One holiday tradition my mom always wanted to do with us but never did is celebrate Kwanzaa. She did educate me on what it is and what everything means, but we never got around to ever doing it. But now that I’m starting my own family, I wanted to do celebrate this year (even if Baby won’t remember it.) That way we’ll be ready to celebrate it the way we should when Baby is bigger.
So, for 2023 I decided to celebrate Kwanzaa through literature again. I’ll be listing the principles for each day along with a book that matches the principles. If you can think of other titles that match the principles, tell me, I’d love to discuss.
Day 2 is Kujichagulia. It means Self-Determination. The next candle that’s lit is the left most red one. The process is much of the same, the person who lights it recites a statement which is related to Self-Determination. My statement for self-determination is pretty simple. I read an article earlier this year that was talking about the decline in people or tweens reading Middle Grade. And it hurt my soul. And working in the library I see it a lot there too, right? Adults come in looking for Adult and YA books. And the younger ones come in looking for picture books. But the middle grade readers are getting left out. Sometimes its because they don’t know where they fit in and sometimes they just don’t know that those books are out there. So next year I’m determined to read more MG than I have been and I am determined to share those books with you all so you can pick them up and pass them to the tween readers in your life. This is my small way to help make sure we don’t let MG slip through our fingers. This is a crucial time for readers, where they determine whether or not reading is still something they will want to do as they grow older. The tween age is where we hook them and make them want to come back for their teen years. Because trust me, those teen years are a doozy lol So join me if you want to help more people find and experience the magic that is MG!
The book I thought about first that reminded me of the knowing ones self was:
This novel in verse was all about how Amina was sharp witted and used her voice to get into trouble. The she had something traumatic happen to her by someone she and her father trusted. It makes her feel sad and ashamed, as if it were her fault. But when other things come to light, she’s determined to find her voice again. Even when everyone else was scared or embarrassed and didn’t want to get on their bad side or look too long at them. She was determined to be heard and I admired that so much. She stood up for herself even when she felt all alone. This book is actually a William C Morris finalist for 2024 and I can see why.
What about you? What books do you think of when you think of Kujichagulia or Self-Determination? Do you think of this one as well? Let me know in the comments!