After taking this course, I have realized the importance of having diverse literature in the classroom. I have a stronger appreciation for reading diverse literature and I feel that each book we read in class gave me new insight into a different culture and experience. By doing the questioning the text papers, I have learned to think more critically when reading a book and reflect on the different possible meaning that a book may hold. I have found that everyone has their own unique perspective when reading books and people may interpret things differently. Each individual has had different experiences that reflect on the ways that they may perceive things. I appreciated being able to share our different ideas when reading each book and it was really interesting to hear other perspectives that I could learn from. The class was run in a way that made the environment comfortable and open to all ideas and perspectives.
I am more competent in finding books that truly represent the diverse experience that the book is trying to portray. Throughout the semester, we addressed different stereotypes that are often found in diverse literature and this has helped me to be more aware when critically looking at books to use in my own library. This class has also taught me how to create discussions in my own classroom when bringing in diverse literature to my students. I have also become more familiar about where to find these pieces of diverse literature that are often not easy to locate. Many of the books that the teacher brought into class intrigued me to expand my own library with books that address underrepresented populations. These books are so important for children and young adults to see so they can read about characters that they are able to identify with. It is also important for students to read about cultures and experiences that are different than their own so they do not think that everyone lives the way that their own family does.
I really enjoyed having the insider/outsider debate and I still have mixed opinions on this subject. It seems to me that books written by insiders appear to be the most credible. When sharing books with your own students, I have learned that it is important that these stories accurately depict the culture or experience that they are informing about. From talking about the insider/outsider debate, I have learned that when writing any diverse piece of literature, it is extremely important to do research in order to avoid stereotypes that may be even more harmful to the readers.
The blogs are something that I will continue to use and I found them really helpful when sharing my own ideas and interpretations of texts. I also enjoyed reading other people's blogs to expand my thinking on different topics discussed in class. Overall, I really enjoyed this class and I feel that I have a much stronger awareness and appreciation for the importance of diverse literature and its place in the classroom.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
Critical Resource Review
Krishnaswami, Uma. Common Errors in American Children's Books with South Asian Characters or Content. 2000. http://www.umakrishnaswami.com/commonerrors.html
This article was written by an Asian Indian author who writes books for children and young adults. When I read the article, it reminded me of the whole "insider/outsider" debate that we talked about towards the beginning of this semester. She states, "in the children's market, we're writing for "readers-in-progress," so to speak, since young readers are still developing their knowledge and sense of the world. Don't we need to make sure we give them material that is accurate?" Krishnaswami has written an article that contains many different errors that she has found when reading literature about the South Asian culture.
Many people seem to clump South Asian people into the same category and don't realize that there are many cultures that comprise of this large area. The author makes the important point that an author should do research before writing about a culture that they are unfamiliar with. Otherwise, errors can result and children are being misinformed. She is not necessarily agreeing that all people should be insiders to write. She is just making the point that resources and people are available to look over the validity of the content written.
When writing a book, Krishnaswami states, "ask yourself if the story is doing justice to the place it purports to represent. If you're not sure, it's not too hard to find an informed reader to offer additional opinions for you to consider." She also talks about her recent experience about writing a book about Sikhism and states, "I was recently sent a review copy of a nonfiction book on Sikhism. I'm not Sikh, so I got a friend who is to read the book and give me his comments. He found a few errors I might have missed, yet confirmed that the author had, all in all, approached the subject with care and respect."
Her quote at the top of the article says it all: "When you're writing of places and people you don't really know, there are times when watching the travel videos just isn't enough!" I agree that it is very important to research what you are writing about because stereotypes and inaccurate information can be avoided by the process doing so.
This article was written by an Asian Indian author who writes books for children and young adults. When I read the article, it reminded me of the whole "insider/outsider" debate that we talked about towards the beginning of this semester. She states, "in the children's market, we're writing for "readers-in-progress," so to speak, since young readers are still developing their knowledge and sense of the world. Don't we need to make sure we give them material that is accurate?" Krishnaswami has written an article that contains many different errors that she has found when reading literature about the South Asian culture.
Many people seem to clump South Asian people into the same category and don't realize that there are many cultures that comprise of this large area. The author makes the important point that an author should do research before writing about a culture that they are unfamiliar with. Otherwise, errors can result and children are being misinformed. She is not necessarily agreeing that all people should be insiders to write. She is just making the point that resources and people are available to look over the validity of the content written.
When writing a book, Krishnaswami states, "ask yourself if the story is doing justice to the place it purports to represent. If you're not sure, it's not too hard to find an informed reader to offer additional opinions for you to consider." She also talks about her recent experience about writing a book about Sikhism and states, "I was recently sent a review copy of a nonfiction book on Sikhism. I'm not Sikh, so I got a friend who is to read the book and give me his comments. He found a few errors I might have missed, yet confirmed that the author had, all in all, approached the subject with care and respect."
Her quote at the top of the article says it all: "When you're writing of places and people you don't really know, there are times when watching the travel videos just isn't enough!" I agree that it is very important to research what you are writing about because stereotypes and inaccurate information can be avoided by the process doing so.
Asian Indian Text Set
For my text set, I reviewed two chapter books for young adults and two picture books for children. The books are titled: Blue Jasmine, A Group of One, Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights, and Sacred River: The Ganges of India.
The two chapter books I read were very different and each main character had a unique experience and story to tell. The young girl, Tara in A Group of One, lived in Canada and struggled to learn more about where she fit in between two cultures. She had been perfectly happy with the way that she had been living until her grandmother came to visit and was angry that she wasn't Indian enough. The young girl, Seema in Blue Jasmine, told a story about the experiences of coming to the U.S. from India. Both books explored both cultures equally and I felt that the authors portrayed the Indian culture in a positive light. Both of these stories were written by Indian authors, which helped to bring in an accurate representation of the Indian culture to the story. These books had the common theme of fitting in and being trapped between two cultural identities and figuring out where their place in between was. I was able to relate to both of these stories because my mom is from the U.S. and my dad is from India. I would have loved to have seen books like this while growing up to have some sort of comfort knowing that other people struggle with identity and culture as well.
The two pictures books that I read both described some of the traditions and customs from the Indian culture. Sacred River has been one of the best representations of the Indian culture that I have seen yet because the illustrations are so accurate and real-looking. The author went and studied the customs in India in order to get his text and illustrations as accurate as possible. Here Comes Diwali was a well written story that gave the basics behind the Indian holiday, Diwali. This book would not be one that I would choose to put in my classroom text set because I feel that there are better representations in children's literature that portray this holiday better.
Each book seemed to tie in both the American culture with the Indian culture so readers from diverse backgrounds could enjoy reading these texts. It was great to see how many books about Asian Indian literature were at the library because this was not the case when I was younger. Because I have a lot of experience and background knowledge about the Indian culture, I felt that these books seemed to accurately portray the culture without using stereotypical writing.
The two chapter books I read were very different and each main character had a unique experience and story to tell. The young girl, Tara in A Group of One, lived in Canada and struggled to learn more about where she fit in between two cultures. She had been perfectly happy with the way that she had been living until her grandmother came to visit and was angry that she wasn't Indian enough. The young girl, Seema in Blue Jasmine, told a story about the experiences of coming to the U.S. from India. Both books explored both cultures equally and I felt that the authors portrayed the Indian culture in a positive light. Both of these stories were written by Indian authors, which helped to bring in an accurate representation of the Indian culture to the story. These books had the common theme of fitting in and being trapped between two cultural identities and figuring out where their place in between was. I was able to relate to both of these stories because my mom is from the U.S. and my dad is from India. I would have loved to have seen books like this while growing up to have some sort of comfort knowing that other people struggle with identity and culture as well.
The two pictures books that I read both described some of the traditions and customs from the Indian culture. Sacred River has been one of the best representations of the Indian culture that I have seen yet because the illustrations are so accurate and real-looking. The author went and studied the customs in India in order to get his text and illustrations as accurate as possible. Here Comes Diwali was a well written story that gave the basics behind the Indian holiday, Diwali. This book would not be one that I would choose to put in my classroom text set because I feel that there are better representations in children's literature that portray this holiday better.
Each book seemed to tie in both the American culture with the Indian culture so readers from diverse backgrounds could enjoy reading these texts. It was great to see how many books about Asian Indian literature were at the library because this was not the case when I was younger. Because I have a lot of experience and background knowledge about the Indian culture, I felt that these books seemed to accurately portray the culture without using stereotypical writing.
Blue Jasmine
Sheth, Kashmira. Blue Jasmine. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2004.
Blue Jasmine, is the story of 12-year-old Seema who moves with her parents and younger sister from India to Iowa City. She must leave her grandparents, extended family, and most distressingly, her cousin Raju who has been like a brother to her. In the U.S. Seema makes friends but she struggles not only with American customs and English but also with Carrie, a classmate who mocks her. Seema’s story is filled with details that document an experience of coming to the U.S. and having to adapt to a new culture. Blue Jasmine tells the story of how Seema comes to terms with living in two different cultures and is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of culture.
I really liked the way that Sheth described different events and scenery. The writing is infused with descriptions that paint a strong picture in the reader’s head. For example, Seema states, “the few leaves left clinging to the trees made them look like beggars in ragged clothes.” These are not descriptions that would normally be used and it makes the book much more interesting. This sense of imagery makes the reading very enjoyable and we are able to get a sense of what Seema is thinking and feeling.
The character of Mukta was an interesting addition to this story. This could have easily been a story of leaving friends and family behind and dealing with adapting to a new culture. However, Mukta ties the book together as a whole. It is interesting that Sheth chooses not to discuss the caste system in India, while it is apparent that Mukta is poor and at the lower end of the caste. Sheth seems to feel the need to brush over this particular aspect of Indian living for fear of complicating the book. I like that she keeps the book rather simple because many stories of people coming to the U.S. are usually sad and talk about how hard it is for the main character to adapt. Although Seema faces a lot of struggles, things seem to work out for her and resolutions come to her rather easily. The book as a whole is great for any reader because it talks about both Indian traditions as well as American customs. Seema bridges the gap between the two cultures and brings them together towards the end of the novel.
This website lists some reviews of the books that Sheth has written:
Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights
Pandya, Meenal. Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights. Masachussets: MeeRa Publications, 2000.
Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated ethnic Hindu festivals around the world. In Meenal Pandya’s Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights, young readers can explore the customs and traditions associated with this festival. Through the eyes of a young boy, readers learn about the preparations for and the celebrations of this five-day holiday, beginning when the family cleans the house, up until going to temple. The story briefly gives an introduction to what this holiday means to Hindu people and why it is celebrated.
Although I feel that this book did a great job introducing the different customs and traditions experienced on Diwali, I did not think that the book was very exciting or grabbed the readers attention. The bright and colorful cover of the book is rather misleading, due to the dull illustrations on the interior. The poem on the title page led me to believe that this book would tell an interesting story. I found the plot to be very minimal and it could have been a more exciting book if it wasn’t so factual and to the point. It did not really tell a story, which is usually what a child is looking for when reading a picture book. When the text described the names of the different days of Diwali, it would have been nice to have the pronunciation in parenthesis as well as a description of what the different names meant.
One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was that the family was not always dressed in their traditional Indian clothes. Many of the pictures represented them wearing pants and shirts, which helps children understand that people of other cultures share common interests around the world. It also helps eliminate stereotypes that all Indian people always where sari’s and bright colorful clothing. The picture book also contains easy Indian recipes and fun crafts in the back that are designed for children, which can excite children’s learning about the Indian culture.
I also flipped through some other children’s stories about Diwali while I was at the library and I would recommend reading these books in addition to the one that I reviewed:
Lights for Gita by Rachna Gilmore
Diwali by Chris Deshpande
It was great to see that there were multiple stories about this holiday to choose from!
Diwali, the festival of lights, is one of the most celebrated ethnic Hindu festivals around the world. In Meenal Pandya’s Here Comes Diwali! The Festival of Lights, young readers can explore the customs and traditions associated with this festival. Through the eyes of a young boy, readers learn about the preparations for and the celebrations of this five-day holiday, beginning when the family cleans the house, up until going to temple. The story briefly gives an introduction to what this holiday means to Hindu people and why it is celebrated.
Although I feel that this book did a great job introducing the different customs and traditions experienced on Diwali, I did not think that the book was very exciting or grabbed the readers attention. The bright and colorful cover of the book is rather misleading, due to the dull illustrations on the interior. The poem on the title page led me to believe that this book would tell an interesting story. I found the plot to be very minimal and it could have been a more exciting book if it wasn’t so factual and to the point. It did not really tell a story, which is usually what a child is looking for when reading a picture book. When the text described the names of the different days of Diwali, it would have been nice to have the pronunciation in parenthesis as well as a description of what the different names meant.
One thing that I really enjoyed about the book was that the family was not always dressed in their traditional Indian clothes. Many of the pictures represented them wearing pants and shirts, which helps children understand that people of other cultures share common interests around the world. It also helps eliminate stereotypes that all Indian people always where sari’s and bright colorful clothing. The picture book also contains easy Indian recipes and fun crafts in the back that are designed for children, which can excite children’s learning about the Indian culture.
I also flipped through some other children’s stories about Diwali while I was at the library and I would recommend reading these books in addition to the one that I reviewed:
Lights for Gita by Rachna Gilmore
Diwali by Chris Deshpande
It was great to see that there were multiple stories about this holiday to choose from!
A Group of One
Gilmore, Rachna. A Group of One. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2001.A Group of One is a novel about 15-year-old Tara, a Canadian-Indian girl, who struggles to understand her identity and her place in the world. When her grandmother, Naniji, visits from India, Tara is initially resentful because Naniji seems to disapprove of Tara’s mother’s somewhat Western ways. The grandmother is very upset because the kids know nothing about their Indian culture and have not learned about the Independence movement that occurred in India that the grandparents took part in. Tara is asked to do a report in her history class that involves doing some family research. She decides to ask Naniji about the Independence movement and how it affected her growing up. She becomes even more confused about who she is once she learns more about her Indian culture.
Gilmore spends a fair amount of time talking about Tara’s identity struggle, particularly towards the end of the novel when Naniji makes her question her culture. Her teacher, Tolly, assumes that because she has darker skin, she can speak Hindi and is not a “regular Canadian.” This really aggravates Tara because she does not see how she is any different than her other classmates. Tara states, “This is the world I live in. But how do I fit? I’m not one of the true natives, the First Nations, and not one of the whites who marauded the globe colonizing, who tell the history of Canada from when they arrived. I’m too dark for the Samantha’s and the rednecks, but not dark enough for Tolly, or Indian enough for Naniji, too Canadian, too Western. Always too something. Never just right.” I think that this was the most powerful part of the book and Gilmore does a good job of illustrating the ways in which negotiating multiple cultural expectations can be very difficult. There are so many different expectations for Tara to become this person who caters to everyone’s needs, where she begins to question who she is anymore.
When Tara reads her history paper at school about Naniji’s role in the Indian Independence movement, her mother and Naniji are proud of her. That is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India? Tara can never win and she always displeases someone.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I felt like I was reading a story about my own life. The main character even shared my first name. It is often difficult to grow up in a multicultural family. It is hard enough growing up as a teenager but when you add culture on top of it, this is even more difficult. This book gave the reader a good insight to the Indian culture and it used traditional words in Hindi, which I thought was important when telling this story.
To view other books written by Rachna Gilmore visit: http://www.rachnagilmore.ca/picture.html
To read an interview with Rachna Gilmore visit:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/rachna_gilmore.htm
When Tara reads her history paper at school about Naniji’s role in the Indian Independence movement, her mother and Naniji are proud of her. That is, until Naniji hears Tara proclaim how she is a "regular" Canadian. At this point Naniji "shutters down" because she cannot countenance the fact that her granddaughter is a proud Canadian - what of the family's heritage, sacrifice and history back in India? What of their allegiance to India? Tara can never win and she always displeases someone.
I really enjoyed reading this book because I felt like I was reading a story about my own life. The main character even shared my first name. It is often difficult to grow up in a multicultural family. It is hard enough growing up as a teenager but when you add culture on top of it, this is even more difficult. This book gave the reader a good insight to the Indian culture and it used traditional words in Hindi, which I thought was important when telling this story.
To view other books written by Rachna Gilmore visit: http://www.rachnagilmore.ca/picture.html
To read an interview with Rachna Gilmore visit:
http://www.absolutewrite.com/specialty_writing/rachna_gilmore.htm
Sacred River: The Ganges of India
Lewin, Ted. Sacred River: The Ganges of India. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin, 2003.
Sacred River: The Ganges of India, is a depiction of the sacred river in India where every year, more than one million Hindu pilgrims journey to the city of Benares to renew themselves in its waters. This picture book explores the traditions and customs of the Hindu people by showing us the boatmen to the bathers seeking religious purification in the holy waters, the religious solitaires meditating on its banks, the cremation grounds and lastly, the final journey of the ashes of the departed.
Although the text is rather simple, it leaves the reader to focus on the richly detailed full-color illustrations to paint a vibrant picture of what actually takes place in India for the reader. The illustrations are breath taking and they accurately depict the different representations of the Hindu culture. While working on Sacred River, which he both wrote and illustrated, Ted traveled to India and observed the Hindus on their pilgrimage to the banks of the Ganges River in Benares. When creating his books, Ted does research in order to truly capture the culture that he is depicting and writing about.
Because my father is from India, I have had the privilege to travel there and experience the culture as well. This picture book has been one of the most accurate portrayals of the Indian culture that I have experienced so far. Lewin paints the traditional clothing right down to every intricate detail and this is a great text for students to learn about the Indian culture. This very fine artwork will give any reader a glimpse of life in India and the process in which the Hindus release the spirit and ashes of their loved one’s into the Ganges river.
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