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Whoever wrote that little ditty about sticks and stones was not a fat kid in the 80’s. I am willing to bet that he didn’t struggle with acne, had perfect vision and was celebrated for some kind of athletic ability because words most definitely hurt. Words are powerful. They can inform and inspire, degrade and divide.
Several societies have deemed reading and writing to be so powerful that certain groups have been barred from learning how to do so. Once you are literate you can think for yourself and communicate with others, which often terrifies those in charge. I’ve read several books lately about the power of words, so it seemed like an obvious topic for this episode.
Several societies have deemed reading and writing to be so powerful that certain groups have been barred from learning how to do so. Once you are literate you can think for yourself and communicate with others, which often terrifies those in charge. I’ve read several books lately about the power of words, so it seemed like an obvious topic for this episode.
Welcome to Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates middle grade books that all share something in common. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, an elementary school librarian, former middle school reading teacher, mother to a toddler who devours books like candy, and the daughter of two people who constantly preached the importance of reading and writing. In fact, my dad, Richard Threlkeld, discovered a passion for writing novels in the last ten years and has cranked out four of them; talk about inspiring! I think the five books I am going to share with you are also inspiring; all of them make me appreciate the people in my life who have supported my love of reading and writing, and hopefully they will encourage you to reflect on your own experiences with literacy. Who knows, maybe you will even be inspired to enter an essay contest or invent a new word!
Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed
Our first book was chosen as one of the Global Read Aloud titles for 2018 before it was even released. It was hyped so much on Twitter that when I finally got my hands on a copy I was worried it wouldn’t live up to my expectations and avoided cracking it open for almost two weeks. Once I finally dove in to Amal Unbound by Aisha Saeed, I couldn’t put it down and devoured it less than two days, happily ignoring the needs of my toddler and only half listening to my husband when he tried to engage in conversation.
Amal, a 12-year old Pakistani girl, loves life in her small town. She is the oldest of three girls and her mother is nearing the end of another pregnancy. Time spent at school and with her friends and family fills Amal’s heart with joy and she dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up so she can share her passion for reading with others. Ultimately, it is that passion that saves her life. When Amal’s mother struggles with postpartum depression, Amal must stay home from school to help run the household. One day turns into a week, which quickly turns into several weeks and Amal wonders if she will ever make it back to her beloved schoolhouse and teacher. Then the unthinkable happens - Amal is ripped away from her family to serve the needs of the wealthiest family in the area, a family that is not known for its kindness or generosity. Will Amal ever see her family again or will she be an unpaid servant, spending her days cleaning, cooking, and ironing, punished any time she dares to speak her mind.
Here are two excerpts from chapters two and three that should give you a sense of Amal’s exuberance and her passion for learning.
Excerpt - pages 5-6 and 13-14
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Unlike Amal, the protagonist of our next book lives a fairly privileged life and discovers by accident just how powerful words can be. In Andrew Clements’s Frindle, 5th grader Nicholas Allen prides himself on his reputation as a bit of a prankster who often wriggles his way out of assignments and avoids class lectures by throwing teachers off their game. Nick meets his match in his new teacher, Mrs. Granger, who doesn’t fall for any of his usual tricks and manages to assign Nick extra homework on the very first day of school. Researching the history of the dictionary would squash the troublemaking spirit of most ten-year olds; thank goodness Nicholas isn’t like most kids. While walking home from school together his friend Janet notices a fancy ballpoint pen on the ground which sparks a brilliant idea in Nicholas that will end up challenging and transforming his entire community, all because of a single word. Here’s an excerpt from Frindle that will you get you thinking about the power of words, how certain words end up carrying such weight in the first place.
Excerpt - pages 33-37
Andrew Clements wrote another book that is almost the opposite of Frindle because it explores the idea that power is found in the absence of words. It’s called No Talking and you should definitely check it out!
Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper
From making it illegal for slaves to learn how to read and write to requiring African Americans to pass a literacy test before registering to vote, the American government has a long history of oppressing Blacks through the suppression of their right to be educated, literate citizens. In Sharon Draper’s Stella by Starlight, Stella’s small town of Bumblebee, North Carolina is rocked by the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan, which hadn’t been active in the area for several years. In the middle of the night Stella and her younger brother Jojo sneak out to use the bathroom and witness nine robed men set a cross on fire. Seeing such a terrifying event forever changes the way Stella sees the world and her place in it. Will she be brave enough to stand up for what she knows is right? Can writing about her experience bring about change? Here are two excerpts from Stella by Starlight that explore the power of words.
Excerpts - pages 14-16 and 53-56
The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Like Amal Unbound, The Red Pencil by Andrea Davis Pinkney takes place in a country I know almost nothing about - Sudan. Written in verse and sprinkled throughout with illustrations, The Red Pencil explores what it is like for a 12-year old girl to witness horrific violence against her community and then flee the only world she has known in order to live safely in a refugee camp. Amira is a talented artist who is often scolded for drawing in the dirt when she should be helping her mother and learning how to become a good wife. She doesn’t know how to read or write, but dreams of learning how to do so so she can better express the thoughts that plague her mind. On her journey to the refugee camp Amira is unexpectedly given a red pencil, a small gift that changes her life forever. Here are two poems from The Red Pencil that shine light on how Sudanese people may perceive education, especially in regard to girls.
Excerpts - “School” and “Chasing the Wind”
Front Desk by Kelly Yang
As someone who was born and raised in the United States, I am always curious to know how people living in other parts of the world perceive America and especially how immigrants experience it once they arrive. In the recently published Front Desk, Kelly Yang does a masterful job of exploring what life may be like for families who move to this country in search of something better and are shocked and disheartened by the many obstacles they must overcome in order to simply survive.
Mia and her parents recently moved to California from China and are struggling to make ends meet. When they find out about a motel in Anaheim in need of an on-site manager, they think all of their problems are solved - free rent, laundry facilities and a pool! Unfortunately, the owner of the motel, who also happens to be a Chinese immigrant, is greedy and cruel. He works Mia’s parents to the bone for almost no pay and always sides with the customers, whether they are right or not. Mia dreams of being a writer, but is discouraged by her mother’s belief that Mia’s English will never meet American standards. Can Mia prove her mother wrong by winning an essay contest that offers a way out of Anaheim or will she always be seen as an illiterate immigrant? Front Desk is an illuminating, thought-provoking, funny read that will spark a lot of discussions about kindness, friendship, and what it truly means to be an American. Here’s an excerpt from chapter 52 where Mia begins to trust her writing talent and is brave enough to share it with her classmates.
Excerpt - pages 219-221
Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast! I hope you discovered some books that you are just itching to read and that you were inspired to think about the words you choose to share with the world. I would love to hear about other middle grade titles that tackle the topic of literacy. Feel free to contact me on Twitter under the handle WordNerd153 or to message me through the podcast’s website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. If you enjoy this podcast and want other people to know about it, please take a moment to post a review on iTunes. Thanks again for spending some time with me. Until next time, happy reading!
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