Courtney Williams LITERATURE REVIEW

Mama and Daddy Bear’s Divorce Author- Cornelia Maude Spelman Publisher- Albert Whitman and Company Copyright Year Type of Special Needs Book- Fiction Summary- This book is about a family of bears and one of the little bears’ name is Dinah. She is sad when her parents tell her and her sister that they are going to get a divorce. After the divorce she realizes that she can still do all of the same stuff that she used to even when they were married and that both her parents still love her very much. Unit Themes- Divorce Activity-I could read this to my class if I know that a student’s parents are going through a divorce or if we have a lesson about it or different types of families. We could take a poll and see how many students in class have divorced parents and what the benefits and downfalls of it are. I think this book is good to read as exceptional needs literature because every family is different and they go through different hardships. It could bring a better understanding of divorce to students that are going through it or do not really understand the concept.

How My Family Lives in America Author- Susan Kuklin Publisher- Bradbury Press, Macmillan Publishing Company Copyright Year Type of Special Needs Book- Non-Fiction Summary- Sanu is an African American, Eric is a Hispanic American, and April is a Chinese American and they all tell their different stories about their different cultures. They let us in on how they do things in the other country that one or both of their parents are from such as; clothing, food, and schooling. They tell us how they incorporate both cultures into their everyday lives. Unit Themes- Culturally Diverse Backgrounds Activity- I am sure that I will have many different students that come from a culturally diverse background. So I think we could have a day where everybody just shares with the class about their culture. The parents can come in and the students can bring different items from their culture, they can bring in different food dishes that are popular in their culture for everyone to try. Everyone can be a part of everyone else’s culture for a day. It will be good for the students to learn about their classmate’s background. This book is a good choice to read because it explains 3 different common culturally diverse families and I am certain that I will have students just like these in my class one day, so reading it would be good for the students that do not know much about these cultures. This will expand their knowledge on how other people live and where they came from.

Can You Hear a Rainbow Author- Jamee Riggio Heelan Publisher- Peachtree Publishers, Ltd. Copyright Year Type of Special Needs Book- Non-Fiction Summary- Chris is a boy that was born deaf. When he was very young he got hearing aids and he learned sign language. He initially went to a deaf school but eventually went to a public school where he has an interpreter in class everyday. He made a friend that could hear and he taught him some sign language. He also made a friend with a deaf girl and they both like to act in school plays together. He learned that just because he is deaf, that doesn’t mean that he can’t do the same things as people that can hear. A rainbow is the same to him as it is to a person that can hear. Unit Themes- Deaf Community Activity- I can read this book to my class before a sign language activity. We could have a lesson on the deaf community and learn some easy signs. For an assessment I could have the students sign me answers for points. I think this is a great choice to read to my class as exceptional needs literature because I may have a deaf student in class one day and I think it would be important for myself and my other students to learn more about our deaf classmate and try to learn some sign language so that we can communicate with him or her without the interpreter. My students may also come across other people that are deaf and it will help them in sign to them as well if they need or want to.

Harry and Willy and Carrothead Author- Judith Caseley Publisher- Scholastic Inc. Copyright Year Type of Special Needs Book- Fiction Summary- Harry was born without a left hand. His arm stopped at his elbow. People would look at him differently and felt sorry for him. He had a mind of his own ever since he was young. He did everything just like everyone else but only with one hand. He got a prosthesis when he was four. He met Oscar who has red hair and everybody calls him carrothead. Oscar and Harry became friends. When the bully was making fun of Oscar because of his red hair, Harry stood up for him and they all 3 became friends. Unit Themes- Physically Disabled Activity- I could read this book to my class before an activity where all of the students tie one of their hands to their side or behind their back and can only use the other hand to do everything. This activity really puts into perspective what it would be like with just one hand or arm. This book would be good for exceptional literature because it has a little boy that is physically disabled and has to do things differently. I may have students in my class that are physically disabled and this is great story about how they are just like everyone else.

When Will We Be Sisters? Author- Virginia Kroll Publisher-Scholastic Inc. Copyright Year Type of Special Needs Book- Fiction Summary- A little girl named Paula is an only child. Her mom and dad got a call that they were able to adopt a child. Her name is Lisa and the first thing that Paula asked was when they will be sisters. Paula was excited for her new sister to live with them. She helped her mom make her a doll and cleaned out half of the closet. They kept asking their parents when they will be parents. Paula and Lisa got into an argument over setting the table and after they laughed it off, their dad told them that now they are sisters. Unit Themes- Adoption Activity- I could use this book in an activity where I ask all of the students if they have been or if they know someone that has been adopted. Even a family member. Then all of the students could “make” a new brother or sister that they would want their parents to adopt. They can draw a picture of how they imagine they would look and what types of things they like and activities they would like to do with their adopted brother or sister. I think this is a good choice because it explains adoption and I could explain why mommies and daddies adopt other children. I think it would be really good for children to understand that not everybody comes from their mommy and daddy the same way they did but that doesn’t make them any less family.