Episode 3: Multicultural Middle Grade

Two Lit Mamas: A Kid-Lit podcast for parents, teachers and writers Episode 3: Multicultural Middle GradeIn Episode 3 of Two Lit Mamas, Margie and Heather chat about heavy metal t-shirts, flower pictures, and flying teenagers before diving into a discussion on first gen Americans, language misconceptions, unfounded fears of the other, and the right kind of rule breakers. Margie even gets misty about her Turkish, immigrant husband – you don’t want to miss it! Multicultural Middle Grade Book Discussion:We're Not From Hereby Jeff RodkeyAfter the human race obliterates Earth, middle schoolers Lan and Ila are living on Mars with their parents. Unfortunately, Mars' resources are nearly exhausted, but the far-off planet Choom has agreed to take on human refugees. Unfortunately, during the 20-year journey to Choom, the government changed and no longer has any interest in taking a ship full of violent human refugees. With little food and fuel left and the remainder of the human race counting on them, Lan and family have been given a chance to prove to all of Choom that humans are not as bad as they seem. No pressure.Stand Up, Yumi Chung!by Jessica KimEleven-year-old Yumi Chung is a shy Korean American girl who struggles at her fancy L.A. private school where students call her names and she eats lunch by herself in the bathroom. Her one solace is her favorite comedians’ how-to videos and her notebook full of jokes. In a case of mistaken identity, Yumi joins a summer comedy camp without the permission of her over-protective parents. During that time to learns to fail forward and stick up for herself. Eventually she uses her comedy skills to save the day. Pick Six Multicultural Books:1.     Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan2.     Bud Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis3.     Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson4.     Towers Falling by Jewell Parker Rhodes5.     The First Rule of Punk by Celia Pérez6.     The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson  Show Reference Links: Teacher Guide for We’re Not From Here #ownvoices The Book Sommelier 11 Contemporary Diverse Novels for Middle Grade Readers on ReadBrightly.com https://coloursofus.com