Tuesday Slice: Important conversations

I just finished up two weeks of reading Mae Among the Stars to my first and second graders in our library Book Nook.  (When two grade levels equals twenty-one classes, it takes awhile to share a book with everyone.)  Written by Roda Ahmed and illustrated by Stasia Burrington, it's a picture book inspired by the childhood of Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut.

The book is interesting--especially the afterword, detailing many of Jemison's amazing accomplishments.  But the conversations we had about race and gender bias were even more moving.  Mae was born in 1956, and grew up in the tumultuous times of the Civil Rights Movement.  This fictionalized version of Mae's life shows us her supportive parents who buoy her dreams, and a teacher who can't see past her skin color and gender.  Fresh on the heels of taking our MLK Day break from school, my students were able to connect the dots.  Most refreshingly, they all agreed that women and people of color have a place in our space program, today and tomorrow.  I didn't hear a single word of dissent on the subject.  When I asked, "Who wants to be an astronaut when you grow up?", there was a lovely mix of hands in the air, boys and girls, light and dark.

Times like these in our Book Nook give me hope for our future.  May my students' attitudes toward race and gender opportunities remain as open as they were these last weeks.