Diverse text set
Literature serves as a powerful tool through which children can learn about their homes and families, communities and cultures, and the structure of the world. Many fairytales written for children include faraway lands and events that occurred “once upon a time,” but even within these fictional tales children are able to identify with characters and learn about people around the world whose lives are not unlike their own. Every good children’s book allows the early readers to utilize their large imaginations and expand their vocabularies, but great books embrace diversity and act as both a mirror and a window (and occasionally as a door): teaching children about their own cultural groups and also teaching them to respect the cultural groups of others. The definition of “multicultural” can include stories focusing on any theme that differentiates from the dominant social and cultural norms of a given society, including but not limited to issues like racism, sexism, divorce, adoption, refugees, war, immigration, disability, and sexual orientation. I originally imagined all “multicultural” books being about characters who possess varying skin tones all living in harmony, but the different aspects of multiculturalism constantly overlapping created an entirely more complex and messy dynamic. From these multifaceted books children can learn how to solve problems and overcome obstacles, recognize the stereotypes and biases perpetuated by the media and challenge them, and evaluate whether their books contain any racist or sexist messages. In addition, multicultural children’s literature can teach that despite our social and cultural differences, all human being experience the feelings of love, grief, anger, and fear; all humans desire fairness and justice, and all humans have goals and dreams of what they want their life to become and what kind of impact they want to have on the world.
For one of the literature classes I took last spring, I wrote: “Children need to know that sometimes sharing an important secret about their identity might be scary, but holding it inside will only make their anxiety and frustration grow stronger. Children need to know that some things in life can be controlled, but some things are determined at birth and cannot be changed through force or through denial. Children need to know that keeping feelings bottled up can be exhausting and consuming, and that having “different” feelings does not make them inadequate or unworthy. They need to know that sharing their feelings with others can be freeing and the people who truly matter will still love and support them no matter what. I will still love and support them no matter what.” These feelings, insecurities, and doubts can stem from all different aspects of a child’s identity, but regardless of their roots the issues should be addressed with authenticity, vulnerability, and courage. Multicultural children’s literature gives children the reassurance and the validation they need to be authentic, the emotional support they need to be vulnerable, and the inspiring stories of triumph that they need to gain courage. It shows children that they are not alone; they might be completely unique in their circumstances, but they are never alone in their journey through life.
Over the next few months, I will be curating a set of diverse children's books, specifically aimed at readers in kindergarten through second grade. Some will be within the lower elementary reading level, but most work perfectly for a read aloud and an enlightening class discussion.
For one of the literature classes I took last spring, I wrote: “Children need to know that sometimes sharing an important secret about their identity might be scary, but holding it inside will only make their anxiety and frustration grow stronger. Children need to know that some things in life can be controlled, but some things are determined at birth and cannot be changed through force or through denial. Children need to know that keeping feelings bottled up can be exhausting and consuming, and that having “different” feelings does not make them inadequate or unworthy. They need to know that sharing their feelings with others can be freeing and the people who truly matter will still love and support them no matter what. I will still love and support them no matter what.” These feelings, insecurities, and doubts can stem from all different aspects of a child’s identity, but regardless of their roots the issues should be addressed with authenticity, vulnerability, and courage. Multicultural children’s literature gives children the reassurance and the validation they need to be authentic, the emotional support they need to be vulnerable, and the inspiring stories of triumph that they need to gain courage. It shows children that they are not alone; they might be completely unique in their circumstances, but they are never alone in their journey through life.
Over the next few months, I will be curating a set of diverse children's books, specifically aimed at readers in kindergarten through second grade. Some will be within the lower elementary reading level, but most work perfectly for a read aloud and an enlightening class discussion.
*Summary: In New York City, two male penguins fall in love at the Central Park Zoo. Roy and Silo do everything together; they bow to each other, they sing together, they swim together, and one day the two penguins built a nest together. Unlike the other couples, there was no egg in their nest to keep warm, so Roy and Silo attempted to hatch a smooth, shiny rock instead. Their zookeeper noticed their sadness when all of the other baby penguins began to hatch, so he made Roy and Silo the adopted parents of their own egg. They warmed up the egg and helped it to grow, and one day a new baby hatched! The zookeeper named this tiny penguin Tango because as the saying goes, "it takes two to make a tango."
*Strengths: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell have lived together as partners in New York City since 1994. Richardson and Parnell have wanted to begin a family together and report relating to the two male penguins desire to hatch the rock. Following the publishing of this book, Parnell and Richardson adopted a baby girl named Gemma (Author's Perspective and Expertise). In 2003, "And Tango Makes Three" was part of the ALA Notable Books list, and in 2008, it was part of the ALA Rainbow Project Book List (Awards and Honors). Because penguins are animals and not given human characteristics through personification, this book does an excellent job of staying away from stereotyping the characters in the illustrations. The male penguins look the same as the female penguins, so the main difference that students will notice is that one family has a new baby hatching while Silo and Roy are sad because their nest only contains rocks. It focuses on the message of love and family dynamics more than on the homosexuality (Illustrations).
*Weaknesses: The book neglects to mention the real-life postpartum drama that occurred at the zoo, in which Silo mated with a female penguin named Scrappy. This detail has been utilized by many critics to help get the book banned because of the "biological component" and how perhaps the penguins were not gay at all (Cultural Details).
*Main Themes: The three main themes in this picture book are family structure, adoption, and individuality. In regards to family structure, many people know that animals make their own families. "There are red panda families with mothers and fathers and furry red panda cubs." There are poisonous dart frog families, and spotted leopard families, and orangutan families, too. What makes a family? In the traditional definition, families might mean the people you are connected to through bloodline and marriage. In the more modern definition, families can include homosexual parents and adopted children, like Roy, Silo, and Tango. Ideally, we think of family as being connected and defined by love. This book explores the theme of love and breaking family stereotypes. Another theme is individuality, what makes each person or animal unique and what makes each family unique. At the end of the book, we read that "there are forty-two chinstrap penguins in the Central Park Zoo and over ten million chinstraps in the world. But there is only one Tango."
*Activities: One activity I could do with this book revolves around individuality. I could explain that there are over seven billion people in the world, but there is only one "you." What makes you stand apart from everyone else? What if someone had the exact same name as you - would you two be the same person or two different people? I could then ask students to draw their family trees and write a short explanatory text about what makes their family unique, including favorite memories and traditions as well as the dynamics of their family structure. I would maybe ask students to draw an "all about me" poster or design a magazine cover highlighting parts of their life that make them unique. This book could link to science lessons about animal families or could also spark discussions about the ethics of zoos and wildlife conservation.
*Resources:
What Makes a Family?
This website "provides a framework that will help students talk about their own and others' families in safe, caring ways." It provides framework for conducting family member interviews and creating a quilt about their classroom family, with each student being represented by a piece that helps make their classroom family whole. It also provides basic definitions and questions to help teachers discuss non-traditional families in a safe and respectful way.
https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/what-is-a-family
Family History Lesson Materials
Here are some great resources about where we come from and family history, including songs, poems, and printable worksheets.
http://themes.atozteacherstuff.com/198/family-lesson-plans-activities-printables-and-ideas/
Henry Cole
This website allows students to explore some of the other illustrations created by Henry Cole.
http://www.henrycole.net/main.php
*Strengths: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell have lived together as partners in New York City since 1994. Richardson and Parnell have wanted to begin a family together and report relating to the two male penguins desire to hatch the rock. Following the publishing of this book, Parnell and Richardson adopted a baby girl named Gemma (Author's Perspective and Expertise). In 2003, "And Tango Makes Three" was part of the ALA Notable Books list, and in 2008, it was part of the ALA Rainbow Project Book List (Awards and Honors). Because penguins are animals and not given human characteristics through personification, this book does an excellent job of staying away from stereotyping the characters in the illustrations. The male penguins look the same as the female penguins, so the main difference that students will notice is that one family has a new baby hatching while Silo and Roy are sad because their nest only contains rocks. It focuses on the message of love and family dynamics more than on the homosexuality (Illustrations).
*Weaknesses: The book neglects to mention the real-life postpartum drama that occurred at the zoo, in which Silo mated with a female penguin named Scrappy. This detail has been utilized by many critics to help get the book banned because of the "biological component" and how perhaps the penguins were not gay at all (Cultural Details).
*Main Themes: The three main themes in this picture book are family structure, adoption, and individuality. In regards to family structure, many people know that animals make their own families. "There are red panda families with mothers and fathers and furry red panda cubs." There are poisonous dart frog families, and spotted leopard families, and orangutan families, too. What makes a family? In the traditional definition, families might mean the people you are connected to through bloodline and marriage. In the more modern definition, families can include homosexual parents and adopted children, like Roy, Silo, and Tango. Ideally, we think of family as being connected and defined by love. This book explores the theme of love and breaking family stereotypes. Another theme is individuality, what makes each person or animal unique and what makes each family unique. At the end of the book, we read that "there are forty-two chinstrap penguins in the Central Park Zoo and over ten million chinstraps in the world. But there is only one Tango."
*Activities: One activity I could do with this book revolves around individuality. I could explain that there are over seven billion people in the world, but there is only one "you." What makes you stand apart from everyone else? What if someone had the exact same name as you - would you two be the same person or two different people? I could then ask students to draw their family trees and write a short explanatory text about what makes their family unique, including favorite memories and traditions as well as the dynamics of their family structure. I would maybe ask students to draw an "all about me" poster or design a magazine cover highlighting parts of their life that make them unique. This book could link to science lessons about animal families or could also spark discussions about the ethics of zoos and wildlife conservation.
*Resources:
What Makes a Family?
This website "provides a framework that will help students talk about their own and others' families in safe, caring ways." It provides framework for conducting family member interviews and creating a quilt about their classroom family, with each student being represented by a piece that helps make their classroom family whole. It also provides basic definitions and questions to help teachers discuss non-traditional families in a safe and respectful way.
https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/what-is-a-family
Family History Lesson Materials
Here are some great resources about where we come from and family history, including songs, poems, and printable worksheets.
http://themes.atozteacherstuff.com/198/family-lesson-plans-activities-printables-and-ideas/
Henry Cole
This website allows students to explore some of the other illustrations created by Henry Cole.
http://www.henrycole.net/main.php
*Summary: When people look at George, she looks like a boy. But deep inside her heart she knows that she is truly a girl - a girl named Melissa. She thinks she will be able to keep her secret forever, but when her teacher announces auditions for the class play of Charlotte's Web, George really wants to play Charlotte. The teacher tells George she will not be able to have that part because she is a boy, and suggests that she try out for Wilbur instead. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George devises a plan to show the world her true identity. George tells her mom and brother about her feelings, which are surprising for her mom to hear but almost expected from her older brother. George transforms into Melissa. She goes to the zoo wearing some of Kelly's clothes and feels absolutely free. Her outside appearance finally matches her inside feelings.
*Strengths: George and her gender might be the central focus of the book, but her friends and family members are woven into the plot in an effortless way that also provides honest perspectives from other sources. Kelly embraces and celebrates Melissa, excited to finally have a friend who is a girl to paint nails and dress up with. George's older brother is immediately accepting of her gender identity. George's mom was more apprehensive and saddened by the news (which is a reaction that many LGBTQ students might fear) but is eventually loving and accepting of Melissa, especially after George tells her mom that "trying to be a boy is really hard." In that moment, her mom understood. George's teacher takes more time to adjust to the change and some of her classmates never fully comprehend the new Melissa, which I believe gives this book a poignant sense of realism and truth. There might not always be a happy, fairytale ending, but it will all still be okay (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). Alex Gino is a gender-queer author who utilizes the singular-they as a gender neutral pronoun. They specialize in progressive middle grade fiction and have also written books from the prospective of deaf students and the Black Lives Matter students, although LGBTQ literature is their specialty (Author's Perspective and Expertise). "George" has won an impressive collective of awards, including the Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s Stonewall Award, the LGBT Children’s/Young Adult Lambda Literary Award, and gold for juvenile literature in the California Book Awards. For their work in "George," Alex Gino won Best Debut Author at the Children's Choice Book Awards. In 2015, "George" was on six different "best books" lists (Awards and Honors).
*Weaknesses: Honestly, this is one of the best books I have ever read at giving readers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of LGBTQ children. I can find few flaws in the way that Alex Gino portrays characters, attitudes, and historical details. I highly recommend this read. However, there might be some slight typecasting with George's character. She is young and afraid, so it is completely believable that she might need a little support and encouragement to share her true identity with her family and peers. Kelly acts with a little bit of a "majority saving the minority" mindset by convincing George that being Melissa could be fun and exciting, but I think she is simply a child playing with her friend and not actively trying to save George from her struggles. George becoming Melissa might be more powerful if she was able to do it completely on her own, but showing children how to support and accept others is never a bad lesson to include in a book (Tokenism or Typecasting).
*Main Themes: The main themes of "George" by Alex Gino are transgender and LGBTQ inclusion and acceptance, as well as being an ally for peers. This book not only dives into the emotional and psychological stresses that George encounters, but also enables readers to relate to many of the characters by providing multiple perspectives. Relationships with family and friends are an integral aspect of the George's growth and eventual happiness. Everyone loves someone, so these relationships make the themes of the book accessible to all readers even if they do not know of any close friends or family who identify as LGBTQ. Becoming an ally can apply to multiple concepts, so the tie-ins with bullying and bystander prevention are excellent. It was a heartwarming and emotional story, and even though it was written for children I found myself learning a lot.
*Activities: With this book I would probably begin by defining transgender and reviewing with students the ways that we can make our school feel safer for transgender students, like gender neutral bathrooms, use of preferred pronouns and names, dress codes, and bullying policies. I would have students choose one of the characters from the book and have them create a writing diary from their perspective, focusing on how the character is processing their emotions while learning about George and her transformation into Melissa. Students could record their ideas in the writing journal every day after the class read aloud of "George," so afterwards the students can reflect on the character's progression over time. I would also use this book as an opportunity to discuss what it means to be an ally for LGBTQ students, standing up for someone who is the target of prejudice. Students could identify ways that the characters in the book act as allies (finding specific passages and quotes as evidence) and then create individual contracts for how they will be allies.
*Resources:
How to Talk About George
For many people, including me, one of the biggest challenges in talking about the transgender population is utilizing the correct pronouns. This short guide written by the author explains how to address George and Melissa, and also gives a little backstory about his own pronoun usage as a transgender author.
http://www.alexgino.com/2015/08/how-to-talk-about-george/
'George' Wants You To Know: She's Really Melissa
This NPR interview with Alex Gino discusses their inspiration for writing about transgender youth and the need for more of these stories in modern libraries. Alex wants to help transgender children feel like they are not alone, saying that "George" is about "being true to who you are, being kind, and learning about people both different - and maybe, similar to you."
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/27/434277989/-george-wants-you-to-know-she-s-really-melissa
Book of the Month - "George" Lesson Plans
These lesson plans provide teachers will vocabulary terms, discussion questions, and numerous extension activities for teaching the book. These plans might be aimed at children slightly above the K-2 age range, but would certainly work well for children grades 3-6.
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/education-outreach/book-of-the-month-george.pdf
*Strengths: George and her gender might be the central focus of the book, but her friends and family members are woven into the plot in an effortless way that also provides honest perspectives from other sources. Kelly embraces and celebrates Melissa, excited to finally have a friend who is a girl to paint nails and dress up with. George's older brother is immediately accepting of her gender identity. George's mom was more apprehensive and saddened by the news (which is a reaction that many LGBTQ students might fear) but is eventually loving and accepting of Melissa, especially after George tells her mom that "trying to be a boy is really hard." In that moment, her mom understood. George's teacher takes more time to adjust to the change and some of her classmates never fully comprehend the new Melissa, which I believe gives this book a poignant sense of realism and truth. There might not always be a happy, fairytale ending, but it will all still be okay (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). Alex Gino is a gender-queer author who utilizes the singular-they as a gender neutral pronoun. They specialize in progressive middle grade fiction and have also written books from the prospective of deaf students and the Black Lives Matter students, although LGBTQ literature is their specialty (Author's Perspective and Expertise). "George" has won an impressive collective of awards, including the Mike Morgan and Larry Romans Children’s Stonewall Award, the LGBT Children’s/Young Adult Lambda Literary Award, and gold for juvenile literature in the California Book Awards. For their work in "George," Alex Gino won Best Debut Author at the Children's Choice Book Awards. In 2015, "George" was on six different "best books" lists (Awards and Honors).
*Weaknesses: Honestly, this is one of the best books I have ever read at giving readers a glimpse into the minds and hearts of LGBTQ children. I can find few flaws in the way that Alex Gino portrays characters, attitudes, and historical details. I highly recommend this read. However, there might be some slight typecasting with George's character. She is young and afraid, so it is completely believable that she might need a little support and encouragement to share her true identity with her family and peers. Kelly acts with a little bit of a "majority saving the minority" mindset by convincing George that being Melissa could be fun and exciting, but I think she is simply a child playing with her friend and not actively trying to save George from her struggles. George becoming Melissa might be more powerful if she was able to do it completely on her own, but showing children how to support and accept others is never a bad lesson to include in a book (Tokenism or Typecasting).
*Main Themes: The main themes of "George" by Alex Gino are transgender and LGBTQ inclusion and acceptance, as well as being an ally for peers. This book not only dives into the emotional and psychological stresses that George encounters, but also enables readers to relate to many of the characters by providing multiple perspectives. Relationships with family and friends are an integral aspect of the George's growth and eventual happiness. Everyone loves someone, so these relationships make the themes of the book accessible to all readers even if they do not know of any close friends or family who identify as LGBTQ. Becoming an ally can apply to multiple concepts, so the tie-ins with bullying and bystander prevention are excellent. It was a heartwarming and emotional story, and even though it was written for children I found myself learning a lot.
*Activities: With this book I would probably begin by defining transgender and reviewing with students the ways that we can make our school feel safer for transgender students, like gender neutral bathrooms, use of preferred pronouns and names, dress codes, and bullying policies. I would have students choose one of the characters from the book and have them create a writing diary from their perspective, focusing on how the character is processing their emotions while learning about George and her transformation into Melissa. Students could record their ideas in the writing journal every day after the class read aloud of "George," so afterwards the students can reflect on the character's progression over time. I would also use this book as an opportunity to discuss what it means to be an ally for LGBTQ students, standing up for someone who is the target of prejudice. Students could identify ways that the characters in the book act as allies (finding specific passages and quotes as evidence) and then create individual contracts for how they will be allies.
*Resources:
How to Talk About George
For many people, including me, one of the biggest challenges in talking about the transgender population is utilizing the correct pronouns. This short guide written by the author explains how to address George and Melissa, and also gives a little backstory about his own pronoun usage as a transgender author.
http://www.alexgino.com/2015/08/how-to-talk-about-george/
'George' Wants You To Know: She's Really Melissa
This NPR interview with Alex Gino discusses their inspiration for writing about transgender youth and the need for more of these stories in modern libraries. Alex wants to help transgender children feel like they are not alone, saying that "George" is about "being true to who you are, being kind, and learning about people both different - and maybe, similar to you."
https://www.npr.org/2015/08/27/434277989/-george-wants-you-to-know-she-s-really-melissa
Book of the Month - "George" Lesson Plans
These lesson plans provide teachers will vocabulary terms, discussion questions, and numerous extension activities for teaching the book. These plans might be aimed at children slightly above the K-2 age range, but would certainly work well for children grades 3-6.
https://www.adl.org/sites/default/files/documents/assets/pdf/education-outreach/book-of-the-month-george.pdf
*Summary: Morris Micklewhite enjoys many activities at school, but his favorite is playing dress-up with the tangerine dress. The tangerine color reminds him of tigers, the sun, and his mother's hair. Morris wears his tangerine dress out to recess and asks some of the boys if he can join them on their spaceship, but the boys scoff and sneer that astronauts do not wear dresses. Sometimes the boys and girls in his classes make fun of him, but Morris pretends he cannot hear them over the swishing and crinkling of the dress and the clicking of his shoes. "Morris pretends he can't hear their words, but he can." One day, Morris paints a picture of himself riding an elephant across the savanna and the jungle in his tangerine dress. At school, he tapes his painting onto the front of a spaceship. The other boys want to know if there are really tigers and elephants in space, so Morris suggests they all go find out together. The boys have fun on their adventure and decide that maybe its okay if astronauts wear tangerine dresses after all.
*Strengths: The illustrations in this book by Isabelle Malenfant are beyond beautiful and appropriately fit the theme of the book without over-exaggerating the gender stereotypes. Morris's dress is often the brightest point of the images (matched only by the sun, the tigers, and his mother's hair of course) and he is also shown with painted fingernails. Otherwise, Morris looks like an average student. The illustrations also include children of other races. Their ethnicity does not serve as a focus in the plot, so it is a nice, subtle addition of inclusion and allows children of other races to see themselves in the literature (Illustrations). Throughout the plot, Morris is quite independent and willing to be his own hero. He does not rely on his mother for comfort, but instead dreams about the possibilities for the future and finds intrinsic motivation to return to school. This independence provides a positive example for students who are being bullied and feel alone, showing them how to persevere and love yourself regardless of the obstacles you encounter (Tokenism and Typecasting).
*Weaknesses: Even after Morris invites the other boys to play astronauts with him and go on adventures, I was sad to see that there were no girls on their spaceship. For a book that focuses on defying gender roles, it would have been nice to include some female astronauts or at least provided some more vocational diversity. Young girls are still learning about STEM careers and looking for role models, so this would have been an ideal opportunity to encourage more female interest in the sciences (Stereotyping). The relationship that Morris shares with his mother is supportive and encouraging, which is beautiful because her bright orange hair is one of the reasons Morris loves his tangerine dress. However, I would have like to have seen the dynamics with his teachers and other members of his family. Even if he has no father or siblings in the picture, it would have been interesting to have some kind of male role model to encourage Morris. It is easier to justify having his relatively feminine mother be supportive of him wearing a dress, but it could be powerful if there was someone hyper-masculine that was still completely on board with the tangerine dress (Multidimensionality and Interconnections).
*Main Themes: The main themes in "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" are gender roles and why defying the gender norms is okay. If wearing a tangerine dress makes Morris happy, then why should it matter if he is a boy or a girl? In an interview, the author states that Morris is not labeled as gay, straight, or transgender and that he is simply a child learning to express himself. She wants the main message of the book to be about bullying and self-discovery, not about LGBTQ identity or gender identity.
*Activities: With this book, I would probably bring in a suitcase full of all types of clothing (dresses, jerseys, skirts, shorts, scarves, hats, high heels, sneakers, etc.). I would have students select a piece of clothing from the box and then have students "think, pair, share" about why they chose the particular item that they did. Would they want to trade pieces of clothing with another friend in the class if they could? Why or why not? I would then have students describe their favorite piece of clothing and how it makes them feel. What color is the clothing? What emotions does that color make you feel? I would have students go onto NASA's Astronaut Selection page and read about the criteria for becoming an astronaut. What does the website say about gender and dress codes? To conclude the discussion, I would have students discuss clothing and why people should not be teased for expressing themselves.
*Resources:
Highland Literacy
This lesson plan provides a dynamic way of engaging students grades K-3 with the book, focusing on emotional well-being and celebrating differences. I especially like the concepts covered in the "second level," discussing stereotypes and the influence of media and society on our understanding of gender.
https://highlandliteracy.com/2017/12/09/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress-lesson-plan/
Gender Identity, Acceptance, and Overcoming Bullying
This website provides some history on gender roles and provides a beautiful summary of the themes from "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress," complete with previews of many of the illustrations from the book.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/17/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress/
Read Aloud
This read aloud version of the story with Erin is full of enthusiasm and also provides some insightful points for discussion at the end.
https://youtu.be/0xWnTu8TBAU
*Strengths: The illustrations in this book by Isabelle Malenfant are beyond beautiful and appropriately fit the theme of the book without over-exaggerating the gender stereotypes. Morris's dress is often the brightest point of the images (matched only by the sun, the tigers, and his mother's hair of course) and he is also shown with painted fingernails. Otherwise, Morris looks like an average student. The illustrations also include children of other races. Their ethnicity does not serve as a focus in the plot, so it is a nice, subtle addition of inclusion and allows children of other races to see themselves in the literature (Illustrations). Throughout the plot, Morris is quite independent and willing to be his own hero. He does not rely on his mother for comfort, but instead dreams about the possibilities for the future and finds intrinsic motivation to return to school. This independence provides a positive example for students who are being bullied and feel alone, showing them how to persevere and love yourself regardless of the obstacles you encounter (Tokenism and Typecasting).
*Weaknesses: Even after Morris invites the other boys to play astronauts with him and go on adventures, I was sad to see that there were no girls on their spaceship. For a book that focuses on defying gender roles, it would have been nice to include some female astronauts or at least provided some more vocational diversity. Young girls are still learning about STEM careers and looking for role models, so this would have been an ideal opportunity to encourage more female interest in the sciences (Stereotyping). The relationship that Morris shares with his mother is supportive and encouraging, which is beautiful because her bright orange hair is one of the reasons Morris loves his tangerine dress. However, I would have like to have seen the dynamics with his teachers and other members of his family. Even if he has no father or siblings in the picture, it would have been interesting to have some kind of male role model to encourage Morris. It is easier to justify having his relatively feminine mother be supportive of him wearing a dress, but it could be powerful if there was someone hyper-masculine that was still completely on board with the tangerine dress (Multidimensionality and Interconnections).
*Main Themes: The main themes in "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress" are gender roles and why defying the gender norms is okay. If wearing a tangerine dress makes Morris happy, then why should it matter if he is a boy or a girl? In an interview, the author states that Morris is not labeled as gay, straight, or transgender and that he is simply a child learning to express himself. She wants the main message of the book to be about bullying and self-discovery, not about LGBTQ identity or gender identity.
*Activities: With this book, I would probably bring in a suitcase full of all types of clothing (dresses, jerseys, skirts, shorts, scarves, hats, high heels, sneakers, etc.). I would have students select a piece of clothing from the box and then have students "think, pair, share" about why they chose the particular item that they did. Would they want to trade pieces of clothing with another friend in the class if they could? Why or why not? I would then have students describe their favorite piece of clothing and how it makes them feel. What color is the clothing? What emotions does that color make you feel? I would have students go onto NASA's Astronaut Selection page and read about the criteria for becoming an astronaut. What does the website say about gender and dress codes? To conclude the discussion, I would have students discuss clothing and why people should not be teased for expressing themselves.
*Resources:
Highland Literacy
This lesson plan provides a dynamic way of engaging students grades K-3 with the book, focusing on emotional well-being and celebrating differences. I especially like the concepts covered in the "second level," discussing stereotypes and the influence of media and society on our understanding of gender.
https://highlandliteracy.com/2017/12/09/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress-lesson-plan/
Gender Identity, Acceptance, and Overcoming Bullying
This website provides some history on gender roles and provides a beautiful summary of the themes from "Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress," complete with previews of many of the illustrations from the book.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/12/17/morris-micklewhite-and-the-tangerine-dress/
Read Aloud
This read aloud version of the story with Erin is full of enthusiasm and also provides some insightful points for discussion at the end.
https://youtu.be/0xWnTu8TBAU
*Summary: This beautifully illustrated book tells the story of a mother and her two children as they flee from their homeland and seek refuge in a safer country. Once upon a time, their family of four enjoyed going to the beach and building sandcastles, but their happy memories were brutally interrupted when chaos and war took over. The war took their feelings of comfort and security, and eventually took their father, so their mother made the courageous decision to uproot their lives and pack up all of their belongings. Their journey begins with stacks of suitcases and a comfortable car, but the farther they travel the more belongings they must leave behind and the more creative their modes of transportation must be. When they finally reach the border wall and attempt to cross, the guard screams and chases them into the darkness of the forest. Later in the night, the family finds a boat that will row them across the vast ocean. Their boat ride takes many days and the family feels lucky to be alive and together once they reach the shore. At the end of the book, the family is still traveling and still searching for a place to call home.
*Strengths: The illustrations in The Journey by Francesca Sanna highlight the imaginative take on immigration and refugees. The book feels more like a fairytale than a realistic depiction of the social issue, showing the characters flying away with the birds and also showing the border guards as giant bearded men. The illustrations are not too literal and the color choices on each page covey great amounts of emotion; earth tones on pages showing more harmony and calm, and then bold, contrasting tones on pages showing conflict and distress (Illustrations). Francesca Sanna is an Italian illustrator and graphic designer who moved to Switzerland to pursue her passion of illustration and storytelling. The inspiration for this particular book came from a conversation Sanna had with two young girls in a refugee center in Italy — two girls who had shown tremendous strength and perseverance when faced with persecution, who had fled their homes in search of a better life. Sana collected stories from refugees all over the world through interviews and compiled them all into this tribute. She wanted to write the book because "almost every day on the news we hear the terms 'migrants' and 'refugees' but we rarely ever speak to or hear the personal journeys that they have had to take" (Author's Perspective and Expertise). The refugee family is depicted with dark eyes and pitch black hair, while the guards have fair skin and fiery red hair. Besides these physical attributes found in illustrations, there is never any mention of what ethnicity or nationality any of the characters belong to. I really love this characterization because the characters are not defined by characteristics that tend to divide people (like race or religion), but are instead defined by emotions that unite all human beings (like our capacity to love, fear, and overcome adversity). Because ethnicity and nationality are made more ambiguous, a wide variety of students will be able to relate to the story (Stereotyping).
*Weaknesses: To an extent, I appreciate the vague description of the war and the omission of any graphic, violent details because it makes the story more accessible for younger readers. However, I feel like the story somewhat glosses over the reasons why refugees might be forced to flee their country and why we should welcome them with open arms, why we should not continue to pile onto the oppression and the judgment that they are attempting to escape. The readers can make assumptions throughout the book to imagine some of the harsher details, but I personally feel like the book lacks brutal honesty and straightforward truths. Students will be sad upon finding out that the war took the father and will be scared when the guards are searching for the hiding family, but I feel like the fear needs to be explored more fully if Sanna wants to create a genuine understanding and sense of empathy within those young readers. The book is poetic and beautiful and definitely still powerful, but if it has any weakness it would be the lack of deeper analysis (Multidimensionality and Interconnections).
*Main Themes: I believe the two primary goals of this book are to expose the fear that refugees face and to encourage the world to tear down the borders that divide us. One particular illustration I found interesting is of a variety of birds (eagles, hummingbirds, parrots, owls, etc.) flying freely through the air, potentially symbolizing how unity and the movement of society in a forward direction can only occur when all people work together and look past differences. Even birds like the puffin penguin — birds that cannot normally fly — are given the ability to migrate and escape from the limitations of their status. The text on this page describes how birds do have to work or fight in order to migrate because their simpler species does not construct any arbitrary borders to contain them to one area. It tells of the narrator’s hopes that someday their family will find “a new home where we can be safe and begin our story again.” This line reflects the title of the book and its overarching message about how refugees are on a tireless journey without any real destination in sight.
*Activities: I think I would begin a lesson over this book by discussing the illustrations and the emotions evoked by the colors and the proportions. Why is war depicted as a black mass with many arms? On the spread that says "in the darkness the noises of the forest scare me," how is the mother depicted? Why are the guards shown with sharp teeth and red eyes? I would have students create a graphic comparing the family at the beginning of the book and the end of the book. I would have students rewrite a few pages of the book from the mother's perspective and explain why her emotions and needs might be different. I would ask students to journal about how they would feel if they suddenly had to leave their home and travel far away from all of their friends. Students could make a list of things that make them feel happy and safe (blankets, flowers, tacos, puppies, reading before bedtime with Mom, etc.), and then choose only one or two of those things to keep with them as they move to their new home. Which things would they take and why? How will they feel when they have to leave behind the other things that make them feel happy and safe?
*Resources:
Seeking Safety
This resource guide aims to provide readers with "a clear understanding of the key terms and facts about refugees and asylum seeks, empathy with issues facing asylum seekers and refugees, awareness of the ways people are interconnected across the world, understanding of some of the causes of the refugee movements, knowledge of the myths and stereotypes surrounding asylum seekers, and an introduction to human rights." I really love the myth-busting activities, the discussion of contributions made by refugees, the "what's in a name?" activity guide, and the "what makes a home?" activity guide.
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/activity-pack-seeking-safety#.VikDBvlVhHw
Teaching Children About Refugees
This website offers suggestions for how to approach the topics of immigration and refugees with young children, including examples of questions to ask, cuisine to try, music to listen to, and games to play. The most helpful advice I found on this blog focused on action steps that children can take to feel like they're making a difference (make a "welcome home" sign for a new refugee family in the community, write letters of support, or collect donations for a local refugee family).
https://therefugeecenter.org/blog/teaching-children-refugees/
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
This nonprofit could be interesting for students to read about and research, founded in 1939 and welcoming over 500,000 refugees to date. Their website discusses how to rebuild hope and how to create a culture of welcoming. Their website also offers news articles surrounding the topic of immigration and ways for people to advocate for immigration, children's rights, and refugee families.
https://www.lirs.org/
Other INCREDIBLE Resources
http://www.unhcr.org/teachers-toolkit
http://refugeeweek.org.uk/
https://www.unicef.org.uk/rights-respecting-schools/resources/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elLEPxjm8XE
*Summary: Clover, a young African American girl, and Annie, a young Caucasian American girl live on opposite sides of a tall wood picket fence. The fence divides their town with intentions of keeping its black and white citizens segregated. Mama always warns Clover to stay on their side of the fence so she will be safe, but one summer Annie changes her perspective on friendships and race relations. Every day, Annie sits on top of the fence and longingly watches Clover jump rope and play with her friends. When it rains, Clover watched Annie jump in the puddles with her yellow raincoat on, jealous that she has to stay inside all day.Eventually, Clover and Annie meet. To avoid breaking the rules about crossing the fence, the two girls sit on top of it together and watched the entire town from up above. By the end of summer, Clover and Annie are friends and dream about the day when someone will knock the fence down.
*Strengths: The relationship between Clover and Annie forms in an authentic, natural, beautiful way. Their friendship is not coincidental nor is it forced, but stems from curiosity and common interests. Woodson recognizes the cultural differences in how the children were raised and how their parents communicate with them, but also allows for the children to be defined by their love for jumping rope and splashing in puddles more than by the color of their skin. The way she develops the characters is poignant and sweet (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). Jacqueline Woodson is an extremely distinguished author, winning awards such as the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate, Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Newbery Honor Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Caldecott Medal, and the ALA Notable Award. Many of her notable books offer insightful perspective into the mindset of African American girls growing up and discovering their identity. I love "Locomotion," "Brown Girl Dreaming," and "Each Kindness" for older readers to dive into the topics of race, civil rights, and acceptance through moving works of poetry and prose (Author's Perspective and Expertise). Both races are illustrated in authentic and realistic ways. All of the young girls are adorned in sundresses, tennis shoes, and hair ribbons. The primary differences are that the black girls have cornrows and clear complexions, while the white girl has curly orange hair and freckles. None of their physical features are drawn out of proportion or emphasized in a negative way (Illustrations).
*Weaknesses: There are very few weaknesses within this book, I honestly think it is pretty close to flawless. However, I would have liked to see the individual characters be more developed with unique interests and personalities. The book is meant to be simplistic and straightforward in its message, but dressing all of the girls in the same style of outfits, with all of the same body types, and with all of the same interests simply seems unrealistic (Typecasting).
*Main Themes: The main themes of this book are segregation, social justice, and optimism for the future. The fence that divides their town can be seen as symbolic for all racial segregation, an arbitrary line constructed by societal biases. Though the setting of this book dates back a few decades, the basic principles remain undeniably true in our modern society. Mainstream groups make efforts to to support diverse backgrounds by marching in their parades, standing in solidarity with them, and striving to accept their differences, but behind closed doors they minimize the differences and focus on the aspects that connect all human experiences and make them similar. This minimization is dangerous. While some people genuinely have tried to research, listen, learn, and be immersed in a different culture, many others focus on surface level issues and in no way connect their personal identity with the culture. We all contain the same organs and have the capacity for "love and hate and desire and jealousy" in our hearts, but we do not all have the same level of privilege, the same hopes and fears, or the exact same genetic construction. These differences are undoubtedly good because if we all looked the same and had the same opinions on everything our world would be pretty vanilla and boring. This book focuses on tearing down the fence and working together towards a brighter tomorrow, which can only be achieved if we work together to identify the source of all prejudices and celebrate our uniqueness rather than letting it divide us.
*Activities: While teaching this book, I would like to start by focusing on the importance of civil rights and then branch out to focus on all of human rights. I would begin by asking students to brainstorm some boundaries created in their own lives, like only being allowed to play on the driveway and not in the street, or maybe not being allowed inside their older sister's room without permission. What is the purpose of these boundaries and rules? To ensure safety and avoid conflict? I would continue with a discussion over the symbolic fence in the book, why it was created, why the girls are not allowed to cross it, and why they want to tear it down. Based on this conversation, I would ask students to brainstorm other times people have been oppressed by factors out of their control and introduce them to the Berlin Wall, another physical example of division and injustice. I would talk to them about tearing down the walls, ending segregation through civil rights, and making the world a better place. Next, I would transition into an activity asking them to make the world a better place like Annie and Clover did. Sometimes children are the best people to make changes because adults have the fixed mindset of "this is how it has always been." I would challenge students to think of someone at school, on the playground, or in their neighborhood who normally plays alone, and to invite that person to play with them the next time the occasion arises. I would conclude by asking each student to think about a more global issue that needs a solution (like hunger, pollution, recycling, cancer, etc.) and to make a plan about some small (or giant) way to create those improvements.
*Resources:
Berlin Wall Simulation
This simulation guide describes an activity that will help students understand the meaning of segregation by experiencing it themselves.
https://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/publications/articles/se_7403152.pdf
Civil Rights Lesson Plans
These plans provide an elementary-friendly way to introduce topics like slavery, the Underground Railroad, freedom quilts, prejudice, and Jim Crow laws.
http://www.bringinghistoryhome.org/third/unit-2
E.B. Lewis Illustrations
This website allows students to browse other books that E.B. Lewis has painted in watercolor, many of them containing protagonists of color and their unique stories.
http://eblewis.com/books/
*Strengths: The relationship between Clover and Annie forms in an authentic, natural, beautiful way. Their friendship is not coincidental nor is it forced, but stems from curiosity and common interests. Woodson recognizes the cultural differences in how the children were raised and how their parents communicate with them, but also allows for the children to be defined by their love for jumping rope and splashing in puddles more than by the color of their skin. The way she develops the characters is poignant and sweet (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). Jacqueline Woodson is an extremely distinguished author, winning awards such as the Poetry Foundation's Young People's Poet Laureate, Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Newbery Honor Medal, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Caldecott Medal, and the ALA Notable Award. Many of her notable books offer insightful perspective into the mindset of African American girls growing up and discovering their identity. I love "Locomotion," "Brown Girl Dreaming," and "Each Kindness" for older readers to dive into the topics of race, civil rights, and acceptance through moving works of poetry and prose (Author's Perspective and Expertise). Both races are illustrated in authentic and realistic ways. All of the young girls are adorned in sundresses, tennis shoes, and hair ribbons. The primary differences are that the black girls have cornrows and clear complexions, while the white girl has curly orange hair and freckles. None of their physical features are drawn out of proportion or emphasized in a negative way (Illustrations).
*Weaknesses: There are very few weaknesses within this book, I honestly think it is pretty close to flawless. However, I would have liked to see the individual characters be more developed with unique interests and personalities. The book is meant to be simplistic and straightforward in its message, but dressing all of the girls in the same style of outfits, with all of the same body types, and with all of the same interests simply seems unrealistic (Typecasting).
*Main Themes: The main themes of this book are segregation, social justice, and optimism for the future. The fence that divides their town can be seen as symbolic for all racial segregation, an arbitrary line constructed by societal biases. Though the setting of this book dates back a few decades, the basic principles remain undeniably true in our modern society. Mainstream groups make efforts to to support diverse backgrounds by marching in their parades, standing in solidarity with them, and striving to accept their differences, but behind closed doors they minimize the differences and focus on the aspects that connect all human experiences and make them similar. This minimization is dangerous. While some people genuinely have tried to research, listen, learn, and be immersed in a different culture, many others focus on surface level issues and in no way connect their personal identity with the culture. We all contain the same organs and have the capacity for "love and hate and desire and jealousy" in our hearts, but we do not all have the same level of privilege, the same hopes and fears, or the exact same genetic construction. These differences are undoubtedly good because if we all looked the same and had the same opinions on everything our world would be pretty vanilla and boring. This book focuses on tearing down the fence and working together towards a brighter tomorrow, which can only be achieved if we work together to identify the source of all prejudices and celebrate our uniqueness rather than letting it divide us.
*Activities: While teaching this book, I would like to start by focusing on the importance of civil rights and then branch out to focus on all of human rights. I would begin by asking students to brainstorm some boundaries created in their own lives, like only being allowed to play on the driveway and not in the street, or maybe not being allowed inside their older sister's room without permission. What is the purpose of these boundaries and rules? To ensure safety and avoid conflict? I would continue with a discussion over the symbolic fence in the book, why it was created, why the girls are not allowed to cross it, and why they want to tear it down. Based on this conversation, I would ask students to brainstorm other times people have been oppressed by factors out of their control and introduce them to the Berlin Wall, another physical example of division and injustice. I would talk to them about tearing down the walls, ending segregation through civil rights, and making the world a better place. Next, I would transition into an activity asking them to make the world a better place like Annie and Clover did. Sometimes children are the best people to make changes because adults have the fixed mindset of "this is how it has always been." I would challenge students to think of someone at school, on the playground, or in their neighborhood who normally plays alone, and to invite that person to play with them the next time the occasion arises. I would conclude by asking each student to think about a more global issue that needs a solution (like hunger, pollution, recycling, cancer, etc.) and to make a plan about some small (or giant) way to create those improvements.
*Resources:
Berlin Wall Simulation
This simulation guide describes an activity that will help students understand the meaning of segregation by experiencing it themselves.
https://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/publications/articles/se_7403152.pdf
Civil Rights Lesson Plans
These plans provide an elementary-friendly way to introduce topics like slavery, the Underground Railroad, freedom quilts, prejudice, and Jim Crow laws.
http://www.bringinghistoryhome.org/third/unit-2
E.B. Lewis Illustrations
This website allows students to browse other books that E.B. Lewis has painted in watercolor, many of them containing protagonists of color and their unique stories.
http://eblewis.com/books/
*Summary: Grace loves stories. She loves listening to stories, reading stories, and creating stories in her mind using her imagination. Whenever she finds a new story, she likes to act it out and transform herself into the part of the main character, whether that meant exploring lost kingdoms with her cardboard elephant or crawling through the jungle with her ferocious tiger. Naturally, when Grace's teacher announced that the class would be performing Peter Pan, Grace knew exactly who she wanted to play and raised her hand to audition for the main part. One peer told her it was impossible because Peter Pan is not a girl, another peer told her it was impossible because Peter Pan is not black. Grace thought about these remarks all day and when she told her Ma and Nana about the comments, her role models reassured her that she can be whoever and whatever she wants if she puts her mind to it. That weekend, Nana took Grace to the ballet to watch their friend from Trinidad perform the role of Juliet, which allowed Grace to dream big and land the part of Peter Pan.
*Strengths: In addition to its emphasis on race, this book examines the stereotypes surrounding gender. Hoffman recently wrote an article reflecting on the book's popularity over the past twenty-seven years and described her sadness regarding how relevant it still is in modern society. Now we have more female astronauts, inventors, prime ministers and presidents, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, directors, and so on, but we also still have women being told they are inept and incapable simply because of their gender. I appreciate that this book is multifaceted and that Grace must overcome stereotypes surrounding both race and gender, allowing it be accessible for even more children (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). From the beginning of the book, I was slightly worried that the white teacher would be portrayed as the savior who gives Grace the part and is praised for her inclusion, but I was pleasantly surprised when Grace received the part based on her own merit. Grace practiced all weekend and put forth the effort, so the applause and unanimous votes she received from her peers were earned and not simply given (Tokenism or Typecasting).
*Weaknesses: Mary Hoffman is a British author who has written literally hundreds of books. On her website, she notes that she found her inspiration for "Amazing Grace" and its sequels from inside her own imagination: "Grace is really just me, even though she doesn't look like me. The model for Caroline Binch's pictures of Grace was a little girl called Salan." Hoffman recalls how she met Salan when she traveled to Gambia, but does not provide any information about interviews or personal accounts she might have collected from people of the culture she is describing in the book. I think she did an excellent job writing an inspiring children's book, but I also believe it would have been more meaningful if it was written by an author with more personal connections to the topic of prejudice and race (Author's Perspective and Expertise). I understand that this book was revolutionary at the time of its creation and appreciate that it inspired other authors to write stories with colored protagonists, but by modern standards the illustrations and the inclusion of other minority characters lacks authenticity. It feels more forced than natural at times. With only Nana and Ma living at home with Grace, I also feel like the family structure could be stereotyping the idea of black families being synonymous with single-parent households (Stereotyping).
When I was young, it was quite common to be told there were things you couldn’t do because you were a girl. I hoped by the time I was writing Amazing Grace, that would be less true. Sadly, 25 years on, it’s still an issue, even if we’ve had women astronauts, prime ministers and presidents, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, and so on.
*Main Themes: The main themes in this book are overcoming stereotypes and following your dreams. Until her classmates point out her color as a limiting factor, Grace is blissfully unaware that she was born into a world full of systematic oppression and discrimination already surrounding her. However, after receiving encouragement from her support system, she realizes that she holds within her the potential to achieve great things and to make a difference. Growing up in this society she has no idea what resources she will possess, what world leaders (or talented ballerinas) she might be inspired by, or what form of protests she might feel compelled to participate in, but she knows that as long as she has her mind and her voice she has everything she needs to shape a better future for herself and her peers. Grace wants to overcome the obstacles that society places in her way and be the heroine in her own story, making her own dreams come true one day at a time.
*Activities: To teach this book, I would begin by having students create silhouettes art projects. I would begin by tracing the profile of each students face on colored construction paper, making sure to include as much detail as possible (click here for an example). On their faces, I would have students write down words and draw illustrations that represent their internal characteristics, the things the world cannot see simply by looking at their outer appearance. These internal characteristics might include personality traits, hobbies, "favorites," fears, and dreams. I would encourage students to examine what makes them unique and to think about how the world perceives them in both negative and positive ways solely based on their external characteristics. I would then read the book "Amazing Grace" by Mary Hoffman and transition into more activities about eliminating prejudice and judgement. Found in the resource listed below, I would incorporate activities like "When Life Gives You a Lemon, Peel It" and "Color Matching" to demonstrate how race and skin tone make us unique and sometimes impact the culture we grow up in, but how who we are below the surface of our skin matters most. One quote that I really love is, "You may be pretty and all, but if the world was blind who would you impress?" Depending on the age level of students, I might share that quote and conclude this lesson by asking students what characteristics they would like to be remembered by, what kind of legacy they would like to leave behind on earth, and what acts of kindness they could commit.
*Resources:
Ballerinas Breaking Barriers
This PBS article and documentary highlights African American dancers who have made history, from Janet Collin's ballet debut back in 1950 to Misty Copeland's more recent successes.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/breaking-barriers-on-the-stage-african-american-ballet-dancers-history/
Understanding Prejudice
This teacher resource describes four activities aimed at teaching young children about prejudice, social justice, and the importance of looking at the world through the eyes of others. Activities include "When Life Gives You a Lemon, Peel It," "A Seat on the Bus," "Color Matching," and "People Tags."
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/teach/elemact.htm
Teaching Tolerance
This website provides suggestions for how to address controversial topics like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, bullying, sexual identity, immigration, and activism.
https://www.tolerance.org/
*Strengths: In addition to its emphasis on race, this book examines the stereotypes surrounding gender. Hoffman recently wrote an article reflecting on the book's popularity over the past twenty-seven years and described her sadness regarding how relevant it still is in modern society. Now we have more female astronauts, inventors, prime ministers and presidents, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, directors, and so on, but we also still have women being told they are inept and incapable simply because of their gender. I appreciate that this book is multifaceted and that Grace must overcome stereotypes surrounding both race and gender, allowing it be accessible for even more children (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). From the beginning of the book, I was slightly worried that the white teacher would be portrayed as the savior who gives Grace the part and is praised for her inclusion, but I was pleasantly surprised when Grace received the part based on her own merit. Grace practiced all weekend and put forth the effort, so the applause and unanimous votes she received from her peers were earned and not simply given (Tokenism or Typecasting).
*Weaknesses: Mary Hoffman is a British author who has written literally hundreds of books. On her website, she notes that she found her inspiration for "Amazing Grace" and its sequels from inside her own imagination: "Grace is really just me, even though she doesn't look like me. The model for Caroline Binch's pictures of Grace was a little girl called Salan." Hoffman recalls how she met Salan when she traveled to Gambia, but does not provide any information about interviews or personal accounts she might have collected from people of the culture she is describing in the book. I think she did an excellent job writing an inspiring children's book, but I also believe it would have been more meaningful if it was written by an author with more personal connections to the topic of prejudice and race (Author's Perspective and Expertise). I understand that this book was revolutionary at the time of its creation and appreciate that it inspired other authors to write stories with colored protagonists, but by modern standards the illustrations and the inclusion of other minority characters lacks authenticity. It feels more forced than natural at times. With only Nana and Ma living at home with Grace, I also feel like the family structure could be stereotyping the idea of black families being synonymous with single-parent households (Stereotyping).
When I was young, it was quite common to be told there were things you couldn’t do because you were a girl. I hoped by the time I was writing Amazing Grace, that would be less true. Sadly, 25 years on, it’s still an issue, even if we’ve had women astronauts, prime ministers and presidents, Nobel Prize-winning scientists, and so on.
*Main Themes: The main themes in this book are overcoming stereotypes and following your dreams. Until her classmates point out her color as a limiting factor, Grace is blissfully unaware that she was born into a world full of systematic oppression and discrimination already surrounding her. However, after receiving encouragement from her support system, she realizes that she holds within her the potential to achieve great things and to make a difference. Growing up in this society she has no idea what resources she will possess, what world leaders (or talented ballerinas) she might be inspired by, or what form of protests she might feel compelled to participate in, but she knows that as long as she has her mind and her voice she has everything she needs to shape a better future for herself and her peers. Grace wants to overcome the obstacles that society places in her way and be the heroine in her own story, making her own dreams come true one day at a time.
*Activities: To teach this book, I would begin by having students create silhouettes art projects. I would begin by tracing the profile of each students face on colored construction paper, making sure to include as much detail as possible (click here for an example). On their faces, I would have students write down words and draw illustrations that represent their internal characteristics, the things the world cannot see simply by looking at their outer appearance. These internal characteristics might include personality traits, hobbies, "favorites," fears, and dreams. I would encourage students to examine what makes them unique and to think about how the world perceives them in both negative and positive ways solely based on their external characteristics. I would then read the book "Amazing Grace" by Mary Hoffman and transition into more activities about eliminating prejudice and judgement. Found in the resource listed below, I would incorporate activities like "When Life Gives You a Lemon, Peel It" and "Color Matching" to demonstrate how race and skin tone make us unique and sometimes impact the culture we grow up in, but how who we are below the surface of our skin matters most. One quote that I really love is, "You may be pretty and all, but if the world was blind who would you impress?" Depending on the age level of students, I might share that quote and conclude this lesson by asking students what characteristics they would like to be remembered by, what kind of legacy they would like to leave behind on earth, and what acts of kindness they could commit.
*Resources:
Ballerinas Breaking Barriers
This PBS article and documentary highlights African American dancers who have made history, from Janet Collin's ballet debut back in 1950 to Misty Copeland's more recent successes.
http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/breaking-barriers-on-the-stage-african-american-ballet-dancers-history/
Understanding Prejudice
This teacher resource describes four activities aimed at teaching young children about prejudice, social justice, and the importance of looking at the world through the eyes of others. Activities include "When Life Gives You a Lemon, Peel It," "A Seat on the Bus," "Color Matching," and "People Tags."
http://www.understandingprejudice.org/teach/elemact.htm
Teaching Tolerance
This website provides suggestions for how to address controversial topics like race, ethnicity, religion, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, bullying, sexual identity, immigration, and activism.
https://www.tolerance.org/
*Summary: Chrysanthemum LOVED her name. She loved the way it sounded when her mother woke her up, she loved the way it looked when it was written with icing on her birthday cake, and she loved writing it herself in bright orange crayon. When she began kindergarten, all of her classmates made fun of how long Chrysanthemum is and how she is named after a flower. She did not want her name anymore and wished she could change it. Her parents attempted to comfort her by cooking mac and cheese with ketchup for dinner, playing Parcheesi, and giving her lots of hugs before bedtime. Instead of skipping to school the next day, she walked slowly and dragged her feet. On the playground, Victoria suggested that Chrysanthemum looks like a flower so they should pick her and smell her. Chrysanthemum was so sad that she wilted. Back at home, her parents told her that her name was absolutely perfect and that her peers must be jealous, then baked her favorite chocolate cake for dessert. The next day, Mrs. Twinkle taught music class and selected stars for her next production, where Chrysanthemum was cast as the daisy. Chrysanthemum discovers that Mrs. Twinkle's first name is Delphinium (which also barely fits on a name tag) and that if she gives birth to a daughter, she is considering Chrysanthemum for the name. Chrysanthemum "blushed and bloomed" and felt much better.
*Strengths: Chrysanthemum would be an excellent choice for teaching about word choice and expanding vocabulary for lower elementary students. Chrysanthemum's parents utilize eloquent vocabulary words like precious, winsome, begrudge, and jaundice when consoling her. The text also features strong language choices like indescribable, dreadful, wilt, scarcely, and miserably. The author does not introduce words in any other languages, but he certainly helps readers enhance and expand their English vocabularies (Vocabulary and Cultural Details). The characters are all mice, so obviously the illustrations will not be able to negatively or positively depict diversity. However, I love how all of the characters have unique personalities and hairstyles as shown by their unique and colorful outfits. None of them fit a specific mold or seem to value conformity much at their young age (Illustrations). Chrysanthemum could have been a much shorter book if the author chose to convey their main message and then stop, but I love how he allows students to really get invested in Chrysanthemum's character by giving her unique interests and personalities. I love how when she was walking through the rain with her umbrella, she carried her most prized possessions and her lucky charms in her seven pockets. I love how she grows up hearing her name and seeing her name all over the place because I feel like that is a very relatable experience for many students and serves as inspiration for learning to read and write (Stereotyping).
*Weaknesses: The target audience for this book is preschool into lower elementary, so I understand why the author made the choice to have Mrs. Twinkle be the role model who changes Chrysanthemum's perspective and encourages acceptance. However, I would have loved for Chrysanthemum to reach the conclusion that her name is perfect all on her own rather than relying on an authority figure to tell her the name was beautiful. I also feel like it was unrealistic for the students to immediately change their mind about Chrysanthemum, most children are stubborn and slower to admit their mistakes (Multidimensionality and Interconnections).
*Main Themes: The main themes in "Chrysanthemum" revolve around acceptance and how your words can be used to impact others. When dealing with the topic of bullying, many children are quick to spread rumors, gossip, and call each other names because they have not yet constructed the capacity for empathy and their emotional intelligence. Fostering these qualities within young students is essential for creating a safe and loving learning environment within your classroom.
*Activities: To teach "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes, I would focus on emotional intelligence and on how our words/actions impact others. I would give each student a heart cut out of pink construction paper with Chrysanthemum written in the center. While we read aloud the book, students will identify the cruel phrases and actions that Chrysanthemum's peers exhibit in an effort to tear her down. For each instance the students identify, they will crumple their piece of paper into a tight ball and then unfold it again. Once we have concluded the read aloud, I will ask students to try to smooth out the piece of paper as much as possible within three minutes. The wrinkled paper hearts will show how even if we apologize, ask for forgiveness, or make an effort to fix our mistakes, we cannot take back our words or actions once they are out in the world. Our hearts will always be a little bit more wrinkles with each mean comment we hear. In place of this activity, you could also have students come to the front of the classroom and squeeze tubes of toothpaste or bottles of shampoo out onto a desk whenever a mean comment is read, with the conclusion being them attempting to put the toothpaste or shampoo back into their original containers — the activity is messy but an incredibly impactful demonstration. Next, I would have students investigate the origin of their own first names (and middle names if applicable), researching its country of origin and translated meaning. I would also ask students to go home and ask their parents how their name was chosen. For example, my name is Melissa and I know it is Greek in origin, translating to honeybee. This activity would hopefully encourage students to think about how their words impact others and to take pride in their own names as part of their identity.
*Resources:
Close Reading Guide
This reading guide provides examples of comprehension checks, questioning strategies, and assessment tools all for "Chrysanthemum." I love the section that suggests making a T-chart about respectful behaviors versus disrespectful behaviors. Examples like "being called names," "laughing at someone for their clothes," and "not being chosen for a soccer team at recess" would all be disrespectful, while examples like "giving someone a genuine compliment," "keeping your hands to yourself," and "sharing a toy with a new friend" would be respectful.
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/63231
Phonic Generalizations
This lesson plan describes how to teach word families utilizing "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes, specifically focusing on the "ow" sound found in "flower," "now," and "down."
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/phonic-generalizations-chrysanthemum-182.html?tab=4#tabs
Kevin Henkes
This website shows other books written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. I would love to do a lesson comparing and contrasting the themes and characters in "Chrysanthemum" and "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse."
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/63231
*Strengths: Chrysanthemum would be an excellent choice for teaching about word choice and expanding vocabulary for lower elementary students. Chrysanthemum's parents utilize eloquent vocabulary words like precious, winsome, begrudge, and jaundice when consoling her. The text also features strong language choices like indescribable, dreadful, wilt, scarcely, and miserably. The author does not introduce words in any other languages, but he certainly helps readers enhance and expand their English vocabularies (Vocabulary and Cultural Details). The characters are all mice, so obviously the illustrations will not be able to negatively or positively depict diversity. However, I love how all of the characters have unique personalities and hairstyles as shown by their unique and colorful outfits. None of them fit a specific mold or seem to value conformity much at their young age (Illustrations). Chrysanthemum could have been a much shorter book if the author chose to convey their main message and then stop, but I love how he allows students to really get invested in Chrysanthemum's character by giving her unique interests and personalities. I love how when she was walking through the rain with her umbrella, she carried her most prized possessions and her lucky charms in her seven pockets. I love how she grows up hearing her name and seeing her name all over the place because I feel like that is a very relatable experience for many students and serves as inspiration for learning to read and write (Stereotyping).
*Weaknesses: The target audience for this book is preschool into lower elementary, so I understand why the author made the choice to have Mrs. Twinkle be the role model who changes Chrysanthemum's perspective and encourages acceptance. However, I would have loved for Chrysanthemum to reach the conclusion that her name is perfect all on her own rather than relying on an authority figure to tell her the name was beautiful. I also feel like it was unrealistic for the students to immediately change their mind about Chrysanthemum, most children are stubborn and slower to admit their mistakes (Multidimensionality and Interconnections).
*Main Themes: The main themes in "Chrysanthemum" revolve around acceptance and how your words can be used to impact others. When dealing with the topic of bullying, many children are quick to spread rumors, gossip, and call each other names because they have not yet constructed the capacity for empathy and their emotional intelligence. Fostering these qualities within young students is essential for creating a safe and loving learning environment within your classroom.
*Activities: To teach "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes, I would focus on emotional intelligence and on how our words/actions impact others. I would give each student a heart cut out of pink construction paper with Chrysanthemum written in the center. While we read aloud the book, students will identify the cruel phrases and actions that Chrysanthemum's peers exhibit in an effort to tear her down. For each instance the students identify, they will crumple their piece of paper into a tight ball and then unfold it again. Once we have concluded the read aloud, I will ask students to try to smooth out the piece of paper as much as possible within three minutes. The wrinkled paper hearts will show how even if we apologize, ask for forgiveness, or make an effort to fix our mistakes, we cannot take back our words or actions once they are out in the world. Our hearts will always be a little bit more wrinkles with each mean comment we hear. In place of this activity, you could also have students come to the front of the classroom and squeeze tubes of toothpaste or bottles of shampoo out onto a desk whenever a mean comment is read, with the conclusion being them attempting to put the toothpaste or shampoo back into their original containers — the activity is messy but an incredibly impactful demonstration. Next, I would have students investigate the origin of their own first names (and middle names if applicable), researching its country of origin and translated meaning. I would also ask students to go home and ask their parents how their name was chosen. For example, my name is Melissa and I know it is Greek in origin, translating to honeybee. This activity would hopefully encourage students to think about how their words impact others and to take pride in their own names as part of their identity.
*Resources:
Close Reading Guide
This reading guide provides examples of comprehension checks, questioning strategies, and assessment tools all for "Chrysanthemum." I love the section that suggests making a T-chart about respectful behaviors versus disrespectful behaviors. Examples like "being called names," "laughing at someone for their clothes," and "not being chosen for a soccer team at recess" would all be disrespectful, while examples like "giving someone a genuine compliment," "keeping your hands to yourself," and "sharing a toy with a new friend" would be respectful.
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/63231
Phonic Generalizations
This lesson plan describes how to teach word families utilizing "Chrysanthemum" by Kevin Henkes, specifically focusing on the "ow" sound found in "flower," "now," and "down."
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/phonic-generalizations-chrysanthemum-182.html?tab=4#tabs
Kevin Henkes
This website shows other books written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes. I would love to do a lesson comparing and contrasting the themes and characters in "Chrysanthemum" and "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse."
http://www.cpalms.org/Public/PreviewResourceLesson/Preview/63231
*Summary: August Pullman has been homeschooled his whole life because his parents are afraid his cranio-facial abnormality and the multitude of surgeries that go with it will set him back in the standard classroom. Once middle school approaches, Auggie makes the hesitant and courageous decision to attend Beecher prep. He tours the science classroom and is particularly excited about hatching chicks in an incubator, but he is not excited about making new friends and having to explain himself to everyone he meets. His welcoming committee consists of Julian (who ends up being unkind and judgmental like his parents), Charlotte (who is polite and outgoing), and Jack (who is reserved but immediately sticks up for Auggie). Throughout the course of the book, Auggie strengthens his friendships with some of the students who are true to their convictions and stand by his side, and has to forgive some of the students who badmouth him but eventually see Auggie for who he is on the inside. Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different character, which provides a unique insight into how Auggie impacts the world around him.
*Strengths: Auggie's physical appearance is a part of his life that he naturally contemplates and stresses about, but it does not seem to be the only defining characteristic of his personality and development throughout the book. Auggie grows in confidence and self-worth, and readers also see how the friendships he has formed have made him stronger. At first Auggie seems worried that he will only be remembered for the labels of “freak” placed on him, but by the end of the book he realizes that if his unfortunate situation can inspire others to be more accepting, then he is willing to help people learn this valuable lesson. He knows that his legacy will be based on his strength and perseverance, not on anything superficial (Multidimensionality). Summer and August create an elaborate list of all the students and teachers whose names relate to the summer season, but after its completion Summer states that their exclusive table will allow anyone to sit with them so long as “they’re nice." With this statement she makes it obvious that she strives to be inclusive and accepting of all people, but Auggie still struggles to understand why she would voluntarily associate with him. He completely disregards her focus on moral character and kindness and he instead defines their friendship based on their differing physical attributes, comparing the unlikely duo to “Beauty and the Beast." Auggie initially assumes that Summer has the feelings of pity and shame motivating her friendly actions, embarrassed to have been caught gossiping about him with her friends. While people like Jack Hill and Charlotte make Auggie feel valued by talking to him and being nice in his presence, Summer takes more initiative and her actions speak louder than her words. She embodies the second precept and will be remembered for being inclusive, wholeheartedly valuing other people, and standing up for what she feels is both right and (more importantly) kind (Interconnections). By imagining himself as the fictional characters from Star Wars and constantly hiding behind his bangs, Auggie shows that he feels most comfortable while cloaked by masks and mystery, more confident when his self-proclaimed “ugly” face can be covered. Auggie will greatly benefit from exhibiting the same level of confidence daily as he does on Halloween, showing peers his personality and mind instead of staying silent in the back of the classroom. How will anyone build honest monuments made with genuine memories of Auggie if his lopsided face is the only thing he gives people to remember? Being bold and fearless will make him immortal. Physical deformities might be notable in some higher-level biology or anatomy textbooks, but not in history textbooks. Pages in history textbooks are reserved for people who take action and allow their unique perspective to make a difference in the world (Cultural Details).
*Weaknesses: In Wonder by Patricia Palacio, Auggie is treated as both subject and object. Readers are able to learn about his unique motivations, interests, and dreams during the chapters told from Auggie’s perspective. In the chapters told by peers and family members, readers learn even more about how Auggie has impacted the lives of others, hearing glimpses of their individual journeys to accepting and looking past his facial distortion. I feel like his facial deformity becomes central to the plot and is therefore somewhat objectified, but that almost seems appropriate for the context of the book and for Auggie’s current stage of life. The desire for peer acceptance and the pressure to conform to social norms are two common obstacles faced by all adolescents, and so for Auggie it seems natural for these crises to occur mainly in relation to his physical appearance (Tokenism and Typecasting).
*Main Themes: Little kids almost never intentionally say mean or spiteful things; their blunt comments and slightly intrusive questions are motivated by curiosity and confusion rather than malice, especially when questioning physical differences like disabilities. However, at some unidentifiable point between childhood and adolescence, big kids learn the power of words and how to manipulate them to hurt others. I love how Auggie recognizes that in the hallways the people whispering about him are just being “normal dumb kids” and pointing out an obvious fact about his appearance, none of the kids are laughing or making noises at him. He wants to reassure them that it’s okay for them to look at his face, but also that his face will not harm them or in any way impact the normality of their own faces. I feel like there are many points from this main theme of the book that I can bring into my own classroom. Points about how actions speak louder than words, but that words still have power and must be used responsibly. Points about how our differences, especially physical differences, can be intimidating but can also be embraced and accepted. Points about how an ugly heart is much more harmful and shameful than an “ugly” face, body, or skin tone.
*Activities: There are an endless amount of lesson plans and resources you can find online to accompany this book, but I think my favorite might be the idea of creating our own "Wonder Wall of Precepts." Students would draw self-portraits in a similar manner to how the characters are illustrated throughout the book, with black ink and containing minimal facial features. Students would then be asked to decide on their own precept that somehow related to their own outlook on life, whether that be a famous saying or something completely original. Students would then write a postcard to Mr. Brown explaining why and how they selected their precept. For more activity ideas, check out the links below.
*Resources:
Wonder Lesson Plans
This website has SO many great resources and lesson plan ideas, from activities about building kindness and empathy to book recommendations on bullying.
http://homeschoolsuperfreak.com/wonder-lesson-plans-book-movie/
For Teachers
Thanks to the vast popularity of this book, the author and publishers collaborated to compile a list of teacher resources and free printables for teachers. My favorite printable resources are the "Choose Kind" BINGO cards encouraging random acts of kindness and the monthly schedule for acts of kindness you can complete as an entire class.
https://wonderthebook.com/for-teachers
Cartoon Network
This campaign created by Cartoon Network encourages students to "Stop Bullying: Speak Up." I love how relatable these videos will be to young audiences in the classroom, but make sure to preview the video before playing it in class to determine if it is age appropriate.
https://www.cartoonnetwork.com/search/index.html?keywords=bullying
*Strengths: Auggie's physical appearance is a part of his life that he naturally contemplates and stresses about, but it does not seem to be the only defining characteristic of his personality and development throughout the book. Auggie grows in confidence and self-worth, and readers also see how the friendships he has formed have made him stronger. At first Auggie seems worried that he will only be remembered for the labels of “freak” placed on him, but by the end of the book he realizes that if his unfortunate situation can inspire others to be more accepting, then he is willing to help people learn this valuable lesson. He knows that his legacy will be based on his strength and perseverance, not on anything superficial (Multidimensionality). Summer and August create an elaborate list of all the students and teachers whose names relate to the summer season, but after its completion Summer states that their exclusive table will allow anyone to sit with them so long as “they’re nice." With this statement she makes it obvious that she strives to be inclusive and accepting of all people, but Auggie still struggles to understand why she would voluntarily associate with him. He completely disregards her focus on moral character and kindness and he instead defines their friendship based on their differing physical attributes, comparing the unlikely duo to “Beauty and the Beast." Auggie initially assumes that Summer has the feelings of pity and shame motivating her friendly actions, embarrassed to have been caught gossiping about him with her friends. While people like Jack Hill and Charlotte make Auggie feel valued by talking to him and being nice in his presence, Summer takes more initiative and her actions speak louder than her words. She embodies the second precept and will be remembered for being inclusive, wholeheartedly valuing other people, and standing up for what she feels is both right and (more importantly) kind (Interconnections). By imagining himself as the fictional characters from Star Wars and constantly hiding behind his bangs, Auggie shows that he feels most comfortable while cloaked by masks and mystery, more confident when his self-proclaimed “ugly” face can be covered. Auggie will greatly benefit from exhibiting the same level of confidence daily as he does on Halloween, showing peers his personality and mind instead of staying silent in the back of the classroom. How will anyone build honest monuments made with genuine memories of Auggie if his lopsided face is the only thing he gives people to remember? Being bold and fearless will make him immortal. Physical deformities might be notable in some higher-level biology or anatomy textbooks, but not in history textbooks. Pages in history textbooks are reserved for people who take action and allow their unique perspective to make a difference in the world (Cultural Details).
*Weaknesses: In Wonder by Patricia Palacio, Auggie is treated as both subject and object. Readers are able to learn about his unique motivations, interests, and dreams during the chapters told from Auggie’s perspective. In the chapters told by peers and family members, readers learn even more about how Auggie has impacted the lives of others, hearing glimpses of their individual journeys to accepting and looking past his facial distortion. I feel like his facial deformity becomes central to the plot and is therefore somewhat objectified, but that almost seems appropriate for the context of the book and for Auggie’s current stage of life. The desire for peer acceptance and the pressure to conform to social norms are two common obstacles faced by all adolescents, and so for Auggie it seems natural for these crises to occur mainly in relation to his physical appearance (Tokenism and Typecasting).
*Main Themes: Little kids almost never intentionally say mean or spiteful things; their blunt comments and slightly intrusive questions are motivated by curiosity and confusion rather than malice, especially when questioning physical differences like disabilities. However, at some unidentifiable point between childhood and adolescence, big kids learn the power of words and how to manipulate them to hurt others. I love how Auggie recognizes that in the hallways the people whispering about him are just being “normal dumb kids” and pointing out an obvious fact about his appearance, none of the kids are laughing or making noises at him. He wants to reassure them that it’s okay for them to look at his face, but also that his face will not harm them or in any way impact the normality of their own faces. I feel like there are many points from this main theme of the book that I can bring into my own classroom. Points about how actions speak louder than words, but that words still have power and must be used responsibly. Points about how our differences, especially physical differences, can be intimidating but can also be embraced and accepted. Points about how an ugly heart is much more harmful and shameful than an “ugly” face, body, or skin tone.
*Activities: There are an endless amount of lesson plans and resources you can find online to accompany this book, but I think my favorite might be the idea of creating our own "Wonder Wall of Precepts." Students would draw self-portraits in a similar manner to how the characters are illustrated throughout the book, with black ink and containing minimal facial features. Students would then be asked to decide on their own precept that somehow related to their own outlook on life, whether that be a famous saying or something completely original. Students would then write a postcard to Mr. Brown explaining why and how they selected their precept. For more activity ideas, check out the links below.
*Resources:
Wonder Lesson Plans
This website has SO many great resources and lesson plan ideas, from activities about building kindness and empathy to book recommendations on bullying.
http://homeschoolsuperfreak.com/wonder-lesson-plans-book-movie/
For Teachers
Thanks to the vast popularity of this book, the author and publishers collaborated to compile a list of teacher resources and free printables for teachers. My favorite printable resources are the "Choose Kind" BINGO cards encouraging random acts of kindness and the monthly schedule for acts of kindness you can complete as an entire class.
https://wonderthebook.com/for-teachers
Cartoon Network
This campaign created by Cartoon Network encourages students to "Stop Bullying: Speak Up." I love how relatable these videos will be to young audiences in the classroom, but make sure to preview the video before playing it in class to determine if it is age appropriate.
https://www.cartoonnetwork.com/search/index.html?keywords=bullying
*Summary: Meet Brian, the invisible boy. No one seems to notice him and he is always left out of sports teams, lunch tables, birthday parties, and group projects. Brian does not always mind being alone, he loves to create art and draw with chalk during recess. However, sometimes he certainly wishes he had a friend. When a new student named Justin joins Brian's class, some of his classmates are skeptical about his status and seem to be judging whether he is cool enough to be their friend. Brian greets him with a smile and is nice from the very beginning. When it comes time to pick science project partners, Brian shyly glances at Justin but Emilio snatches him up and claims him as his partner. Luckily, Justin suggest the three boys work in a group of three. The next day, Justin and Emilio invite Brian to sit at their lunch table and Brian does not feel invisible anymore.
*Strengths: I feel like this book is perfect for all readers of all ages because the feeling of being invisible is almost universal, and the main messages hit home immediately. At one point, almost everyone has suffered the unspeakable anguish of waiting to be picked for a team at recess or for a project group, and was ultimately not selected. Everyone has felt invisible while standing in a room crowded with people. Everyone has experienced the feeling of being the third friend while walking down the sidewalk and getting pushed either to the front or to the back because there is only enough room for two. Everyone has listened to their friends talk about an exciting adventure or a birthday party and known that they were not invited to attend. Many people carry these emotional scars and insecurities far into adulthood. (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). I love the way the illustrator utilizes color throughout the book to show Brian's development. At the beginning of the book he is drawn in black and white while the rest of the world is shown in vibrant color. When he meets Justin and is kind to the new student, a hint of color emerges. When Justin includes Brian in their science project and invites him to join their lunch table, Brian is drawn in full color like the rest of his peers. These illustrations are the perfect representations of emotions (Illustrations). Trudy Ludwig is an active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association and has worked closely with organizations like Committee for Children, Passport to Peace Foundation, ConnectSafely.org, and Sesame Workshop. Many of her books center around bullying, including "My Secret Bully," "Sorry!," "Trouble Talk," "Too Perfect," and "Confessions of a Former Bully" (Author's Perspective and Expertise).
*Weaknesses: Two of the main characters, Justin and Emilio, are depicted as an ethnicity other than white (I believe Justin is Asian and Emilio is Hispanic). While I appreciate the representation of diversity and the inclusion of these subtleties, I am not sure that their racial identities are portrayed in the most beneficial way. It almost seems like these other ethnicities were thrown in as an afterthought to reach a more widespread audience. Regardless, this weakness is very minimal and certainly does not take away from the merit of teaching the book (Tokenism and Illustrations).
*Main Themes: I feel like I am being a little redundant of the previous bullet points, but I would say the main themes of this book are kindness, inclusion, and acceptance. Students will recognize how their words and actions are able to impact the lives of others; that their words have incredible power and should not be spoken aloud without careful thought and consideration. Students will recognize the different forms of bullying; even though a student might not be physically or verbally assaulted by their peers, they could be feeling excluded and neglected and in need of some friends. Students will also learn about the feeling of invisibility and how to find their voice.
*Activities: At one point in the book, Brian wonders which would be worse -- being laughed at or being invisible. Students would discuss these two possibilities, how being laughed at makes you feel like the center of attention and how being invisible gives you no attention, but how neither option is encouraging or kind. Following this deep discussion, I would have students complete dialogue journals with the prompts "I feel invisible when..." and "I feel encouraged and supported when..." as basis for ideas. I would also have students reflect on some activities that they might like to do alone and activities that they would like to share with friends. Students could also create kindness trees, with each branch representing an important person in their life and each extending leaf describing an act of kindness they could do to help that special person.
*Resources:
Equality and Diversity Lesson Plan
This lesson plan provides deep discussion questions for all age ranges of students, including lesson objectives and a variety of enrichment and comprehension activities.
https://highlandliteracy.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/bgelessonplan_the-invisible-boy.pdf
Ripple Effect
This science experiment was based on "The Lion and the Mouse" by Jerry Pinkney, but could easily be adapted to fit with this book. Students will examine how a single word or action can cause a chain reaction, tying a science lesson in with a lesson on kindness.
http://jdaniel4smom.com/2017/01/kindness-activity-ripple-effect-experiment.html
Kindness Postcards
This website suggests an adorable activity where students watercolor postcard sized pieces of paper, write kind messages on the back, and then pick out random names in the school registry or even the community phone book to address the cards to. Students can also create goals for how many cards they want to send and the class can take a short "field trip" to the school mailbox to send the postcards on their way.
https://growingbookbybook.com/writing-activities-kindness-postcards/
*Strengths: I feel like this book is perfect for all readers of all ages because the feeling of being invisible is almost universal, and the main messages hit home immediately. At one point, almost everyone has suffered the unspeakable anguish of waiting to be picked for a team at recess or for a project group, and was ultimately not selected. Everyone has felt invisible while standing in a room crowded with people. Everyone has experienced the feeling of being the third friend while walking down the sidewalk and getting pushed either to the front or to the back because there is only enough room for two. Everyone has listened to their friends talk about an exciting adventure or a birthday party and known that they were not invited to attend. Many people carry these emotional scars and insecurities far into adulthood. (Multidimensionality and Interconnections). I love the way the illustrator utilizes color throughout the book to show Brian's development. At the beginning of the book he is drawn in black and white while the rest of the world is shown in vibrant color. When he meets Justin and is kind to the new student, a hint of color emerges. When Justin includes Brian in their science project and invites him to join their lunch table, Brian is drawn in full color like the rest of his peers. These illustrations are the perfect representations of emotions (Illustrations). Trudy Ludwig is an active member of the International Bullying Prevention Association and has worked closely with organizations like Committee for Children, Passport to Peace Foundation, ConnectSafely.org, and Sesame Workshop. Many of her books center around bullying, including "My Secret Bully," "Sorry!," "Trouble Talk," "Too Perfect," and "Confessions of a Former Bully" (Author's Perspective and Expertise).
*Weaknesses: Two of the main characters, Justin and Emilio, are depicted as an ethnicity other than white (I believe Justin is Asian and Emilio is Hispanic). While I appreciate the representation of diversity and the inclusion of these subtleties, I am not sure that their racial identities are portrayed in the most beneficial way. It almost seems like these other ethnicities were thrown in as an afterthought to reach a more widespread audience. Regardless, this weakness is very minimal and certainly does not take away from the merit of teaching the book (Tokenism and Illustrations).
*Main Themes: I feel like I am being a little redundant of the previous bullet points, but I would say the main themes of this book are kindness, inclusion, and acceptance. Students will recognize how their words and actions are able to impact the lives of others; that their words have incredible power and should not be spoken aloud without careful thought and consideration. Students will recognize the different forms of bullying; even though a student might not be physically or verbally assaulted by their peers, they could be feeling excluded and neglected and in need of some friends. Students will also learn about the feeling of invisibility and how to find their voice.
*Activities: At one point in the book, Brian wonders which would be worse -- being laughed at or being invisible. Students would discuss these two possibilities, how being laughed at makes you feel like the center of attention and how being invisible gives you no attention, but how neither option is encouraging or kind. Following this deep discussion, I would have students complete dialogue journals with the prompts "I feel invisible when..." and "I feel encouraged and supported when..." as basis for ideas. I would also have students reflect on some activities that they might like to do alone and activities that they would like to share with friends. Students could also create kindness trees, with each branch representing an important person in their life and each extending leaf describing an act of kindness they could do to help that special person.
*Resources:
Equality and Diversity Lesson Plan
This lesson plan provides deep discussion questions for all age ranges of students, including lesson objectives and a variety of enrichment and comprehension activities.
https://highlandliteracy.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/bgelessonplan_the-invisible-boy.pdf
Ripple Effect
This science experiment was based on "The Lion and the Mouse" by Jerry Pinkney, but could easily be adapted to fit with this book. Students will examine how a single word or action can cause a chain reaction, tying a science lesson in with a lesson on kindness.
http://jdaniel4smom.com/2017/01/kindness-activity-ripple-effect-experiment.html
Kindness Postcards
This website suggests an adorable activity where students watercolor postcard sized pieces of paper, write kind messages on the back, and then pick out random names in the school registry or even the community phone book to address the cards to. Students can also create goals for how many cards they want to send and the class can take a short "field trip" to the school mailbox to send the postcards on their way.
https://growingbookbybook.com/writing-activities-kindness-postcards/