What Do I Mean by "Humanities"?
Hi friends. Today, I'll share my approach to categorizing and labeling the "humanities" books in our library.
First, I should acknowledge my millennial frame of reference for even choosing the label "humanities", as I'm sure there is a more modern and accurate word for what I attempted today. I promise to find time to read more on the Library of Congress's (LOC) website - for the children.
What I mean is stories in the fiction genre that provide a unique cultural or social perspective. It's a broad category, and I wanted it that way so we could create some subcategories. That's what I'm discussing here.
Cultural Perspectives
I found so many interesting stories that explore human identity and experiences. Eve Bunting's collection of stories centers on young men from diverse backgrounds.
Your Move is the story of two brothers who want to prove themselves to a group of older boys by sneaking out at night while their mother is at work. The story is written in African American vernacular, and the realistic, colorful pictures pull you in. What do the brothers discover on their night journey? Do they stick together? Do they change their mind? Will our young men identify with these brothers' experience?
I also found
A Day's Work, the story of an immigrant boy and his father's experiences as day laborers.
The Wall, about a Vietnamese father and son visiting the Vietnam Memorial Wall when they meet a paralyzed American Vietnam veteran.
Understanding Big Feelings
Another topic I thought would fit nicely into "humanities" is stories that explore human emotion. The titles in the image below discuss themes like anger, sadness, and jealousy.
Everette Anderson's Goodbye by Lucille Clifton (center) deals with the grief of death.
I'm Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell discusses themes like confidence and self-esteem.
Drawing Distinctions
There are plenty of titles that cross over or are a little ambiguous (at least with this current system until I understand more about the LOC's method - not THAT LOC method, the library one). There are several stories about children from all backgrounds that aren't necessarily focused on "humanity".
For example, Short Cut by Donald Crews is a fun early-reader book about a group of urban kids who take a shortcut home by crossing the train tracks. There is a cultural perspective here, but the story's focus is more on getting home safely than on having a distinctly Black experience.
Boy Dumplings by Ying Chang Compestine is about a Chinese boy who is haunted by a monster that would eat him - if it weren't for his tasty dumpling recipe. Again, the story is fun and uniquely Chinese, but it's more about the clever boy and his dumplings than a distinct Chinese experience.
So Close, Yet So Far
I spent a good amount of time reorganizing once I realized the category Fiction - Stories/Early Readers needs more space, and I somehow had two sections labeled Fiction - Animals (more on those later).
I finished 1.5 shelves, which was less than I wanted but better than expected. Plus, if I'm honest, I was preoccupied with capturing great "content" for today's blog (LOL).
I made a decent dent today, though I was not there the entire time. I left around noon to have lunch - having burnt out on reading, dusting, and sorting. After that, I met with a parent who can help me find and apply for grants to help our cause.
But hey - it's Friday, and I'll be back next week. Onward and Upward; I'll see you soon!
Gina
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