Newman, Leslea. "Heather and her critics." The Horn Book Magazine. Boston: Mar/Apr 1997. Vol. 73, Iss. 2; pg. 149, 5 pgs.
Leslea Newman writes an extensive, passionate article in The Horn Book Magazine questioning her critics, "What messages are you giving to all children, when you pretend there is only one type of family, and render the rest invisible?" (par. 17).
Heather Has Two Mommies along with Daddy's Roommate has experienced an extreme amount of backlash since 1992. First, in Portland, Oregon an anti-gay campaign was launched and those two books were passed around at an organizational meeting to show how there is a "militant sexual agenda" sweeping the nation (par. 10). Second, the two books including another Leslea Newman book Gloria Goes to Gay Pride, began disappearing from the shelves of libraries all across the United States. Soon after, Alyson Publications promised copies of the books to the first libraries that phoned in, and immediately those 500 phone calls came. The third controversy was in New York City surrounding a first grade curriculum called "Children of the Rainbow". This curriculum was a 443 page bibliography designed to teach first graders "respect for all racial and ethnic groups" (par. 13). After a long struggle, Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate were removed from the curriculum.
Leslea Newman began writing these books after her own experience as a Jewish child who thought her family must have something wrong with it since they were never represented in the children's books she read. She knew that children needed to see themselves in the books they read in order to feel like they relate to the story. Leslea Newman is a lesbian, so she has the insider perspective when writing the books that she does, which mostly include a child with lesbian or gay parents. I find Leslea's article to be compelling with the issue of GLBTQ literature on the shelves for children. She writes, "Fear is irrational" (par. 12) and reminds her critics that many of the children who grow up to be gay were raised by heterosexual parents reading them books about heterosexual characters. Therefore, parents who want to embrace the world's diversity by bringing GLBTQ literature into the home are not perpetuating homosexuality. Instead, they are trying to stop the hate by showing an awareness. This awareness is shown in Heather Has Two Mommies by explaining how each family is different, yet special and loving.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Final Project Book 3 - Oliver Button is a Sissy
dePaola, Tomie. Oliver Button is a Sissy. Orlando: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1979.
Oliver didn't do things most boys did. He liked to jump rope, read, play with paper dolls, and play dress-up. His father would yell and tell him to play sports outside. Oliver's parents let him take up tap dancing "just for exercise". He got teased by the boys at school but he kept on practicing. When it was announced that there was going to be a talent show, Oliver's parents let him sign up. The day of the talent show, the auditorium was full and Oliver's performance got lots of applause. Oliver's parents were very proud. However, Oliver didn't win first prize so he was really sad and didn't even want to go to school the next day. His mom made him go to school and when he got there he saw that on the wall where the boys had written, "OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY!" it now said "OLIVER BUTTON IS A STAR!"
The story of Oliver is different from Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate because the actual child in the story is the one with the questionable gender identity instead of one of the parents. The story is meant to break down the stereotypical gender boundaries by addressing that a boy can be very talented at doing "sissy" things. I would probably choose this story last out of the three books to present to my classroom because I don't think it tackles the issues of diversity and acceptance as well as the other two. I think it first pokes fun at a boy for what he likes to do and then tries to get the reader to get over their own judgments about Oliver by showing he has a real talent. What if a boy likes to dance and sing but isn't very good at it, would it be alright for the kids at school to pick on him then and call him a sissy?
Oliver didn't do things most boys did. He liked to jump rope, read, play with paper dolls, and play dress-up. His father would yell and tell him to play sports outside. Oliver's parents let him take up tap dancing "just for exercise". He got teased by the boys at school but he kept on practicing. When it was announced that there was going to be a talent show, Oliver's parents let him sign up. The day of the talent show, the auditorium was full and Oliver's performance got lots of applause. Oliver's parents were very proud. However, Oliver didn't win first prize so he was really sad and didn't even want to go to school the next day. His mom made him go to school and when he got there he saw that on the wall where the boys had written, "OLIVER BUTTON IS A SISSY!" it now said "OLIVER BUTTON IS A STAR!"
The story of Oliver is different from Heather Has Two Mommies and Daddy's Roommate because the actual child in the story is the one with the questionable gender identity instead of one of the parents. The story is meant to break down the stereotypical gender boundaries by addressing that a boy can be very talented at doing "sissy" things. I would probably choose this story last out of the three books to present to my classroom because I don't think it tackles the issues of diversity and acceptance as well as the other two. I think it first pokes fun at a boy for what he likes to do and then tries to get the reader to get over their own judgments about Oliver by showing he has a real talent. What if a boy likes to dance and sing but isn't very good at it, would it be alright for the kids at school to pick on him then and call him a sissy?
Final Project Book Two - Daddy's Roommate
Willhoite, Michael. Daddy's Roommate. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications, 1990.
Daddy's Roommate is the story of a young boy (unnamed) whose parents divorced last year and there's now somebody new at Daddy's house. Frank is Daddy's roommate. Frank and Daddy do a lot of things together, such as work around the house together, eat together, sleep together, and even fight together. Just like the young boy's dad, Frank reads to the young boy, chases away his nightmares, and tells him jokes. The three of them also do things together as a family on the weekends like going to the zoo and ballgames. The young boy's mother tells him that Frank and Daddy are "gay" but goes on to explain that "gay" just means its a different kind of love and "love is the best kind of happiness."
The story of Daddy's Roommate also offers a powerful message to go along with how families are different, but its the love and happiness within each family that makes them important. The illustrations themselves take up about 90% of the page and leave a small section for text. This aspect of the book places a lot of emphasis on the image of the family unit and how happy Daddy and Frank are together. As a sidebar: I enjoy that the young boy is a spitting image of his father. One thing that I dislike about this story as a chilren's novel is how it does address the issue of what it means to be gay, but does not say Frank is Daddy's boyfriend, just says its his roommate. I do wonder, as a reader, what the intentions of this are. Unlike Heather Has Two Mommies, this story does not address the other ways people can be members of a family. To bring in a similarity with Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate also has a homosexuality stereotype embedded in it with Frank wearing a theater tee shirt and the two men singing together at the piano.
Daddy's Roommate is the story of a young boy (unnamed) whose parents divorced last year and there's now somebody new at Daddy's house. Frank is Daddy's roommate. Frank and Daddy do a lot of things together, such as work around the house together, eat together, sleep together, and even fight together. Just like the young boy's dad, Frank reads to the young boy, chases away his nightmares, and tells him jokes. The three of them also do things together as a family on the weekends like going to the zoo and ballgames. The young boy's mother tells him that Frank and Daddy are "gay" but goes on to explain that "gay" just means its a different kind of love and "love is the best kind of happiness."
The story of Daddy's Roommate also offers a powerful message to go along with how families are different, but its the love and happiness within each family that makes them important. The illustrations themselves take up about 90% of the page and leave a small section for text. This aspect of the book places a lot of emphasis on the image of the family unit and how happy Daddy and Frank are together. As a sidebar: I enjoy that the young boy is a spitting image of his father. One thing that I dislike about this story as a chilren's novel is how it does address the issue of what it means to be gay, but does not say Frank is Daddy's boyfriend, just says its his roommate. I do wonder, as a reader, what the intentions of this are. Unlike Heather Has Two Mommies, this story does not address the other ways people can be members of a family. To bring in a similarity with Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate also has a homosexuality stereotype embedded in it with Frank wearing a theater tee shirt and the two men singing together at the piano.
Final Project - Heather Has Two Mommies
Newman, Leslea. Heather Has Two Mommies: Tenth Anniversary Edition. Los Angeles: Alyson Publications, 2000.
Heather Has Two Mommies is about a girl named Heather who is not quite school-age yet who's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two mommies. Her mommies names are Mama Jane and Mama Kate. Mama Jane is a carpenter. In Mama Jane's toolbox there are two hammers: one for Mama Jane and one for little Heather. Mama Kate is a doctor. Mama Kate gives Heather aspirin to feel better and puts bandages on her cuts. Mama Jane and Mama Kate tell Heather that she will be joining a play group with a bunch of other kids and a teacher, Molly. One day, while playing with the other kids, a few of the kids start talking about what jobs their daddies have. This makes Heather upset because she doesn't have a daddy and she begins to cry. Molly gives Heather a hug and explains how not everyone has a daddy. She explains how some kids don't have daddies just like Heather and how some kids have two daddies and how each family is special. Molly says, "The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other."
The story of Heather and her two mommies has a very important message. The book allows each child to see that not any one family is the "right" family; that each family is special. Through children's drawings we are able to see what they do with their family members and how being a part of their family makes them happy. The illustrations are in black and white and I wonder what the purpose of this decision was. One strength of these illustrations is the chilren's drawings depicting their family. I feel like it adds a sense of relatability and realness to the book. However, one fear of mine when reading this book is how the stereotype of one lesbian being portrayed in a "manly" way is perpetuated by Mama Jane having short hair and being a carpenter. I do really like the moral of the story, as Molly put it, "The most important thing about a family is that all people in it love each other." I would use this book in my classroom, even as an introductory text to a unit on family, because it does incorporate blended families, nuclear families, single parent families, and adopted families.
Heather Has Two Mommies is about a girl named Heather who is not quite school-age yet who's favorite number is two. She has two arms, two legs, two eyes, and two mommies. Her mommies names are Mama Jane and Mama Kate. Mama Jane is a carpenter. In Mama Jane's toolbox there are two hammers: one for Mama Jane and one for little Heather. Mama Kate is a doctor. Mama Kate gives Heather aspirin to feel better and puts bandages on her cuts. Mama Jane and Mama Kate tell Heather that she will be joining a play group with a bunch of other kids and a teacher, Molly. One day, while playing with the other kids, a few of the kids start talking about what jobs their daddies have. This makes Heather upset because she doesn't have a daddy and she begins to cry. Molly gives Heather a hug and explains how not everyone has a daddy. She explains how some kids don't have daddies just like Heather and how some kids have two daddies and how each family is special. Molly says, "The most important thing about a family is that all the people in it love each other."
The story of Heather and her two mommies has a very important message. The book allows each child to see that not any one family is the "right" family; that each family is special. Through children's drawings we are able to see what they do with their family members and how being a part of their family makes them happy. The illustrations are in black and white and I wonder what the purpose of this decision was. One strength of these illustrations is the chilren's drawings depicting their family. I feel like it adds a sense of relatability and realness to the book. However, one fear of mine when reading this book is how the stereotype of one lesbian being portrayed in a "manly" way is perpetuated by Mama Jane having short hair and being a carpenter. I do really like the moral of the story, as Molly put it, "The most important thing about a family is that all people in it love each other." I would use this book in my classroom, even as an introductory text to a unit on family, because it does incorporate blended families, nuclear families, single parent families, and adopted families.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
My Project Topic
Yes, realizing that its a week before the final project is due, I finally was struck with a topic that I think would be interesting for me. After our professor showed us some GLBTQ picture books, specifically one about penguins and another about two kings, I would like to do some more research on GLBTQ childrens books. What I'm hoping to discover is how GLBTQ is represented without the use of animals or fairy tale characters. How are humans represented in the picture books? Is there a large selection to chose from? Are there stereotypes running rampant through them, or are these books careful to address and dispell stereotypes? Those are a few of the questions I'd like to focus on during my search for books and book reviews.
Thoughts about Boy Meets Boy
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan certainly raised many questions for me while I was reading. After the discussion in class it seemed like the book did a good job of raising questions for everyone else as well. First and foremost I wonder if Boy Meets Boy is written as a "feed good" novel for young adults, specifically GLBTQ readers. The main character, Paul, does not experience any discrimination based on his sexual orientation at all. This aspect of the novel could be have two different ramifications. Readers who are GLBTQ could respond openly to this Paul character and feel as if he gives them confidence to accept their identity and live it as happily as Paul does. The second result could be students feeling as if Paul's character isn't easy to relate to. From this standpoint, perhaps a reader would be able to relate to Tony's character easier because he deals with the hardship of having disapproving parents. Paul's parents welcome his sexual orientation openly, whereas Tony's parents feel as if they need to "save" him from hell and they eventually ban him from seeing Paul. I like the insertion of Tony's character and the struggles he faces because they feel real. However, I wondered what would the story be like from Tony's point of view? I feel like, after having thought about it further, that the story from Tony's point of view may be too heavy. The issues should be brought up and discussed, but the book would certainly lose its light-hearted comedic aspect.
While I have already briefly touched on the subject of "relatability", I will say that at first I felt like this novel would not be relatable to any young adult readers. However, after further thought and re-reading passages, I realize that many of topics/issues present in the book can be seen as universal. The friendship conflict between Paul and Joni, Paul's feelings when he first meets Noah, fighting with a loved one, sibling relationships (specifically the dynamic between Noah and his younger sister), and love between two friends (Tony and Paul) are some of the universals I discovered. Also, on the behalf of GLBTQ readers, this novel does touch on some of the topics that may be running through their minds, such as when Noah asks Paul "Have you always known?" and when Kyle doesn't want the label of being bisexual and says "Can't it just be what it is?"
One other point I'd like to make after our class discussion is that I like the genre David Levithan chose to "label" this novel as. It really fits in the space between contemporary realistic fiction and fantasy after showing how its a reality that so many people would really like to be true. Its a way to escape into a world with less of a struggle with sexual identity and more focus on friendship and love.
While I have already briefly touched on the subject of "relatability", I will say that at first I felt like this novel would not be relatable to any young adult readers. However, after further thought and re-reading passages, I realize that many of topics/issues present in the book can be seen as universal. The friendship conflict between Paul and Joni, Paul's feelings when he first meets Noah, fighting with a loved one, sibling relationships (specifically the dynamic between Noah and his younger sister), and love between two friends (Tony and Paul) are some of the universals I discovered. Also, on the behalf of GLBTQ readers, this novel does touch on some of the topics that may be running through their minds, such as when Noah asks Paul "Have you always known?" and when Kyle doesn't want the label of being bisexual and says "Can't it just be what it is?"
One other point I'd like to make after our class discussion is that I like the genre David Levithan chose to "label" this novel as. It really fits in the space between contemporary realistic fiction and fantasy after showing how its a reality that so many people would really like to be true. Its a way to escape into a world with less of a struggle with sexual identity and more focus on friendship and love.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Diary of a Worm
I've recently been introduced to this book and immediately went out and bought it. Entertaining for all ages!
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