Showing posts with label Eve Bunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eve Bunting. Show all posts
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Resources For Helping Children Deal With Tragedy
The shootings at Sunny Hook Elementary School has shocked not only the community it served but the country as well. Who hasn't heard the horror stories and shed a few tears over the lost lives of the innocent children and the faculty members who gave their lives in trying to protect them? This act of violence has changed this nation greatly and the consequences of the change are yet to be seen. Whenever a tragedy like this occurs, parents and educators look for answers on how to explain the unexplainable to the children in their lives. The hardest part of finding the answers is looking for the right material that isn't preachy but not too practical that it ignores the emotions and struggles of the reader. There are few books that find that balance and here are a review of some to the titles. As with any book, it is strongly suggested that parent and child read together. Especially when many questions will be raised by the child.
When I Feel Scared by Cornelia Maude Speilman touches on the range of emotions children feel when they are insecure. This book is perfect for the younger child in its simplicity and soothing suggestions of what to do to cope with the feelings. It also is a good reminder for children that it is okay to feel scared sometimes. For older children a simple book like Speilman is obviously not going to help them. Nationally known commentators Rabii Mark Gellman and Monsignor Thomas Hartman have written a book which helps children deal with the headlines in our media-centric world in a positive, sensitive, and sometime humorous way. Bad Stuff In The News: A guide to Handling the Headlines deals with the many different story lines such as terrorist attacks, senseless violence as well as other topics that may be unsettling for children. What is also very helpful in this book is the discussion of simple acts of comfort that help in the process of healing. Quite frankly, this should be the go to book for educators, librarians and parents who deal with children on a day to day basis. Eve Bunting has written eloquently on many topics that are sensitive and hard to explain. In The Memory String Bunting tells the story of a little girl who has a string of buttons, each button is a connection to someone she has lost in her family. While the story is one of personal loss its message of dealing with grief and finding hope to carry on is right on target. This story may inspire readers to find their own way to "honor" the memories of the innocent children and heroes that died on December 14 2012.
These are just a few books that can help adults help children in tragic situations when answers are not easily found. Each title mentioned here are available at a local library or bookstore. The main important ingredient to helping children deal with loss is a good dose of hugs, reassurance and love. Children can never receive too much love. Also as adults, it is hard to remember that its okay not to have all the answers. If a tough question from a child comes your way, be honest and say "I don't know." Children will appreciate the honesty. At the posting of this blog a complete list of books to help parents, educators and children is being produced. For a complete list of books please contact lvnlibrarian@yahoo.com.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Summer Reading Program: One Story One World and America's Melting Pot
The them One world, One Story is perfect to highlight America's colorful and diverse history. In almost every American family, there are stories of great-grandpas, grandparents or parents who immigrated to the United States to pursue a better life. America is unique in it's identity around the world as the "melting pot". It is something to be quite proud of and not to be taken for granted or lightly. when children come to your library this summer offer them the opportunity to explore their family's heritage with books. If working with older children bookmark www.ellisisland.org on the public computers to encourage them to visit the famous Ellis Island. There they can search the records for their ancestors names or learn about how this Island was the first stop in the immigrants journey to America.
Many children's authors have attempted to depict the immigrant experience in America. The tales often take a look at the difference between their own and America's culture. At times it can be humorous and sometimes the reality of "homesickness" is shown so vividly the reader's understand with the characters' loneliness. When sharing these books, it is important to emphasize that all though the story may be fiction, the feelings that some of the characters feel are based on reality.
Librarians can use the immigration in a storytime program. A good ingredient to a memorable storytime is props. For this theme, have a black pot sitting in the front of the room. As the children arrive, have them choose a country's flag that represents their heritage. When the program begins, call off different countries and ask the children to place the flag in the "melting pot." After all the flags are collected, distract the children with music and a game. Then with a bit of magic (or as magician say "slight of hand") to replace the melting pot with a new pot. At the end of storytime, tell the children you will empty the pot and let them come up to get a flag. Lo and Behold! All the countries' flags are gone and now they are all American flags! Another approach to take is as the program begins, ask the children to close their eyes for a moment. Instruct them to imagine they are on a boat, as the boat is starting to pull away from the dock, they are waving goodbye to friends and families that they may never see again. How would they feel? Next, inform them on how many days it would take to cross the Atlantic to get to New York's Ellis Island. (Usually it took about a week) Hold up a picture of the Statue of Liberty and explain that this was the first sign of "hope" that many of the immigrants saw as they entered New York's harbor. Ask the children again, how do they think the immigrants felt when they knew they were going to start a new life in a new country? if this sounds too much like school for the summer time, then invite the grandparents to come to the storytime. It's a perfect time for a "generational program" and grandparents can share their own stories with their grandchild. Who could resist an opportunity like that? As an added bonus why not dedicate a bulletin board to showcase the grandparent and child's heritage and an old family photo of life in the old country versus life in the new country.
Whether reading the books aloud or providing a bibliographic handouts for patrons to take home, here are a few titles that tell the immigrant story well.
When I First Came To This Land Harriet Ziefert
The Name Jar Choi Yangsook
Chicken Sunday Patricia Palacco
Picnic In October Eve Bunting (This is title deals specifically with Ellis Island and The Sateu of Liberty.)
How I Learned Geography Uri Shulevitz
For a complete annotated list of great picture books on Immigration to the United States, just send an email to lvnlibrarian@gmail.com. Stay tuned, there are many more ideas yet to come for this summer.
Many children's authors have attempted to depict the immigrant experience in America. The tales often take a look at the difference between their own and America's culture. At times it can be humorous and sometimes the reality of "homesickness" is shown so vividly the reader's understand with the characters' loneliness. When sharing these books, it is important to emphasize that all though the story may be fiction, the feelings that some of the characters feel are based on reality.
Librarians can use the immigration in a storytime program. A good ingredient to a memorable storytime is props. For this theme, have a black pot sitting in the front of the room. As the children arrive, have them choose a country's flag that represents their heritage. When the program begins, call off different countries and ask the children to place the flag in the "melting pot." After all the flags are collected, distract the children with music and a game. Then with a bit of magic (or as magician say "slight of hand") to replace the melting pot with a new pot. At the end of storytime, tell the children you will empty the pot and let them come up to get a flag. Lo and Behold! All the countries' flags are gone and now they are all American flags! Another approach to take is as the program begins, ask the children to close their eyes for a moment. Instruct them to imagine they are on a boat, as the boat is starting to pull away from the dock, they are waving goodbye to friends and families that they may never see again. How would they feel? Next, inform them on how many days it would take to cross the Atlantic to get to New York's Ellis Island. (Usually it took about a week) Hold up a picture of the Statue of Liberty and explain that this was the first sign of "hope" that many of the immigrants saw as they entered New York's harbor. Ask the children again, how do they think the immigrants felt when they knew they were going to start a new life in a new country? if this sounds too much like school for the summer time, then invite the grandparents to come to the storytime. It's a perfect time for a "generational program" and grandparents can share their own stories with their grandchild. Who could resist an opportunity like that? As an added bonus why not dedicate a bulletin board to showcase the grandparent and child's heritage and an old family photo of life in the old country versus life in the new country.
Whether reading the books aloud or providing a bibliographic handouts for patrons to take home, here are a few titles that tell the immigrant story well.
When I First Came To This Land Harriet Ziefert
The Name Jar Choi Yangsook
Chicken Sunday Patricia Palacco
Picnic In October Eve Bunting (This is title deals specifically with Ellis Island and The Sateu of Liberty.)
How I Learned Geography Uri Shulevitz
For a complete annotated list of great picture books on Immigration to the United States, just send an email to lvnlibrarian@gmail.com. Stay tuned, there are many more ideas yet to come for this summer.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Multiculturalism - Kinder and Gentler
There are certain lessons in life that can not be taught through books or school. These lessons are taught by life. For example, a child can be given a book about other children in India. In this book, the story illustrates how the children live, eat and go to school. Will the child reading the book feel empathy for the children of India? Will the child immediately love the culture of India? Perhaps, it is possible that it will happen, but that response comes from the child. In other words, the child has not learned to have the desire to understand other cultures. Instead, what the book may have done, is helped the child fulfill the desire to learn more about the world. A librarian, teacher even parent can not teach someone to have compassion, understanding, or even love. That is one of the major flaws of Multiculturalism. It’s main objective is to provide an avenue where children can develop mutual respect for other cultures. Nobel idea, but it is deeply troubling that educators believe that this can be taught.
Children’s stories have always been used as tools to teach morals of right and wrong. Grimms’ fairy tales, Aseop fables and other folk tales have done wonderful jobs though out the centuries. Perhaps that is why readers don’t mind when a writer retells the stories with new pictures or from a different perspective. The morals in these stories are timeless. Some things in life never change. There will always be greed, liars, mistreated heroes and heroines that forewarn what happens when one chooses to good or evil. Why does this not work for Multiculturalism as well? All too often, the writers of these books are hitting the reader over the head and demanding that the reader not only see all the differences but accepts them too. Some children are swayed by this but others will simply disregard the message. As stated previously, compassion can not be taught. Respect can not be taught either, it has to be earned.
For those librarians and teachers out there who cling to the assumption that multiculturalism enriches the curriculum, might I suggest taking a different approach to the matter at hand. Exposing children to other cultures is a worthwhile endeavor when it is pointed out that we are more alike than we are different. For example, Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is a delightful book that reminds every mom and child that no matter where you are born in the world, everybody’s mommy counts the ten little fingers and ten little toes. Of course, this is teaching the baby from the get go that there are differences but how wonderful that the outside differences may be different but the behavior of human beings are similar. That is for the babies, but there are worthwhile picture books that don’t beat up the reader into accepting other cultures. Some of my favorite books depict the families behaving just like any family children may know from their neighborhoods or their own family. This is not such a bad thing, is it? Wouldn’t it be much better if children saw themselves in the books and thought, “Oh, that reminds me of my mom and dad.” If the goal of multiculturalism is to embrace another culture and accept it. than why point out the differences? Why not remind readers that each one of us walks on the same earth, but sometimes to a different beat but most of the time to the same beat that harmonizes with the world’s song.? Okay, before we all break out singing “Kumbaya”, let’s examine the books that explores different cultures without hitting a reader over the head and actually teaches a lesson that is teachable.
Mama Provi and The Pot of Rice by Sylvia Rosa-Casnova.
Great book that reminds the reader that each culture has it’s own special way of cooking. Mama Provi specialty dish comes from her home land of Puerto Rico and it is called arroz con pollo. Lucy, Mama Provi’s granddaughter, is sick with the chicken pox. To cheer up her granddaughter, Mama Provi makes her special dish and takes it to Lucy. Along the way, Mama Provi meets her neighbors who have their own special “ethnic” foods, and asks them if they would like to trade a little of their food for a bowl for arroz con pollo. By the time Mama Provi reaches Lucy, she not only has food that represents the Puerto Rican culture, but from the cultures of all their neighbors.
Kitchen Dance by Maurie Manning
This book is so wonderfully warm and vibrant. Hispanic parents are cleaning up after dinner, while the children should be in bed sleeping. Not a chance! When the children hear a commotion coming from the kitchen, they’ve got to find out what’s going on. Dancing! That’s what mom and dad are doing, instead of doing their chores. So not to be left out, the children begin to dance too! Gently, Mom and Dad let the little ones know it’s time for them to return to bed. However, the warmth of that kitchen lingers with the reader as the story comes to a close.
Zuzu’s Wishing Cake by Linda Michelin
Zuzu has a new neighbor and she doesn’t quite know how to make friends with the little boy. After several attempts at making gifts for her new friend she finally realizes the best way to show friendship is a wishing cake. Zuzu’s red hair stands out against the little boy’s ebony hair and dark skin. The reader never sees the boy’s mother, except briefly when Zuzu mention’s that the boy’s mother speaks in a language she does not understand. She also wears a sari, which indicates the new neighbors are from India. This book is an excellent example of how not to hit a reader over the head with multiculturalism. It gives plenty of hints that the new neighbor is from another country without being so obvious. It is almost as if the culture didn’t matter because all Zuzu really wants is a a friend.
Grandparent’s Song by Shelia Hamanaka
Celebrates how a child can come from a family tree full of different cultures. Each person in her family tree shares a physical traits with her, but also cultures that makes her family unique and blended. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss with children how each of our families’ have their own song.
Picnic in October by Eve Bunting.
An oldie but a goodie. Eve Bunting is a well known children’s author who is one of my favorite. This book is not one of her more well known titles, but it is a treasure! The story is about an Italian family who make an annual visit in October to wish the Statue of Liberty a Happy Birthday. On that particular day, the family notices another immgrant family who remind them of what is was like to come to a new country, trying to learn the language and staring a new life. For me, it’s a wonderful reminder of my own Italian family. However, this story could be told from any ethnic point of view and still ring true. America is the home of some many wonderful cultures. Yet, we are all the same.
This short list of books is just the beginning of many books that provide the tools of learning about other cultures without being in the reader’s face. The term Multiculturalism has to be removed from our lexicon as librarians and educators. Perhaps if we focus on what brings people together, family, love and hope, than it wouldn’t be necessary to force children to accept other cultures. They might just begin to look at others as being just like themselves.
Children’s stories have always been used as tools to teach morals of right and wrong. Grimms’ fairy tales, Aseop fables and other folk tales have done wonderful jobs though out the centuries. Perhaps that is why readers don’t mind when a writer retells the stories with new pictures or from a different perspective. The morals in these stories are timeless. Some things in life never change. There will always be greed, liars, mistreated heroes and heroines that forewarn what happens when one chooses to good or evil. Why does this not work for Multiculturalism as well? All too often, the writers of these books are hitting the reader over the head and demanding that the reader not only see all the differences but accepts them too. Some children are swayed by this but others will simply disregard the message. As stated previously, compassion can not be taught. Respect can not be taught either, it has to be earned.
For those librarians and teachers out there who cling to the assumption that multiculturalism enriches the curriculum, might I suggest taking a different approach to the matter at hand. Exposing children to other cultures is a worthwhile endeavor when it is pointed out that we are more alike than we are different. For example, Mem Fox’s Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes is a delightful book that reminds every mom and child that no matter where you are born in the world, everybody’s mommy counts the ten little fingers and ten little toes. Of course, this is teaching the baby from the get go that there are differences but how wonderful that the outside differences may be different but the behavior of human beings are similar. That is for the babies, but there are worthwhile picture books that don’t beat up the reader into accepting other cultures. Some of my favorite books depict the families behaving just like any family children may know from their neighborhoods or their own family. This is not such a bad thing, is it? Wouldn’t it be much better if children saw themselves in the books and thought, “Oh, that reminds me of my mom and dad.” If the goal of multiculturalism is to embrace another culture and accept it. than why point out the differences? Why not remind readers that each one of us walks on the same earth, but sometimes to a different beat but most of the time to the same beat that harmonizes with the world’s song.? Okay, before we all break out singing “Kumbaya”, let’s examine the books that explores different cultures without hitting a reader over the head and actually teaches a lesson that is teachable.
Mama Provi and The Pot of Rice by Sylvia Rosa-Casnova.
Great book that reminds the reader that each culture has it’s own special way of cooking. Mama Provi specialty dish comes from her home land of Puerto Rico and it is called arroz con pollo. Lucy, Mama Provi’s granddaughter, is sick with the chicken pox. To cheer up her granddaughter, Mama Provi makes her special dish and takes it to Lucy. Along the way, Mama Provi meets her neighbors who have their own special “ethnic” foods, and asks them if they would like to trade a little of their food for a bowl for arroz con pollo. By the time Mama Provi reaches Lucy, she not only has food that represents the Puerto Rican culture, but from the cultures of all their neighbors.
Kitchen Dance by Maurie Manning
This book is so wonderfully warm and vibrant. Hispanic parents are cleaning up after dinner, while the children should be in bed sleeping. Not a chance! When the children hear a commotion coming from the kitchen, they’ve got to find out what’s going on. Dancing! That’s what mom and dad are doing, instead of doing their chores. So not to be left out, the children begin to dance too! Gently, Mom and Dad let the little ones know it’s time for them to return to bed. However, the warmth of that kitchen lingers with the reader as the story comes to a close.
Zuzu’s Wishing Cake by Linda Michelin
Zuzu has a new neighbor and she doesn’t quite know how to make friends with the little boy. After several attempts at making gifts for her new friend she finally realizes the best way to show friendship is a wishing cake. Zuzu’s red hair stands out against the little boy’s ebony hair and dark skin. The reader never sees the boy’s mother, except briefly when Zuzu mention’s that the boy’s mother speaks in a language she does not understand. She also wears a sari, which indicates the new neighbors are from India. This book is an excellent example of how not to hit a reader over the head with multiculturalism. It gives plenty of hints that the new neighbor is from another country without being so obvious. It is almost as if the culture didn’t matter because all Zuzu really wants is a a friend.
Grandparent’s Song by Shelia Hamanaka
Celebrates how a child can come from a family tree full of different cultures. Each person in her family tree shares a physical traits with her, but also cultures that makes her family unique and blended. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss with children how each of our families’ have their own song.
Picnic in October by Eve Bunting.
An oldie but a goodie. Eve Bunting is a well known children’s author who is one of my favorite. This book is not one of her more well known titles, but it is a treasure! The story is about an Italian family who make an annual visit in October to wish the Statue of Liberty a Happy Birthday. On that particular day, the family notices another immgrant family who remind them of what is was like to come to a new country, trying to learn the language and staring a new life. For me, it’s a wonderful reminder of my own Italian family. However, this story could be told from any ethnic point of view and still ring true. America is the home of some many wonderful cultures. Yet, we are all the same.
This short list of books is just the beginning of many books that provide the tools of learning about other cultures without being in the reader’s face. The term Multiculturalism has to be removed from our lexicon as librarians and educators. Perhaps if we focus on what brings people together, family, love and hope, than it wouldn’t be necessary to force children to accept other cultures. They might just begin to look at others as being just like themselves.
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