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Shakuro Cover Picture

Sharuko:

​El Arqueólogo Peruano/ Peruvian Archaeologist
by Monica Brown

illustrated by Elisa Chavarri

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Entry written by Amina Chaudhri and Julie Waugh, on behalf of The Biography Clearinghouse.

Research & Writing Process

Who is Monica Brown?

Monica Brown
Monica Brown, Ph.D. is the Peruvian-American author of many award-winning multicultural books for children, including, Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano /Peruvian Archeologist Julio C. Tello, Frida and Her Animalitos, Waiting for the Biblioburro/Esperando al Biblioburro, Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/no combina, and the Lola Levine chapter book series, among others. Her books have garnered multiple starred reviews and awards, and are available in a dozen languages. Her books have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, and on NPR's All Things Considered. Her most recent picture book is Small Room, Big Dreams: The Journey of Julián and Joaquin Castro, out from HarperCollins/Quill Tree in English and Spanish editions. Her next picture book is The Turquoise Room/El Cuarto Turquesa forthcoming from Lee and Low in 2022. Monica Brown lives in Arizona with her family. Learn more about her complete body of work and teaching guides for her books on her website, (http://www.monicabrown.net/index.php).

Monica's Process

Watch the Interview Video to hear Monica talk about her research process, specifically:
  • What inspired her
  • “Magic moments” in the research
  • Why Julio C. Tello’s story is relevant today

Craft & Structure

Connecting the Past and the Present Through Julio C. Tello

Sharuko is the biography of a man who lived from 1880 - 1947, yet his work as an archeologist and conservationist is relevant today. His legacy includes the Museum of Anthropology, in Lima Peru, that houses the artifacts he discovered and wrote about. His research spotlights the accomplishments of Indigenous Peruvians and tells the story of Peru’s past that colonialism tried to erase. In her interview, Monica Brown tells us about a “magic moment” in the process of creating this book, in which she imagined a Quechua word - sharuko- emblazoned across the front as its title. In this way she continues Tello’s legacy, using her privilege as an established writer to highlight the Quechua language and the contributions Tello, an Indigenous scholar, made to the world. 
​
Begin by reading Sharuko aloud with students, inviting them to note the chronology of his life, from boy to researcher, the people who supported him along the way, and his connections to history as depicted in the text and images. In analyzing this biography, teachers might scaffold students’ understandings of:
  • The character traits that Monica Brown includes in her representation of Julio C. Tello.
  • The integration of history through text and image
  • The linear chronology on which the narrative rests, like an annotated timeline
Threads of Peru Website
The Author's and Illustrator’s Notes are rich in detail about the research and creative processes involved in the creation of Sharuko. Upper elementary and middle grade students can use Sharuko as a starting point for new lines of inquiry to research topics such as:
  • Textiles of Peru: Threads of Peru
  • Appropriation and ownership in archeology: Sweden returns Paracas textiles to Peru and Peru’s Textiles get a New Museum Home
  • The Quechua language
  • Images of where Julio C. Tello lived, worked, and went to school in this timeline (in Spanish)

At the start of the interview, Monica Brown talks about a personal connection that led to her writing Sharuko. Her mother’s house was on Julio C. Tello Boulevard in Lima. She was aware of this as a child, and later, as an adult, wished she had known the significance of Tello’s work. This inspired her to want to write his story for contemporary readers. All over the world, streets are named after notable people or groups of people. Students can examine maps, take walks, list names of streets in their communities, and then conduct research on the people to learn about their lives and the reasons they may be considered worthy of remembering. 

Additional teaching and learning experiences include:
  • Collecting data about gender/racial/ethnic background of street-name honorees, and creating graphs or charts to display the data.
  • Investigating the process through which streets get named in their communities.
  • Discussing and debating the criteria for the process. What would they add? Change? Who would they nominate?
  • This could lead to an action project involving honoring a community member in some public way.


Crafting Bilingual Nonfiction Picturebooks

In her interview, Monica Brown talks about the writing process and decisions she makes when structuring her biographies (time stamp 22:00). Some are chronological, others employed a modified chronology (as in Tito Puente, Mambo King). She explains: “the structure of the story is influenced by the subject.” Students can listen to this section of the interview and then examine Monica’s other biographies (listed below in the Explore section) in terms of how their structures are influenced by the subjects.

With regard to writing and publishing bilingual books, we learn that the process of putting a book into the world is mediated at many levels. In particular, Monica discusses her commitment to pushing back against English-dominant paradigms by placing the Spanish text in Sharuko before the English text, and the powerful message this sends to the reading world in general, and bilingual audiences in particular. By focusing on the placement of text, the use of code-switching, and the inclusion of language in the illustrations, students can develop a critical awareness of multilingualism as it appears in picture books. Throughout this teaching guide, bilingual biographies are indicated with an asterisk.



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Content & Disciplinary Thinking

Exploring Peru and Julio C. Tello's Contributions

Julio C. Tello is the father of Peruvian archeology. U.S. curricula rarely includes opportunities to study places outside of the continental United States. The South American continent consists of many countries, and countless cultures, traditions, and ways of life. Sharing Sharuko’s story would be a great invitation to start to know more.
  • Journey Through Peru's Incredible Sights in 6 Minutes/Short Film Showcase--National Geographic-- A beautiful short film highlighting the diverse incredible places and terrain of Peru
  • National Geographic Kids Peru--Great basic facts and information about Peru that is kid-friendly
  • ​National Geographic South America:Human Geography Encyclopedic entry. South America’s human landscape is deeply influenced by indigenous and immigrant populations, and their connection to the physical environment.

Indigenous Voices in Children's Literature

Julio C. Tello provided an Indigenous voice in Peruvian archeology. He also gave voice to the Indigenous peoples of Peru with his work in archeology, reclaiming history to bring Indigenous contributions out of the shadows. The history and stories of Indigenous peoples in the Americas have predominantly been told from voices outside of the cultures themselves. That is beginning to change. The books here were created by contemporary writers and illustrators of Indigenous heritage. Including their books in the curriculum and libraries teaches students that Indigenous peoples have always, and continue to be part of the American fabric, through their lives, work, resistance, contributions and more.
  • Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson, illustrated by David Shannon 
  • Native Women Changing Their Worlds by Patricia J Cutright
  • Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids with Nancy K. Mays. illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
  • Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present by Adrienne Keene, illustrated by Ciara Sana
  • Native Actors and Filmmakers: Visual Storytellers by Gary Robinson
  • Chester Nez and the Unbreakable Code: A Navajo Code Talker’s Story by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Liz Amini-Holmes 
  • *Child of the Flower-Song People: Luz Jimenez, Daughter of the Nahua by Gloria Amescua, illustrated by Duncan Tonitiuah
  • Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Natasha Donovan​
  • We Are Still Here!: Native American Truths Everyone Should Know by Traci Sorell, illustrated by Frane Lessac

Social & Emotional Learning

Character Traits, Identity, Legacy

Monica Brown tells us that when she learned that Julio C. Tello’s nickname was “sharuko” which means “brave” in Quechua, she knew this trait needed to be the cornerstone of the biography. The archeologist earned the nickname because of his insatiable curiosity, even when it led him into scary places such as caves and tombs in which he found skulls and other remains. As he grew, Julio C. Tello was brave in other ways.
Students can examine Sharuko for all the examples of bravery it depicts, and discuss Julio C. Tello’s legacy in connection with his bravery. An author study of some of Monica Brown’s other biographies and the character traits she emphasizes can deepen this line of inquiry.
Some biographies by Monica Brown
  • Small Room, Big Dreams: The Journey of Julián and Joaquin Castro
  • Frida Kahlo and Her Animalitos, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega
  • *Tito Puente, Mambo King/Tito Puente, Rey del Mambo, illustrated by Rafael Lopez
  • *Pablo Neruda: Poet of the People, illustrated by Julie Paschkis
  • *My Name is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel Garcia Márquez/Me llamo Gabito: La vida de Gabriel Garcia Márquez, illustrated by John Parra
*Side by Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez/Lado a lado: La historia de Dolores Huerta y César Chávez, illustrated by Joe Cepeda    ​


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New Texts & Artifacts

Thinking Like an Archaeologist

The field of archeology seeks answers to questions about the past and draws on skills, knowledge, and ways of knowing across various disciplines (science, social science, mathematics, humanities, and the arts).  Such study involves asking questions and piecing together answers based on evidence and inference. In the anecdote below, Julie shares an ‘archaeological magic moment’ that illustrates the significance of historical findings and the types of inquiry they inspire.
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 Sharing Sharuko can provide a similar introduction to the complexities and exciting puzzles that define the field of archeology.  Archeology is about telling the human story.  Invite your students to act as archeologists, researching, writing, and considering the different perspectives that inform archeological work. Teachers can find teaching ideas related to archeology on the website of The Society of American Archeology.  

The teaching and learning suggestions below are designed for teachers to plan experiences that involve thinking like an archeologist:

If you have 1-2 hours . . .

If you have 1-2 days . . .

If you have 1-2 weeks . . .

No matter the time period being studied - historical or contemporary - the close examination of artifacts involves honing keen observational and critical thinking skills. Teachers can present students with a selection of objects or parts of objects and invite them to examine them to see what stories they reveal. As an extension activity, students can bring their own artifacts from home, adding to the archaeological analysis. 
  
Discover other famous archeologists, paleontologists, and their finds. Compare and contrast these archeologists’ stories with Julio C. Tello’s.  

Other books about archeologists
  • Mary Anning, in Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist, by Linda Skeers, illustrated by Mara Álvarez Miguéns
  • Heinrich Schliemann in The Hero Schliemann: the Dreamer Who Dug for Troy by Laura Amy Schlitz, illustrated by Robert Byrd
  • Howard Carter, in Howard and the Mummy: Howard Carter and the Search for King Tut’s Tomb by Tracey Fern, illustrated by Boris Kulikov

Other books about archeology
  • The Street Beneath My Feet, by Charlotte Guillian, illustrated by Yuval Zommer
  • How the Sphinx Got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland

Resources for teachers
  • The Society of Black Archeologists
  • Indigenous Peoples Literature: The Life and Writings of Julio C. Tello
Invite students to learn enough about an artifact (and its discoverer) to create a museum exhibit about the artifact. (Julio C. Tello may have done this for his found artifacts.) Use the Smithsonian Learning Lab Museum Descriptions as mentor texts to help students discover what they may want to include in a museum description of their own.
Combine archeological museum exhibits to make a museum for learning in your school community. Invite other classes, parents, and the larger community.Create an archeological museum of the “future.” Invite students to pretend they are 500 years in the future and challenge them to create a museum showcasing archeological artifacts that showcase school life in the 2020s.  This will invite them to think deeply and use the skills and strategies of an archeologist. Which artifacts in their classroom may survive for that long? How could you write about these artifacts to describe them for someone who does not recognize them? Create museum exhibits and a museum.  Invite outside learners. 

Plan a field study to an archaeological site. The National Park Service Archeology Geology Program Site shares all of the national sites in the USA.  If you are not able to travel, check out the Archeological Institute of America for interactive digs and virtual tours of sites around the United States.
Chaudhri, A. & Waugh, J. (2021). Sharuko: El Arqueólogo Peruano/Peruvian Archaeologist. The Biography Clearinghouse.
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  • Home
  • About Our Work
    • Principles & Framework
  • Picture books
    • Above the Rim
    • Building Zaha
    • Classified
    • Eleanor Makes Her Mark
    • Make Meatballs Sing
    • Otis and Will Discover the Deep
    • Queen of Physics
    • Sharuko
    • Soldier for Equality
    • The Cat Man of Aleppo
    • Voice of Freedom
    • What Do You Do with a Voice Like That?
    • William Still and His Freedom Stories
  • Chapter Books
    • Almost Astronauts
    • Maritcha
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    • Natasha Donovan
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    • Tanya Lee Stone
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    • Don Tate
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  • Stories from the Classroom
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  • Contact Us