Her Right Foot, My Two Blankets, and Wishtree
I think we are so quick to forget the meaning of the Statue of Liberty. Do we really remember that she herself is a symbol of justice, freedom, and hope? We use her as a symbol to say that the United States of America is a place that welcomes all- but do we actually mean that? Does our nation as a whole still stand behind the meaning that this statue represents? Do we even recognize, let alone remember, that the Statue of Liberty is an immigrant herself?
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Her Right Foot reminds readers that this nation was founded as a safe harbor for all who wish to call it home. But are we actually living out the message we originally created and longed for? I really don't think so.
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However, will reading this to students create a newfound mission as they embark into real life? I really think so. I think reading this to students will help them see what our country was originally founded upon and how to bring this back into the world we live in today. I think this brings up an important discussion about today's society, as well. Are we living in a world that welcomes all and wishes to welcome everyone? Hopefully our students know that this is not the case. But what I wish to discuss more in depth about is how we can change this. Through this text set, I believe students will be inspired to be the change in the world and will seek justice through friendship, kindness, and compassion.
"Liberty and freedom from oppression are not things you get or grant by standing around like some kind of statue. No! These are things that require action. Courage. An unwillingness to rest".
What a powerful quote and point to get across to students, right? Liberty and freedom are not things that we can achieve by being passive. As adults, we know this to be true, but how did we come to learn this? Were we explicitly taught to seek freedom and justice? And if we weren't, how did we come to learn this?
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As teachers, especially in this political climate, it is imperative to teach our students to not only be academically successful, but to be responsible citizens in this country. And to be a responsible citizen, they need to learn how to seek justice, freedom, and liberty. It is up to us to show our students explicit examples how to be world-changers, how to be just, and how to treat others in the world. What better way to teach them than through stories they not only enjoy, but can learn a few things from?
​Not only does Her Right Foot do an excellent job of teaching readers to be active justicee-seekers and world-changers, but so do Wishtree and My Two Blankets. These two other stories tell tales of justice through friendship, understanding others, and seeking to make the world a better place.
In Wishtree, Red, a very old and wise oak tree seeks to grant the wish of a little girl, Samar. Samar's family feels unwelcome in their new neighborhood, and the unwelcoming is made known through "LEAVE" carved in Red's trunk and eggs thrown at it, as well. Samar wishes only for a friend, and Red feels as though this wish is up to them to grant. Through a beautiful story of friendship through Samar and her neighborhood, Stephen, Samar finally feels loved and welcomed by her community who fill the wish-tree with notes that say "STAY".
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My Two Blankets tells the story from a young girl named Cartwheel's perspective. She has left her home because of war and finds herself in a new, foreign, and loud place. She wishes for nothing more than to return home and feels like she will never belong. When a young girl begins teaching her English, she finally feels like she is beginning to belong in her new home.
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These three stories do a wonderful job of inexplicably teaching young readers about the importance of justice through stories of friendship. Through stories where characters show kindness, mercy, and trustworthy spirits, readers are taught how to be good citizens. Something as simple as being a good friend and helping others paves the way for these students to be responsible citizens and the generation that brings kindness back into this world that unfortunately is full of conflict, brutality, and ignorance.
These three books can be used in the lesson "Respond to Issues That Repeat" from Jennifer Serravallo's book The Reading Strategies Book. In this lesson, students are to think about an issue that commonly repeats itself throughout texts and are asked to talk about what the author has to say about this issue. Students are prompted to answer the following:
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What issue are you noticing repeat?
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What is the author saying about it?
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Name an issue
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State your response
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Jot that down
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Students will create an anchor chart based on their responses to this. The teacher's job in this scenario is to create and facilitate discussion in a whole-group as students begin discussing main issues that the readings deal with. As they respond, the anchor chart will grow and will become one that includes the issue, what the authors say, and what their response as a class, or what one individual student, has to say.
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(Serravallo, 2015).
As an example, I've provided a spread from Her Right Foot to model for students when analyzing through a critical lens.
Questions that I can pose for this spread would include the following:
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What do you notice?
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Why do you think the author chose the people he did for this page?
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What do the people have in common?
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Who do you think looks the most powerful in this picture?
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Who do you think looks the least powerful in this picture?
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Does this picture make you feel a certain way? Say more about that.
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All of these questions and probes allow students to think critically as they analyze what the author did and why he did it and explain these in their own words.
Serravallo, J. (2015).The Reading Strategies Book: Your Everything Guide to Developing Skilled Readers. Portmouth, NH: Heinemann.
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Eggers, D. (2017). Her Right Foot. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
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Applegate, K. (2017). Wishtree. New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends.
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Kobald, I., & Blackwood, F. (2014). My Two Blankets. Little Hare Books.
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