Daily Fig - Page 11 of 12 - Fruitful finds for young minds

Teaching Children to See Beauty in Last Stop on Market Street

By Daily Fig Staff

“I think the best parents and guardians show their kids how to see the beautiful. And part of that is helping those who have even less.”

“The question is not what you look at, but what you see,” Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal on August 5, 1851. In this modern age of distraction, it’s all too easy to ignore things that initially appear ugly and unusual—to lose, as the great anthropologist Loren Eiseley so elegantly put it, our “sense of awe.” Of course, the hidden beauty is still there, just waiting to be discovered. All we have to do is open our eyes and trust our senses. This is one of the central themes in Last Stop on Market Street (public library), a stunning work of children’s literature by author Matt de la Peña and illustrator Christian Robinson that is guaranteed to be treasured for generations to come.

The story begins when CJ, the African-American hero of the story, leaves church with his grandmother (“Nana”). The duo take a bus ride through the inner city to a soup kitchen where they serve food to the homeless. Along the way, CJ peppers Nana with difficult questions about why things are the way they are for their family, community, and city. (“Nana, how come we don’t got a car?”) Nana’s wise and witty responses provide CJ and readers with an unforgettable lesson in empathy, patience, and learning to see beauty where others see only ugliness.

Diversity is a hallmark of this story, but it’s not the overriding theme. According to author Matt de la Peña, that’s by design.

It’s a book that features diverse characters that has nothing to do with diversity. My dream is for a book like this to be embraced not just by diverse readers, but all readers. The story is universal even if the characters are specific.

Readers will notice that disabled and disadvantaged people are interwoven with the story — a blind man, an individual in a wheelchair, a man pushing a shopping cart. It’s an accurate portrayal of the people present in urban environments, and a refreshing change from the majority of modern children’s literature. The dialogue regarding these people feels completely natural.

A man climbed aboard with a spotted dog. CJ gave up his seat. ‘How come that man can’t see?’

‘Boy, what do you know about seeing?’ Nana told him. ‘Some people watch the world with their ears.’

Inequality is also quietly acknowledged throughout the story. On more than one occasion, CJ asks Nana why they don’t have something. Instead of lamenting the absence of physical possessions, Nana redirects CJ’s attention to what they do have. Nana’s continuous focus on her immediate surroundings is a powerful reminder that those who don’t have much may have something better — a deeper appreciation of the present. As De la Peña eloquently put it, “I think the best parents and guardians show their kids how to see the beautiful. And part of that is helping those who have even less.”

De la Peña is no stranger to the world of the underprivileged. As a child growing up in New York City, he had no money and few prospects for the future. In an interview, De la Peña stated that he is fascinated by the stories of underprivileged children, and that all of his books touch on class issues.

I will always write about kids growing up with less. My own experience with poverty is the single most defining piece of my childhood. If my stories create empathy, great. But that’s not exactly what I’m after. I just think the lives of kids growing up in difficult circumstances are beautiful and worthy, too. Truth is, these kids start the race of life way behind the pack. For me, the most interesting journey to follow is the kid who’s fighting to catch up. Even if he never gets there, his story is still so valid to me. Class is definitely the unspoken part of the diversity equation.

The author and illustrator also have some advice for parents hoping to teach lessons of empathy and diversity. “Reading is the ultimate form of empathy,” says De la Peña. “Kids who are exposed to stories from a young age are more likely to carry empathy in their hearts — without even being aware of it.” Robinson, the illustrator of Last Stop on Market Street, says that “exposure to different kinds of people, cultures and music might help a child be aware of the infinite possibilities of expressing and being oneself.”

De la Peña is an advisor to We Need Diverse Books, a grassroots organization dedicated to putting more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children. Please join us in making a donation.

Last Stop on Market Street is a remarkable story full of life lessons that are rarely introduced in other children’s books. Powerful and emotional, this book deserves a spot on every child’s bookshelf. Complement it with other children’s books on diversity.

Technology Personified: Hello Ruby Uses Storytelling to Introduce Children to Coding

By Daily Fig Staff

“The idea for Hello Ruby was born when I was learning to program. Whenever I ran into a problem, I would ask myself how a small, fierce girl would tackle it.”

“The way that young people’s minds develop is fascinating,” Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak once remarked during an interview. “If you are doing something for a grade or salary or a reward, it doesn’t have as much meaning as creating something for yourself and your own life.” But what’s the best way for parents to introduce their kids to coding so that they can independently start using technology to create things? Author and illustrator Linda Liukas thinks she has the answer.

After cofounding the women’s coding group Rails Girls and working at the code instruction website Codecademy, Liukas decided to try her hand at something different. She collected her illustrations, created a Kickstarter campaign, and raised nearly $400k to write a new children’s book about coding. The result was Hello Ruby (public library), a book that gently introduces 5-7 year-olds to what Liukas calls the “fundamentals of computational thinking.” The 112-page book is crammed full of personable characters, engaging stories, charming artwork, and — for ambitious parents and children — a 40-page activity book with 22 exercises.

The hero of the story is Ruby, a “small, fierce girl” who is independent and adventurous. Ruby’s father leaves her a scavenger hunt that leads her on an adventure to find five gems. Ruby is up for the challenge because she knows that “big problems are just lots of little problems stuck together.” Along the way, she makes friends and uses critical thinking skills to accomplish her tasks.

It’s refreshing to see a female character with such a fiercely independent and rebellious streak. Readers learn early on that Ruby doesn’t like being told what to do.

One thing Ruby doesn’t like is to be told what to do. Sometimes this means trouble — especially if the instructions are unclear.

When Ruby’s dad asks her to get dressed for school, she puts on her dress and shoes, but keeps her polka-dot pajamas on. After all, Dad didn’t tell her to first change out of her pajamas.

When it’s time to clean up her toys, Ruby puts her stuffed animals, building blocks, and toy house away, but leaves her drawing pencils on the floor.

‘Pencils aren’t really toys,’ she says cheekily.

Ruby’s attitude embodies what is commonly referred to in technology circles as the hacker ethic. Of course, the term “hacker” in this context refers to an exceptionally skilled software engineer who doesn’t like following rules, not an individual who illegally compromises computer systems. Paul Graham, the founder of the Y Combinator technology startup accelerator, described hackers as people who “are trying to write interesting software, and for whom computers are just a medium of expression, as concrete is for architects or paint for painters.”

There are numerous allegories present in the story. Take the characters, for instance. Ruby is also the name of a popular programing language. Penguins are an obvious reference to Tux, the mascot of the Linux operating system. Foxes probably get their name from the Firefox web browser, robots the Android operating system, Snow Leopard a previous version of Mac OS X, and Django the Python framework. Indeed, the personalities of the characters seem to resemble, and perhaps personify, their namesake organizations and software projects.

As you might expect, there are programming principles embedded in the stories, but they’re presented in a subtle, non-invasive way. For instance, when the foxes are having a hard time weeding their garden and planting carrot seeds, Ruby gives them instructions with loops and conditionals.

Ruby observes all the craziness and comes up with an idea. She raises her voice and gets everyone’s attention. ‘You, you, and you — you’re the planters. You need a bag of seeds. If the hole is empty, drop in one carrot seed. If there’s already a seed, move on. Keep going until you hit the end of the row, then move to the next row. Repeat the whole thing five times.’

Is there really a need for yet another children’s coding book? There are already stacks of books out there that profess to introduce children to the principles of computer science. Liukas addresses this concern in her poignant and personal introduction message. She says that stories and activities should be central to any children’s technology book.

We all have stories that shape the way we see the world as adults. Like invisible friends, our childhood stories stay with us and influence our tastes for years to come. I think we need more of these voices and stories that are able to review the playful side of things.

Play is at the core of learning. Coding is like crayons or LEGO blocks — a way to express yourself. This book is not about ‘learning to code.’ It doesn’t teach any specific programming languages, but introduces the fundamentals of computational thinking that every future kid coder will need.

Kids will learn how to break big problems into small problems, look for patterns, create step-by-step plans, and think outside the box. With activities included in every chapter, future kid coders will be thrilled to put their own imaginations to work.

In short, the creative combination of heartwarming stories and engaging activities in Hello Ruby significantly raises the bar for children’s technology books. This is one book that should be on the shelf of any 5-7 year-old who is interested in technology. Complement it with the resources on Liukas’ Hello Ruby website and with additional kid’s coding books.

Coping with Big Changes and Stereotypes in Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport

By Daily Fig Staff

“I live at 165 East 95th Street, New York City, and I’m going to live here forever.”

“Security is mostly a superstition,” Helen Keller wrote in The Open Door. “Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” Embracing adventure is a central theme in Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport (public library), a charming book about a young boy moving across the country. First published in 1980, this witty story and its quirky illustrations have captured the hearts and minds of several generations.

Moving to a different city can be difficult for anyone, but it’s especially hard on children. As the New York Times recently reported, “psychologists, sociologists and epidemiologists have long recognized that children who move often tend to perform worse in school and have more behavioral problems than those with a firmly rooted picket fence.”

The good news is that you can help. According to Dr. Nancy Darling, a psychology professor at Oberlin College, “when parents support each other and work hard to make the move as easy for the themselves and their kids as possible, negative effects are minimized.”

Enter Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport. The story starts in New York City, where the family is packing up their possessions and preparing to head “out West.” Clearly ambivalent about moving, the hero of the story shares his exaggerated notions of what he thinks it’s like to live in the Western United States. The fear is palpable.

The preposterous half-truths presented about the West are immensely entertaining, like how the people living there speak very slowly and ride horses to school.

My best friend is Seymour, and we like to eat salami sandwiches together. Out West I probably won’t have any friends, but if I do, they’ll be named Tex or Slim, and we’ll eat chili and beans for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. While I miss Seymour and salami.

In a hilarious turn of events, the hero meets another boy his age who is moving from the West to the East. It’s evident that the boy is just as terrified of moving to the Eastern United States as the hero is of moving to the West. He has preconceived notions of the East that the hero knows are false.

I see a boy in a cowboy hat. He looks like Seymour, but I know his name is Tex.

‘Hi,’ I say.

‘Hi,’ he says. ‘I’m moving East.’

‘Great!’ I say.

‘Great?’ he says. ‘What’s so great about it? Don’t you know that the streets are full of gangsters? They all wear flowers in their lapels so they look honest, but they zoom around in big cars with screeching brakes. You have to jump out of their way.’

After flying out West, the hero discovers that things are much like in the East. He sees normal looking restaurants and other children riding bikes. In the end, he realizes that his preconceived notions of the West were wrong and that his fears were groundless.

Tomorrow I’m writing a long letter to Seymour. I’ll tell him I’m sending it by pony express. Seymour will believe me. Back East they don’t know much about us Westerners.

Gila Monsters Meet You at the Airport is a profoundly important book with a vital lesson: Not all preconceived notions are correct, and not all adventures are something to fear. As an added bonus, this endearing story is as enjoyable for adults to read as it is captivating for children.