Reading Ladder
Theme- Cultural Diversity
Anchor Book- Feathers
Picture Books-
1.The Colors of Us, by: Karen Katz
This book tells the story of a little girls trying to paint people, and figure out what colors make their skin tone the best. The little girl and her mother walk around to see all different skin shades, and better help us understand that skins color comes in all sort of shades.
2. Mixed Me, by: Taye Diggs
This is the story of Mike, a young boy who is faced with many questions pertaining to his skin color and the way he looks. Mike knows that he is a mix of light and dark, but a lot of other kids don’t understand. This story takes you through the life of a mixed-race child.
3. The Big Orange Splot, by: Daniel Manus Pinkwater
This story reinforces the idea of excepting everyone the way they are, regardless of what they look like or where they come from.
4. Jack and Jim, by: Kitty Crowther
This book explores the friendship of two birds. Jack and Jim, come from two different parts of the world, therefore they do not look alike, they have different types of feathers. This book teaches that you love someone because of who they are on the inside, not what kind of feathers they have on the outside.
Young Adult Books-
- Feathers, by: Jaqueline Woodson
Feathers is set in the early 1970’s, a time when segregation is illegal, but still very fresh on everyone’s minds. One day, a new student walks into Price, a school consisting of all black students, on a side of the highway where only blacks live. This new student is white. Everyone’s eyes are opened by this new students, some in different ways than others.
2. The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by: Sherman Alexie
This novel tells the story of Junior, a high-schooler living and going to school on his reservation. He decides to breakaway from the life set out for him, and attend the neighboring all white high school down the road.
3. The Skin I’m In, by: Sharon G. Flake
This is the story of Maleeka Madison, a young African American girl who struggles with lo self esteem because of her dark skin tone. She is helped to fight this self esteem battle by Miss Saunders, a teacher at her school who also struggles with skin insecurities.
Nonfiction-
Graphic Novel-