LM_NET: Library Media Networking
For the common good: Lord, Giant jam sandwich and Baillie, The rebel
Polacco's PINK AND SAY, TIKVAH MEANS HOPE, THE KEEPING QUILT, MRS. KATZ AND
TUSH
Avi's FIGHTING GROUND and My Brother Sam is Dead by Collier ("chapter"
books)
'A is for America - An American Alphabet' by Devin Scillian
Metropolitan Cow by Tim Egan concerning equality and not being prejudiced
against others.
Two of my favorites are "White Socks Only" and "Friday Night at Hodge's
Cafe". White socks deals with racial segregation, and Hodge's deals with
stereotypes.
I don't know how well it'll go for Democratic Values, but Waddell's _Farmer
Duck_ shows a group of animals helping an oppressed duck and working
collectively thereafter (presumably for the common good) -- although one
article also calls this "the Communist Manifesto for kids" (and it seems a
bit young for 5th graders).
For a different kind of patriotism, I'd suggest Betsy Hearne's _Seven Brave
Women_, about multiple generations of women who made contributions to their
country NOT by fighting in wars, but by contributing their talents in other
ways.
James Stevenson's autobiographical picture book, _Don't You Know There's a
War On?_, highlights some of his memories as a child during WWII, which
included patriotic activities.
Another title that depicts patriotic efforts during WWII is _Nim and the War
Effort_, showing a young girl participating in a paper drive (though it's
not one that I found particularly noteworthy).
Elisa Bartone's _American Too_ might also fit for patriotism, if you mean
love of country. Set in the early 20th century, it tells of the young
daughter of Italian immigrants who wants to be considered "American Too" and
takes her inspiration from the Statue of Liberty; interesting story
(apparently from Bartone's family history) with lovely illustrations by Ted
Lewin.
There's a wonderful African American story called "The People Could Fly"
that would work well for equality.
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL by Katharine Lee Bates, illustrated by Neil Waldman
(Atheneum, 1993). Fourteen paintings of America depicted in 1893 illustrate
the first stanza of Bates's poem. Ages 4-8.
HAND IN HAND: AN AMERICAN HISTORY THROUGH POETRY Selected by Lee Bennett
Hopkins, illustrated by Peter M. Fiore (Simon & Schuster Books, 1994). Ages
8-12.
MY AMERICA: A POETRY ATLAS OF THE UNITED STATES Selected by Lee Bennett
Hopkins, illustrated by Peter M. Fiore (Simon & Schuster, 2000). Ages 8-12.
LIBERTY by Lynn Curlee (Atheneum, 2000). A lavishly illustrated history of
the building of the Statue of Liberty. Ages 7-12.
THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND by Woody Gutherie, illustrated by Kathy Jakobsen
(Little Brown, 1998). "Includes a beautiful illustration of the Twin
Towers--might offer a way into discussion without directly prompting it."
Ages 4-8.
UNCLE SAM AND OLD GLORY: SYMBOLS OF AMERICA by Jean West and Delno West
(Atheneum, 2000). Ages 4-8.
(The above six titles were from Cynthia Leitich Smith Children's Literature
Resources website found at http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/index1.htm )
Jane Yolen's Raising Yoder's Barn
by Eve Bunting: A day's work, How many days to America, Picnic in October,
Smoky Night (for equality - it would work for common good too), The Wall
(for patriotism)
Peter Spier did a great book on the Star Spangled Banner.
Molly's Pilgrim by Barbara Cohen.
We the People is a wonderful textbook
Richard Wright and the library card - Miller, William, 1959- - Lee & Low
Books, c1997.
Dear Dr. King : letters from today's children to Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr. - - Hyperion Books for Children, New York : c1998.
The story of Ruby Bridges - Coles, Robert. - Scholastic, New York : c1995.
Through my eyes - Bridges, Ruby. - Scholastic, New York : 1999.
All over Michigan we are working on this so I searched the internet using
Core Demographic Values and bibliographies or book lists as my subject and
was really surprised with all of the bibliographies that came up for these.
Michigan Teacher Network also has a social studies section that was very
helpful. Hope this helps.
RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD by Jane Kurtz for students of about this age...in
that it's a story about surviving a flood (and fire) but also about
community and neighborhoods and people pitching in together and getting help
from the Red Cross and other places to put their lives together. COMMON GOOD
Stephen Ambrose a noted historian came out w/a "picture" book of sorts about
WWII titled "The Good Fight: How WWI was won". It speaks of patriotism,
equality and common good.
A Very Important Day by Maggie Herold and The American Wei by Marion
Pomeranc are picture books about immigrants from many nations becoming
citizens.
For equality- Granddaddy's Gift by Margaree Mitchell.
Books on patriotism and tolerance...both crucial at this time.
Heroes and Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki, see also Passage to Freedom
by same.
The Brand New Kid Katie Couric
Life Doesn't Frighten Me Maya Angelou
Hand in Hand Lee Bennett Hopkins
Faithful Elephants is read to our elementary school students every time they
lust for war.
Equality -- I think it would be fun/interesting to read Dr. Seuss's The
Sneetches, Wiles's Freedom Summer, and Deedy's The Yellow Star together.
Seuss is so abstract/ahistorical -- the distinctions between starred and
non-starred Sneetches are essentially arbitrary and the slights/stakes seem
trivial that I often think kids who have read it (whom I usually encounter
as
college freshmen) with a sense that equality is about color blindness and a
refusal to attend to differences that have been treated as socially
significant. What I like about both Wiles's and Deedy's books is that
questions of equality and especially of solidarity with people who are being
oppressed/treated unfairly are posed in a more concrete way. Wiles focus is,
to some extent, on sharing the privileges of privilege and Deedy's is on
refusing to let distinctions be made which would spare you while dooming
others, so I think that they are nice counterpoints in that regard.
I'd probably also tackle some of these issues (citizenship, common good)
around Thanksgiving and there Cohen's Molly's Pilgrim and Bruchac's
Squanto's Journey would definitely be on my list.
The fifth grade teachers in our building asked me to have their students
look at some web sites about core democratic values. Each student was
assigned a value. They must define it, relate it to other values, give an
example of it, and draw it. Today was a disaster. Out of the 13 web sites
the teachers provided, 2 of them helped:
http://www.foxberry.net/rbutlerpres/pres2/index.htm
http://www.ehns.cmich.edu/~dnewby/cordvalues1.html
Anne Alatalo
Media Specialist
Bentley Elementary
Canton, MI
School: alatala@pccs.k12.mi.us
Home: librarianne@mediaone.net
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=
All postings to LM_NET are protected under copyright law.
To quit LM_NET (or set-reset NOMAIL or DIGEST, etc.) send email to:
listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER:
1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST
4) SET LM_NET MAIL * Please allow for confirmation from Listserv.
For LM_NET Help see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/
Archives: http://askeric.org/Virtual/Listserv_Archives/LM_NET.shtml
See also EL-Announce for announcements from library media vendors:
http://www.mindspring.com/~el-announce/
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=
LM_NET
Mailing List Home