People with disabilities have been marginalized in American society for many years causing children to think of people who have disabilities as different and/or scary. It is our job, as American citizens, to create a culture which accepts all types of people whether they are members of a minority or majority group. Over the past month I have spent many hours searching for books about people with disabilities. I have found a good selection of books, with a majority of them being written in the past 10 years. Some of these books show greater acceptance of people with disabilities, but I have chosen to make a bibliography of all the books I found and I looked at extensively. This is due to the fact that it can be difficult to find books which portray people of minority groups, such as people with disabilities. I find it important to integrate all types of books into a home, school, classroom, or public library and therefore wanted these book titles to be more accessible people who are buying picture books for children. This list is definitely not complete, but is the beginning of a wide range of books about the topic of disabilities. Below is the list of these books with greater detail of four of the books being found in later posts.
The four books which are found in later posts in this blog are: Susan Laughs by Jeanne Willis, Keeping Up With Roo by Sharlee Glenn, Ben, King of the River by David Gifaldi, and Thank you Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Out of the list of books below I feel as if these books are the ones that do the best job at portraying people with disabilities as able beings. These four exceptional books are all written by insiders. The writers are insiders on the topic of disabilities due to the different experiences they have had throughout their lives. Some have family members with a disability, others have done extensive research on disabilities, while others have been diagnosed with a disability. These four books all focus on the abilities of a person with a disability and their accomplishments, with some of the books also focusing on the emotions of children who have a family member who is disabled. They focus on the theme of acceptance, even though the books vary in the way this theme is portrayed. As you will see throughout the later posts, these four books, though they are written by people with extremely different experiences, are all wonderful books for any type of library.
Carter, Alden R. Dustin’s Big School Day. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 1999.
Gifaldi, David. Ben, King of the River. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 2001.
Glenn, Sharlee. Keeping Up With Roo. New York: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 2004.
Hoopmann, Kathy. Blue Bottle Mystery: An Asperger Adventure. London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2001.
Hoopmann, Kathy. Haze. London, England: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2003.
Lakin, Patricia. Dad and Me in the Morning. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 1994.
Lears, Laurie. Ian’s Walk: A Story about Autism. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 1998.
McNamee, Graham. Sparks. New York, New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2002.
Polacco, Patricia. Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.
Rickery, Janet Elizabeth. Russ and the Almost Perfect Day. Bethesda, Maryland: Woodbine House, 2000.
Robb, Diane Burton. The Alphabet War: A Story about Dyslexia. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 2004.
Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. We’ll Paint the Octopus Red. Bethesda, Maryland : Woodbine House, 1998.
Stuve-Bodeen, Stephanie. The Best Worst Brother. Bethesda, Maryland: Woodbine House, 2005.
Tashjian, Janet. Tru Confessions. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997.
Willis, Jeanne. Susan Laughs. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999. Illustrated by Tony Ross
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Susan Laughs
Willis, Jeanne. Susan Laughs. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1999. Illustrated by Tony Ross This book, written by a mother with two young children, discusses all the things a young child with a disability can do. The main character in the book, a red head girl named Susan, is portrayed as what American society would consider typical. She is an active child who spends time with family and friends. In Susan Laughs the young girl's range of emotions are depicted. "Susan's happy, Susan's sad...Susan's shy...Susan's angry, Susan's proud." It is through the depiction of Susan in her everyday setting that causes children to identify with her by the end of the book: "That is Susan through and through - just like me, just like you." This book allows other children to identify with her by focusing on Susan's abilities rather than the things her wheelchair limits her from doing and therefore breaks down stereotypes about the inabilities of people in wheelchairs. It does this by only showing Susan in her wheelchair in the last illustration of the book. Susan Laughs is wonderful for explaining to children the similarities between children with and without disabilities. An interesting thing about this book is that the author, Jeanne Willis, became interested in the topic of disabilities when she first thought about what it would be like if her daughter aged but did not grow. She received her inspiration from her imagination, but her interest in disabilities makes her an “insider” author due to the fact that she has done research on the topic. Her two children were the inspiration for her to write the book. This inspiration has caused her to gain an understanding of what how a parent may feel when their child is diagnosed with a disability. Jeanne Willis’s ability to empathize when talking about the topic of disabilities and her life with two typically developing children has allowed her to create a book which helps children focus on the abilities of a person with a disability.
Thank You, Mr. Falker
Polacco, Patricia. Thank you, Mr. Falker. New York: Philomel Books, 1998.
Thank You, Mr Falker, by Patricia Polacco, is an inspiring picture book about Polacco's struggles in school due to a learning disability. It is a book which honors the teachers who take the time to notice and assist the students who need extra help. In the beginning, the book describes Trisha, the main character's, love for books. When she started school her greatest desire was to learn to read. As time went by Trisha noticed how the kids in her own class began to read, but she was still struggling. Over time the achievement gap between her and the other students in her class began to grow and "Trisha began to feel 'different.' She began to feel dumb" (p. 6). Children began to tease her and she no longer wanted to go to school; this was until she met Mr. Falker. He praised her for her skills in drawing and helped her understand that she didn't see letters or numbers the way other people do. In the end, through much support from Mr. Falker, Trisha learns to read.
This book explains how one teacher can make a difference in a child's life and therefore this book is truly inspirational for teachers. This book also works to explain to students the differences between people and their learning styles. It does this while also explaining to students that it is okay if some people need extra help in school because all people learn differently. In Trisha's case she learned differently because she saw letters and numbers differently that other people do. Trisha, though she worked hard and wanted to learn to read, struggled due to her learning disability.
The interesting thing about this particular book is that it is autobiographical because it is Patricia Polacco's depiction of her school life as a child and her struggle to learn to read. Today, through the book Thank You, Mr. Falker, she openly discusses being dyslexic, disnumeric, and discraphic and how her struggles in school caused her to be bullied and feel dumb. Polacco brings personal insight into the book because of her own experiences as a young child causing her to be an author who is an insider on the topic of learning disabilities.
Ben, King of the River
Gifaldi, David. Ben, King of the River. Morton Grove, Illinois: Albert Whitman and Company, 2001. Chad, the older brother of a developmentally disabled boy, narrates the story of Ben, King of the River, by describing his families first camping trip. Throughout the narration Chad informs the reader of his concern that his 5 year-old brother, Ben, will ruin the camping trip he has been looking forward to. His concern comes from the fact that Ben still wears diapers, has allergies, and does not like new things. This book portrays how a sibling of a child with a developmental disability might feel on a daily basis. These feelings are portrayed through the text and visually in the pictures.
The story of Ben, King of the River is followed by a note from a 13 year-old boy named Josh Keys. Josh is David Gifaldi's nephew and has a brother who had a developmental disability. This note gives readers an understanding of what it is like to live with a sibling who has a disability. Also, since the author of the book is this young boy's uncle, it is known that David Gifaldi has personal knowledge and can talk to someone who has personal experience about the topic portrayed in Ben, King of the River. Therefore, David Gifaldi's knowledge makes him an author who is an insider on the topic of developmental disabilities and how siblings of children with developmental disabilities are affected.
Critical Review: Characterization of Developmental Disabilities in Children's Fiction
Dyches, Tina Taylor and Mary Anne Prater. "Characterization of Developmental Disability in Children's Fiction." Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 2006, 40(3), 202-216.
This article, about the characterization of developmental disabilities in children's fiction, shows that books being published today portray these characters as making deliberate choices, being educated in a more inclusive setting, being more accepted by their communities. Also, this study showed that today many times the characters who have a disability are portrayed as having many other character traits. This article discusses the changes in expectations of books characterization of individuals with disabilities and how "characterizations of individuals with disabilities in contemporary children's literature should be both positive and realistic" (202). Throughout the study of many books these authors concluded that the portrayal of characters with developmental disabilities in books is getting better because the disability is no longer the sole quality the character possesses.
In the article Dyches and Prater define developmental disabilities as including disabilities such as autism and mental retardation. They found 34 books that included characters with developmental disabilities and analyzed these books according to a set of criteria. The criteria was whether the character who had a developmental disability was a main or supporting character, whether or not the depiction of the character was realistic, if it was a positive or negative portrayal of the character, and if the character developed through time. Even though none of the books were ideal, the majority of the books characterized people with developmental disabilities more positive than they had in the past. With that said, it is always important to remember there is always room for improvement.
In the story Ben, King of the River, Ben has a developmental disability. With the use of Dyches and Prater guidelines I evaluated this book. First, Ben is a child with a developmental disability, most likely autism, though it is never stated in the book. He is a supporting character in the book due to Chad, his brother, being the focus of the book. The depiction of Ben is realistic because Ben as a character demonstrated skills and knowledge that was consistent with his projected ability level. In the story Ben, is portrayed positively because there was an emphasis on his strengths rather than his weaknesses and there was a high expectation for Ben. Lastly, the character was dynamic due to the fact that he made friends with the children who were making fun of him earlier in the story. Overall, this book does a good job portraying Ben as a character who is integrated within society.
This article, about the characterization of developmental disabilities in children's fiction, shows that books being published today portray these characters as making deliberate choices, being educated in a more inclusive setting, being more accepted by their communities. Also, this study showed that today many times the characters who have a disability are portrayed as having many other character traits. This article discusses the changes in expectations of books characterization of individuals with disabilities and how "characterizations of individuals with disabilities in contemporary children's literature should be both positive and realistic" (202). Throughout the study of many books these authors concluded that the portrayal of characters with developmental disabilities in books is getting better because the disability is no longer the sole quality the character possesses.
In the article Dyches and Prater define developmental disabilities as including disabilities such as autism and mental retardation. They found 34 books that included characters with developmental disabilities and analyzed these books according to a set of criteria. The criteria was whether the character who had a developmental disability was a main or supporting character, whether or not the depiction of the character was realistic, if it was a positive or negative portrayal of the character, and if the character developed through time. Even though none of the books were ideal, the majority of the books characterized people with developmental disabilities more positive than they had in the past. With that said, it is always important to remember there is always room for improvement.
In the story Ben, King of the River, Ben has a developmental disability. With the use of Dyches and Prater guidelines I evaluated this book. First, Ben is a child with a developmental disability, most likely autism, though it is never stated in the book. He is a supporting character in the book due to Chad, his brother, being the focus of the book. The depiction of Ben is realistic because Ben as a character demonstrated skills and knowledge that was consistent with his projected ability level. In the story Ben, is portrayed positively because there was an emphasis on his strengths rather than his weaknesses and there was a high expectation for Ben. Lastly, the character was dynamic due to the fact that he made friends with the children who were making fun of him earlier in the story. Overall, this book does a good job portraying Ben as a character who is integrated within society.
Dynches and Prater Guidelines:
**DD stands for developmental disability
Level: Whether or not the character with a disability is the main or supporting character.
Depiction: "Most of the portrayals of the character with DD were realistic in that they demonstrated skills and knowledge consistent with the characters' projected ability levels" (208).
Portrayal: "Portrayals were characterized as positive if they (a) emphasized strengths rather than weaknesses, (b) represented high expectations of the character with DD, (c) enhanced positive contributions, (d) showed the character acting on his/her choices, (e) were given full citizenship in the home and community, and (f) enjoyed reciprocal relationships" (208).
Keeping Up With Roo
Glenn, Sharlee. Keeping Up With Roo. New York: G.P.Putnam’s Sons, 2004. Keeping Up With Roo, by Sharelle Glenn, is a short children's picture book about growing up with a family member who is developmentally disabled. Gracie, a young girl, and and her Aunt Roo, who has a developmental disability, became best friends when Gracie was a baby. Together they would run through the cornfields, eat tart red bull berries, climb trees, and play school; Roo had the heart of a child. Due to this the age gap between them did not matter to Gracie or Roo; at least until Gracie started school. It was when Gracie started school that she began finding it harder to find time to spend time with Roo. Gracie began talking piano lessons, spending time with new friends. She had also grown older and realized her aunt Roo was "different". She became embarrassed of her and no longer wanted to play with Roo. In the end, Gracie realized everything Roo had brought to her life and spends time playing school with both Roo and her new friend. This is a touching story that reminds the readers of the gifts we all bring to the world.
Nowhere in this book does it specifically state Roo's disability, but Sharlee Glenn alludes to Roo's disability throughout the whole story. This allows for Roo's personality to be the highlight of the book, rather than her disability. In the second half of the book I noticed how Gacie became embarrassed by Roo when her friend came over to play. Therefore, this books portrays one typical reaction for many people who have family members who are disabled. These feelings need to be discussed so children understand that they are normal and acceptable to have. With this discussion it is important to realize that everyone is different so children begin to recognize the joy of loving and accepting those that are different than ourselves, just as Gracie did.
I believe this book does a wonderful job of positively portraying an adult with a disability. The focus is on the activities Roo can participate in rather than Roo's lack of achievement. Part of this could be due to Sharlee Glenn's experience spending time on the family farm with her two Aunts, Martha and Mildred, who have a developmental disability. Just like Gracie in the story, Sharlee remembers her Aunt Martha teaching her how to read and playing school with her at a young age. This experience Sharlee Glenn has with family members who are developmentally disabled makes her an insider on the topic of disabilities and causes the emotions and actions of Gracie and Roo to be more accurate
Nowhere in this book does it specifically state Roo's disability, but Sharlee Glenn alludes to Roo's disability throughout the whole story. This allows for Roo's personality to be the highlight of the book, rather than her disability. In the second half of the book I noticed how Gacie became embarrassed by Roo when her friend came over to play. Therefore, this books portrays one typical reaction for many people who have family members who are disabled. These feelings need to be discussed so children understand that they are normal and acceptable to have. With this discussion it is important to realize that everyone is different so children begin to recognize the joy of loving and accepting those that are different than ourselves, just as Gracie did.
I believe this book does a wonderful job of positively portraying an adult with a disability. The focus is on the activities Roo can participate in rather than Roo's lack of achievement. Part of this could be due to Sharlee Glenn's experience spending time on the family farm with her two Aunts, Martha and Mildred, who have a developmental disability. Just like Gracie in the story, Sharlee remembers her Aunt Martha teaching her how to read and playing school with her at a young age. This experience Sharlee Glenn has with family members who are developmentally disabled makes her an insider on the topic of disabilities and causes the emotions and actions of Gracie and Roo to be more accurate
Monday, September 8, 2008
Welcome
Hello Everyone! You can probably conclude from the name of this blog that my name is Kathryn Koss. I am a Special Education- Learning Disabilities Senior who is concentrating in Language Arts. I am also working on a Child Development (ZA) Endorsement.
The majority of published literature portrays the “typical” family – non-Hispanic white, middle class and heterosexual. This causes a problem as the demographics of the United States changes. As time goes on, the percentage of non-Hispanic whites, who today make up the majority demographic in the United States, is falling while the Hispanic, African American, and Asian demographics are rising. Also, homosexuality, mixed marriages and single parent homes are becoming more prevalent in the lives of children today. Therefore, the majority of literature is portraying a family or situation with which most children cannot connect.
Diverse literature helps children learn about other cultures as well as identify with their own. Through this process, discussions of diversity can easily take place. Unfortunately, society puts up boundaries about what is “appropriate” and usually the literature which is deemed “appropriate” by many families and schools is portraying the “typical” individual. This cultural phenomenon of a non-diverse reading selection has caught my interest. I believe that it is important to be anti-biased. This can be done in a classroom through conversation, posters, and books. The ability to spend a little more time to find diverse literature for a classroom library can cause children to connect with literature and accept others, even if it is not what society deems “appropriate” and “typical.”
I am excited to start reading the books assigned for this course and discussing ways in which we, as teachers, can bring the diverse literature into our future classrooms. I hope to learn titles of high quality diverse books as well how to better select books to create a diverse library in my own classroom. But, it should also be noted that with a library full of diverse literature will come questions about subjects which are considered unacceptable to talk about in a school setting. I am interested in learning my classmates’ ideas of how to bring in anti-bias, diverse literature into my class and talk about these taboo subjects without causing a negative uproar with parents and school personnel.
Over the course of the semester I am excited to learn from my fellow students through conversations and our blogs, but most of all I am excited to explore and learn more about the diverse literature.
-Kathryn
The majority of published literature portrays the “typical” family – non-Hispanic white, middle class and heterosexual. This causes a problem as the demographics of the United States changes. As time goes on, the percentage of non-Hispanic whites, who today make up the majority demographic in the United States, is falling while the Hispanic, African American, and Asian demographics are rising. Also, homosexuality, mixed marriages and single parent homes are becoming more prevalent in the lives of children today. Therefore, the majority of literature is portraying a family or situation with which most children cannot connect.
Diverse literature helps children learn about other cultures as well as identify with their own. Through this process, discussions of diversity can easily take place. Unfortunately, society puts up boundaries about what is “appropriate” and usually the literature which is deemed “appropriate” by many families and schools is portraying the “typical” individual. This cultural phenomenon of a non-diverse reading selection has caught my interest. I believe that it is important to be anti-biased. This can be done in a classroom through conversation, posters, and books. The ability to spend a little more time to find diverse literature for a classroom library can cause children to connect with literature and accept others, even if it is not what society deems “appropriate” and “typical.”
I am excited to start reading the books assigned for this course and discussing ways in which we, as teachers, can bring the diverse literature into our future classrooms. I hope to learn titles of high quality diverse books as well how to better select books to create a diverse library in my own classroom. But, it should also be noted that with a library full of diverse literature will come questions about subjects which are considered unacceptable to talk about in a school setting. I am interested in learning my classmates’ ideas of how to bring in anti-bias, diverse literature into my class and talk about these taboo subjects without causing a negative uproar with parents and school personnel.
Over the course of the semester I am excited to learn from my fellow students through conversations and our blogs, but most of all I am excited to explore and learn more about the diverse literature.
-Kathryn
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