Culture 6 – Inclusive Lit
1. EVERYTHING SAD IS UNTRUE by Daniel Nayeri
Bibliography
Nayeri, Daniel. (2020). Everything sad is untrue. Listening Library.
Plot Summary
Everything Sad is Untrue is an autobiographical novel by Daniel Nayeri. Khosrou, called Daniel, is a 12-year-old Iranian refugee, who with his sister and mother, have all arrived on asylum in Oklahoma. His assignment in class is to tell them about his family. He spins tales of his family and history back in Iran to his unbelieving classmates. His stories comfort him as he feels like an outsider in his new home. Written as an adult, Nayeri tells his story through the eyes of his young self.
Critical Analysis
The audiobook has no chapters, unlike in Western literature. In his own words, “A patchwork story is the shame of the refugee.” The pieces of his story are told in the vein of great Persian storytellers, woven together in a way that takes the listener on a journey. Daniel Nayeri narrates the book, and as such injects much expression, accurate pronunciation, and emphasis onto his own story. His storytelling draws the reader into his world of memory.
There are many cultural references in this multiple-award-winning novel. Beginning immediately in the epigraph with the introduction of Khosrou. We learn that that is his given name and that it came from a Persian king from long ago (not Arab). Soon after, the author discusses the correct pronunciation and how to make the sounds in your mouth. Then, he quickly tells the reader not to bother trying as it is not a sound that our mouths can make. We should just call him “Daniel”. In describing his appearance, Daniel shares how his skin is darker than his classmates, he has a “bubble butt”, and eats food that smells funny to everyone at school. He tells a story early on about meeting his Baba Haji (grandfather) for the first time back in Iran. His grandfather cuts the throat of a mad bull, killing it instantly and spilling its blood on the floor. Over almost 8 hours of tales, Nayeri immerses the reader in Persian history, mythology, and refugee hardships.
Review excerpts
- Booklist: “Walking the line between fiction and non-, this is a kind of meta-memoir, a story about the stories that define us. It’s a novel, narrated conversationally—and poetically—by a boy reaching for the truth in his fading youth.”
- Publisher’s Weekly: “T Mesmerizing and hard-hitting at once, this work of personal mythology is a rare treasure of a book. Ages 10-up.”
Connections
- Author’s note at the back of the book.
- Teaching Guide on the Levine Querido website. https://www.levinequerido.com/everything-sad-is-untrue
2. ARISTOTLE AND DANTE DISCOVER THE SECRETS OF THE UNIVERSE by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Bibliography
Saenz, Benjamin Alire. (2014). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. Recorded Books, Inc.
Plot Summary
Aristotle (Ari) and Dante meet in the summer before junior year at the swimming pool. Dante offers to teach Ari how to swim. They bond over their unique names and common culture and become inseparable friends. Over the course of two years, the boys grow up and change, and respond to tragedy in ways that strengthen their ties. Ari and Dante discover even more powerful feelings for each other.
Critical Analysis
The audiobook recording of this novel is narrated beautifully by the multi-talented Lin Manuel Miranda. He conveys the angst of being a teenager and the concerned voice of a parent with ease and switches between voices fluidly. The book begins with an introduction and then splits into six parts: The Different Rules of Summer (12 chapters); Sparrows Falling from the Sky (12 chapters); The End of Summer (11 chapters); Letters on a Page (31 chapters); Remember the Rain (18 chapters); and All the Secrets of the Universe (21 chapters).
There are several different cultural references in this multiple-award-winning book. The boys refer to themselves as Mexican American. They share with each other about not feeling like they completely fit in with their Mexican relatives. The boys are described as having dark hair and Dante’s father as having dark eyes.
The other culture highlighted in this book is homosexuality. Dante discovers that while he has kissed girls, he actually likes kissing boys better. He realizes that he is in love with his best friend Ari. He fears telling his parents, especially his dad. He rejoices when his mom becomes pregnant because this means that they may have another boy that can give them grandchildren. Ari takes longer to come to his own realization, despite risking his life for Dante. Ari’s beloved aunt dies, and this begins to unravel the secrets in his family’s house. He learns that his aunt was ostracized by the rest of her family because she was a lesbian. She had a committed relationship with another woman and her siblings did not approve. His parents always accepted and loved her, though. With this knowledge and his parents’ intervention, he realizes his true feelings for Dante.
Review excerpts
- Kirkus Reviews Starred: “Meticulous pacing and finely nuanced characters underpin the author's gift for affecting prose that illuminates the struggles within relationships. (Fiction. 14 & up).”
- Booklist: “Family issues take center stage, as well as issues of Mexican identity, but the heart of the novel is Dante’s openness about his homosexuality and Ari’s suppression of his.”
Connections
- Simon and Schuster’s website has a short author bio and a reading guide.
- Further reading: Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World
3. BLACK BOY JOY by Kwame Mbalia
Bibliography
Mbalia, Kwame. (2021). Black Boy Joy. Delacorte Press.
Plot Summary
Black Boy Joy is a collection of 17 stories by black male and nonbinary authors “celebrating black boyhood”. Some of the stories are realistic fiction and deal with subjects like teen dances or gender identity, and some are fantasy. The editor’s story, a fantasy called The Griot of Grover Street, is in three parts. One part opens the collection, another is in the middle, and the third closes the book.
Critical Analysis
The short stories in this collection are written by authors who have experienced what it means to be a black boy in this world, firsthand. The seventeen stories were collected and edited by Kwame Mbalia. One story is a comic by Jerry Craft, and the rest are narratives.
This current Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee is full of cultural references. Starting with the beautiful picture on the cover of the book and the warm introduction declaring the intent of the editor to gather stories from his friends and fellow authors, to highlight the beauty of black boyhood for the world to behold. Each story contains nuances, words, scenes, plots, and characters that embody different aspects of black culture and what it means to grow up as a black boy.
A few stories also tackle homosexuality and gender identity as well. In The Gender Reveal by George M. Johnson, Malcolm is sewing an outfit for his birthday party the following day. He isn’t sure if he is going to be brave enough for the big reveal. His grandmother is encouraging and helps him. It is not until he goes to school and speaks with his best friend that he begins to change his mind. After they speak with their friends from the track team and they hear how accepted they truly are, then they get the courage to reveal themselves to all of their friends and family.
Review excerpts
Connections
4. A FRIEND FOR HENRY by Jenn Bailey
Bibliography
Bailey, Jenn. (2019). A friend for Henry. Chronicle Books LLC.
Plot Summary
Henry is looking for a friend in his classroom at school. It can’t be the little girl with rainbow fingernails, the boys who don’t follow the rules, or the teacher who knows about hugs. Henry is drawn to the goldfish whose scales capture the light. He finds a little girl in class that likes the same things he does. They play calmly together. Henry has found a friend.
Critical Analysis
The reader gets the sense immediately that Henry is a thoughtful boy. That he is a child that lives in his head. The author introduces you to this by including these thoughts in italics and interspersing them with the narrator’s telling of the story. This bit of author’s craft endears Henry to the reader. While the audience may have never felt the way Henry does about his classmates’ colorful fingers or the worms piled in the swing, because we can hear his thoughts in our heads, we feel like we understand him a bit better. His thoughts have become our thoughts. The part of Henry’s story that the reader can identify with is the desire for a friend. Throughout the story, Henry comes to learn what he does want in a friend and what he absolutely cannot tolerate. Through a series of trial and error, Henry finds a friend in the end.
It is never explicitly stated that Henry has Autism, however, the author leaves clues. One of the first illustrations is of Henry standing alone and apart from the rest of his class. He has a perplexed look on his face. His expressions often appear without emotion but convey concern all at the same time. At one point, Henry loses it completely over a carpet square from Rug World, when a classmate is not acting the way he needs him to. The teacher has him sit right next to her during story time. He gets annoyed by his classmates not following the rules and is soothed by Gilly, the goldfish.
Review excerpts
- Booklist: “Bailey’s debut picture book allows readers to empathize with a child who, despite overt differences, has needs that are much the same as everyone else’s. Song’s ink-and-watercolor illustrations depict a multiethnic, play-centered school.”
- Kirkus Reviews: “Song’s style allows for small impressions and intentional gaps, like her rough hair textures and the outline of a fishbowl. It is in a state of becoming, like the burgeoning friendship. Whether on the spectrum or not, friends don’t have to share everything, just enough, and this book sweetly provides.”
Connections
- Visit TeachingBooks.net for author interviews and Book Readings.
- Further reading: Henry, Like Always by Jenn Bailey.
