Unconscious bias is something I have been reading about and talking about for at least 15 years. So, while reading This is Your Brain on Stereotypes: How Science is Tackling Unconscious Bias, written by Tanya Lloyd Kyi and illustrated by Drew Shannon, I was a bit disturbed by my response to the direction to drawContinue reading “Bias on the Brain”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
What’s In a Name?
Many of us know how it feels to have our name pronounced incorrectly. My name is Leah /Lee-uh/. It isn’t pronounced /Lee/ or /Lay-uh/. Most of the time, people get it right the first time and, if they don’t, I am able to correct them. However, there are lots of people who do not hearContinue reading “What’s In a Name?”
An Invincible Hope
There are a lot of rather disheartening things going on in the world right now. I want to give a shout-out to anyone who takes action to improve the life of another human being. If everyone operated with the goal to just help and not harm, imagine what the world would be like. It wouldContinue reading “An Invincible Hope”
Youth Activism in Action
The role of young people in movements for change has become more visible as social media usage has increased. This is not a new phenomenon, though. Children and teens have historically been involved in social movements for change, even if their roles were eclipsed by those of adults with greater individual power. In Kids onContinue reading “Youth Activism in Action”
The Power of Personal History
There are many practical reasons for knowing about family history. It can help people to make medical decisions, inspire intellectual curiosity, or cause us to search for long-lost rich uncles. But I think there is something deeper within our collective psyche that calls us to search for greater knowledge of where we come from andContinue reading “The Power of Personal History”
We Must Speak the Unspeakable
What happened in Washington, D.C., on January 6 was newsworthy, but it certainly wasn’t new. Violent attacks by mobs of white Americans carrying weapons are not as infrequent as so many of us like to pretend. This was history repeating itself. I in no way wish to diminish the significance of these events. Instead, IContinue reading “We Must Speak the Unspeakable”
Chronic Illness Can Be Beastly
Lycanthropy, or the transformation of a human into a wolf, is probably not the first diagnosis that comes to mind when you think about chronic illness. However, as many people with unrecognized chronic illnesses find out on a daily basis, there are a lot of symptoms and conditions that medical science still cannot explain orContinue reading “Chronic Illness Can Be Beastly”
Making Peace with Stories
Joseph Bruchac has written a number of extraordinary books for children and young adults that have brought the stories of Native American people to a wide audience of readers. Peacemaker will be released in January 2021 and, while the story takes place centuries ago, I feel like it is a perfect message for our times.Continue reading “Making Peace with Stories”
The Paper Boat by Thao Lam
Without the subtitle, “A Refugee Story,” on the cover of The Paper Boat it might be difficult for children to immediately recognize the message that this wordless book shares so beautifully. It isn’t until reaching the end of the book, where there is an author’s note from Lam, that young readers learn exactly what theContinue reading “The Paper Boat by Thao Lam”
Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh
Ada is a character who is learning to see herself through her own eyes. For her entire life, she has tried to be what others want her to be. A respectful and religious daughter for her father. An unconditionally loving daughter for her mother. A studious scholar for colleges and a submissive beauty for men.Continue reading “Every Body Looking by Candice Iloh”
Teaching Social Justice with Children's Books 