When Ann Bausum wrote Denied Detained Deported: Stories from the
Dark Side of American Immigration in 2009, the starred review in Booklist
called it a “landmark title, sure to spark intense discussion.” Indeed. Eight years later, the discussion might be
even more intense.
Ann Bausum is the winner of
the 2017 Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award, given to an author or author-illustrator
whose total work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for
children. Bausum’s work is wide-ranging
– The March Against Fear: The Last Great Walk of the Civil Rights Movement and
the Emergence of Black Power; Stonewall: Breaking Out in the Fight for Gay
Rights; Stubby the War Dog and Denied Detained Deported.
In Denied Detained Deported, Bausum
ends many chapters with questions that are excellent, thought-provoking writing
prompts for teens and in a few cases, younger students.
· “What individual rights should be sacrificed in the
name of homeland security?”
· “Do migrant workers contribute more to society than
they take away?”
· “What protections might Americans be asked to forfeit
when their heritage makes them suspect during a time of war?”
Whether students are asked to
write essays or debate both sides of each question, they can gain experience in
using logical reasoning and facts for civil debate and discourse.
A less intense writing
activity would ask students to write a single diary entry for one of the children
whose stories are told in the book. What was a day like for Mary Matsuda in a
Japanese internment camp or Herb Karliner, a German Jewish boy expecting to sail
to freedom and safety in the United States?
Herb Karliner, a German Jewish boy expecting to sail to freedom and safety in the United States in 1939 |
There are more stories about Chinese who came seeking gold in California
in 1849 and cycles of Mexican migration in the 20th century. As
Bausum concludes, “The United States has been alternatively welcoming and
hostile to those who have tried to cross through ‘the golden door’ into
America.”
While you are contemplating
which of Ann Bausum’s books to share with your students, make plans to hear her
in person at the Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award Celebration on April 29
at Clyde’s Gallery Place in Washington, D.C.
Register here . Everyone is welcome!
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