Diverse Literature Text Set: Bullying K-2
Summary of Text:
Chrysanthemum is about a young girl who loved her name growing up. This all changed when she went to school and her classmates teased her. She became very sad and no longer liked her name. She learned to be herself and love who she is.
Critical Review:
Strengths: A strength of this book is the way the students can relate to the young girl. She was nervous about school because people made fun of her and her name, causing her to not have friends. She eventually found happiness in her name and learned that her teachers name was a flower too. This teaches children that there is always someone to relate to and create friendships with, even when it feels like there is not. She found happiness in herself and that is a great message for young children.
Weaknesses: A weakness of this book is that it may not be as relatable for a young boy as it may be for a young girl. The main character is female and it may be difficult for a child of a different gender to picture themselves in those shoes because of the gender barrier. This could be changed by adding a male character who also struggles with being bullied and befriends Chrysanthemum.
The author's perspective is unique because he has written many children's book that have received awards, including the Caldecott Medal and the John Newbery Medal. His books are often some kind of lesson for children, helping them to become healthy and happy human beings. His books are colorful and joyful, making them exciting for children to read. His ability to cover many different concepts, including bullying, makes him a wonderful author.
The illustrations are very important in this book because they helps guide the reader toward a better understanding of what it really happening. The illustrations are creative, bright, and help children find themselves in the story. The students in the story all look different and that helps the readers relate to a character in the story and gain a deeper understanding of the message.
The main character is a young girl who becomes the minority due to her unique name. The characters are animals, therefore race and ethnicity aren't specified, but we can see a difference in fur colors between students. Using a girl as the main character symbolizes the struggle of girls being viewed as inferior to boys. It is much more stereotypical that a young girl be teased and bullied rather than a boy, whether that actually be accurate or not. By using a young girl as the main character, Henkes is relating to the young girls and trying to help them appreciate what makes them unique.
The author does a wonderful job of connecting people through small acts of kindness. The young girl realizes her music teacher's name is also a flower and they immediately bond. We never discover the differences between the animals of different fur colors, but that inclusion is important to the concept of the novel. Everyone is supposed to be represented somehow in this story and connected to unite students of all shapes, sizes, and names.
Classroom Connections:
Main Themes: The main theme of this text is that treating others with kindness is important because people are always in need of it. It teaches to be brave and be happy with who you are, no matter if others try to bring you down. It teaches that friends can unite and celebrate what makes them unique.
Possible Activities: An activity the students could participate in after reading this book would be to write down something that makes them unique. This unique trait would be made into a poster for the classroom wall. They can decorate it however they want, making it their own unique project. Another activity could be encouraging students to look for traits in others that seem similar to yours, and pursue a friendship with them. This builds community in the classroom and teaches students to always have an open mind towards others.
Additional Resources:
1. http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=11853#.Wt0hMa2ZNAY
The link above takes you to a website to help teachers and students learn names. There are games included and lots of various activities to ensure everyone knows all the names of their peers.
2. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/classroom-activities-first-day-school-icebreakers-grades-kx965/
The link above takes you to a website about activities that a teacher can lead on the first day of school. The games and activities promote community and name learning.
3. http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/RespectingOthers.html
The link above takes you to a website with activities for practicing respect in the classroom.
Chrysanthemum is about a young girl who loved her name growing up. This all changed when she went to school and her classmates teased her. She became very sad and no longer liked her name. She learned to be herself and love who she is.
Critical Review:
Strengths: A strength of this book is the way the students can relate to the young girl. She was nervous about school because people made fun of her and her name, causing her to not have friends. She eventually found happiness in her name and learned that her teachers name was a flower too. This teaches children that there is always someone to relate to and create friendships with, even when it feels like there is not. She found happiness in herself and that is a great message for young children.
Weaknesses: A weakness of this book is that it may not be as relatable for a young boy as it may be for a young girl. The main character is female and it may be difficult for a child of a different gender to picture themselves in those shoes because of the gender barrier. This could be changed by adding a male character who also struggles with being bullied and befriends Chrysanthemum.
The author's perspective is unique because he has written many children's book that have received awards, including the Caldecott Medal and the John Newbery Medal. His books are often some kind of lesson for children, helping them to become healthy and happy human beings. His books are colorful and joyful, making them exciting for children to read. His ability to cover many different concepts, including bullying, makes him a wonderful author.
The illustrations are very important in this book because they helps guide the reader toward a better understanding of what it really happening. The illustrations are creative, bright, and help children find themselves in the story. The students in the story all look different and that helps the readers relate to a character in the story and gain a deeper understanding of the message.
The main character is a young girl who becomes the minority due to her unique name. The characters are animals, therefore race and ethnicity aren't specified, but we can see a difference in fur colors between students. Using a girl as the main character symbolizes the struggle of girls being viewed as inferior to boys. It is much more stereotypical that a young girl be teased and bullied rather than a boy, whether that actually be accurate or not. By using a young girl as the main character, Henkes is relating to the young girls and trying to help them appreciate what makes them unique.
The author does a wonderful job of connecting people through small acts of kindness. The young girl realizes her music teacher's name is also a flower and they immediately bond. We never discover the differences between the animals of different fur colors, but that inclusion is important to the concept of the novel. Everyone is supposed to be represented somehow in this story and connected to unite students of all shapes, sizes, and names.
Classroom Connections:
Main Themes: The main theme of this text is that treating others with kindness is important because people are always in need of it. It teaches to be brave and be happy with who you are, no matter if others try to bring you down. It teaches that friends can unite and celebrate what makes them unique.
Possible Activities: An activity the students could participate in after reading this book would be to write down something that makes them unique. This unique trait would be made into a poster for the classroom wall. They can decorate it however they want, making it their own unique project. Another activity could be encouraging students to look for traits in others that seem similar to yours, and pursue a friendship with them. This builds community in the classroom and teaches students to always have an open mind towards others.
Additional Resources:
1. http://www.pecentral.org/lessonideas/ViewLesson.asp?ID=11853#.Wt0hMa2ZNAY
The link above takes you to a website to help teachers and students learn names. There are games included and lots of various activities to ensure everyone knows all the names of their peers.
2. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/classroom-activities-first-day-school-icebreakers-grades-kx965/
The link above takes you to a website about activities that a teacher can lead on the first day of school. The games and activities promote community and name learning.
3. http://www.goodcharacter.com/BCBC/RespectingOthers.html
The link above takes you to a website with activities for practicing respect in the classroom.