This animated short film will tug at your heart strings, no dialogue needed. When a Chinese-Canadian mother’s son leaves the nest, she is heartbroken and lonely. Her heartache is only soothed when she finds an adorable little steamed bun has come alive on her plate. Having something to take care of gives her a new […]
Based on a short story, this award-winning comedy tells the story of an unusual friendship. Victor and Thomas both live in the Coeur D’Alene Reservation in Idaho and have known each other their whole lives. Thomas was saved from a burning house by Victor’s father, Arnold, as a baby. Victor on the other hand mainly […]
The song “Hunger” by the English indie rock band Florence + the Machine contemplates a relation between eating disorders and youthful loneliness. The singer Florence Welch has stated in interviews that this lead single from the album High As Hope originally started out as an autobiographical poem but morphed into this song throughout the years. […]
This documentary addresses a myriad of issues connected to the fishing industry. From overfishing to plastic marine debris and inhumane working conditions, the film brings to light many factors that could play a role in the destruction of the marine ecosystem. It raises questions surrounding industry practices, but also the consumer’s behavior: How important is […]
A classic children’s novel about poverty and wealth, humility, kindness and greed. Charlie is an eleven-year-old boy who loves chocolate and lives with his parents and grandparents in a little hut close to a big city. They do not have a lot of money, but Charlie and his family live a happy life until Charlie’s […]
A dystopian novel about global warming, environmental pollution, love and the loss of biodiversity. In the year 2025, 75-year-old Tyrone works as a caretaker at the estate of a wealthy rockstar in California which functions as the habitat for animals that are the last of their kind. Climate change has caused mass extinctions and rice […]
A coming-of-age novel about patriarchy, racism, social injustices and rape. Esperanza is a teenage girl living with her family in Chicago. In short episodes she tells the reader about her life, growing up on Mango Street in a poor Mexican-American community. Esperanza grows up, makes friends, falls in love and endures sexual assault. Through all […]
This verse novel explores the author’s childhood in South Carolina and New York in the 1960s and 1970s: Growing up as an African American woman both with the aftermath of Jim Crow laws and the beginning Civil Rights movement. Her poems feature topics of racism, religion, spiritualism, family, history and the power of memory, storytelling, […]
Based on the actual events of a fatal police shooting, this movie drama tells the story of Oscar Grant’s last 24 hours – a young African American who was shot by the police during New Year’s Eve 2008/09. This movie might serve as a starting point for an interdisciplinary teaching project on #BlackLivesMatter.
A young adult novel about losing self-control, self-and body image, depression and the presence of winter. This is the story of two best friends Lia and Cassie, albeit with a sad twist: When one develops bulimia, the other one develops anorexia and thus they start a contest, trying to find out which of the two […]
An easy read navigating the diffuculties of migration and growing up trapped between two cultures. Manjit is a teenage boy living in Leicester (England), brought up by strict Punbjabi parents. Dissappointed by Manny’s grades and behavior, his parents arrange for him to be married in India: They take him there and then return to England […]
This short story from the realm of magical realism problematises resentment, prejudice and peer pressure. Ken Liu’s fantasy story depicts the struggle of a woman with a migrant background between retaining her ‘old’ identity and simultaneously adopting a new one. Her son Jack re-tells several episodes of their lives, showcasing his mother’s special talent: When […]
A story about the staple food of many Native American families. ‘Fry Bread’ isn’t just food, it combines Native American culture and history. Additional information about Native American culture and historical context is provided on the last pages as well as a recipe for ‘Fry Bread’. The illustrations accompanying the text allow young readers to […]
A collection of nine humurous short stories about the unusual exploits of different animals. The fifth short story, “The Ant-Eater”, provides a good entry point for poems that can easily be incorporated into the classroom. This poem presents the differences between American and British pronunciation in an unusually witty way. A spoiled American boy begs […]
A poem calling for justice, respect and equality. Zephaniah reflects on the diverse backgrounds of the people currently living in the United Kingdom, all mixed up in the shape of a recipe.
This educational poem explains how the outcome of anything depends on what one puts into it.
A rhyming story about a clever little mouse taking a stroll in the deep, dark woods. To evade the dangerous animals (fox, owl, snake) it meets there, the little mouse invents a monstrous friend …and finally meets the “Gruffalo”.
The Mr. Men and Little Miss series introduces different title characters and their dominant character traits to convey a simple moral lesson. Together the characters experience adventures – e.g. in London, where they are on a busy tour through the city exploring its sights, including Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square and the Tower of London.