El Chino

El Chino by the author of Grandfather's Journey, Allen Say, is a great picture book. It would be great for students in first through third grade. Billy Wong is the son of immigrants from China. His father told him as a young boy, "In America, you can be anything you want to be." He enjoyed playing basketball until college where he found out he was too short. A few more inches and he could have been famous. On a trip to Spain, he become fasinated with bullfighting and Spanish matadors. Although many had said the real, true matadors are Spanish, Billy remembered what his father said. He learned how to bullfight, and it was not long before he was just as good as the Spanish matadors. This book allows children to see someone pursuit their dreams. Like Billy's father said, you can be anything you want to be.

A Chair for my Mother

A Chair For My Mother, by Vera B. Williams is a Caldott Honor book. It is a great story about a girl, her waitress mother, and grandmother. They save all their tips from work and extra change in a jar, so they can eventually buy a new chair. One day on their way home, they find their house has caught on fire. They lose everything. The first day they moved into their new house friends, family, and neighbors bring them items for their house, but they didn't get a sofa or comfortable chair. For the next year, they saved their extra change in a huge jar to buy a big comfortable chair for the house. Once they filled it; they exchanged the coins for bills at the bank. They went out and got their chair. They were so happy to have it.
This book is great for 4 to 7 year olds. They get to see how good it is to share with others. It shows that you can save up money to buy something you really want.