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Book review-Smart son has really started noticing people have different colors of skin, peoples, accents, different styles of dress, etc.. He noticed before but never really thought about it- lately he has started trying to identify where people or their ancestors came from. This is a complex task for a 6 year old. The other day at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike he informed me we were some of the only ones in there with “pinkish-whitish” skin. Although New England has a fair amount of diversity, my son unfortunately doesn’t encounter very much on an intimate personal level. I wanted to at least find him pictures of people around the world so he could start to understand more about different peoples and their heritage.
If you know me you know I am passionate about being informed and making a difference in the world. My children WILL grow up knowing how people live other parts of the world and appreciating what they have. I don’t think they can ever understand their true accountability if they don’t. Most Americans live a very sheltered, ethnocentric, egocentric life. Way too many people have never had the chance to see how others live, to understand true poverty, disease issues, etc. Well I found 2 fabulous books that smart son has literally been eating up —begging to read them I limit him to 3 pages a day!
The first we read in a week- called A Life Like Mine- it is a fabulous books that highlights children around the world- what they live in what they eat, educational opportunities etc. It discusses serious issues everything from child labor, war, etc. In honest but appropriate ways for a child to understand. I loved that my son is gaining a better appreciation of what he has 3 meals a day, toys, water in his house, shoes, access to education, medicine etc. I think it is a must for every child to appreciate what they have.
The other is Children Just Like Me. It authentically profiles children from all the continents, what they eat, what they play with, what their school and homes look like, their families, etc. It has been such a wonderful education for smart son. I love that it is opening his eyes to new perspectives, the contributions of cultures, and the richness of diversity in our world.
These make my top 10 list of books every child should read hands down.
5 comments:
those look cool. I promised my kids a multicultural journey this summer (we'd spend a week picking a different country each day and studying it) but then I got burned out and didn't follow through. I'm sure you would have followed through :)
Thanks for the book recs. We're headed to the library tomorrow, so I'll look for them. Great post.
Those look really cool! thanks for the recommendations.
I just discovered a cute Memory game from eeBoo with a multicultural twist.
Have you received the Rockin' Girl Blogger award yet? Stop by my creativity blog and pick one up. :)
Glad I found your blog today. And how nice that you are developing a respect for people from other lands within your family.
You might be interested in the blog I posted yesterday. It's about making your own family crest, or coat of arms. Great for helping children learn about their family history.
You and your fellow bloggers are welcome to come visit my blog anytime. I also have a contest running, called "Spotlight the Youth," which not many have entered so far. Some fabulous prizes. Closing date is August 31st. So why not spread the word--and send in an entry?
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