Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-Li Jiang, illustrated by Greg Ruth

Tai Shan and his father, Baba, don't fly their kites on the ground. Instead, they go to the roof of their house, "above but still under, neither here nor there." To them, the kites represent freedom and their unbreakable bond as father and son, the red kite being "small and nimble," the blue kite "big and strong."

But then a dark time descends on Chinese history, something called the Cultural Revolution. This is a time when, in order to assure that citizens do not "stray from the Communist path," people are tortured, beaten, and put into prison camps for even the possibility that they might have differing views.

Baba is one of those people who is put into a labor camp, but before he leaves makes a pact with Tai Shan: every day at sunrise, he will fly his red kite so Baba can see it from camp, and in return, every day at sunset, Baba will fly his blue kite so Tai Shan can see it from Granny Wang's farm.

But one day, Baba stops flying his blue kite at sunset and Tai Shan is afraid for him. Where is Baba? Will Tai Shan ever see the blue kite or his Baba again?

Red Kite, Blue Kite is based on a true story: that of the author's family friend who is the little boy of Tai Shan. It is truly a testament to the beauty and resilience of the human spirit, especially when you realize that this really did happen. Greg Ruth's illustrations further add to the emotion of the story, picking up human expression and feeling where words fail. This could be the first step of a reading ladder toward books like Red Scarf Girl also by Ji-Li Liang and Revolution is Not a Dinner Party by Ying Chang Compestine. The author's note at the end of the book gives just enough information to fill in some knowledge gaps for young readers, but is also vague enough that will compel students to read further about this era in world history, which is when a teacher can swoop in and show them books like Red Scarf Girl.

In addition, Red Kite, Blue Kite could also be a mentor text to discuss symbolism with students since the red kite and blue kite clearly represent the relationship between the father and son. 

Overall, this is a beautiful story that can speak to a variety of age groups.


Red Kite, Blue Kite by Ji-Li Jiang, illustrated by Greg Ruth
Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 32
Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Primary/Middle Grade/Young Adult
Disclosure: Library Copy

The Price of Freedom by Dennis and Judith Fradin, illustrated by Eric Velasquez

During the time preceding the Civil War, the town of Oberlin, Ohio was known for its abolitionist beliefs and was the busiest stop on the Underground Railroad, having sheltered 3,000 runaway slaves between the 1830s and 1850s. The Price of Freedom is the story of how the entire town of Oberlin rallied around John Price, an escaped slave who had been living in Oberlin when we was captured and was going to be sent back to his owner. Even though Ohio was in the North and outlawed slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act declared that even if a slave escapes to the North, his owners have the right to capture him and bring him back to the slave-owning South. Despite the fact that the men and women who stood up to Price's bounty hunters knew they were breaking the law, they felt they were answering to a "higher law" and doing what was morally right. 

The Price of Freedom is an incredibly inspiring story and moved me so much that I want to learn more about the history of Oberlin, Ohio. These are the types of books that will get students excited by and interested in history. I wish more teachers would abandon their textbooks and start searching for for better texts to use in their classrooms. I mean, I was so inspired by reading this book that I now want to take a trip to Oberlin, which is only a two-hour drive from where I live in Michigan. I doubt a textbook is going to ever inspire a student to say, "I want to visit that place!"


The Price of Freedom: How One Town Stood Up to Slavery by Dennis and Judith Fradin, illustrated by Eric Velasquez
Published: January 8, 2013
Publisher: Walker
Pages: 48
Genre: Nonfiction Picture Book
Audience: Middle Grade
Disclosure: Library Copy

Lost States: True Stories of Texlahoma, Transylvania, and Other States That Never Made It by Michael J. Trinklein

What a fun romp through America through the lens of states that never came to be. Some of the propositions in this book are completely far-fetched (The state of Albania?) but others give a fascinating look at just how arbitrary the borders of the lower 48 are. This is a great read for people who think that history is dull and dry and doesn't lend itself to writing with any sort of voice. Trinklein's humor pervades his writing and makes the material in this book even more fascinating. It's people like Trinklein who should be writing textbooks, not the robots who currently seem to grace the textbook publishing world. I teach 6th grade social studies and I have a hard time staying awake when I read our textbook. How am I expected to tell 6th graders what's important if no one can stay awake long enough to read it? I understand the need to be objective and politically correct when writing about history, but the problem is, when you take the humanness out of writing, no one wants to read it. Fun books like this are the antidote to mind-numbing textbooks.