Richard Wright and the Library Card

It's the last week of the semester, before finals.  My brain is running like crazy trying to keep up with everything I have to do.  It's been a rough week being sick, and with other chaotic things happening, but I think I am going to get through it!  This week I decided to read, "Richard Wright and the Library Card" by William Miller.  I was not really sure what to expect when I picked up this book, but by end of it, I realized that it would make a great book to read to my future students.

This is a story of Richard, a young man who loves to read and is seeking a new life for himself.  When he was growing up, his family never had much money, so he was never able to afford to buy books.  Being black, he was made fun of for even entering into a library.  As he works to earn enough money to move North, he meets a man who lends him his library card.  At first, Richard reads in the safety of his own bedroom, because he does not want to be made fun of.  However, as the story progresses, Richard does not care who sees him reading, because he absolutely loves it.

As I was reading "Richard Wright and the Library Card," I could not help but think about all the times that I take reading for granted.  This book reminded me that I am fortunate to be able to read and that I should not look at it as a chore but as a gift.  I think that this would be a great story to read with my future class, to help them view reading in a different light.  If I was to include more individual reading time in the day, I could see students complaining because they have to read so much.  However, I think that by reading this book, we could have an open discussion about why we should enjoy reading, instead of dread it.

This book could even be used to discuss Black History and the changes that have taken place since the Civil Right's Movement!  There are so many avenues that I could take with this story, and I cannot wait to incorporate it in my classroom.

Until...well, someday,

Ashley

Back Home

I cannot believe that the semester is almost over!  I have really enjoyed getting to immerse myself in children's literature.  This week I read "Back Home" by Gloria Jean Pinkney.  This was another lovely find at my local library!

"Back Home" is the story of a girl named Ernestine.  Pinkney takes us through Ernestine's adventures and realizations as she, a city girl, goes back to the place where she was born, and visits her family down South.  She wants so badly to be liked by her cousin, Jack Avery, but all he does is tease her.  She tries to fit in and help around the farm, but nothing seems to work.  One morning, after church, Ernestine and her family go and visit her grandmother's grave.  This was a great bonding moment for the two cousins, and later on, Jack even decides to name his new kid goat Princess, which was Ernestine's idea.  Before she heads back home, the two cousins end up being great friends, leaving the reader feeling happy for Ernestine.

As I was thinking about ways that this could be connected to the classroom, I realized that this could be a great story to help talk to students about different lifestyles, cultures, or communities.  Since Ernestine is a city girl, she is experiencing a completely new atmosphere than what she is used to.  There are new sights and smells, and through getting to know her family she is learning what it is like to live on a farm and the responsibilities that they have.  I think that it would be fun to find a variety of stories with different community settings, like "Back Home," and read them with my students and discuss the similarities and differences of the stories.

I really enjoyed reading "Back Home" by Gloria Jean Pinkney.  I would definitely recommend this story to my future students.  As they read, I would tell them to put themselves and Ernestine's shoes and see how they would feel in a new place.

Until next time,
Ashley

Shrinking Violet

You know that feeling when you find a good bargain?  Well, I definitely felt that way the last time I was at my local public library.  I bought 10 children's books for only $2!  Needless to say, I was extremely excited.  The book I chose to read this week is one of my amazing finds.  It is called "Shrinking Violet" by Cari Best.  Though this book is illustrated, I think that it would be a great book to read with students in the 2nd through 4th grade in an interactive read-aloud setting.

In "Shrinking Violet," Cari Best introduces us to the main character, Violet.  Violet is a very peculiar girl.  She absolutely hates attention.  Whenever anyone looks at her she cannot help but fidget and itch, especially when Irvin takes it upon himself to embarrass her in front of the whole class.  No one really knows the true Violet, except for her good friend, Opal.  Opal knows that Violet has so many amazing talents, but Violet is too shy to be herself, that is until she gets a part in the class play.  Violet must overcome her backwardness, and save the classroom play when everything goes amuck.

The story of a child having to come out of their shell, and not be afraid to be who they really are is a great life lesson to teach our students.  Though this is not a typical education lesson, it is something that needs to be taught.  As teachers, we need to make sure that each one of our students feels valued for their strengths and talents.  We must work to encourage students to be themselves, and show that each unique individual in the classroom is what makes our classroom community so great.  By doing this, we are able to combat the fight against bullying and strengthen the bond between our students in the classroom.

Though I am sure that there is an educational lesson that could be compiled from "Shrinking Violet," I could not help but see a teachable moment of helping our students build their self-esteem.  I cannot wait to read this book with my future students and help them realize just how special each one of them is.

Until next time,
Ashley