Kipling Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 I am looking at doing a 2-3 week study of Africa. Does anyone have any literature books they would recommend for elementary kids that would go well with that? My kids are first and third grade, but they read above grade level, so books for any age elementary would be good (can be picture books, chapter books, or read alouds). TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) I'm currently reading the Anna Hibiscus books by Atinuke, who also has a book about a boy detective (only one out so far). You can order some of them from Amazon and all from Book Depository, btw. They never say where they are set but the author is Nigerian. I adore this book from South Africa : One Child, One Seed. And Niki Daly has many books, including several about a little girl named Jamela, set in S. Africa. Your library probably has some. I also love Tololwa Mollel's books (he's from Tanzania), illustrated by EB Lewis, especially My Rows and Piles of Coins. I recently saw this lesson plan too http://teacherlink.ed.usu.edu/tlresources/units/byrnes-africa/aindex.htm Here's a list on Amazon with some reasonable suggestions. Edited June 24, 2011 by stripe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 (edited) Sundiata: Lion King of Mali, by David Wisniewski. The nonfiction book The Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay was over my ds7's head. We're finishing up SOTW2. Edited June 24, 2011 by sagira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 There are lots of books about Wagari Maathai the Johnny Appleseed of Kenya. http://www.amazon.com/Planting-Trees-Kenya-Wangari-Maathai/dp/0374399182 There are a ton of picture books about her, so you can plan some contrast and comparison lessons on the art work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandy in TN Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Africa is Not a Country by Margy Burns Knight My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me by Maya Angelou and Margaret Courtney Clarke Beat the Story Drum, Pum-Pum by Ashley Bryan HTH- Mandy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recovering Sociopath Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Alexander McCall Smith (he of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) grew up in Botswana and has written several kids' books set in Africa-- Akimbo and the Elephants, et al. We listened to the Akimbo audiobook and enjoyed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 There are lots of books about Wagari Maathai the Johnny Appleseed of Kenya. http://www.amazon.com/Planting-Trees-Kenya-Wangari-Maathai/dp/0374399182 There are a ton of picture books about her, so you can plan some contrast and comparison lessons on the art work. Yes, this is the one with the most text, the others have more pictures. It's on sale for $6.80 right now. Mama Panya's Pancakes is a stone soup tale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Have you read any of the Anansi/Ananse the Spider folk-tales? These are classic "trickster" tales from West Africa and have been told and re-told in many children's versions. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kipling Posted June 24, 2011 Author Share Posted June 24, 2011 Thank you everyone! This is a great list of resources. I appreciate all the choices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikhen Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Our 7 year old just read Africa Trek and LOVED it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missouri Okie Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 The Gift of the Sun: A Tale from South Africa by Dianne Stewart Goal! by Mina Javaherbin How Many Spots Does a Leopard Have by Julius Lester---My kids (6 and 4) love this one. Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions by Margaret Musgrove Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmos Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Elizabeti's Doll, Elizabeti's School, and Mama Elizabeti by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen. Picture books about a contemporary girl's life in Tanzania. Galimoto by Karen Lynn Williams. A picture book about a boy's quest to make a wire toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmschooling Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 This is a great site for searching out literature.... http://www.dawcl.com/search.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted June 24, 2011 Share Posted June 24, 2011 Either Beatrice's Goat or One Hen by Katie Milway for a story how livestock changed lives. My son liked One Hen better but that may be because we read it first. The stories are pretty similar. We read two of the Wangari tree books and one was significantly better but I can't remember which was which. I think it was the one with less words. We read all of the Anansi books by Eric Kimmel. Anansi and the Talking Melon was a huge hit. Anansi and the Moss Covered Rock was also well liked. I'll give another vote to Ashanti to Zulu: African Traditions. It describes a different tribe for each letter. My son also really enjoyed Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story. It is a folktale about kente cloth. We read quite a few books about Africa but these were the ones that my six year old liked best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I have a whole worldwide list on my blog by continent and country. There's lots of stuff on Africa in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veritaserum Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 We really enjoyed The Adventures of Spider: West African Folktales by Joyce Cooper as part of literature studies this year. My girls love Anansi. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I have a whole worldwide list on my blog by continent and country. There's lots of stuff on Africa in there. Nice List! :-) No books for Israel, which I'm studying right now, but some nice ones for Italy which is next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracy Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 Nice List! :-) No books for Israel, which I'm studying right now, but some nice ones for Italy which is next. Try this one: Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story, Deborah Bodin Cohen It is listed for Egypt, because it is for Passover, but it would do nicely for Israel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Try this one: Nachshon, Who Was Afraid to Swim: A Passover Story, Deborah Bodin Cohen It is listed for Egypt, because it is for Passover, but it would do nicely for Israel. Thanks! I just put it on hold :-) I have fallen in love with picture books after I bought a few curricula that teach how to use them with older students as mentor texts and art appreciation and so many other things. I want Nelson Mandella's Favorite Folk Tales when I do Africa. http://www.amazon.com/Mandelas-Favorite-African-Folktales-Accolades/dp/0393052125 Edited June 25, 2011 by Hunter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 We have enjoyed these books: Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyB Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 My daughter enjoyed The Best Beekeeper of Lalibela by Cristina Kessler. We also read several Ethiopian stories written by Jane Kurtz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 (edited) Seconding Anna Hibiscus, which is just lovely and I didn't know she had one about a boy. Thanks, Stripe! Also, for older kids, The Ear, the Eye and the Arm is one of my favorites. Lots of good picture books. Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters has long been one of my favorites. Edited June 25, 2011 by farrarwilliams Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted June 25, 2011 Share Posted June 25, 2011 I picked up 2 books while in Uganda, The Butterfly lion and Dear olly by Michael Morpurgo A Heart for Africa I haven't seen this book but it is about the founder of Rafiki Foundation and the work they do in Africa Here is a link to the organization they build Children's centers for orphans in Africa. Rafiki Foundation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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