Reflection of The Liberation of Gabriel King

When we think about what good readers do, making connections comes to mind. Students can make text to self, text to text, and text to world connections. I recently read the book, The Liberation of Gabriel King by K.L. Going.

The story is about a friendship that develops between Gabe and Frita. Both rely on each other to overcome their fears. The story takes place in 1976 in Georgia during the time period of integration. African Americans were still being discriminated against and many people of all nationalities stood up in defense. I made many text to self connections as I read this. It reminded me of growing up in Newburgh, New York, during the late 1970s. I attended the Magnet School program at Horizons-on-the-Hudson. The program was intended as a strategy for school desegregation and offered an alternative to the regular school assignment based on neighborhood proximity.  The school offered a specific theme of study and it attracted students with a diverse socio-economic background. I am proud to have been able to attend this school because it expanded my circle of friends. My elementary years included a multi-ethnic community and I gained an appreciation of cultural diversity. What mattered to me most was what was inside of people and not the outside. This perspective has shaped the kind of person that I am today, and I am thankful for this social and educational experience.

Our class had the chance to meet K.L. Going during her presentation about "Writing for Children and Teens: How Author and Reader Explore the World and Humanity". Ms. Going raised the question, "Why is it important to read?" Students read to understand perspectives. Reading allow us to explore who we are and where we come from. It starts a dialogue and raises questions. Reading helps us realize what we can become or what we can learn from. It may also provide healing, understanding, and empathy. Reading empowers students to be their best self. K.L. Going mentioned that her books rotated around core emotions and she focused on creating character driven books. One of her books, Fat Kid Rules the World, has been banned in certain communities for language and some sexual content. This brought up some thoughts about the right of society to ban books. I don't even think the internet is censored as much as literature. Who gives the right for people to decide what should be read or not read? Are we not a democratic society where we have the right to decide for ourselves? If reading allows the opportunity for students to start a dialogue, then isn't it better to discuss feelings rather than restrict them? We need to be able to reach all types of students and allow emotions to be both explored and released in a constructive way.