(Name-mce) ListServ New Poll: Children's Books

[Terri Lapinsky]

Hi Paul.
   
  I have meant to write to you for so long that I can´t remember any more if I have or haven´t.
   
  Given the context of your request, it may sound self-serving but I´d like to submit a book that Judith Blohm and I wrote last year for youngsters aged 10 and up. It´s called Kids Like Me: Voices of the Immigrant Experience. I think it meets your criteria. It also has lots of references to other children´s books on the topics you requested, as well as references to the Multicultural Pavilion! 
   
  Since KLM came out less than a year ago, I doubt it will make your poll but I hope you will consider it yourself. The NEA recently recommended it
  http://www.nea.org/neatoday/0611/feature7.html
  and you can see other reviews of it on Amazon.com where George Simons comments:
   
  The key to the success of the book is the guidance it offers us about encountering real people, and working our way through the inevitable stereotypes and myths that surround difference. Linking the classroom and the community means that this is a source of social education in the best sense of not just providing information but inviting social engagement in a way that education needs much more of. 
   
  The interviews and lesson plans in the book include the stories of children of migrant workers, political refugees and war victims and ask provocation questions to promote critical thinking. Most reviewers don´t talk much about the social justice aspects of it since we walked the line between celebration and activism on behalf of the rights of young immigrants and their families. Our goal was to get the book into classrooms as an alternative to the No Child Left Behind textbook approach, but that´s a big challenge these days. 
   
  Your opinion, and that of other NAME members would be much appreciated.
   
  Many thanks for your good work.
   
  Terri Lapinsky

  Paul C. Gorski" <gorski at edchange.org> wrote:
  17th Annual International NAME Conference -Baltimore, Maryland- Oct.31- Nov.4,2007
>>>>>>>>>>
Hello, all. The idea for this poll came from Matt Laliberte.

Please, please, please send this along to other listservs or individuals
who you think might be interested in responding or seeing the results...

What are the three (no more than three) best children's books for
addressing racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, and other forms of
oppression in an authentic way? Please send the book title and author.

A couple notes:

1. I use the word "authentic" because, unfortunately, most children's
books that attempt to deal with these issues seem to reinforce stereotypes
and existing structures of power and privilege. So, as always, I'm looking
for books that go beyond "celebrating diversity" to take on real issues in
real ways.

2. Please send only three titles. Again, I want to make sure that everyone
who responds had equal/equitable voice.

Thanks!

Paul
-- 
Paul C. Gorski
EdChange Workshops & Consulting: http://www.EdChange.org
Multicultural Pavilion: http://www.EdChange.org/multicultural
Social Justice Store: http://www.cafepress.com/edchange
Multicultural Poster Store: http://www.EdChange.org/posters
Social Justice Bookstore: http://www.EdChange.org/transformations
Personal Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~gorski

 
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