People keep asking me what books I am reading this month. Especially as we are talking about anti racism education. While I am reading quite a bit right now, truth is, historically I am not much of a reader.
My older sister started reading when she was two. You read that right. Two. So, by the time I was five and I couldn’t read, my parents got worried. Then I was six and still no sign of reading.
If you were a kid in the 90’s, you probably remember Hooked on Phonics. Commercials were everywhere, and my parents were sold. They bought Hooked on Phonics and there I was every single day being forced to read. Naturally, this became something I dreaded, and for years I hated reading.
If I was supposed to read a book for class, I read the cliff notes, and barely those. I never read for fun. I usually read books that were below my grade level and lexile level if I had to read. I was not the girl you would find curled up in a corner reading a book. That just wasn’t me.
Then, I gave birth to James. And, I felt like I knew nothing about parenting. Which, I suppose was true. I was scared. I was scared I was going to mess this girl up. And the thing that calms down my anxiety is information. So, I started reading. I needed all the information. I had to have it. I read many parenting books in the months leading up to the birth of James, but the one I couldn’t put down was Bringing Up Bebe. I became obsessed with this book because it gave me a new parenting framework which I was never exposed to. I resonated with what Pamela Druckerman said on a deep level. On a side note, I recommend if you are a parent, to read this book.
As I said before, I read to gain information, so it should be no surprise that the books I am currently reading are all non fiction.
Here is a list of the books I am reading this month:
White Fragility by Robin Deangelo
I started reading this book after George Floyd was murdered. A Black friend of mine called me to recommend this book two weeks before George Floyd was murdered. I was reading through Brene Browns books and told her I will add it to my list. It quickly got moved to the top of the list once I realized how urgent and necessary this work was. This book has called me out on so much that I have been doing wrong, and has given me the vocabulary and framework needed on my antiractist journey.
Positive Parenting by Rebecca Eanes
My curiosity for positive parenting arose as I most recently taught at a school that practiced positive discipline. I would say I am not natural at positive discipline. It takes alot of work for me. However, this is something that resonates with me and my parenting philosophy. This is a gently book that serves as a reminder for how to act in alignment with my parenting goals. This book is geared for parents of toddlers, and has helped a bunch in raising James.
I am listening to this book. I decided to read (listen to) this book while I was reading White Fragility. It was important for me to regularly hear a black voice and story while I was diong antiracist work. Moreover, though White Fragility is an amazing book, it is written by a whiet author. It was important for me to be exposed to a black author during this time to. I chose to listen to this book, instead of read a hard copy, because Michelle Obama reads it. And that makes this experience all the more special.
How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber & Julie King
This is one of the top discipline books I have read. These authors use very real examples of common misbehaviors and strategies to work through these moments. When I am having an especially hard parenting day, I try to find space to read a chapter or two of this book. This is a book that I will read over and over again as the scenarios are so real and the strategies are so doable.
Unequal Childhoods by Annette Lareau
I JUST started reading this book, so I can’t tell you too much about how much I love it or even what I have learned. I can tell you why I am reading it. I am passionate about parenting. I am also passionate about anti racism. This book, which is commonly used as a textbook, is dense and full of knowledge. It seeks to explain how social class impacts parenting. I am excited to understand how social class influences the way we parent, and what role race plays in parenting.
This book was recommended for me to read by a former boss of mine. It is a love story and an intro into the integral theory of philosophy. This book is also very dense, but the density is lightened by the personal story of love and loss. I am still in the very beginning of this book and I am truly captivated by their love story, a story I resonate with deeply.
I cannot tell you why I am reading six books concurrently. I am not sure how that happened. But I am glad that reading has become an integral part of my life. I am grateful that I start each day with a book. I hope this habit sticks around forever.