Fall 2010: What I'm Reading

I hate to admit that I am very picky about picture books. Many are poorly written. Often, they "dumb" down a theme for children, or they rely on cute animals to carry a story.

I also have to admit that I don't usually enjoy "celebrity authors" -- folks who are lucky enough to get published simply because they're famous for one reason or another (think The Duchess of York aka "Fergie").

So... I was reluctant to pick up The Sandwich Swap by Queen Rania of Jordan -- even when I saw it appear on bestseller booklists. Not even the blurb on the back from Bill Clinton could entice me.

And then, I was in our public library -- desperate for a great book. It was the 2nd week of school, and it was the day before I was to return as guest reader at our elementary school.

I knew that I'd have a packed house of squirmy little bodies -- children from kindergarten through 5th grade. I needed a great story that would engage everyone and beautiful illustrations that children could see from the back of the library while remaining in the famous "criss-cross applesauce" position.

As I wandered through the library, there it was again. After browsing aisle after aisle of books, I was discouraged. Finally, I grabbed The Sandwich Swap and leafed through the book. The pictures were sweet, large enough to share with a crowd and fun.

Okay... one thumbs up for the illustrations, but what about the content?

The story line is simple: two inseparable best friends notice each other's lunches. Lily has a PBJ, and Salma has a hummus and pita sandwich.  Like most kids, they think that their friend's sandwich looks, "YUCKY!" simply because it's different When one of the girls spurts out her opinion, it brings about an end to their friendship.

It's a simple, but compelling story line: just because something LOOKS different, doesn't mean that it's bad. Unfortunately, our world seems to be becoming less tolerant of other people, and this book teaches acceptance and how to embrace cultural differences -- instead of letting them divide us. Wow... what a concept for adults... I mean children.

An added bonus is that our school population is very diverse, and one of my favorite families is from Jordan. When I showed the children what book I was going to read, the little girl from this family quickly raised her hand and shared that her family came from there. When another child asked where Jordan was, the little girl quickly explained. The world became a little smaller and the distance between the Pacific NW and the Middle East a little closer...