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Wednesday, January 16, 2019 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
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Books are a window into
a different perspective
By Erin Borla
Correspondent
Letters to the Editor…
The Nugget welcomes contributions from its readers, which must include the writer9s name, address and phone number. Let-
ters to the Editor is an open forum for the community and contains unsolicited opinions not necessarily shared by the Editor.
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oon Monday.
To the Editor:
I had the opportunity to read the
book <George= by Alex Gino for
the Oregon Battle of the Books. I
enjoyed reading this book because
it taught me about what she went
through. It also taught me how not to
judge others. I think everyone should
read this book because all people
deserve kindness.
Emmitt Buller, 4th grade
Sisters Elementary School
s
s
s
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter for all the
youth in Sisters who are a part of the
LGBTQ community. I want to share
my heart and tell you that there are
many adults in Sisters (myself and
family included) who love and
support you unconditionally.
By unconditionally, I mean
to say that you are enough
being who you are. You do not
need to change to make me or
anyone else feel more comfort-
able. You are most certainly not
a mistake. You have the right to
be and love anyone you chose.
That really is not our business.
Yes, there will be some who
think it is very much their busi-
ness, but I beg of you not to listen
or give them the <air time= they so
desperately think they need. There
are many adults in this town who
are more than willing to process
with you, listen objectively, and
See LETTERS on page 28
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I read <George= by Alex
Gino last year, knowing my
son wanted to participate
in the Oregon Battle of the
Books as a third-grader.
My son began reading
<George= over the holiday
break. After three chapters
he came to me and said he
was confused. I asked him
what was confusing, which
lead to a conversation about
the book and how all people
are different. We decided to
continue to read <George=
together so he can ask ques-
tions of me as they arise.
My son is 8 years old,
it9s natural for him to be
confused and ask questions
about things he doesn9t
fully understand. The con-
versation we
had
about
<George= was
similar to other
conversations
we h have had
abou
about vary-
ing subjects
that range
from diffi-
cult to silly,
lik e who
was Martin
L u t h e r
Ki
King; why
do
we
th
thank our
veterans;
w hy did
m
my uncle
d die; why
d o n 9 t
we tell
poop jokes at
school, and others.
My children are curious,
and it9s my job as a parent to
try to explain things so they
can begin to understand.
I9ve realized the dif-
ficult conversations are
much harder for me, as an
adult, to discuss than they
are for my kids to grasp.
Regardless of how difficult
the subject matter, children
need to connect with adults
about things that may be
confusing or hard to explain
4 not be shielded from
them. Our family consis-
tently falls to books to help
support these connections.
Books, specifically books
with diverse authors, char-
acters and life experiences,
like George, offer a window
into a life my children have
not experienced.
Close to 30 years ago,
Rudine Sims Bishop, a
professor from Ohio State
University, wrote an arti-
cle about books being
<Windows, Mirrors and
Sliding Glass Doors.=
<Books are sometimes win-
dows, offering views of
a world that may be real
or imagined, familiar or
strange&a window can also
be a mirror. Literature trans-
forms human experience
and reflects it back to us.=
Sims Bishop9s article
was originally written to
address the need for racial
diversity in children9s
books, but I believe her
message can be easily trans-
lated to any minority.
<Children from domi-
nant social groups have
always found their mirrors
in books, but they too have
suffered from the lack of
availability of books about
others. They need the books
as windows onto reality, not
just on imaginary worlds.
They need books that will
help them understand the
multicultural nature of the
world they live in, and
their place as a member of
just one group, as well as
their connections to other
humans.=
<George= may not be
your next favorite book,
and that9s OK. I have read a
lot of books that are not my
favorite but there is some-
thing about each that sticks
with me. I learn and grow as
a person, parent, and citizen
from what I read 4 and so
can my children. I hope oth-
ers will pick up <George=
and other titles that help
them experience a window
into a different perspective.
If you need help find-
ing a diverse read check out
www.DiverseBooks.org for
a list of titles and authors for
all ages.
To all our Sisters friends,
neighbors, and kids who are
members of the LBGTQ
community and are feeling
isolated because of deroga-
tory comments in regard
to this text or in general
4 know you are loved and
supported. If you9re feeling
like you have no one to talk
to, The Trevor Project has
a 24-hour number you can
call/text: 1-866-488-7386.
You are not alone.
I tell my kids it9s good
to be different. If the world
was full of the same people
it would be a boring place.
Opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the writer and
are not necessarily shared by the Editor or The Nugget Newspaper.