WOW Dozen: Books on Schools and Schooling
Children around the world go to school, but the ways they do so and what happens once they arrive appears very different in diverse places. No matter what it looks like, schools are places of friendship, growth and learning for most children, but they are also situated in a political and cultural context that is worthy of exploration.
In this collection of picturebooks, I share different depictions of the school experience from around the world.
Aria goes back to school after losing her leg during the war in Afghanistan, but it's uncomfortable to sit on the ground, so she gathers resources & builds a bench.
In this classic from Japan, Mother Mouse comes up with a creative plan to get her seven little mice to school.
When Pedro's school assignment might expose his parents to the threatening dictator, he must decide how to respond.
Shin-chi & his sister are forced to attend one of Canada's Indian residential schools where he struggles to hold on to his language & culture.
During the rainy season at the Mekong Delta, An sets out in his little wooden boat on a journey to school based on a Vietnamese picturebook.
A young girl in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) pursues an education in a time & place where few girls had the opportunity for schooling.
In this humorous picturebook, originally published in France, a frazzled photographer tries to organize groups of anthropomorphized animals as they pose for class pictures.
This book, originally published in England, depicts various aspects of learning that happen throughout the day & at school.
A young boy gives his skeptical teacher increasingly ridiculous reasons he didn't do his homework.
Pulling from her own childhood, the author tells of African American efforts to educate their children when public schools shut down in an effort to avoid racial integration.
Detailed photos from 38 countries show children going to school & participating in common activities.
Recent immigrant Dat heads to his first day of school not understanding a word that anyone says until a kind classmate begins using art as a communication tool.
WOW Dozen features a list of 12 global books for children and adolescents around a theme, topic, issue or personal favorites. Each Dozen consists of ten newly-published titles with two older “must have” books. Please share or recommend additional books that fit the theme in the comments section or on social media using #WOWDozen. Use the printer icon in the upper left corner of this post to print or save this list as a PDF.
