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Donna wrote: "Hi, everyone! I am recently getting active on goodreads, though I had an account for a while. I'm a lesbian professor whose research interests revolve around diversity in children's literature and..."
Hi Donna - love the description of what you do! Glad to have you in the group! If you're interested in participating in our next group read, you can cast your vote here: https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...
What are some of your favorite books of children's literature?
Mod
Thank you, Greg and Bill! I like to read a variety of literature. I like reading books with LGBT main characters, especially lesbian because those books reflect my identity. Typically, young adult literature and adult literature feature more gay men or bisexual men as main characters than they do lesbian women or bisexual woman. Trans* people are featured rarely in books overall, as are those who are intersex and/or asexual. The books listed in the poll for the group read illustrate this.
I also like reading books about people who differ from myself. I like history books that feature minority perspectives. I like reading ghost stories. I also like "fluff" literature at times (mindless reading), mysteries, archaeology, educational texts, and--due to my profession--children's and young adult literature.
My favorite children's authors are: Christopher Paul Curtis, Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver, Duncan Tonatiuh, Yuyi Morales, Jaqueline Woodson, Leslea Newman, Tim Tingle, Grace Lin, and Melissa Sweet. (This list would be longer if I included young adult literature.) My favorite children's books are: Los Gatos Black on Halloween; How I Became a Ghost; Donovan's Big Day; The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963; Frindle; the Hank Zipzer series; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon; Separate is Never Equal; and Mommy, Mama, and Me.
I look forward to getting to know people in this group, and to reading more LGBT+ literature.
Hi Donna, welcome!I'll be noting a few of those titles myself - I'm keen to read more children's literature with LGBT leads (as I've mostly only found it in YA or adult fiction, to date)
Hi, Benjamin, I listed my favorite children's books. I did not list only LGBT+ books. There are very few LGBT+ children's books published each year. Here are the ones I like best: Donovan's Big Day; Princess, Princess Ever After; Stella Brings the Family; The Other Boy; George; Red, A Crayon's Story; Daddy, Papa, and Me; and Mommy, Mama, and Me.
Benjamin wrote: "Thanks, Donna - and noted!"You're welcome! Usually, fewer than a half of a percent of children's books published each year have LGBT+ characters. Some of the books I listed have same-sex parents. The main characters are LGBT+ in these books: Princess, Princess Ever After (lesbian or bisexual); The Other Boy (transgender); George (transgender); and Red, a Crayon's Story (transgender). Better Nate than Ever is a children's book that has a gay or bisexual boy as the main character, but I can't think of another book off the top of my head that has a gay or bisexual boy as the main character.
That's a depressingly low statistic, isn't it? Especially since romance is hardly taboo for children's literature in general. At least YA fiction should hopefully be a little bit better?(Maybe I should leave off writing teen ghost stories and return to my own long-abandoned children's fantasy manuscript, as well)
It's difficult to find an exact statistic on both the number of children's books with LGBT+ characters published each year, and the number published overall. Censorship likely plays a role. All 5 of the top 5 most challenged books reported to the American Library Association last year have LGBT+ characters, and that was one reason they were challenged.
Donna wrote: "It's difficult to find an exact statistic on both the number of children's books with LGBT+ characters published each year, and the number published overall. Censorship likely plays a role. All 5 ..."
That's a shame Donna. It sounds like your job is really needed - I'm glad some districts are open to it!
Greg wrote: "Donna wrote: "It's difficult to find an exact statistic on both the number of children's books with LGBT+ characters published each year, and the number published overall. Censorship likely plays ..."
Thanks, Bill! I teach at a university now. I'm a professor teaching prospective elementary teachers. I'm not in a district. However, I teach my students how to create welcoming classrooms for all students, and I teach about the importance of diverse literature, how to prepare for potential book challenges, the messages sent when groups are excluded, etc.
Donna wrote: "Greg wrote: "Donna wrote: "It's difficult to find an exact statistic on both the number of children's books with LGBT+ characters published each year, and the number published overall. Censorship ..."
Even better Donna, It's wonderful to think of the teachers whose approaches might be broadened passing that gift on to their students!
Thanks, Greg! My (ambitious) goal is to make a positive difference in the world by providing future teachers with the tools to create safe classrooms where their students feel valued, safe, and able to be present with their whole selves.
Donna wrote: "Thanks, Greg! My (ambitious) goal is to make a positive difference in the world by providing future teachers with the tools to create safe classrooms where their students feel valued, safe, and ab..."
A worthy goal! :)
Mod
Bill wrote: "Very Good, Donna. How do you deal with the right wing compaints about such books?"There are multiple ways to deal with complaints. I'm not sure whether you're referring to at the university level or at the elementary level.
At the outset of the course/school year explain why it is important for people to have literature that reflects themselves as well as literature that shows the lives of others (see Rudine Sims Bishop re: books as mirrors, windows, and doors). This communicates both expectations and reasoning.
Creating book rationales for books used in classrooms is helpful as well, such as using NCTE's book rationales. This demonstrates professional support for using the text in the classroom, and a teacher can have this in place in case a challenge arises.
One major component is listening. People sometimes just want to be heard, and the complaint goes away after they feel they are heard. The rest of how I would deal with it depends on which level (university or elementary) and what occurs during the conversation. For instance, if someone gripes about Donovan's Big Day being inappropriate, I would ask him/her to please show me what specifically s/he feels is inappropriate. If that person then pointed to the pictures of the moms getting married, I would ask him/her to please explain further why s/he feels that is inappropriate. I might (depending on how the conversation is going), ask them whether s/he feels that any picture book that shows a wedding is inappropriate (e.g. The Keeping Quilt). Sometimes that can change minds/open eyes. Sometimes it doesn't.
Everything truly depends on the grade level, who is making the complaint, previous contact with that person, etc. I would approach it differently if it was a student (elementary or college) than I would if it was a parent/guardian or community member. I would approach it differently with a college student than I would with an elementary student. Context is everything.
I can provide some more specific answers if you want to give more parameters (e.g. person making the complaint).
I'm new to this group as of this morning. I appreciate the books for younger readers. My 9-year-old identifies as androgynous, and perhaps trans, though it's hard to tell just yet. I am the child of lesbians, so we have a lot of Grandmas in our family, and he sees many possibilities for himself. I'd like to find a book for him to let him see himself on the page. I'll go look some of these recommendations up now.
Mod
Welcome Lara! What a fascinating family. What sort of books do you like to read?
I read a lot of memoir and literary fiction. Right now I am listening to "Days Without End" on audible and I was surprised that the protagonist was gay. It wasn't obvious at first, but sort of snuck up on me, which I thought was cool—like it wasn't really in the blurb I read. I'm interested to see where it goes. I am also reading a friend of a friend's fantasy novel, a craft book on writing (I'm a writer also), and just started "The Stranger's Child." I'll read anything from any genre that is well written, and anything even if it is not well written if it is about growing up with LGBTQ families.
Donna wrote: "Hi, Benjamin, I listed my favorite children's books. I did not list only LGBT+ books. There are very few LGBT+ children's books published each year. Here are the ones I like best: Donovan's Big D..."
I bought Red for my son after reading this, and he LOVED it! We both enjoyed it!
Lara wrote: "I bought Red for my son after reading this, and he LOVED it! We both enjoyed it!"I'm so glad to hear that!
Have you read any other books with your child that feature gender non-conforming, androgynous, and/or transgender main characters?
I don't know of any! We talk about it a lot, but this was the first book I had heard of. I'm embarrassed that I haven't looked more extensively for him.
Lara wrote: "I don't know of any! We talk about it a lot, but this was the first book I had heard of. I'm embarrassed that I haven't looked more extensively for him."There aren't that many, honestly. In addition to what I've already listed here are some picture books: Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress; I am Jazz; Not Every Princess; and My Princess Boy. These may not have the best writing, but they do provide representation.These feature younger children than your child, however. George features a girl about your child's age, and The Other Boy features a child who is older than yours.
Lara wrote: "I'm new to this group as of this morning. I appreciate the books for younger readers. My 9-year-old identifies as androgynous, and perhaps trans, though it's hard to tell just yet. I am the child o..."Welcome Lara! So glad to have you in the group! I read The Stranger's Child not long ago, and I want to read Days Without End too - that was one of the nominations I was very intrigued to read in our last group read nominations.
Mod
I loved this book. Hollinghurst is one of my favorite authors. How are you liking it?
I'm really enjoying Stranger's Child...one thing I like about it is that I don't have a clear picture of how it's going to play out. It seems fresh and not formulaic. Also, the kindle is handy for words I don't know. I haven't read an English period story in a long time (there's probably a much better word for the genre then that but it's late) and I love being able to click on a word and learn what it is. It's beautifully written. I'm listening to Days Without End as I drive, and I really love it. It's a pretty gritty war book, but I love how casually they make the love between the two men appear...at first I was like, wait, is that what they meant? it feels very genuine. I have a small feeling that it isn't going to have a happy ending with a bow, but then again, life rarely does either.
Queereaders
Books mentioned in this topic
The Stranger's Child (other topics)Days Without End (other topics)
I am recently getting active on goodreads, though I had an account for a while. I'm a lesbian professor whose research interests revolve around diversity in children's literature and LGBT+ education issues. I used to teach elementary school, and now I teach prospective teachers.