Helping Children Cope With Cancer

When cancer is introduced into a family, whether it be a parent or the child themselves, the unfamiliarity of the subject can be very frightening to children. Cancer is difficult for anyone to go through, and at such a young age it is sometimes hard to explain to a child exactly what is going on and why they are sick. As demonstrated in our class, books are one of the easiest and best ways to teach a child something unfamiliar or difficult to understand. I have compiled a list of books that are all written by women who were diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives. Some of the authors won their battle, and some did not. Each of the books are very different from one another, but they all give the story of a mommy going through cancer and what that means and why she may look and feel the way she does. As discussed in the article, trying to shelter your children from negative things may only make things worse. Children are very observant, and when something is going wrong, they will ultimately notice. By embracing the disease and letting the children in on the experience, they will not be as afraid of what is going on. Because each child in their life will probably have someone they know become sick with a serious disease, I believe that having these books available in the classroom or in a home is extremely important. Seeing other children going through the same situation is the best way for a child to cope and become more comfortable with what they might be going though. As a cancer patient myself, I know that by talking to those who had already gone through what I went through made my experiences a lot less scary. Although I did not have books available to me, the stories of real women who went through my experience and were able to share them with me was one of the most helpful events that got me through my disease. The sharing of stories helps all ages cope, and by bringing books of cancer stories to children- they will be able to cope as well.

Doll Helps Kids Cope With Mother's Breast Cancer

While trying to search for an article that documented the benifits of children reading books about cancer, I came across this article on ABC News's website. It was a story about a woman named Kim who had breast cancer and she created this idea called "Kimme Cares" and it comes with a book called "Mommy and Me...Taking Care of Each Other", as well as a doll that can lose its hair. Designed to help children understand what their mommy is going through, the doll is a way to understand and cope with their mom being sick. The article also discusses the type of effect a physical change in a parent can have on a child. Lillie Shockney, a nurse and director of the Breast Center at the Johns Hopkins Avon Foundation Breast Center, stated that, "The most noticeable change in a woman's appearance is hair loss...In our society, hair loss often symbolizes having cancer"(Gammon). The change in mom's hair can be very frightening and confusing to children, and by being able to demonstrate the process on a doll can make the whole situation less scary and more understanding. The article also discusses the importance of stressing the fact that they cannot catch cancer and that their hair will not fall out too. "It's really important that kids understand that it's not going to happen to them...It's also important for kids to know that the hair loss is temporary." The final idea the article stresses is that it is a bad idea to try and hide the cancer from the children. Kids are very perseptive and are able to pick up on things we may not think they understand. "The situation is an opportunity to teach kids how to handle a crisis...Having a doll is a good idea because it's a safety zone for kids."


Doll Helps Kids Cope with Mother's Breast Cancer. by: Katharine Stoel Gammon
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/OnCallPlusLiving/Story?id=3738082&page=1

Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-Tankerous Mommy

Tickles Tabitha's Cancer-Tankerous Mommy by Amelia Frahm is a much different type of children's cancer book than the other two I had read. This book was a lot more realistic, as it dealt with the mother getting very ill and also very depressed from her illness.

The story begins with Tabitha and her mommy playing their favorite game, Tickles Tabitha. However, Tabitha's mommy is not like all other mommies. she wears a wig on her head and she has cancer. Sometimes her wig looks like a rat's nest, and sometimes she gets very angry and sad. In the end, Tabitha and her family play happily together again as they get mommy though a hard time.

I found this book very refreshing because it wasn't afraid to include some negative images of cancer. Depression, anger and sadness are all parts of going through a disease, and it is important for children to understand that and know that it isn't their fault. By including these images, children will be able to relate this to their own situations and will feel better about what they are going through. I would highly recommend this book to a classroom as well as in the home as well.

Sammy's Mommy Has Cancer

Sammy's Mommy Has Cancer by Sherry Kohlenberg is a young children's story about a little boy named Sammy whose mom gets cancer. Sherry Kohlenberg, the author, wrote this as a sort of autobiography as she herself had breast cancer. She wrote this book for her son, Sammy, in order for him to better understand what she was going through.

The story depicts Sammy observing the many different things his parents do every day. Mommy goes to work, Daddy works from home, and Sammy goes to school. Then one day, Sammy finds out that mommy is sick with something called cancer. The book goes on to describe the different events Sammy and his parents go through in the following months which includes hospital stays and mommy losing her hair. In the end, mommy's hair begins to grow back and she starts to feel better.

This book was a great story for very young children who would have a hard time understanding what cancer is and why certain things are happening. Designed for children between the ages of 3-5, this book is very simple and tells a happy ending story of mommy getting better. At the end of the book, there is a glossary filled with the many medical terms and procedures someone with cancer will go through. There is also a resource list of different books, videos, and organizations that will help grasp a better understanding. I would recommend this book to be included in the classroom because although dealing with a tough issue, it is still light hearted and is an important issue that many children will have to face.

The Year My Mother Was Bald

The Year My Mother Was Bald by Ann Speltz is an amazing book to give to a child who either has a family member going through cancer, or has it themselves. Written in a very unique form, this is a story as well as an informational and resource guide.

The story is about a little girl named Claire who discovers that her mother has breast cancer and she is afraid her family wont have a fun summer. Written in the form of a diary, Claire documents her family's experiences month to month as her mother is going through surgeries and chemotherapy. Each time Claire discusses an unfamiliar topic or word, there is a definition and explaination on the next page. For example, in July Claire says that her mom has to "have a little operation...called a biopsy" (Speltz, 12). Then on the next page, there is an explaination for children as to what a biopsy is and why it is helpful. A year goes by, and Claire's mom has gone through her treatments and her mammograms are clear. She then becomes excited for the next summer to begin again.

This book was an excellent and inspiration book that I would highly reccomend to any child dealing with serious illness in the family and even in the classroom as well. Unfortunatly there are many children that go through illness with their parents or themselves and I find it very helpful for kids to see books of children who are going through exactly what they are going through. Because the story is told through a child's eyes, this book is very easy to comprehend and discusses all the questions a child would have during this difficult time. I found this book to be amazing and would highly reccommend it to be placed in the classroom.

Bridging multicultural education: bringing sexual orientation into the children's and young adult literature classrooms

The article by Patti Swartz discusses the difficulty that students go through at school being in the GLBT(I) group and how important it is to discuss topics like this in school and in doing so will help to eliminate stereotypes and lessen the bullying at schools. She discusses that bringing literature about multicultural issues is the best way to bring out awareness of certain topics as well as tackling the hard issues in a less threatening environment. Not only does Swartz suggest to teachers to bring GLBT(I) literature into the classroom, she also discloses what may happen if it is not. “When such intervention does not occur we face…highest teen suicide rate of any group….hate crimes…abuse or murder GLBT people…” (Swartz) Additionally, Swartz notes the importance of stopping word use of gay, faggot, dyke, and homo in the classroom environment. Because these words are always used to bring someone down, kids automatically begin associating these words with a negative condensation. Also, it is brought up how similar the GLBT group is related to other multicultural groups who are not represented in literature. By examination the stereotypes of groups, you are essentially eliminating them when they are proved wrong. By discussing gays and lesbians, you are informing students about what it really means to be in that group, as well as making them more familiar. Swartz discusses that students always make fun of or are afraid of people who do things that are unfamiliar to us. By exposing the real truth about being gay, the students will have a better understanding and may stop bullying. Swartz final note is that if we include GLBT literature into our classrooms, our kids will become more accepting which will result in a more accepting community as a whole.

Patti Capel Swartz: Bridging multicultural education: bringing sexual orientation into the children's and young adult literature classrooms

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0JVP/is_2003_Spring/ai_102119710/pg_2?tag=artBody;col1

Reflection of GLBT topic

Upon doing this project, I wasn’t sure what to expect with the group GLBT and how it was defined and which books would be included in it. After doing quite a bit of research into the group, I realized that the books included are not necessarily all about gay people. As the group title suggests, GLBT stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and therefore some of the books had to deal with kids who felt that they were placed in the wrong gender’s body. I chose this topic because it has been a very active debate in the United States in this past election and years as to whether gay marriage should be legal or not. Unfortunately, I still don’t believe our society is as accepting of the culture as they need to be in order to allow these types of books to be in their child’s classroom. I had a very difficult time finding biographies of the authors who wrote books in this genre to determine whether or not they were an insider because they are so underrepresented and not appreciated for their work. Because I feel that young adult chapter books are just as important to kids as picture books are, I had decided to choose all chapter books to do my readings and research on. I chose the books, Freak Show by James St. James, Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez, and Absolutely, Positively Not by David Larochelle. I had not heard of any of these books before, and I was pleasantly surprised when the library had these books available to me. Each of the books I chose represented a different type of individual within the GLBT. Freak Show was about a cross dresser, Rainbow Boys included openly gay characters and closeted gay characters, and Absolutely, Positively Not included unsure characters and gay and lesbian characters. In each book we were able to see the relationship the GLBT student had at their school and the difficulties that arise when a student is seen as being “gay”. Because this is a very important topic, especially today, I find it very important that we as teachers include this genre of books into our classrooms.

Rainbow Boys

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez is a great book to include in the classroom. It is the first book in a trilogy with the main issues being sexuality and being gay. The series follows three young boys, Nelson, Jason, and Kyle, and the number of different issues they each face in their adolescent lives. Each character represents a different kind of person and therefore demonstrates different experiences. Each chapter is a different perspective, either from Jason, Kyle or Nelson. Therefore you are hearing about the same events, and witnessing how each character handles the situation.

Jason is a popular jock and has a girlfriend but secretly thinks he might be gay. Therefore we see him struggling with his own identity and figuring out how to live his life. Nelson is a very open gay student and is often criticized for being a "fag". He deals with much harder issues including possibly becoming HIV positive. Because he is a lot more open, we are able to learn a lot more about the gay community from him. His mother is the vice president for PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians And Gays), and gives the readers as well as Jason and Kyle, a lot of important life lessons. And Kyle is a shy, semi-in the closet gay who throughout the novel comes out to his family and others. Although comfortable with his sexuality, he has witnessed the hardships Nelson goes through and is not sure he is ready for it. Because Kyle is at the stage between Jason's and Nelson's, his reactions to situations is very different and more conservative. Although he is okay with himself for being gay, he knows that being gay is not always associated with positive things.

I found this book to be very empowering and an important book to include in a classroom of older students. Because this book has three different perspectives, the reader is able to experience each type of individuals' feelings and reactions to issues. Also because this book is so open about subjects within the gay community, including sex and HIV, I feel it is very informative for both gay and straight readers . I also found this book to have many similarities to Boy Meets Boy by David L in the sense that we have many different characters, all going through issues of homosexuality, yet going through different experiences and dealing with them in different ways. Because of the diversity within the subject of GLBT, I believe this book is a great addition to an older classroom, perhaps a high school level class.

Absolutely, Positively Not

Absolutely, Positively Not... by David Larochelle was a fantastic book. It follows the story of Steven DeNarski, a sophomore in high school who is starting to think he might be gay. When he begins to develop a crush on the health substitute teacher, Mr. Bowman, Steven begins to analyze events in his life that would make him gay-having a girl for a best friend, square dances with his mother, having men's underwear magazines, and being unable to stop thinking about Mr. Bowman in tights. Upon realizing that he is in fact gay, Steven confides in his best friend, Rachel, who tells him she has known for a while that he is gay and is very happy he has finally come out. The next hard step was telling his parents. Steven's mother thinks her son is going through a phase and doesn't want to hear it, and his father accepts his son for being gay but never wants to discuss it again. The story takes a turn for the better when Steven discovers a Gay and Lesbian support group that meets at a coffee shop once a month. When Steven realizes one of the attendees is a guy from the school's hockey team, he suddenly doesn't feel so alone. The book ends with Steven arranging his first date with Mike and finding acceptance from himself and his family as well.

The book addresses several issues surrounding the gay community and their ability to be open about their sexuality. One issue is the name calling that is associated with being gay. For example, after the hockey team barely wins their game, the head coach calls them a bunch of "faggits" and tells them they better start skating like men. This is taken very offensively by Steven and disgusted by those who used those types of words.

"Even though he wasn't talking to me, the disgust in his voice made me want to crawl beneath my seat" (Larochelle, 183).

This is an excellent book that demonstrates the difficulty many face when coming out of the closet. It is also an inspirational book to those who may be facing this problems and are able to learn by Steven's experiences. As a straight individual, I not only enjoyed this book but I also learned a lot from it as well. I would highly reccomend this book to be placed in the classroom as well as discussed when talking about the GLBT community.

Freak Show

Freak Show by James St. James was a very interesting book about a boy who moves to Florida to live with his dad after his mom can no longer handle his unique behavior. This book is a lot more extreme than many other GLBT books, which is why I have included it into the group. The main character in Freak Show, Billy Bloom, is a drag queen from "a liberal" town who is sent to "reddest of the red states" (St. James, 10). Here he has to deal with no only being a drag queen, but also being the new kid in school and learning to fit in.

I found this book to be relatable in the sense of fitting into an environment that just doesn't seem possible. When anyone moves to a new school, they always feel like an outsider and it can be a very hard and uncomfortable situation. Billy's story I believe makes it easier for the reader to appreciate their situation.

Due to the massive amount of swearing and crude subjects in the book. I would actually not reccomend this book for a class room setting. At the most, I would include this book in a high school class room, but not a middle school class. Although in some ways innappropriate, this book did tackle some important issues; including being accepting of those who are different, what it means to be a drag queen, and what it means to be gay.

Because of the tackled issues, I do feel that this book qualifies as a book that should be read by those who want to understand better the lives that individuals in the GLBT. I don't however, suggest this book should be included in the classroom.

A Very Marley Christmas

The snow is falling
Our toes are freezing
And classes are over in a week....

Its Christmas time again!

And in honor of the incoming holiday, I wanted to share a new(ish) children's book with the theme of Christmas.

I'm sure most of you have seen the commercials for Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson's new movie Marley and Me. This new book is called A Very Marley Christmas

The author of the book is John Grogan, who also wrote the other Marley books. The illustrations are done by Richard Cowdrey, who has also done illustrations for the book Frosty the Snowman and the other Marley books as well.

A cute little book to ring in the holiday season :)

Finding Help in the Genre of GLBT

For my final project, I had decided to do the underrepresented group of the GLBT. I thought it would be as simple as typing something along the lines of "gay children's literature" in Google and I would find a bunch of books to include in my project. What I had not anticipated was the difficulty I would have finding information about the authors who wrote these books.
Because the concept of bringing gay people into children's literature is still a touchy and controversial subject, the author's who produce these books are not very well known or well documented.
While I was doing some searching, I came across a very helpful tool to finding a lot of useful information about literaure that includes gay themes or character. And it was a very pleasent surprise that I actually found it on this blog site.

His name is Lee Wind and his blog site name is "I'm Here. I'm Queer. What the Hell do I Read?"

Wind is a teen action fantasy author and has created this blog to help those who are interested in not only literature for and about the gay community, but also other random information, facts, and cool things to look at.

What I found most helpful about his site was the right side tool bar that had a break down of all the literature you could possibly read. It is divided into subcategories including "Books with Gay Teen Characters/Themes", "Books with a GLBTQ Parent/Caretaker", and "Picturebooks I Wish Had Been Read to Me When I Was a Little Kid".

If anyone is interested in this genre of literature, Lee Wind's website is very helpful and below I will add the link so everyone can find it ok.

http://www.leewind.org/