Ask Me No Questions

Budhos, Marina.  2006. Ask Me No Questions. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1416903512.

Summary
Nadira and her family are applying for asylum in Canada after 9/11. At the Canadian border they are told to turn back...there's no room. Her father is detained due to their lack of visas, her mother stays with him, and send Nadira and her sister back to New York to live with relatives.  Nothing is the same as it was before.  Will the girls be able to finish school in the U.S.? Will they have to go back to Bangladesh?  Her whole family begins to fall apart.  Will Nadira be able to bring them back together?

Analysis
There are many cultural markers throughout this story. The first to stand out would be the names of the people throughout the story.  They are traditional and include: Nadira, Aisha, Tareq, Taslima, Naseem, and more.  In addition, Nadira calls her father "abba" and older men she is close to "name-Uncle."  For example, Naseem-Uncle and Ali-Uncle.

Language is also a large cultural marker that brings to light additional markers such as clothing and food.  For example, Nadira mentions her mother's "shalwar kameez" fluther in the wind when she gets out of the car. Some of the foods Nadira talks about about are "pooris," "alu gobi," "biryani," and chicken tandoori.  She also talks about her father going to a "mela" or a fair for the "Pohela Boishakh" or Bengali New Year.

Finally, within the story Budhos writes about Nadira's family's story that includes much of the history and struggles of both Bengal/Pakistan and Muslims in the U.S., especially after 9/11.  This novel showcases the worries and heartache that immigrant families go through whether they are here legally or not.



Review Excerpts
Booklist (starred) - Readers will feel the heartbreak, prejudice, kindness, and fear.
School Library Journal - The author explains their situation well, but the effect is more informational than fiction. Nadira and Aisha are clearly drawn characters, but they don't quite come alive, and their Bangladeshi-American background is more a backdrop than a way of life. Still, this is an important facet of the American immigrant experience, worthy of wider attention.

Connections
Read more about Muslim Teenagers in the U.S.:
Budhos, Marina. Tell Us We're Home. ISBN 978-1416903529
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. Does My Head Look Big in This? ISBN 978-0439922333
Hafiz et al. The American Muslim Teenage Handbook. ISBN 978-1416985785
Beshir, Sumaiva. Everyday Struggles: The Story of Muslim Teens. ISBN 978-1590080306

Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy

Lears, Laurie.  2005. Nathan's Wish: A Story about Cerebral Palsy. ill. Stacy Schuett. Norton Grove, IL; Albert Whitman & Co. ISBN 0807571016.

Summary
Nathan has a disability called cerebral palsy.  He is confined to either a wheelchair or a walker to get around.  One of his favorite activities is to go to his neighbor's house and watch her work as a bird rehabilitator. Nathan wants very badly to help Miss Sandy but can't think what to do because of his disability.  However, after he sees a broken bird become a mother to some baby owls that aren't hers, he realizes that he can help...just in a different way.


Analysis
This book is a great way to introduce cerebral palsy to children and explain it well.  First, there is an introduction into cerebral palsy, what it is and how it effects those who have it.  In addition, this book shows children that, just because you can't do something specific, doesn't mean you can't find purpose and help in other ways.

This book's illustrations show Nathan using his wheelchair and canes to get around and to his neighbor's houses.  The illustrations also demonstrate Nathan as a different ethnicity than caucasian. 

Overall, this is a sweet book that will show children that just because someone they know (or they themselves) is affected by a disability, doesn't mean that they aren't good people.  The disability doesn't make the person who they are, it's what's inside that counts.

Review Excerpts
School Library Journal - An additional title for libraries in need of books featuring young children with disabilities.
School Library Journal - Warm illustrations with bold brush strokes complement this feel-good story.

Connections
Other stories about disabilities and disabled children:
Heelan, Jamee Riggio. Rolling Along: The Story of Taylor and His Wheelchair. ISBN 978-1561452194
Thomas, Pat. Don't Call Me Special. ISBN 978-0764121180
Lewis, Beverly. In Jesse's Shoes. ISBN 978-0764203138
Willis, Jeanne. Susan Laughs. ISBN 978-0805065015

Molly's Family

Garden, Nancy. 2004. Molly's Family. ill. Sharon Wooding. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 978-0374530024.

Summary
Molly and her classmates are getting their classroom ready for Open House Night.  Molly and several of her friends draw their families to decorate the walls.  When Molly is told that she can't have two mommies, she's confused and sad.  No one else is like her and she is unsure if she wants to hang up her picture.

Analysis
This is a great book to teach children that there are several different types of families in the world today.  Some children don't know their fathers, others are adopted, some have two mommies, and even others have multiple generations in their home.  This book teaches children that just because their family is different, doesn't mean that it isn't a real family.  Love is what makes a family real.

This book is a gentle way to show children that it is okay to have gay parents.  The pictures are beautifully drawn and do not show any explicit or confusing scenes for children.  The mothers are only shown holding Molly's hands and tucking her in at night.  These are activities that are typical for many families.  The illustrations also show many different types of people and even puppies!

I believe this book is a good way to introduce children to the differences that make ourselves and our families unique.  It is also a good way to help children understand that acceptance is key in learning about someone.

Review Excerpts
"Long-overdue...why are there still so few Molly's for child readers to encounter?" -- Kirkus Reviews

"Less overtly messagey than Leslea Newman's Heather Has Two Mommies (1989), this will open up discussion in many families." -- Booklist

"By tying this specific household to the general diversity within all families, Garden manages to celebrate them all. The soft colored-pencil drawings with their many realistic details depict a room full of active kindergartners. There is a squat sweetness to the characters as they work together to make everything look and feel right." -- School Library Journal

Connections
Check out these books about different types of families:
Newman, Leslea. Mommy, Mama, and Me. ISBN 978-1582462639 .
Newman, Leslea. Daddy, Papa and Me. ISBN 978-1582462622 .
Tompkins, Crystal. Oh the Things Mommies Do. ISBN 978-0578027593 .
Parr, Thomas. The Family Book. ISBN 978-0316070409 .
Parnell, Peter. And Tango Makes Three. ISBN 978-0689878459.