Jul 24

Jul 24 Episode 72: Classic Children's Book Dilemma

The book friends are back to share stories about what’s been going on in their lives and also discuss the dilemma of classic children’s books that contain racist or sexist themes or scenes.

First, the book friends catch up on each other’s lives. Alvina has been doing o.k., but her father has a health scare and she’s asking that if people are into praying, that they send prayers for him. In other exciting news, she is getting ready to go on vacation in Vermont! She rented an Air BnB and she took a COVID test! She has a work focus meeting coming up and it’s the second one since the pandemic. It really shows how much time has gone by. They’ll be focusing on the summer 2021 season.

Unfortunately, Grace’s family lost one of their chickens named Blackhole. They’re not sure how he died, but luckily it did not spread to the rest of the chickens. The vet believes it may have been something he ate. They were surprised how reasonably priced the vet was!

The Classic Book Dilemma:

The Book friends respond to a question from Robin, one of their listeners:

As a parent, I feel unsure how to proceed. Do I share these books in a censored way with my kids? What happens when they go to read these on their own someday or when they want to listen to an audio book of it? Do I read the books as is and have discussions? What if I’m not there for discussions, do I skip the book altogether? Do I just have faith that I have provided enough diversity in our daily life and on our bookshelf that my kids will be able to spot or dismiss those passages? On a larger scale, what if parents or teachers or kids and don’t think to have any discussion about the events or the passages?

These are loaded but great questions!

Grace thinks these kids will not be picking up the classics on THEIR OWN. They won’t come to them on their own and really will only through schools and adults wanting to share with them. “If you’re concerned I think as a parent, you have control over that. I loved the classics as a kid.”

It reminded Grace of the PBS talk she did about Little House on the Prairie being racist.

Grace didn’t think it was going to be that controversial. she received SO many negative comments. People were violently angry with her! It made her realize that it’s because I insulted Little House on the Prairie. It’s like the confederate flag..some people are clinging so hard to it even though it’s clearly a symbol of racism and slavery.

Alvina mentions some books that aren’t even that old but have content issues. “You can enjoy the story but also get to see the history of our world.” There can be cultural lessons if reading these older books with a teacher.

Grace was talking about that time she got into an argument with a friend about The Secret Garden. Her friend was saying “but that’s history, that’s what it was like back then.” That’s true….but it’s still racists. Grace says, “it’s not that we need to change the writing of the Secret Garden. It goes to show that we do need to change the cannon. We can’t have all these books that keep reinforcing the racists beliefs all across the board.

Alvina agrees that if you’re encountering enough different diverse books, then one book that is racist or outdated will not damage your children.

What are we grateful for?

Grace is grateful for her chickens being O.k. She is also grateful that we can call change. Even though it’s painful, it is possible.

Alvina is thankful that her family is in relatively good health and still around. She was sad to hear about the Glee actress, Naya Rivera’s accidental drowning death and it made her realize she is just grateful for life.

2-minute book review with Alison Morris:

The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudso

This powerful collection of short stories, essays, poems, and art is a call-to-action that invites all families to be anti-racist and advocates for change.

Alison Morris is a nationally recognized children's book buyer with an infectious enthusiasm for reading and 20 years' experience matching books to readers. As the Senior Director of Title Selection for nonprofit First Book, she oversees the curation of children’s and young adult books on the First Book Marketplace, hand-selecting a diverse range of titles that speak to and address the needs of kids in underserved communities, with a keen eye to inclusion, authenticity, and kid-appeal. She previously served as Senior Editor at Scholastic Book Clubs, Children's Book Buyer for Wellesley Booksmith and The Dartmouth Bookstore, and was the founding blogger of the ShelfTalker children’s book blog for Publishers Weekly. She'll be joining us from her home near Washington, DC where she spends LOTS of time discussing books with her husband, illustrator and graphic novelist Gareth Hinds.