bibliophilelinda's review against another edition
5.0
Absolutely beautiful! And, does not dumb down the important lessons children of immigrants must learn.
skysreadingjournal's review against another edition
4.0
I think the monster could’ve been more explained or even a metaphor for things ruining islands today like pollution and plastic waste but other than that this book was awesome for a children’s book. You always have a story even if it’s not yours. You can listen to others stories and make them a part of your own. This book shows that. Great book!
kellyz628's review against another edition
4.0
Island Born by Junot Diaz
Note: My professional goal for this year is to read 50+ diverse books. As I attempt to read and review these books, I will be answering the following questions for each book:
Brief plot summary
Everyone in Lola’s school is originally from a different country. When they have to do a project on their home country, Lola is upset because she left the island when she was a baby and doesn’t remember. Her family and friends tell her their favorite parts of the island. This gives her a better picture in her mind and she is able to make many drawings from their descriptions.
How is the book diverse?
All of the students come from various countries and the main character and her family and friends come from an island.
Opinion & reason for rating
I am giving this book 3.5 stars. This book came highly recommended but did not live up to expectations. I may be critiquing it too hard but there seemed to be several parts of the book that did not seem believable especially with the classroom and assignment. The pages are beautifully drawn and it sends a great message about learning where you came from.
How does the book impact me as a person and as a teacher? Why does this book matter?
It was nice to read a picture book and see there is diversity for younger students. I enjoyed the storytelling aspect of this book and it reminds me that I should try to use picture books to teach different skills in middle school. It matters because immigrants are not respected in our country today, and this book does a good job of celebrating and respecting differences.
I would recommend this book to...
Any lower school student and anyone wondering where they came from.
Note: My professional goal for this year is to read 50+ diverse books. As I attempt to read and review these books, I will be answering the following questions for each book:
Brief plot summary
Everyone in Lola’s school is originally from a different country. When they have to do a project on their home country, Lola is upset because she left the island when she was a baby and doesn’t remember. Her family and friends tell her their favorite parts of the island. This gives her a better picture in her mind and she is able to make many drawings from their descriptions.
How is the book diverse?
All of the students come from various countries and the main character and her family and friends come from an island.
Opinion & reason for rating
I am giving this book 3.5 stars. This book came highly recommended but did not live up to expectations. I may be critiquing it too hard but there seemed to be several parts of the book that did not seem believable especially with the classroom and assignment. The pages are beautifully drawn and it sends a great message about learning where you came from.
How does the book impact me as a person and as a teacher? Why does this book matter?
It was nice to read a picture book and see there is diversity for younger students. I enjoyed the storytelling aspect of this book and it reminds me that I should try to use picture books to teach different skills in middle school. It matters because immigrants are not respected in our country today, and this book does a good job of celebrating and respecting differences.
I would recommend this book to...
Any lower school student and anyone wondering where they came from.
bluenicorn's review against another edition
3.0
I really, really loved the illustrations- beautiful work! The story was a little wordy for me, although still an important one to have out there.
dylanperry's review against another edition
4.0
A cute picture book with beautiful illustrations. I wish there was more to say, but that is literally the only note I made when trying to come up with a review, so there ya go.
krwriter8's review against another edition
5.0
Colorful, imaginative and fun. I enjoyed the touches of humor with Lola's POV, like "blanket bats" and "sleep dancing." This book had such a depth of culture and clever use of language.