New Shoes by Sara Varon
In Sara Varon's book New Shoes, Varon worked hard to think up the settings, characters, and elements in the story. She included some of the many reference photos she had taken in the brainstorming process. All of her photos were taken in Guyana, most in the town of Linden. This makes the elements of this book authentically based upon Guyana with picture proof in the back of the book.
I could go on and on about this book so here we go...
The book is about Francis, a donkey, who makes shoes for the animals in his town with the help of the goats, chickens, and Nigel, his squirrel monkey friend. Being the town shoemaker is his passion; it's how he provides and loves for his community. When a visitor comes in one day and has an order to place for the famous performer Miss Manatee, Francis is absolutely elated to have the opportunity of making shoes for her. (Hilarious that I was so wrapped up in the story that I didn't even think about Manatee's not having feet...) Conflict arises when Nigel doesn't return with the tiger grass needed to make the shoes. Francis comes to the conclusion that something must have gone wrong and ventures outside of his village, into the jungle for the fist time, with a parrot, Rhonda, to find some answers.
This part of the book is when Varon incorporated nonfiction elements about the jungle plants and animals in Guyana into the fictional story line. In Francis' first time outside of the village, he maintains the growth mindset that educators strive to have each child have in difficulties. Even when he found out Nigel was found trapped because he had been stealing the tiger grass, Francis didn't judge him, but rather was disappointed but acknowledged that Nigel was just having a good time. They worked together to begin growing their own tiger grass at the village, in attempt to not need to bother the jungle yet.
It is not until the last chapter of New Shoes that Francis realizes that Miss Manatee doesn't have feet for shoes, but rather needs a way to move around on land to do what she loves and perform. This is when my jaw dropped at the incredible message this story brings. A message of equality and providing people with disabilities the accommodations they need. Francis works feverishly to come up with an idea for Miss Manatee to get around on land that is comfortable and functional for her needs. He collaborates with Harriet to engineer and craft the invention in Francis' head. Miss Manatee is then able to wheel herself around independently in a tub of water that is comfortable for her to sit in. She performs eloquently and independently with her new accommodations.
Stargazing by Jen Wang
In the graphic novel, Stargazing by Jen Wang, tells a story of two young girls who live different lives within the same Chinese American Community. Christine is established in a friend group at school when a new kid comes into town and needs some financial help. Christine's parents aren't the most sensitive to Christine's words and feelings and dismiss her when she expresses her weariness to the new kid's family moving into their extra unit. To Christine's surprise, Moon is confident, artistic, impulsive, and bubbly; everything that Christine isn't. Intrigued by Moon's uniqueness, Christine becomes a best friend glued to her side. They bond, share secrets, dance freely, and defend one another. It is the sweetest friendship story that is built upon a community that isn't brought to light often.
Jen Wang remarkably had Moon be a character who believed one thing and turned her world upside down when it became known as untrue. Moon had always had "visions", as she would call them, of varying creatures and structures she believed to be of space. She was confident that somewhere in the galaxy was her home, where she was from, where people like her were. This was her foundational belief that gave her the courage to be her unique self by almost hiding under this belief. Moon was absolutely devastated to find out that it was a tumor pressing on her brain that was causing all of the visions she had believed to be her reality. She wouldn't talk to anyone about it until her and Christine were alone after the surgery. "It wasn't real." she said. "All along I've just been a weirdo. And I'll have to live on this earth for the rest of my life." Wow. If that doesn't hit home to my middle-school-self. To feel so out of place, having the foundation of your life become something that you just dreamed up.
A truly heartfelt book, with a beautiful ending. What a lesson for us all to learn from both New Shoes and Stargazing; commonalities surpass all differences when you let kindness in.
Mentor Text: Reading to Make a Difference by Lester L. Laminack and Katie Kelly Chapter 7
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