Read-aloud chapter books, minus the racist capitalist patriarchy
November 3, 2020 10:49 AM Subscribe
We love reading chapter books to our five-year-old, but are finding many of the classics problematic and not aligned with the progressive values we are trying to teach him.
For example, right now we're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is lovely in a lot of ways but deeply troubling in the parts about the Oompa-Loompas, which Mr. Wonka brought from a faraway land to work in his factory (lots of undertones of slavery). There are subtler issues, too, such as the judgment and shame about Augustus Gloop being fat - in our family we talk about how bodies come in all different shapes and sizes - and all the news reporters being men.
We've encountered similar problems in other books. Sexist themes such as girls needing to be rescued, or being valued primarily for being pretty, are so ubiquitous as to often go unnoticed; still we want to avoid them. Gary Paulsen's Hatchet includes a major theme of, "If I make a mistake, I could die," while we are trying to parent in a way that helps soften our son's budding perfectionism.
We are trying to teach our son about empathy, kindness, equity, non-judgment, courage, authenticity, speaking up against meanness and injustice, and that every human being is sacred and worthy. Surely there are kids' chapter books that tell engaging stories while supporting these values? We don't mind conflict and adventure, but can we have it without a side of hegemony?
I would appreciate specific recommendations or being pointed toward resources such as lists of books and authors, book reviews, or blogs that look at children's literature through a critical lens.
For example, right now we're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which is lovely in a lot of ways but deeply troubling in the parts about the Oompa-Loompas, which Mr. Wonka brought from a faraway land to work in his factory (lots of undertones of slavery). There are subtler issues, too, such as the judgment and shame about Augustus Gloop being fat - in our family we talk about how bodies come in all different shapes and sizes - and all the news reporters being men.
We've encountered similar problems in other books. Sexist themes such as girls needing to be rescued, or being valued primarily for being pretty, are so ubiquitous as to often go unnoticed; still we want to avoid them. Gary Paulsen's Hatchet includes a major theme of, "If I make a mistake, I could die," while we are trying to parent in a way that helps soften our son's budding perfectionism.
We are trying to teach our son about empathy, kindness, equity, non-judgment, courage, authenticity, speaking up against meanness and injustice, and that every human being is sacred and worthy. Surely there are kids' chapter books that tell engaging stories while supporting these values? We don't mind conflict and adventure, but can we have it without a side of hegemony?
I would appreciate specific recommendations or being pointed toward resources such as lists of books and authors, book reviews, or blogs that look at children's literature through a critical lens.
Hatchet is also pretty scary for a 5-year-old! And I used to read Roald Dahl books with my 3rd-5th grade book groups, and they were too scary for about half of those kids, honestly. So if you want to stick with "classics", I'd try some books that are a little gentler -- Beverly Cleary holds up surprisingly well. The Frog and Toad books are wonderful. Tale of Despereaux has plenty of adventure.
If you're not married to classics, you broaden your options a lot. More recent books are just less likely to include the stuff you object to. (Reasonably! I also object to it!) I've done The Wild Robot in the classroom with slightly older readers (2nd and 3rd grade), but if your kiddo could handle Roald Dahl he'll be fine. Magic Treehouse has some really great books, but you will need to pick and choose your topics. This list has a lot of really great suggestions, including many more recent series with diverse casts of characters. If you do a search for "books that teach empathy" or "diverse books for [grade level]" or whatever, you'll find LOADS of suggestions.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 11:19 AM on November 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
If you're not married to classics, you broaden your options a lot. More recent books are just less likely to include the stuff you object to. (Reasonably! I also object to it!) I've done The Wild Robot in the classroom with slightly older readers (2nd and 3rd grade), but if your kiddo could handle Roald Dahl he'll be fine. Magic Treehouse has some really great books, but you will need to pick and choose your topics. This list has a lot of really great suggestions, including many more recent series with diverse casts of characters. If you do a search for "books that teach empathy" or "diverse books for [grade level]" or whatever, you'll find LOADS of suggestions.
posted by goodbyewaffles at 11:19 AM on November 3, 2020 [2 favorites]
Maybe try Ursula Vernon's Dragonbreath series or her other kid series? I haven't read it, but I love Ursula Vernon's adult stuff, and I think she's very in line with your values. Bonus: illustrations!
posted by foxfirefey at 11:22 AM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by foxfirefey at 11:22 AM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
I agree with bluedaisy that there is a lot more diversity and kindness and a lot of emphasis on topics you're interested it in current kid's lit and lit studies in general. You might find books of interest in the We Are Kid's Lit summer reading lists from the last few years. Imagination Soup isn't focused specifically on the issues you're talking about, but she rounds up lists of newly-published books fairly often and you can read descriptions and pick and choose based on your interests and kiddo's.
I would also encourage you to continue reading books that may have problematic pieces in them if you think he'll enjoy them, especially if you have the time and the space to have conversations about them afterwards. What does he think about the Oompa Loompas? Have you expressed to him that their position in life makes you sad and why? One of the big joys and benefits of reading aloud is that you are giving the two of you a wonderful space to have a conversation and help the kiddo develop his own critical thinking skills when it comes time to interact with people in the world who don't hold your family values. Plus, watching kids learn critical thinking is just a joy!
posted by theweasel at 11:25 AM on November 3, 2020 [7 favorites]
I would also encourage you to continue reading books that may have problematic pieces in them if you think he'll enjoy them, especially if you have the time and the space to have conversations about them afterwards. What does he think about the Oompa Loompas? Have you expressed to him that their position in life makes you sad and why? One of the big joys and benefits of reading aloud is that you are giving the two of you a wonderful space to have a conversation and help the kiddo develop his own critical thinking skills when it comes time to interact with people in the world who don't hold your family values. Plus, watching kids learn critical thinking is just a joy!
posted by theweasel at 11:25 AM on November 3, 2020 [7 favorites]
You can pop out of the text and include your own asides in the moment, in the narrator’s voice, when you hit some problematic content. “My goodness, we wouldn’t speak like that, would we? Aren’t they being horrid?”
Expecting the unadorned “classics” to conform to contemporary moral standards is probably unrealistic.
posted by rd45 at 11:32 AM on November 3, 2020 [14 favorites]
Expecting the unadorned “classics” to conform to contemporary moral standards is probably unrealistic.
posted by rd45 at 11:32 AM on November 3, 2020 [14 favorites]
I always say it but it bears repeating: L Frank Baum's Oz books. Not the Ruth Plumby Thompson ones, which are pretty intensely racist.
posted by shadygrove at 12:04 PM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by shadygrove at 12:04 PM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]
I sooooo feel you on this. I recently downsized our bookcases and realized I'd eliminated a lot of books that I loved growing up - The Little House on the Prairie series was the one that tore it for me the first time I tried to read it to my kids.
Your best resource, even in the Covid times, is your local children's librarian or your school librarian. But I can share some picks:
Common Sense Media is my go-to for checking up on things because I find their descriptions accurate and helpfil.
A Boy Called Bat was one my son loved and the protagonist is on the autism spectrum
I agree that Beverly Cleary has held up better than average and even when I was reading it I really appreciated in the Ramona books that her family was middle class and struggled.
Junie B. Jones
Ivy and Bean
Dragons in a Bag
I had to push my after school program kids to get through the beginning of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and there were a few sexist things to get through but it held up too
To be fair, my kids adored the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series...I find some of it problematic but we made it through - there's a spin-off fantasy series.
The Wayside School series has a few problematic things but is still fairly fun and there's a new one out.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:12 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Your best resource, even in the Covid times, is your local children's librarian or your school librarian. But I can share some picks:
Common Sense Media is my go-to for checking up on things because I find their descriptions accurate and helpfil.
A Boy Called Bat was one my son loved and the protagonist is on the autism spectrum
I agree that Beverly Cleary has held up better than average and even when I was reading it I really appreciated in the Ramona books that her family was middle class and struggled.
Junie B. Jones
Ivy and Bean
Dragons in a Bag
I had to push my after school program kids to get through the beginning of The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and there were a few sexist things to get through but it held up too
To be fair, my kids adored the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series...I find some of it problematic but we made it through - there's a spin-off fantasy series.
The Wayside School series has a few problematic things but is still fairly fun and there's a new one out.
posted by warriorqueen at 12:12 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Yeah, classics are always going to be rough like that. Even My Side of the Mountain, not particularly problematic, bothered my son a lot because the main character killed so many animals. The Kratt brothers wouldn't have approved.
My son liked Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as a readaloud at that age; she has a lot of books from picture to middle grade for a lot of reading levels. It's nicely episodic, so he didn't need to remember a lot from chapter to chapter, but it all fits together in a lovely way that we both really appreciated.
Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures is fun and not too scary.
Castle Hangnail, by Ursula Vernon, is one of my absolute favorites.
posted by gideonfrog at 12:36 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
My son liked Grace Lin's Where the Mountain Meets the Moon as a readaloud at that age; she has a lot of books from picture to middle grade for a lot of reading levels. It's nicely episodic, so he didn't need to remember a lot from chapter to chapter, but it all fits together in a lovely way that we both really appreciated.
Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures is fun and not too scary.
Castle Hangnail, by Ursula Vernon, is one of my absolute favorites.
posted by gideonfrog at 12:36 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've had this same problem with my now older kid, and have taken many suggestions on this list -- look to newer authors, ones who have won progressive awards (Coretta Scott King Award choices are amazing), etc. There is so much excellent kids literature out there now, and I really wish I'd had these books when I was a kid.
That said, I keep reading the old classics I love, because I want my kid to think critically about everything he or she is reading, esp. when they are reading on their own. Banned books lists are bad for the very reason that they deprive kids of this opportunity. As you say, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is lovely in many ways, and teaches some great lessons (as far as I can remember) about kindness, humility, and love. But the bad parts give me a chance to point out what I disagree with and what doesn't align with my values, and can lead to a discussion about how much things have changed and can change.
I think this kind of critical reading is a skill that has to be learned and perhaps taught; keeping classics in the reading roster is (I hope) good practice for a lifetime of wide reading.
(That said, this is also something you can do when your kid is older if you're feeling they're picking up on the wrong things now -- five is still pretty young for Dahl, for example!)
posted by heavenknows at 12:39 PM on November 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
That said, I keep reading the old classics I love, because I want my kid to think critically about everything he or she is reading, esp. when they are reading on their own. Banned books lists are bad for the very reason that they deprive kids of this opportunity. As you say, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is lovely in many ways, and teaches some great lessons (as far as I can remember) about kindness, humility, and love. But the bad parts give me a chance to point out what I disagree with and what doesn't align with my values, and can lead to a discussion about how much things have changed and can change.
I think this kind of critical reading is a skill that has to be learned and perhaps taught; keeping classics in the reading roster is (I hope) good practice for a lifetime of wide reading.
(That said, this is also something you can do when your kid is older if you're feeling they're picking up on the wrong things now -- five is still pretty young for Dahl, for example!)
posted by heavenknows at 12:39 PM on November 3, 2020 [3 favorites]
I have a lifelong fondness for middle grades books and every couple years will catch up with the Newbery award winners (a great list to pull from).
By far my favorite, I was genuinely blown away by how good it was, is the book "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead. It's set in 1970s NYC, has a girl lead, her mom is really into social justice, dips into racism and economic inequality in a very gentle, age-appropriate way, and just basically has everything you're looking for along with an exciting proto science fiction plot. It's VERY good. I listened to it as an audiobook the first time I "read it" and then I later read the actual book and I enjoyed it both times.
Cannot recommend it highly enough. If I had any small children in my life I would read it to them in a heartbeat.
posted by phunniemee at 12:44 PM on November 3, 2020 [7 favorites]
By far my favorite, I was genuinely blown away by how good it was, is the book "When You Reach Me" by Rebecca Stead. It's set in 1970s NYC, has a girl lead, her mom is really into social justice, dips into racism and economic inequality in a very gentle, age-appropriate way, and just basically has everything you're looking for along with an exciting proto science fiction plot. It's VERY good. I listened to it as an audiobook the first time I "read it" and then I later read the actual book and I enjoyed it both times.
Cannot recommend it highly enough. If I had any small children in my life I would read it to them in a heartbeat.
posted by phunniemee at 12:44 PM on November 3, 2020 [7 favorites]
My Father's Dragon is great for that age, and I don't remember any of those issues, and it emphasizes empathy for the baby dragon. It's available online so you can give it a quick read to see what you think.
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:53 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 1:53 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
Dealing with Dragons! I'm reading this with the 3rd grader I tutor and she's into it!
posted by ChuraChura at 4:51 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by ChuraChura at 4:51 PM on November 3, 2020 [1 favorite]
My son is 6 and we are reading the Frank Braun's Oz books with very little editing. In the 3rd book Dorothy insists her friend Bill must be named Billilina. I just refuse to call the yellow hen anything but Bill because that is the way she refers to herself! And in the second book the "girls" take over Emerald City, which gave us a great way to talk about gender roles and fairness. Recommend, with the caveat we are in the middle of the 3rd book.
posted by Arctostaphylos at 2:22 PM on November 4, 2020
posted by Arctostaphylos at 2:22 PM on November 4, 2020
There's also an unexpected (at least to me) gender switch of a major character in one of the Oz books, I believe the second one.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 9:11 AM on November 5, 2020
posted by Winnie the Proust at 9:11 AM on November 5, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
The website We Need Diverse Books links to several other lists of resources. There's also Feminist Books for Kids.
All of this is to say: there are so many books that fit the bill. What I've shared is just the tip of the iceberg.
posted by bluedaisy at 11:16 AM on November 3, 2020 [4 favorites]