Valarie Budayr, Author at Multicultural Children's Book Day

Multicultural Chapter Books Worth Checking Out

March 19, 2019 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

There’s no better feeling than seeing a reluctant reader (or any reader for that fact!) deeply immersed in the adventure-filled pages of a chapter book.

Books take a reader to places they can only dream about; places where they could find new friends, learn new cultures, and “see” themselves within the pages. Introducing children to chapter books at an early age can nurture a love of reading and help children on the road to becoming avid readers. Here are some great Multicultural Chapter Books Worth Checking Out!

Multicultural Chapter Books

Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee

Steeped in suspense and Korean mythology, Dragon Pearl will delight Rick Riordan fans. Did you know that, in Korean Folklore, ghosts are known to bring bad luck wherever they go? Did you know that, in Korean folklore, Shamans act as the bridge between the human world and restless spirits?

Rick Riordan Presents Yoon Ha Lee’s space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. But you’d never know it by looking at her. To keep the family safe, Min’s mother insists that none of them use any fox-magic, such as Charm or shape-shifting. They must appear human at all times.

Min feels hemmed in by the household rules and resents the endless chores, the cousins who crowd her, and the aunties who judge her. She would like nothing more than to escape Jinju, her neglected, dust-ridden, and impoverished planet. She’s counting the days until she can follow her older brother, Jun, into the Space Forces and see more of the Thousand Worlds.

When word arrives that Jun is suspected of leaving his post to go in search of the Dragon Pearl, Min knows that something is wrong. Jun would never desert his battle cruiser, even for a mystical object rumored to have tremendous power. She decides to run away to find him and clear his name.

Min’s quest will have her meeting gamblers, pirates, and vengeful ghosts. It will involve deception, lies, and sabotage. She will be forced to use more fox-magic than ever before, and to rely on all of her cleverness and bravery. The outcome may not be what she had hoped, but it has the potential to exceed her wildest dreams. This sci-fi adventure with the underpinnings of Korean mythology will transport you to a world far beyond your imagination.

One Half from the East by Nadia Hasimi

A poignant story of a young girl trapped by a tradition that has her straddling illusion and reality. It gives the reader some insight into the practice of baccha posh and makes for an interesting dialogue about gender role and expectations in different societies. [chapter book, ages 8-12]

Ash Mistry And The Savage Fortress by Sarwat Chaddha

I’ve always loved mythology, and I want my own books to have a resonant mythic basis, so I enjoy reading writers who find fresh ways to bring ancient myth to life. That’s what Sarwat Chaddha does in Ash Mistry: a book that fuses Hindu mythology with the dynamics of videogames, action movies, and comics to tell a rollercoaster of an adventure story. [chapter book, ages 10 and up]

Ask My Mood Ring How I Feel by Diana Lopez

It’s summer before eighth grade, and Erica “Chia” Montenegro is feeling so many things that she needs a mood ring to keep track of her emotions. She’s happy when she hangs out with her best friends, the Robins. She’s jealous that her genius little sister skipped two grades. And she’s passionate about the crushes on her Boyfriend Wishlist. And when Erica’s mom is diagnosed with breast cancer, she feels worried and doesn’t know what she can do to help.

When her family visits a cuarto de milagros, a miracle room in a famous church, Erica decides to make a promesa to God in exchange for her mom’s health. As her mom gets sicker, Erica quickly learns that juggling family, friends, school, and fulfilling a promesa is stressful, but with a little bit of hope and a lot of love, she just might be able to figure it out.

Words in the Dust by Trent Reedy

Inspired by true events in a post-Taliban Afghanistan during the reconstruction years the book offers an unbiased view of a slice of life in a country ravaged by war and beset by hard and fast traditions. It is an uplifting story of a courageous young girl who finds empowerment in the midst of daunting odds. [chapter book, ages 10-14]

Joy Sun Bear has been delighting and teaching young fans and parents about diverse cultures for years. But now this inquisitive young bear is embarking on a new kind of adventure; the star in a children’s book! The Adventures of Joy Sun Bear: The Blue Amber of Sumatra is going to be the first in a children’s chapter book series, about a little sun bear’s magical adventure around the world!

Through a wide selection of resources, and a cast of characters kids can relate to, parents and educators alike can explore the world with their kids and develop their global awareness with love and respect.

Join their Global Community Forum to connect and collaborate with parents and educators around the world!
See how to use our Global Education Resources (geography, country facts, coloring activities, crafts, recipes, videos and more!) at home or in your classroom.

The Curse of the Were-Hyena by Bruce Hale

I’ve been a Bruce Hale fan since last year when I read School for Spies. “Mr. Chu, the coolest teacher ever, has developed some very unusual habits, like laughing hysterically for no reason, sniffing people’s homework, and chasing chickens. When best friends Carlos and Benny decide to find out what’s happening to him, they get caught up in some moonlight madness. And it looks like just the beginning of the weirdness that has arrived in the town of Monterrosa. . . . This first entry in a silly, sassy, and suspenseful new series will leave readers howling with laughter.”

Time Tracers-The Stolen Summer is a diverse chapter book with a fun, lighthearted, easy-reading-flow. We were hooked from the first page when the author conveys the teen agony of having to sit through the final 10 minutes of 7th grade.

Once free from the school’s clutches (their words, not ours) Taj, Jen and Lucas launched into an intense and detailed plan of how they are going to spend every waking moment of summer and their plans will make you chuckle out loud. But then it happens…time disappears and all three find themselves sitting on the school bus again for the first day of school. They’ve been robbed. Robbed of summer and only the mysterious man in the grey suit can help get it back.

Who’s Ju by Dania Ramos:

Justina (Ju) loves mystery movies and books and is the head of a special club called the Seventh Grade Sleuths, involved in solving small mysteries at school. When Justina and her crew are hired to find out who has been vandalizing the sets of the school play, Ju never expects that she would wind up steeped in a deeper and more important mystery concerning her own identity. At school, the seventh graders have been assigned a genetics project to research their family history. This project causes grief for her parents who do not want her to complete it.

Determined not to get a bad grade, Justina continues her research only to discover that her parents have been hiding something about her past. Ramos has created an excellent, fully developed heroine. The tween does not look like any of her family members and is faced with questions about her own identity and where she fits in. Fans of Nancy Drew or “39 Clues” (Scholastic) who are looking for something new will enjoy this multi-layered tale.

What Multicultural Chapter Books recommends do you have?

4 Ways to Get Involved in MCBD as an Author or Publisher

Donate Books:Diverse kids’ or YA books donated to the MCBD cause are used a variety of ways including donation to the over 2,000 classrooms waiting for a free diverse book from MCBD, as books given to reviewers during the event, or as prizes for their wildly popular (and much-anticipated) Twitter Party on January 25^th.

Go here to learn how you can donate brand new diverse books to the cause: http://bit.ly/2zx1YjX

Multiple options for Sponsorship:Sponsorship is not only a great way to support this event; it is an excellent way to get your name (and your books) in front of thousands of readers. All of our Sponsors get a name mention within the hundreds of reviews that get posted from December to January 25^th and also on the sites of our 26 CoHosts and Global CoHost sites. Go here to learn more about MCBD2019 Sponsorship: http://bit.ly/2TXuh3x

Connect with Multicultural Children’s Book Day on social media and share, share, share!NOTE: Their official hashtag is #ReadYourWorld

– Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/MulticulturalChildrensBookDay

– Twitter https://twitter.com/MCChildsBookDay

-Instagram https://www.instagram.com/readyourworldmcbd/

Guest post:The MCBD Team is always looking for quality diverse children’s book-related guest posts on their blog. Authors and publishers are invited to share the story of their writing journey or their thoughts on the importance of diversity in children’s literature.

4 Ways to Get Involved as an Educator or Librarian

Throughout the months of November-January, leading up to the celebratory day, educators, librarians and parents can start planning and preparing with FREE activities available today at www.multiculturalchildrensbookday.com

FREE Classroom “Empathy” Kit: The free Classroom Empathy Kit focuses on empathy and compassion through shared booklists and special home or classroom activities. The kit includes 18 book recommends on the topic of Understanding Immigration and Refugees, Classroom Empathy Activities, and a very special custom printable Empathy Poster courtesy of author/illustrator Juana MedinaEducators, parents and librarians can sign-up to receive the free classroom kit here: http://bit.ly/2BGu4uQ

FREE Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate: Understanding Poverty in America Classroom Kit: Created in 2018, this free classroom kit includes over 2 dozen poverty in the U.S.-themed book recommends for ages 4-12, two classroom or home activities, and a copy of the official “Poverty Doesn’t Discriminate” Classroom Poster thanks to the talents of award-winning illustrator, Mehrdokht Amini. http://bit.ly/2P6cXWE

Free Diversity Book Lists and Activities for Teachers and Parents: Curated lists of books about diverse topics including: countries, religions, holidays, ethnicities, in addition to special needs and LGBTQ. http://bit.ly/1kGZrta

SHARE HOW YOU ARE CELEBRATING: Enter your reading event on the new Online Classroom Event Coordinator to make sure your classroom gets materials they need (bookmarks, pencils, stickers). Teachers who host a celebration in the classroom can send in a picture of their party to receive 3 free diverse books and a swag pack as a thank you. Teachers and librarians can enter their event info HERE (https://multiculturalchildrensbookday.com/category/offline-classroomlibrary-event-project/)

Don’t forget to connect with Multicultural Children’s Book Day on social media and be sure and look for/use their official hashtag #ReadYourWorld.

An Exceptional Anthology about Epic Women #WomensHistoryMonth

March 16, 2019 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

March is National Women’s History Month

This wonderful recognition also creates a special opportunity in our schools, our workplaces, and our communities to recognize and celebrate the often-overlooked achievements of American women. That’s why we want to call your attention to an amazing book about epic women.

“All the Women in My Family Sing” – a necessary read for every American as it offers hope and encourages equality by showing readers how very alike we are, no matter our gender, skin color, religion, or age. I’d like to send you a copy of the book to review or feature. Deborah Santana is also available for interviews or to provide commentary if needed.

This year brought conversations about gender and racial inequality to the forefront. From the recent synagogue shooting, to the Kavanaugh hearings, to the numerous cases of gender and racial discrimination, the time is up for injustice! People of all ages, races, and sexual orientations need to see their human rights respected and this starts by having compassion for those whose paths we have not walked.

All the Women in My Family Sing helps build bridges of understanding that our culture so desperately needs right now. The anthology is a collection of prose and poetry by 69 diverse women (African American, Native American, Asian American, Muslim, Cameroonian, Kenyan, Liberian, Mexican American, Korean, Chinese American and LGBTQI) from ages 16 to 77.

ABOUT THE BOOK AND CONTRIBUTORS

ll the Women in My Family Sing is an anthology documenting the experiences of women of color at the dawn of the twenty-first century. It is a vital collection of prose and poetry whose topics range from the pressures of being the vice-president of a Fortune 500 Company, to escaping the killing fields of Cambodia, to the struggles inside immigration, identity, romance, and self-worth. These brief, trenchant essays capture the aspirations and wisdom of women of color as they exercise autonomy, creativity, and dignity and build bridges to heal the brokenness in today’s turbulent world.

Sixty-nine authors — African American, Asian American, Chicana, Native American, Cameroonian, South African, Korean, LGBTQI — lend their voices to broaden cross-cultural understanding and to build bridges to each other’s histories and daily experiences of life. America Ferrera’s essay is from her powerful speech at the Women’s March in Washington D.C.; Natalie Baszile writes about her travels to Louisiana to research Queen Sugar and finding the “painful truths” her father experienced in the “belly of segregation;” Porochista Khakpour tells us what it is like to fly across America under the Muslim travel ban; Lalita Tademy writes about her transition from top executive at Sun Microsystems to NY Times bestselling author.

This anthology is monumental and timely as human rights and justice are being challenged around the world.

“A wonderful book” – Michelle Obama

Grab your copy on Amazon and learn more about this project here.

Need marketing help for your multicultural children’s or YA book? We can help! The MulticulturalChildren’s Book Day Sponsored Post Package as a way to leverage our robust social media and strong following.

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsored Post Package

Reach more than 260,000 people with a SPONSORED POST OR BOOK REVIEW: $25O

Taking Food Literacy, Literally | Diverse Book Publisher Readers to Eaters

Lee & Low Books’ Jason Low shares his thoughts on #diversity and the 25th Anniversary of Baseball Saved Us

***Our Sponsored Post options are only available from February to September of any given year***

Go here for more information on the benefits of a MCBD Sponsored Post for authors and publishers.

****The Multicultural Children’s Book Day Sponsored Post Package does not promise or guarantee book sales.

Booklandia: Where the World of Bilingual and Spanish Books is Closer than you Think!

March 14, 2019 by Valarie Budayr Leave a Comment

Guest post by Izzie Chea

From humble beginnings in the busy kitchen of an Oakland, CA home in 2016, the idea of bringing children’s Spanish and bilingual books was coming to fruition. Maceo Cabrera-Estévez, Cuban-American mom and book lady for Barefoot Books, noticed the demand for high quality, authentic, and representative Spanish and bilingual children’s literature. There was nowhere to go that would guarantee that bilingual and Spanish books were not just poor translations of English books, and so Booklandia was born.

Booklandia provides Bilingual and Spanish literature to children, ages infant to age 12, through an online store (tienda), a subscription box, or through book sets for teachers, schools, libraries, and organizations like hospitals and community centers. Booklandia also has a donation program giving families and organizations books for every box sold.

Our mission at Booklandia is to assist in creating beautiful, representative, and inclusive home libraries for children. Books from Booklandia are sourced from across Latin America, South America, México, the Caribbean, Spain, and the US and include a diverse representation of characters, stories, themes, and authors.

Part of Booklandia is the commitment to building community, and as a result, Booklandia has a presence at many festivals and events in the SF Bay Area as well as regular free bilingual storytime events in California and Texas. The success of these events is shown in the smiling faces of children when they see books and characters with similar names and features as theirs.

As a current challenge to keep building community, the #LEEMOS3000 Reading Challenge is live throughout the month of March. Readers of all ages and levels are encouraged to log hours all month long and contribute to the collective goal of 3000 hours reading bilingual and Spanish books.

To learn more about Booklandia, please visit www.booklandiabox.com!

To join our #LEEMOS3000 Challenge, please visit https://booklandiabox.com/blogs/news/leemos3000-challenge!

Izzie Chea is Marketing Director at Booklandia. She is a Dominican/Mexican-American writer, storyteller, music teacher, mother, and wife. She resides in ultra-diverse Houston, TX, and enjoys reading with a cafecito, her piano, and the family cat, Simon.

A Bilingual and Spanish Booklist from Booklandia

The Hummingbird Sings and Dances: Latin American Lullabies and Nursery Rhymes

Arepita de Manteca

Ayobami y el Nombre de los Animales

El Pedo Mas Grande Del Mundo

La Frontera: El Viaje con Papa/The Journey with Papa

Find us on Facebook! Booklandia Books

Find us on Instagram! Booklandia Box

Visit our website! Booklandia

Browse the tiendita! La Tienda

Join the Booklandia Bilingual Kids Club! Kids Club

Why learning a Foreign Language in Elementary School is Important

February 19, 2019 by Valarie Budayr

Guest post by Judy Martialay

Learning a Foreign Language in Elementary School is Important and Foreign Language in Elementary School (FLES) is a wonderful boost for all kids. As I mentioned in my past article on MCBD, the world that we need to prepare our children for is filled with multiple languages. Regardless of their career choices or where they may live, it is more probable than ever that they will be communicating and working with people from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.

Foreign Language in Elementary Schools

Why begin to learn a language early? We can learn a language at any age, but starting very young has big advantages:

1.Children have more time to learn a language. It takes many years to be truly fluent in a language. Think of how long it took your child to speak English effortlessly, practicing day in and day out.

2.Children are wired to learn languages. They have the ability to repeat any sound in a foreign language and to speak with almost native pronunciation. This means that they will not only be understood but also they will be able to hear and understand better. This ability disappears at around the age of puberty, 12 years old., just when most of our

students are beginning to study a language.

Foreign Language in Elementary School | What are FLES classes like?

I recently interviewed Mr.D, the teacher of Mandarin Chinese in our local elementary school. All the children in our district begin Mandarin in kindergarten. They can change to Spanish in grade 3 and to other languages in middle school. The Mandarin class is described here, but classes in Spanish or any other language are similar at this level.

Children address Mr. D using the Mandarin word for “teacher”, Laoshi. The students learn with a variety of activities, games, and songs. They greet each other and ask how they are. They learn to talk about the weather, school, countries, food, and many other topics. The day I interviewed the teacher, the children were learning the body parts in Mandarin, and they played “Pin the tail on the Dragon.”

The teacher reads stories to the children. He brings comic books into the older classes and encourages them to recognize characters.

Throughout the year, kindergarten children work on a book project,“All About Me”, where they write their autobiographies. Older children work on projects using technologies with IPAD and Chrome, where they can compose stories.

The children learn the pronunciation of Mandarin, including the tones, by repetition. Repetition is good when learning a foreign language!

In kindergarten, Mr. D.introduces the Chinese characters with a book called The Pet Dragon by Christoph Nieman. Children practice the strokes needed to form the characters and gain familiarity with apps.

At this age, children accept this new language without question. With Mandarin (and Spanish or French, etc) they are learning to think in a different way. This ability to express ideas in a different way promotes flexibility in the brain; this ability has major cognitive benefits. They are also learning to accept cultural differences.

Children are encouraged to use their Mandarin outside of class. One girl has befriended a waiter in the local Chinese restaurant and brought him a weather wheel that she made in class. Some children’s parents speak Mandarin or have colleagues who speak the language with the children.

Boys do as well as girls in FLES classes. At this age, they have not yet absorbed attitudes that are prevalent about how it isn’t macho to speak a foreign language.

Students of all abilities can succeed because there is ample time and repetition for practice to master the language.

What can parents do to encourage their children?

In our mostly monolingual country, your support as a parent can make a big difference. Point out the benefits of knowing another language. Find a relative or friend who speaks the language and is willing to have conversations with your child in the language.

You can encourage your budding bilingual children by finding opportunities for the kids to practice, with free apps, Duo Lingo, programs on Youtube, and movies about culture. Take the children to a restaurant where food from that country is served. Make visits to local cultural events.

What can you do if your district doesn’t offer FLES classes?

In the U.S., only about 25% of elementary schools, public or private, offer any form of FLES program. If your school district doesn’t have FLES classes, what can you do?

The benefits are so important, you don’t want your child to lose this opportunity. Go to the school principal and/or superintendent and ask that they begin these programs. If possible, go with like-minded parents; there is strength in numbers.

Meantime, find a program that you can use at home with your child, like ¡Hola! Let’s Learn Spanish or Bonjour! Let’s Learn French. These books are designed for parents to use with their children, 6-10, whether or not they know the language. The audio program is free and downloadable on the website http://www.polyglotkidz.com, along with lots of resources. The books are easy and fun to use for the whole family. There may be private classes available in your area, summer camps, and lots of resources online.

Every child should have the opportunity to begin to learn a second language early and to continue learning that language until he or she is proficient.

For free downloadable infosheets about the benefits of learning a language other than English, please visit http://polyglotkidz.com/benefits_of_knowing_another_language/

Please make sure that your child has the early language advantage enjoyed by their peers around the world. Request a FLES program for your school. Find alternatives for your child if necessary, and learn or review the language yourself. Enjoy!

About the Author

Judy has taught languages on Long Island and is an active member of the Public Advocacy Committee of the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers. She lives on Long Island with her husband. Has two daughters and a granddaughter. Her missions are have let every child have the opportunity to learn a world language at an early age, and she wants parents, everyone to have fun with a language and appreciate the beauty of the cultures of our world. Judy is the author of ¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish and her newest book, Bonjour! Let’s Learn French will be published in October

“Language study promotes tolerance for diversity.”
Visit: http://www.polyglotkidz.com
¡HOLA! Let’s Learn Spanish

NABE Pinnacle Book Achievement Award Winner Winter 2017

Honorable Mention Educational Purple Dragonfly Book Award 2017
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Lead with languages

International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2019

January 27, 2019 by Valarie Budayr

International Holocaust Remembrance Day is not a traditional holiday of any culture, but rather a day of remembrance designated by the United Nations in 2005.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Some have asked why MCBD shifted from a consistent “every January 27th” model to a “last Friday in January” model. We originally innocently thought MCBD and IHRD could “co-celebrate” on the same day. But Karin Fisher-Golton, a long-time MCBD book reviewer, children’s literacy advocate, and author of, My Amazing Day: A Celebration of Wonder and Gratitude, was the wise soul who pointed out to us that this line of thinking was actually hurting both observances. But first, here’s some backstory on IHRD.

About International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Below is an excerpt of the UN statement about their designation of that day, which can be found in full here: http://www.un.org/en/holocaustremembrance/.

Rejecting any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or in part, the General Assembly adopted a resolution (A/RES/60/7) by consensus condemning “without reserve” all manifestations of religious intolerance, incitement, harassment or violence against persons or communities based on ethnic origin or religious belief, whenever they occur.

The resolution declared that the United Nations would designate 27 January — the anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp — as an annual International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, and urged Member States to develop educational programmes to instill the memory of the tragedy in future generations to prevent genocide from occurring again.

As Karin revealed to us, “In the big picture, if the UN is going to make a statement encouraging people all over the world to use education to help prevent future genocides, let’s make it easy for people to support that all the way one day and support diverse books all the way another day.”

Though the ultimate goals of MCBD and Holocaust Remembrance Day are in some ways the same, Karin helped us realize and acknowledge that they are actually quite different. Having these two events on the same day pulls bloggers and teachers in two different directions when we know that many of them would like to be able to give their full attention to both.

After working with Karin, and discussing how to effectively honor both initiatives, we all agreed that MCBD should pick a day of the week that would be most effective for us(Fridays for example) and keep a consistent theme in January for future years to come.

We all agreed that the side benefit is that a consistent day of the week would in many ways make planning easier for bloggers and teachers, plus giving International Holocaust Remembrance Day the full spotlight that it deserves.

Books That Help to Honor International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Where We Once Gathered by Andrea Strongwater

Only Passionate Curiosity has a great Picture Books for Teaching Children about the Holocaust Booklist

Pragmaticmom also has a great list of 20 Books About Poland For Kids

About Karin Fisher-Golton

Karin’s board book, My Amazing Day: A Celebration of Wonder and Gratitude, winner of the 2015 BAIPA Award: Children’s Picture Book, features a biracial toddler. Karin became even
more passionate about diversity in children’s books when she saw how very meaningful the book’s images were to families that are not well-represented in picture books. She became
passionate about Holocaust remembrance when, through studying her own family history, she became familiar with the faces and stories of her family members, including children, who were murdered in the Holocaust. On this day she hopes their memories will be a blessing and that we will never forget. Karin is an author, poet, and freelance children’s book editor living in the San Francisco Bay Area. More information about her work can be found at karinfisher-golton.com.