This month, our Superintendent Dr. Meria J. Carstarphen encourages everyone across the District to read books that explore problem solving. Our social and emotional learning (SEL) books for the month of February are Pies from Nowhere by Dee Romito for elementary readers, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia for middle school readers, and March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell for high school readers.
February Theme: Problem Solving
We explore skills related to problem solving and how those skills are developed to support learning, positive relationships and self-efficacy.
Book Summaries
- Pies from Nowhere (elementary school readers) looks into the life of Georgia Gilmore, a hidden figure of history who played a critical role in the Civil Rights Movement and used her passion for baking to help the Montgomery Bus Boycott achieve its goal.
- In One Crazy Summer (middle school readers), “Eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She’s had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined. While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.”
- In March: Book One (high school readers), John Lewis – congressman, American icon, and key figure of the Civil Rights Movement – shares his remarkable story with new generations as a graphic novel.
SEL Competency
Responsible decision making enables students to keep in mind multiple factors—such as ethics, standards, respect, and safety concerns—when making their decisions. This competency includes students’ capacity to identify problems and develop appropriate solutions to those problems, whether social or academic.
Several copies of each book are available at school libraries/media centers and can also be found in myBackpack via Class Pass @APS.
