A collaboration between our school’s principal intern and I, we created a Family Book Club, which focuses on our school community’s diversity, and each month, we read aloud books, lead a book discussion, and related book activities to build relationships. The purpose of the Family Book Club is to celebrate our diversity and to build relationships among the families in our school community.  Our school’s slogan is “We All Belong” and we truly mean it, and hope that our efforts help both our students and their families experience this authentically. 

In September, Hispanic Heritage Month, we chose books that focused our our diverse cultures, and read these three picture books:

• All are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and illustrated by Suzanne Kaufman
• Lunch from Home by Joshua David Stein and illustrated by Jing Li
• Spanish is the Language of my Family by Michael Genhart and illustrated by John Parra

All are Welcome “is a picture book about a school where diversity and inclusion are celebrated.” In Lunch from Home, “four students stand out with their homemade, culturally-specific lunches in a classroom of sandwiches.” Spanish is the Language of my Family “is an intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and spelling bee victory following a young boy who bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish.”

Link to our September Family Book Club presentation.

In November, we had two Family Book Club meetings – in early November, we shared books around Diwali, Hindu holiday known as The Festival of Lights. Three of my colleagues who celebrate Diwali dressed in clothing from their culture, and shared their family traditions. Our read aloud selections included two picture books:

• Shubh Diwali! written by Chitra Soundar and illustrated by Charlene Chua 
• Archie Celebrates Diwali! written by Mitali Banerjee Ruths and illustrated by Parwinder Singh 

 We had also given families the option to read and discuss Odder by Katherine Applegate.

Shubh Diwali! is a sweet book about the excitement of The Festival of Lights from the perspective of a child. Archie Celebrates Diwali! ”Archana loves her family’s annual Diwali (deh-vah-lee) party, and this year she gets to share it with all her friends from school.” Odder is a touching and lyrical tale about a remarkable sea otter, and a wonderful introduction to marine life rehabilitation.

Link to our November 8th Family Book Club presentation.

Our third Family Book Club was held at the end of November and focused on both Native American Heritage Month and gratitude. We read We are Grateful: Otsaleheliga written by Traci Sorell and illustrated by Frané Lessac and The Thank You Book written and illustrated by Todd Parr.

Link to our November 29th Family Book Club presentation.

Our last Family Book Club meeting focused on celebrating differences and the winter holidays of Hanukkah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa.   The books I chose to share were:

• Just Ask!: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You written by Sonia Sotomayor and illustrated by Rafael López
• Caleb’s Hanukkah written by Lisa Bullard and illustrated by Constanza Basaluzzo
• Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh written and illustrated by Mo Willems
• Seven Candles of Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney

Just Ask! is a kind and caring book about the differences that make each of us unique. In Caleb’s Hanukkah, he describes all the things that make the holiday special for his family. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh is a fun and silly story about Pigeon, and Seven Candles for Kwanzaa is a beautifully written and illustrated book that “describes the origins and practices of Kwanzaa, the seven-day festival during which people of African descent rejoice in their ancestral values.”

Link to our December Family Book Club presentation.

While the kids had fun calling back “No, Pigeon!” as I read the story, in retrospect, I wish I had chosen Christmas book that focused on the true meaning of Christmas, such as Season of Light by Jess Redman and illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, The Christmas Blessing written by Erin Guendelsberger and illustrated by Gail Yerrill, or The First Christmas by Will Moses.

During the meeting we discussed how in each of these winter holidays, Hanukkah, Christmas,and Kwanzaa (and Diwali as well) candles were of great importance, and each represented light over darkness. Diwali includes oil lamps called diyas, Hanukkah, the menorah, Christmas, the advent wreath, and Kwanzaa, the kinara.

We will continue our Family Book Club with once a month meetings in the new year, January through May, with hopes that our families will continue to find the meetings meaningful. Look for a year-end post about the remainder of the school year in June!