Diverse Literature Text Set: Bullying K-2
Summary of Text:
What Do You Do With A Problem? is the story of a young boy who is battling with a problem. He talks about how his problem won't seem to go away or get any smaller. It distracts him and keeps him from being able to be happy. One day, however, he decides to face his problem. What he discovers will change the way your students view problems!
Critical Review:
Strengths: A strength of this book is the way the author told the story through the lens of a young boy. The perspective of a young character helps the students find the ability to relate to the character and develop empathy for the boy, and eventually others they encounter who need support during a tough time. This book relates to the child who may be dealing with something that feels huge and is daunting to them, showing them that they are not alone and can overcome this problem they face. It helps students to find the bright side of a tough task, encouraging them to be more optimistic when something difficult is ahead.
Weaknesses: A weakness of this book is the lack of variety in both gender and race. The character physically represents a young white boy. This could possibly make it more difficult for students of other race or gender to relate to him. This weakness could be helped by having other books that discuss overcoming challenges in your library with diverse main characters and scenarios.
The author's perspective is from an "insider perspective" which adds depth to the story and comforts the reader that, even more so, they are not alone. The author writes from the perspective of a husband and father of two children. He has been able to watch his children grow up and face challenges of their own. This helps him to have a better understanding of what a child expresses and feels when they are faced with a difficult task or daunting problem.
The story reveals an authentic character, and keeps from stereotyping him. As stated earlier, he is a young white male, but that is never mentioned or referenced during his struggle to overcome. Problems look different for everyone, but it seems as though the solution can look similar. Kobe Yamada shows this by not labeling the character and then revealing how he can solve it based on his identity, but rather by showing the standard and healthy thought process of anyone facing a challenge.
The illustrations are my favorite part of this story. They tell the story on each page and bring the book to life. The illustrations begin dark and scary, becoming worse and worse as the character grows in his fear. This is the illustrated problem becoming darker and heavier in his life. When he makes the decision to face the problem, the illustrations change into a lighter and brighter scene. This is the illustrated bravery within the boy and the illustrated opportunity found in problems.
The author does a wonderful job of connecting problems with opportunities. There are no references to culture, race, or gender, but there is a connection drawn on a deeper level that could be applied to these things. When teaching students to connect with one another and eliminate stereotypes they may have or worries they may have about fitting in, this book could be a great tool. It teaches children that making connections is important and can often surprise us with the result. The main character discovered that within a big scary problem, there was a great opportunity. He will never see problems the same way. This could be applied to people, because we should always look at people on a deeper level and not judge from the outside.
Classroom Connections:
Main Themes: The main theme of this text is that things are not always what they seem. There may be things we won't notice from the outside, but can only see if we look with kindness and vulnerability. Problems don't have to be scary and take over your life, they can be opportunities for growth and self discovery.
Possible Activities: An activity the students could participate in after reading this book would be to illustrate what a normal sky would look like to them when they feel stressed, and illustrate the sky when they feel happy. This teaches students to be mindful of their emotions and how they perceive things. The sky never changed, but the students perceived the sky differently when they were upset, not seeing the beauty that was always there. Another activity could be students learning how to recognize their emotions when they are afraid and coping with that fear in a healthy way.
Additional Resources:
1. http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/bullies.html
The link above takes you to a website with an article about bullies and the steps to take when you are being bullied. It could be beneficial for both the student who is being bullied, as well as the student that is bullying to read.
2. http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/being-bullied.html
The link above takes you to a website with an article about how to help someone who is being bullied. This encourages students to not be bystanders, but to help and protect each other from harm.
3. http://classroom.kidshealth.org/prekto2/problems/emotions/bullying.pdf
The link above takes you to a website with lesson plans and objectives for children learning about bullying prevention.
What Do You Do With A Problem? is the story of a young boy who is battling with a problem. He talks about how his problem won't seem to go away or get any smaller. It distracts him and keeps him from being able to be happy. One day, however, he decides to face his problem. What he discovers will change the way your students view problems!
Critical Review:
Strengths: A strength of this book is the way the author told the story through the lens of a young boy. The perspective of a young character helps the students find the ability to relate to the character and develop empathy for the boy, and eventually others they encounter who need support during a tough time. This book relates to the child who may be dealing with something that feels huge and is daunting to them, showing them that they are not alone and can overcome this problem they face. It helps students to find the bright side of a tough task, encouraging them to be more optimistic when something difficult is ahead.
Weaknesses: A weakness of this book is the lack of variety in both gender and race. The character physically represents a young white boy. This could possibly make it more difficult for students of other race or gender to relate to him. This weakness could be helped by having other books that discuss overcoming challenges in your library with diverse main characters and scenarios.
The author's perspective is from an "insider perspective" which adds depth to the story and comforts the reader that, even more so, they are not alone. The author writes from the perspective of a husband and father of two children. He has been able to watch his children grow up and face challenges of their own. This helps him to have a better understanding of what a child expresses and feels when they are faced with a difficult task or daunting problem.
The story reveals an authentic character, and keeps from stereotyping him. As stated earlier, he is a young white male, but that is never mentioned or referenced during his struggle to overcome. Problems look different for everyone, but it seems as though the solution can look similar. Kobe Yamada shows this by not labeling the character and then revealing how he can solve it based on his identity, but rather by showing the standard and healthy thought process of anyone facing a challenge.
The illustrations are my favorite part of this story. They tell the story on each page and bring the book to life. The illustrations begin dark and scary, becoming worse and worse as the character grows in his fear. This is the illustrated problem becoming darker and heavier in his life. When he makes the decision to face the problem, the illustrations change into a lighter and brighter scene. This is the illustrated bravery within the boy and the illustrated opportunity found in problems.
The author does a wonderful job of connecting problems with opportunities. There are no references to culture, race, or gender, but there is a connection drawn on a deeper level that could be applied to these things. When teaching students to connect with one another and eliminate stereotypes they may have or worries they may have about fitting in, this book could be a great tool. It teaches children that making connections is important and can often surprise us with the result. The main character discovered that within a big scary problem, there was a great opportunity. He will never see problems the same way. This could be applied to people, because we should always look at people on a deeper level and not judge from the outside.
Classroom Connections:
Main Themes: The main theme of this text is that things are not always what they seem. There may be things we won't notice from the outside, but can only see if we look with kindness and vulnerability. Problems don't have to be scary and take over your life, they can be opportunities for growth and self discovery.
Possible Activities: An activity the students could participate in after reading this book would be to illustrate what a normal sky would look like to them when they feel stressed, and illustrate the sky when they feel happy. This teaches students to be mindful of their emotions and how they perceive things. The sky never changed, but the students perceived the sky differently when they were upset, not seeing the beauty that was always there. Another activity could be students learning how to recognize their emotions when they are afraid and coping with that fear in a healthy way.
Additional Resources:
1. http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/bullies.html
The link above takes you to a website with an article about bullies and the steps to take when you are being bullied. It could be beneficial for both the student who is being bullied, as well as the student that is bullying to read.
2. http://kidshealth.org/en/kids/being-bullied.html
The link above takes you to a website with an article about how to help someone who is being bullied. This encourages students to not be bystanders, but to help and protect each other from harm.
3. http://classroom.kidshealth.org/prekto2/problems/emotions/bullying.pdf
The link above takes you to a website with lesson plans and objectives for children learning about bullying prevention.