Carolyn Marsden explora las complejidades de la identidad cultural, inspirándose en su experiencia personal con su hija que enfrentó prejuicios. A través de su dedicación de toda la vida a la escritura, profundiza en los desafíos que enfrentan los niños en el diverso panorama de la sociedad estadounidense. Su obra revela una profunda comprensión de la perspectiva infantil, retratando de manera sensible los choques generacionales y culturales. Como educadora y autora, Marsden se esfuerza por fomentar la empatía y la comprensión entre los jóvenes lectores.
Targeting early independent readers, this novel offers a rich exploration of Thailand's culture while emphasizing the importance of friendship. Through engaging storytelling, it provides valuable insights into the country, making it both informative and relatable for young readers.
Hopes of adoption test the friendship of two girls — one biracial — in a lyrical novel touching on themes of identity and the meaning of home.Pina and Susanna. Susanna and Pina. For as long as they’ve lived at the Istituto di Gesù Bambino — a home for babies abandoned after the War — they have been best friends. As children, they played rag dolls under the watchful eyes of the nuns and hide-and-seek among the lemon trees on the rooftop terrazzo overlooking Naples. But now strangers are coming to the chiesa, couples hoping to adopt children. Susanna thinks Pina — pale, pretty Pina with her gleaming yellow braid — will be adopted at once. Susanna, on the other hand, is a mulatta. Her father was an American soldier, a nero. No Italian has hair or skin like hers. But when a surprise visitor comes to the istituto just to see Susanna, will the friends be separated after all? Or will a miracle make both of their dreams come true?
Set against the backdrop of impending change in her Mexican village, nine-year-old Rosalba grapples with the prophecy of the Mayan calendar predicting the world's end in 2012. As she dreams of an ancient Mayan boy undergoing a shamanistic ritual, she discovers a connection that reveals her potential to influence the future. The narrative intertwines themes of cultural heritage, destiny, and the power of belief as Rosalba navigates her unique journey.