Personal Moronics

So when I was writing lesson plans for the summer I decided on “Peace, Love and Recycling” as our first theme. Then I adapted Love to include tolerance for people who are different. In my class, there are two major groups that I needed to focus on. I have one little boy who is racist against African Americans, and several children who know nothing about Muslims and the Middle East other than what they’ve heard in fits of post 9/11 racism. I decided that one of the books we would read would be Arabian Nights (so we could talk about Middle Eastern culture) and then set about looking for an illustrated children’s copy. I found illustrated adult copies that were inappropriate for my class. I found children’s copies with no pictures. I decided to give up on the illustrated copy and started making my own figures and felt board it. Internet, you will NOT believe where I found an illustrated children’s copy yesterday. I spent the day reorganizing and preparing to take some things to the used bookstore. I walked over to the shelf I keep my pretty books on, not to give any up, but to admire the books I don’t often read because I own a more practical copy. The second book in line was the book I have looked high and low for these last three weeks. I am clearly a moron.