Celebrating diversity is a great way to begin a new school year. It reminds your students that each of them are valued because of, not in spite of, the unique characteristics they possess. “We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry… Read more »
September 2013
You’re Wearing That to School!?!
Guest Post by Diane Kress Hower Penelope, the hippo knows exactly how she wants to approach her first day of school until her older, wiser friend, Tiny, tells her the importance of blending in. YOU’RE WEARING THAT TO SCHOOL!?! boldly addresses embracing uniqueness and what might happen if you stand out from the crowd. Will Penelope… Read more »
IRA’S NEW BOOK AWARD: SOCIAL JUSTICE LITERATURE
“This award is presented to honor books that address social responsibility towards individuals, communities, societies, and/or the environment as well as invite reflection and socially responsible action by the reader.” – – IRA’s Literacy and Social Responsibility Special Interest Group What is social responsibility – what can it mean to young readers? And how does one… Read more »
DARE TO DREAM…CHANGE THE WORLD
DARE TO DREAM…CHANGE THE WORLD, edited by Jill Corcoran, illustrated by J. Beth Jepson This poetry anthology is all about the many ways individuals, including children, have changed the world. Some have been in little ways, others in big ways, courageous ways, such as the way Sylvia Mendez, when only ten years old, dared to… Read more »
“New Arrivals” – An Important Genre in the KidLit Arena
Children are children. Whether they wear a turban or track shoes, they share the same human need for a sense of belonging, acceptance, and understanding – no matter what culture they hail from. Well-crafted books are the place in which a bridge of cultural understanding can be established. Most especially, books crafted with America’s refugee… Read more »
A Conversation with Author Farhana Zia, Part 2
Farhana Zia is the author of THE GARDEN OF MY IMAAN, a middle grade novel about the challenges facing a contemporary pre-teen Muslim girl in the fifth grade. For a chance to win a free copy of the novel, send an email to: RIVET@peachtree-online.com and put “Book Give-away” in the subject line. Find the first… Read more »
“Our Small World” – books that celebrate our differences
There’s no better time for parents and teachers to talk about cultural differences than at the start of a new school year. Children everywhere will be in classes with students from other countries, who may speak different languages and follow different customs. It’s important for them to be reminded that we’re all human beings, with… Read more »
