By Julia López-Robertson, University of South Carolina, Melissa Summer Wells, University of Mary Washington & Jennifer D. Morrison, Sam Houston State University
In our last blog we introduced you to graphic novels and provided a model for applying critical reading and critical literacy to When Stars Are Scattered (Jamieson & Mohamed, 2020). This blog focuses on the Pura Belpré Award winner, Mexikid (Martín, 2023). Mexikid is a memoir about a Mexican American boy named Pedro and his family’s journey to bring their abuelito from Mexico to live with them in the United States. Pedro is the seventh of nine children; the older five were born in Mexico, while Pedro and his three younger siblings were born in the U.S. and, according to the older siblings, are “not Mexican enough.” The family embarks on a 2,000-mile road trip to Mexico, encountering many adventures along the way. While the older siblings drive a pick-up truck, Pedro and his younger siblings travel with their parents in a used Winnebago. Throughout the journey, Pedro hears stories about his family—particularly his abuelo—and learns about his Mexican heritage and family history. In what follows we will discuss our purposes for engaging students with graphic novels and speak specifically about Mexikid.
Why Mexikid?
In our research and teaching, we prioritize multimodal texts to help preservice teachers explore diverse ways of knowing, doing and being in the classroom. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 80% of teachers in U.S. public schools during the 2020-2021 school year were White, while 75% of public-school students were from racial or ethnic minority groups. In the fall of 2022, more than half of students from the following racial/ethnic groups attended public schools where at least 75 percent of the student body was made up of students of color:
- 60% of Hispanic students
- 60% of Black students
- 53% of Pacific Islander students
A clear mismatch exists between the racial demographics of students and their teachers, which exacerbates the challenges highlighted in previous studies, including teachers’ conceptual confusion about cultural diversity (e.g., Cochran-Smith et al., 2004) and their pedagogical difficulties in adapting practices responsibly (Zembylas, 2010). Some teachers attribute these challenges to inadequate teacher education and organizational limitations (Szelei et al., 2019), such as insufficient time and resources (Karousiou et al., 2019). Others report feeling less professionally effective, which undermines their overall sense of professional efficacy (Tardif-Grenier et al., 2024).
Being open to cultural diversity and cultivating a positive attitude toward learning about other cultures can be effectively demonstrated by including diverse children’s books in the curriculum, teaching materials, and classroom libraries. This practice not only helps teachers gain a deeper understanding of various cultures but also strengthens their ability to teach and connect with students from diverse backgrounds. As teachers incorporate these texts, they give students the chance to engage with diverse perspectives and cultural experiences. It’s also important to show people from different cultures participating in everyday, ordinary activities. In this case, the story isn’t about a child fighting societal challenges; instead, it’s about him going on a road trip with his family, offering a more relatable and typical experience.
Graphic Novels with Preservice Teachers (PSTs)
To have a better idea of PSTs experiences with GNs (graphic novels), we began the semester with a four-question survey:
- Have you ever read a graphic novel or comic book? If so, which was it?
- Do you enjoy visual storytelling, like comics or illustrated books, more than traditional text-based books? Why or why not?
- Do you think GNs are suitable for young children? Why or why not? And
- We are reading a GN this semester. I feel (choose one) happy, conflicted, confident, not interested. Explain.
Of the 16 PSTs in the class, only 2 had not read GN, which was not surprising when considering the responses they gave when asked to name the book — Dork Diaries (Russell), Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Kinney), and El Deafo (Bell) — all common in late elementary and middle school. When asked how they felt about reading a GN this semester, only one gave a negative response: “I don’t like GNs, but I’ll read it.” Throughout the semester, PSTs engaged in weekly literature discussions and written responses created in the style of a graphic novel. At first PSTs panicked at the thought of having to create a written response focused on images rather than words — comments echoed by many were: “What, I can’t draw!” and “I am already stressed out!” In order to help them create their responses, we provided them comic templates found online at sites like Canva and Storyboard That [see Figure 1]. As the PSTs engaged in creating their responses, they became more at ease and enjoyed using a different medium: “It was a struggle, but I did it! You really took me out of my comfort zone!”
When discussing the role of GN in their classrooms, many of the PSTs noted “For kids who hate to write, using this is perfect! These might actually work in my classroom!” and “I have to admit that I was one that thought I would never use GNs in my class BUT after all the stuff we did, I see value in these for all kids.” Finally, one student noted that, “I connected with Pedro even though I am a White female. You don’t have to be the same race or sex as the character. We are human and share families and different stories and ways of doing things, but we are united in our love for family.”
Reading and engaging PSTs with GNs involves them with worlds different from their own, helps them build empathy, challenges them to go beyond their comfort level, allows them to question curriculum and prepares them to teach by helping them to recognize they may have bias toward certain genres of books and to see how that bias might impact their students.
Wrap Up
A single book cannot fully represent the cultural identity or experience of a reader, as cultural identities are complex and shaped by factors like race, ethnicity, class and language, among others (Dudley-Marling, 2003). Our engagements with Mexikid are one part of a broader range of experiences with our preservice teachers (PSTs).
References
Cochran-Smith, M., Davis, D., and Fries, K., (2004). Multicultural teacher education: Research, practice, and policy. In: J.A. Banks and C.A.M. Banks, eds. Handbook of research on multicultural education. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 931–975.
Dudley-Marling, C. (2003). “I’m not from Pakistan””: Multicultural literature and the problem of representation. In D. Fox & K. Short (Eds.), Stories matter: The complexity of cultural authenticity in children’s literature (pp. 304–318). National Council of Teachers of English.
Karousiou, C., Hajisoteriou, C., and Angelides, P., 2019. Teachers’ professional identity in super-diverse school settings: Teachers as agents of intercultural education. Teachers and Teaching, 25(2), 240–258. doi:10.1080/13540602.2018.1544121
National Center for Education Statistics. (2024). Racial/Ethnic Enrollment in Public Schools. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved 29 Dec 2024, from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cge
Szelei, N., Tinoca, L., & Pinho, A. S. (2019). Professional development for cultural diversity: The challenges of teacher learning in context. Professional Development in Education, 46(5), 780–796. https://doi.org/10.1080/19415257.2019.1642233
Tardif-Grenier, K., Goulet, M., Archambault, I., & McAndrew, M. (2024). Elementary School Teachers’ Openness to Cultural Diversity and Professional Satisfaction. Journal of Education, 204(1), 29-43. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574221101376
Zembylas, M. (2010). Teachers’ emotional experiences of growing diversity and multiculturalism in schools and the prospects of an ethic of discomfort. Teachers and Teaching, 16(6), 703–716. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2010.517687
Children’s Literature
Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. Harry N. Abrams Publishers.
Jamieson, V. & Mohamed, O. (2020). When stars are scattered. V. Jamieson & G. I. Geddy (Illus). Dial Books
Kinney, J. (2014). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Harry N. Abrams Publishers.
Martín, P. (2023). Mexikid. Dial Books.
Russell, R.R. (2013). Dork Diaries. Aladdin Publishers.
WOW Currents is a space to talk about forward-thinking trends in global children’s and adolescent literature and how we use that literature with students. “Currents” is a play on words for trends and timeliness and the way we talk about social media. We encourage you to participate by leaving comments and sharing this post with your peers. To view our complete offerings of WOW Currents, please visit its archival stream.
- Themes: graphic novels, Jennifer Morrison, Julia López-Robertson, Melissa Summer Wells, Mexikid, Pedro Martin
- Descriptors: Books & Resources, WOW Currents