Reading with Mrs. Shivers

Homophobia and heterosexism are unfortunately permeating the world of childrens toys, media, and literature in ways we must be more aware of. In looking for positive and negative examples of sexual orientation in childrens literature and media, what I discovered was that it was difficult to find any mainstream items portraying homosexual parents in any normalizing way. Even as much forward progress toward acceptance we've made as a society, when it comes to children, we are still modeling almost exclusively hetero examples for them. This part of many children's social identity, as a child of two moms or two dads, is nearly invisible commercially. What is present in terms of modeling are examples such as these:   Barbie can be bought separately, but the messaging is clear here, she is supposed to marry Ken. This is what both the dolls and the Barbie cartoon consistently adhere to in the storyline and marketing. Even in trolls, an otherwise positive motivational movie, bo

I contacted five people from a variety of backgrounds and ask for their personal definition of both culture and diversity. These were their responses: Ella: Culture is everything that embodies an ethnic background.   Whether it be the type of food, clothing, music, etc.   It represents their beliefs and way of life. Diversity is what makes everyone unique and different.   Everyone has their own thoughts and ideas, sense of style and taste. Summer: Culture- I believe a person’s culture is their traditions, their way of life. It can be based on how they were raised, the community they live in, or just something they’ve adapted for themselves & their family. It can be in their clothing, food, holidays, beliefs, attitude towards life, how they live, etc... Diversity is having different cultures, races, beliefs, religions, nationalities, loves, etc... I think it just means having a difference from someone or something else. Nera: Culture is a way of life - a lifestyle.

If a major catastrophe had devastated my country and I had to leave as a refugee, I would take these three items: This Angel Necklace This was a joint gift from my mom and my mother-in-law. My mother-in law gave the charm, and my mother supplied the chain. It represents the coming together of our blended families, and is something I could pass down to my children. It helps me remember to focus on what is good in my life, and the angel reminds me there is always someone who loves me, regardless of where I go. My Cookbook This cookbook contains my families favorite dishes. Years ago for a class I compiled copies of recipe cards from generations of great cooks, and we refer back to it often for what is considered the best of comfort food in my home. Food is central to every family gathering of ours, and a way to relive important memories as well as teach lessons from my grandmothers. The Family Storybook My father assembled this book based on years of research tracing my famil