Last stop on market street activity3/10/2024 Not only is it important for children of color to read books about people who look like them, but it’s very important for white kids to read about kids who are different from them! Only 13% of children’s books published in the last 25 years contain multicultural content, yet nearly 40% of students are children of color. Did they hear the adults gasp at my question? What did it communicate to them regarding conversations about race among white people? I started wondering how often kids talk about race after reading children’s books. The kids talked about the races of the characters and the strong relationship between the main character and his grandmother. It was nominated for the Coretta Scott King Award for exactly that reason. They were very much engaged, showing why this book demonstrates “an appreciation for African American culture and universal human values.” Maybe they were concerned that these children were too young for the conversation. Were they surprised I talked about racial and ethnic differences white people seldom discuss? What makes race so hard to talk about? Were they curious what the kids’ responses would be? Questions run through my mind as I look back on the experience–Is it possible the adults gasped with a smile and a nod of agreement like, “Yes, thank you for talking about this.” I was watching the kids’ faces and didn’t see the adults when this happened. I’ve thought a lot about that gasp since. There were half a dozen adults in the room listening to the story along with the kids. The kids’ nods didn’t surprise me the gasp from the grown-ups did. Today’s question, “ Why do you think the author, Matt de la Peña said in an interview that he specifically wanted suburban kids to read this book?” That led to the reaction that surprised me most of all. I often give the kids something to find the answer to while they listen to a story. The kids noted the two aren’t far apart geographically but are different. It looks like the place with my daddy’s tall work building.” That led to a discussion about homes in urban and suburban areas. Then, a 5-year-old raised her hand and said, “It doesn’t look like here. The kids were pretty quiet they noted the city bus but no one mentioned the diverse characters in the illustrations that are missing from the area we were in. I opened to the first page and asked how the neighborhood in the book looked different from the neighborhood we were in. Here’s the lesson I used– Last Stop on Market Street. The lesson was simple–read and discuss Matt de la Peña’s award winning picture book Last Stop on Market Street. Last week when I had a conversations about race with white suburban kids 5 to 10 years old the response surprised, challenged, and inspired me.
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