by Mary E. Cronin | Aug 20, 2020 | Cape Cod, Community connections, We Need Diverse Books
One of the best things about my recent article in the Cape Cod Times about Black Lives Matter and children’s books is that I’ve heard from parents and educators who are inspired about making mindful book choices for the children in their lives. One delightful spark...
by Mary E. Cronin | Jun 5, 2018 | LGBTQ+, Middle-grade fiction, We Need Diverse Books
Gay Straight Alliances (GSAs) are becoming more and more common in high schools; they’re less frequently seen in middle schools. Yesterday I had the chance to visit a local middle school as a visitor to the GSA. The students (mostly ages 12 and 13) were...
by Mary E. Cronin | Apr 3, 2017 | Community connections, Poetry, We Need Diverse Books
It started out with a curve ball. And that was before the table flipped. When I head to the South Bronx each year to lead a poetry workshop at St. Luke School, I expect that I’ll teach the 7th and then 8th grades. The classrooms are right next to each other, I...
by Mary E. Cronin | Jan 28, 2017 | Cape Cod, Community connections, We Need Diverse Books
Can children’s books fight prejudice, oppression, and injustice? Absolutely. Yesterday I presented a teacher training about structuring the read-aloud experience for maximum benefit to young children. This gave me...
by Mary E. Cronin | Jan 14, 2017 | Community connections, Uncategorized, We Need Diverse Books
Our country has a rich history of marching on Washington, to defend rights, to protest, to resist. Two picture books I have been reading capture this dynamic perfectly for young children. The Youngest Marcher by Cynthia Levinson portrays the energy and idealism of...
by Mary E. Cronin | Jun 30, 2016 | Cape Cod, Community connections, LGBTQ+, Middle-grade fiction, Poetry, Teaching, We Need Diverse Books
Getting an invitation to talk about children’s books and summer? No way I’d turn that down! I had the chance to join host Mindy Todd and Falmouth librarian Jill Erickson at WCAI-FM (Cape and Islands NPR station) recently, and we talked about so. many....