Title: Cooper’s Lesson
Author:Sun Yung Shin
Illustrator: Kim Cogan
Publishing Information: 2004, Children’s Book Press
This story is about a Korean-American boy named Cooper who
is struggling to find his identity. He feels like he does not belong because he
does not look American but he doesn’t speak Korean either. He forms a friendship
with a store owner who came from Korea and is now a citizen. This
owner helps Cooper understand himself.
The language is probably appropriate for upper elementary
(3-5). There are Korean words here and there that are translated by the context
but they might be hard for students to decipher themselves. The illustrations
are well done and leave a bit of mystery (they are rather Impressionistic in
style). They do not stereotype or portray all the characters as being the same.
The text is in English and Korean (with transliterated Korean in the English
text). It portrays authentic characteristics of the Korean-American lifestyle
and stresses the individuality of the characters.
I would highly recommend this book to teachers, especially
those with ELLs in their classrooms. I think many of the students can identify
with Cooper’s identity dilemma (especially the ELLs) and it would serve as a
springboard to discuss issues of identity which are important to students. I
would use this book as a class read-aloud but it is also a good individual
reading book. It has a powerful message for students of all ages about
acceptance and identity (even though middle schoolers or high schoolers might
think it is too “kiddish” because of the layout and length.
I appreciate your recommendations. Although upper grades could think a book like this is too kiddish, often the presentation of the book and the suggestion to look deeper and through the author's and illustrator's eyes instead of a child's eyes will get a rich discussion.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this book would be perfect for ELL students and/or students of mixed race who struggle with their identity. The book also lends itself to a discussion of whether it is okay to "act out" because you think someone is making fun of you. In the story, Cooper steals a hairbrush for his mother because he feels the store's owner, Mr. Lee, is making fun of him. I like the fact that the book is written in both English and Korean as it would be a great book for students to share with parents who read Korean.
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