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Celebrate LBGTQ+ History with Stitch By Stitch

Discrimination October 12, 2021 2:49 pm By Rob Sanders
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✩ “Its story is beautifully captured in the book’s smooth pacing and brief paragraphs. Readers will follow its journey from that march as it becomes both a monument to mourning and a means of changing the stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS… the book is pretty darn impressive. Storytelling and history, beautifully stitched together.” —STARRED REVIEW, Kirkus Reviews From the blanket that his great-grandmother made for him as a boy, to the friends he gathered together in San Francisco as a young man, to the idea for a monument sewn of fabric and thread, Cleve Jones’ extraordinary life seems to have been stitched together bit by bit, piece by piece.  Mentored by Harvey Milk, Jones first had the vision for what became the AIDS Memorial Quilt during a candlelight memorial for Milk in 1985. The AIDS Memorial Quilt grew to be one of the largest public arts projects ever and helped grow awareness of HIV and AIDS.  The picture book biography, Stitch by Stitch: Cleve Jones and the AIDS Memorial Quilt by Rob Sanders, is a touching tribute to Jones’ life of advocacy and the positive effects of a community working towards a common goal. The book includes a discussion guide, glossary, more information about Cleve Jones and Gert McMullen, and a timeline. An excerpt from the discussion guide provides strategies for sharing nonfiction with children and sample answers to questions that children may have after reading the book.   When reading any book of nonfiction, questions may arise. It is also to be expected that children’s questions will go deeper and deeper with each reading of a book. Create an atmosphere where children feel their questions are welcome by being honest, succinct, and by providing answers based in fact.  Feel free to ask the child, “What do you think?” or “How are you feeling?” Remember, you don’t have to have the answers to every question. There’s nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know.” or “Let me think about that.”  The following are some sample answers to questions that children might have after reading Stitch by Stitch. Q: Is there a cure for AIDS today? A: Since the 1980s, thanks to medical advances, medication has helped people living with HIV live full lives. However, people who aren’t treated can still die of complications from AIDS. Q: How do people get HIV/AIDS? A: HIV/AIDS is hard to get. It’s not like a cold or the flu. HIV/AIDS can be passed from person to person through unprotected sex, sharing needles, and in other ways. The most important things to know is that transmission HIV/AIDS can be prevented, that there are treatments if someone is diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, and that you can be friends with someone with HIV/AIDS and not worry. Q: Was HIV/AIDS just a disease that gay men got? A: It may have seemed that way at first, but over time doctors and scientists realized that anyone could contract the disease. The doctors and scientists also discovered that the disease could

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Celebrate LBGTQ+ History with Stitch By Stitch 2021-10-12T14:54:31-04:00

They Only See the Outside: Interview with the Author

families April 1, 2021 10:00 am By Kalli Dakos
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In honor of National Poetry Month, we've interviewed Kalli Dakos, author of a new collection of poems, They Only See the Outside. We ask her about the process of making this book and how poetry can help children better understand their feelings and feel less alone. Magination Press: What inspired you to create this poetry collection, They Only See the Outside? Kalli Dakos: I was asked to do a collection of poems that deal with emotional issues and I thought it was a wonderful idea. I’ve been sharing poetry with children for many years now and I know that poems can help them deal with problems at so many levels – both reading and writing poems. Reading poems helps children to feel that they are not alone with their difficulties and writing poems helps to give a voice to their problems and to share their own stories.  Reading poems helps children to feel that they are not alone with their difficulties and writing poems helps to give a voice to their problems and to share their own stories.  MP: You’ve written many books of poetry. What makes this one different? KD: This is my first book that has both previously published poems and new poems as well. I was able to share some of my favorite poems from other books and to add poems on brand new topics.     MP: Are there any poets who have inspired or mentored you?  KD: There are many poets who have inspired me over the years – from William Wordsworth to Shel Silverstein to the wonderful children’s poets today who are my friends. MP: The poems in They Only See the Outside can raise many different emotions and reactions from page to page as you cover incredibly different topics, from serious to ordinary to amusing. Can you explain why this approach benefits readers? KD: Poems help children to develop empathy and compassion for the struggles that their peers face, and covering all different topics helps this exposure. And then there are the poems that strike a chord with individual children because they have experienced the feelings in the poem. I love to include longer free verse poems that can handle topics that require more text, and it is always important to include humorous poetry that gives children a break from the deeper issues, but also helps them to realize they are not alone with embarrassing situations.   MP: In this collection of poems, you explore all kinds of feelings a kid might have in diverse life experiences. In your picture book Why Am I Blue?, you explore feelings, too. How is writing a book of poetry different from crafting a picture book?  KD: I feel that most of my writing is poetry even if it is in a picture book. I always begin a picture book as a poet, with either free verse or rhyme. In the original versions, the stories are written as poetry, and then changed to picture book format, as in Why Am I Blue?

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They Only See the Outside: Interview with the Author 2021-04-06T11:39:22-04:00

Musical March: Stories that Celebrate Music in Our Lives

families March 10, 2021 10:00 am

March is Music in Our Schools Month. Research shows that music can have positive effects on children’s early development. Investing in music education early helps children develop fine motor skills, as well as physical and mental health. In recognition of the important role music can play in families, communities, and for the individual, here are some terrific stories that include voices, ensembles, interesting instruments, and more.  Music is at the heart of these stories: Elephant’s Music by Monika Filipina All of the animals in the forest can play an instrument, except Edward the Elephant. He tries, and he tries, but all he can do is make a terrible noise. So instead he became happy just listening, and so much so, that he became the band’s biggest fan! After walking up late for a performance one day, Edward runs through the jungle…DUM DUM DUM DUM…and discovers that he was musical after all. He turns out to be the beat the band needed! This is a playful yet important story about individual differences and finding ways to belong. “Even a noisemaker can find a place in a band...An agreeable lesson in inclusion.” —Kirkus Reviews Band Together by Chloe Douglass Duck is a solo act. He loves the peace and solitude of his beachside home, strumming his ukulele beneath the stars. After helping stranded band players Bear, Fox, and Seagull fix their broken-down tour van, he has tons of fun playing songs and hanging out with his new friends. Maybe he could ask the Band if they want to play with him again. But why would they want to be friends with Duck? When Seagull gets sick, it looks like the concert will get canceled. Or will Duck drum up the courage and accept Bear’s invitation to join the Band? Will Duck help his new friends out? Music is the universal language “A loner duck comes into his own...Both vulnerability and self-confidence shine.”  —Kirkus Reviews Hear Band Together read aloud by Chloe Douglass. Read an interview with Chloe Douglass.  Accordionly: Abuelo and Opa Make Music by Micheal Genhart, PhD When both grandpas, Abuelo and Opa, visit at the same time, they can’t understand each other’s language and there is a lot of silence. The grandson’s clever thinking helps find a way for everyone to share the day together as two cultures become one family. This unique book includes a bonus fold-out and a note from the author sharing the true story of his own family. “Genhart pulls from his own childhood growing up in a bicultural family in this cheery picture book, which tells of a young boy and how the accordion brought his family together…. Music is the universal language….Great for reading aloud and featuring bright, energetic illustrations, this endearing story supports diversity and multicultural inclusion.” —Booklist Hear Accordionly read aloud by Dr. Genhart. Read an article about multicultural families and the power of music. My Singing Nana by  Pat Mora "Always amigos!" My Singing Nana is a compassionate tribute to

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Musical March: Stories that Celebrate Music in Our Lives 2021-03-09T22:52:33-05:00