lost her own birth mother. Elizabeth's mom doesn't try to fix what she cannot but responds perfectly with her show of love.
Pact says: The game of "look" is a must do ritual for reinforcing attachment and truly seeing one another is enfolded in the story. This models excellent ways for parents to support their children when they feel sad.
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Mulberry Bird
by Anne Braff Brodzinsky
$16.00
Although she loves her baby very much, a young mother bird chooses adoption because she is unable to give him the home that he needs. This gentle story shows her struggle with this decision and illustrates her hope that her baby's life can be fulfilled through adoption.
Pact says: This illustrated version of a beloved classic offers a reassuring answer to every adopted child's question, "Why is there adoption and why was I adopted?"
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Place in My Heart, A
by Mary Grossnickle
$16.95
Charlie the chipmunk was adopted into a family of gray squirrels. He wonders about his birth parents.His mother gives him permission to be curious and to care about this birth parents, and shows him there is always room in our hearts for all of the people we care about.
Pact says: The book offers parents an excellent opportunity to talk with their child about the core issues that come with being adopted. We love this book!
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Sweet Briar Goes To School
by Kevin Henkes
$5.99
Sweet Briar is a skunk and the kids she goes to school with won't be her friend because she smells bad. She and her parents try various strategies to help her make friends. In the end, she saves the other animal children from a wolf and they realize that her difference can be useful.
Pact says: Another good book to start conversations about making new friends at a new school and teasing.
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Teammates
by Peter Golenbock & Paul Bacon
$7.00
This book offers an account of Jackie Robinson's difficulties in becoming the first Black player in Major League baseball and relates the acceptance and support he received from his white teammate, Pee Wee Reese. This single moment in baseball history is a great way to talk about racism, courage and true brotherhood with young children.
Pact say: A great example to demonstrate how white allies can support people of color.
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Three Names of Me
by Mary Cummings, Illustrated by Lin Wang
$15.95
A book that has a touching overall tone but does so in the context of inviting acknowledgment of the adopted girls history and connections before she became the girl she is now in her adoptive home. In this book, the main character, Ada, is a Chinese adoptee who is reiterating the story of her journey to her adoptive family, "Ada Lorane Bennett. That is my name. But it is not the first name I have had. It is the third."
Pact says: The story takes her to America but as she grows up she remembers her "China mother" and her homeland with love and affection clearly sanctioned by her adoptive parents; what a beautiful model of integration and wholeness.
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Why Can't You Look Like Me?
By Ola Zuri
$13.95
"Have you ever felt like you didn't belong? How did you deal with it? This
story a young girl who has been adopted transracially and feels like she
doesn't fit in anywhere, even within her own family." And so reads the back
cover of this new book, written in verse for children 4 - 8 years old. There
are really two separate issues that the little girl is dealing with - lack
of adult support and a lack of peers - and in the book those two things get
intertwined. The adults in her life seem totally unaware of her sadness and
isolation.
Pact says: We know that the author, who lived this experience herself as an
adoptee of color in an overwhelmingly white environment, has the goal of
offering a hopeful and affirming message to kids in a difficult situation.
While a little over simplified, the esteem-affirming message is validating
and encouraging to children. However, it could be even more crucial and
eye-opening for parents who might not realize the extent or impact of their
child's isolation and loneliness when they are asked to live in this kind of
situation.
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