Seeing Yourself in a Story

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Seeing Yourself in a Story

  • October 23, 2019
  • Posted by: Caitlin McCallum
  • Category: Wow Story
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A recent hot topic in the publishing world has been about the importance of representation and the call for more diverse books. This movement has produced a lot of new kinds of books, including stories of characters who have learning needs! Today’s Wow Story is about the amazing impact that happens when a child can identify with the main character of a book.

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“Here’s Hank” is a book series in which the main character is a 2nd grade student who has learning and attention difficulties. LSEM teacher Amy Sarconi chose to use this book for a read-aloud with her third graders. Throughout the book, one of her students continually made connections between his own life and Hank’s. He talked about how he has trouble with school work just like the main character and noticed times when Hank would struggle with attention which he found similar to his own experiences. Comments from him like “I’m like that, too” and “I know how that feels” could often be heard from Amy’s student throughout the reading of the story.

In the group discussion at the end of the book, students had to opportunity to share their thoughts on the story and their thoughts about the main character, Hank. Amy had expected responses about favorite parts of the book or why they thought Hank was funny. This student’s response, though, made her realize how a little thing like choosing a book with a character that they could connect to could be so valuable.

His response to the book was that he like hearing a story about a student who has troubles just like he does, and that in the story they didn’t just talk about the things that are hard for him but also about all of the things that he is good at and make him special. He said to the other students in the class, “That’s just like us. We’re not good at reading or spelling and stuff, but God gave us lots of other things that we’re super good at!”

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This is what it’s all about. What an impact that book had on those children. They got to see their own problems, struggles, and successes played out in that story. It was so encouraging and uplifting to them! There was someone else just like them. Their experiences were important enough to have a story written about them. A book like “Here’s Hank” helps to normalize instead of stigmatize. I hope that story will stick in their minds and they will continue to find inspiration and reassurance from it.