In commemoration of America’s Declaration of Independence in 1776, the 4th of July is known for being one big party full of fireworks, barbecues, and baseball games. American media has a huge impact on the rest of the world, and the “American Dream” is a familiar concept to most. So, in honor of today we’d like to highlight some of our favorite American literature and media we feature on our platform!

• The Truman Show: This dystopian comedy movie explores the power of media, commercialism and simulated reality. Truman has spent his whole life in a town he thought was home, but now turns out to be reality TV show set. The film is a great starting point for discussions surrounding surveillance, reality TV, American stereotypes and the American Dream.
• Brooklyn: This Irish novel narrates the social difficulties in mid 20th century Ireland, emigration, and cultural identity, all wrapped up in an American Dream love story. The book follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irish woman who cannot find work. Thus, she decides to immigrate to the United States chasing the American Dream. After some initial difficulties, she falls in love with Tony, a young Italian, and they start planning a life together.
• American Pictures: A Personal Journey Through the American Underclass: This collection of approximately 22,000 photos shows the dark side of the “American Dream”, revealing racism, segregation, social hierarchies and white supremacy. The powerful pictures of Danish photographer Jacob Holdt were not taken with an artistic intention but rather to capture the hardship and brutal reality of America in the 1970s.

Enjoy the summer heat, and don’t forget…you don’t have to be in the US to have a barbecue get-together on the 4th of July! Happy Independence Day everybody!

Sarah

Literatur ist Medium der Verständigung zwischen Menschen. Der Literaturwissenschaftler Gottfried Willems charakterisierte in diesem Sinn die zentrale Aufgabe der Literatur als „wertende Verständigung über Werte“. Lit4School sammelt Literatur, die insofern wertend ist, als sie ausspricht oder zu erkennen hilft, dass keine Wertunterschiede zwischen Menschen bestehen, auch wenn diese noch so verschieden sind. Aus Anlass des Christopher Street Days (CSD) stehen literarische Beispiele im Fokus, die sich der Vielfalt sexueller Identitäten und Rollen zuwenden, literarische Beispiele, die Probleme zum Thema machen, die Menschen erwachsen, die einer vermeintlich natürlichen Norm zuwiderhandeln. 

Der Christopher Street Day ist den Stonewall-Aufständen in den 1960er Jahren entwachsen, als sich LGBT-Personen gegen die Polizeiwillkür in den USA zur Wehr setzten. Seitdem finden jedes Jahr weltweite Aktionen zwischen Juni und August statt, um für Gleichberechtigung und gegen Diskriminierung queerer Menschen zu demonstrieren. Für jede*n, der*die Interesse hat, mehr darüber zu lesen, seien zwei Angebote empfohlen: Zum einen die biedere Darstellung dessen, was der Fall ist: Sie liefert die Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung. Zum anderen eine der vielen Aktionsseiten, hier die des CSD Leipzig, die Auskunft über Projekte, Demos und Forderungen gibt.

Lit4School möchte an dieser Stelle Texte empfehlen, in denen Probleme verhandelt werden, auf die der Christopher Street Day aufmerksam macht. Es werden einige Beispiele aus der Lit4School-Datenbank versammelt, die Schüler*innen helfen können, sowohl eigene Identitäten auszubilden als auch über sexuelle Diversität zu sprechen.

Auf unserer Liste befinden sich u.a. zwei Rapsongs (Meine Mamas, Queere Tiere), Beispiele aus der Kinder- und Jugendliteratur (Alles Familie!, Die Mitte der Welt), ein mittelhochdeutscher Text (Ein Adam, der ein Even hât ) und eine Autobiographie (Ich bin Linus).

Für die Vorschule/ Grundschule:

Riccardo Simonetti: Raffi und sein pinkes Tutu. Community Editions 2019.

Alexandra Maxeiner/Anke Kuhl: Alles Familie! Vom Kind der neuen Freundin vom Bruder von Papas früherer Frau und anderen Verwandten. Klett Kinderbuch 2010.

Jessica Love: Julian ist eine Meerjungfrau. Knesebeck 2018.

Für weiterführende Schulen:

Linus Giese: Ich bin Linus. Rowohlt Polaris 2020.

Sukini: Meine Mamas. 2018.

Sookee: Queere Tiere. 2017.

Kristina Aamand: Wenn Worte meine Waffe wären. Dressler 2018.

Becky Albertalli: Nur drei Worte. Carlsen 2015.

Andreas Steinhöfel: Die Mitte der Welt. Carlsen 1998.

Ein Adam, der ein Even hât. 1230.

— Frieder Stange

 Am 22. Juni 2021 erhielt Judith Schalansky den Gutenbergpreis der Stadt Leipzig. Mit dem Preis ehrt die Stadt Leipzig besondere Verdienste um das Medium Buch, insbesondere um die Förderung der Buchkunst. Judith Schalansky ist Schriftstellerin, Herausgeberin und Typographin. Ihre Bücher bilden nicht nur eine Sammlung von Textseiten, sondern eigene, kleine Kunstwerke, die gelesen, befühlt und aus unterschiedlichen Blickwinkeln immer wieder neu betrachtet sein wollen. – Einen vorzüglichen Eindruck ermöglichen: Der Hals der Giraffe (2012) oder Verzeichnis einiger Verluste (2018).

Das Buch hat eine lange Geschichte. Waren zunächst Papyrus oder Pergament die Materialien aus denen Buchseiten bestanden, wird ab dem 14. Jahrhundert auch in Deutschland das teure Pergament durch Papier als Beschreibstoff ersetzt; seit dem 15. Jahrhundert werden die Texte in Büchern mit beweglichen Lettern gedruckt und nicht mehr von Hand geschrieben; seit dem 19. Jahrhundert setzten sich Offsetdruckverfahren durch und erfahren heute zunehmend Konkurrenz durch digitale Drucktechniken. Immer häufiger findet überhaupt kein Buchdruck mehr statt, es entsteht überhaupt kein physisches Druckerzeugnis mehr: aus dem Buch wird ein E-Book, der Screen ist das neue Papier. 

Vielleicht erleben wir heute etwas, dass auch den Menschen des 15. Jahrhunderts (wenn auch nur wenigen, nämlich denen, die lesen konnten, bewusst), widerfuhr? Damals löste die gedruckte Schrift die Handschrift ab; heute verdrängt das digitale Buch das analoge, papierene Buch. Manch eine*r hält dennoch fest am Buch, hält es wert, schätzt die Haptik, den Geruch, die Eselsohren, Kaffeeflecken, das Rascheln beim Umblättern der Seiten.

Das Team von Lit4School hat sich gefragt, wie seine einzelnen Mitglieder zum Buch stehen: Lesen sie noch im gedruckten Buch aus Papier? Oder hat das Wischen auf einem E-Book-Reader das Umschlagen von Seiten abgelöst? Sind Literaturliebhaber*innen immer auch Bibliophile, also Buchliebhaber*innen?

Frieder Stange: Ich bin Buchleser, nahezu ausschließlich. Ich erlebe es immer wieder, dass es für mich leichter ist, Gelesenes abzuspeichern und zugleich präsent zu halten, wenn ich in einem Buch und nicht nur am Bildschirm gelesen habe. Wenn ich darüber nachdenke, warum das so ist, finde ich natürlich keine eindeutige Antwort. Sicher spielt die Gewöhnung eine Rolle. Allerdings habe ich den Eindruck, dass es mir hilft, mich an Gelesenes zu erinnern, wenn ich es ‚räumlich‘ verorten kann: dieses war relativ am Anfang, da war der Stapel gelesener Seiten noch klein, jenes war am Ende, aber auf einer linken Seite, relativ weit oben, ich musste gerade blättern, bevor ich es lesen konnte. So oder so ähnlich könnte ein Informationspuzzle zu einer bestimmten Textstelle zusammengesetzt sein.

Prof. Dr. Silke Horstkotte: Ein persönliches Bekenntnis: ich habe eine große Schwäche für schöne gedruckte Bücher! In meiner Schulzeit habe ich in der Buchbinder-AG selber Bücher gebunden. Wenn ich heute ein Buch mit Fadenheftung in Händen halte, bekomme ich schwache Knie. Besonders liebe ich die Bände der Anderen Bibliothek (auch wenn die inzwischen nicht mehr von Hand gesetzt werden) und die schön gestalteten Bücher aus dem Berenberg- und aus dem Guggolz-Verlag. 

Dr. Karolin Freund: Wenn ich vor meinem Bücherregal stehe und ein Buch herausgreife, kann ich mich oft nur noch an Bruchstücke des Inhalts erinnern. Aber ich weiß noch genau, was mich bewegt hat, an welchem Ort ich es gelesen habe, wer es mir geschenkt hat. Bücher sind somit viel mehr als Staubfänger, die Platz wegnehmen: sie sind mit Lebensabschnitten fest verbundene Erinnerungsstücke.

Nils Rosenkranz: Gedruckte Bücher haben für mich einen ganz besonderen Charme. Es ist doch einfach etwas Schönes, ein Buch anzufassen, den eigenartigen Geruch wahrzunehmen, sich von Seite zu Seite zu blättern. Auch mich erinnern Bücher an konkrete Lebenssituationen, wenn ich sie im Regal sehe. Man kann es dann in die Hand nehmen und erneut eintauchen, sich erinnern. Manchmal fällt dabei auch etwas Sand oder ein als Lesezeichen umfunktioniertes Reiseticket zwischen den Seiten heraus. Mit digitalen Büchern konnte ich bislang noch nicht ganz so viel anfangen, auch wenn ich deren Vorzüge sehe.

Joachim Kern: E-Books spielen für mich nur als preisgünstige Alternative in der Fachliteratur eine Rolle. Belletristik funktioniert für mich nur in der klassischen Buchform. Ich möchte den Fortschritt in meiner Lektüre unmittelbar sehen, schnell auf eine zurückliegende Passage zurückblättern können. Ähnlich wie Frieder fällt mir die Erinnerung an gedruckte Seiten leichter und genau wie Nils liebe ich es, kleine Souvenirs oder Widmungen in Büchern wiederzuentdecken.

Katharina Kraus: Bücher sind treue Begleiter. Das Haus zu verlassen ohne ein Buch, ist selten eine gute Entscheidung. Zum Lesen und zu Eigenmachen braucht es einen Bleistift. Aber schöne Ausgaben, muss ich vorsichtig lesen, denn Buchrücken, denen man das Gelesen-Worden-Sein ansieht, eingerissene Schutzumschläge oder gewelltes Papier sind schmerzhaft anzusehen.  

“I am what I am / And what I am needs no excuses.” – Gloria Gaynor, I Am What I Am (1984)

On June 28, 1969, police at the Stonewall Inn in New York led to a series of riots that would spark the fight for LGBTIQ+ rights. A year later, the first gay pride marches emerged, building the foundation for gay communities and activist groups throughout the states. Today, pride marches take place all around the world at the end of June, which is known as ‘Pride Month’, in commemoration of the Stonewall riots.

Studies, however, show that members of the LGBTIQ+ community still face discrimination on a regular basis. The report “The Istanbul Convention, Gender Politics and Beyond: Poland and Turkey”, published in June 2021, states that violent attacks against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people did increase in those countries. Recently, Hungary passed anti-minority reforms and a law banning LGBTIQ+ content from the school curriculum, advertising and TV for children. The UEFA’s refusal to light Munich’s stadium in rainbow colours, as a visible sign of solidarity with Hungary’s LGBTIQ+ community during the Euro Germany-Hungary match, lead to a shit storm on social media and a protest wave demanding for inclusion and diversity.

Still, LGBTIQ+ representation in the german curricula and literature for the EFL classroom remains sparse, leaving a lot of room for improvement. Finding characters students can identify within literature can make a huge difference in their motivation to read and facilitating discussions about relatable topics. A paradigm shift can fuel the understanding and appreciation of our students for a diverse and colourful society. Here are some of our new additions to our platform that aim to increase the representation of LGBTIQ+ characters in the EFL classroom:

• Asexual Love Poem: In this spoken word poem, the speaker conveys experiences of her sexuality being dismissed; wrapped up in the metaphor of “don’t worry the poem will get good“.

• I Wish You All the Best: Ben has finally gathered the courage to come out to their parents as nonbinary. But what should be the people who love them most in the world, refuse to accept Ben’s identity. This coming of age novel addresses themes like gender identity, anxiety and love, fueling open discourse in the classroom about mental health and interpersonal relationships.

• The Laramie Project: This alarming play about homophobia, discrimination and hate crime is based on the brutal murder of the gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard on October 6, 1998. The Laramie Project investigates the case and its aftermath capturing the voices, thoughts and feelings of more than 60 people of the town Laramie, Wyoming in short scenes.

• Julian Is a Mermaid: If you are looking for a story to teach diversity and gender-nonconformity in the elementary classroom, this text might be an option. The heart-warming picture book follows Julian, who is about to explore his passion for colourful dress. Will his grandmother ‘Nana’ reject his new identity, or will she show love and appreciation?

For more literature and media in this context check out our new topic cluster ‘trans rights‘. Also, we are looking forward to your suggestions in this field that you can share with the editors via email or the ‘Suggest and entry’ form.

Happy Pride Month, Everyone!

Sarah and Simon

“Sometimes you read a book so special that you want to carry it around with you for months after you’ve finished just to stay near it.” – Markus Zusak, The Book Thief

Today, we celebrate the birthday and literary heritage of award-winning author Marcus Zusak. After growing up in Sidney, Zusak studied English, History and Education at the University of New South Wales before he became an author. His greatest success The Book Thief (2005), which foregrounds the hope-giving power of reading during the darkest days of history, was translated into more than 40 languages and adapted as a film  (2013). Zusak’s writing is influenced by his parent’s biography, who experienced loss, destruction, hope and coming-of-age in Austria and Germany during WWII. Before his great success as an author, failure, humiliation and struggle have been parts of Zusak’s life. In his motivating TED Talk “The Failure” he reminds us to stay positive, motivated and to fail better when failing again. Today, Zusak lives in Sydney, working as an author and occasionally at a high school teaching English.

Kind rgeards and stay safe,

Simon

Whenever I need to escape reality for a bit, my go-tos are music and books. Unfortunately, it can be hard to make time for reading sometimes, whereas music always seems to be readily available. Did you know that teenagers listen to an average of around 2,5 hours of music per day? Music hugely impacts everyday life and shouldn’t be ignored in the classroom!

Just like poetry, songs offer a multitude of themes to discuss with students. They can be introduced with or without the lyrics or music video as an extra layer of difficulty. Songs can help view historical events and society in a critical light, but also help reflect on the future. John Lennon’s song “Imagine” encourages listeners to envision a world at peace. He describes how without the barriers of religion, nationality or material possessions, humans could finally live together harmoniously. Songs that are more closely related to students’ lives can also be wonderful discussion starters. The song “Hunger” by the English indie rock band Florence + the Machine contemplates a relation between eating disorders and youthful loneliness. “Zombie” by The Cranberries problematises the violent troubles in Northern Ireland and offers a critical perspective on the conflict between the loyalists and the republicans.

Visuals can be a helpful addition to listening to music, as can be found in films or musicals. Here, the songs can either be put into context by watching the whole film or analyzed separately. An example for this can be found in the film Annie. Based on the musical of the same name, this film is set in 1933 New York City, in the midst of the Great Depression. A song like It’s a Hard Knock Life could be analyzed by students in regards to its view of poverty in the US.

In honor of Music Day, take some time to explore some new artists… and of course we’d love for you to share your discoveries with us!

Sarah

“We can all be refugees / Nobody is safe, / All it takes is a mad leader /Or no rain to bring forth food,

We can all be refugees / We can all be told to go, / We can be hated by someone / For being someone.” – Benjamin Zephaniah, “We Refugees”, 2003 Since June 20, 2020, UN’s World Refugee Day makes us aware of the fact that every day, people across the globe are forced to leave their home escaping war, conflicts and persecution. 

From our perspective, it might be hard to understand how tough, threatening, and traumatising migration can be and, most of us have probably only a vague idea of what it means to leave everything behind. Literature, however, can provide us, and our students with paradigm shifts. On Lit4School, you will find resources that tackle the topics of immigration, intercultural contact as well as war and trauma. 

The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a graphic novel in pictures, which tells a challenging story about hope, following a refugee leaving his home country, travelling to and finally arriving in an unknown city. 

“We Refugees” by Benjamin Zephaniah reflects that every one of us can become a refugee, and that “we all came here from somewhere”.

 Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse is a novel in letters, written by the Jewish girl Rifka, who documents her escape from Russia to the USA. 

Also, this short animated movie by the BBC tells the story of Iayd and his family escaping from Damascus and can serve as an introduction to a unit on migration. Another animated story by BBC learning following young Ali makes us aware of how utterly important it is to support, protect and include new neighbours.

Finally, this cartoon by Andy Singer can serve as a reason to discuss and rethink US immigration politics in class, as the founding fathers of the United States were European settlers (but not the first people on American ground). 

I hope, you find these suggestions helpful. However, if you know other resources for teaching migration in the EFL classroom, please, make a suggestion.

Kind regards and stay safe everyone,

Simon

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― William Butler Yeats

Yeats was an incredibly versatile writer, producing poetry, prose, essays, and plays, and was the first Irishman to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature: “for his always inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation.” He was also co-founder and director of the Abbey Theatre, which would later become Ireland’s national theatre. Yeats was very interested in occultism, spiritualism, myths and legends of Ireland in particular. These served as inspiration for his works, as did English writers such as Shelley, Spenser, Blake, and Wilde, and his great, although unrequited, love Maud Gonne. Maud Gonne was a well-known Irish nationalist, suffragette, actress and model for Cathleen ni Houlihan – the protagonist in the play by the same name written by Yeats and Lady Gregory. As the play explores Irish nationalism and patriotism, Gonne fittingly played the role of Cathleen. However, Yeats never really stood behind the nationalistic ideals and even actively questioned his own play in one of his poems: “Did that play of mine send out | Certain men the English shot?” (Man and the Echo) Unlike many modernist poets, who wrote in free verse, Yeats kept to the more traditional style. His poem Down by the Salley Gardens (inspired by a song he heard an old woman sing) now belongs to Irish folk music and it is definitely worth listening to it.

So let’s lift our glasses and drink to this brilliant writer. HAPPY BIRTHDAY W.B.!

Sarah-Sophia

Mascha Kaléko wird am 7. Juni 1907 im heutigen Polen, damals Österreich-Ungarn, als Kind jüdischer Eltern geboren. 1975 stirbt sie in der Schweiz. Für ihr Leben sind, wie für viele Jüdinnen und Juden dieser Zeit, Flucht, Exil, Tod und Verlust, Heimat und Heimatlosigkeit prägende Wirklichkeit. Vieles davon findet sich verarbeitet in ihren Gedichten, manches direkt, anderes nur angedeutet.

In knapper, einfacher Form etwas sagen, das ist ihre Sache. Die Gedichtsammlung, mit der sie 1933 für literarisches Aufsehen sorgt, heißt nicht von ungefähr Das lyrische Stenogrammheft. – Ein ungewöhnlicher Titel. Einer, der fehl am Platz wirkt. Gehen wir ihm wörtlich nach, landen wir bei ‚Stenographie‘. Das Wort setzt es sich aus den griechischen Ausdrücken für ‚eng‘ und ‚ritzen/schreiben‘ zusammen. Anfänglich befremdet, können wir uns nun sagen: Wie passend für die Dichtkunst! Wie natürlich der Transfer aus dem Büro auf das Cover eines Gedichtbändchens!

Es verwundert nicht, wenn Mascha Kalékos Gedichte dieser Schaffensperiode der Neuen Sachlichkeit zugeordnet werden, einer, wenn nicht gar der prägendsten Kunstrichtung der Weimarer Republik. Sowohl in der bildenden Kunst als auch in der Literatur vollzieht sich eine Hinwendung zur nüchternen Darstellung dessen, was (sichtbar) ist. Beobachtung der sie umgebenden Wirklichkeit ist die Grundvoraussetzung auch für Mascha Kalékos Gedichte, Mitteilung der Beobachtungen ihr Ziel. Mascha Kaléko selbst schreibt in einem Gedicht mit dem Titel Kein Neutöner gewissermaßen das poetische Programm dazu. In der letzten Strophe heißt es dort: Weiß Gott, ich bin ganz unmodern, / Ich schäme mich zuschanden: / Zwar liest man meine Verse gern, / Doch werden sie – verstanden! – Bei diesem, ganz unmodernen Verstehen könnte eine Beschäftigung mit ihren Gedichten im Deutschunterricht ansetzen. Nahezu jede*r findet in ihren Gedichten Greifbares, Situationen, die auch der eigenen Erfahrung entnommen sein könnten, Gedanken, von denen Leser*innen meinen, es seien eigene, für die bisher nur die Worte fehlten. Indem Leser*innen etwas von Mascha Kalékos Gedichten verstehen, lernen sie die Zeit zwischen den Weltkriegen, vor allem die Großstadt der Weimarer Republik und ihre Menschen mit den Augen Mascha Kalékos sehen. So eröffnet sie, gleichberechtigt neben Erich Kästner, Kurt Tucholsky und anderen, meist männlichen Autoren, neue Blickfelder auf eine Zeit und ihre Gesellschaft, die uns bis heute zu denken geben sollte.  

Auch wenn Mascha Kalékos Gedichte schon allein genug Gelegenheiten des Nachdenkens und Innehaltens bieten, wagen wir noch einen Blick über den Tellerrand, oder vielmehr: wir wagen zu hören. Dota Kehr, man könnte sie wohl am ehesten als Liedermacherin bezeichnen, nimmt sich einiger der Gedichte Mascha Kalékos an und vertont sie. Herausgekommen ist dabei ein 2020 veröffentlichtes Album mit dem schlichten Titel Mascha Kaléko. Großstadtlyrik: karg, analytisch – und dennoch lyrisch-musikalisch.

Wenn Hörer*innen Mascha Kalékos Gedichte lesen, wenn Leser*innen Dota Kehrs Lieder hören – dann findet Aneignung von Lyrik geradezu in ursprünglicher Form statt. Dota Kehr tritt den Beweis an, dass Mascha Kaléko in ihren Gedichten lebt, dass ihre Gedichte bis heute berühren, dass ihre Gedichte nicht zeitlos sind, sondern gerade heute an der Zeit sind.

–Frieder Stange

Happy World Environment Day! This year’s theme is Ecosystem Restoration. Not only does it focus on restoring our destroyed ecosystems, but conserving the intact ones as well.

Reading about climate change and nature in general can give us a better understanding of just how much our environment influences our lives. Whether it be natural disasters or climate change, in the end we’re all at the mercy of our planet. This becomes apparent in the novel Salvage the Bones, which follows a family living in poverty in the midst of Hurricane Katrina. In contrast to this very real event, the dystopian novel The Wall paints a picture of a future that could await us. In a world broken by climate change, a wall is all that separates an island of safety from the “Others” desperately trying to find a way in.

Speaking of sea levels rising…In honor of World Oceans Day on June 8th, let’s not forget the impact our oceans have on the environment! The documentary Seaspiracy sheds light on the many factors that play a role in the destruction of the marine ecosystem. The beautifully illustrated children’s book We Are Water Protectors tells the story of a young girl protecting her home from the “black snake”, which represents the oil pipelines threatening to poison her people’s water. Also, this animated short film, which has been adapted from the children’s book What Happened When We All Stopped by Tom Rivett-Carnac, reminds us how nature recovered during the COVID-19 pandemic and demands for a paradigm shift concerning mindful living on planet earth. The cartoon “Do What I Say, Not What I Do” by Patrick Chappatte illustrates the unwillingness of industrial countries to make a sustainable change in climate politics.

Stay safe and have an extra sunny weekend!

Sarah

International Children’s Day is about cherishing and protecting children all around the world. Though celebrated on different dates throughout the world, the main purpose stays the same. This day aims to advocate for children’s rights; and raise awareness for global issues affecting children, from child labor to war, hunger and lack of education. Having access to a variety of literature is a luxury many children around the world don’t have. Reading can help children’s imaginations flourish, letting them discover whole new worlds outside of their own reality. And although not every child is destined to be a bookworm, anyone can benefit from a magical story or two.

For our future scientists: The Magic School Bus series is the perfect introduction to dozens of topics, ranging from the mechanics of the human body to computers. Kids can feel like they’re along for the ride in a magic school bus that can transform for every occasion, whether it’s shrinking to the size of an ant or shapeshifting into different animals. The occasional fun fact will be sure to surprise adults as well! In a different vein, cooking can be just as much of an exact science as working in a lab. But, even more fun, as you can taste-test your end product! The picture book Fry Bread combines beautiful illustrations with a touching story about the meaning of food in Native American culture – with your very own Fry Bread recipe at the end!

For our art enthusiasts: Beautiful illustrations can make a world of difference in a child’s reading experience. Illustrations can convey emotions, like in Up and Down, Grumpy Monkey or Buford the Little Bighorn. They can bring magical worlds to life, as can be seen in The Gruffalo or The Cat in the Hat. Not to mention all the fun that can be found in an activity book full of illustrations like Where’s Wally!

For those looking for a laugh: Comics can infuse some humor and ease into a potentially daunting task like reading. Calvin & Hobbes tells the story of an unusual 6-year-old boy full of imagination and wit – perfect to be enjoyed with your favorite stuffed animal by your side. Zits Comics bring a more “teenage perspective” to the table, relatable to both children and parents!

Take the day to snuggle up with a snack and revisit your favorite nostalgic children’s books! And, of course we’d love for you to share them with us! Stay safe,

Sarah

“Ending a novel is almost like putting a child to sleep – it can’t be done abruptly.” – Colm Tóibín

Colm Tóibín is one of the great contemporary Irish writers and explores Irish society and topic clusters, such as loss, living abroad and identity construction. He lives openly gay and dedicates his writings to minorities in different cultures, capturing diverse voices and discourses. As a journalist and essayist, Tóibín also published critical studies on historical and contemporary subjects. His meticulous and journalistic style of writing does not involve storytelling techniques but features deep and detailed investigations of cultural complexities and phenomena. Before writing this blog post, I didn’t know much about his life and writings except for his novel Brooklyn and its movie adaptation, which follows a young woman from Ireland to New York, full of hope to find her American Dream. So, I was surprised by how incredibly diverse his writings are. Apart from the novels, his non-fictional works are definitely worth looking into. Love in a Dark Time: Gay Lives from Wilde to Almodóva, for example, provides the reader with a collection of essays exploring various writers’ lives and the obstacles they had to face because of their sexuality. I do hope that my blog post gives an impulse to read some Tóibín in your EFL classrooms to encourage discussions and paradigm shifts. 

Today, Colm Tóibín clebrates his 66th birthday: CHEERS and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Colm!

Sarah-Sophia

“[…] a painter of rainbows is now travelling across the night sky […]” – Family statement, 27th of May 2021

Eric Carle, illustrator and award-winning author of children’s books, died today aged 91. Carle illustrated more than 70 books that are used in primary education up to the present day – among them everlasting tales such as Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? (1967), The Grouchy Ladybug (1977) and Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me (1986). His popular picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar (1969) became a great success and was translated into more than 60 languages.

In silent mourning,

The Editors

“I can’t breath!” – Georg Floyd, dying in the streets of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, on May 25th 2020

One year ago today, George Perry Floyd Jr., a black American, was murdered by a white police officer, who knelt on Floyd’s back for more than 9 minutes after he was arrest on suspicion of using a counterfeit banknote. While facing the street, George Floyd himself, paramedics and people standing by repeatedly informed the officers that Floyd was not able to breathe, which the officers seemingly ignored. His outcry “I can’t breath!” became a slogan of global protests against police violence in general and racial motivated cruelties in particular, which demanded criminal justice reform and a trial against the responsible police officers. The brutal murder of George Floyd turned the spotlight on the international phenomenon of excessive, unregulated and inappropriate use of force by law enforcement, which is frequently motivated by racism, prejudice and stereotypes. On our platform, you will find relevant literature and media that you can use to discuss similar cases with your pupils under the topic clusters Black Lives Matter and Rassismus. We also recommend using the short film “Two Distant Strangers” (2020) in higher grades. 

Today, we commemorate George Floyd, brother of four siblings, father of five children, victim of police violence.

The Editors

“When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth?”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of Four

Sir Ignatius Arthur Conan Doyle was an outstanding and very successful author, physician and gentleman. Born in 1859 from wealthy family background, he studied medicine and was the assistant of the surgeon and lecturer Joseph Bell. Indeed, he is best known for the Sherlock Holmes stories. Doyle was also well acquainted with Harry Houdini. However, they went separate ways when Doyles’s belief in the supernatural grew too dominant (he saw Houdini as a magician with actual powers). As a great sportsman, Doyle got involved in playing football, cricket, and golf quite skillfully. In fact, he was the first British man to complete a day trip in Alpine skiing, an achievement that made the polar explorer name a Glacier in Antarctica after him. Arthur was married twice as his first wife Louise died in 1906, but his next wedding was barely a year after the death. I think, all in all, this can be seen as a satisfying life. Sherlock Holmes certainly is one of the best-known and most celebrated fictional characters and inspiration for numerous adaptations. As Doyle had difficulties finding a publisher for his Study in Scarlet, he published the first Sherlock Holmes story in a magazine, which sold out after just a few weeks. Holmes and his deductive methods are based on Joseph Bell, who was a pioneer in the field. Fun fact: Robert Louis Stevenson, who was a friend of Bell, even recognised the surgeon: “My compliments on your very ingenious and very interesting adventures of Sherlock Holmes. … can this be my old friend Joe Bell?” Doyle let his protagonist die at the Reichenbachfälle because he wanted to dedicate his time to other literary projects but Doyle used him for The Hound of Baskerville, which is set before Holmes’ demise. And eventually, he brought him back for good, solving cases in a collection of short stories. By the way, the character of Dr Watson is most probably based on Doyle himself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ARTHUR!!

Sarah-Sophia

“Culture is the flower of the human being – the fruit of our minds, the product of our traditions, the expression of our yearnings. Its diversity is wondrous, part of the rich tapestry of civilization.” – António Gutierres, UN Secretary General 

The UNESCO World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development raises consciousness for cultural diversity, fosters mutual understanding and respect and stands up against intolerance and hatred. Since 2001, the day celebrates and encourages intercultural and interreligious dialogue, which eventually brings people with different backgrounds and identities together. On Lit4School, we aim to recognise cultural plurality and diversity with topic clusters – such as native perspectives, diversity, intercultural contact and multiculturalism for literature and media in the EFL classroom and Diversität, Interkulturalität and Migration for literature and media in the German classroom.

Kind regards and stay safe,

Simon

On May 17th 1990, the World Health Organization officially removed homosexuality from being classified as a mental disorder. 15 years later, the first International Day Against Homophobia was celebrated on that same date to commemorate said decision. IDAHO aims to raise awareness of the violence, discrimination and hate directed towards the LGBTQ+ community on a daily basis.

Many of us grew up reading and falling in love with our favorite characters that we related to. Sadly, not everyone has the privilege of finding representation in literature so easily. Having those characters that just “get” you is incredibly important for people of all ages to feel seen and represented. Here is a selection of LGBTQ+ books we feature on our platform:

• Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin: A classic that tackles themes of gender roles, sexual identity and self-hatred… David is an American living in Paris trying to find himself. When he meets a young bartender called Giovanni, his attraction is instant. He is consumed by his feelings, yet unwilling to accept that they are for another man.
• Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender: Felix has never been in love. He worries that being a black transgender young man could make him a target. This fear is confirmed when he receives transphobic messages by a classmate. The novel navigates themes like bullying, gender identity and feelings of insecurity, all important to discuss in the classroom.
• Neither by Airlie Anderson: This illustrated book spreads a message of positivity and embracing diversity, no matter your age. In a world of blue bunnies and yellow birds, a green little creature called “Neither” struggles to fit in. Suitable for young readers, this story can help start a conversation about the importance of inclusion and the beauty of diversity.

To find more LGBTQ+ books, take a look at award lists! The Stonewall Book Awards as well as the Lambda Literary Awards have made it their mission to celebrate the very best of LGBTQ+ literature. Do you already have a favorite book featuring LGBTQ+ characters? We’d love for you to share it with us! Today is the perfect day to spread love and acceptance to those around you, just don’t forget to leave some for yourself!

Sarah

Poetry is often a rather neglected genre in the EFL classroom. However, Limericks are usually appreciated by younger peoples because they are brief, provide humorous topics and a fixed structure. Lines one, two and five share the same rhyme, and lines three and four rhyme with each other:

There was a platform called Lit4School, a resource for teachers, a useful tool, literature and media teachers could find, materials of any kind, and all for free, how cool!

Take this annual opportunity to let your students come up with the familiar five-line verse, which is constructed to put a smile on your face. By the way, National Limerick Day is set on May 12th to mark the birthday of Edward Lear, an author and poet, who is still remembered for his nonsense limericks.

Happy Limerick Day, kind regards and stay safe everyone,

Simon