Southwest Children's Literature

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Building a Bridge

Book Review:

Starting a new school is always difficult, but when you are the only Anglo girl on the Navajo reservation it may be a little scarier since you are different from everyone. On the first day of school the teacher suggests for two girls, one Anglo and the other Navajo, to use the "magical" blocks to build a bridge. The girls split the blocks according to color and build identical bridges. The teacher then suggests the girls put the blocks together to build one large bridge. They not only make one large bridge; they also start to build a bridge between their two cultures by understanding that differences can make things magical.

The illustrations are vibrant and draw the reader into the magnificent story. The facial expressions show the emotions of fright and joy that the two girls are experiencing. Also, the illustrations allow the reader to get a sense of the Navajo environment.

 

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