Below is an annotated list of children's literature for the elementary classroom. The books are organized by the Six Elements of Social Justice Curriculum Design (Picower, 2007). It is based on work by pre-service teachers at Montclair State University. They have read and reviewed these books and provided insights into how they can be used in K-5 settings.

Thursday, November 18, 2021

I Am Enough

 

 
Author: Grace Byers
Illustrator: Keturah A. Bobo
Grade Level: Pre K-3
 
Element 1: Self-Love and Knowledge
 
Summary:
I Am Enough is about an African American girl that looks for how she resembles all the beautiful things that surround her. She celebrates herself while seeing herself in the world, including people that look different. The book only has girls, which are all diverse. The girls in the book are of different skin tones, some are able-bodied while others have disabilities and also have different religious beliefs. They participate in diverse activities as well. The activities are either cooperative or solitary and include swinging, martial arts and many more.

How It Represents SJE1:
It represents SJE1 because it focuses on Justice, Diversity, Identity and Action. This book introduces the importance of uniqueness and unity in a different way. Using metaphors, it shows that there isn't a cookie cutter to make the 'perfect person'. It encourages one to be whomever they would like to be, it doesn't matter the race, color, sexual orientation, etc. It promotes acceptance of oneself, others, and the fact that everyone is unique. It clearly shows the main characters self-worth and sense of belonging.

How I Would Use It:
Since I will be teaching PreK-12 Mathematics I would use this book as an icebreaker to get to know my students and to build an anti-racist classroom. I would read the book with the students and then have them share about themselves and their family. I would use this book to help them know, like and feel comfortable openly discussing about themselves and their family. They will not only learn self-love but will also become familiar with the social justice elements.

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Buy It Here!

Teacher Resources!

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