November is National Native American Heritage Month and in honor of this nation’s first peoples and their rich history, I curated a short title list featuring books by Indigenous authors.
April is national poetry month, a celebration of how this literary art reveals the precious truth with words. All of us have experienced hardships, joy, and challenges these past two years. We have seen glimpses into a kinder society that shows our desire to gain a better understanding of each other. I believe we are lucky to be educators during a time of turmoil in our government and communities. Books that provide windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors have helped us understand what others’ hopes and fears entail. And no other form of writing expresses emotions and creates imagery like poetry. Following are details about four of my favorite new poetry titles...
Fathers teach their daughters about love, trust, and security. My dad taught me I can always depend on him. I am fortunate that my dad is a grandfather my sons can look to as an example to follow: a feminist man who loves his daughters, son, and grandchildren to the moon and back. I don’t need my dad to hold my hand anymore, because I know he will always have my back. In this #blogarticle I highlight five #newbooks that celebrate the unique bond between fathers and daughters.
Being a mother is hard work! Yet, it is the most rewarding role I’ll ever have. As I am helping librarians and principals build new school libraries, I have found many new beautiful books that celebrate all kinds of mothers. Following are three new titles that I think are especially important to have in school libraries.
In my search for YA lit that shatters stereotypes of diverse female characters, I found four new titles that challenge readers’ conceptions about race and gender.
It is widely known that books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating conversations when discussing a sensitive topic. Stories can illustrate historical events as well as model what it means to be a member of a race. The more we know about the experiences of people in our communities, the more we will have empathy and understanding for each other. The recent national and global protests against police violence have put an even greater importance on having meaningful conversations about race, racism and anti-racism. My blog article highlights books that may be helpful resources to educators, students, and community members.
As we are all finding a #newnormal, some are facing greater uncertainty as public officials call #COVIDー19 "the Chinese virus." Stories can help break stereotypes.
KATY TESSMAN 