BOOK REPORT BIG RED LOLLIPOP Holly Scott October

BOOK REPORT: BIG RED LOLLIPOP Holly Scott October 20, 2014 TLED 690

Introduction Title: Big Red Lollipop Author: Rukhsana Khan Illustrator: Sophie Blackall Publisher: Penguin Group Incorporated Publication Date: March 4, 2010

Summary: Beginning - Mother and her daughters move from Pakistan to America - The oldest daughter, Rubina, gets invited to her first birthday party - The mother, Ami, doesn’t know what birthday parties are, but let’s her daughter go only if she brings her younger sister, Sana

Summary: Middle - Rubina is very upset, but brings Sana along - Sana is being rambunctious and is embarrassing - The girls are given party favors when they leave, which contains a big red lollipop - Sana gobbles hers down on the ride home, but Rubina wants to save it - The next day, Rubina wants to eat her lollipop, but discovered that Sana ate it and is angry - Ami won’t let Rubina get upset because Sana is young and didn’t know better

Summary: End • Sana finally gets her first invitation to a birthday party • Ami insists that she has to bring her sisters and Sana gets upset • Rubina tells her mother that Sana shouldn’t have to bring her sisters because it’s embarrassing • Sana is happy and gets to go alone • Sana comes home and brings her older sister, Rubina, her party favor, which was a big green lollipop

Themes • Multiculturalism • Attire of Pakistani women • Shalwar and kameez • Cultural patterns on the textiles around the house • Understanding of different ways different cultures celebrate birthdays • America: parties with games, cake, and gifts • Pakistan: Birthdays are rarely celebrated • Family/ Sibling Rivalry • Older and younger sisters fighting over the birthday party • Sana eating all of Rubina’s lollipop

Persuasion • Allows students to have an understanding that people with different cultures are still like them even if they have different traditions • Allows Pakistani students to feel welcome in the classroom community

Classroom Activity • After reading the book, start off with discussion questions to get the students thinking: • “How can you tell that the family is from Pakistan? ” • “Why do you think Rubina knows more about the American traditions than her mother? ” • “Why do you think that Rubina told her mother that Sana should go to the party alone? ” • “How would the story be different if it were from Sana’s point of view? ”

Classroom Activity • Activity ideas: • Have the students research a different culture that celebrates something different than in America and draw a picture • i. e. Latin America celebrates a girl’s 15 th birthday with a Quinceanera • Write about a time that you and a sibling/ family member/ friend had different versions of something that happened. Write the story from the two different perspectives. • Show the student’s the authors video of how this story really happened in her life • Have the students compare and contrast the book to the author’s real life version • http: //www. teachingbooks. net/tb. cgi? tid=22152&a=1

References • Khan, R. (2010, January 1). Big red lollipop. Retrieved October 15, 2014, from http: //www. teachingbooks. net/tb. cgi? tid=22152&a=1 • Khan, R. , & Blackall, S. (2010). Big red lollipop. New York: Penguin. • National Heritage & Integration Wing. (2014). Retrieved October 15, 2014.