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This is an informational resource that includes primary sources from California Native tribes. It fits well in my unit because it offers authentic Indigenous perspectives that are often overlooked in textbooks. It supports English learners through visuals, oral histories, and maps that help build background knowledge and support comprehension.

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This historical fiction novel is based on the true story of a Native girl who survived alone on one of California’s Channel Islands. It fits the unit by connecting to the geography and Native communities of early California. English learners benefit from its availability in audiobook format, chapter summaries, and visual supports.

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Product Description
The Newberry Medal-winning story of a 12-year old girl who lives alone on a Pacific island after she leaps from a rescue ship. Isolated on the island for eighteen years, Karana forages for food, builds weapons to fight predators, clothes herself in a cormorant feathered skirt, and finds strength and peace in her seclusion. A classic tale of discovery and solitude returns to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for its 50th anniversary, with a new introduction by Lois Lowry.

Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Lois Lowry on Writing the Introduction to Island of the Blue Dolphins, 50th Anniversary Edition

Dear Amazon readers,

Last summer, when I was asked to write an introduction to a new edition of Island of the Blue Dolphins , my mind went back in time to the 1960s, when my children were young and it was one of their best-loved books.

But a later memory surfaced, as well, of a party I was invited to in the summer of 1979. By now the kids were grown. I was in New York to attend a convention of the American Library Association, and Scott O'Dell's publisher, Houghton Mifflin, was honoring him at a reception being held at the St. Regis Hotel. I had never met Mr. O'Dell. But because of my own children I knew his books, and I was pleased to be invited to such an illustrious event.

I was staying at a nearby hotel and planned to walk over to the party. But when I began to get dressed, I encountered a problem. I was wearing, I remember, a rose-colored crêpe de Chine dress. It buttoned up the back. I was alone in my hotel room. I buttoned the bottom buttons, and I buttoned the top buttons, but there was one button in the middle of my back that I simply couldn't reach. It makes me laugh today, thinking about it, picturing the contortions I went through in that hotel room: twisting my arms, twisting my back, all to no avail.

The clock was ticking. The party would start soon. I had no other clothes except the casual things I'd been wearing all day and which were now wrinkled from the summer heat.

Finally I decided, The heck with it . I left the room with the button unbuttoned and headed off. When I got in my hotel elevator, a benign-looking older couple, probably tourists from the Midwest, were already standing inside, and I explained my predicament politely and asked if they could give me a hand. The gray-haired man kindly buttoned my dress for me.

We parted company in the lobby of my hotel and off I went to the St. Regis, where I milled around and chatted with countless people, sipped wine, and waited for the guest of honor, Scott O'Dell, to be introduced. When he was, of course he turned out to be the eighty-one-year-old man who had buttoned my dress.

But wait! There's more. Ten years passed.

I had never seen Mr. O'Dell during the intervening years, but now, suddenly, we were the two speakers at a luncheon being held on a college campus somewhere. I think it may have been Vassar.

We sat next to each other at the head table, nibbling our chicken, chatting about the weather. I knew he wouldn't remember me, but I certainly remembered him, and I was secretly thinking that when it was my turn to speak, I might tell the audience the amusing little anecdote about the button on my dress. But he went first. And, eyes twinkling, he started his speech with "The last time I was with Lois Lowry, we were in a New York hotel. I was helping her get dressed." He was ninety-one at the time. All of this floated back into my mind when I found myself rereading, last summer, The Island of the Blue Dolphins . None of it was appropriate to the book's introduction, of course, and I went on to write, instead, about the power of the story and the magnificence of the writing. Not that anyone needed reminding! There has never been a question about Scott O'Dell's brilliance as a writer and storyteller. But it's nice to have a chance, here, to tell an audience that he was also a sweet and funny man.

(Photo © Neil Giordano)

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Scott O'Dell's Newbery Medal-winning classic is a gripping tale of survival, strength, and courage. Based on the true story of a Nicole�o Indian girl living alone on an island off the coast of California, Island of the Blue Dolphins has captivated readers for generations.On San Nicolas Island, do...

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Coming to America: The Story of Immigration  

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Coming to America: The Story of Immigration  

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This is a nonfiction picture book that explains the story of immigration to the United States. It fits my unit by helping students explore the diverse backgrounds of people who came to California, just like many of my students’ families. The simple language and vivid illustrations support ELLs by making key concepts more accessible.

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Coming to America : The Story of Immigration

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This historical fiction novel follows a young Mexican girl who migrates to California during the Great Depression. It fits my unit by highlighting the contributions and challenges of migrant workers in California history. English learners benefit from the cultural relevance, familiar vocabulary, and strong character connections that promote engagement and understanding.

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This book was, I suppose, a good educational read: rather a beginner's Grapes of Wrath from a Mexican perspective. It covers very difficult issues of race, class difference, child labor and death with tact and a certain amount of gentleness.

But overall after I was finished I could not help but be faced with the difficult feeling that Esparanza, while being an incredibly strong young woman and a good role model in that sense, often overlooks the immorality and unfairness of her situation in order to continue living and doing what she has to do. I mean, that's a totally valid theme and it's in many ways honorable of her but given the horrible situation she's in, there are a lot of questions that arise. Esparanza is a 13-year old pulled out of school, subjected to backbreaking and agonizing child labor and essentially orphaned. This is a terrible situation for a child to be in, but the close of the book lauds Esparanza for the great, strong person that she has become for her hard work. Look! She knows how to cook now! Look! She knows how to work hard instead of being pampered! Look! She no longer has any selfish wants or needs!

If Esperanza were 18 or even 16 that sort of might fly, but the fact of the matter is that she is 13. She should not be in that situation and there is very little outrage towards the fact that she's in it. What makes it so especially questionable is the way that the strikers were portrayed. They were demonized--Marta, the main girl who attempts to lead the strikes and revolts (? I think that's her name) is looked at as Esperanza's opposite. Lazy, mean-spirited, angry, and violent. And later she is punished for her sins. All of the strikers are. For standing up and saying that children should not have to work, that humane housing and sanitations conditions should be met, that everyone should be paid a living wage. They are all arrested and deported, and afterwards Esparanza and her family are safe, saying, "We are loyal to the company, so the company takes care of us." Oh, is that so? Where is the company when the dust storms happen and the workers are trapped in the blistering wind? Where is the company when the children have blistered hands form peeling starchy potatoes? Where is the company when Esperanza's mother nearly dies because of horrible working conditions and Esperanza is forced to pay for her medical bills?

In fact, every time that there is a fight in the book and the battle between working and dealing with unfairness vs. fighting for a better world, working always wins out. I'm really not comfortable with the fact that the main themes of the book seem to be: "Life sucks--plug on and deal with it," rather than "Enact real, lasting social change so that life doesn't quite suck so bad for future generations." Esparanza in the end realizes that she essentially has no future and will never return to an education--it tops out at if she's lucky, she might be able to buy a very small house. And yet she has learned to be happy with that.

I'm sorry, but I'm not.

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Read 8,280 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. Esperanza thought she'd always live with her family on their ranch in Mexico--she'd alwa...

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Children of the Gold Rush by Claire Rudolf Murphy

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Children of the Gold Rush by Claire Rudolf Murphy

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This nonfiction photo essay shares the real stories of children living during the California Gold Rush. It fits well into the unit because it provides a student-centered lens on a major historical event. English learners are supported through powerful historical images and short, captioned text that’s easy to follow.

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Jane G. Haigh Claire Rudolf Murphy (Author)

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Children of the Gold Rush [Jane G. Haigh Claire Rudolf Murphy] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Children of the Gold Rush

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The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz

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The People Shall Continue by Simon J. Ortiz

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This is a narrative nonfiction book written in a poetic storytelling format from a Native American perspective. It fits the unit by providing a continuous timeline of Indigenous resilience throughout U.S. and California history. The rhythmic structure, read-aloud potential, and accessible vocabulary make it especially supportive for ELLs.

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Republished for its fortieth anniversary, this powerful story by renowned Acoma Pueblo poet and storyteller Simon J. Ortiz traces the history of Native / Indigenous people of North America from the time of creation to the present.

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A Different Mirror for Young People by Ronald Takaki 

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A Different Mirror for Young People by Ronald Takaki 

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This multicultural nonfiction book highlights the experiences of Chinese, Japanese, Mexican, and African American communities in U.S. history, including many in California. It fits the unit by offering multiple perspectives on historical events. English learners benefit from chunked chapters, visuals, and accessible explanations that make complex ideas more understandable.

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Rebecca Stefoff (Adapter), Ronald Takaki (Author)

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A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (For Young People Series)

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Amazon.com: A Different Mirror for Young People: A History of Multicultural America (For Young People Series): 9781609804169: Stefoff, Rebecca, Takaki, Ronald: Books

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Angel Island Immigration Station Museum 

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Angel Island Immigration Station Museum 

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This online archive includes primary sources such as photographs, poems, and immigration records from Chinese immigrants who entered the U.S. through California. It fits perfectly into my unit on immigration and diversity in California. The archive supports ELLs by offering translated materials, visual aids, and scaffolded summaries that make the content easier to grasp.

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Angel Island Immigration Station - San Francisco

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Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco, California. Angel Island exists to move immigration forward by sharing the story of Angel Island and encouraging people to visit Angel Island.

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This list includes student-nominated books featuring diverse characters and inclusive themes, many of which are connected to California life and history. It fits my unit by offering a range of voices and perspectives in both fiction and nonfiction. English learners are supported through high-interest texts, some bilingual editions, and age-appropriate reading levels.

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The California Young Reader Medal program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young people of our state. Find resource guides, ballots, nominees, and winners on the official CYRM website.