IN OUR MOTHERS' HOUSE by Patricia Polacco

Bibliography
Polacco, Patricia. 2009. In Our Mothers’ House. NY: Philomel Books. ISBN: 9780399250767

Plot Summary
The eldest daughter of Meema and Marmee recounts the good times of her family. Raised by two mothers, three children have a happy and fulfilling childhood. Even one disapproving neighbor cannot come between this family’s love for one another and their community.

Critical Analysis
This story simply chronicles the good times of a family raised by two mothers. It is not preachy. It shows through key events how loving a household with a same sex couple with adopted kids of different ethnicities can be. The illustrations play on the story by showing the characters with huge smiles and lots of hugs to go around. The only conflict is one neighbor who is disapproving of the mothers’ relationship. However, this neighbor is ignored and life goes on.

I wish there was more to this book. I like the idea of a picture book about a family with two mothers raising kids of different ethnicities living in a neighborhood full of people of various cultures. The neighborhood is much like my own. There is a conflict with the one disapproving neighbor, and I feel the book would have more depth if this conflict was explored more in the story. It may even be confusing to children as to why the neighbor is upset because it is not explained why the neighbor is disapproving of the mothers.

The illustrations and text portray that this book is about a lesbian couple raising a multi-ethnic family. Marmee and Meema are portrayed as strong professional women, a pediatrician and paramedic, who make family life a priority. It definitely shows parenting done right, and I think children from non-traditional households will appreciate reading about a non-traditional family presented in such a positive light.

Awards Won & Review Excerpts

• Rainbow List, 2010; American Library Association 
• Booklist: "The energetic illustrations in pencil and marker, though perhaps not as well-rendered as in some previous works, teem with family activities and neighborhood festivity." 
• Kirkus Reviews: "There is a desperate need for books that present queer families as just another part of the American quilt, but this title, despite its obvious good intentions, doesn't do it." 
• The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: " . . .this might offer a nice balance to the multitudes of heteronormative picture books, and children in similar situations will certainly appreciate seeing their own experiences reflected in their literature."

Connections

• Other books about homosexuality:

          Brannen, Sarah S. Uncle Bobby's Wedding. ISBN 9780399247125
          González, Rigoberto. Antonio's Card. ISBN 0892392045
          Haan, Linda de, and Stern Nijland. King & King. ISBN 1582460612
          Richardson, Justin, and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three. ISBN 0689878451

• Visit Patricia Polacco’s website at http://patriciapolacco.com.

RULES by Cynthia Lord

Bibliography

Lord, Cynthia. 2006. Rules. NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN 0439443822

Plot Summary

Twelve-year-old Catherine tells about her summer. She has a brother, David, with autism, and this can be inconvenient and embarrassing for her at times. Plus, it is not fair that her parents give him most of the attention and always asks her to babysit. However, a new neighbor next door her own age and an unexpected new friend help Catherine to distinguish the things that truly matter from the trivial.

Critical Analysis

Lord takes on a topic that is hard to find in young adult novels, which is autism. Catherine tells her story and conveys to readers her life living with a younger brother with autism. The strength in this novel is that it brings readers closer to understanding the details involved with having a close relative with autism. Catherine describes many things in detail, such as her brother David’s speech patterns, intense emotions, and the frequent therapy visits involved. Readers also get a sense of the hardships that families with autistic children must face, such as Catherine’s resentfulness of always feeling that she must be responsible for her brother.

What I find lacking in this book is there are so many characters that are not developed fully. Catherine’s parents are naïve and seem unaware of the responsibility it takes to raise an autistic child. It seems work is the most important thing to them. Jason’s mother seems to exist just to take him around in his wheelchair. Kris, the new next-door neighbor who Catherine desperately wants to be friends with, comes across as the cookie-cutter shallow type. I was hoping to get more depth from the characters.

Heim (1994 quoted in Vardell) states that in many children’s books characters with a disability are used to grow another character. This is true in Rules. David and Jason, both characters with disabilities, are used so that Catherine reaches enlightenment at the end. Carroll and Rosenblum (2000 quoted in Vardell) state that the character with the disability should grow instead. However, no one knows if David or Jason benefit from emotional growth by the end of the novel.

Despite these shortcomings, I do like the insider perspective the novel gives on autism. Any child with an autistic sibling could benefit from reading this book. Hopefully, they can relate to Catherine’s love for her brother and the distress certain social situations bring.

Awards Won & Review Excerpts

• John Newbery Medal, 2007 Honor
• Schneider Family Book Award, 2007
• Booklist: "A heartwarming first novel."
• Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices: "The parent of an autistic child, Cynthia Lord writes with familiarity and empathy for Catherine and her family."
• Kirkus Reviews: "Catherine is an appealing and believable character, acutely self-conscious and torn between her love for her brother and her resentment of his special needs. Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences."
• The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "his is an absorbing tale about valuing people even when it’s difficult, and it may encourage readers to consider the benefits and challenges of their own families and friends."

Connections

• Try reading Touch Blue (ISBN 9780545035316) also by Cynthia Lord.
• Try another good read about autism:

           Baskin, Nora Raleigh. Anything but Typical. ISBN 9781416963783

•  Visit Cynthia Lord’s website at http://cynthialord.com.

Reference

Vardell, Sylvia M. 2012. “Culture 6 Inclusive Lit: Cultural Markers; Awards.” Lecture. Texas Woman’s University. Denton, TX.

DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Randa Abdel-Fattah

Bibliography
Abdel-Fattah, Randa. 2005. Does My Head Look Big in This? New York: Orchard Books. ISBN 0439919479

Plot Summary
Sixteen-year old Amal is a Muslim and has decided to wear the hijab as a symbol of her religious devotion. However, she knows such a decision will prove a challenge due to the existing prejudices and misconceptions that many people hold concerning her religion. If this is not enough stress, she must also face the normal challenges that many high school girls go through, such as boys, studying for exams, and helping her friends through their problems.

Critical Analysis
This book is about Amal’s journey after deciding to wear the hijab. Through this journey one learns about her spunky personality, her cleverness, her culture, her friends, teenage pressures, and the prejudices that exist concerning Muslims and Middle Easterners. Amal faces many challenges that would make any weak person decide to stop wearing the hijab. However, her maturity is in her resolution to continue to wear it despite the opposition she faces. The setting is Melbourne, Australia. Amal attends a prestigious prep school. Her mom is a dentist, and her dad is a doctor. Despite the well-to-do background of Amal and her friends, they face many events that any teenager can relate to, such as crushes, lying to parents in order to attend a party, and bullying, to name a few. Although there are a few moments where Amal has a preachy moment, such as fussing at her friend Adam about not judging people but individuals, readers will find the characters endearing and cheer Amal on to the end (Abdel-Fattah 2005, 147).

The story is filled with cultural richness. Amal identifies her background as Australian-Muslim-Palestinian and is just as specific about her friends’ backgrounds as well. For instance, her friend Leila is half Pakistani and half British. Distinctions and respect for a variety cultures are made throughout the book. Each culture is treated individually and with respect. There is no lumping of cultures here. Celebrations and religious practices are described as well. For example, Amal describes how her family celebrates Ramadan. There is also a nice description of a Syrian and Afghani wedding that Amal attends where she explains how each Middle Eastern culture has its own version of a dance called the dabke (Abdel-Fattah 2005, 283).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book for a variety of reasons. Ramal is a strong female character. I like how different cultures mentioned, even those outside of the Middle Eastern cultures, are treated with respect. Most importantly, I was able to relate to Amal’s struggle to wear the hijab. I had the same struggle about a year ago trying to decide to wear my African American hair curly and natural. Like Amal, I was afraid that doing so would make it difficult for me to get a job or cause people to judge me unfairly. Like Amal, I made the decision to be myself and all of the worries I had are other people’s problem, not my own.

Awards Won & Review Excerpts

• Best Children's Books of the Year, 2008; Bank Street College of Education
• Booklist Top 10 First Novels for Youth, 2007
• Booklist Top 10 Religious Books for Youth, 2007
• Kirkus Best Young Adult Books, 2007
• Booklist: "More than the usual story of the immigrant teen’s conflict with her traditional parents, the funny, touching contemporary narrative will grab teens everywhere."
• Kirkus Reviews: "Abdel-Fattah's fine first novel offers a world of insight to post-9/11 readers."
• The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books: "But as bad hair days get replaced by bad hijab days, she steadily grows into an increasingly mature and nuanced understanding of what it means to be a Muslim woman, helped by the positive example of her stylish, professional, devout mother and the negative examples of her assimilation-obsessed aunt and her best friend’s tradition-strictured mother."
• VOYA: "This novel is an excellent addition to the multicultural and chick-lit genres, and it is recommended for most collections."

Connections

• Try this other novel by Randa Abdel-Fattah:

          Where the Streets had a Name. ISBN 0545172926

• Other books about Muslims:

          January, Brendan. The Iranian Revolution. ISBN 0822575213
          Kovarik, Chiara Angela. Interviews with Muslim Women of Pakistan. ISBN
          092963649X
          Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Under the Persimmon Tree. ISBN 0374380252