When Kerry O’Malley Cerra, author of Just a Drop of Water,
was a teen, she was diagnosed with a hearing problem. She says:
“I tried desperately to hide from it and pretend it wasn’t
true. I felt ashamed and insecure. I wish more than anything that I could have
met another kid like me, or even read about one. It might have kept me from
losing so much of my confidence. And yet, I didn’t discover a book with a
character like me until CeCe Bellwrote El Deafo. By then, I was an adult with my own family and
had burned a lot of bridges along the way because people simply confused
my lack of being able to hear them with me being a snob. I should have admitted
my problem. I should have been honest. I shouldn’t have been ashamed. But I
was.”
This is one of the reasons that Kerry, along with authors Shannon Wiersbitzky, Shannon Hitchcock, Joyce Moyer Hostetter,
and Kathleen
Burkinshaw, founded #MGGetsReal, an initiative to highlight middle
grade books in which characters face tough, real life issues. Teachers,
librarians, counselors, and parents should bookmark this expanding list of
titles for use in classrooms, book clubs, and as recommendations for readers
facing similar problems.
Kerry explained that they were looking for titles where the
MC was facing a realistic problem, even if the book itself fell into a
non-realistic genre. The problem itself needed to be a main theme in the book,
not just a “sub, sub, sub plot to a larger story.” She also sought to include
titles that were as new as possible.
Just a few of the real issues included on the #MGGetsReal
list: abuse, adoption/foster care, alcohol and drugs, blended families,
body image, bullying, civil rights/integration, death of a family member,
depression and mental illness, discrimination/prejudices, illness, immigration,
LBGTQ, learning disabilities, poverty, suicide, and war trauma.
Please check out the full #MGGetsReal list HERE, and share it with any teachers, librarians, and parents who might find it a useful resource.
What a fantastic list! Thanks, Dianne, for introducing me to this band of writers: #MGGetsReal #HipHipHooray
ReplyDeleteThanks, Michael. I think this list is a fantastic resource.
DeleteThanks for featuring our #MGGetsReal campaign, Dianne. I hope it helps kids discover some meaningful books. <3
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Kerry! I know making the list was a labor of love!
DeleteThis is fantastic! Yes! Children face so many difficult situations and they're eager to find them reflected in a book to learn how to deal!
ReplyDeleteGreat list of books. I love that MG Gets Real features books of all genres -- a book does not need to be contemporary realism to be relevant to children's lives.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great resource! Kids need more of these kinds of books as they deal with so many issues - and many earlier and earlier. More of these book means more kids don't feel so all alone. A few of my favorite books that deal with hard issues kids face are:
ReplyDeleteWonder by R.J. Palacio: about being a disfigured kid in a “normal” world.
Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper: what it could be like to have a voice but not be able to communicate.
Rules by Cynthia Lord: on autism and asking “what is normal?”
Hi, Donna! Wonderful suggestions, and actually all three are on this list. Since I'm looking to keep adding to this compilation, keep the recommendations coming! I'm sure there are so many I forgot and want to make this as inclusive as possible.
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