Yoko

Wells, Rosemary. Yoko. New York: Hyperion, 1998.

Yoko is Japanese. The kids in her class make fun of the sushi she brings for lunch. Through an ingenious plot by her teacher, the kids have to try various foods before making judgments. Yoko doesn't get teased anymore and makes a new friend.

What I thought: I love the message of this book--don't judge people just because they're different. I like that acceptance in the book is conditional. I think this is the way kids work. They have have to know that [blank] isn't weird before they accept it. This book reminded me of Kevin Henkes' Chrysanthemum.