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Ringel

     While reading Ringel’s article, “How Banning Books Marginalizes Children,” a quote really struck me: “More broadly, keeping books about certain types of children or experiences out of libraries or putting them on separate shelves perpetuates a troubling vision of a sheltered American childhood that in fact has rarely existed” (Ringel 4-5). By telling American children that their experiences and lives are not valid or appropriate, we run the risk of making them even more excluded than they already feel. Keeping the books that deal with relevant life experiences out of libraries and on separate shelves is troubling. Even as a twenty-year-old, when I look in the LGBTQ+ section of Barnes and Noble, I barely feel safe around my family. They question why I am even looking in that section to begin with, telling me that it is a sin to read these types of books and that they will "turn me gay." The fact that it is separated allows for more marginalization and could possibly o...
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Don't Let Them Define You

     The book  George , by Alex Gino explores the struggle of gender and identity within the main character, George. One of the themes that I found prevalent in this book that I believe relates to the entirety of the course is the idea of defining things. Throughout many of the works we have read throughout this course there has been an underlying notion of society trying to define certain people. Such as Starr, for example, who was defined by both her white friends at school and by her black community as different things for different reasons. Or in  Lysistrata  where the women were defined by their sexuality and pleasure that they could provide to their husbands. Throughout society in the real world and in many of the books we have read, definitions and labels are always being imposed on people. And as we can see through the practice of banning books, society does not like when people try to expound upon or reject these labels. They have a need to be stra...
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Biggest Takeaway

  I first read this book in 2015 when it was published. I was working with a teacher to bring more diverse literature into middle school classrooms. I would research new books, write emails to publishers, and basically beg them to send a few copies of their books to us for free because of the teachers limited budget. I remember finding this one on a “recently released” book list and immediately going home and purchasing myself a copy.     After that first read, I remember being struck by how weird it was that I was a senior in high school, and I was reading my first book about a trans child.   The most important thing I learned this semester is how important it is that these stories are available to people and especially children. It is important for children who identify with the stories to be able to see themselves as valued and being able to read about a situation a child isn’t subject to in their life can help build empathy and understanding for their peers. Lite...
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