This week Amber and I continued our Weekly Book VLOG. After our third week of vlogging I wish I could say that we didn't have 10 attempts to record a good video BUT I really enjoy the discussion about the books and academic readings that Amber and I have when we prep for the vlogs. Engaging in conversation about how to incorporate and think about literature in our future classroom is rejuvenating and exciting.
This week I dove into George by Alex Gino, The Boy and the Bindi by Vivek Shrayaand and I am Jazz by Jessica Herthel & Jazz Jennings. I also engaged with some professional readings about addressing and incorporating LGBT literate into our classrooms. All of these thought-provoking and inspiring reads are linked and cited below this week's vlog.
As teachers, we want all of our students to feel respected and accepted in our classroom and school communities. I hope that this VLOG and these resources can help other teachers grow and be inspired to read and teach with these books!
Check out Alex Gino website. They have written two other middle grades novels, You Don't Know Everything, Jilly P! and Rick.
George is the winner of: Lambda Literary Award, Stonewall Award (American Library Association), Children’s Choice Book Awards Debut Author, Juvenile California Book Award
To purchase their book from Amazon click here.
Hear Alex talk about George and other transgender fiction for young readers in this video from Book Circle Online.
Vivek Shraya is an incredible artist and creates a multitude of artistic works. To view her work click here.
To purchase The Boy and the Bindi from Amazon click here.
Pamela Wool interviews Vivek in this video from Gender Spectrum which also includes a reading of the book.
Jessica Herthel is a straight ally who travels around helping teach others about how to use her book as a teaching tool. Her website states, "The main goal of the book was to allow trans kids like Jazz to see themselves in a story for the very first time, but Jessica further explains: 'I thought there should also be a resource for parents and allies like me, who wanted to explain 'transgender' to their kids but didn't know how.'" Jazz Jennings stars in a TLC show called I am Jazz. She is also the author of Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen. Check out her Instagram. To purchase I am Jazz from Amazon click here.
Lesson Plan Links:
Professional Readings:
Literacy Today-Discovering Their Identity: Using Gender Nonconforming Picturebooks in Early Education Classrooms by Suzanne Evans, Susan Gilbert, and Thomas Doyle
Literacy Today-The Power to Include: A Starting Place for Creating GenderInclusive Literacy Classrooms by Dana Stachowiak
Doing What You Can: Considering Ways to Address LGBT Topics in Language Arts Curricula by Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth and Caitlin L. Ryan
Sources
Evans, S., Gilbert, S., & Doyle, T. (2017). Discovering their identity: Using gender nonconforming picture books in early education classrooms. Literacy Today (2411-7862), 34(6), 20–21. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy006.nclive.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=122980736&site=eds-live&scope=site
Gino, A. (2015). George. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Hermann-Wilmarth, J. M. & Ryan, C. L. (2015). Research and policy: Doing what you can: Considering ways to address lgbt topics in language arts curricula. Language Arts, 92(6), 436. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy006.nclive.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.24577535&site=eds-live&scope=site
Herthel, J., Jennings, J., & McNicholas, S. (2014). I am jazz!. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
Shraya, V., & Perera, R. (2016). The boy & the bindi. Vancouver, Canada: Arsenal Pulp Press.
Stachowiak, D. (2018). The power to include: A starting place for creating gender-inclusive literacy classrooms. Literacy Today, (1), 28. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.proxy006.nclive.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsbro&AN=edsbro.A549157363&site=eds-live&scope=site