What We’re Reading
By Abby Ackerman
Health and Wellness
Summer Readings: Shaping Our Thinking and Taking an Active Stance Against Racism Head of School Allison Webster recently asked parents to join their children in some summer learning and reading, sharing with them two options that are on DCD’s faculty reading list which are sure to be engaging and thought-provoking in light of recent events. Below is an excerpt from her letter to the community. The killing of George Floyd and others has sparked a national moment of reckoning about the racism that exists in our country. Not since the Civil Rights Movement have we seen such a dramatic call to action. This summer, our faculty and staff will be completing several group reads including New Kid, a Newbery-award winner by Jerry Craft, and So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. These particular books have been selected to further shape our thinking and help us maintain an active stance against racism. We hope you will join us in reading them and look forward to finding ways to gather with you to engage in conversations about these resources. We share these resources to unite us as a learning community working together to build an equitable school and society for all of our children.
Student Reads
(Good for perspective in light of pandemic)
New Kid by Jerry Craft New Kid is a timely, honest graphic novel about starting over at a new school where diversity is low and the struggle to fit in is real, from award-winning author-illustrator Jerry Craft. Seventh grader Jordan Banks loves nothing more than drawing cartoons about his life. But instead of sending him to the art school of his dreams, his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school known for its academics, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. As he makes the daily trip from his Washington Heights apartment to the upscale Riverdale Academy Day School, Jordan soon finds himself torn between two worlds—and not really fitting into either one. Can Jordan learn to navigate his new school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself? This middle grade graphic novel is an excellent choice for tween readers, including for summer reading. —Amazon Books
Harry and the Wrinklies by Alan Temperley When Harry is orphaned and sent to live with his elderly aunts in remote Lagg Hall, he has low expectations. But life there is anything but boring, as he pursues the two eccentric old ladies on an exciting adventure filled with fast cars, cat burglars and plenty of cake. As well as being a fun caper, this exciting story helps kids realize that maybe their own grandparents and elderly relatives have a story to tell.
Faculty & Parent Reads So You Want To Talk About Race? by Ijeoma Oluo In So You Want to Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo guides readers of all races through subjects ranging from intersectionality and affirmative action to “model minorities” in an attempt to make the seemingly impossible possible: honest conversations about race and racism, and how they infect almost every aspect of American life. —Amazon Books
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