Books and Poems to Engage Kids in Democracy ~Christy Mihaly

Hello GROG readers. Welcome back to another school year ... and another federal election. 

So here's another post about ways to encourage civic engagement in our young people. How can we support kids in understanding the basics about how our government functions (or is designed to function) and in developing the skills they need to engage in the work of democracy?

I have some ideas. And I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Books!

Let's start with books. My first dive into the pond of writing civics books was a picture book about the First Amendment, published in 2020. Since then I've written one about the Supreme Court and several civics-oriented series for the educational market. 

This month, my picture book about Congress comes out. 

I know, I know: "What? A picture book on Congress, are you kidding?" But when publisher Albert Whitman asked if I'd like to write a book about Congress, I said yes (because that's what writers do). Then I started agonizing about how to approach this tricky topic. 

 I came up with an informational tale about Alice, whose mother is newly elected to Congress. Alice is upset that Mom is moving to DC and disrupting the family -- what's so great about Congress, anyway?

Accompanying Mom to work, she meets the legendary ghost cat of the Capitol (who turns out to be a bit snarky), and embarks on a historical tour of the building with guides both spectral and living. Alice learns about Congress's history and functions, and past crises it has weathered. She comes to understand the central importance of Congress and to appreciate the work her mother is doing. Kirkus calls it timely, and "at least in spots, refreshingly frank." And who am I to argue with Kirkus?? 

This year has seen many new children's books on voting and civics. Here are some recommendations: 

The Day Madear Voted, by Wade Hudson, illus. Don Tate. 

An engaging picture book about a Black family going to the polls for the first time in 1969. 

 

Leo's First Vote!! by Christina Soontornvat, illus. Isabel Roxas. 

This fun picture book tells the story of a classroom election along with the exercise of the franchise by Leo's dad, a new U.S. citizen. It includes  solid information about voting. 

Ida B. Wells Marches for the Vote, by Dinah Johnson, illus. Jerry Jordan. 

This much-needed picture book biography tells the important story of suffragist Ida B. Wells.

 

I Voted: Making a Choice Makes a Difference, by Mark Shulman, illus. Serge Bloch. 

This creative picture book focuses on the importance of making choices. It includes nonfiction back matter about voting requirements.

Represent: The Unfinished Fight for the Vote, by Michael Eric Dyson and Marc Favreau. 

This middle grade nonfiction book provides insights into the history of voting rights (and discrimination) in the United States.

Archived GROG posts also include my roundup of older picture books encouraging civic engagement and a review of a middle grade biography of Pauli Murray. 

Books like these can help kids and adults talk about what the government does, how it sometimes doesn't work the way it should -- and, importantly, what we can do about it.

Getting Engaged

Giving kids books is a great start. Books can facilitate meaningful conversations about important political issues. They can also help inspire kids to engage in civic activism. And we can do more.

This month, for a couple of bookstore events with OUR CONGRESS, I'll not only read from the book, but also talk about who represents us in Congress. We'll provide lists of names and addresses and templates to facilitate the kids writing letters to their members of Congress or state and local representatives. We'll also talk about the elections, and how people are weighing their choices. I'll have "Your Vote, Your Voice" stickers from the Secretary of State's office to hand out. It's a start!

Well-versed in Civics

I also continue to experiment with ways to use poetry to help kids build a democratic community. I wrote about this in my earlier post, Poetry month and civic engagement. I find that introducing young (or older) writers to simple poetic forms helps get the thoughts and words flowing. And that's a good starting point for broader discussions about freedom of expression, and the corresponding responsibility to listen to others. 

In working with fifth-graders in a series of workshops, we started with haiku and moved to Fibonacci poems (one of my favorite forms). We asked students to write from different perspectives. In one session, they paired up to write poems from opposing points of view. Then we wrote poems in two voices, and read them together. Here's the model that the teacher and I read together: 

Writing poems together facilitated self-expression, listening, and empathy. In our final session, we had a lively conversation about an upcoming school board vote on the school budget, with students sharing and listening and considering different sides of the discussion. It was a joy to see the kids modeling the skills we all need for constructive dialog.

As my friend Kathy Halsey put it: 

Creating Poems + Exploring Free Speech = Classroom Engagement.

So in this important election season, let's use our words to engage our youngest community members in civic conversations ... and let's make them proud to participate in their democracy.

Dancing in the Storm: A Middle Grade w/ Disability Representation: Craft Chat with Amie Darnell Specht & Shannon Hitchcock by Kathy Halsey

The GROG is excited to feature DANCING IN THE STORM, a realistic middle grade novel, as our first past after our summer hiatus. I've known Shannon since some of her earliest books and was excited to meet co-author Amie Darnell Specht through our craft chat. We’ll be discussing co-authoring, secondary characters, and writing about disabilities. In Amie’s case, it is a rare genetic disorder, Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP).

DANCING IN THE STORM Book Review 

DANCING IN THE STORM, a realistic, contemporary middle grade book, features the typical pursuits of changing friendships, sports, and first crushes through the lens of main character Kate who discovers at age 12 that she has FOP (fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) a rare musculoskeletal condition with no cure. The stakes couldn’t be higher, as Kate is a competitive gymnast who can’t imagine not being a part of her school team. With this disorder comes the wish to have her old life back, or at least for others to see her without thinking she's inspirational or to be pitied. She wants to have her new normal to be accepted as "her normal".

I welcomed the opportunity to explore more children’s literature that focuses on disability representation. DANCING IN THE STORM is a solid choice to expand our experiences and knowledge of the challenges and joys that disabilities bring. This middle grade novel's authentic voice comes from author Amie and co-author Shannon Hitchcock. Having a seamless voice with 2 authors is not easy, and this duo does it well.  Kate’s character mirrors many of the same experiences and feelings Amie discovered coping with her disorder. FOP develops bone in areas of the body where it is not normally present such as ligaments, tendons, and skeletal muscles. 

The novel has an engaging epistolary style with Kate writing penpal emails to the fictional Amie Specht, her 35 year old mentor who also has FOB. With her mentor’s help, Kate sees she is able to find a new normal by keeping a “flexible mind” in an “inflexible” body. Her friends, family, and classmates also have adjustments to make, too, in their relationships to Kate. How family, friends and classmates navigate mixed feelings adds even more depth to this story. 

With her support system finally in place, Kate also conquers her fear of speaking when gives a motivational speech for her entire middle school and a call for action to raise funds and awareness for FOP.

As a former 7th grade English teacher and school librarian, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for school and classroom libraries as well as a class read aloud that will engage multiple audiences. While Kate’s story centers on a specific disability, it speaks to the universal experience we all have coping with the ups and downs of life, especially those tender, turbulent  middle school years.

Craft Chat with Amie Darnell Specht & Shannon Hitchcock

Kathy: Amie and Shannon, what are your tips for writers who have never written a book together before? What are the benefits of joint authorship? Are there any drawbacks?

We didn’t know each other very well and so we got to know each other by filling out this character worksheet: https://www.novel-software.com/character-questionnaire/. The worksheet served two purposes. It was a great conversation starter and it also allowed us to start developing our characters. 

Amie: benefit to joint authorship: I had never written a book before so Shannon was able to guide me through the process. 

Shannon: The benefit to me is that I wasn’t starting with a blank slate since much of the book is drawn from Amie’s life. The drawback to collaborating is it is a slower process since every decision requires two people to come to consensus. 

Kathy: I know from Amie's Author Note that much of this book is autobiographical. How did you weave in the fiction with the information from your life?

Amie: I changed most of the names and ages of characters that are inspired by real people. The timeline of the book differs from my life as well. I was diagnosed with FOP at four and a half rather than twelve like our main character. When I would tell Shannon about my life, (like managing my high school’s gymnastics team), she would often say we could use that in our plot and just change it to middle school.  

Kathy: Have you done any author visits together? What are you finding that readers like most about this middle grade?

Amie: We had a joint book launch and we’ve spoken to a book club. Due to my disability, travel is hard for me and so our joint in-person appearances are limited. We’d love the opportunity to connect virtually though and recently appeared on the Reading With Your Kids podcast. You can listen to us here: 

https://readingwithyourkids.libsyn.com/how-fantasy-and-realism-can-educate-and-inspire-young-readers

Amie: I find readers are very curious about what it’s like to live with a rare genetic disorder and I’m always honest in my replies.

Kathy: It's refreshing to read a book where siblings support each other as Chris and Kate do. I like the secondary cast of characters and the themes of diversity. How many secondary characters do you recommend a middle grade book have? How do you flesh out secondary characters, making them more than just the main character’s sidekick?

Amie: We don’t have a recommendation for how many secondary characters a middle grade book needs. It truly depends on the story. 

Shannon: I will share an anecdote though from a critique I had with Richard Peck on my book, The Ballad of Jessie Pearl. He pointed out that two of my characters were similar and recommended that I combine them. So… my advice is to be sure each of your characters is unique and that your story has a definite need for every one of them. To quote Richard Peck, “I’m afraid you have too many characters auditioning for a part in your novel.”

Amie: I combined characters as well. In Dancing In The Storm, the character Mindy is a combination of a lot of my friends. Izaak is a combination of my husband and other guys I have been friends with. 

Kathy: What would you both like readers to take away about the challenges of FOP and other genetic disorders? Genetics and DNA are mainstream topics, and we see advertisements from 23andMe and companies like them. What are your thoughts on gene testing as a "gift"? (I had genetic testing and counseling a few years ago when we discovered Lynch syndrome in our family. I had complicated feelings about it. One of us tested positive for it, while four of us have had various forms of cancer.)

Amie: A big problem with genetic disorders is there are so many of them and even the same disorder presents itself differently from person to person. This is a quote from page 49 of our book. “…just like no two zebras have identical stripes, no two people with FOP experience it exactly the same way.”

I have used 23andMe for fun, but it doesn’t take the place of genetic counseling. 

Shannon: The only genetic testing I’ve done was to determine if I had any of the genetic markers for breast cancer. This was done by a simple blood test at the doctor’s office. 

As for a takeaway, I hope young readers stretch their empathetic muscles and step inside the shoes of someone whose life experience is different than theirs. And if we’ve done our jobs well, they will also see that people with disabilities have a lot to offer as friends and colleagues. 

Author Contact Information

Amie Darnell Specht worked in tech support for a large computer company for many years. She and her husband live in North Carolina with lots of pets. She has Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP), and this, her first novel, is heavily influenced by her story. 

Visit amiespecht.com for more information.

Instagram: @amiespecht

Shannon Hitchcock was born and still lives in North Carolina and grew up in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. She is the author of four previous acclaimed novels for children, including Flying Over Water and Ruby Lee & Me. 

Visit shannonhitchcock.com for more information. 

Instagram: @hitchcock_shannon

The Literary Ecosystem Needs You by Kathy Halsey

 Fragile Ecosystems

Good day, readers. We have a rather heavy, but important topic today, but we'll be taking our annual summer break. We'll be back Wednesday, August 28. Enjoy summer!

With the heat indices climbing and the heat librarians are taking over book selection this year, I‘ve been thinking a lot about change and fragile ecosystems. 

Whether we like it or not, we who share this planet are all connected by our actions, lack of action, or lack of knowledge in the fight for a healthy planet. 

The literary ecosystem is no different. Authors and illustrators, publishers, agents, libraries, educators, and ultimately, readers, are affected by actions taken against literacy and the right to read.

The Literary Ecosystem Today

Citizen groups propelled by a small, vocal minority are causing irreparable harm when they insist school boards, library boards, local and state governments ban or sequester books they deem “pornogprahic” or “obscene,” while not defining these terms. Here in Ohio, two such bills have been introduced in the legislature that propose criminal penalties for librarians who “pander or display obscene or harmful material.”

What is the rest of the literary ecosystem to do? A good first step is to arm ourselves with information about misconceptions regarding how librarians select books. 

When a book challenge comes into a school system, the procedure from the 1980s until recently was guided by a collection development policy written by certified librarians in a district and then approved by the Board of Education. Certified, credentialled librarians take Master’s degree level courses in order to develop good selection policies that meet the needs of diverse, ever-changing communities.  

Fast-forward to the last few years, and we have challenges by groups like Moms for Liberty that advocate against school curricula that mention LGBT rights, race and ethnicity, and critical race theory. School Boards and state legislatures are taking book selection and acquisition out of the hands of library professionals by forming their own committees to decide the fate of materials.They are by-passing the agreed-upon policies set in place by and created by library professionals along with administrators and school boards. 

We can begin to defend our literary ecosystem and arm ourselves with the knowledge of how books are selected for public school libraries. Remember that my words can’t encapsulate the plethora of books written on the theory and practice of selection development or the graduate training taken by certified librarians or the time it takes to stay current on books published in a year.   

What You Should Know about Material Selection  

 

1. Yearly material selection is only possible with well-funded library budgets. Budgets may fluctuate from year to year or be slashed within a year due to school levies not passing. Book costs keep rising, budget may be stagnant.

2. Collection development is based on the library and district’s mission statement, the demographic population the library serves, the information needs of the patrons and educators, and the physical space to house the collection.

3. From the ALA Toolkit for Selection Criteria: “Every library — academic, public, and school (public, private, charter, independent, and international) — should have a comprehensive written policy that guides the selection, deselection or weeding, and reconsideration of library resources. This is the three-part Collection Development process.

4. The most valuable selection policy is current; it is reviewed and revised on a regular basis; and it is familiar to all members of a library’s staff. The policy should be approved by the library’s governing board or other policy-making body and disseminated widely for understanding by all stakeholders.” https://tinyurl.com/45ujc2jr

5. The reconsideration policy of library resources is the main focus in the media and those seeking to challenge resources. The other 2 key components of how books land on library shelves are rarely regarded by the public. They are the heart of selection and where librarians spend their time. Unfortunately book challenges (reconsideration) are taking more and more time. The most predominant criteria used in school libraries is to “support and enrich the curriculum and/or students’ personal interests and learning”. 

5. Here is an example of the Mission Statement from the school district from which I retired: to empower our diverse learning community with access to a rich and evolving collection of resources, both physical and digital. We strive to inspire a love of reading, research, and lifelong learning by providing a welcoming and flexible space that encourages exploration, creativity, and collaboration.

Actionable Takeaways for Allies 

1. Find out who is in charge of book/material selection at your local school or the entire school district. Go to the school librarian, principal, or school board office to get this information.

2 Know that many school districts do not employ certified, credentialled librarians at all buildings. A library may employ a school aide with no degree in education or with no library training. There may be one district-level certified librarian who oversees all the schools.

3. Find out when your local school board meets, attend meetings and stay informed. In states like Texas, authors Chris Barton and Bethany Hegedus attend meetings. (Thank you!) Chris adds this information in his newsletter. If you can’t attend meetings in person, check to see if they are on the school district website. 

4. Get to know your local school librarians and public librarians and ask how you can help them out.

5. Keep abreast of what's at issue. Join Authors Against Banned Books: https://www.authorsagainstbookbans.com/. Discover PEN America https://pen.org/issue/book-bans/

Let’s keep our literary ecosystem strong so we all have FREADom to Read! Please add other supportive organizations or allies in the comments.

Fourth Graders Actively Engaged in A Picture Book Look

Illustration Notes [To note? Or not to note?] by Guest post author Beth Anderson

 Today I welcome back author Beth Anderson to the Grog Blog. Her latest picture book, Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science: Bias, Truth, and a Mighty Moose! published May 14, 2024, from Calkins Creek.

Illustration notes are one of those things authors always have questions about. To note? Or not to note? We’re told they have negative effects. But we also tend to think they’re necessary at times. As a writer of narrative nonfiction, I know details have to be right, but at the same time, I don’t want notes to detract from a read by an editor or overstep with an illustrator.

As I pored over the pre-publication passes for THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE: BIAS, TRUTH, AND A MIGHTY MOOSE!, checking art and text before it went out for printing, I was amazed at how illustrator Jeremy Holmes had merged text and art. The finished spreads were so seamless and intertwined that I couldn’t tell what I had written in the manuscript and what he had added in illustration. When I see books like that, I often wonder what specifically was in the text, illustration notes, and added in art.

So, I went back to see the evolution…

The submitted manuscript had a few illustration notes within the story, including a few optional quotes that could be used. I also had a note for the editor at the end, as I usually do, containing some specifics on the situation in a few scenes to help clarify for an illustrator what wasn’t contained in the text.

Then I looked at the editorial revisions…

Most all the illustration notes in the story disappeared during this process. Why? The revisions clarified so the notes weren’t needed. Sometimes the addition or changing of as little as one word can eliminate the need for a note.

 That brought me to compare that final manuscript with the book to see how Jeremy worked his magic…

Well, first of all, it was abundantly clear at the sketch stage that he had dug deep into research himself. The art was filled with magnificent details. Some spreads had a somewhat graphic novel-ish (yes, I’m sure that’s the correct art term) look that included bits of text. So…where did some of those text pieces originate?

Here are a few examples of text in art and art in text: 

Take a look at this spread and guess what came from me and what came from Jeremy… 

My text had the first three exclamation words (because, of course, I love sets of three!), and he added the 4^th. With his format using four panels, the addition of “poppycock” was perfect.

On a previous page, there are a couple similar words added in the art that were his.

 Jeremy also used little white boxes with comments or a few words in various spots. A few originated in my text, and he moved them into the art, but most of those are his creation. Some of those boxes add humor, others offer historical tidbits (which could have come from a scene  illustration note, but I don’t think they did).

 There are also a few primary source documents in the art. Jeremy’s choices showcase priceless examples that enhance the story and most definitely provide something for kids to pore over on a second read and likely inspire “Whaaaaaaat?”…LOL…“ew.” One of the documents was the bill for the moose. I had tried to find a way to include pieces of it in the text, but it ended up being cut. Jeremy didn’t know that. What fun to see it on the page in the art!

 He totally got my tone and angle, and made it all come to life. He amped up the emotional arc, added to pacing, and brought so much creative fun to the story. And in the end, guess what, he didn’t need my illustration notes. He didn’t use the quotes I offered, didn’t depend on my scene details. He illustrated his vision of the story and integrated it perfectly with mine. Luck? No. Skill. A skilled and wonderfully creative illustrator, chosen by a skilled editor, Carolyn Yoder, who matched just the right illustrator to the text!

 So, my conclusion is…

Unless your story is very different than what the reader needs to see, the old adage applies—the fewer the illustration notes, the better. For me, cutting them forces more clarity in the writing.

 We hope you’ll enjoy the story!

 

Watch the introductory video!

Publisher book page: https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/thomas-jeffersons-battle-for-science-9781635926200/

For signed copies, visit Old Firehouse Books here: https://www.oldfirehousebooks.com/book/9781635926200

 

Educator Guide: https://astrapublishinghouse.com/resources/thomas-jefferson-guide/

Class Video Visit with Beth Anderson and illustrator Jeremy Holmes from Second Star to the Right Bookstore: https://youtu.be/ijn7pN3MoE8  

For more on Beth’s books and to explore her blog, visit https://bethandersonwriter.com 

 

Serious Science Presented Not So Seriously

by Sue Heavenrich

Greenwillow Books, June 4, 2024

 I love it when an author can present serious science in a fun – and even humorous – way. So I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Abi Cushman’s newest picture book, Flamingos Are Pretty Funky. It’s the second (Not So) Serious Guide book and just as fun to read as her earlier guide, Wombats Are Pretty Weird, which  I reviewed last year.

Flamingos are tall wading birds that wear bright pink feathers. And they have pink legs and even pink feet. You may have seen some at a zoo or in an aviary, and recently they’ve been in the news. Since last summer, flamingos have taken up residence in Florida in places where they haven’t been seen for decades. Flamingos, it turns out, were once common in Florida. But their lovely pink plumage was prized for decorating ladies hats. So flamingos were hunted out of existence in the 1800s. And now they’re back – perhaps blown in by hurricane, say some scientists.

So now is the perfect time to learn more about these flamboyant birds. In her book, Abi Cushman invites readers to get up close and personal with flamingos. But not that close!

“Back up a little,” she writes. “A little more …There! Behold the flamingo…”  And with that she’s off and telling us all about where flamingos live and their names (er, species), and why their feathers are pink. It has to do with what they eat – shrimp – and … 

“Have you tried eating more peas? I hear green is a pretty stylish color, too.” 

Sorry for the interruption. That was Joey the snake. He hangs out in sidebars and page margins adding comedic commentary. Back to flamingos … I enjoyed Abi’s new book so much that I invited her over to the GROG for a cuppa and a chat.

Sue: I love the beginning "too close... back up..." How did you decide where to begin with this book?

Abi Cushman

Abi: With both Wombats Are Pretty Weird and Flamingos Are Pretty Funky, I like to think of the narrator as someone who is trying to do a serious nature documentary, but things go a bit sideways. I thought it would be funny to play with the idea of “Can you spot the flamingo?” Well, of course you can because it’s bright pink. So I thought I’d take it a step further (or rather, a step too close) and zoom in all the way to its feathers to start.

Sue:  You've got a map to show where different flamingos are found around the world. And I think this is where we first meet their personalities. How and when did you decide the Lesser Flamingo would be cranky?

Abi: I mean, wouldn’t you be cranky if your name was Lesser? No doubt the name came about because this flamingo is small, but surely we could come up with a better name. It’s a bit insulting. To be fair, none of the flamingos have very creative common names, which was great for me because it provided fodder for jokes.

Sue: What inspired you to write this book?

Abi: I always wanted to make more “[Not So] Serious Guide” books in a similar vein to Wombats Are Pretty Weird. But I added flamingos as a potential animal to pitch to my editor after reading a National Geographic Kids article about how flamingos can live in very extreme environments. I had already known about them getting their pink coloring from their food, but I learned about their tough scaly legs and their ability to drink salt water from the article. That made me want to dig even deeper, and I discovered even more cool traits. I think flamingos make a great subject for a book because most people are familiar with them but may not know how weird and special they are.

Sue:  Do you have flamingos living anywhere near you? (Not that flamingos are native to Connecticut) 

Abi: I am lucky in that I often see wading birds where I live in Connecticut, including snowy egrets and great blue herons. However, the closest flamingos probably live at the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island.

Sue: We first met Joey-the-Snake in your Wombat book. When did you decide he'd be in Flamingos are Pretty Funky? And will we see him in any future books?

Abi: When I was thinking about how to continue the series, I actually wasn’t sure if I should have Joey the snake again or a different animal to provide commentary. But then once I thought of the joke comparing the bright pink color of the flamingos to Joey’s “drab pea-greeny” color, I felt like I could make it work. I like having him in this second book because it adds continuity to the series. I have ideas for more animals Joey can meet, and it is my sincere hope that you will see him in future books!

Sue: Thanks for hanging out at the GROG, and I can’t wait to see more “not so serious” guides! 

Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of Soaked! (Viking, 2020), Animals Go Vroom! (Viking, 2021 Wombats Are Pretty Weird (Greenwillow Books, 2023) and illustrated The Quiet Forest (written by Charlotte Offsay) published earlier this year. When she’s not writing about weird animals, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and two kids. Find out more about Abi and her books at her website at her website.