The Color of Water Thematic Bibliography

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Deborah Logan
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1 In a complex text like The Color of Water there may not be time to explore all possible connections to the book during class time. Because of this, outside or supplementary material may be needed to flesh out some of the issues that McBride raises in his text. Furthermore, each student in a class is unique and has specific interests and instructional needs. Since each class is filled with diverse learners and texts are taught in a limited amount of time, a thematic bibliography can be extremely helpful for both teacher and students. This document provides a variety of texts that are thematically linked to James McBride s memoir. The list includes novels, autobiographies, graphic novels, picture books and films as well as relevant internet resources. Entries may be used as alternative texts for students who need easier or more challenging material, or they may simply be used as companion texts to enhance the entire unit of study.

Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. Austin: Quinto Sol Publications, 1972. Like James, Tony feels caught between two worlds.

Tony s father s family, the Márez, are vaqueros and Tony s father wants him to follow in that lifestyle. It seems that Ultima, the local curandera, alone knows the secret of Tony s fate.

With Elijah Wood, Eugene Hütz, Boris Leskin. Warner Independent Pictures, 2005. Foer, Jonathon Safran. Everything is Illuminated. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

With little concrete information and only a picture to aid him in his search, Jonathon depends on his Ukrainian guides to lead him to his own past.

2 Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima. Austin: Quinto Sol Publications, Like James, Tony feels caught between two worlds. His mother s people the Lunas are farmers and Tony s mother wants him to become a priest for their small farming village. Tony s father s family, the Márez, are vaqueros and Tony s father wants him to follow in that lifestyle. It seems that Ultima, the local curandera, alone knows the secret of Tony s fate. A beautiful coming of age novel that illustrates Antonio s struggle to find himself amidst changing social and cultural norms. Everything is Illuminated. Dir. Liev Schreiber. With Elijah Wood, Eugene Hütz, Boris Leskin. Warner Independent Pictures, Foer, Jonathon Safran. Everything is Illuminated. New York: Houghton Mifflin, A young Jewish American travels to the Ukraine in the hope of finding the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. With little concrete information and only a picture to aid him in his search, Jonathon depends on his Ukrainian guides to lead him to his own past. As Jonathon and his eccentric guides travel farther into the countryside, they discover they have more in common than any of them realized. This film might help students understand what Ruth s life would have been like before she emigrated to America. In addition to elaborating on the tragedy of the Holocaust, this movie is also about a boy searching for his family s past in the hopes that it will enlighten his own future. This is essentially the same journey that James undertakes in the Color of Water so there are many connections between these texts. Wright, Richard. Black Boy. New York: Buccaneer Books, Wright s autobiography, originally published in 1944, is an informative, moving text about growing up in a racially divided country. This excellent companion text deals with similar themes of the hardships of discrimination and oppression as well as the triumphs that come with overcoming one s circumstances. Since McBride s text takes place in the sixties and seventies, it might be interesting for students to compare and contrast James experiences in those decades with the experiences and obstacles that Wright faced years earlier. How far had America really come in that time? How far do we still have to go?

Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, 1964.

Malcolm X had been killed the year before and had grown larger in death than in life (18).

Malcolm X is not only a historical figure, but a beacon of progress and change that anyone concerned with equality should be familiar with. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees.

This novel which is set in South Carolina in 1964, tells the story of Lily Owens, who has run away with her nurse Rosaleen to a town that holds the secret of her dead mother s past.

3 Haley, Alex. The Autobiography of Malcolm X. New York: Ballantine Books, In The Color of Water McBride writes that, in 1966, when I was nine, black power had permeated every element of my neighborhood in St. Albans, Queens. Malcolm X had been killed the year before and had grown larger in death than in life (18). Because many students are not familiar with the Black Power movement, this is a pivotal touchstone text for introducing them to the ideas and people who were integral to this movement. Malcolm X is not only a historical figure, but a beacon of progress and change that anyone concerned with equality should be familiar with. Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees. New York: Penguin Books, This novel which is set in South Carolina in 1964, tells the story of Lily Owens, who has run away with her nurse Rosaleen to a town that holds the secret of her dead mother s past. It is in this town that Lily meets three black sisters who take her in and teach her all about bee keeping and the Black Madonna. In the process Lily learns more about her mother s life, her own destiny and the painful realities of racism and intolerance. Spiegelman, Art. Maus: A Survivor s Tale. New York: Random House, This graphic novel chronicles the relationship of Artie and his father Vladek, who is a holocaust survivor. In the process, the tragic events of the Holocaust are unfolded in haunting, cartoon images. With mice representing Jews and Cats representing the Nazis this book provides an excellent look at the Holocaust and provides plenty of symbolism for students to unpack. This graphic novel would lend some context to the reasons behind Ruth s emigration to America, and teaches some important lessons about how far hate can go if we don t stand up and fight against ignorance. Wing, Natasha. Jalapeño Bagels. New York: Atheneum, Pablo searches for a food from his family s bakery to bring to school for international day. His mother s Mexican pan dulce or his father s delicious challah doesn t seem quite right. Finally Pablo decides on Jalapeño Bagels, something that is a mixture of both parent s cultures, just like Pablo is. A sweet, (if slightly contrived) story that nonetheless provides good moments of reflection for all students as we realize that each of us is a multicultural person who is unique, but all of us share certain commonalities.

Winter, Jeanette. Mama: a true story, in which a baby hippo loses his mama during a Tsunami, but finds a new home, and a new mama. Orlando: Harcourt Press, 2006.

true story of a baby hippo named Owen, and his adopted mother Mzee. This simple, but profound story explores what it means to be a family and reminds us that all families look differently.

Hallinan Consulting in conjunction with PBS. 16 Nov. 2008 <http://www.jimcrowhistory.org/home.htm>.

There are entire sections which focus on geography, history, literature and teacher resources related to this time period. This would be an excellent website to prompt further student research.

4 Winter, Jeanette. Mama: a true story, in which a baby hippo loses his mama during a Tsunami, but finds a new home, and a new mama. Orlando: Harcourt Press, Owen and Mzee pictures NPR report on Owen and Mzee Jim Crow History Holocaust Memorial Museum Holocaust Photo Project Lesson Overview A delightful, basically wordless picture book, which tells the true story of a baby hippo named Owen, and his adopted mother Mzee. This simple, but profound story explores what it means to be a family and reminds us that all families look differently. The two links included show photographs of the real Owen and Mzee in addition to giving some factual background information on what brought these unlikely companions together. The History of Jim Crow. Hallinan Consulting in conjunction with PBS. 16 Nov < A vast collection of historical information on the Jim Crow South is available at this website which serves as a companion website to the PBS television series The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. There are entire sections which focus on geography, history, literature and teacher resources related to this time period. This would be an excellent website to prompt further student research. Teaching About the Holocaust. 7 Oct United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 16 Nov < This website has extensive materials for teaching about the Holocaust. Links to hundreds of articles, photos, exhibitions, stories, lesson plans, maps, primary sources and much, much more. The second link is a lesson plan that coordinates with an exhibit featured on the museum s site. Southern Spaces Southern Spaces: An interdisciplinary journal about the regions, places, and cultures of the American South Emory University Digital Library Research Initiative. 16 Nov < This collection of peer reviewed journal articles as well as an index of twenty plus outstanding websites provides an incredible resource for students and teachers alike. Find information on Jewish life in the South, primary source slave narratives, civil rights events, Native American populations in the South and much more. This is an unparalleled sight with links to many more high quality research worthy websites and resources on anything Southern! Loving Myself with Unbiased Eyes Luders Manuel, Shannon. Loving Myself with Unbiased Eyes. 4 Jan Teaching Tolerance. 16 Nov. 2008< /article.jsp?p=0&ar=197>.

It would be especially helpful for students to read multiple perspectives on growing up as a biracial person in America, and this article is a great jumping off point.

5 Floating and other Print resources This article was written by a biracial college student after reading The Color of Water. It recounts several personal experiences where the author had to negotiate issues of race and where she felt stuck in the middle and caught between worlds. It would be especially helpful for students to read multiple perspectives on growing up as a biracial person in America, and this article is a great jumping off point. The site includes links to discussion questions which are also effective in guiding student learning. Williams, Dana. Tolerance in the News. Teaching Tolerance. 16 Nov < This is a review and synopsis of the novel, Floating by Nicole Bailey Williams. In addition to a discussion of that particular novel, this site includes discussion questions/journal prompts, as well as links to other compatible texts (including The Color of Water) that deal with biracial identity formation. An excellent resource for further reading suggestions and important authors of note.

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