“We read so that we know we are not alone.” This quote from CS Lewis takes on a new resonance in the current state of lockdown. Picking up a book and disappearing into another world for a while, helps us switch off, relax and unwind.
For many of us maintaining our mental health, particularly now, can be a struggle. I believe that reading, alongside other activities such as being in nature, music and exercise, can help boost our mental health. However, for some children and young people it is not always easy to access books, especially now with school and public libraries shut. This is just one of the many inequalities laid bare by the current pandemic and should not be forgotten once it is over.
"Books and reading are Magic. And this magic must be urgently available to absolutely everyone." Cressida Cowell
Children’s Laureate Charter
Article 28 of the Children’s Rights Charter is the right to an education. Implicit in this is the need for universal literacy and for books and reading to be available to everyone. This is the mission of the current Children’s Laureate, Cressida Cowell, who is campaigning for statutory schools libraries. She has drawn up a charter of 10 reading rights for all children which includes access to books, and the importance of both public and schools libraries and librarians in order to achieve this. While access to libraries is currently suspended, it has become even more urgent to campaign for access to digital learning for all. Most public libraries offer free access to digital books and we need to ensure that all children and young people can take advantage of this.
Local citizenship
Cowell’s Reading Rights charter also identifies the importance of diversity in the books available to children stating that; “children have the right to see themselves reflected in a book”. There are a myriad of excellent books out there and as teachers it is important that they reflect both the diversity of the world out there and the diversity which exists in our classrooms.
Stories, poems and novels possess great power to open up new worlds and inspire a capacity for empathy and consideration of other viewpoints. They can open up a space to help children and young people to understand complex issues such as poverty and inequality and how those issues shape the realities of people around the world. They highlight our shared experiences, needs, wants and hopes and point more to our shared humanity than our differences.
Stories, poems and novels possess great power to open up new worlds and inspire a capacity for empathy and consideration of other viewpoints.
Signposts for fiction
Our sister website, Signposts for Global Citizenship has an updated list of books which make Global Citizenship topics accessible to learners of all ages. Below are some of the highlights and where to find them plus some resources to support learning. We have tried to select materials which have tasks appropriate for home learning.
While this article includes links to free online books or audio recordings, we are acutely aware that many young people are excluded digitally at this time and are unable to access books to read.
Find the full Global Citizenship list here
Highlights from the fiction list
Early level
My Name is not Refugee (style up subtitles but in black)
Follow the journey of a young boy and him mother to a new country and some of the things they will encounter on the way.
- Listen to the story on YouTube (Link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9n1plse2K4
- Find some teaching ideas here (Link: http://www.bucketlistbooks.co.uk/uploads/8/3/6/3/83638416/mninr_teachers_low.pdf
We’re all Wonders
Based on Palacio's Wonder, this picture book deals with issues of difference and bullying.
- Listen to the story on YouTube (Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWOuoaAtXGE
- Find some activity ideas here (Link: https://images.randomhouse.com/promo_image/9781524766498_4988.pdf
Level 1/2
No. 1 Car Spotter
Oluwalase Babatunde Benson is Number 1. He's the Number 1 car spotter in his village and he is also good at solving all sorts of problems for his village.
Level 2/3
The Bone Sparrow
Born in a refugee camp, Subhi has never seen the outside world. The Bone Sparrow is a beautiful, heart breaking, hopeful and deeply moving novel that explores a tragic and relevant topic with incredibly skill.
The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle
Set in Glasgow, this is an uplifting story about the power of friendship and belonging.
- Lots of great teaching ideas created by the author
