MOWMT Day #15: Laura Roettiger Incorporates Social Justice
Incorporating Social Justice into Books for Children
by Laura Roettiger
Inspiration comes from so many different places no matter who you’re writing for but when your audience is children, how do you incorporate an important message without making it sound preachy, teachy, over-reachy?
I’ve asked three authors to share how they wrote about an issue that can be difficult to tackle but made it easy for readers to learn and discuss. Social justice issues have always been near and dear to my heart, so I’m excited to share these mentor texts with you. My upcoming picture book, AN ACCIDENTAL HERO, A MOSTLY TRUE WOMBAT STORY has social justice themes threaded through the story. As I write this post, I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to share, but it will be evident when the book is released later in 2023. Today, I have two picture book authors and one middle grade author who generously allowed me to peek inside their writing process. Both picture books will be given as a giveaway with this post.
First up, meet Dano Moreno, debut author of HOPE FOR RYAN WHITE, illustrated by Hannah Abbo, published by Albert Whitman. This book is so much more than a picture book biography. It’s an example of how children can become advocates and speak out against injustice.
Dano writes: I’ve spent most of my career working with HIV prevention and care programs —including programs named after Ryan White. Because of my work, I hear Ryan’s name regularly. A few years ago, I began reading his autobiography and was inspired to share his story with a new generation. HOPE FOR RYAN WHITE is the story of Ryan's heroic battle to educate the world about AIDS and advocate for inclusion. I wrote it after reading Ryan's autobiography, RYAN WHITE: MY OWN STORY, which he co-authored in the 1980s. My goal was to amplify Ryan's voice—and show his experience as both an activist and as a kid. After Ryan was diagnosed with AIDS, he wasn’t allowed to return to school, so he went to court and spoke with the media. He helped change minds and change laws because wanted a typical childhood. He wanted to be in school with his friends. And he was fiercely determined to make the world a kinder place for people living with HIV. He didn't want others to face the same discrimination that he had faced.
HOPE FOR RYAN WHITE will be out in April but I have been lucky enough to read an advance reader’s copy and I’m confident it will inspire children for many years to come. I’m excited to hear from Dano when he’s able to share his book with children in schools, libraries, and bookstores. If you’re not familiar with Ryan White’s story, prepare to be inspired by this wonderful boy and his mom who helped him fight for what every child deserves.
Next, is Nancy Churnin, who has many award winning nonfiction picture books to inspire children towards social justice including DEAR MR. DICKENS, illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe, published by Albert Whitman.
Nancy writes: When I was a little girl, I didn't understand why the great Charles Dickens, a writer I admired so much for his compassion for the poor and vulnerable, created ugly Jewish stereotypes like Fagin in OLIVER TWIST. I wished I could have written him a letter asking him why he had compassion for everyone but the Jewish people. Was this wonderful writer who created classics like A TALE OF TWO CITIES, DAVID COPPERFIELD, LITTLE DORRIT, GREAT EXPECTATIONS, and, yes, OLIVER TWIST, featuring Fagin, outside my world forever? It hurt like a hammer on my heart.
Then I discovered that a Jewish woman, Eliza Davis, had written the very letter I had dreamed of writing as a child. Even more amazing, I learned she had changed his heart and inspired him to write with compassion about Jewish people going forward -- actions that caused his readers, which comprised everyone from chimney sweepers to Queen Victoria -- to be more inclusive and kind to Jewish people in their community. I wrote this story of Eliza Davis and Charles Dickens because I wanted to share with children what I had learned -- that speaking up can cause people to change for the better and that if they do change for the better, we need to embrace them as Eliza did Charles Dickens.
One of the parts I love best about sharing this book with kids is seeing how excited they get when I follow up my readings by asking them to write letters or make posters of the change they would like to see in the world. It is truly inspiring to see them channel Eliza's courage by speaking up about what matters most to them -- from treating people fairly and with kindness, to caring for our planet, to being charitable and helping those in need.
Among the ways I believe this book stands out among my other books that deal with social justice is that it is not a biography, but the story of an interaction, an exchange that changed two people and the world; also how personal it is and how much I learned about the power of speaking up on my journey with this story. Finally, from a craft standpoint, it is different because I address my young readers directly by using the second person on the first page: "Think of someone famous you admire. What would you do if that person said or wrote something unfair? Would you speak up? Would you risk getting that person angry? Eliza Davis did." It is the only time I have addressed the reader in the second person in any of my books, but I felt I had to talk directly to the children and to myself, someone all too aware that it's safer to keep one's thoughts to one's self, reminding them and myself of how important it is to speak up and to do the brave thing, the right thing, if we see or knew about something hurtful or wrong, something that must be changed.
This question that opens the book, I believe, is bigger than the fact that Eliza is not a child, but a young mother trying to create a better world for her child and all children. And kids get that; they don't get distracted that Eliza is a different age than they are, or that she lived in a different time or place, or that this is the first time they are learning her name. For younger kids, it also may be the first time they're hearing Charles Dickens' name! I'll be honest -- there were many that were skeptical that kids would get the bigger picture when I first sent this out on submission. I am very grateful to illustrator Bethany Stancliffe whose vivid pictures help us feel the urgency of what Eliza is feeling. I am very grateful to editor Wendy McClure and Albert Whitman & Company for believing in this unusual story and the intelligence, understanding and compassion of the children -- and adults -- who have been taking Dear Mr. Dickens to their hearts.
And my final mentor text comes from Fleur Bradley, middle grade author of the award winning MIDNIGHT AT THE BARCLAY HOTEL, here to share how she wrote about prison reform in her most recent middle grade mystery, DAYBREAK ON RAVEN ISLAND. I wondered if she set out to tackle this important theme or if it came to her while she was writing and here’s what she had to say,
Fleur writes: I didn't set out to write about mass incarceration when I began DAYBREAK ON RAVEN ISLAND, not at all. I simply wanted to write a good scary mystery for kids. But as I began working with my editor, she suggested the topic. I resisted at first. I'm not a big fan of issues in a book, and it's just not my forte if that makes sense. But I also know you have to trust your editor, and that you don't get better as a writer unless you change and challenge yourself.
I did my research, and it broke my heart. Though I still found it difficult to find a way to naturally talk about prison reform in a book that I knew would be read by kids as young as eight... In the end, it was by looking at incarceration through a kid's lens that I found just the right amount of the topic to put in the book. One in 26 kids has an incarcerated parent--that was a statistic I could do something with. I imagined that kid (which is one per classroom, if you think about it) and how lonely that had to feel. How you might keep that a secret. And that I could work into the book, carefully and without it feeling forced.
Sometimes you don't find the topic, but the topic finds you.
I can’t think of a better, more inspiring message than that. Thank you, Fleur!
Laura Roettiger is a reading specialist from Chicago, IL who weaves her passion for STEM learning into stories for children. Now living in Colorado, she focuses her writing for children on encouraging them to be curious, creative, and kind. Her debut Aliana Reaches the Moon, (Eifrig Publishing, 2019; German edition, 2022) combines science information with the story of a girl whose creativity, kindness, and patience pays off with a surprise ending. Her book An Accidental Hero, A Mostly True Wombat Story (Eifrig Publishing, 2023) allows readers to understand the devastation of fire while experiencing hope when a stranger offers shelter and kindness.
She can be found @ljrwritenow on IG, Twitter, Post
Website: Laura Roettiger Books
Laura's Prize is...the three books mentioned in this post will be sent to one lucky winner!
*.*.*.*
NOTE: As you comment on each post, please note whether you have shared this post, bought the book for yourself or as a gift, whether you have followed our guest blogger or Rate Your Story on social media (and where), as well as whether you have left a review of the guest blogger's book (and where) for extra entries (for each show of support) and to be eligible for surprise prizes.
Feel free to click the links to buy the books mentioned and help support our Weekly Mentor Text Talks. You can join our group here for more information:
Comments