Launching a NEW Read Across America ... with Texts Curated by Teach for the Change and Some That You Can Add to Your Virtual Library
My mom was an avid reader. She always had a stack of books on the coffee table. She started every day reading the newspaper and every night she read to me. My mom was an avid reader. She brought me to the library every week. She swapped books with her mother. She loved finding books at yard sales. My mom was an avid reader. She loved funny books. She loved romance. She loved reading the weekly circulars on Sunday. She told me she loved to read because in her mind her voice sounded the way she always wanted it to sound. You see my mom stuttered. She was always aware of her inability to express her thoughts the way she wanted to express them. In her mind the words rolled off her tongue with the exact expression, accent and cadence she wanted when she was reading.
My mom, regardless of how it made her feel, was determined to be a part of my reading life by reading aloud to me. And of course, I had to be obsessed with Dr. Seuss. I pleaded with her to read those books to me again and again. I remember her practicing and trying to get the rhythm just right. I never cared how it sounded. I just wanted to be with her. To me, however she read it was how it was supposed to sound. I now understand how difficult that must have been for her – setting aside her discomfort to share the gift of reading with me. Setting aside her discomfort to make sure I found my identity as a reader.
While these memories and my personal nostalgia for Dr. Seuss is part of my reading identity, it doesn’t mean I should continue to promote Dr. Seuss and his books. Over the past few years I have learned information about Dr. Seuss that I did not know. Dr. Seuss was racist. This post by @theconsciouskid opened my eyes even further to so much and is a must read for all educators, parents, and caregivers. We need to know the history of the authors we are sharing with our students. We need to read with a critical lens and make sure we are not reinforcing racist visuals with our children. Ms. Meghan reminds us, “There is no reason to continue promoting his books that feature negative portrayals of BIPOC characters. Children who lack diversity and cultural exposure in their daily life learn much about the world through the books they read. If a trusted adult offers a racist text to a child, the child may absorb these harmful messages and believe that those ideas and portrayals are perfectly okay.”
Last week, I read this blog post by Ms. Meghan. It provided me with more history, more evidence, and a brilliant action plan. Ms. Meghan took many of his books, analyzed what we love about them, and suggested other books to use instead. The text sets she curated are high-quality, beautiful, fun, and represent the people and settings of our world. Students will love these texts, create memories with these texts, and will develop their reading identities with these texts. These texts will ensure every child has the opportunity to connect with and see a positive portrayal of their identity and the identity of all people in books.
Ms. Meghan’s blog post brought me back to my memories of reading with my mother. I was reminded that the moments we share with books are powerful. I believe every child, in every school, every year deserves a classroom library that gives them the opportunity to find a place where their voice or their life is exactly how they want it to be - because in the life of a reader, the right book, at the right time makes all the difference.
Please head over to Ms. Meghan’s bookshop and purchase these beautiful texts.
Ms. Meghan’s post also inspired me to add a “basket” of these texts she curated to the free virtual bookroom I created for educators. This “basket” contains free digital links to any of her suggested texts that I could post with Fair Use Laws.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/14VVwoC4eKd9Bzd6GPQr2zl0wEDCwztTG/view?usp=sharing
It’s time to change up March and how we have traditionally read across America. I know teachers do not have one minute to spare these days - so, get started here, they are free, and they are ready to use next week. When we know better, we (must) do better ~Maya Angelou
Join me in launching the NEW Read Across America.
If you are not sure what to do with your Dr. Seuss books or want support in helping your students or children read them with a critical lens, Ms. Meghan offers suggestions and a tool. I just purchased mine! Thanks, Ms. Meghan for these resources, your expertise, and your feedback on sharing this information.
