Monday, January 25, 2010

Books with a message...

Today I read the book, Oliver Button is a Sissy, by Tomie dePaola. While I do not condone the use of the word "sissy," the book has a great message and makes a point. In the story, a young boy likes activities that his friends and family consider to be "girl" activities--including dancing. His peers make fun of him because he doesn't want to do "boy things." But Oliver sticks to his interests and becomes a fantastic tap dancer, and his peers see that Oliver is a star for becoming good at what he loves.
If your child was at school today, ask him or her about this book. I think it could provide for some interesting discussion. Tomorrow, I will read Amazing Grace, a story about a girl who is told that she can't be Peter Pan in a play because she is a black girl, not a white boy. She proves them wrong! We will compare the two books and try to make text-to-text connections.

I love talking with people about books, so I thought you might enjoy some ideas for discussion at home!

No comments:

Post a Comment