Dear Classroom Teacher,
The reading graphic letter that I have designed and provided to you focuses on the many avenues of diversity that is experienced by our students. I chose the topic of diversity because I had the opportunity to grow up as a military dependent, exposed to numerous races, cultures, and disabilities. The United States is becoming a country that is becoming extremely diverse and it is also reflecting in our schools. Students are accustomed to learning in classrooms beside children of different races, cultures, disabilities (mental and physical), and families of same sex parents. In an effort to help children become accustomed to diversity and guide them in a direction to respect differences, stories written for children designed with diversity as the topic. The books that are on my graphic deal with diversity of shapes, color, race, culture, and disability.
The anchor book in my reading ladder is Feathers by Jaqueline Woodson. The story is about a young girl who learns to see beyond the surface of people and situations to reveal the truth beneath with the help of faith and hope. The four picture books that I selected are “Round Is a Mooncake”, “The Snowy Day”, “My Brother Charlie”, and “The Alvin Ho Series, Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things”. All of these picture book stories deal with diversity in American and Chinese culture, the beautiful transformation of a child’s city after a snowy day, autism and the bond between twin siblings, and a shy, timid young boy who has problems communicating in school but displays a totally different personality at home.
The graphic novel book that I chose was based on the superhero Daredevil. The character Matt Murdock become blinded in an accident and is other senses become enhanced allowing him to fight crime as a superhero. I have always like the comic book hero Daredevil because he is able to do amazing things even though he was blinded. The nonfiction novel that I chose is called The Face Behind the Veil: Extraordinary Live of Muslim Women in America. The reason that I chose this novel is because of the current refugee crisis in the Middle East, and the influx of refugees to our country. Muslim women who are doctors, soccer moms, former political prisoners, rebels, talk about their everyday lives as Muslim women in America and gives the reader a view of their culture. The other two books I chose “Donavan’s Double Trouble” and “Ten Things I Hate About Me” deal with the issue of diversity due to a disability and the pressure of being different from your peers due to your family’s culture.
I hope that these books provide your students with an enjoyable reading experience and help to open their minds to the people and situations that are different from what they are accustomed to.
Thank you,
Shadona Smith
