Multicultural Education Resources

American Model

Jully Sipolo, Civilized Girl (South Pacific Creative Arts Society, Suva, Fiji, 1981) and/or Praying Parents (Aruligo Book Centre, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 1986).

These short poetry collections offer a sharp-eyed view of the world by a Solomon Islands woman. Jully’s work is hard to find in the U.S., but they’re worth the effort. (One likely source is the Book Bin in Corvallis, Oregon, Pacific(at)bookbin(dot)com (replace (at) and (dot) with appropriate symbols. In 2007, the author (now Jully Makini) published a new collection, Flotsam and Jetsam, through IPS Publications at the University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. For U.S. sales, see Pacific Island Books.

Mi Mere, edited by Afu Billy, Hazel Lulei, and Jully Sipolo, The University of the South Pacific Solomon Islands Centre, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 1983.

A collection of poetry and prose by Solomon Islands women writers. It offers a wide range of views by women on life in the Solomons.

Walter G. Ivens, The Island Builders of the Pacific, AMS Press, 1978.

This is a reprint of the 1930 classic published by Seeley, Service & Company of London. It’s a formal anthropological study of an artificial island village off the coast of Malaita in the Solomons – an area similar to where Esme of “American Model” fame grew up. It’s hard-core anthropology, but an excellent resource to this special area of the Solomons.

Janet Kent, The Solomon Islands, Stackpole Books, 1972.

Though a bit out-dated, this book offers a good general overview of the Solomons, its history and its people.

David Harcombe, Solomon Islands: a travel survival kit. Lonely Planet publications. 1993.

Here’s the typical Lonely Planet guide: detailed island-by-island and village-by-village guidebook of things to see and places to go with a general overview of the country and its history. This book is now out of print, having been replaced by a combined Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands guide, 7th edition, 2005.

Robert James Waller, The Bridges of Madison County, Warner Books, Inc. 1992.

“Robert Kincaid” is Waller’s fictional National Geographic photographer who wows Iowa farm wife Francesca Johnson. After a delicious 4-day romp, Kincaid moves on, and Francesca pines for him for the rest of her life. The book was a smash best seller, and led to the 1995 movie starring Clint Eastwood as Kincaid and Meryl Streep as Francesca.