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.