Culturally Relevant Texts

Proposed by Kelly Heighway

Jenny states that “this story is meant to show children that even if someone is across the world in another country, there is always going to be something in common...The story shows how two boys living oceans apart can be the best of friends…It also shows the young readers that despite cultural differences, it is important to embrace their own cultures, as well as someone else’s. This book would be very useful in a classroom setting, there are many activities that go along with it.”

Proposed by Alassandra Mulligan

Alassandra feels that “the story itself is really touching because it shows children that they don’t have to be embarrassed by who they consider family. Even more important is that everyone’s family is different and there isn’t a “right” kind of family. Just like people, family is consistent of all different types of individuals and this is a strong message for children. It opens up talks about inclusion and identifying differences in others and how we can show acceptance and compassion and understand a life or situation different than our own.”

Proposed by Jazlin Vallejo

Jazlin writes that this story “speaks to people who are children of immigrants and immigrants themselves. It talks about the difficulties back at home in Mexico for some of us and the hope of opportunities here in the United States, with families trying to give their children the best future they can…It gives a different perspective to young readers who are still learning about the world. It’s important they get an unpolitical view about immigrants, and show their life without throwing hate towards it…I definitely needed more books like this growing up. “

Proposed by Zaina Abdin

Zaina shares that this book “would resonate with a lot of teenage Muslim girls, especially those who wear the hijab…Abdel-Fattah allows the audience to see how a Muslim teenage girl isn’t so different from non-Muslim girls and shouldn’t be treated any differently either…I understand what it’s like to be Muslim in an environment where there aren’t too many people like me. I felt for Amal as she navigated her way through ignorant comments and misunderstandings…It’s not meant to teach people about what Islam is, it’s meant to show them that Muslims have a different culture that they can choose to follow if they want while also integrating themselves into another kind of culture just like everybody else can.”

Proposed by Lizzie Malcolm

Lizzes states that “this book shows that women and girls are amazing. It shows that they can be whatever they want to be, and they will always be a beautiful person. As a future teacher, I would use this book in my class room to help build confidence and self-esteem in both boys and girls. Making them write something about what makes them beautiful in their own way would be a great exercise to incorporate after reading this.”

Proposed by Tyler DiFatta

Tyler shares that “Spork started off struggling with his self-identity. He didn’t like how he was different and didn’t fit in with his peers, the other cutlery. It wasn’t until the very end of the story where he realized, his individual “talents” and self is as important as others… Even though I plan on teaching at a high school level, I may use this book as an introduction to my class. I want my future students to know my thoughts about differences. I want my students to know that EVERYONE is accepted for who they are or envision themselves to be. Everyone has something to bring to the table, and we need to accept others and ourselves.”

Proposed by Sami Foster

Sami feels that “this book would be very powerful for a child who struggles with anxiety, or even a child that has fears or worries but doesn’t necessarily have anxiety. This book would be a great way to show little kids that it is okay to have their worries and fears and that worrying is nothing to be ashamed of. It can also normalize anxiety/worry for kids because they can relate to Ruby and see how she found other kids, and even adults, who worry too… This book helps to break the mental health stigma starting in young kids, it shows kids that their feelings are important and noticed by their teachers, and it teaches kids that it is great to talk about their worries and that they shouldn’t just keep it to themselves.”

Proposed by Kaitlin Pritchard

Kaitlin shares that “the beautiful thing about Funk’s work is that it is not centered around just the typical image of an activist. It is centered around LGBTQ heroes in every walk of life, in every profession, and in every cultural background. It is not just political organizers and protestors, it is every day people working in classrooms, restaurants, and courtrooms to shape history one day at a time. History is made by ordinary people. This is an incredibly inspirational message to any student looking to make a change in the world regardless of their sexual orientation… With new legislation in Illinois that was passed requiring schools to teach LGBTQ+ history starting next year, it is more important than ever for our students to have access to the voices of these everyday heroes.”

Proposed by Jena Livesay

Jena tells us that “Forgive Me Leonard Peacock is a raw and real book. It takes you through what is believed to be the last day of someone’s life. It talks about suffering caused by someone you trust and care about. I chose it because it is not a book that you can just put down and continue about your normal day. As a future teacher I will use it to remind me that students all have battles they face every day that I do not know about, and it is important to pay attention to the signs that say someone needs help.”

Proposed by Amir Komatsuzaki

Amir praises this book and shares that it is “about young students at school trying to learn all the different languages from each other because a lot of people in the world have a background of growing up in two languages.” He states that “as a future teacher in a field of English I will have every student read this in a class one day and let them discuss about why it is good to have understanding of many languages rather than just one language. This will teach students to be more diverse with language and be open-minded to other cultures that they have yet to know.”

Proposed by Luke Loprieno

Luke shares that “this book…is about a child who is teased about having two dads, and how he ends up realizing his family is not all that different from the other students…I think any child who has not yet experienced any LGBTQ+ situations would react positively to reading this book because of the heartwarming message it shows. This is a good way to be introduced to something that the children may have never seen before because it portrays it in a simple way that promotes equality.”

Proposed by Jacob Kadolph

Jacob tells us that this story “follows the lives of four different children…Throughout the context of this novel, readers will explore the lives of these children in the days leading up to September 11 and how their lives were changed by the 9/11 attacks…Nine,Ten can speak volumes to young people like me who seek a deeper, broader understanding of September 11, 2001….I can confidently say that Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story is, indeed, a culturally relevant text. Not only is the Islam religion respectfully represented through the character of Naheed, but the front and back covers of the book itself also illustrate the diversity in race among the four main protagonists.”

Proposed by Maria Gonzalez

Maria shares that “the women mentioned in this book are women of color, women of different races, women from different cultures and women who look very different from each other. They all came together to a place at one point it seemed impossible to get….As a future Latina teacher, I know I will definitely have this book in my classroom for my student to be able to read it when they feel like they’re losing motivation with their education.”

Proposed by Amy Crumpley, class of 2021

Amy provides a compelling argument for this selection. “The simple yet powerful phrase ‘All Are Welcome’ left me with a clear image as to what theme this story would encompass….A future educator could use this book as an opportunity to portray many concepts that even adults cannot seem to grow comfortable explaining, but in a light hearted and simple way. Not only does this book touch base on culturally relevant topics of our time (language and religion especially) but it also reveals many social diversities that are much more apparent today, such as the LGBTQ community and the differing geographical origins of the citizens in our country.”

Proposed by both Katie Warren, class of 2021 and Euclides Arauz Rivera, class of 2022

Katie states that “It is not a story all about bullying. The major theme is friendship and kindness….This beautifully illustrated story shows young readers how to become caring and supportive upstanders.” Euclides shares that “I chose this book because the topic that it addresses is very meaningful and exposing young kids to this reality could have a profound impact on their social behaviors with other people. I particularly enjoy the fact that it has no words which would lend itself to interpretation and would produce a powerful conversation.”

Proposed by Alyssa Farney, class of 2021:

Alyssa defends her selection as follows. “The book discusses the historical context of racism and the changes the nation has been through to promote equality. The authors describe the historical changes as well as depict how some aspects of history have remained today….This book can be really powerful for any classroom and any student because it is so important to notice how history influences the present. I believe this text can resonate deeply in all students because of its deepness in certain topics. Although the book focuses mainly on the civil rights of African American individuals, there are many connections other minority groups, including women, can make to relate to it…This culturally relevant book could fuel a more accepting society because students from all backgrounds will be aware of more issues and struggles.”

Proposed by Aaron Helbok, class of 2020

Aaron supports his selection of this young adult fiction title about a football player’s struggle with steroids as follows. “This book starts off as a football story…But what Dueker is able to do with all the twists and turns in the story is turn this from a football story to a life story that deals with drug abuse, mental health, and even suicide…One thing that Dueker does in the novel which I really like is not mention the race of any of the characters. Mick could be white, he could be black, he could be mixed. The book never tells us which is empowering….it shows the reader that steroids, and mental health can be a problem for anyone.”