9/24 Event

In an event last week, 12-year-old author Kekaulele Kawai’ae’e came to American University to discuss his children’s book Kohala Kuamo: Nae’ole’s Race to Save a King.  Nae’ole’s Race to Save a King was written when Kekaulele was only 9-years-old.  It was a collaboration between himself, his father, and his grandfather.  Kekaulele grew up with father and grandfather telling him Nae’ole’s Race to Save a King.  This story was always important to the family because it was their ancestors’ story that was passed down through oral tradition.  During a school project, Kekaulele decided to record this oral tradition with his grandfather’s words and his father’s art.  It’s particularly interesting that how this story in passed down through generations in different mediums.  It’s also an extraordinary feat for a child to publish as such a young age.  The story itself is fascinating because it’s one that more Americans aren’t aware of.  Many Hawaiian books don’t have the same popularity as Kakaulele’s Kohala Kauamo, which was also presented this weekend at the National Book Fair in Washinton, D.C.

The discussion of the book by Kekaulele’s family was thought-provoking.  In particular, Walter put an emphasis on history, but our own history.  He said something along these lines, “If we could all learn each other’s histories through our names, history would be more interesting and more memorable.”  I never thought my name had much history to it and when I think of Kekaulele’s name and meaning, I don’t understand how my name could say so much.  But it is something I feel like I should learn someday.  I was also embarrassed by Walter’s discussion on oral tradition because my father is Hawaiian and he always tried to teach me some of the language, but I was never interested.  The language is obviously fascinating, but also a part of where I come from and it saddens me that I don’t know it that well. 

Kekaulele’s discussion gave me a lot to think about.  I think it was Walter who said, “Our family history is our greatest treasure.”  We never really think of our past anymore: where we come from and why we’re here.  Instead we think more about our futures: globalization and the economy.  There’s something truly special about actually sitting down and discussing family, culture, and tradition.  It’s sad because, as Walter puts it, we’re losing our greatest treasure.

A Children's Book that Focuses on Social Issues

The first book I thought of for this topic was again To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  However, I'm not confident that To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a children's book.  Another book that I very recently read is Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis.  To me, Elijah of Buxton focuses on similar social issues as To Kill a Mockingbird with the same warmth and humor.  Perhaps, To Kill a Mockingbird is widely considered a young adult book.  Elijah of Buxton is a popular historical fiction children's book that even won the 2008 Newbery Honor.  The novel is narrated by the title character, 11-year-old Elijah Freedman, a first generation free-born child living in the free-black community Buxton County, Canada.  Elijah and his family just escaped the oppression of a pre-Emancipation Proclamation and pre-Civil War United States.  Nevertheless, Elijah of Buxton is a about a boy growing up, especially as an unexpected adventure takes him into the United States and he sees racial injustice so openly.

The obvious social issue this novel focuses on is racism.  Elijah was born free and lives in a free community, but in a time when African Americans are slaves in the United States.  There are some great moments in this novel that can be used as an opportunity for parents and teachers to talk about racism.  For example, when Elijah calls himself and his classmates the N-word.  Even though his parents and his teachers have taught him that the N-word is disrespectful, it's not until his neighbor, Mr. Leroy, scolds him that he understands that it's a derogatory term.  Mr. Leroy has a powerful moment when he tells Elijah that it doesn't matter who says the N-word because it's still hateful and disrespectful.  I find this scene in the novel very relevant to today because is word is still prevalent, sometimes among African Americans.  When reading this with children, I think it would be a great opportunity to talk about the N-word.  

To connect this to Getting Beyond "I Like the Book" by Vivian Vasquez, it's clear that this issue is not above children.  Children are able to make these connections at very young ages and if we can't create an open environment in which children can express their feelings, they will just feel isolated.  In particular, I read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee at a very young age.  Some strong social issues were above me when I first read it, but the racism I read about deeply saddened me and opened my eyes to injustices that I hadn't yet experienced.  It also put me on a path that opposed such injustices that I have since carried with me.  I read Elijah of Buxton years after I read To Kill a Mockingbird, but I think Elijah of Buxton has a similar affect as To Kill a Mockingbird that is specifically targeted to younger audiences.

A Children's Book that Made a Difference in My Life

I'm not necessarily sure that To Kill a Mockingbird is considered a children's book, but it has made a profound difference in my life.  To Kill a Mockingbird is a 1960s novel written by Harper Lee that focuses on a Southern family during the Great Depression.  It is narrated by 6-year-old Scout Finch, who is able to discuss serious issues like rape and racial inequality with humor and warmth.  In the novel, Scout's father, Atticus is a lawyer that defends an African American man, Tom Robinson, who charged for raping a young Southern girl.  Scout and her brother Jem are teased for their father's actions.  Although it is clear that Tom is innocent, the jury finds him guilty and he dies trying to escape from prison.

I was a little older than Scout, 12-years-old, when I first read To Kill a Mockingbird, but I didn't completely understand it.  The novel deals with serious issues, including rape, racial inequality, gender roles, class, and a loss of innocence.  When I first read the novel, I didn't even understand what rape was and the context of life in the South during the 60s.  To Kill a Mockingbird was taught in my 7th grade literature class, which helped me understand the book’s historical perspective.  But it was also a place I could discuss other themes in the novel that I didn't understand.  I was particularly disgusted by the racial inequality in the novel.  To Kill a Mockingbird truly changed outlook towards life and my attitudes towards others.

Since the first time I read To Kill a Mockingbird with my 7th grade class, I've reread it numerous times.  For me, the novel helps me evaluate what is fair, compassionate, honest, and true-- and what it's like to be a moral person that carries herself with integrity.  And even though I didn't completely understand the serious issues being addressed in the novel the first time I read it, I still felt deeply saddened and enraged by the injustices that I had not necessarily encountered in the world.  It was the first book that set me on a path to oppose racism and other injustices.

My First Recollection of Reading a Children's Book

Prior to my Third Grade, I never enjoyed reading.  I felt that my classmates sounded much better than I did when reading aloud.  Even at home, I was too distracted to read.  One of my earliest memories of reading a children’s book was in the Third Grade when I came across the Ramona Collection by Beverly Cleary.  The Ramona Collection was a collection of books that I actually liked reading.  I still remember the scene in Ramona Quimby, Age 8 in which she cracks a raw egg on her head because she thought it was a hard-boiled egg.  Ramona was a relatable character to my eight-year-old self and someone I could easily see as a friend in real life.  I was easily entertained by her humor and adventures.  And today, I greatly attribute the Ramona Collection to my interest in books as a child.

To relate this a little to the class reading, Chapter 1 of Getting Beyond “I Like the Book” by Vivian Vasquez, I believe that the Ramona Collection played a crucial role in my elementary education because it peaked my interest in literature.  Looking back however, Ramona’s reality represents a Western culture.  I’m a little conflicted because I’m not confident Ramona Quimby, Age 8 is a book that could be taught in the classroom today.  Today, our classrooms are more diverse and some students might not be able to see themselves in Ramona’s reality.  But Ramona has experiences that I think all children can relate to, like the first day of school, feeling the need to please parents and teachers, sibling rivalry, and making new friends.  So I question if the Ramona Collection is a book that could relate to culturally diverse students.