Big Idea: Books have the power to bring people together and change the world.
I work at an IB school and we are constantly reminded that it is our goal to create globally-minded students who are empathetic, caring, and willing to make change in the world. We are always running units that teach about social justice issues such as clean water, war and conflict, gender inequality, and much more. However, what I find is that while students are able to research and present on a given topic, most don’t change their behaviour in any way. It makes me wonder how much was actually learned. For example, a few years ago I had a group of students complete a research project on plastic waste. They did a wonderful job. After they presented, many parents complimented them on how detailed their work was. I ran into that group after school at Starbucks. They were celebrating after doing such a good job on their project. Each of them had a drink in a plastic cup with a plastic straw. Eliminating plastic straws was one of the main points in their project! Genuine learning goes beyond memorization of facts. It leads to a change in perception, attitude, and behaviour.
It is my belief that we can use literature to help students with this genuine learning experience. Books provide an immersive experience that can’t be provided with research, lectures, or presentations. A good book draws students in, and what they read sticks with them long after the book is finished. I was inspired by Said’s 2015 article “Can children’s books help build a better world?” The article states that reading has the power to bring people together: “Fiction lets us experience another existence as if it was our own because readers bring stories to life in their own minds, each in their own way” (Said 2015). It is this power of reading that has led me to search for books that can help me teach my students in a way that will hopefully inspire them to change the world in some small (or big) way.
I started my search with a traditional novel. Being a seventh-grade teacher, novels are mostly the types of books that I have taught in the past. I had recently seen a discussion on a talk show recommending books to teens and To Kill a Mockingbird was debated. I was reminded of how uncomfortable that book can be for some. I went in search of an alternative book to use to teach about race issues and The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas was recommended to me. In my opinion, this is a much better book to teach students about race relations these days because it is set in modern day, is told from the perspective of a black person, and has main characters whose ages are similar to those that will be reading it.
The Hate U Give led me to search for other books with diverse casts of characters. I didn’t necessarily want a book that had an overt message about race or prejudice. I was just looking for stories with characters from different backgrounds doing normal things with each other. That in itself sends a powerful message. Exposing children to books with characters from different cultures positively interacting with each other makes them more comfortable with interacting with people of other races themselves (Aaronson and O’Brien, 2014). I was reminded of Cinder by Marissa Meyer which features an extremely diverse cast of characters including many people of colour and several disabled characters. I like this book because it is a sci-fi take on the Cinderella story told in a Star Wars style epic tale that just so happens to feature people from all over the world (and moon). This is the perfect book to teach along with any fairy tale or fractured fairy tale unit.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that there wasn’t any shortage of books dealing with social justice issues. However, I wanted to find something Canadian for a couple of reasons. First, I think it’s important to support Canadian authors. Second, I think it’s important for kids to read about things they are familiar with. Dodger Boy by Sarah Ellis takes place in 1970’s Vancouver where thirteen-year-old Charlotte meets Tom, a draft dodger escaping the Vietnam war. The book teaches about topics such as conflict and war, civil disobedience, censorship, and much more. As Charlotte learns about these issues and begins to form her worldview, I think it will make the readers think about their own beliefs as well.
I next looked for a book where I could find my own culture represented. I think that people have underestimated the power and demand for cultural representation in all forms of media. Look to the success of Black Panther and Crazy Rich Asians. We have our own cultures represented in stories so that we can see ourselves in the characters and have our stories told. “Multicultural literature is much more than telling the story about an individual in a particular place or time; it is a story of a group’s experiences that reflect their history, their current existence, and their future” (Turner, 2016). I came across two books. The first was See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheung. It features a Filipino American boy journeying across America, recording what life is like, and wanting to launch his golden iPod into space. I thought that this would be a good book to pair with any space-themed unit. The second book I found I had already read. It is a graphic novel called American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. I was particularly engaged with this book because it told what it meant to be Chinese in three different ways: the Chinese myth of the Monkey King, a Chinese kid adapting to America, and Chinese stereotypes we have to deal with.
Graphic novels are actually where I learned about diversity and prejudice. I spent much of my childhood hanging out at 7-Eleven reading X-Men comics off the rack. Those comics dealt with “mutants” being persecuted against for being different. Garrison and Gavigan (2019) found that graphic novels show higher numbers of racial diversity than traditional books. This makes them ideal as tools to teach social justice issues. In addition to that, the added visual component of the format has several advantages over simple text. Boerman-Cornell et al. (2017) call the interplay between the visuals and text picture/text hybridity. They say that this combination of words and pictures helps students to create meaning in a new way and has the following benefits:
Builds student’s background knowledge- Extends teaching outside of classrooms
- Provides additional depth and perspective beyond what a text could offer
- Create personal and intertextual connections
- Provide multiple perspectives
- Provide visualization of abstract concepts
In my search of graphic novels, one that stood out to me was El Deafo by Cece Bell. The book tells the story of a young girl and her struggles as someone who is hard of hearing. The story resonated with me because both my father and older brother are hard of hearing. I witnessed what my brother had to go through as he was teased and bullied in school. El Deafo tackles this subject so well, and it tells the story in such a lighthearted and funny way that it would appeal to anyone.
Roughly thirty percent of our school is First Nations so I wanted to make sure Aboriginal content was represented in my curation. Most of our First Nations students come from the Musqueam reserve, but I was unable to find any Musqueam books. One of the books that our school recently bought was This Place: 150 Years Retold. It features 10 different stories told by different indigenous authors and illustrators. The stories and art are so different that the book will have something for everyone. I also like how it tells stories from different indigenous cultures from across Canada. 
Another book I found that I really liked was Red: A Haida Mana by Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas. I completely love the art style in this book. The blending of Haida designs with Japanese Manga makes it unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It is beautiful, outstanding, amazing – I don’t have enough praise for how breathtaking the art is. Having said that, it is a difficult read. The story can be hard to follow so I would recommend reading this one along with the class.
Looking at graphic novels, I don’t think it would be right not to include Shaun Tan’s The Arrival into this curation. It is amazing how Tan was able to capture the immigrant experience without the use of any words. Reading the book forces you to use your imagination to understand what it is like to emigrate to a new place. Lysaker and Miller (2012) contend that the lack of words encourages social imagination. Because there is no description of what is happening, the reader must imagine what the characters feel like and are going through. This process helps to build empathy and that is a primary factor in helping us understand each other as people.
The Arrival reminded me of a picture book that I had found earlier in this course about a girl in a refugee camp because both dealt with people having to leave home. Lubna and Pebble by Wendy Meddour is really a book about friendship and coping with a difficult situation. I like how the book handles teaching about the refugee crisis in a subtle and graceful manner. The issue is never overtly brought up, and there is a lot going on in the artwork that can be dissected.
Noah Chases the Wind by Michelle Worthington is another book that addresses an issue without directly mentioning it. Noah is autistic (but this is never mentioned) and experiences the world differently. As Noah chases the wind to find out where it goes, the book takes us on an adventure and encourages the reader to think about the world in different ways. These are my favourite kinds of books. I like it when books teach without being overtly preachy.
Emmanuel’s Dream: The True Story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah by Laurie Ann Thompson is Ghana’s version of Terry Fox. This is a powerful story about a boy who was written off due to having a disability but set out to prove to the world that he was as capable as anyone else. He made it a point to work, earn money, and eventually rode across Ghana to try and change the way people viewed disabilities. True stories are especially powerful when trying to inspire change because kids can see that it is real. Emmanuel is real and if he can change the world, then so can anyone else. Also, kids can see how stereotypes about disabled people simply aren’t true.
Speaking of true stories, I am Not a Number is the true story of author Jenny Kay Dupuis’ experience in residential school. I was looking for a picture book that discussed the topic of residential schools because I wanted visuals to go along with a story. In addition, I wanted something that could be read aloud to encourage discussion throughout the book. This book feels like it was meant for an older audience despite it being a picture book. It is not a quick read, and there is a lot to be dissected in the story. This makes it ideal for teaching to my seventh graders. Sometimes, when I read a picture book to my class, they feel it is too young for them. This book feels mature.
The last picture book on my list was one that I used to use for years. Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude by Kevin O’Malley is a hilarious book about a boy and a girl trying to write a fairy tale together. They take turns writing but can’t agree on how the story will go. I used to use this book all the time when teaching writing lessons or units on fairy tales. However, looking at it now, the book could be used as a hook to talk about gender stereotypes. The boy always writes about gross things and action like monsters and motorcycles. The girl writes about pretty princesses and love. While I still think the book is funny and entertaining overall, it does perpetuate these gender stereotypes. I don’t think that means the book shouldn’t be read though. On the contrary, reading it is an excellent way to jump-start these discussions.
For the last book in this curation, I wanted to find a book of poetry. I remember hating poetry units and thinking they were terribly boring. Today, I think that the analysis of poetry is an important skill in life. Music is a form of poetry, but most kids just blindly listen to music without ever dissecting what is actually being said. Some artists have important messages that are being completely lost because kids aren’t listening with a critical ear. On the flip side, there are people who mindlessly repeat lyrics that may be offensive or have a negative message. In order to teach how to critically analyze poems, students need to be engaged. They have to think it’s cool, otherwise, they will be bored as I was. Hip Hop Speaks to Children is a collection of kid-friendly poems and songs that comes with a CD of performances as well. Reading lyrics from artists like Kanye West will hopefully make learning about poetry cool, and get them to really listen and think about the music they listen to. I’ve even had parents complain to me about their kids listening to hip hop music because they think it’s all bad. Perhaps this book could change their minds.
This curation has been quite the journey. I’ve learned a lot through this process and even had to rethink some of the books I’ve used in the past. I’ve learned more about the types of books I like to teach with (ones that are not as overt with their message but encourage discussion) and have realized that my classroom needs a more diverse collection of literature in terms of format (I have primarily been using novels). As educators who get to choose the books our students read, I think we have a tremendous responsibility to include books that will make our students as open-minded, inclusive, accepting and caring as possible. The goal is to inspire kids to act on what they have learned. This doesn’t mean I expect them to become activists or anything like that. Small actions are still actions. If a student reads a book about autism and decides to sit next to a student with autism at lunch, that is a change in behaviour that makes the world a better place for that student. With enough of these positive changes, perhaps we can change the world one book at a time.
Bibliography of Selections
Akiwenzie-Damm, K., Yaciuk, D., Ford, S. A., Elliott, A., & Audibert, T. (2019). This Place: 150 Years Retold. Winnipeg, Manitoba: HighWater Press.
Bell, C., & Lasky, D. (2015). El Deafo. Winnipeg: Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, Alternate Formats Library.
Cheng, J. (2019). See You in the Cosmos. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.
Dupuis, J. K., Kacer, K., & Newland, G. (2018). I am Not a Number. Brantford, Ontario: W. Ross MacDonald School Resource Services Library.
Ellis, S. (2018). Dodger Boy. Toronto: Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press.
Giovanni, N., Medina, T., Perdomo, W., & Scott, M. (2008). Hip Hop Speaks to Children: A Celebration of Poetry with a Beat. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky.
Meddour, W., & Egnéus, D. (2019). Lubna and Pebble. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Meyer, M. (2016). Cinder. Kbh.: Høst.
OMalley, K., Heyer, C., & Goto, S. (2005). Once Upon a Cool Motorcycle Dude. New York: Walker & Company.
Tan, S. (2014). The Arrival. Sydney, NSW: Lothian Books.
Thomas, A., & Mutsaers, J. (2019). The Hate U Give. Amsterdam: Moon Young Adult.
Thompson, Laurie Ann. (2015). Emmanuel’s dream : the true story of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. New York :Schwartz & Wade Books.
Worthington, M., & Cowman, J. (2015). Noah Chases the Wind. Saint Paul, MN: Redleaf Lane, an imprint of Redleaf Press.
Yahgulanaas, M. N. (2014). Red: A Haida manga. Madeira Park, BC: Douglas & McIntyre.
Yang, G. L. (2008). American Born Chinese. Parma: Guanda.
Works Cited
Aronson, K.M. & O’Brien, A.S. (2014). How cross-racial scenes in picture books build acceptance. School Library Journal, May 2014. https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=how-cross-racial-scenes-in-picture-books-build-acceptance (Links to an external site.). UBC library online course reserve.
Boerman-Cornell, W., Kim, J., & Manderino, M. L. (2017). Graphic novels in high school and middle school classrooms : A disciplinary literacies approach. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
Garrison, K. L., & Gavigan, K. (2019, 02). Picture this: Using graphic novels to explore social justice issues with young adults. Teacher Librarian, 46, 8-12.
*note the content is American but relevant with easy transfer and consideration for Canadian classrooms and collections.
Lysaker, J. T., & Miller, A. (2012). Engaging social imagination: The developmental work of wordless book reading. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy,13(2), 147-174. doi:10.1177/1468798411430425
Said, S. (2015, September 29). Can children’s books help build a better world? Retrieved January 3, 2016, from:http://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2015/sep/29/childrens-books-build-a-better-world-sf-said
Turner, J. D. (2016). Tales and Testimonies: Viewpoints on Diverse Literature. Language Arts,94(2). Retrieved July 26, 2019, from http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/LA/0942-nov2016/LA0942Dialogue.pdf?_ga=2.118740489.1039699747.1564016869-1388464176.1563839826