Wishes for the Necessities of Life
by Judi Moreillon, Story Power, Tucson, AZ
When I was a first-year librarian, I remember being surprised to learn that our school dispensed clothing to children who needed clothes – not because their clothing was torn or soiled but because they simply didn’t have clothes. I connect these children’s wishes about clothing, one of the necessities of life, to Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Lynn Williams and Khadra Mohammed with illustrations by Doug Chayka. In this story, two young girls meet in a refugee camp and share a pair of sandals. When one leaves the camp, she is given new shoes and attempts to leave her half of the pair of sandals with her refugee camp friend. Instead, the friend insists that she take both sandals as a souvenir of their friendship. There is an excellent review of this book in WOW Review.
Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming with illustrations by Stacey Dressen-McQueen is another book that connects with these children’s wishes. I shared this historical fiction picture book with 8th graders who were exploring a “cultures meeting” text set. In the story, Rosie, a girl from Mayfield, IN, sends a package of necessities (soap, socks and chocolate) to Katje in Olst, Holland just after World War II. Through their exchange of letters, Rosie learns more about the deprivations of the Dutch people and involves her family then her neighbors and finally local businesses, in helping the people of Olst survive the winter. Helping children and youth take action on their wishes for the world is an important role for educators and parents. Books like Boxes for Katje show how children can and do make a difference in the lives of “others.”
How has children’s or young adult literature inspired/prompted social action from your students?
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- Themes: Judi Moreillon
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, Student Connections