tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59126492345420084522024-03-02T12:29:44.711-05:00Coloring Between the Linesreflections on race, culture and children’s booksAnne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-61940023007536191542017-03-14T22:31:00.001-04:002017-03-14T22:31:41.363-04:00MOVED!In 2016, I moved this blog to <a href="http://coloringbetweenthelines.com/">ColoringBetweenTheLines.com</a> where the discussion of race, culture and children's books continues.<br />
Come on over and say hi!Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-33232501687572351512015-10-02T17:53:00.000-04:002015-10-02T17:53:44.246-04:00Picturing New NeighborsOn September 30, in the midst of torrential rains and flash flooding in the city, I still managed to get in from the island to hang an exhibit of illustrations in the Children's Room of Portland Public Library.<br />
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The exhibit, "Picturing New Neighbors," features selected original artwork from these four books, all of which feature immigrant children:<br />
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My stellar intern, Caitlyn Hubbard, made the whole day work; I never would have made it without her. Thanks, Katie!</div>
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The exhibit will be up through November, and will culminate with a November 19th reception and workshop, "'That's My Story!' Images of Immigrant Children in Picture Books," for teachers, librarians, parents and community members.</div>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-17307049736441246152015-10-02T17:52:00.004-04:002015-10-03T11:08:24.877-04:00Celebrating I'M NEW HERE<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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The September 19 launch party and film preview for <i>I'm New Here</i> was wonderful. Master-minded and MC-ed by the ever brilliant and resourceful Kirsten Cappy of <a href="http://www.curiouscity.net/">Curious City</a>, the event drew some 70 people, including this crew from the filming at Hall School:<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Hall School Community Coordinator Tina Mikkelson (l), with student video stars, teacher Anne Nordstrom, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">me, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"> filmmaker Fred Ben, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">and Kirsten Cappy (background)</span></i></div>
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I read the book and we shared Fred's video of students talking about being new and being welcoming: </div>
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and his interview of me talking about creating the book:</div>
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Read a <a href="http://www.imyourneighborbooks.org/2015/09/29/im-your-neighbor-creates-video-on-welcoming/">post</a> about the making of the video.</div>
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People wrote messages about what it feels like to be new and how to welcome...</div>
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And shared welcome signs in our photo booth.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>My Charlesbridge editor, Julie Bliven </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Our official paparazzi, Pious Ali, who in a former life was a fashion photographer in Ghana</i></td></tr>
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Thanks to my hardworking intern, University of Southern Maine art student Caitlyn Hubbard, who greeted everyone at the door.<br />
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-639633654506771342015-09-06T14:12:00.000-04:002015-09-06T18:11:40.416-04:00Launch party!<span id="goog_1788090719"></span><span id="goog_1788090720"></span><br />
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-47817175341198226462015-09-03T22:06:00.000-04:002015-09-04T13:03:26.583-04:00Serendipity<span style="font-family: inherit;">An artist friend, Jo Israelson, has been working for months on an art installation called, <a href="http://www.pressherald.com/2015/09/04/exhibition-at-maine-jewish-museum-examines-portland-immigration-then-and-now/">"Welcoming the Stranger: Building Understanding Through Community-Based Art,"</a> here in Portland, Maine. <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">The exhibit highlights the treatment of immigrants in Portland during the 1920’s with their treatment today.</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;"> Several events </span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23px;">included in the two-month-long calendar of "Welcoming the Stranger" </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">feature my just-released book about immigrant children, </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">I'm New Here</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit; line-height: 23px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 23px;">Tonight was Jo's opening at the Jewish Museum in Portland. At her suggestion I brought a few copies of the book to sell. While paging through the book, one </span></span><span style="line-height: 23px;">attendee noticed a detail in the second illustration: The poster on the wall had today's date: Thursday, September 3. </span></span><br />
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I don't recall if when I made the illustration more than a year ago, I checked to see what day September 3 would fall on in 2015. I certainly had no idea at the time that the date I chose would end up being the first public event after the book's release! </div>
<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-50657006838011088902015-08-31T15:29:00.000-04:002015-08-31T15:29:00.778-04:00Why #BigFiveSignOn? #WNDBDear Publishers,<br />
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Please sign up for the <a href="https://www.leeandlow.com/about-us/the-diversity-baseline-survey">Diversity Baseline survey</a> designed by Lee & Low. As they state,<br />
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<span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Our goal with the Diversity Baseline Survey is to establish a baseline that shows where we are now so we can start taking concrete steps to address the problem.</b></span></span></blockquote>
The purpose is not to point fingers or to shame anyone. The purpose is to find out exactly who we are and where we are, as an industry, at this moment in time. You've seen the numbers: <b>while more than 50% of our entering kindergarteners </b><b>are </b><b>children of color, only around 10% of our books depict children of color. </b><br />
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In other words, somehow, despite all kinds of good intentions, this is where we are now:<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
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Actual numbers telling us what we're working with now is the only way we can figure out how we need to address the complex, intertwining systems that result in the current outcome. We need to know what to address, where and how.<br />
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Changing systems and institutions is like turning around enormous ships at sea: it doesn't happen without intense, persistent action by many people armed with specific information, goals and targets. We're all invested in making a change to address this challenge.<br />
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Why does this matter to me, personally?<br />
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<li>I was raised in South Korea as the daughter of medical missionaries. From the example of my parents who chose to work, play and live side-by-side with Korean colleagues, friends, and extended family, and from countless Koreans who welcomed me as a guest, a friend and a little sister, I absorbed the deep knowledge that across all our differences, <b>we are one human family. I want books that reflect this truth.</b></li>
<li>As I became a published author and illustrator, I longed <b>to portray the beauty and glory of human difference</b>. My books had to be diverse; that was the world I knew.</li>
<li>When our daughter joined our family by adoption from Korea, and my husband and I were raising her and her white brother, I knew that having diverse books, lots of them, depicting all kinds of people, was essential to their wellbeing and development of healthy identities. In different ways, <b>they both needed to see both themselves - and others - reflected in the books they read.</b></li>
<li>I've been following the research of neuroscientists on the development of unconscious bias. I work with a colleague, Professor Krista Aronson of Bates College, whose research demonstrates that <b><a href="http://www.slj.com/2014/05/diversity/how-cross-racial-scenes-in-picture-books-build-acceptance/#_">books portraying positive relationships across race can actually reduce prejudice</a>.</b> </li>
<li>Some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/children-racial-bias-study_55df5e01e4b029b3f1b1fa7c">recent studies</a> show that <b>we may be able to interrupt the development of racial bias in infants by creating positive associations with faces of racial groups they're unfamiliar with. </b>The researchers used photos, but why not picture book illustrations?</li>
<li>Now I am participating in raising our biracial grandson and <b>my passion for and delight in sharing diverse books has only increased</b>. </li>
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Ensuring that our children have access to books in which they can see themselves and others reflected is our essential task. It won't be easy, but we can do this. </div>
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Please sign up for the survey, and let's all get to work, together.</div>
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<b>"The literature of America should reflect the children of America."</b></div>
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Lucille Clifton</div>
Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-40932080705368990322015-08-29T21:17:00.000-04:002015-08-29T21:28:42.343-04:00Story First: Using Children's Books to Explore Korean Culture & Identity<div class="tr_bq">
Once again I participated in a National Association of Korean Schools teachers conference - the second in a week - this one the New England chapter, in North Andover, MA. (It's a complete coincidence that I did them back-to-back; this invitation came through another Korean acquaintance.) Annual gatherings like the two I attended offer teachers (mostly volunteers) from across a region the chance to connect and to gain new knowledge, skills and inspiration to improve the effectiveness of their instruction.</div>
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Korean schools usually meet on Saturdays or on Sunday afternoons after church, when Korean American families bring their children to study reading, writing and speaking as well as to learn more about Korean culture. The schools also attract families formed by interracial adoption or marriage, and a surprising new trend is non-Korean teens showing up motivated to learn the language based on their love of K-pop and anime!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Jjaee9W7CXwlxJjYmK7LfrgvS5cJSNU0FCf03LtwiGxQ7zj5TmA6XQrCgFOH7JW470jEKFw8mSD8Jsr3X-_44CiaX057ylZ2z2dLBi_B3zOYw_Ixx0_7XAyNhMJsfgrmOL2tVnP4Bee/s1600/IMG_6884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-8Jjaee9W7CXwlxJjYmK7LfrgvS5cJSNU0FCf03LtwiGxQ7zj5TmA6XQrCgFOH7JW470jEKFw8mSD8Jsr3X-_44CiaX057ylZ2z2dLBi_B3zOYw_Ixx0_7XAyNhMJsfgrmOL2tVnP4Bee/s320/IMG_6884.jpg" width="158" /></a>It's interesting to note the similarities in the two events: Korean churches as venues; a preponderance among teachers of recent immigrants whose first language is Korean, rather than 2nd- or 3rd-generation members; and <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">opening with the singing of both the "Ae-guk-ga" - the Korean national anthem, and "The Star- Spangled Banner"</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">.</span> These traits seem typical of that segment of the Korean American community whose adult members are foreign-born; it's Korean-language-based, centers around Protestant churches, and claims both Korean and American allegiance. </div>
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My presentation (in Korean again, but this one benefited from last week's warm-up) focused on using books in Korean language school classrooms to help children absorb culture, strengthening their connection to Korea and their bicultural identities. I featured two of my titles, <b><i>The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea</i></b>, and <b><i>What Will You Be, Sara Mee?</i></b> by Kate Aver Avraham, which I illustrated, as examples of how books can be used, and shared a list of titles, most by Korean American authors, for further exploration.<br />
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<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some recommended books on Korean culture</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preschool - 2nd grade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bae, Hyun-Ju, <b><i>New Clothes for New Year's Day</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Park, Linda Sue, <b><i>Bee-bim Bop!</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Schoettler, Joan,<i> </i><b><i>Good Fortune in a Wrapping Cloth</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Older Elementary (3rd-6th grade)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Park, Linda Sue, <b><i>A Single Shard</i></b><i>;</i> <b><i>Seesaw Girl</i></b><i>; </i><b><i>The Kite Fighters</i></b><i>; </i>&<i> </i><b><i>Archer’s Quest</i></b><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Middle/High School</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Kim Dong Hwa, <b><i>The Color of Earth</i></b>, <b><i>The Color of Water</i></b>, and <b><i>The Color of Heaven </i></b>(graphic novels)</span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some recommended books on the Korean American experience</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preschool - 2nd grade</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Park, Frances, <b><i>Good-Bye, 382 Shin Dang Dong</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Older Elementary (3rd-6th grade)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Han, Jenny, <b><i>Clara Lee and the Apple Pie Dream</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoo, Paula, <b><i>Sixteen Years in Sixteen Seconds: The Sammy Lee Story</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Middle/High School</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Lee, Marie G.,<b> <i>Necessary Roughness</i></b><i> </i>& <b><i>Finding My Voice</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Na, An, <b><i>Wait for Me</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Woo, Sung J., <b><i>Everything Asian</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoo<i>, </i>David, <b><i>Girls for Breakfast</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yoo, Paula, <b><i>Good Enough</i></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Questions for discussion: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How are the characters like you? Different from you? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">How was being Korean an asset for the character? A challenge? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Did you learn anything cool about Korean culture or about being Korean? </span></div>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-46499957186969178552015-08-23T10:48:00.000-04:002015-08-23T10:48:41.329-04:00More Korean Connections<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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At her invitation, I joined my friend, Dr. Agnes Ahn, one of the founders and program coordinators of the Korea Studies Workshop at University of MA Lowell, for a whirlwind trip to Philadelphia this weekend.</div>
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Agnes and I keynoted at the <a href="https://www.naks.org/jml/">National Association of Korean Schools</a>, Mid-Atlantic Chapter meeting. We each shared an overview of our life stories and our work: on Agnes' mission to get Korea and Korean history into the Common Core, and on my book, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Hong-Kil-Dong-Robinhood/dp/1580893031/ref=sr_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1440339389&sr=1-14&refinements=p_27%3AAnne+Sibley+O%27Brien">The Legend of Hong Kil Dong: The Robin Hood of Korea</a>,</i></div>
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as a tool to explore Korean history, culture and positive bicultural identity.</div>
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We had a warm and enthusiastic response from this delightful group of people - and a delicious Korean box lunch before we were whisked back to the airport to fly back to Boston.</div>
<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-11530983898393810062015-08-04T07:28:00.000-04:002015-08-04T07:28:03.176-04:00I'm New Here RELEASED<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My latest book, <i><b><a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/products/im-new-here">I'm New Here</a></b></i>, launches into the world today! Though it's brand new, some exciting things are happening with it already:</div>
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<li>A starred <a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anne-sibley-obrien-4/im-new-here/">review</a> in Kirkus! -<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Crimson Text', 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; line-height: 26px;"> "heartfelt and poetically rendered" (see <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5912649234542008452#editor/target=post;postID=1809264915461800430;onPublishedMenu=allposts;onClosedMenu=allposts;postNum=4;src=postname">5/24/15 post</a>)</span></li>
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<li>In June, children's book advocate extraordinaire, Kirsten Cappy of <a href="http://curiouscity.net/">Curious City</a> and I presented a workshop, "New Immigrants, New Approaches: Serving Your Community's Deep Diversity with Programming and Acquisition," at the American Library Association conference in San Francisco - and just received the report that we got stellar evaluations! We introduced <i><b>I'm New Here</b></i> as we talked about the stages of adjustment for immigrant children and our project about children's literature featuring new arrivals,<a href="http://www.imyourneighborbooks.org/"> I'm Your Neighbor Books</a>.</li>
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Our entire presentation is available as a pdf <a href="http://alaac15.ala.org/node/28563">here</a>.</blockquote>
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<li> In late July, marvelous videographer Fred Ben (above, with me), Kirsten Cappy (below, R), and I met with 25 fabulous children - including Fatho (below, center) - and their wonderfully supportive teachers (thanks for making it happen, Tina Massa Mikkelson!) at Hall School in Portland, Maine.</li>
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I shared the book and we talked about being new, being different, and being welcoming. Each child drew pictures and made posters of their thoughts and feelings. The next day, we got to interview the child individually as they talked about their work. So delightful; I fell in love with every single face.</div>
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The footage from two days of filming will be shaped into a short book trailer and a longer teaching tool, to spark discussions about immigration and welcoming at schools across the country and around the world, available for the September launch.</div>
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<li><b><i><span style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;">On Saturday, September 19, </span>I'm New Here</i></b> will be launched at an all-ages event at Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine, 2:00-4:00 p.m., during <a href="http://www.welcomingamerica.org/get-involved/national-welcoming-week-2015/">National Welcoming Week</a>.</li>
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<li>On October 22, I'll be presenting this workshop at the <a href="https://mlc.portlandschools.org/community/language_culture_and_identity_conference_2015">"Language, Culture & Identity" conference</a> of the <a href="http://volunteermaine.galaxydigital.com/volunteer/agency/display/multilingual-multicultural-center-portland-public-schools/?agency_id=18650">Multilingual & Multicultural Center</a> of Portland Public Schools, Maine:</li>
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<strong style="color: #632423; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">Immigrant Children in Picture Books</strong></blockquote>
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<em style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;">A review of recent, recommended titles featuring refugee and immigrant children, focusing on the countries of origin of those currently settling in Maine. We'll explore how these books can be used to support students - and their mainstream classmates - as they move through stages of adjustment.</em></blockquote>
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<li>On November 7, I'll be presenting <i><b>I'm New Here</b></i> and many other titles in a workshop for K-12 teachers entitled, "'That’s My Story!' Young Refugees and Immigrants in Children's Books," at the Northern New England TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) conference at UNH in Durham, NH.</li>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-15142713925187182732015-07-27T23:14:00.000-04:002015-07-27T23:14:04.374-04:00Must Read<div>
<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">From sociologist Joe Feagin, interviewed in the New York Times, <a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/07/27/american-racism-in-the-white-frame/?_r=0">"American Racism in the 'White Frame'"</a>:</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"To understand well the realities of American racism, one must adopt an analytical perspective focused on the what, why and who of the systemic white racism that is central and foundational to this society ...</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Prejudice is much less than half the story. Because prejudice is only one part of the larger white racial frame that is central to rationalizing and maintaining systemic racism, one can be less racially prejudiced and still operate out of many other aspects of that dominant frame."</span></blockquote>
I'd advise skipping the comments which are, for the most part, a display of White Fragility (see previous post).<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Feagin references one of his books, <i>The First R: How Children learn Race & Racism, </i>reviewed <a href="http://coloringbetween.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-talk-about-race-expert-3.html">here</a><i>.</i></span></div>
Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-31199365664035453432015-07-26T17:11:00.000-04:002015-07-27T06:13:19.847-04:00Black Lives Matter<br />
Those of us who create and share children's books don't do so in a vacuum. This has been a heartbreaking year of growing awareness of and horror at the depth and pervasiveness of violence directed at the African American community. The frequency of the news stories and the terrible circumstances and outcomes can overwhelm any viewer with a sense of helplessness and hopelessness.<br />
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But as advocates for children, when events shake our nation, we don't have the option of being paralyzed. We are compelled to respond, to try to do something - anything - to make the world better for our children. All of our children.<br />
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With that challenge in mind, here are some links to some of the most compelling ideas that I've seen in the last several months, ideas to propel us one step forward in what many people are calling the civil rights movement of our time:<br />
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<li><a href="http://robindiangelo.com/">Robin DiAngelo</a>, Associate Professor of Critical Multicultural and Social Justice Education at Westfield State University, has coined the term <a href="http://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/white-fragility-why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism-twlm/">"White Fragility"</a> for the ways white people respond to racial stress:</li>
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"<b>Our socialization renders us racially illiterate</b>. When you add a lack of humility to that illiteracy (because we don’t know what we don’t know), you get the break-down we so often see when trying to engage white people in meaningful conversations about race... </blockquote>
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"<b>This systemic and institutional control allows those of us who are white in North America to live in a social environment that protects and insulates us from race-based stress. </b>We have organized society to reproduce and reinforce our racial interests and perspectives. Further, we are centered in all matters deemed normal, universal, benign, neutral and good. Thus, <b>we move through a wholly racialized world with an unracialized identity (e.g. white people can represent all of humanity, people of color can only represent their racial selves). Challenges to this identity become highly stressful and even intolerable.</b>"</blockquote>
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<li><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/author/ta-nehisi-coates/">Ta-Nehisi Coates</a>' brilliant, much-talked about new book, <i><b><a href="http://www.randomhousebooks.com/campaign/between-the-world-and-me/?ref=966D062CEB2C&utm_source=Random_House_Group&utm_medium=Internal&utm_content=Featured_Banner&utm_term=&utm_campaign=Between_the_World_and_Me_Campaign_Page">Between the World and Me</a></b></i>, written as an extended letter to his teenage son, is a searing, penetrating read, the cumulative effect of which is to catch a glimpse, at a visceral level, of the reality of living in a black body in America: </li>
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"The mettle that it takes to look away from the horror of our prison system, from police forces transformed into armies, from the long war against the black body, is not forged overnight. This is the practiced habit of jabbing out one's eyes and forgetting the work of one's hands. To acknowledge these horrors means turning away from the brightly rendered version of your country as it has always declared itself and turning towards something murkier and unknown. <b>It is still too difficult for most Americans to do this. But this is your work. Its must be, only to preserve the sanctity of your mind.</b>" </blockquote>
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<li>In a <a href="http://thebrownbookshelf.com/">Brown Bookshelf</a> post, <a href="http://thebrownbookshelf.com/2015/05/22/we-need-new-shoes-more-than-we-may-know/">"We Need NEW SHOES, More Than We May Know,"</a> children's book advocate Kirsten Cappy of <a href="http://www.curiouscity.net/">Curious City</a> poses this question:</li>
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<b style="color: #333333; line-height: 16.799999237060547px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"If books and stories change lives, if diverse books allow children of color to be seen and validated, then why is book purchasing not a major charitable action?"</span></b></blockquote>
In the face of hundreds of years of race-based dehumanization and violence, institutionalized racism and white supremacy, I may feel paralyzed. But I <b>can</b> take the next step in educating myself. I <b>can</b> start conversations about race with any and everyone I come into contact with. And I <b>can</b> keep figuring out ways to get more books featuring Black lives into the hands of all our children.<br />
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<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-29075671357669581482015-05-24T12:34:00.001-04:002015-05-24T12:34:44.280-04:00Collection Launched!We had a delightful gathering for our r<a href="http://coloringbetween.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-picture-book-project.html">eception</a> last Thursday for The Picture Book Project: A Bates College Collection Portraying People of Color.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>The Picture Book Project team: Bates College Professor Krista Aronson, with baby Hope; me; </i></span><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">students Gift Pola Kiti, Caroline Kern and Brenna Callahan</span></i></div>
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Attendees included students and faculty from Bates and people from the wider community including Tilbury House, the Maine State Library, and the Maine Humanities Council...</div>
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and best of all, children.</div>
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<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-18092649154618004302015-05-24T12:07:00.000-04:002015-05-24T12:08:10.158-04:00Stars in My EyesLast week I received the great news that my upcoming picture book, <i><b><a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=5976">I'm New Here</a></b></i>, received a <i><a href="https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/anne-sibley-obrien-4/im-new-here/">starred review</a> </i>in Kirkus!<br />
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"O’Brien’s watercolor-and-digital illustrations masterfully use perspective, white space, and the contrast between the children 'back home' and in their new settings to highlight the transition from outsider to friend. ...<br />
Whether readers are new themselves or meeting those who are new, there are lessons to be learned here about perseverance, bravery, and inclusion, and O’Brien’s lessons are heartfelt and poetically rendered."</blockquote>
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My editor, Julie Bliven, commented in an email that, <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.893333435058594px;">I feel as though the reviewer was sitting at our table two years ago at Simmons and listening in on you, me, and Whitney [art director]. They really understood what you were trying to achieve."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.893333435058594px;"><br /></span></span>
It's thrilling to have a beloved project recognized in this public way. And it's rare - and deeply affirming - to be <i>gotten, </i>to have the book described exactly as we envisioned it.<br />
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This mention increases the likelihood that the people who are looking for books about immigrant children will find it, and best of all, that it will get into the hands of children who will find themselves reflected in my book.<br />
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Thanks, Kirkus!Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-58139897856697453032015-05-12T08:32:00.000-04:002015-05-12T08:32:32.819-04:00The Picture Book Project<blockquote style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" type="cite">
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<span style="color: #666666;">You are invited to the launch of </span></div>
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<span style="color: #330099; font-family: Book Antiqua;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><big><big><big><big><b>The Picture Book Project</b></big></big></big></big></i></div>
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A Bates College Collection Portraying People of Color</div>
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<b><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';">May 21st</span><span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua';"> </span></b></div>
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4-6pm</div>
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Bates College Ladd Library</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">RSVP <a href="mailto:ralbitz@bates.edu" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">ralbitz@bates.edu</a></span></div>
</small></span><pre style="text-align: center; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666;"><small><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><big>Light refreshments will be served</big></span></small></span></pre>
<span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span><pre style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><big>Come celebrate with other parents, teachers, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers and researchers who share an interest in diverse children's books. Hear about the collection, peruse the books and learn how you can check them out for personal or professional use.
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<span style="color: #666666;"><small>Founded by Krista Aronson, Associate Professor of Psychology at Bates, in collaboration with Anne Sibley O'Brien, children's book creator, the Collection is comprised of fiction and narrative non-fiction picture books (grades K-3) depicting characters of color published in the United States between 2002-2013. Using the collection, Professor Aronson, her collaborators and students contribute to the national dialogue about diverse children's books, capturing and communicating their dominant themes and exploring their impact on inclusion and bias, including how teachers and parents utilize them in everyday life. In line with its community focus, these books are available to everyone at Bates and beyond for research, education and personal use. </small></span></div>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-55280674730572139262015-05-02T14:20:00.000-04:002015-05-02T14:20:08.452-04:00Finding the Audience for a New Book<div class="page" title="Page 1">
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">I've just begun the <a href="https://www.udemy.com/seth-godin-freelancer-course/">Udemy </a></span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><a href="https://www.udemy.com/seth-godin-freelancer-course/">Course for </a></span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><a href="https://www.udemy.com/seth-godin-freelancer-course/">Freelancers</a> taught by author and entrepreneur <a href="http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/default.asp">Seth Godin</a>. Subscribing to his blog, I've found that at least a quarter of his daily posts are so useful, challenging or thought-provoking that I wanted to share them and/or save them for further reflection. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">In his course,</span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"> a series of 87 short videos with writing exercises, </span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">Godin guides students through a process designed "to create <b>a non-generic, unique and remarkable individual who has the leverage and the freedom to make a ruckus</b>."</span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"> There's also a comment board where students can post their responses and engage in discussion.</span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">I decided to take the course to focus on the project of finding the audience for </span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">my forthcoming title, </span><i style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=5976">I'm New Here</a>,</i><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"> a concept picture book about three immigrant children, coming out in August from Charlesbridge.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9NIRQ25iZ-K86O6r_eh4h1KOn58wadXtnoPkSXxHTsaE6sJRrZHUEz7Zqn9AFxSnocG6dcUxz3oN6UPr_PP3fGnW4lllJC2dKyksnrr9lUM8GRqP758Xh6MVICYjyWT-744EFNyB24jn/s1600/IMG_6070.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp9NIRQ25iZ-K86O6r_eh4h1KOn58wadXtnoPkSXxHTsaE6sJRrZHUEz7Zqn9AFxSnocG6dcUxz3oN6UPr_PP3fGnW4lllJC2dKyksnrr9lUM8GRqP758Xh6MVICYjyWT-744EFNyB24jn/s1600/IMG_6070.png" height="320" width="287" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">The first part of the course, "Why Freelance?," includes a series of questions which Godin encourages respondents to answer publicly, in blogs or on Facebook. Here goes...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">Who Are You?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">1. What do you want to do?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><u>Big picture:</u></span> <span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">To create appealing, engaging children's books that touch people of all ages, connecting them to each other across race, culture and other differences, and to bring these books to a wide audience.</span> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"></span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><u>Current project</u><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><u>:</u> </span></span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">To find the audience for<i> </i>this book: <b>T</b></span></span><span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><b>o get a copy of <i>I'm New Here</i> into every public school in the U.S.</b></span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;">2. Who do you want to change, and how do you want to change them?<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: AGaramondPro;"><b>To increase awareness of and empathy for the challenges of being a new arrival among the teachers and classmates of refugee and immigrant children, and to inspire them with ways to support new students through the adjustment process.</b></span></blockquote>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-64675637034784633572015-04-17T14:20:00.000-04:002015-04-17T14:20:24.258-04:00Welcoming RefugeesOver the last two years I've been excited to learn of the work of <a href="http://www.welcomingamerica.org/">Welcoming America</a>,<br />
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"a national, grassroots-driven collaborative that works to promote mutual respect and cooperation between foreign-born and U.S.-born Americans. The ultimate goal of Welcoming America is<b> to create a welcoming atmosphere – community by community – in which immigrants are more likely to integrate into the social fabric of their adopted hometowns.</b></blockquote>
One of WA's projects is <a href="http://www.welcomingrefugees.org/about-project">Welcoming Refugees</a>:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"Through a cooperative agreement with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Welcoming America helps organizations and communities across the United States <b>to prepare their communities for successful resettlement over the long term by fostering greater understanding and support for refugees.</b>"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></blockquote>
<a href="http://welcomingrefugees.org/connect">Sign up</a> to be part of the Welcoming Refugees network. Their <a href="http://www.welcomingrefugees.org/blog">Community Blog</a> is full of resources.<br />
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On the Community Blog, I've just begun a series of posts, "Connecting Through Stories," which will focus on creating welcoming communities and conversations by using children's books featuring stories of the experiences of new Americans.<br />
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This first post is about the <a href="http://www.welcomingrefugees.org/blog/connecting-through-stories">Cambodian American experience</a>, in celebration of Cambodian New Year and acknowledging the 40th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge invasion of Phnom Penh and the start of the 4-year genocide.<br />
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Upcoming posts will include books related to World Refugee Day, Ramadan, and finally in September, <a href="http://www.welcomingamerica.org/get-involved/national-welcoming-week-2014/">National Welcoming Week</a>.Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-63961163376865193322015-04-05T07:08:00.001-04:002015-04-05T07:08:24.122-04:00When Books & Real Life Overlap<i><a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/productdetails.cfm?PC=5226">What Will You Be, Sara Mee?</a></i> by Kate Aver Avraham, which I illustrated, was published five years ago. It tells the story of a Korean American baby's first birthday through the eyes of her older brother, Chong.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2XoW8_RyfoYaNduOlxhc7XE2_TXLq2azzpnOLrDP9F_yMQNhMdjVwMk2a84OhnWTH1d6BA6ApgEJV-LCzxZUiltFVFzrogsskiO_2uurSOVhHlnA2GSG0Glg0GPsrfLbN9on9DSBOciD/s1600/SaraMeejkt.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK2XoW8_RyfoYaNduOlxhc7XE2_TXLq2azzpnOLrDP9F_yMQNhMdjVwMk2a84OhnWTH1d6BA6ApgEJV-LCzxZUiltFVFzrogsskiO_2uurSOVhHlnA2GSG0Glg0GPsrfLbN9on9DSBOciD/s1600/SaraMeejkt.jpeg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
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One of the most charming aspects of a traditional Korean first birthday, or <i>tol,</i> is the <i>toljabee</i>, in which objects are placed in front of the baby and the one chosen is thought to be a predictor of what the child might become.</div>
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Yesterday I got to be part of my grandson's <i>tol</i>. Taemin was splendid in a first birthday outfit that our daughter Yunhee's godparents, Marsha Greenberg and Steve Schuit, had brought last year from Korea.</div>
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When a table of objects was placed on the floor in front of him, Taemin practically ran to pick up the rice spoon - the sign of a chef-to-be.</div>
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What fun when an event you've illustrated comes to life!<br />
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After late winter in Mongolia (30s) and early spring in China (60s), I arrived in Kota Kinabalu (KK), Malaysia, in the state of Sabah on the northwest coast of Borneo, to temperatures in the humid 90s. </div>
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The <a href="http://www.earcos.org/index.php">East Asia Region of Overseas Schools</a> (EARCOS) 3-day <a href="http://www.earcos.org/etc2015/">Teachers' Conference 2015</a> was held at the gorgeous S<a href="http://www.suteraharbour.com/">utera Harbour Resort</a>. </div>
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Checking in, I discovered that EARCOS had upgraded keynote speakers to luxurious suites - mine had a view over coconut trees of the marina and the bay! It felt as if I'd landed in paradise.</div>
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The resort complex includes two large hotels connected by a boardwalk, dotted with swimming pools, tropical gardens and flowering plants. Enormous breakfast buffets tantalized with platters of fresh papaya, pineapple, watermelon and pomelo, Malay and Indian curries, Chinese dim sum and Korean kimchi, as well as the usual Western options of cereal, eggs, and breads - everything imaginable except pork, in deference to Muslim citizens who comprise more than 60% of the population.</div>
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I presented a keynote, "Mirrors & Lenses: Exploring Racial and Cultural Identity," sharing my story as a "3rd culture kid" (TCK) growing up in Korea, interspersed with some of the latest findings I've gleaned from neuroscience on the formation of racial identity and unconscious bias.<br />
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Some 1200 teacher delegates attended the conference from 116 English-speaking international schools in 15 countries: Cambodia, China, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. </div>
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It was great to reconnect with teacher and librarian friends I'd made on previous author visits to Seoul Foreign School (my alma mater), Shanghai American School and Brent International School in the Philippines, to make new friends - what fascinating stories these teachers have! - and to have exciting conversations about the possibility of author visits to other schools. I also got to catch up with Peaks Island neighbor and author Laima Sruoginis, who's spent the last two years teaching high school English at the American International School of Hong Kong.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Teachers enjoyed taking photos with the visiting author to show to their students.</span></i></span></i></div>
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The conference schedule was packed, so I didn't get a chance to discover the wonders of Sabah, from Mount Kinabalu to tropical rain forests to snorkeling off islands, but a group of us did get to downtown KK for dinner and souvenir shopping: painted masks, sarongs, batik, percussion instruments, and other beautiful crafts.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>L to R: With new teacher friends Holly Blair (art teacher in Hong Kong, orig. from Canada); Paulina Cuevas (counselor in China, orig. from Chile); Florence Flesche (5th grade teacher in Hong Kong, orig. from Hong Kong and California).</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Browsing with Holly (center) and Lukas Berredo (gender identity advocate & educator in China, orig. from Brazil).</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>This area of downtown Kota Kinabalu, selling clothing, souvenirs and food, is called the "Filipino Market."</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Laima with pineapple fried rice, at a Thai restaurant on the harbor.</i></span></div>
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On the last day, there was time for pina coladas by the pool bar and a sunset over the bay, before the closing reception.</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">L to R: Susan Keller-Mathers and Heather Maldonado of </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">SUNY Buffalo State </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(offered course credit for conference hours, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">sponsor of my keynote); Paulina </span></i></div>
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What a wonderful close to a spectacular trip!</div>
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<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-80751891776418827212015-03-25T01:39:00.002-04:002015-03-31T12:11:52.314-04:00China!<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There's a Chinese folk tale, variously called "Fortunately, Unfortunately," or "That's Good! That's Bad!" A farmer loses his horse - bad fortune! But soon the horse returns, with a stallion - good fortune! The farmer's son is thrown off the stallion and breaks his leg - bad fortune! But then military officers arrive in the village to conscript every able-bodied man and the farmer's son isn't taken because of his leg... And so on.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My five-day solo trip in China felt like a version of this tale. The first piece of seemingly bad fortune was the discovery upon arrival in Beijing that the reservation confirmation receipt for my Chinese <i>hutong</i> inn (a hutong is an alleyway or narrow side street) didn't have enough information on it for the average Chinese person to be able to tell where it was located. The good fortune was finding one person after another, most of whom didn't speak any English - and I speak no Chinese - to help piece together the next step of my journey, from airport to express train to subway to street. My final angel of mercy was Peng, who did speak some English and told me to call him Elton. He helped me with my heavy luggage, guiding me down the correct street to the front door of the inn, a welcome sight.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> We exchanged enough information, with the help of my iPad photos, to discover that the city my grandfather grew up in in the early 1900s is Elton's hometown! To have bumped into each other in one of the largest cities in the world seemed quite remarkable. </span></span><br />
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My grandfather, Horace Norman Sibley, center, with his parents and sisters, approx 1906.</span></i><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The next day was a trip to the Great Wall, which I've wanted to see ever since I painted it for the book <i>Talking Walls</i> by Margy Burns Knight.</span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'd chosen a tour to the Mutianyu section of the Wall, supposed to be one of the most scenic. I spent the day with an international group of tourists from Pakistan, Canada and the Philippines, our driver, and our guide, a young woman called Eva. Eva is married, with a 2-year-old son, and commutes two hours each way from her suburban apartment, because housing closer to the city center is unaffordable. The tour included some Ming tombs, a jade factory, lunch in a restaurant at the foot of the mountain (about an hour northeast of Beijing), and finally, the Wall! </span></span><br />
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Our tour group at the Ming Tombs.</span></i></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No photos can do justice to the scale and sheer magnificence of the Great Wall. Seeing the height and steepness of these rocky mountains, it stuns the mind to think of the engineering feat that created this Wonder of the World - and of the millions of lives lost in its construction. The Wall is so high up that almost everyone opts for the cable car or chairlift up - with the option of a tobbagan ride down! It's a real physical workout, just ascending and descending the stairs and walkways on top of the Wall itself. <i> </i></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy-xtptx1rn-8DkQRTOfPBQOWK1ioKNMmnbcduph7xCDVQ_FdAGhnGf7pf_TJElu2Rd731B2SRoRdwLNuNIKcMLBRscR3c8jja-v5lLPK4ot_PqeD631SXh9yOLJjavtyDaJMdnyMRBjA/s1600/IMG_5522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOy-xtptx1rn-8DkQRTOfPBQOWK1ioKNMmnbcduph7xCDVQ_FdAGhnGf7pf_TJElu2Rd731B2SRoRdwLNuNIKcMLBRscR3c8jja-v5lLPK4ot_PqeD631SXh9yOLJjavtyDaJMdnyMRBjA/s1600/IMG_5522.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-_N_fMkXPvQatehclX8dNVSkXHe7JBelUMAsoGd9ODpOtE6vslT5XTqlXbBj8B62s9UqM2yo6iWLNBVR3r7MjhTE4D6sTzYYWPfXzgDtSeEn_3GTS-68xl3T0Q7ei9p31QhPyr0XLlTT/s1600/IMG_5498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2-_N_fMkXPvQatehclX8dNVSkXHe7JBelUMAsoGd9ODpOtE6vslT5XTqlXbBj8B62s9UqM2yo6iWLNBVR3r7MjhTE4D6sTzYYWPfXzgDtSeEn_3GTS-68xl3T0Q7ei9p31QhPyr0XLlTT/s1600/IMG_5498.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Saturday I flew to Dandong, on the northern banks of the Yalu River, which forms the border between China and North Korea. In addition to growing up in South Korea, for the last eight years I've been working on a young adult novel set in North Korea. (The day I was leaving on this trip, I received some very exciting news about this novel - TBA in a future post!) I wanted to travel to this part of China to trace the steps of my fictional characters, who in the book's climax end up on a section of the Great Wall, called Hu Shan (Tiger Mountain), not far from Dandong. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was tremendously excited to discover upon arrival that my 6th floor hotel room looked out over the Sino-Korean Friendship Bridge and the North Korean city of Sinuiju, barely visible in the smoggy mist: </span></span><br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">At night, Dandong is aglow in neon, while across the river Sinuiju shows only a few pinpricks of light.</span></div>
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Dandong is where I really entered the Chinese tale mentioned above: On my first day, I explored transportation options to Hu Shan, successfully locating the train station, the local bus station across from it, and the exact bus that would take me to the Wall, using a combination of Pictionary and Charades. Unfortunately, when I got there the next morning, I found that the next bus didn't leave for 2 hours. Fortunately, there were two Chinese men who were also going that direction, so the bus station official hailed us a taxi. Unfortunately, when we got to Hu Shan, we discovered that the Great Wall was closed for the day! Though I indicated I'd like to get out anyway to walk around, the taxi driver just sped by, giving me reassuring gestures. Fortunately, it turned out that the two other passengers were looking for an up-close view of the DPRK, and we ended up on a speedboat, cruising down the river into North Korean waters! </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">A North Korean village on an island in the Yalu River. We are traveling between the island and mainland DPRK - clearly in North Korean waters. The woman herding goats waved and smiled when I called hello to her in Korean.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I did finally get out of the taxi on the way back to Hu Shan, the entrance to the Wall was indeed closed; inside, a grounds crew was gathering and burning brush. Exploring around the edges on my own - including scrambling up one steep slope, hanging onto branches to keep from slipping in the sandy soil - I stumbled upon paths and views that I never would have found if I'd been on top of the Wall. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And on the south side, there is no gate! </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I was able to climb part way up the Wall, just as I'd imagined, and sit to paint a panoramic view of the North Korean countryside. </span></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, an amazing adventure, full of good fortune!</span></span><br />
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Ulaanbaatar, which means "Red Hero," is a sprawling city of 1.8 million (more than half the population of the country), set in a flat valley ringed by mountains, on a vast high plain.<br />
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On my first day, I was treated to a nearly 5-mile walking tour of the city (UB), guided by Rick, elementary school principal, and Geoff, middle school English teacher at the International School of Ulaanbaatar (ISU), my host in Mongolia. On a northern hillside at the Gandantegchenling Monastery, we saw orange- and red-robed monks in residence, and people of all ages turning prayer wheels and lighting candles in the dim, smoky light at the feet of a colossal golden Bodhisattva.<br />
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The descendants of Chinggis Khan, whose image is everywhere, are citizens of a new democracy, formed when the Soviets abruptly pulled out 22 years ago. Soviet influence can be seen everywhere in architecture and in the Cyrillic alphabet, which the Russians imposed on written Mongolian. The Trans-Siberian railway runs through the capital, connecting Vladivostok to St. Petersburg.<br />
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From my brief glimpse, the country seems deeply rooted in its nomadic, horse-centered, Mongol traditions, Buddhism, and the connection to the natural world found in both, while simultaneously rushing into 21st-century urban capitalism.<br />
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In the city center, another monastery is ringed by skyscrapers, with tall cranes and construction sites promising more. Blocks of high-rise apartment buildings fill the skyline and sprout up in the outskirts, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. People from the countryside flock to the city for jobs, but many are still caught on the margins, occupying shanty towns of ger, the traditional nomadic home.<br />
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UB has an substantial international population of perhaps 30,000, including employees of Korean construction and American mining, Chinese migrant workers, diplomats, Peace Corps volunteers, and teachers at international schools (there are 3, growing fast) to instruct the children of the well-to-do. Most of ISU's faculty are from Canada, the U.S. and Australia. Downtown UB is full of Korean and Japanese restaurants, has multiple Irish pubs, and there's even a monument to the Beatles funded entirely by Mongolian fans!<br />
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My second day I was driven out to Terelj National Park, a pristine mountain wilderness where Mongolians and international tourists spend summer holiday weeks in ger camps. We passed flocks of grazing cattle, sheep, goats and yak, sometimes with a herder on horseback, and a few double-humped camels. My driver and tour guide, Enkhbold, a 25-year-old native Mongolian, clearly loved the crisp mountain air, the quiet and the endless blue sky as we climbed to a temple perched against a cliff. The temple was closed, but the caretaker kindly unlocked the door and let us in.<br />
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Later we visited one of the top tourist sites, a museum housed in a colossal silver-plated statue of Chinggis Khan on his horse. You can climb up into the horse's head for a panoramic view!<br />
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Two days of presentations to delightful groups of young people in grades 2-8 were a highlight. Librarian Judith Reid, who issued the invitation for my visit, couldn't have been more gracious and welcoming. About half of ISU's students are Mongolian passport holders; the other half are equal numbers of U.S. and Korean, and a mix of everybody else.<br />
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Marion (foreground) and Shelly (background center) had guided their 4th graders through a unit on <b><i>After Gandhi</i></b>, made more meaningful by Shelly's experiences of having lived in South Africa at the end of apartheid and through Mandela's election. I was so moved when she told me, "I used your book to share my story."<br />
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With 8th graders, we talked about illustrating character for an abstract portrait assignment they were working on.<br />
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I feel such a strong connection with the mission of International Baccalaureate schools like this one:<br />
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<b>"... to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect... [to] encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."</b></blockquote>
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Next stop, China!Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-6314247962917192562015-03-15T18:16:00.000-04:002015-03-31T12:21:18.502-04:00Itinerary for an Adventure<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15.859999656677246px;">Saturday night I landed in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, the first (22-hr!) leg of a trip that will also take me to China and Malaysia.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.22em;">I was invited to Mongolia for an author visit at the International School of Ulaanbataar where I'll spend two days meeting with students grades preK-8.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 1.22em;">Thursday, March 19, I fly to Beijing for a </span>Friday <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: 1.22em;">tour of the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.22em;">On Saturday I'll travel to Dandong, China, on the banks of the Yalu, directly across the river from Sinuiju, North Korea. While in Dandong I plan to explore the Tiger Mountain section of the Great Wall, particularly exciting as it's the site of the climax of my first YA novel and I'll be following in my characters' footsteps. The top of the Wall offers a panoramic view of the North Korean countryside.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.22em;">Finally, on Tuesday, March 24, I fly from Dandong to a resort in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, for the EARCOS conference, to present a keynote address and 3 workshops for the 1100 teachers attending from more than 120 schools.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.22em;">You never know where writing and illustrating children's books might take you!</span></div>
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Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-26462108031370250112015-03-01T09:34:00.001-05:002015-03-01T09:34:41.703-05:00Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge: Books Read 1Here are my first reads (1/5 of the challenge!), in the order I read them, for the <a href="http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.com/2013/12/diversity-on-shelf-2014.html">Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge</a>, hosted by Alysia at <a href="http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.com/">My Little Pocketbooks</a>.<br />
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All are written by authors of color and all have main characters of color, who all happen to be girls and young women - not planned!<br />
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I didn't plan this either, but I'm also delighted by the diversity of genres - 1 memoir in verse, 2 realistic novels, 1 biography in verse, and 1 fantasy novel; and the fact that the settings include 4 countries: the U.S., Cambodia, England, and a fantasy China.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN16g2b56y2Kboj6dmssA9yauo_GrzxYUzb_HqRns2pLE7Aoqt2DeD7Q_glMf138plDqCNE4YFRbGj7PnLmNXUuQyc6M5yjtcavxmxn-lCM_ms6XQ6oezhamfm2F5eX6UF_oxToBNLBfjg/s1600/IMG_5174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN16g2b56y2Kboj6dmssA9yauo_GrzxYUzb_HqRns2pLE7Aoqt2DeD7Q_glMf138plDqCNE4YFRbGj7PnLmNXUuQyc6M5yjtcavxmxn-lCM_ms6XQ6oezhamfm2F5eX6UF_oxToBNLBfjg/s1600/IMG_5174.JPG" height="200" width="133" /></a><i><b>Brown Girl Dreaming</b></i> by Jacqueline Woodson<br />
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This much-lauded memoir in verse starts slow and builds almost imperceptibly in power as a young girl comes into her own, discovering her dream: to be a writer.<br />
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<i><b>In the Shadow of the Banyan</b></i> by Vaddi Ratner<br />
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Raami is 7 when the Khmer Rouge take over Phnom Penh and her family is forced from their home into the countryside. Told through Raami's perceptive eyes, the story follows the family through the next four years, with threads of exquisite beauty woven throughout the tapestry of unspeakable horrors perpetuated by Pol Pot's brutal regime.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHpDTKVvYzK38Yv3W3OIn7ayANJkk__NH1B3GzxYihijzOP7to4GLtqL9_2GvHwhf3ApG25w8yVTUkYxms9RccDGZUXdnFXB9Tqspt5xrsmk7idpNPcfVuD9Y1zWJqdBHmLwNYJG6xppO/s1600/IMG_5175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXHpDTKVvYzK38Yv3W3OIn7ayANJkk__NH1B3GzxYihijzOP7to4GLtqL9_2GvHwhf3ApG25w8yVTUkYxms9RccDGZUXdnFXB9Tqspt5xrsmk7idpNPcfVuD9Y1zWJqdBHmLwNYJG6xppO/s1600/IMG_5175.jpg" height="200" width="137" /></a><i><b></b></i><br />
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<i><b>She Wore Red Trainers</b> </i>by Na'aima Roberts<br />
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Ali and Asmirah are teenagers trying to follow <i>deen</i>, the straight path of devout Muslims, when they meet in a working-class community outside London. Their love story, told from alternating points of view, is sweet, conflicted and real, giving the reader a rare opportunity to glimpse contemporary Muslim life from the inside, in all its complexity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq2ny8_28lIpw5kgIuJ9NOBk637IbKnE4HxlKOoIjJpQxzv2gagTJQVjgXtIm1fMjlwIzxn9cZq12lR2OLESU6WyzjpX4kpcjP2bCdDHIQ453Mqmk2d51WnQZDyncbeE-hOb6bkn3da78/s1600/IMG_5176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjq2ny8_28lIpw5kgIuJ9NOBk637IbKnE4HxlKOoIjJpQxzv2gagTJQVjgXtIm1fMjlwIzxn9cZq12lR2OLESU6WyzjpX4kpcjP2bCdDHIQ453Mqmk2d51WnQZDyncbeE-hOb6bkn3da78/s1600/IMG_5176.JPG" height="200" width="136" /></a><i><b>Becoming Billie Holiday</b></i> by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Floyd Cooper<br />
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Soft, rich sepia-and-white drawings with bits of color illustrate this biography in verse, which follows the singer from her birth in 1915, as Eleanora Fagan, through her difficult, neglected childhood, to her triumph as the 25-year-old Lady Day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaFXCMex79jxHZDMcPPi0ELI8A_ZJHbzTxavKuTSulRUxZI2GCoVOiOmNhyphenhyphenNVzHXPq7i-CnDQ71J7iYSHST52V3ytMFrtNR7uIHNP5lX2AijDyRzuWBnv4l5NQdkMtykVq0zUGcxz6Fp6/s1600/IMG_5177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibaFXCMex79jxHZDMcPPi0ELI8A_ZJHbzTxavKuTSulRUxZI2GCoVOiOmNhyphenhyphenNVzHXPq7i-CnDQ71J7iYSHST52V3ytMFrtNR7uIHNP5lX2AijDyRzuWBnv4l5NQdkMtykVq0zUGcxz6Fp6/s1600/IMG_5177.JPG" height="200" width="131" /></a><br />
<i><b>Silver Phoenix</b></i> by Cindy Pon<br />
When Ay Ling's father is gone far too long, she leaves her mother to travel to the capital in search of him. The appearance of terrifying demons makes it clear that her quest to save her father playing out on a far larger canvas. Joined by the handsome Chen Yong and his kid brother, Ay Ling journeys to the home of the Immortals and back.<br />
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It's not part of this particular challenge because the main character is white, but I also read <i><b>Bone by Bone by Bone</b></i> by Tony Johnston, about a boy coming of age in 1950s small-town Tennessee and his deep friendship with a black boy, over his father's virulent objections. It's full of rich characters who tug at your heart with their humanness and contradictions, and conveys a palpable sense of menace in both the omnipresent racism and in the expected roles for men of that place and time.<br />
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<br />Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-17496718108002736532015-01-02T15:20:00.001-05:002015-01-02T15:26:21.745-05:00Diversity Reading Challenge<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLGh3t4xfl-n_-L_tzUjBVAR9CXZz0STu_Z40FO3nrk1ryFMmstzbDzpExJ47_m51In8Y1Foq2dh8hhYVrhfpPFuf91ulNQMan8-L13xyakXxY6sKnumHL6Jsv25GXEqFZdDXeAe108jw/s640/blogger-image--745553967.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLGh3t4xfl-n_-L_tzUjBVAR9CXZz0STu_Z40FO3nrk1ryFMmstzbDzpExJ47_m51In8Y1Foq2dh8hhYVrhfpPFuf91ulNQMan8-L13xyakXxY6sKnumHL6Jsv25GXEqFZdDXeAe108jw/s640/blogger-image--745553967.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I'm joining the Diversity on the Shelf Reading Challenge: </span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">http://littlepocketbooks.blogspot.com/2014/12/diversity-on-shelf-201u5.html</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">(Writing a post on my iPad for the first time, and I can't figure out how to imbed a link... Ah, research results say that feature is not available with the Blogger app?!?)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Setting myself the goal of reading 25+ books - picture books count! - 5th shelf level, starting with these:</span></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh7tTWZiwNiS8_aZJtq2YQKY_Jutbgc4JcabTGkEWTM5z6lU4jCX7WJ_V2DjxUncrnMEkcVfoNt8Efzj7oAHFyaKESLkz_7AFsSHtg5sRAf7xOtJY17-ZUB5TwL9a6Gle1bi8gmGG91Cf/s640/blogger-image-872260558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrh7tTWZiwNiS8_aZJtq2YQKY_Jutbgc4JcabTGkEWTM5z6lU4jCX7WJ_V2DjxUncrnMEkcVfoNt8Efzj7oAHFyaKESLkz_7AFsSHtg5sRAf7xOtJY17-ZUB5TwL9a6Gle1bi8gmGG91Cf/s640/blogger-image-872260558.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">What's on your shelf for 2015?</div>Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-64123714812893313792014-05-28T23:24:00.000-04:002014-05-28T23:24:56.723-04:00Take Action for Diverse Children's BooksHere's a great <a href="http://www.cbcdiversity.com/post/87034013303/a-place-at-the-table">report</a> by Charlesbridge Editorial Director Yolanda Scott on the May 14 event, "<a href="http://coloringbetween.blogspot.com/2014/05/childrens-book-week.html">A Place at the Table</a>."<br />
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<a href="http://www.publishersweekly.com/images/data/ARTICLE_PHOTO/photo/000/024/24109-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.publishersweekly.com/images/data/ARTICLE_PHOTO/photo/000/024/24109-1.JPG" height="229" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yolanda Scott (center) listens to Francisco Stork (right)</span></div>
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Hosted by <a href="http://www.cbcdiversity.com/about">CBC Diversity</a>, co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons and the Horn Book, and presented in partnership with <a href="http://www.hbook.com/resourcelist/childrens-books-boston/#_">Children’s Books Boston</a>, the gathering featured six authors (including me) speed-dating by briefly introducing our work at each of six tables, followed by discussion questions with participants about promoting diversity in children's groups. The "diversity" being considered was broad, including race, culture, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and physical and mental ability.<br />
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The event<br />
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"...brought together participants from a wide variety of fields: we had teachers, principals, librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, agents, academics, reviewers, bloggers—all united in our desire to promote and develop books that more adequately reflect the demographics and realities of the world in which we live."</blockquote>
The report concludes with the action items generated by participants, concrete steps that can be taken to support diverse children's literature in homes, classrooms, libraries, editorial offices, bookstores, writers groups, blogs and websites, book reviews, awards committees, book clubs, summer reading lists, and more. See if there's an idea or two you can use.Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5912649234542008452.post-90103006089135832902014-05-26T00:31:00.001-04:002014-05-26T00:31:14.376-04:00Diverse Kids in PerilSome of the discussion on what's missing in diverse books has focused on the absence of diverse characters in stories that young readers can't wait to pick up. <br />
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I've just read three thrillers starring young people who happen to be of color - one Indian American, one Mexican, and one African American (the last two are biracial with one white parent):<br />
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<a href="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373381697l/15756269.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373381697l/15756269.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a><b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Shadows-Junior-Library-Selection/dp/0375863427">Chasing Shadows </a></i></b>by Swati Avasthi<b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Shadows-Junior-Library-Selection/dp/0375863427"></a></i></b><br />
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Twins Holly and Corey and their best friend/girlfriend Savitri are free-runners whose urban playground is Chicago until a shocking, random act of violence changes their lives forever. Part of the story unfolds in graphic novel format. Savitri's Indian heritage is significant to the plot as her friend Holly gets lost in the Shadowlands, a world based on the Ramayana myth, and Savitri has to find a way to bring her back.<br />
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<a href="http://www.swatiavasthi.com/images/chasing_page_flow_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.swatiavasthi.com/images/chasing_page_flow_4.jpg" height="178" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://hispanicreader.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/thelivingmattdelapena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://hispanicreader.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/thelivingmattdelapena.jpg" height="200" width="132" /></a></div>
<b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0385741200/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_2?pf_rd_p=1535523722&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0375863427&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0EN52H25CD0AADY80W28">The Living</a></i></b> by Matt de la Pena<br />
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"Shy" Espinoza gets hired to work crew on a cruise line for the summer before his senior year of high school. He's on the ship when all hell breaks loose. The over-the-top plot in this page-turner, the first volume of a series, includes an off-the-scale earthquake, tsunamis, a shipwreck, days at sea in a lifeboat, sharks, conspiracies, a pandemic, quite a pile-up of bodies and lots of corrupt bad guys.<br />
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<a href="http://contemplatrix.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/smekday-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://contemplatrix.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/smekday-cover.jpg" height="200" width="136" /></a><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/True-Meaning-Smekday-Adam-Rex/dp/0786849010/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401077162&sr=1-1&keywords=the+true+meaning+of+smekday">The True Meaning of Smekday </a></i>by Adam Rex<br />
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Savitri has to save her friend, Shy may need to save his family, his community or even the entire west coast of the U.S., but Gratuity Tucci has to save the entire world - from an alien invasion. With the help of an alien companion, and a cat. The book, which is to be released as a Dreamworks movie later this year, is written in 12-year-old Gratuity's voice, as a series of essays about her experiences. Suspenseful and highly comical, this story also includes some illustrations and passages in graphic novel format.<br />
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Get these books into the hands of young readers who love non-stop action.</div>
Anne Sibley O'Brienhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07084188995698656091noreply@blogger.com0