Essay: Diverse Literature for Children and Youth

Description Of The Topic Or Area Of Focus
The topic I have chosen to research and select books on is the representation of single parent families, or families not made up of just parents in children’s literature. Many students find themselves in single parent families and so many books aimed at children discuss mummy and daddy as opposed to one or the other, which can lead to those students feeling excluded and not represented in literature they read. I feel it’s so important to provide literature that shows how children are loved and cared for no matter how many parents or guardians they have at home. This was my goal when selecting literature for this project. When searching for books I did my best to select books which covered a variety of genres but with this topic found mostly variations of fiction and picture or chapter books.
When selecting books, I ensured to select books which both covered mothers, fathers and even grandparents as guardians/parents for children. I made sure to include a variety of reasons for these single parent/guardian households such as divorce, death, living overseas, or imprisonment. No two students’ situations are the same and by providing a variety of literature to students which covers a variety of parent/guardian situations I hope students feel understood and that they can relate to others and literature provided to them. I also aimed to include books where having a single parent was simply one aspect of the characters life and so it does not define them.
Rationale Of Why Topic Or Area Of Focus Is Important Diverse Literature For Elementary Students
I believe the topic I selected to research is one that is constantly present and necessary in the lives of my students. Children’s literature is a reflection of the culture from which it comes and as a society with many family dynamics, students deserve to be reflected and represented (Gritter, 2017). While not all students will be in a single parent household, it helps them to understand and potentially support their peers who may be in that situation. Discussions and access to diverse literature are important when building a positive classroom community and when teaching students to respect and appreciate the differences of people inside and outside their classroom (Van Horn, 2015). Reading can be such an outlet and escape for so many students and having literature accessible to them that they feel related and connected to only fosters that relationship with books. Students connect to books which have similar characters and issues to them in their life and providing books that reflect their own issues lead to vivacious and eager readers (Serafini & Moses, 2014). Sometimes authors write from their own experiences, books they wish had been available for them when they were in their youth, which leads to accurate and positively represented characters and situations, such as Roald Dahl who wrote about the life, he wished he’d had at school as a child.
Students end up in single or uncommon parent/guardian situations for a variety of reasons, but this does not mean that there should not be literature available to them to help them understand and be more comfortable with what is happening to them in their lives. It is not one story that exists when discussing single parents. Most people think immediately of single mothers, but there is a growing number of single fathers, about 22% of single parent families are single fathers (Census, 2016), single parents through adoption and grandparents who are parents to their grandchildren. All families are valued, and literature needs to be available in the classroom which shows more than just a single story.
Diverse literature is very important to include in all classrooms (Leland et al., 2012) but diverse does not only cover race, religion or economic situation; it also covers who loves and looks after you. Especially students who see other students with mums and dads while they only have one or the other need to be supported, shown and encouraged that they are just as loved as those with two parents. Students can feel alienated if the only books available to them uphold stereotypes and reinforce the nuclear family. Children’s literature provides a window for students to explore the world and students who are not exposed to diverse literature can grow up with misconceptions and stereotypes about single parent families (Serafini & Moses, 2014).
When students are having difficult times in their lives, literature can provide solutions and support from relatable characters through mirrors and windows in books. Books can be windows which offer a look in to the lives of the characters and while mirrors reflect our own lives and experiences to us which gives readers a sense of self-affirmation and comfort in their troubles being shared (Bishop, 1990). It is important to be inclusive of all home situations and not exclude those who are not relevant to the classroom. By having literature accessible which covers a range of family situations and types, students grow up to be educated and open minded about situations different to their own.
Annotated Bibliography Of For Each Book In Collection
Dear Mr. Henshaw Chapter Book/Upper Elementary Fiction
Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. (2000). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York, N.Y.: Avon Books.
Leigh Botts’ parents separate when he is in the sixth grade. As a result, he moves to a new town with his mother. In addition to moving to a new town and dealing with his parents’ divorce Leigh is confronted with bullies at school. He struggles to make friends in school and as a result gets very invested in a school project where he writes to his favorite author; Boyd Henshaw, as he does every school year. He asks the questions he was required to by his project and Mr. Henshaw replies with more questions for him to answer. With Mr. Henshaw’s replies they form a friendship in which Leigh divulges his innermost thoughts and emotions. He reveals his struggles with his parents’ divorce, being the new kid in his new town and school and dealing with his father after his parents’ divorce. Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to keep a diary and the first entry is written to a Mr. Pretend Henshaw. Writing his diary, he accepts parts of his life he cannot change; his father, being in a new school and his parents’ divorce. He writes for the Young Writers club and earns an honorable mention when writing about a memory of him and his father hauling grapes to a factory.
Because Your Daddy Loves You Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Clements, A., & Alley, R. (2009). Because Your Daddy Loves You. Boston: Sandpiper.
Because Your Daddy Loves you is the story of a young girl and her father at the beach one day. It is a very simple and basic picture book which outlines the love a father has for his little girl. Like every day at the beach with young children it comes with many minor dramas; a lost shoe, a ball that gets carried out to sea and a dripping ice cream cone. Small dramas which can be frustrating for any parent but Daddy in the book finds a loving, kind and patient way to fix each and every problem because he loves his little girl so much! There is no mummy in this book, so it is up to Daddy to hunt for the shoe until they find it. It shows many different scenarios where a young girl can be dependent on her Daddy and how it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a Mummy also because Daddy’s can be just as caring and patient! A very sweet picture book showing Daddy doing his best for his little girl. No mother is shown so it could be assumed to be about a single father but could also be about Mum being out for the day!
Amber Brown is Not a Crayon – Chapter Book/Realistic Fiction
Danziger, P., & Ross, T. (2006). Amber Brown is Not a Crayon. New York: Penguin Group (USA).
Amber Brown is Not a Crayon. And this is something Justin Daniels would never say to her, just as she would never say to him “Justin Time”. Justin and Amber have been best friends since always, they sit next to eat other in class, help each other with their homework and always stick up for each other when needed. They’re a great team; he helps her with fractions (‘which she only half understands’) and she eats the cream middle out of the Oreos and passes the cookie part to him (‘we call it team work. Hannah Burton calls it gross’). Justin has to move away and despite Amber doing her best to be strong and not get upset, she loses it when Justin throws away the chewing-gum ball they have accumulated while packing his things. As well as dealing with her parents being divorced, she’s now vowed never to speak to Justin again. Ambers mom helps her to understand that sometimes people deal with things by pretending they aren’t happening and that it doesn’t mean Justin isn’t sad about leaving. After acknowledging this, the best friends make up and enjoy their time together before Justin’s move.
Love Is A Family Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Downey, R., & Gasquet, J. (2002). Love Is A Family. New York: Scholastic.
Lily is a fun-loving, bubbly young girl who loves her mother very much. But when Family Fun Night rolls around for school she worries. What will the other kids think when it’s just her mom? Will they laugh at her because her family is so small? Are they the strangest family that will go? She wants for a large noisy family like her friend has. Lily tells her mum she sometimes wishes she had sisters or a dad who lived with her or even a brother! Mama said she knows and that she wishes that too, but their little family just feels so right, and that love is what makes a family and they have plenty of that. When they arrive at Family Fun night, Lily sees all her friends and their families – of every size, shape and color, having a great time. She finds out some kids have stepmoms or stepdads, some were adopted and some live with their grandparents. She learns there are as many ways of showing love as there are stars in the sky. A beautiful book showing the love between a mother and her child and how love is what makes a family.
Horton Hatches The Egg Picture Book/Poems
Geisel, T. (2004). Horton Hatches The Egg. London: Collins.
Horton Hatches the Egg is the story of Horton the Elephant who is tricked by a lazy and irresponsible bird Mayzie to sit in her nest on her egg while she takes a short break which becomes a permanent vacation to Palm Beach. Hortons kindness and generosity are tested when Horton is laughed at by the other jungle animals, captured by hunters, exposed to the elements, forced to endure a sea voyage and then placed in a traveling circus. He endures some hardships and overcomes Mayzie’s obvious deceit but is always loyal to his word and caring towards the egg stating “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful, one hundred percent!” The story is told in Dr. Seuss’ trademark rhymes which makes it a very fun read. The traveling circus makes it way to near Mayzie’s Palm Beach residence and Mayzie visits the traveling circus Horton is a part of just before the egg is about to hatch to demand Horton return it. The egg eventually hatches with a combo of Mayzie and Hortons features and Horton and the egg return to the jungle happily. A lively and fun story about an unexpected adoption and single father.
Central Park Serenade Picture Book/Poems
Godwin, L., & Root, B. (2002). Central Park Serenade. New York: HarperCollins.
Central Park Serenade uses illustrations and rhyming to celebrate the sights and sounds of New York’s Central Park in the summer as a father and son take a trip to the park to sail their boats. One of the first images is of a young boy sleeping, model sailboat hanging above his bed. The boy and his father leave their apartment building to walk in the park where they meet up with two friends to sail their boats in the pond. The book shows the caring father taking his son out for a day in Central Park and the sights and sounds they hear. The status of the father is open for interpretation, but no mother is shown. Being a single father is not the focus of the book either, it is simply a day out with his son. The verses describe the parks sounds and sights on a summers day: “Striike one! Striike two! An umpire’s call. Craaack! Whoosh! Retorts the ball.” The book also makes mention of the pigeons cooing and the big dogs barking as the sounds echoed through the park. The sounds and sights of Central Park are shown in beautiful illustrations as the father and son have their day out together.
Raising You Alone Picture Book/ Animal Fiction
Hanson, W. (2005). Raising You Alone. Minneapolis: Tristan Pub.
A family of rabbits show us the quirks and challenges of single parent families. Raising You Alone is showing single parenting through the eyes of the parent, and how much the parent does because they love their children. It displays the difficulties of being a single parent and the frustrations of being the child of a single parent. Walking through life’s ups and downs the story takes us through the pain, successes and unconditional love between a parent and a child. It discusses all the issues faced being a single parent family such as loss, loneliness and the lack of money and time, but those are all balanced by the good times and making of memories with their children. It shows parents when they are at their most frustrated and how they make up with their kids because they love them more than anything. It makes mention to parents taking care of their children while also working to take care of themselves. The book celebrated the strength of family and how you don’t need two parents to have a strong support system. The message from the parent rabbit is that there may be struggles but there will also be fantastic times and that they will always love you and do their best at raising you alone.
How to Rock Braces and Glasses Chapter Book/Realistic Fiction
Haston, M. (2012). How to Rock Braces and Glasses. New York: Little Brown & Company.
7th grader Kacey Simon is a super stylish social dictator of Marquette Middle School, but she quickly learns what life is like on the other side of the cafeteria. After an unexpected eye infection and a visit to the dentist leave her with giant glasses, train tracks on her teeth and a lisp, Kacey is dismissed by her popular friends. She falls so far down the social ladder that even with her super magnifying specs she can barely see the top. With no-one else to turn to she has to hang with Zander, a boy who wears skinny jeans and has his own band that he asks her to sing in (which she does!) but she is determined and confident to regain her status. The only time Kacey is vulnerable is when she thinks about her parents’ divorce. The only person who will think about helping her is her old friend Paige who she’d ditched back in 5th grade. With Paige and Zander in her corner she learns a little something about friendship. Maybe hitting rock bottom and losing all her status friends isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to her. In this book Kacey learns who her true friends are and if being popular is really everything she’s ever wanted.
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes Picture Book/Biography
Lewis, R., & Dyer, J. (2002). I Love You Like Crazy Cakes. Boston: Little, Brown.
I Love You Like Crazy Cakes is the story of a mother who goes to China to adopt a baby girl based on the authors own experiences. It celebrates the love and joy the baby brought into the authors home. The author’s journey to motherhood began with a letter to Chinese officials asking if she can adopt a baby from the “big room with lots of other babies”. The babies in that room are all looked after by nannies but are missing a mother. The mother is missing something also – a baby. She travels to China to meet her new little girl and is in love immediately. Taking her baby home to America she introduces her to her family and friends for them to begin their life together. The book shows both the difficulties and happy moments as they settle into their life together. The book is set out like a love letter to her child and it shows how important to them it is that their child is adopted and how being adopted doesn’t make you any less loved than any other kid. In the end of the book, the mother reflects and thinks about the birth mother and her losses.
Two Homes Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Masurel, C., & Denton, K. (2003). Two Homes. Candlewick.
Two Homes is the story of a young boy called Alex whose parents are now together living in separate homes, which means Alex has two homes. It never discusses why Alex’s parents are not together, whether they divorced or never married. At Mommy’s house Alex has a soft chair but at Daddy’s house Alex has a rocking chair. In each house Alex has a special bedroom with lots of toys and friends to play with. It gives a tour of both homes, two kitchens, two bedrooms, two favorite chairs. Alex lives in the two homes, but the two homes are very similar, and he is happy in both. No matter which home Alex is in: Mommy or Daddy – Alex knows that he is loved more than anything. It is written from the perspective of Alex who travels between the two homes and provides a realistic yet positive view of having two single parents. The book is a great window which can be used to reassure children going through divorce to focus not on what is lost but what is gained. It does not focus on the reason for the separation or the two houses but just discusses how children are loved in both homes and by both parents.
Two is Enough Picture Book/Realistic Fiction
Matthies, J., & Mourning, T. (2015). Two is Enough. Running Press.
Two is Enough is a simple rhyming text with illustrations that follows different types of families made up of just two. Without using the word family or relationship specifics like mom, dad, parent or grandparent this book shows adult/child relationships using a variety of cultures, ages and genders. Using a range of small family dynamics like a father and son, father and daughter, grandmother and grandson and mother and daughter, it shows them doing everyday things together and things like playing in the snow, rainy-day rides, double scoop treats and playing in leaves. Two is Enough shows thriving one-parent families and lots of attention for the child. Two is perfect in the winter for riding bikes on a rainy day, shopping at the market and having a fun birthday celebration. Two is perfect in spring too when planting seeds or picking bouquets. In the summer, two is just right for ice cream treats and building sand castles. When fall arrives, two is right for crashing in leaves, carving pumpkins and roasting marshmallows. Two is just right the whole year long. Two is definitely enough for a warm family, full of love, support and comfort that every child needs. There is nothing that a loving family of two cannot do!
My Ol’ Man Picture Book/Nonfiction
Polacco, P. (1999). My Ol’ Man. Puffin Books.
My Ol’ Man is a book about the authors father and the stories he used to tell her and her brother. He was always telling stories and the best one is about the magic rock. Along with her father, brother and Gramma they are going through a tough time but together as a family they believe something magical will happen to help their family. They believe the magic is in a rock and at the end of the story they realize the magic was deep within themselves. Her father is a traveling salesman from Michigan. She goes to visit him in the summer because her parents are newly divorced, and Trisha and her older brother Richie look forward to their ol’ man’s many stories after his return from work each day. One day he tells them about a very special, magical rock that he found on his travels and takes them to see it. Both Trisha and Richie are convinced of its powers of enchantment, but when their ol’ man loses his job, will the magic from the rock be enough to help their family? They believed the rock was the solution to everything and after their ol’ man got fired and was going to have to sell his car they all went out to the magic rock and waited for good things to happen. The car never did sell but he was offered a position on the radio and didn’t have to sell the car!
The Secret Sheriff Of Sixth Grade Chapter Book/Upper Elementary Fiction
Sonnenblick, J. (2017). The Secret Sheriff Of Sixth Grade. Scholastic Press.
Sixth grade is not a good time for everybody; bad things can happen to good kids. Teachers will accuse you of doing things wrong, bullies will find your weaknesses and use them against you and the students who are the loudest and most disruptive can drown out the quiet, nice kids. But this year is Maverick Falconer’s year. He’s going to make a difference by helping those smaller than him (and those shorter if he can find anyone!) and he’s going to stand up to bullies. Maverick’s father died a hero on active military duty in Afghanistan when he was 3 and one of the last things his father left him was a toy sheriffs’ badge when he was little but being a hero is not as simple as carrying his badge. Now he likes to carry it to remind him of his dad and to remind him to make school a better place for everyone even if it’s hard to do. At school, it’s his arch nemesis Bowen Stack to deal with. At home it’s his Mom’s drinking and abusive boyfriends to worry about. A powerful story showing a young boy who just wants to make school and home a better place to be.
Yoko Picture Book/Animal Fiction
Wells, R. (2009). Yoko. New York: Disney/Hyperion Books.
Yoko the kitten is off to her first day of school and so her mother sends her off with a healthy comfort food, a lunchbox full of her favorite sushi. Yoko is excited for the day ahead and to show her classmates her red bean ice cream. Timothy had a peanut butter and honey sandwich, Tulip had Swiss cheese on rye and the Franks brothers both bought Franks. Yoko is super excited for her lunch, but her classmates decided to tease and bully her at lunch time when she goes to eat because it was a lunch they had not seen before. During the class Snack Time Song, the two Frank bulldog brothers tell her her food is for weirdos “Yuckorama!”. Everyone laughs, and Yoko finishes her day sad and down. But Mrs. Jenkins has a plan and decides to host an International Food Day. She asks all the students to be open-minded and try everything. Yoko’s mother made sushi for everyone in the class. Everything was eaten but her sushi. But then Timothy, a raccoon, tries Yoko’s sushi and Yoko shows him how to use the chopsticks to eat it. By the end of the book they are fast best friends planning to open their own lunch restaurant serving up tomato sandwiches and dragon rolls.
Visiting Day Picture Book/Poems
Woodson, J., & Ransome, J. (2015). Visiting Day. New York: Puffin Books.
With her grandma’s love and guidance, a young girl and her grandmother prepare for a very special day of the month – the one day they go to visit the girl’s dad in prison. “Only on visiting day is there chicken frying in the kitchen at 6 a.m, and Grandma in her Sunday dress, humming soft and low.” A neighbor brings presents for Daddy, and grandma and the girl share their food with strangers on the bus on the way. While the little girl and grandmother get ready to visit her father, who adores her, he is also getting ready too. The young girl is very excited to see her father and the girl imagines what preparations her father might be making for the day she goes to see him; she imagines him crossing off days on a calendar next to artwork by her with red hearts. Told from the nonjudgmental perspective of the young girl, there is no mention of why Daddy is incarcerated or what he did, the book focuses only on how much Daddy loves her and their relationship. The young girl and Grandma share a feeling of hope and family, from frying chicken in the morning to the bus ride to sitting down to draw more pictures for Daddy when she gets home.
References:
Bureau, U. (2018). The Majority of Children Live With Two Parents, Census Bureau Reports. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2016/cb16-192.html
Gritter, K., Van Duinen, D., Montgomery, K., Blowers, D., & Bishop, D. (2017). Boy Troubles? Male Literacy Depictions in Children’s Choices Picture Books. The Reading Teacher, 70(5). doi: 10.1002/trtr.1559
McNair, J. (2016). An Unsung Fashion Designer, Congo Square, Pinktoe Tarantulas, and Dead People: Expecting the Unexpected in Children’s Literature. The Reading Teacher, 70(3).
Serafini, F., & Moses, L. (2014). The Roles of Children’s Literature in the Primary Grades. The Reading Teacher, 67(6), 465-468. doi: 10.1002/trtr.1236
Sims Bishop, R. (1990). Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors. Perspectives, 6(3).
Van Horn, S. (2015). “How Do You Have Two Moms?” Challenging Heteronormativity While Sharing LGBTQ-Inclusive Children’s Literature. Talking Points, 27(1).