Dismantling the Kaleidoscope: Essential Conversations in Kidlit, A Virtual Symposium 2020

Online Symposium Info:

“Kaleidoscope” translates from Greek to mean ‘beautiful form to see’. What do those forms look like when we dismantle and deconstruct? In this month-long symposium, attendees will deconstruct colonial thinking processes using youth literature. Through pre-recorded videos and live discussions, we’ll talk about misrepresentations in books and we’ll develop action plans for resisting them.

What You’ll Learn and Experience:

The workshop will be a mix of pre-recorded lectures and LIVE Zoom sessions. You’ll watch and reflect on the lectures at your own pace, and come to discuss in community after viewing. You are also encouraged to use the community forum in the virtual classroom to post reflections and discussions.

You will:

• Foster competency-building with activities and discussions around key readings, including critical reviews.
• Actively explore ways to read and work against one’s own biases.
• Recognize and articulate issues of misrepresentation in literature.
• Begin exploring the complexities of cultural competency to foster equity in communities, classrooms, and on the bookshelf.

Required readings:

• A Phoenix First Must Burn Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope by Patrice Caldwell (Viking)
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Quill Tree Books)
• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (Neal Porter Books)
• Hands Up by Breanna McDaniel and Shane W. Evans (Dial Books)

Attend If:

• You work in the publishing industry. Editors, agents or publishing executives will deepen their understanding of these essential conversations in the industry.
• You’re a writer or illustrator who is following this conversation on social media. This course will give you a better understanding of these conversations and give you ways to have needed conversations about your work.
• You’re a MFA professor. In teaching writers, this workshop will help you explore ways to engage in conversation about these essential elements of the industry.
• You’re teaching teachers. College professors who work with pre-service teachers can learn how to bring them into this important conversation.
• You’re building a classroom library. This course will help teachers find ways to be inclusive with their choices and ways to talk about the books with students.
• You’re an ally of the fight for correct cultural representation in children’s books. Librarians, media, booksellers, bloggers, book reviewers–all allies are welcome to join us and learn.

Preliminary Agenda

Week 1
Recognize and articulate issues of misrepresentation in literature.

Monday, October 5
Pre-recorded video, available by 9am Eastern

• Welcome and Intro: Edith Campbell
• Recorded Group Session: “Dismantling the Kaleidoscope: Bringing in the Light: The Power of Story”

Friday, October 9, 12-1:30pm Eastern
LIVE Zoom discussion session

Week 2
Actively explore ways to read and work against one’s own biases.

Monday, October 12
Pre-recorded video, available by 9am Eastern

• Session 1: “Anti-blackness,” Dr. Nancy Tolson
• Session 2: “Positionality and Power,” Breanna McDaniel
• Session 3: “Anti-immigrant biases,” Yuyi Morales
• Session 4: “Working against one’s own biases,” Dr. Laura Jimenez

Friday, October 16, 12-1:30pm Eastern
LIVE Zoom discussion session

Week 3
Begin exploring the complexities of cultural competency to foster equity in communities, classrooms, and on the bookshelf.

Monday, October 19
Pre-recorded video, available by 9am Eastern

• A Phoenix First Must Burn, Edith Campbell and Dr. Nancy Tolson
• Poet X, Dr. Cristina Rhodes
• Dreamers & Hands Up, Breanna McDaniel and Yuyi Morales in conversation
• Critical Literacy, Laura Jiménez

Readings:

• A Phoenix First Must Burn Sixteen Stories of Black Girl Magic, Resistance, and Hope, edited by Patrice Caldwell (Viking)
• The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (Quill Tree Books)
• Dreamers by Yuyi Morales (Neal Porter Books)
• Hands Up by Breanna McDaniel and Shane W. Evans (Dial Books)

Friday, October 23, 12-1:30pm EST
LIVE Zoom breakout sessions for book discussions.

• A Phoenix First Must Burn, Edith Campbell and Nancy Tolson
• The Poet X, Cristina Rhodes and Laura Jiménez
• Dreamers and Hands Up, Breanna McDaniel and Yuyi Morales

Week 4
Foster competency-building with activities and discussions around key readings, including critical reviews.

Monday, October 26
Pre-recorded video, available by 9am Eastern

• Session 1: Cristina Rhodes, “Bringing in the Light”
• Session 2: Edith Campbell, “Competency Building”

*Participants will bring materials to the final live session to share and discuss.

Friday, October 30, 12-1:30pm Eastern
LIVE Zoom discussion session

Resources

Edith Campbell’s blog

We Are KIDLIT Collective reading list

Dr. Laura M. Jiménez’s blog

Dr. Cristina Rhodes’ website

Breanna J. McDaniel’s website

Yuyi Morales’ website

Nancy D. Tolson on Twitter

Testimonials

“I learned so much from the team of experts that led this workshop. It was a life changing experience and I’m looking forward to the next workshop in this series of Essential Conversations.”

“I can’t believe they were all in one place for us to learn from. I registered because of the faculty-learning different things from each was important. The variety of expertise was powerful. The staff made us all feel comfortable too.”

“The faculty had to speak on topics that are uncomfortable for many to listen to; they did so in a way that was not threatening while not avoiding the tougher points.”