Reading Ladder
Anchor book: Feathers
Theme: Cultural Diversity
Picture Books:
The Other Side, by: Jacqueline Woodson
This book is about a large fence that separates Clover and her family from white people on the other side. This book helps children understand the racism and prejudice world that we live in. It teaches them that anyone can be friends regardless of how that person looks.
Mixed Me, by: Taye Diggs
Mixed me is about a boy named Mike who is biracial and these creates a lot of question for the boy. This teaches children to have confidence in who they are. It also teaches children to embrace where they come from.
Sneetches, by Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss teaches children a valuable lesson about diversity through the book Sneetches. Sneetches are creatures that are separated by having or not having stars on their bellies. The Sneetches who have the stars think they are the best and the ones without the stars are depressed and can’t hang out with star bellied Sneetches. This book teaches children that race and ethnicity are not dividing lines on our society and that we can coexist with one another regardless of out external differences.
The Name Jar, by: Yangsook Choi
This book tells a story about a girl whose culture and language differences cause her to be embarrassed about her name when coming to America because it is different from all the other American children. She brings in a jar to school and allows other children to help her pick out a new name. This book helps teach children to always be themselves in new areas or new experiences.