14 Cows for America

Title: 14 Cows for America
Author: Carmen Agra Deedy
From the Bluestem Master List 2012

If you're looking for a very moving and true story, look no further and pick this one up.  It was not what I expected at all.  The illustrations are beautiful and paint the picturesque landscape of the Kenyan village.  Fierce and bright colors are used to show the ceremonial clothing and decorations used by the Maasai people.  This story about a boy returning to his village after being in America is a beautiful picture of compassion and kindness between two completely different cultures.  The message, to help all others by giving what is most important to you can be very influential for any age group.  I extremely enjoyed reading this story as an adult and would certainly read it to most any age group of students.  People need to learn to be compassionate and how to help make an impact on others less fortunate lives.  No matter how much or little one has, some can always be given to those who need it more.

Carmen Agra Deedy did an excellent job in drawing a picture of this story so full of emotion.  The last pages also include a note from the real main character in real life.  He talks about how he grew up, and his heart to help others in this situation.  Kimeli, the boy who knew both Kenyan and American cultures, brought them together with passion, and showed his people and anyone who reads this book that it is never impossible for people of different cultures to relate.  Everyone and people have their own struggles, and we all need each other's help sometimes.  Being a true story makes this book all the more moving to me and I would recommend it to all.

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton

Title: Shark Vs. Train
Author: Chris Barton
From the Monarch Award 2012 Master List

I have never heard of any kind of comparison between sharks and trains before this story.  Here they compete in a great variety of competitions.  The characters seem to have a very strong rivalry that most can easily relate to, it doesn't matter the type of competition all that matters is who wins.  This book shows that everyone has their own strengths but also that two completely different things like sharks and trains can have similarities as well.  What I like most about this book is how the illustrations tell so much more of the story than the words do.  If you simply read the book aloud without looking at the pictures, you would have a story simply about the fight between a shark and a train, with their personal commentaries in small speech bubbles.  The illustrations tell you that the shark and train are toys, and that it is two young boys fighting about which toy is better.
The story eventually shows that it is okay to be yourself, and not the best at everything.  No one is the best at everything, but we all are good at something.  This would encourage students to look for their own great qualities while understanding that other students will be better at other things.  Also, a lot of the competitions involved in the story are very relatable to children and what games they play and things they like to do.