From: Lisa Hobbs <lisa_a_hobbs_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 2010 00:15:34 -0700 (PDT)

This discussion has been a great reminder for me to reflect on what I recommend to the youngest students in my K-5 library. It can be easy to put the shark book in the hands of a kindergarten boy and a princess book in the hands of a girl. If I recommend titles that conform tightly to gender stereotypes when the children are very young, why would I expect more flexibility when they're older?

When my son was around 5 years old, we frequently visited the public library. One of the children's librarians recommended many books to him that I still remember because they defied rigid gender assumptions - things like the Fairy Realm series by Emily Rodda and Elsie Piddock Skips in Her Sleep. I can't tell you how much I appreciated the librarian's thoughtfulness and the fact that she tuned in to what my son was interested in at the time, rather than simply adhering to gender expectations. I hate to think what he might miss if adults only recommend "boy books." Conversely, I hate to think what my daughter might miss if she's always directed toward "girl books."

Lisa Hobbs Crocker Highlands Elementary School Librarian Oakland, CA
Received on Sun 25 Apr 2010 12:15:34 AM CDT