Family Matters: Adoption and Foster Care in Children's Literature PDF
Preview Family Matters: Adoption and Foster Care in Children's Literature
Family Matters Family Matters Adoption and Foster Care in Children’s Literature Ruth Lyn Meese L U IBRARIES NLIMITED An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC Copyright2010byRuthLynMeese Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedina retrievalsystem,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical, photocopying,recording,orotherwise,exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotationsina review,withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Meese,RuthLyn. Familymatters:adoptionandfostercareinchildren’sliterature/RuthLynMeese. p.cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978–1–59158–782–8(hardcopy(paper):alk.paper)—ISBN978–1–59158–783–5(ebook) 1. Adoption—Studyandteaching(Primary)—UnitedStates.2. Adoptedchildren—Education—UnitedStates. 3. Fosterchildren—Education—UnitedStates.4. Adoption—Juvenileliterature—Bibliography.5. Foster children—Juvenileliterature—Bibliography.6. Adoptioninliterature—Bibliography. I.Title. HV875.55.M42 2010 372.83—dc22 2009040750 14 13 12 11 10 1 2 3 4 5 ThisbookisalsoavailableontheWorldWideWebasaneBook. Visitwww.abc-clio.comfordetails. ABC-CLIO,LLC 130CremonaDrive,P.O.Box1911 SantaBarbara,California93116-1911 Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica Thisbookisdedicatedtothetwomostinfluentialpeopleinmylife,myhusband,JamesW.Windle,andmy daughter,KatieSvetlanaWindlemeese.YouaremydailyinspirationandIloveyoubothdeeply. Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi Chapter1:AllKindsofFamilies 1 UnderstandingFosterCareandAdoption 2 TheChangingNatureofAdoptionandFosterCareintheUnitedStates 3 CurrentPerceptionsofAdoptionandFosterCare 5 TheImpactofAdoptionandFosterCareontheChild 6 Summary 10 Chapter2:RespectingAdoptionandFosterCareintheClassroomthroughSensitive 11 Language,Assignments,andLiterature UsingPositiveLanguage 12 AdaptingSensitiveAssignments 14 Timelines 14 Who’sWho/SuperStar/StudentoftheWeekBulletinBoards 15 FamilyTrees 15 Autobiographies 15 FamilyHistory/FamilyTraditions/InterviewingOlderFamilyMembers 15 Genetics/InheritedCharacteristics/MedicalHistory 16 AdoptionandFosterCareinChildren’sLiterature 16 HistoricalInfluencesonAdoptionandFosterCareLiterature 17 ContemporaryChildren’sLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCare 18 InterpretingLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCareintheClassroom 19 viii Contents Summary 19 Chapter3:SelectingChildren’sLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCare 21 FindingBooksChildrenCanRead 21 LexileMeasures 22 AcceleratedReader 22 FindingQualityChildren’sLiterature 23 TheCaldecottMedalandHonorBooks 23 TheNewberyMedalandHonorBooks 23 TheChildren’sNotableList 24 GuidelinesforAnalyzingChildren’sLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCare 24 SamplingAdoptionandFosterCareLiteratureforK–8Children 26 Summary 29 Chapter4:AdoptionandFosterCareLiteratureforYoungReaders 31 UsingLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCareintheK–2Classroom 35 AnAnnotatedBibliographyofSelectedLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCarefor 37 GradesK–2 Summary 60 Chapter5:AdoptionandFosterCareLiteratureforMiddleReaders 61 UsingLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCareinGrades3–5 62 AnAnnotatedBibliographyofSelectedLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCare 67 forGrades3–5 Summary 86 Chapter6:AdoptionandFosterCareLiteratureforOlderReaders 87 UsingLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCareinthe6–8Classroom 95 AnAnnotatedBibliographyofSelectedLiteratureonAdoptionandFosterCarefor Grades6–8 96 Summary 129 References 131 Appendix:AdditionalK–8Children’sLiteratureHavingAdoptionorFosterCareThemes 137 Index 141 Preface Familystructureshaveobviouslychangedthroughthepast25years.Familiesaremorediversethan everbefore,andmanychildrenlivewithotherthanbiologicalfamilymembers.Teacherstodaywill nodoubthaveintheirclassroomschildrenwhohavebeenadoptedorplacedintofostercare.Justas family members help children and youth understand and deal with issues related to foster care or adoption,teachers,too,have a tremendous impacton achild’s understanding ofself. Theteacher, however,maybeinfluencedbythedailynews,books,movies,Websites,ormagazines,justlikeother Americans. Teachers may not possess the knowledge, skills, or attitudes needed to choose lesson plans,language,oractivitiesofferingapositive,sensitive,andaccuratepictureofchildrenlivingin alternativefamilystructures.Instead,theymayunknowinglyuselanguage,materials,andlessonsthat fosterstereotypesorprovokequestionsorteasingofchildrenwhohavebeenadoptedorplacedinto fostercare. Becauseteachersaretrainedtochoose‘‘quality’’literatureforuseintheclassroom,forexample, theymayautomaticallyassumethataward-winningbooksorstoriessuchasthosewinningCaldecott or Newbery Medals orHonors or thoseon theChildren’sNotableList are the‘‘best’’ books when planninglessons.Unfortunately,fewCaldecottorNewberybooksincludethemesassociatedwithfo- stercareoradoption,andthosethatdomaynotallaccuratelyrepresentchildrenandyouthcurrently livinginsuchalternativefamilyarrangements.Furthermore,teachersmaybeunawareofotherlitera- turethatdoesaccuratelyportrayadoptionandfostercareortheymaynotknowhowtojudgebooks andstoriesdealingwiththesethemes. ThisbookwillprovideteacherswithguidelinesforevaluatingK–8literaturecontainingadoption orfostercarethemes.Inaddition,thebookcoversdevelopmentalissuesrelatedtoadoptionandfoster careforchildreningradesK–8,andsuggestionsforpositivelanguage,healthydiscussions,andsensi- tiveassignmentsareincluded.Finally,booksandstoriesnotincludedontheaward-winningbooklists arealsoreviewed.Thepurposeofthisbook,then,istohelpteachersprovideyoungsterswithaccurate informationandsensitiveresponsessothatallchildren,nomattertheirlivingarrangements,willfeel safeandvaluedintheclassroomandknowthattheirfamilymatters!
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