Grown-Ups
Publisher's Letter: Hatching Stories About Our Families and Bringing Them to School
Have you ever read a book about a kid from a LGBT-headed family raising chickens? This month you can read a great article about several kids raising chickens, and download our humorous new printable picture book about how a girl learned to believe in herself—with some help from pigeons.
As school begins, we’re reaching out to families and educators and encouraging them to use our printable picture books in the classroom. It’s vital that our children hear about LGBT-headed families in school. “When I was growing up, I never got to hear a teacher read a story about a family like mine,” said Rainbow Rumpus board member Hannah Meacock Ross at a recent event. “It would have meant the world to me.”
There has been an overwhelmingly warm reception to the series, with families and teachers downloading an average of 60 books per month in 2011. “We can’t find any books in the bookstores and libraries where we live,” noted one parent. “We’re so glad these are here.”
The series has been recognized as an important new tool by both educators and curriculum developers. “These types of books are difficult to find at the library,” noted one teacher, “and I think it’s important to have them in the classroom.” The benefits to students are enhanced by a teachers’ guide included with each title. Welcoming Schools, a HRC sponsored curriculum which combats bullying, lists Rainbow Rumpus’ picture books as a useful resource. The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) also works to increase awareness of the books among educators.
If you’re an educator or a parent looking for tips about how to begin talking about LGBT-headed families in schools, check out this article on how to begin. Consider sharing your stories about using the books with us.
And we’re always looking to profile kids and teens who are doing interesting things (like raising chickens!). Please use our contact form to get in touch!
More Information
Download printable picture books for your family at http://www.rainbowrumpus.org/htm/printable.htm.
Author
Laura Matanah has led Rainbow Rumpus from being a small group of parents committed to creating great literature for their children to a publisher that creates more LGBT-family fiction each year than all other English language publishers combined.
