Big Books of 2026
Some Kids I Taught & What They Taught Me

Questions About Some Kids I Taught & What They Taught Me

by Kate Clanchy (Goodreads Author)

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Answered Questions (1)

Why is it criticised?
Cecily Why is it criticised?
1. The relentless, and often inappropriate, descriptions of children's bodies. The oft-quoted “chocolate-coloured skin” and “almo…moreWhy is it criticised?
1. The relentless, and often inappropriate, descriptions of children's bodies. The oft-quoted “chocolate-coloured skin” and “almond-shaped eyes” are clearly intended as complimentary, but there's lots of weird othering, especially of girls who gain weight, her reluctance to accept a boy with "a fine Ashkenazi nose" wasn't Jewish, and she's dismissive of autistic and gender-non-conforming kids.
2. The way she reacted to criticism. The author claimed quotes that she herself described as "racist" were made up (they weren't), then asked her many poetry fan followers on Twitter to flag GR reviews. When there was push-back (most of it polite), she played victim.
3. Read some of the GR reviews that give the book three stars and less. Several of them give many examples of #1 and explain #2. Nearly all the comment pieces by journalists, like the Unherd piece, give too much emphasis to a handful of less offensive phrases and totally fail to mention that it was Clanchy herself who started the firestorm by whipping up her fans, based on her lies. It's a shame, because there are some good and interesting bits in the book, all overshadowed now. (less)
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