I've been looking for multicultural books to collect and someday have in my own classroom library. They are not that easy to find, but there are definitely good ones out there! King & King & Family is a great one that explores same sex parents in a way that it's just normal. Too often, society makes assumptions that families are created by one mommy and one daddy. The story creatively challenges those assumptions by starting out with King Lee and King Bertie, who have just gotten married and both they and their families are celebrating. They then get ready to go on their honeymoon to the wild to see some jungle animals. They run into and meet so many, and King Bertie gets a bit afraid of the crocodiles. He also even keeps a travel journal documenting their trip. Finally, they fly back home from their adventures, but to their family's surprise, they brought home a little girl to adopt from the country they were visiting. King Bertie and King Lee are so excited to be home to start their new family with their princess. This is classified as an easy to read picture book for children ages 4-8.
Not only does this expose children to the different kinds of families that exist amongst their peers, authors Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland do it in such a subtle "this is normal" kind of way. The plot is not about a same sex couple. The story is about an adventure a newly wed King & King took and all the different kinds of creatures they meet along the way. In an elementary school classroom, there is no need for teachers to go into detail about same sex marriages and even sex ed. Children at this age simply need to be EXPOSED to the different kinds of mommies, daddies, and families out there; and consider them all normal! The child in the classroom that do have same sex parents would be relieved to see another family that looked like his or hers.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Book Recommendation #3 (Week 1)
Title: That was Then, This is Now
Author: S.E. Hinton
I have not read young adult/teen books in a long time, so I was pleasantly surprised when the first one I picked up happened to be wonderful! This book takes place in the 60's and is about two best friends who grew up like brothers, Bryon and Mark. Mark's parents shot each other in a drunken argument when he was very little and since then has lived with Bryon and his mother. Bryon and Mark do EVERYTHING together. They go to school together, they get in trouble together, and they always know what each other is thinking or what the other is about to do. However, as time goes on, Bryon begins to grow up and mature. He starts to think more seriously about what he wants to do in life, and assess his actions and it's impact on other people. Bryon also begins to get serious with his girlfriend Cathy. Meanwhile, Mark is the same Mark. Living only for the moment and believing his is invincible. He continues to pick fights with gangs, steal and hot wire cars with the thought that he can get away with anything, and the two begin to grow further and further apart. Until one day, Bryon had to make a decision that ultimately ended his long time friendship with Mark. Mark was selling drugs and Bryon discovers this secret of Mark's immediately after his girlfriend Cathy's once innocent little brother is hospitalized from a "bad trip". Everything started to click for Bryon. Mark may have very well sold the drugs to Cathy's brother. Mark doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. Bryon needed to do what was best for Mark - call the cops and get him help.
This book really was a page-turner! Students will be able to connect this story to a social aspect in their lives, whether it be their relationship with their parents, boyfriend/girlfriend, classmate, or best friend, and what happens when people change. In a teenage world, a week feels like a month and a month feels like a year, and they themselves and their peers are constantly changing and continuously growing. Discussion about Bryon's decision at the end will give teachers a good opportunity to explore similar real life situations involving struggle between what is right and family/friendship, and prepare students with the right tools to handle them accordingly.
The setting of this book was really interesting as well. The author paints a clear picture of what teenage life was like in the 60's and 70's with many references to hippies and drugs. After reading this book, students will really be able to compare and contrast the language and slang used in that time period to current.
Apparently, S.E. Hinton has a few other great books out. To name a couple, "Outsiders" and "Tex". From this book, I can promise that her other works will be just as captivating!
Author: S.E. Hinton
I have not read young adult/teen books in a long time, so I was pleasantly surprised when the first one I picked up happened to be wonderful! This book takes place in the 60's and is about two best friends who grew up like brothers, Bryon and Mark. Mark's parents shot each other in a drunken argument when he was very little and since then has lived with Bryon and his mother. Bryon and Mark do EVERYTHING together. They go to school together, they get in trouble together, and they always know what each other is thinking or what the other is about to do. However, as time goes on, Bryon begins to grow up and mature. He starts to think more seriously about what he wants to do in life, and assess his actions and it's impact on other people. Bryon also begins to get serious with his girlfriend Cathy. Meanwhile, Mark is the same Mark. Living only for the moment and believing his is invincible. He continues to pick fights with gangs, steal and hot wire cars with the thought that he can get away with anything, and the two begin to grow further and further apart. Until one day, Bryon had to make a decision that ultimately ended his long time friendship with Mark. Mark was selling drugs and Bryon discovers this secret of Mark's immediately after his girlfriend Cathy's once innocent little brother is hospitalized from a "bad trip". Everything started to click for Bryon. Mark may have very well sold the drugs to Cathy's brother. Mark doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. Bryon needed to do what was best for Mark - call the cops and get him help.
This book really was a page-turner! Students will be able to connect this story to a social aspect in their lives, whether it be their relationship with their parents, boyfriend/girlfriend, classmate, or best friend, and what happens when people change. In a teenage world, a week feels like a month and a month feels like a year, and they themselves and their peers are constantly changing and continuously growing. Discussion about Bryon's decision at the end will give teachers a good opportunity to explore similar real life situations involving struggle between what is right and family/friendship, and prepare students with the right tools to handle them accordingly.
The setting of this book was really interesting as well. The author paints a clear picture of what teenage life was like in the 60's and 70's with many references to hippies and drugs. After reading this book, students will really be able to compare and contrast the language and slang used in that time period to current.
Apparently, S.E. Hinton has a few other great books out. To name a couple, "Outsiders" and "Tex". From this book, I can promise that her other works will be just as captivating!
Book Recommendation #2 (Week 1)
Title: By My Brother's Side
Authors: Tiki and Ronde Barber
Talk about relating a book to someone real in the world children look up to! I brought the book "By My Brother's Side" by Tiki and Ronde Barber to Bradford Elementary School yesterday for the read-aloud and the group of boys I had already knew exactly who they were, what NFL teams they played on, and whether or not they played in the Super Bowl! This is a great book for kids that you know enjoy sports, but even more, it also gives a good life lesson: never give up. In this true story, Tiki and Ronde are twins. And ever since they were born a bit smaller than other babies, the doctor told them that it would be difficult to play sports at their size. That didn't stop Tiki and Ronde from playing football, basketball, and baseball. Until one day, Tiki got hurt on a bike ride that put him in a brace and on bed rest for a season. Just when it seems like Tiki would never get better, he perseveres, with his twin brother by his side supporting him like he always has. The "never give up" attitude can be applied to all aspects of life, and it is true stories like this that make children believe in trying and putting their best effort forward, in good times and bad. The suggested age level of this book is 6-10 and is categorized as a non-fiction picture book. I hope you pick one up!
Authors: Tiki and Ronde Barber
Talk about relating a book to someone real in the world children look up to! I brought the book "By My Brother's Side" by Tiki and Ronde Barber to Bradford Elementary School yesterday for the read-aloud and the group of boys I had already knew exactly who they were, what NFL teams they played on, and whether or not they played in the Super Bowl! This is a great book for kids that you know enjoy sports, but even more, it also gives a good life lesson: never give up. In this true story, Tiki and Ronde are twins. And ever since they were born a bit smaller than other babies, the doctor told them that it would be difficult to play sports at their size. That didn't stop Tiki and Ronde from playing football, basketball, and baseball. Until one day, Tiki got hurt on a bike ride that put him in a brace and on bed rest for a season. Just when it seems like Tiki would never get better, he perseveres, with his twin brother by his side supporting him like he always has. The "never give up" attitude can be applied to all aspects of life, and it is true stories like this that make children believe in trying and putting their best effort forward, in good times and bad. The suggested age level of this book is 6-10 and is categorized as a non-fiction picture book. I hope you pick one up!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Book Recommendation #1 (Week 1)
Title: Not A Box
Author: Antoinette Portis
Summary/Reason for Recommendation: This book is about a bunny rabbit character who has a box. He/she plays in the box, on the box, and around the box. However, to the bunny, it's more than just a box. It is an airplane, a car, a rabbit peak, a building, a sailboat, whatever you can think of! It is anything but a box. I really enjoyed this book because it was such a clear demonstration of how great imagination and one's ability to believe can really be. In a technology driven world, where there are so many "cool" toys and gadgets for children to play with, having play time with a simple cardboard box solely using your imagination can sometimes be lost. This book really shows how a child's imagination, and only the imagination, can sometimes create the most fun. You don't always need material things to have a "play-date" and it really encourages students to be creative and original.
Author: Antoinette Portis
Summary/Reason for Recommendation: This book is about a bunny rabbit character who has a box. He/she plays in the box, on the box, and around the box. However, to the bunny, it's more than just a box. It is an airplane, a car, a rabbit peak, a building, a sailboat, whatever you can think of! It is anything but a box. I really enjoyed this book because it was such a clear demonstration of how great imagination and one's ability to believe can really be. In a technology driven world, where there are so many "cool" toys and gadgets for children to play with, having play time with a simple cardboard box solely using your imagination can sometimes be lost. This book really shows how a child's imagination, and only the imagination, can sometimes create the most fun. You don't always need material things to have a "play-date" and it really encourages students to be creative and original.
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