The Misfits: Acceptance in the Classroom

I was 11 once and I remember the assemblies I was forced to attend on diversity, bullying, discrimination.  Things I experienced every day.  Junior high is not easy, kids can be mean and it is easy to get caught up in the name calling, pulling down others just to keep your head above water.  Even though these are real problems for kids name calling and verbal harassment seemed too complicated and covert to be "bullying" and as soon we walked out of those assemblies everything went back to the way it was.  "The Misfits" presents a great message of how 'you are not defined by the names people call you' at a time when this is often seems to be the case.  However if there is a message I would want my students to walk away with after reading the story it is one of acceptance and the complexity of people when you take the time to really learn who they are.

The people in Bobby's life undergo a number of transformations in his eyes  from his father to "Mr.Killerman".  He realizes there is a lot more to getting to know someone than how they appear and everyone deserves to be looked at as a whole person.  To stop name calling, harassment and bullying we need to start on a personal level on an everyday basis.  Lectures, assemblies and pamphlets are not going to solve the problem because it runs deeper than that.  Telling a child that it is wrong to call someone a "fag" is not going to stop them, children attack others because of their own insecurities or misunderstandings.  I will teach acceptance and understanding of others in my classroom be being a living model of these behaviors every day and addressing individual instances.  I would use "The Misfits" to show how people who look or act different are just like you on many levels when you get to know them.  The book does a wonderful job of representing children who would often be "misfits" because of how they appear and giving such a personal insight into their characters that they are very relatable.  I will have an open environment in my classroom so children do not feel threatened because of who they are and are not afraid to ask questions about what they do not understand.  When reading the book as a class I would create activities around putting yourself in the position of different characters.  This would be easy because we are given so much detail about them and students could reflect on how they might see the world or respond to various situations from that persons shoes.  I might then expand this to classmates and have students do in depth investigations on other classmates and try to write a credo for them, as they would want to be seen.   This would be a great opportunity to get to know classmates on a deeper level when we often do not make it past surface knowledge. 

I might actually take the no-name sign strategy directly from the book.  By having these verbal attacks clearly posted around the school students in the story were constantly  aware of what they were saying.  It is easy use names and not take them seriously but they have meaning for the person on the receiving end and the signs made the students think about that.  They also devalued the power behind the words.  Words only have power when you give them power and by displaying these often taboo words they no longer held the same power.  The signs seemed to call the students out on their actions and take away their power. 

"The Snowy Day" Claymation

 
Just For Fun!  I am sure the first snow is not too far away...

I Can't Get Enough of.... Jacqueline Woodson

"From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun" was my first encounter with Jacqueline Woodson's writing and I was amazed by her abililty to draw me into the story and understand the characters.  I really appreciate her fearlessness in approaching difficult subjects and not simplifying them but rather embracing complex characters and ambiguity.  Her writing addresses life experiences that are not easily represented in children's literature because they do not have easy answers but that is why there is a need for her writing.  Sometimes her writing makes the reader ask more questions than the book answers which is great because it makes the reader a more active participant and they bring their reading into their lives.


Woodson believes, "The goal of literature is not to provide role models to to show people as they are.  Woodson's focus on complex characters makes them real and relatable even if you have not experienced their story.  Woodson also includes many characters who are loners or introverted, in "Melanin Sun", Mel often talks about his loneliness and how he is more free in his writing.   In "Feathers" one of the main characters is an outcast because of his skin color. By writing about people on the edges Woodson seems to be able to gain a more involved sense of the character, what makes them who they are and how they make sense of the world.  They do not always reliable narrators and they do not always make the "best" decisions but they can only act on what they have experienced.  There is never an unrealistic change in character to teach the moral of a story.


That is another appeal of Woodson's writing for me, she covers tough issues and her writing has a message but she does not preach on it.  Rather she lets the story carry its own meaning.  The story does not tell you what is right and wrong; what message you take away depends on how you read the characters and their relationships.  Woodson features many different family relationships in her writing and shows the strengths and weaknesses in every relationship.  In "Melanin Sun" Mel is very close with his mother and it is just the two of them, however when she comes out as gay is hurts their relationship and changes his whole world.  In "Our Gracie Aunt" two children are forced to live with their Aunt when their mother does not come home.  They love their mother very much and she loves them but we she appears to be hospitalized.  The children come to love their Aunt but they still love their mother and are waiting for a time when she can take care of them.  Her writing shows family and love is not about who makes up your family. 

More than Anything Else

More than Anything Else
Written by Marie Bradby, Illustrated by Chris K. Soentpiet
Ages 7-10
****

"More than Anything Else" is the story of a young Booker T. Washington and his desire to learn how to read more than anything else.  Despite the lack of literacy around him and his long hours working at the saltworks, Booker perseveres and learns how to read.

I did not realize this was about Booker T. Washington from the cover however I believe it is a tribute to him and not a historical account.  The story takes place in 1865 when Booker and his family are living in what appears to be a small community of African Americans who all work at the saltworks.  I found the time and place of the story interesting because it takes place after the abolition of slavery but before African Americans had real, enforced rights.  This is always a gray period of study in school because we rarely study what African Americans were experiencing before the civil rights movement.  The narrative suggests that they have more freedom in their new home.  The book does a great job of describing their living situation between the language and the illustrations.  We see Booker leave for the saltworks before dawn and return after sunset.  His experience is not glamorized as the long hours in the saltworks are described in detail from the salt cuts and aching muscles and the workers faces in the illustrations are grim. 

However the main theme in the story is one of hope.  Despite the rough conditions Booker has a hunger for words and his desire to learn to read overcomes his physical stress. He know there is power in reading and "secrets in those books" even though few people in his life can read.  I feel like his desire to learn to read despite his lifestyle may not be an accurate representation of people in similar environments at the time.  However Booker comments on how those around him showed little interest in learning to read so the story really serves as an example of one boys determination and perseverance and we know that he went on to become a well respected and educated person.  The story also conveys of literacy was limited among African Americans at the time however it served as a means for change and power within the lives of African Americans. 

Booker T. Washington played an important role in our history the development of the civil rights movement.  He was also active in a very interesting and largely neglected period of history for African Americans.  I would expand on this story and discuss how Booker went on to be an advocacy for the eduction of African Americans.  We might discuss what the story might predict what role Booker will play in history before further inquiry.  However I would not want to isolate Booker as an important African American figure in history.  I would want to teach about him within a broader historical context and African American perspective on the time period. 

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow
Written by Amy Lee-Tai, Illustrated by Felicia Hoshino
Ages 7-11
****

Based on a true story, "A Place Where Sunflowers Grow" tells of Mari, a young girl living in a Japanese internment camp during WWII. Mari does not understand why she has been forced to leave home and has begun to live in silent resignation although she has many questions. When Mari goes to art class she begins to draw what made her happy before the camp and has hope for better times in the future.  She even begins to ask her father questions about what is happening to them.  In the beginning of the story Mair is skeptical that the sunflower seeds she plants in the dry, sandy ground of the camp will grow like they did at home but by the end they have grown far above the walls of the camp.

I enjoyed this book because it was a window into a cultural story I am largely unfamiliar with.  I knew of the Japanese internment camps but little about them.  The story did not glamorize the experience and it was informative on the living conditions from shared bathhouses to cramped sleeping spaces.  I liked that the Marie compares her life in the camp to her life before because the reader sees that she is more than a Japanese wartime prisoner; she is an Japanese-American little girl who used to have a house and a yard and a bicycle.  It was surprising to me the number of outside experiences which were retained in the camp.  Mari was able to plant sunflower seeds and attend art class (not that this should be seen as a privilege but I had virtually no knowledge about the camps).  One function of multicultural literature is to point out the similarities between people of different cultural aspects and children most likely can relate to some experiences in the book such as planting flowers, moving and missing their old home, making friends and being afraid to ask questions.  I appreciated that the book included English and Japanese text, in this way it can serve both a view into another culture and a reflection of ones own cultural history or experience. 

Authenticity should be considered when choosing quality multi-cultural literature.  What I really enjoyed about the book was in the end pages it included background information about the story.  The author's mother and grandmother actually lived in the internment camps and planted sunflower seeds which grew over eight feet high and were used throughout the camp.  Mari's hope for the future and the sunflowers symbolize hope for Japanese Americans in that point in history.  It also includes a historical bit about how when internment ended, when the U.S. government apologized and how the government admitted that their actions were due to "racial prejudice, war time paranoia and poor leadership".  This information addresses issues of power which are not directly mentioned in the story.  Also although Mari begins to ask questions about the camps her questions are not answered in the story but this presents a good introduction to further inquiry. 

I would incorporate this story into a larger study of WWII or specifically historical oppression of minority groups.  Rational is an important element in multicultural literature, why should my students learn about the Japanese internment camp?  The United States was responsible for these camps and it is important that students have a full view of U.S. history including our mistakes.  The author's mother lived in an internment camp which signifies that this did not happen too long ago and people are still feeling the effects.  Racial profiling is also still happening in the U.S.  We could do a study of the history of racial profiling in the U.S. from the civil rights movement to antisemitism and finally how we see its presence today. It is important that children can recognize alienation of minority groups in their lives not just in history.  It would also be beneficial to investigate surrounding circumstances.  How did the war affect the decision to create Japanese internment camps and so forth. 

BIRD Book Trailer

Bird - A Cultural Reflection

Bird
Written by Zetta Elliott, Illustrated by Shandra Strickland
Ages 9-12
****

Mehkai, called Bird, is a young boy trying to understand his brothers drug addiction and the death of loved ones.  He escapes in his art through which he can make sense of what is happening in his life.

When I was asked to find a picture book which mirrored my culture it was more difficult than I anticipated.  Being a middle class, white American from the Midwest, you would think it would be easy as this seems to be the targeted demographic of a large amount of childrens' literature.  However I realized that no single book could encompass every aspect of someones culture so I looked for a story that could accurately capture one aspect of my culture.  From when I was younger into my adult life my sister has has struggled with substance abuse.  Substance abuse is a prominent part of my culture inhabiting my family, friends and small town Iowa community.  It is a reality for many young children but a topic which is largely ignored in childrens' literature and certainly not commonly thought of as "cultural".  "Bird is one of the few picture books I found the addressed the subject and did so in a way I could relate to.  We use mirrors to validate our individual backgrounds and image (Allen, 2010) so we know; this is real, this matters, I am not alone and we can gain understanding of our world.  Bird is a complex and involved picture book in many ways is not a reflection of my culture as it centers around a young, African American boy living in a large city.  However it captures the confusion and anger of watching a family member suffer from addiction and not fully understanding what is happening.

Bird looks up to is big brother Marcus and they share everything.  Marcus helps Bird with his drawings and Bird understands Marcus' graffiti art.  Then Marcus becomes distant, defensive, angry and shows physical signs of addiction.  Bird says "the only people I ever say sweating and shaking like that were the crazy people in the park", people he had been told were "addicts" and "junkies" people to stay away from.  We see another part of Bird's culture, the homeless and addicts, people seen as "other" yet a reality that Bird sees everyday.  These people are never explained to him and when he sees this in his brother he cannot make the connection between the two experiences.  He does not want to think of his brother as an addict.  He does not know how to take in this information and as Marcus gets worse (stealing and being kicked out of their home) he does not know how to fix the problem so he becomes angry and frustrated and turns to his drawing where he has control and can fix things with his eraser.  I felt the exact same way with my sister, I was in denial about the situation because I cold not see her as an "addict" so I ignored it and did not talk about it with my family.  When asked why she wrote the book Elliott responded, "Children are open: they see, and hear, and feel things, just like adults; but they don’t have access to the same information, and they can’t process that information in the same way. I understand the impulse to protect children from difficult subject matter, but sometimes our efforts to shield children actually silence kids instead".

Elliott and Strickland do a wonderful job of showing how Bird turns to other culutral outlets to make sense of what is happening.  Bird's drawings are the background illustrations and we see him drawing his surroundings; a church, birds, street corners and get a visual understanding of the geography of his culture which children who live in a large city would see themselves in.  Bird spends a lot of time with his grandfather who tells him about flying in the war and slavery folktales.  The historical background is another example of how culturally encompassing the story is rather than creating a narrow image of Bird's world.  There are many aspects of the book which are different from my culture however this allowed me to connect with Bird on one level and still learn about another culture.  It also shows that even though our cultures' are different we are similar in many ways.

Some people believe that to be good multicultural literature the writing should look at the "control, deployment and management of power" (Ching 2005) to have a complete cultural and social understanding.  This is one thing "Bird" does not address.  It does not question why or how Marcus became and addict.  Did surrounding circumstances have and influence?  Why are the junkies and addicts on the street and who has the power to name them as such?  Does Marcus' position of power change when he becomes an "addict" and is kicked out of his home?  What happens to these people, are there resources for them and who has the power to help them?  Who has the power to say Marcus' graffiti is not real art?  These are some of the questions of power the book does not address.  Personally I think the book stands as a multicultural piece of literature without this social commentary however these are good questions to consider as a class when reading the story.  My only issue with the book is the answer to Bird's questions about what happened to Marcus and his death.  Bird's Grandpa responds, "You can fix a broken wing with a splint, and a bird can fly again, but you can't fix a broken soul," this seems to be saying that addiction is something that cannot be fixed and there is no hope.  His only reassurance is that Marcus is at peace in heaven.  I do not think this message of hopelessness is reassuring or accurate.  However overall I believe "Bird" is an amazing cultural piece and serves a necessary need among young readers. 

I would use this book in my classroom if I saw a need.  If there were students I knew or suspected might be experiencing similar circumstances I would definitely read this book to my class. I wold include a lot of discussion over the themes within the book before and after our reading.  It is a topic that many students may find hard to talk about if they do not have much experience and if it is a personal issue.  I would want all students to feel comfortable talking about personal experiences, asking questions and know that they can come to me individually to talk if they do not feel comfortable in a group.  There are a lot of learning moments within the story.  I would not want to discuss drug abuse without it having been a previous discussion.  We could expand on what we think drug abuse is, how we see it around us and address many of the questions I brought up earlier.  We could discuss how Bird uses drawing in the story to cope with and understand all of the changes in his life.  We would discuss what we do as individuals to make sense of our lives and investigate outlets.  I would like to try these out in class including artistic and musical responses but also be open for other outlets.  Many children who live in large cities do not have these resources available to them as more and more classes are cut from the curriculum.  I believe it is important for students to have the time and resources to express themselves, work through their feelings/experiences and share with others.  If children are not able to respond to and discuss multicultural literature they will not be able to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and other cultures. 

Read what Zetta Elliott has to say about why she wrote "Bird" and what her understanding of the subject matter at http://www.leeandlow.com/p/zetta.mhtml.


<<Below is a book trailer for "Bird">>

The Tower to the Sun

The Tower to the Sun
Written and Illustrated by Colin Thompson
Ages 9-12
*****

In the not too distant future, the world is a crowded, industrialized place where the clouds are so thick and heavy with pollution you can no longer see the sun.  The richest man in the world wants to find a way for his grandson to see the Sun.  After many different approaches and many years they build a tower together that reaches above the clouds.  People come from around the world to climb the tower and see the sun.

This story brought to mind "The Lorax" and only hit a little closer to home in its realistic approach.  Rather than employ  fantastical creatures or dire conditions as a ominous vision of the future of our planet the book opens with a view from space, and reflects on how one could once see the great wall of China.  The Earth sits in space, a dejected planet surrounded by yellow mist.  The world is not coming to an end, people are not dying in the streets, but heavy yellow clouds sit low in the sky and the rich man says, "You can't even see the mountains. The sits on our shoulders," but it is all the children have ever known.  I appreciated that the book obviously hints at themes of sustainability and environmental responsibility but does not make them the central function of the book.  It is a rich, fantastical story that will leave readers wondering.  The story goes beyond being a responsible citizen and has ties to a deeper sense of humanity and how we define the world, reflecting not only a place of pollution but a world with no sky.  In the end of the story the tower is equated to the Great Wall of China, "as the Great Wall of China had been to generations before, the Great Tower would stand as their memorial".

I really enjoyed the quirky illustrations as I enjoy all of Thompson's artwork.  The illustrations of the city reflect a sort of post industrialism, science fiction, dystopia.  There are huge sky scrapers and futuristic contraptions but everything seems to be falling apart and when you look closely you realize there are giant kangaroos reading books, goldfish in the sewers and people living in shoes.  The vivid, fantastical illustrations lighten the heavy theme of the book and the details will keep children looking reading after reading.

I would definitely read this book to my class and think it would appeal to a wide age group.  I would use the story to introduce the idea of pollution and different environmental issues, possibly working it into a larger study on the environment and how to live sustainably.  I would also work in the futuristic aspect and discuss what the Earth might be like in the future; cars, houses, etc. taking into account rising populations and resources.  I might have my students create their own city as a group project or on a smaller scale draw a picture of how they imagine the world might be or create an invention. 

The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness

The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness
Written and Illustrated by Colin Thompson
Ages 7-10

*****

Georgeis a lonely young boy who lives alone with his Grandma, a very sweet lady but not the best of company for a young boy.  One lonely Friday George finds a three legged dog, Jeremy, at the shelter who is on his last day.  George identifies with the Jeremy and is quick to take him home.  George makes replaceable legs for Jeremy and soon they can run and play just like every other boy and dog; the beginning of a great friendship and the end of George's lonely days. 

This is truly a story of happy sadness.  The understated language and the incredibly expressive illustrations of the book work together to create a story that is heartbreaking but hilarious. I did not have a lonely childhood but I can relate to feeling the same dismal loneliness as times as an adult, Thompson captures it perfectly when he says, "in that time before the weekend when lonely people realize just how lonely they are," which is almost too true. Many children do not go home to large families or after school activities and this story reflects that emptiness.  George's Grandma has good intentions but they "spent most of their lives on different planets".  I lived with my Grandma of and on when I was younger and can relate to the strange relationship of TV dinners and knitting.  When George runs home to tell his Grandma about the dog she is seen looking understanding and clutching a rotisserie chicken in contrast to George's urgency. The illustrations play a huge role in creating a sense of irony in the story.  The collage of real images and water color bring out the extreme highs and lows of the story.  When George goes to the shelter there is neon green moss growing on the cages and Jeremy is in the dingiest, darkest, corner looking at him through identical shaggy brown hair.

Before the story can get too depressing George takes home Jeremy and they fight together perfectly, bonding through their differences.  Children will love Georges attempts to create a leg for Jeremy, first from paper mache, then dough.  They will find it hilarious as Jeremy can finally lift his leg to pee.  The book has an over the top "happily ever after" ending but it fits with the story.  I think kids could relate to feeling like an outcast and the experience of finding a great friend through their pets.  There are themes in the story I could see some readers or parents being uncomfortable with such as the role of physical appearances and abilities, Jeremy's "impending fate" of being put to sleep.  However I do not think children will feel uncomfortable with these issues at all.

I would read this book depending on the audience and interest of my class and individual students.  I do not think it is a picture book that everyone would enjoy and I think children would need a certain maturity to grasp the subtle irony in the story.  However I think it could be a good discussion starter for times when we feel lonely or like we do not fit in and what we do when we feel that way.  I also think most students would eagerly share stories about their pets or pets they know.  The story is a good example of how to express or show feelings in your writing without having to say "I was sad".  We could try writing stories that uses this writing technique we could also write stories about why our pets are important to us.

Colin Thompson has lead a fascinating life, visit his website at http://www.colinthompson.com/index.html