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Sonya's Contribution - Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World by Anne Fausto-Sterling

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Sonya's Contribution - Sex/Gender: Biology in a Social World by Anne Fausto-Sterling

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2. This book explores the integration of biology and culture and the ever-evolving understanding of gender. Its exploration of gender identity and its fluidity is rife with simplified examples from history and using the knowledge base of many scientific researchers in the space.

3. By broaching the topic of gender identity, the book affects all students and allows them to address their biases, while offering room and validation for students who don't identify in the socially-accepted binary.

4. I envision this book being used in a biology class as a means of discussing the topic and showing how the science supports the gender spectrum as opposed to the commonly-held belief that the two are diametrically opposed. It is an opportunity to bring social justice literature into a space that often excludes it. Because it is also not a very long read, it is feasible to use in a space that often does not have the time to have these deeper conversations and still fulfill curriculum expectations.

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Sarah's Book - The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

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Sarah's Book - The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

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Grade range: 8-12

Synopsis:
This book follows women from three generations of the Stranger family and the challenges they face from addictions or being separated from family. The book also touches on issues present in systems such as the foster care system and its impact on young people and families.
From Indigo, “a staggering intergenerational saga that explores how connected we are, even when we’re no longer together—even when we’re forced apart”

Fun Fact: The author, Katherena Vermette, is a Metis writer from British Columbia

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Tiffany Wong's Contribution - The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

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Tiffany Wong's Contribution - The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi

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1. Grades 1-3
2. The name jar is explores topics and questions about identity, culture, and differences. The main character, Unhei is a young Korean girl that recently moved to America with her family and attend a new school. She starts her journey and questions whether she should choose to use a new name. Some of her classmates suggest common Americanized names like Daisy or Miranda but to Unhei, nothing is really drawing her attention.
3. This book addresses how it might feel to be a new student to a completely new country and whether choosing a new name might be a good or bad different for the student. It raises awareness to students embracing and celebrating differences and how to value and appreciate that difference of all and every student. This book also directly addresses social identity through the way in which individuals define themselves in relation to others.
4. I envision this literature being used at the beginning of the school year or when a new student join the class. It can provide a great opportunity for students to feel support and comfort in embracing their own identity and differences of each other within the community.

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Brynn's Book - Your Name Is A Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Illustrated by Luisa Uribe

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Brynn's Book - Your Name Is A Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow and Illustrated by Luisa Uribe

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1. Grade K-3

2. "Your Name is a Song" is a story about a little girl, Olumide who teacher cannot pronounce her name properly on the first day of school. The little girl's Mom tell's the little girl her name and other names are like a song. They sing the little girl's name and others on the way home. Once returning to school, the little girl shares the song with the class to help the teacher and incorporate the other students' names.

3. This books tackles the importance and uniqueness of names. The mother's approach to teach Olumide about her name another names through song, allowed Olumide go back to school to help the teacher pronounce her name. The book incorporates a diversity of names from Black, Asian, Black-American, Latinx and Middle Eastern origins.

4. I would use this book to introduce or continue the conversation on the diversity and acceptance of others in the classroom. The colourful illustrations and music-based story will engage primary students. As well, I hope they will feel represented through this book.

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Lewis' Contribution - Fajardo-Anstine, K. (2022). Woman of Light. One World.

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Lewis' Contribution - Fajardo-Anstine, K. (2022). Woman of Light. One World.

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1. Grades 11-12

2. Woman of Light is a coming of age story about Luz Lopez as she tries to grow up and make ends meet in 1930’s Denver.  Luz has the ‘gift of sight’ and we periodically experience the story of her ancestors in Mexico and their journey of survival and relocation.  The story tracks the strength, resourcefulness, and non-conformity of the women who have shared her gifts.

3. The main characters in this book are all navigating complicated boundaries set by society's expectations for their race, gender, heritage, class, and other unspoken rules that they uncover and grapple with.  It provides compelling examples of breaking with those expectations, and what freedom can come from doing so.  The support that family and community can provide are central to the identities and success of many of the characters.  Woman of Light also deals with alternative ways of seeing and knowing, and has characters dealing with pregnancy, abortion, and the expectations of women in families.

4. Woman of Light could be used to connect issues with housing and urban issues like zoning and NIMBYism, and how structures of power and government can be used to racialize and hold back communities. Chapters of the book can also prompt discussion of class conflict and race conflict.  The expectations and roles of sex and gender in society are prominent throughout and students could draw connections between characters in this book and other figures. It could introduce ideas about oral tradition and generational knowledge and trauma.

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Maxime Lamarche's Contribution- Abuelita And Me by Leonarda Carranza

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Maxime Lamarche's Contribution- Abuelita And Me by Leonarda Carranza

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1. Grades K-3
2. This Blue Spruce nominee details the experience of a young girl and her Abuelita when they experience racism during an outing in the community. The picture book follows the young girl as she grapples with sadness, anxiety and fear over the racist encounter– initially feeling too worried to go back into public. The story concludes with the young girl and her Abuelita having a powerful heart to heart, with the main character ultimately feeling empowered to re-enter the community by her Abuelita's side.
3. This book addresses the topic of racism in a way that is both impactful and age-appropriate for younger students. It does not dance around the issue of racism in order to make the book easier to digest, which opens the opportunity for really meaningful and honest conversations to take place within the classroom. The book also features really stunning illustrations and a simple writing style, which helps to keep students engaged and able to understand the seriousness of the topic at hand.
4. I envision this story being used during a read-aloud portion of the school day, followed by an open conversation about racism. During my own practicum, my AT and I read this story to Kindergarten students in order to help define the term racism to them, as many of our students had heard the term before but did not actually know what it meant.

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Lai, T. (2019). Inside out and back again. Thorndike Press Large Print. 

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Lai, T. (2019). Inside out and back again. Thorndike Press Large Print. 

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1) Grade 4 - 6

2) “Inside Out & Back Again” is a semi-autobiographical children's middle grade novel by Thanhha Lai which recounts the fleeing of Vietnam by Ha and her family and their immigration to the United States of America. In 1975, ten year-old Ha lives in Saigon, South Vietnam, with her mother and three older brothers, Vu, Khoi, and Quang. They are a close-knit, traditional family, though their father was captured by the Communists on a naval mission nine years before.

3) Ha’s mother insists they assimilate into American society as quickly as possible, shutting out their old lives entirely. But this is difficult for Ha to do, for she misses Vietnam greatly.  As Hà and her family try to assimilate, they have to sacrifice important parts of their culture and identity, as when they agree to be baptized at the local Baptist church. Following this, the family’s neighbors are kinder to them, but being baptized doesn’t help Hà feel like she belongs. With this, the novel presents being an immigrant and struggling to belong as experiences that are alienating and characterized by personal and cultural loss. But it also suggests that immigration can be a positive, enriching experience if an immigrant is able to find ways to give back in their new community.

4) This literature can be used to support student understanding by finding ways to connect, listen and engage around narratives of immigration. It provides a crucial opportunity for students to feel supported in their social, emotional, academic and civic growth and for their peers to explore their own families’ histories, their misperceptions around immigration, and value each student in their classroom and community.

Anna Krawiec

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Wendy's Contribution - Gibberish by Young Vo

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Wendy's Contribution - Gibberish by Young Vo

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Ideal for students in kindergarten to grade 3.

A boy named Dat travels to a new country with his mom. He has a hard time at school, due to him not being able to fully understand the language yet. Thankfully, a peer makes the effort to connect with him by playing with him and helping him learn the language.

This book can help students better grasp what it might feel like to be a newcomer who is not yet familiar/comfortable with the dominant language that is being spoken in the place that they have moved to. Being able to see the new language represented as “gibberish” made up of random symbols, helps students better understand and empathize with what learning a new language is like. This book also highlights the impact one friend can make in someone’s life, and it can encourage students to be that support for someone who may be new or having a hard time fitting in.

This book can be read aloud to a group of students. Students should be given time to examine the illustrations in the book, and discussions should be facilitated to talk about things such as emotions that students notice on characters’ faces, how certain characters are drawn and why, what language looks like in the book, how does reading the gibberish make them feel, etc.

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Woodson, J. (2018). The Day You Begin (R. Lopez, Illus.). Penguin Young Readers Group.

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Woodson, J. (2018). The Day You Begin (R. Lopez, Illus.). Penguin Young Readers Group.

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1. Grades 2-4
2. This picture book is about embracing uniqueness. It is told from a few points of view, for example, of a boy who immigrated from Venezuela. It encourages readers to tell and share their story. Although one might feel different from the rest, everyone has experiences to share. The book motivates readers to raise one's voice and embrace/appreciate our experiences and ourselves. This way the world will open up for us.
3. This book builds community because diversity is at the core of the story. It also touches upon immigration which can be a complex topic to talk about for young children.
4. This picture book can be used at the beginning of the school year in order to set the tone that in our classroom we welcome everyone.

Desiree Hidalgo

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Jonah's Contribution- A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O'Leary

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Jonah's Contribution- A Family Is a Family Is a Family by Sara O'Leary

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Grades K-2 (But really, any Grades)

“A Family Is a Family Is a Family” takes place in a classroom (Grade not listed) in which a teacher (not named) asks her students what characterizes a family. Each of the students’ responses varies in multiple degrees. For instance, one student in the class is raised by her grandmother, another by two dads. One student has a new baby in their family, while another has many step siblings. One student (also not named) who was hesitant to share what makes her family different realizes upon listening to her classmate’s descriptions of a family, realizes that family consists of caring people. Thus, she feels better about sharing who her family is.

“A Family Is a Family Is a Family” addresses stereotypes associated with what constitutes a family that differentiates from the typical nuclear family of two parents and children (usually a boy and a girl). Most importantly, this story addresses community building and tough issues by dismantling the notion that a community consists of only nuclear families, when in fact, there are different types of families that live in our communities. Additionally, the story is a great way to learn about our experiences through our family, and how we can be there as a support system through the knowledge we gain from our students, alongside the similarities that we share as the student in the story found out.

In my anti-discrimination class last term, alongside my group, we presented “A Family Is a Family Is a Family” to the class as part of a project to present a story on social issues. Like our presentation, while I would present this book to a younger group of students (i.e., Grade 2), I also believe it could be done in an English class for Grades 11 and 12. Specifically, by teaching students how other types of families exist outside the nuclear structure. Most importantly, how the diversity of families in our communities can help us learn and establish empathy to one another.

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Sebastian's Contribution - "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

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Sebastian's Contribution - "Wonder" by R.J. Palacio

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1. Grade Range: 4-8

2. Synopsis: "Wonder" follows the story of a young boy named August Pullman, who has a facial deformity that has prevented him from attending a mainstream school. The book explores themes of bullying, acceptance, empathy, and kindness, as August navigates his first year in fifth grade at a public school.

3. a) How the literature builds community: "Wonder" has the potential to build community by fostering empathy and understanding among students. By reading and discussing the book together, students can gain a better understanding of the challenges that individuals with physical differences face, and learn to appreciate and celebrate the differences that make each person unique.

3. b) How the literature addresses a tough topic: "Wonder" addresses the issue of bullying by showing the negative impact it can have on individuals and communities. It also highlights the importance of empathy, kindness, and standing up for what is right, even when it's difficult.

4. Envisioned use in deepening student understanding: "Wonder" can be used to deepen students' understanding of bullying, social justice, diversity, and equity by incorporating it into a larger unit on these topics. Teachers could use the book as a launching pad for discussions on empathy, kindness, and standing up for what is right. Students could also engage in activities that promote understanding and celebrate differences, such as creating posters or presentations that showcase different cultures and perspectives. Overall, "Wonder" has the potential to serve as a powerful tool for promoting empathy, understanding, and social change in schools and beyond.

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Andrew’s Contribution - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 

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Andrew’s Contribution - Les Miserables by Victor Hugo 

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Grades 11-12
This novel uses the backdrop of the French Revolution to tell a story about poverty, injustice, crime, and social change.

Nicknamed “the Brick,” this is not a book I would expect any student to fully tackle in a Grade 11 or 12 English class. However, it is split up into several smaller books/sections that are much more manageable for this grade range.
The first character we meet, Monsieur Bienvenu is particularly inspiring in how he lives selflessly and gives all he has to his community and the poor. Most importantly, he treats everybody as an equal. Not because he is supposed to believe that they are but because he truly believes it. Many of the characters have admirable traits that we can all try to incorporate into our lives on a daily basis.

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Vannessa's Contribution - Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal  

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Vannessa's Contribution - Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal  

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Grades K-3

This is a story about a young girl named Alma Sofia Esperanza José Pura Candela who is ashamed of her long name. Through the story, Alma learns that her name holds power as she was named after many of her relatives.

This book addresses issues of ethnic origin, family history, race, and identity. Its message will inspire young students to learn about their identity and to appreciate the unique identities of their classmates.

I envision this picture book being used at the begging of the school year as a community building exercise. Students can complete multiple activities based around the book such as writing their name as an acrostic poem, writing and sharing their names origin, and completing an art activity in which they can surround their names with pictures of what makes them unique.

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Olivia's Contribution - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Olivia's Contribution - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

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Grade 9/10

Dealing with social justice issues such as Anti-Black racism and police brutality, this story follows Starr Carter, an African American teenager who witnesses her childhood friend, Khalil, being killed by a police officer. Starr must find her voice to advocate for her community, and shine a light on the covered truth that is the unjust criminalization of Black youth in America.

This novel touches on themes such as racism, trauma, identity, family, Black culture, and the crime cycle, specifically within low-income communities.

I taught this novel to two sections of Grade 10 English during my most recent practicum, and I found it to be an excellent platform to encourage discussions on such relevant social justice issues.

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Kelsey's Contribution - The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

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Kelsey's Contribution - The Skin I'm In by Sharon G. Flake

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Grades 6-8.

It is a story about Maleeka Madison, an African American seventh grader who struggles with poverty and self-consciousness about her dark skin—and fights the people who try to help her.

This book addresses bullying and identity and allows students to understand the journey of self-discovery and construction of identity.

I envision it being used for a novel study, being one of a number of choices provided to students to explore the concepts of bullying and identity.

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In your groups please research an example of literature that either a) supports building community or b) addresses a tough topics to deepen student understanding of bullying, social justice, diversity and equity issues.

Your post's title should be the citation/reference for the literature and please include a photo as well.

In the body of the post please include:
1. The grade range
2.  A short synopsis
3. How the literature a) builds community or addresses a tough topic and what that topic is
4. How you envision this literature being used to support deepening student understanding.