As an
educator teaching middle-school students the basics of “Cyber
Civics,” Diana Graber has heard her share of stories where kids get into
trouble using technology. Yet she prefers to focus on the positive things that
technology brings to young lives and how kids can become digitally literate.
It’s a necessary skill she believes will help usher the next generation into
using their devices in positive ways while staying safe online.
Graber’s book, Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology, provides guidance for parents who are not sure what to do about such things as setting limits on screen time, delaying social media activity, nurturing relationships both on and offline, and more. She suggests activities parents can do with their kids to help them learn some of the same concepts she teaches. She also suggests responses to clear problems like online bullying, fake news, privacy, and other concerns that come along with using many of the popular applications.
Graber’s suggestions provide a great primer for parents on how to guide their children on using technology in a positive way while avoiding some of the major pitfalls. I can also see it being used by educators who want to advocate for digital literacy training in their schools. You can find out more about the author and download a discussion guide at her website: dianagraber.com.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I’m thrilled to present a guest post by author Patricia Hruby Powell, who has written so many books I have loved, including Loving vs. Virginia. In this post, Powell talks about the landmark case and her decision to tell the story in verse. Here’s what she has to say:
My mother was an activist. I remember as a child picketing with her at the grocery store, carrying a sign, “Don’t eat table grapes,” in support of migrant farmworker rights to be fairly paid. As a family we fought for integration in our town. So it’s no surprise that I am attracted to various subjects of social justice such as the individual’s right to marry whomever they choose.
My book Loving vs. Virginia opens with a Virginia law entitled the “Racial Integrity Act,” dated March 1924, which states: “. . . there are in the State . . . near white people, who are known to possess an intermixture of colored blood . . . enough to prevent them from being white.”
The document continues stating that these “near white” people are trying to enroll in white schools and intermix with white society in various ways. This is the law that forbade Mildred Jeter, a black woman, and Richard Loving, a white man, from marrying in Virginia. And it’s a Health law! And it remained the law in Virginia until the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of interracial marriage in the Loving v Virginia case in 1967.
So Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter got married
in Washington, D.C. and returned home to rural Virginia. However, their
problems were just beginning. They were arrested five weeks later, in their bed,
simply for being married.
Studying the historical documents relating to the case, I was not only floored by the blatant racism, but surprised by the carelessness involved. Richard Loving’s arrest warrant is barely legible. Surely the person filling out that form never dreamed that authors, filmmakers, lawyers and students would be studying this document for decades. In the second warrant, Mildred is not even named, but is designated as “_______Jeter” suggesting that a black woman was invisible in the legal system. Only the white man was fully named. Equality and freedom may be improving for people of color and for women, but there’s so much work yet to do.
I’m often asked why I wrote Mildred and Richard’s voices in verse. In researching this book, I viewed Hope Ryden’s 16mm footage of the Loving family, filmed in 1963. Mildred’s gentle nature and her Southern accent, combine to make poetry. Verse seemed the natural route to bring her voice to life. Richard is also soft-spoken but there’s an edge of defensiveness to his voice. I made his lines longer and slightly choppier, with less correct grammar than Mildred’s. You can view the footage of the Loving couple online, in Nancy Buirski’s documentary, The Loving Story (2011). Also worth watching is the movie Loving (2016).
I hope you read my book as well as watch the
films.
I Hate My Cats (A Love Story) by Davide Cali and Anna Pirolli is a great picture book for anyone who has a cat or cats and loves them despite the trouble they may get into. The two cats in the story, Ginger and Fred, create mischief of various types, including leaving black fur on white towels, knocking vases off tables, and dripping water on the floor. Sometimes they cause a ruckus just to get their owner’s attention. But no matter how frustrated their owner gets at the havoc they cause, all is forgiven by the end of the day.
Anna
Pirolli’s illustrations reveal Ginger and Fred’s personalities, with subtle expression
changes to show the cats being at times playful, content, and fearful. Parents
and children will fall in love with these two characters as they relate to the
animals in their own lives.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
The
story of how 12 black students integrated a public high school in Clinton, Tennessee,
in 1956 is not as well known as other stories of children breaking down race
barriers during that time. This Promise of Change: One Girl’s Story in
the Fight for School Equality brings that event to life, as it is told
by one of the 12 to experience it: Jo Ann Allen.
Told
in verse and co-authored with Debbie Levy, This Promise of Change reveals an
incredible story of the author’s resilience and determination to bring about
change. She and her black classmates endured everything from shoves and jabs in
the hallway to threats of worse physical violence on their way to and from
school. Outside protesters whipped up anti-integration emotions among locals.
Throughout
the threats and the violence, arrests and protests, Jo Ann and the other
students stayed the course. Looking back from the perspective that encompasses
60 years of history since that time, it’s hard to imagine high school students
having to endure what this group and others like them endured. They started out
only wanting equal access to education and activities and ended up paving the
way for those who came behind them. Often, their courage created a toll on their
families as well as themselves.
This
Promise of Change brings up lots of issues
to discuss around the integration of schools, what it means to take risks for
something you believe in, and so much more. I highly recommend it for readers
aged 10 and up.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
From
an Idea to Disney includes quotes from
Walt, fun facts, and definitions and explanations of some of the more
complicated concepts surrounding the Disney company, including what it means to
offer public stock. The story goes past Walt’s life to include the current
state of the corporation. It’s sure to be a hit with young readers who are
interested in everything Disney as well as curious about how the world of
business works. I recommend it for readers aged 10 to 12.
From
an Idea to Disney by Lowey Bundy Sichol provides
an interesting look at the story behind the Walt Disney Company, starting with
the childhood of its founder. From the time he was young, Walt loved doodling animal
cartoons on his classroom chalkboard and performing funny skits in front of his
classmates. His journey from young illustrator to Hollywood icon and worldwide
recognition included quite a few ups and downs before he found success.
The publisher
provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Jess and Lucas each lost a brother when a mass shooting occurred at a theater. Their grief affects them and their families differently; Jess’s mother is depressed and unable to work, Lucas’s mom becomes overprotective. When the two start to work at the same job, they realize that talking about that night to someone who had a similar experience can help them handle the repercussions.
That Night by Amy Giles looks at tragedy and how it affects the whole family. The story explores feelings of grief, guilt, depression, and learning how to continue on and be happy again after a devastating loss. I recommend it for readers aged 14 and up.
When children know how to name the things they see in the world around them, it can be an important part of understanding how they fit into that world. Birds can be robins, crows, chickadees, or many other types. A picture book by Jane Yolen and Adam Stemple, Crow Not Crow helps young readers understand the role of observance in learning how to identify and name the myriad birds they are likely to see in their daily lives.
In the book, a young girl goes birding with her dad. She brings along child-size binoculars to help her see birds up close. Her dad teaches her to identify a crow by looking at its size and the color of its feathers, beak, eyes, and feet. When they encounter other birds on their outing, the dad asks the girl to determine if the new bird is a crow or not, simply by observing. It’s a great way to introduce the concepts of birding.
Illustrations by Elizabeth Dulemba show many different types of birds and various environments where they can be found. A guide at the back of the book gives detailed information about crows and all the other birds depicted on the pages of the books. There’s also a free book companion app, Bird QR, created specifically for Crow Not Crow and other books from the publisher where readers can listen to bird calls and learn more.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When Rooney starts her senior year of high school she’s looking forward to applying to Columbia University, the only school she really wants to attend. But first she has to make it through November, when her mom, younger brother, and other members of the New World Society expect her to leave a climate-changing Earth to start over with them on another planet.
Rooney doesn’t buy into the society’s propaganda, but her mom’s dedication threatens to ruin everything she’s dreamed of. Her dad and friend can help, but only if she lets them know her family’s true situation.
Come November by Katrin van Dam gives a glimpse of the ramifications when a parent gets drawn in to a kind of cult. Rooney believes the hardest part of her mom’s actions is waiting until November, when she’s sure her life will get back to normal after her mom stays rooted to the ground instead of leaving Earth. In reality, her troubles multiply.
While Rooney is responsible, working to earn money and make sure there is food in the house, she can’t tackle the enormity of the situation on her own. She’s not sure she can trust her dad, who left when she was young, and she’s having doubts about her best friend. Once she starts opening up to them, she finds the help she needs.
Come November shows the vulnerability that even older teens face when a parent is not responsible in the expected way. It also shows how teens can overcome a reluctance to share embarrassing or traumatic family events so they can get support when they need it. I recommend it for mother-daughter book clubs and all readers aged 14 and up.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
