Perfect Square - Michael Hall

In challenging times, children need to learn to be resilient and this book is a perfect introduction for children to learn about adapting and facing difficulties with confidence.

Square is perfect at the start of the book with four corners and straight lines, until someone rips it up, punches holes in it, shreds it, snips bits away etc. At each challenge Square remodels itself; when poked full of holes it turns in to a babbling fountain and when torn in to scraps it turns in to a flower garden. 

This book is truly inspirational and I am using it in KS2 classes to teach children to think creatively and find solutions when things go wrong. 

I'm a girl: Yasmeen Ismail

This book is a fantastic tool to challenge the gender stereotypes fed to children about how to be and how to behave as they grow up. It is assumed by people around her that the main character is a boy; she wins races, she is brave and noisy and all through the story she is refereed to as a boy, to which she always replies, "I'm a girl!"

A child is told at one point that, "Dolls are for girls," 

"No they're not!" the child replies.

At the end of the story, the girl meets a boy who says, "I'm a boy! Being us is brilliant!" and the pair join in a song together, agreeing that there's no one else they'd rather be; "We're us!" conclude the children.

This is a great way to reassure young children that we are all different and that's ok. Girls are great and boys are great too, and children can be who they are regardless of their gender or gender identity.

"No Outsiders in our school: teaching the equality act in primary schools" by Andrew Moffat

equalitiesprimary

Introducing Teddy - Jessica Walton and Dougal MacPherson

Errol and Thomas the Teddy play together every day until one day when Thomas doesn't feel like playing. Errol encourages Teddy to tell him what's wrong but Teddy is afraid Thomas will no longer be his friend. When Thomas convinces Teddy to speak up, Teddy says, "I need to be myself, Errol. In my heart, I've always known that I'm a girl teddy, not a boy teddy." 

Thomas doesn't care because, "all that matters is that you are my friend".

Thomas and Teddy call their friend Eva and introduce her to Teddy's new name, Tilly. The three go and play together.

This is a super book to explore transgender identity and acceptance. The characters are fantastic role models, making the transition during the story as uncomplicated as possible and showering the focus character with support and positive affirmation.

Every school needs this book.

The cow who climbed a tree: Gemma Merino

Tina the cow thinks differently to other cows and likes to try out new things. This is a great tale to use when teaching children about why some people are afraid of difference. The other cows just chew grass all day but Tina wants to try something different. The story encourages independent thinking and also assertiveness as Tina encourages the other cows to be brave and follow their hearts.

It has a great ending as the other cows realise it's OK to listen to new ideas and feel unafraid. 

I am using this book to encourage children to question and think creatively. 

How Big Is The World - Britta Teckentrup

I used this book the week after the attacks on LGBT people in Orlando, in both assembly and later as the basis for a PSHE lesson. Mole asks various animals how big the world is; the spider believes the world is as big as her web and the horse believes the world to be as big as his field. The whale, however, takes Mole on a journey across the globe to discover the huge diversity of places that can be visited. The message in the story is that the world is as big as you want it to be. 

I'm linking this to prejudice and encouraging children to look for diversity, meet different people and be open to new experiences. Imagine if you stayed in the same place all your life, talking only to people who had the same skin as you, practised the same faith as you or spoke your language; your world would be tiny like spider's web. It's great to travel beyond your web; meet different people, hear different ideas and exchange dialogue. Its how we learn and accept each other.

We are not afraid of difference or of diversity. We want to meet different people in different places and listen to different stories. That's why we say there are No Outsiders; everyone is welcome in our world and our job is to spread that message.

Jamie by Olly Pike

Great to have a children's picture book where a character transitions during the story. This is a wonderful vehicle to use when discussing transgender awareness with children; use the book to promote a school ethos where everyone is safe and there are no outsiders.

Olly Pike uses the Cinderella fairy tale as a base for a story where Jamie (Cinderella) feels something isn't right;

"You see, how Jamie felt inside didn't match up with what she saw in the mirror, and oh how she wished it would"

I love that Jamie transitions without help from the Fairy Godmother; there is no magic involved, it's a tale of empowerment. Looking at this book from a teaching perspective, the way pronouns are used on the page where Jamie finally understands who he is, provides perfect stimulus for a class discussion. This is also a great text to use in Guided Reading.

There is a theme running through Pike's stories where the characters worry about factors other than being gay or being trans and these provide fantastic conclusions, modelling acceptance to children. Jamie chooses at the end of the tale to tell the princess his own story and she is only concerned about how a mouse cut his hair! Brilliant!

Buy Jamie by Olly Pike from here 

Pig In The Pond by Martin Waddel

"Pig In The Pond" is a great book to introduce the concept of No Outsiders to young children in Reception or in Y1. I used the book in assembly this week and talked about how the pig felt when he was out of the pond and no one offered to move up and let him in. When he first jumps in everyone else stays out but the farmer saves the day, joining the pig and then inviting all the other animals in too. The last page shows all the animals together in the pond; an image that shows on the farm there really are no outsiders! The children loved it.