BOOKS 'N BLOGS 'N ARTICLES OF NOTE
On this page, RIF of NOVA features articles and blogs about children's literacy, along with book reviews about Pre-K through Young Adult (YA) books -- discussed by members of our reading community. If you'd like to try your hand at writing a blog on a literacy or book-related theme or a book review about a new or favorite book, we'd be glad to consider it for publication here. Connect with us at our email: rifnova@gmail.com.
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Why It's Important for Kids to See Themselves in Books
Discover three important reasons to choose books with characters who resemble your child. By Jodie Rodriguez Mar 01, 2018 For far too long, children's books that featured culturally diverse characters were hard to come by. But, that has changed significantly in the last few years. It is becoming easier than ever before for parents and kids to find diverse titles. And that's good news because, according to the 6th Edition Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, 47% of parents want books featuring people of color. It is really essential that we fill our kids' home libraries with books featuring characters that look like them. Here are three important reasons why: 1. It helps to inspire and create an impact. Kids need to see people who look like them who have faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and made a difference in the world. Whether it's reading about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad or Cesar Chavez and his work for migrant workers, reading about people from our culture who look like us gives us insight into our history and background. Stories of other people's lives can impact our own by helping us better understand our world. Seek out books about inspiring individuals who are culturally reflective of your kids. 2. It provides a mirror to identity. Some books our kids enjoy should be mirror books. These are books with characters that look just like our kids. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, children's literature scholar and recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, says, "Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books." |
Not all mirror books need to be about a specific person who has achieved great things. Kids also need to see kids just like themselves doing ordinary kid stuff like visiting the library, going to the pool, and playing in the backyard. Highly relatable books allow kids to identify with the characters. It's validating for kids to meet a character in a story who has hair that resembles theirs or wears glasses just like they do. 3. It allows for connections to be built. When kids enjoy reading titles with characters who look like them, it helps form a connection to the book on another level. Identifying with the characters in a story allows for a deeper comprehension of the text because kids are making these kinds of self connections. That is not to say that all books must have characters that look like our kids. As Bishop says, books also act as windows into other cultures, allowing us to travel to other places and connect with others who are not exactly like us. Filling your kids' reading diet with books that act as mirrors and windows allows for a deeper and more well-rounded reading experience for them. Help your kids find titles where they see themselves, and beyond. Connect with Jodie Rodriguez on her site, Growing Book by Book. Featured Photo Credit: © FatCamera/iStockphoto Article Courtesy: Scholastic Parents |
Kid in the Kitchen: 100 Recipes & Tips for Young Home Cooks by Melissa Clark with Daniel Gercke, New York, Clarkson Potter Publishers, 2020.
Kid in the Kitchen is sophisticated, and Melissa Clark’s tone is straightforward and never condescending or “cutesy.” It is probably better understood and appreciated by tweens and teens than elementary school-aged children. In fact, the use of the word “kid” in the title is unfortunate and a bit misleading since the word kid can imply young children. Younger children can make recipes from this book, but they would need more help from adults.
The recipes are carefully explained, and Clark uses them to teach certain skills and to answer questions like why different brands of farro need different cooking times. The first few pages of the book are dedicated to a thorough explanation of techniques -- like whisking versus stirring, how to properly use a knife, and how to chop, in addition to a useful section on kitchen equipment and a ten-step “How to Cook Any Recipe.” And, because it is 2020, author Clark even offers food photography hints so young chefs can take better photos of the dishes they have cooked in order to post social media.
The recipes cover the usual ones typically found in children’s cookbooks like burgers, tacos, pancakes, and directions for hosting an ice cream party. However, Clark has modernized her book with recipes for currently popular dishes like Pho, sesame noodles, Pajeon (Korean scallion and vegetable pancake), Piccadillo (Latin American ground meat), grain bowls, and quick pickles. Clark even includes some of her famous “sheet pan meals” but doesn’t promote the use of any special equipment or appliance. Every recipe includes a “tips and tweaks” section to help young cooks adapt a recipe, and most recipes are accompanied by a photograph. The index is not perfect which, sadly, is all too common in newer cookbooks and making some dishes hard to find. Also, there are no suggested prep times – perhaps on purpose so as not to put pressure on young cooks to meet a preparation standard.
This is a very comprehensive cookbook for young cooks (and adults) looking for reliable, easy-to-use recipes. If you have a teenager looking to learn some elements of cooking, this is a great option.
Food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark is a staff reporter for the New York Times “Food” section, where she writes the popular cooking column “A Good Appetite.” She lives in Brooklyn with her co-author husband, Daniel, and 12-year-old daughter, Dahlia. She has written over 40 cookbooks, and this is her first for children.
Kid in the Kitchen is sophisticated, and Melissa Clark’s tone is straightforward and never condescending or “cutesy.” It is probably better understood and appreciated by tweens and teens than elementary school-aged children. In fact, the use of the word “kid” in the title is unfortunate and a bit misleading since the word kid can imply young children. Younger children can make recipes from this book, but they would need more help from adults.
The recipes are carefully explained, and Clark uses them to teach certain skills and to answer questions like why different brands of farro need different cooking times. The first few pages of the book are dedicated to a thorough explanation of techniques -- like whisking versus stirring, how to properly use a knife, and how to chop, in addition to a useful section on kitchen equipment and a ten-step “How to Cook Any Recipe.” And, because it is 2020, author Clark even offers food photography hints so young chefs can take better photos of the dishes they have cooked in order to post social media.
The recipes cover the usual ones typically found in children’s cookbooks like burgers, tacos, pancakes, and directions for hosting an ice cream party. However, Clark has modernized her book with recipes for currently popular dishes like Pho, sesame noodles, Pajeon (Korean scallion and vegetable pancake), Piccadillo (Latin American ground meat), grain bowls, and quick pickles. Clark even includes some of her famous “sheet pan meals” but doesn’t promote the use of any special equipment or appliance. Every recipe includes a “tips and tweaks” section to help young cooks adapt a recipe, and most recipes are accompanied by a photograph. The index is not perfect which, sadly, is all too common in newer cookbooks and making some dishes hard to find. Also, there are no suggested prep times – perhaps on purpose so as not to put pressure on young cooks to meet a preparation standard.
This is a very comprehensive cookbook for young cooks (and adults) looking for reliable, easy-to-use recipes. If you have a teenager looking to learn some elements of cooking, this is a great option.
Food writer and cookbook author Melissa Clark is a staff reporter for the New York Times “Food” section, where she writes the popular cooking column “A Good Appetite.” She lives in Brooklyn with her co-author husband, Daniel, and 12-year-old daughter, Dahlia. She has written over 40 cookbooks, and this is her first for children.
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Marie Cavanagh is a librarian at George Mason Regional Library in Annandale, Virginia. She coordinates a monthly book club called “Cook the Book!” where members cook from the same cookbook and discuss their results.
Marie tried the pancake recipe from the Clark book. "I wanted to try something super basic to see how they compared (to common pancake recipes). I wanted to weigh the ingredients instead of using measuring cups. Clark explains why (the pancakes) need to rest 10 minutes -- it makes them super fluffy, although they don't stay that way too long. Yes, I recommend them." |
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