Reflection #2

My classroom library has been on my mind lately. I have thought about what books are staples, favorites from my childhood, as well as those that are of interest to children now. I have learned to take a very critical look at books and what they have to offer to those who read them. Do they request that reader thinks in a challenging way? Do they provoke questions? I have begun buying through book orders and looking at what I have at home for my future classroom and I feel that since taking this class, I want to have all of the books ever written in my room. Letting children decide for themselves what "good books" are is truly the most important thing. Reading, in any way is beneficial to the intellectual and emotional growth of children. I am so glad that I was able to blog about the books that I have read and to think about them and talk about them in my own words. Books keeps us thinking, they force us to ask questions and to wonder. I want all of my students to be able to do this. To question the world and not take everything at face value.

This class has offered so much in the way of literature as well as exciting class discussions. I have had such a great time thinking about what children's literature means to me and how I can create a text set for kids in my class. It was exciting to have my own opinion about books (considering I am by no means an "expert") and to share that and have it respected. I felt that the classroom environment that our section set up was one in which I felt comfortable and safe to share my thoughts. The projects force me to go out of my comfort zone - Glogster and the Blogging especially!- and to use new technology. Blogging especially has made me excited about using the Internet to my benefit as a teacher and I know that when I have my own classroom, I will want to set up a Wiki or a blog for my students to use. I will miss Tuesday night with Jen! I will continue to use what I have learned about evaluating and thinking critically about books when I begin building my own library in my classroom.

Come to the Great World

Selected by: Wendy Cooling

Poems from all cultures around the world, this collection gives insight to daily life in places that many children will never see. The poems are written in free verse and use traditional words from many of the cultures with in the poems. Poetry can be an amazing way to express feeling and thought and this book gives great examples of this. Some of the poems do rhyme, and others change shape. This is a great book for a classroom during a poetry unit and can help children to understand that poetry does not have to fit a mold, but can instead be many different things.

Ages: 4-8

Sol A Sol

by: Lori Marie Carlson

Bilingual poems that are written side by side in English and Spanish come together in a great collection. The poems are mostly about family and are composed in free verse form. This would be great to use in an ESL classroom and might inspire kids to write their own side by side poems. The illustrations in this book are especially vital to helping the reader figure out what some of the words in English or Spanish are - this would be a fun activity for a class that is not ESL - give them the Spanish side and see if they can figure out from the picture clues what the poem might be saying. I think that this would be fabulous for a poetry unit for young children because the poems are not complex and they can help children see how to write poetry that relates them personally.

Ages: 4-7

The Wall

by: Eve Bunting

How do we approach war with young children? Do we ignore it, especially now in the situation that our nation is in. The Wall tells the story of a son and his father that go to Washington D.C. to find the name of Grandpa, who died in the Vietnam War. It is a touching story that talks about the consequences that war has and how those who are left behind deal with a loss. It is important to not brush over subjects like war, but to instead deal with them in a way that pertains to young children and is appropriate for their age. Although it can be an uncomfortable subject, it should not be left out for that reason alone. Talking with children about current issues makes them aware of the world outside of their little bubble. For children who may have lost a parent in the war, this may be a wonderful book for them to see how others deal with a loss.

Ages: 4-8

The Unwedding

By: Babette Cole

This book discusses children who have parents that do not get along - in a humorous way. Although this is no situation to make fun of, keeping the tone light for a subject like this is important for children to not feel out of place or ashamed. It is unfortunate that we feel these type of "family matters" are private and should not be spoken about outside of the home. Who are these children to talk to? Part of my childhood was similar to the way the children explain their life in this book and thinking that I was abnormal for feeling the way the children do in this book was something I could have related to. I think that talking about these situations is essential in a world where divorce is much more common and where being able to express how you feel (especially as young children) should be encouraged.

Ages:6-12

Mommy, Mama and Me

by: Leslea Newman

Ages: 2-3

Much simpler and a hard bound book, short and to the point, this story is much like "Daddy, Mommy and Me," and once again explains the normalcy of having two moms. The main problem with people who think that teaching about Gay and Lesbian partners who have children is the fact that it does not prepare their children to accept those who are different from them. It makes these families out to be something other than normal, and it is apparent in our society, whether or not you agree with Gay marriage to be accepting of others and above all RESPECTFUL. No one person is better than another and hate does nothing but increase ignorance. Educating children on all kinds of parent is essential.

Gloria Goes to Gay Pride

A small child, Gloria explains going to the Gay Pride Parade with her moms. The story is incredibly normal, and is told from Gloria's perspective as she talks about the normalcy of her life without explicitly stating that she goes about her life like every other child. The book discusses hate towards Gloria's moms as well as support that the Gay community has for her and her family. Although there might be a huge problem taking this book into a classroom as far as many parents are concerned, I felt that it did nothing other than explain the situation that many children may find themselves in. Reading this to a young classroom would most likely get a positive response from children (I am assuming). We do not give kids enough credit for understanding situations. I would definitely have this in my classroom library, although I am guessing the principal would pull it or fire me after the first parent complaint - unfortunate because I feel that there is great value in exposing this to children at a young age.