September
05
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Windows, Mirrors, and Portals to Magic by Kirsten LeClerc
I am arranging new books on a display shelf when a volunteer breezes by. She stops for a moment and says, “More new books? I took a look at that one earlier–maybe you should tuck it away somewhere before the wrong kid takes it home and you have a challenge on your hands.” She points to Jacob’s New Dress by Sarah and Ian Hoffman.
“But it’s a really good book, and it’s gotten excellent reviews,” I reply.
“Maybe so, but I wouldn’t put it out if I were you. Especially with HB2 and all that happening,” she says with a wave as she walks out the door.
I am momentarily flustered, second guessing myself on this purchase. This woman is someone I admire, a retired school librarian who volunteers regularly as a reading tutor. Could she be correct? Should I put the book away in the professional section or give it to the guidance counselor to pass along to the “right kid” when the time comes? I feel her comment about HB2 still hanging in the air, and I am angry. Angry at the busybody politicians in my state who rushed to pass this appalling bill in an emergency session. Angry at myself for tuning it all out and not really caring about HB2 until it began to affect me personally, when I realized that it was negatively affecting my favorite bookstore and my school’s opportunities for author visits. Angry that someone was suggesting it might be a reason to remove a book from my library.
I sit down with the book and flip through it again, taking in the colorful illustrations of Jacob in his makeshift towel dress, and then his real dress that he and his mom sew together, his “soft, cottony, magic armor.” I think of my own daughter, who would have enjoyed this book a few years ago when she was going through a phase of shopping in the boys’ section of clothing stores. In fact, why wouldn’t she enjoy it now? It’s a great story, and who is the right or wrong kid for this book? This is a perfect example of a windows and mirrors book that offers the reader a lense into someone else’s life, a chance to feel understanding and empathy, or a reflection of their own self.
Who, exactly, is the right or wrong kid for any book? I remember my very first year in the classroom, when I was teaching reading at a high school in Vermont. I had several students from Somalia and Sudan who had come to live in the Green Mountains through Burlington’s Refugee Resettlement program. I kept choosing books for them to read that were about war and refugees because I thought that was what they needed in order to make connections to their background experiences. Finally, about halfway through the year, one of the boys said to me “All these books are so serious. No fun at all.” It was a pivotal moment, and I promised to find something different to read next. After much deliberation, I chose Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, and it ended up being our most successful book group of the school year. The students loved the magical story of Charlie, Willy Wonka, and his factory more than I ever would have imagined. After wrapping up that story, I gave students more voice in the process of choosing books, finally willing to give up some control.
At the risk of sounding like Amy Squirrel from the movie Bad Teacher, I feel as though my students that year taught me as much, if not more, than I taught them. I learned how important it is to listen to students, and that readers of all backgrounds sometimes just want to escape into fantasy. I discovered that the right book for a teenage girl who wears a hijab just might be Twilight. I had to accept that I don’t always know what book might be best for a reader, but I learned to provide diverse options and then take a step back, allowing them to make the choice.
I place Jacob’s New Dress back on the display case, where it belongs with the other new books, waiting for the right kid to come along and check it out — whoever that may be. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Circus Mirandus, that gem of a magical book that was my favorite middle grade novel of 2015. I know that I’m making the right choice as I think back to author Cassie Beasley’s wise Nerdy Book Club post when she summed up the perfect answer to that often asked question, “Who is a book for?” A book is for anyone who wants to read it.
Kirsten LeClerc is a teacher-librarian in Asheville, NC. She is on Twitter @kirleclerc and blogs occasionally at http://bookswithcharacter.blogspot.com.
Nerdy Book Club 
I loved so much about this post! It reminds me of Free to be You and Me..and my favorite song to sing out loud with my sister, William’s Doll. And it’s pretty scary that we seem to be going backwards in that regard. I don’t remember William’s Doll being that controversial and that was quite a long time ago. But I also love something else you bring up. I had a similar experience recently helping moms who are incarcerated choose books to send home to their teen kids. It was such an eye opener to me about “happy, fun” books..how much we need them, and why. Windows and mirrors can go both ways..for the reader AND the potential writer. It was a humbling moment for me. Thank you for this post.
Thanks so much for reading, Nora, and for the kind words. I do hate that some adults seem to care so much about which child reads what book or who uses which bathroom, when there are so many other things going on in this world. I do thing that happy, fun books are priceless — they give us such entertainment and an avenue of escape. Of course, on the flip side, serious books are important too. I loved your book Anything But Typical — it was the perfect “mirrors” book for a former middle school student I worked with. I’m looking forward to reading your newest release!
Wonderful, honest, inspiring post. Thank you!
This post brought tears to my eyes. My husband and I are helping an Iraqi refugee family settle here in Cleveland, and I’m very sure that, as with you and your students, we are learning more from them than they are from us. One of the most fun–fun!!–things for me is giving books to the four kids. Thank you, Kirsten, for this post, and for your courage and empathy.
Tricia, how wonderful that you and your husband are doing this! That takes a lot of kindness, courage, and empathy on your part.
Kristen, Congrats on standing firm in your beliefs. I think that no book should be banned or “appropriately” shelved. You don’t HAVE to read it.
In that same vein, I also believe that kids who are not ready (emotionally or otherwise) for a book should not forced to read it for a class. With so much good literature, we should be able to find alternatives for those too emotionally raw, religiously restricted, etc rather than force all kids to read a “class” book.
Perhaps two sides of a coin.
Keep doing what you do!!! I’m angry about HB2 too as are so many of us!! Thank you for bringing great books to readers!
Ohmigosh, it’s a small world! Thanks for commenting, Constance. (We met very briefly at a Mr. Puffball event at the West Asheville library last spring.)
A wonderful reminder for us all…it’s all about choice, and the only person who should make the choice about each book is the reader. Thank you!
This is a good post but it could be improved by citing Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s scholarship. Her seminal work “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Doors” clearly inspired the post’s title, is mentioned within the post, and clearly has influenced the author’s professional career a great deal. It hould be properly attributed.
You’re totally right, Adrianne. I should have included that source. Thank you.
I read your great post and then saw this on my FB account; it’s a photo of Louise Penny, one of my favorite authors, who just did a book event in Asheville. I thought you would like it!
Maren McLaren Teacher, Gifted Program Dolores Gonzales Elementary
This is such a great piece, thank you for sharing it. And thank you for sharing Jacob with your patrons even in a moment of uncertainty.
I’d also suggest that when anyone in education and library services refers to “windows and mirrors” they reference and link to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, the Black woman scholar who created this phrase and concept. It’s important we acknowledge her work in the diversity conversation.
https://www.psdschools.org/webfm/8559 (her original article)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAu58SNSyc (Dr. Sims Bishop in 2015 talking about the background of this phrase and how it relates to We Need Diverse Books)
Thank you for your wonderful, heartfelt post, Kirsten. I strongly believe in a diversity of options for young readers, too. You never know what book a young reader may need at a particular moment, but it is up to all of us to provide a wide variety of quality options. It’s up to us to help crack open a young reader’s heart and mind with books that will widen their world and offer salve and hope, too.
I just spoke with our librarian about ordering The Seventh Wish and she thought it wasn’t appropriate for our elementary collection, so this post really resonated with me. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of books and students!
I’m reading The Seventh Wish now, and from what I’ve read so far, I can’t imagine how it gets to inappropriate!
I’ll find out soon enough!