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##  Children's Literature in a Time of National Tragedy. ERIC Digest.            

While America recovers from the tragic events of September 11th,                2001, parents and educators are seeking assistance to help children             cope with the impact of this national tragedy. This Digest is                   intended to guide parents and teachers in helping children deal with            this issue through the use of literature. It begins with                        suggestions, guidelines, and strategies which parents and teachers              can use to help children deal with this tragedy, and it discusses               the role of literature in helping children at a time of national                disaster. The second part of this Digest offers resources intended              to help children understand and appreciate cultural differences                 through the use of literature, as well as to provide materials that             will help children cope with stresses in their lives and in                     particular, the events that took place on September 11th,                       2001. SUGGESTIONS TO HELP CHILDREN DEAL AND HEALThe following             suggestions for parents and educators will help children deal with              the national tragedy. They were developed by adopting                           recommendations from the following organizations: the National                  Association of School Psychologists (2001), the National Education              Association (2001), and the National Mental Health                              Association (2001). 
* Give assurance and support, but be open and             honest with children. While adults want to help children ease                   anxiety, false promises, such as "it won't happen to us" will not               help children. Instead, adults should let children know that                    disasters such as that which occurred on September 11 are rare, and             that adults work hard to protect them. Spend time with your                     child-ren and stay close to them, especially the younger                        children. 
* Allow children time and provide activities for them to            express their feelings. While different children may exhibit a broad            range of reactions to the events of September 11th, they all need a             variety of channels through which to express their feelings.                    Encourage children to express their feelings concern-ing the events             using such methods and media as storytelling, drawing, writing,                 sculpting, singing, plays, or puppet shows. Allow children time to              reflect upon and share their feelings. 
* Be patient with                      children's possible regressive behavior. Traumatic events may cause             some children to exhibit regressive behaviors, which they had                   outgrown long ago. Adults need to be understanding and try to find              outlets for children to express their feelings. These behaviors are             usually temporary, lasting for only a few days or a couple of weeks.            If the regressive behaviors persist, and children exhibit excessive             anxiety, contact the school's psychologist, social worker, or                   counselor. 
* Monitor media exposure. While adults may want to                 closely monitor the unfolding of events, children of primary grades             or younger may be frightened by the news footage. So, consider                  monitoring the amount and degree of media exposure. Adults may watch            the news with older children, then discuss the events, and listen as            they express their feelings. 
* Resume daily routine as soon as                possible. Routines give children a sense of security and help them              to regain order in their life. MORE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS AND                 TEACHERS: GUIDELINES AND STRATEGIESCoping with a National                   Tragedy http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/crisis_0911.html From the                National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). NASP provides              resources that offer useful information on what to look for in                  children, what to say, and how adults can help. Current topics                  addressed include coping with terrorism, promoting tolerance,                   recognizing severe trauma reaction, managing anger and other strong             emotions, preventing suicide, school memorials, children and war,               and helping children with special needs cope. Some handouts are                 translated into other languages. 
Crisis Communications: Guide and             Toolkit http://www.nea.org/crisis/ From the National Education                  Association. This Guide and Toolkit provides resources to empower               those facing crises and to guide their school communities toward                hope, healing, and renewal. 
Resources for Children and Their                  Parents and Educators Dealing with the Tragic Events of September               11, 2001 http://www.ala.org/alsc/dealing_with_tragedy.html From the             American Library Association. This site provides a compilation of               materials to aid parents, teachers, and caregivers who wish to                  discuss with children and teens the terrorist attacks on Tuesday,               September 11, 2001 
Teaching Students about Terrorism and Related              Resources                                                                       http://askeric.org/Virtual/Qa/archives/Subjects/Social_Studies/                 Current_Events/tragedy.html In light of recent events, AskERIC has              compiled a list of resources for educators and parents to help                  students cope with and discuss this tragedy. WHAT CHILDREN'S                  LITERATURE CAN OFFER USWhile we learn about the individuals who             are responsible for the September 11th tragic events, we need to                help children understand that it is not appropriate to make                     assumptions and use labels about a group of people based on their               race, ethnicity, religious back-ground, or national origin (NAEYC,              2001). Children's literature offers an avenue to help children                  develop understanding of people of different backgrounds, as well as            deal with tragedies and stressful situations. Resources in this                 section provide information on selecting and using literature to                help children cope with personal and social issues, develop positive            and accurate attitudes toward people of different backgrounds, and              express their feelings regarding this national tragedy. 
Using                 Literature to Help Children Cope with Problems. ERIC Digest                     http://eric.indiana.edu/www/digbib/digprint.cgi?filename=d148.txt By            Wei Tu, from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and                    Communication. This digest provides information on the role of                  literature in helping children deal with personal and social issues,            as well as offers suggestions, criteria, and resources for parents              and educators for selecting appropriate literature to help children             cope with problems they encounter in their lives. 
Multicultural               Children's Literature in Elementary Classrooms                                  http://eric.indiana.edu/www/digbib/digprint.cgi?filename=d133. txt              By Mei-Yu Lu, from the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and              Communication. This digest provides information on the importance of            multicultural literature in children's development, as well as                  offers guidelines and resources for teachers and parents to select              appropriate multicultural literature for children. 
Our Heroes by              Edinger and Terpening Houses                                                    http://www.dalton.org/ms/4th/heroes/index.html From Edinger House at            The Dalton School, New York. This site provides examples of how                 teachers can integrate into their curriculum the events of September            11th. As part of a class project, the children in a 4th grade class             were asked to draw and to write a paragraph explaining their                    definitions of heroes. They were also asked to give examples from               real life in response to their study of E. B. White's Charlotte's               Web. BIBLIOGRAPHIES AND MATERIALS FOR CHILDRENExposure to                 quality multicultural literature helps children appreciate the                  idiosyncrasies of other ethnic groups, eliminate cultural                       ethnocentrism, and develop multiple perspectives. In this section, a            list of resources related to people of Islamic faith and from the               Arabic world is selected. With this information, we hope to help                children develop an accurate and realistic understanding of Muslim              culture and people from the Arabic World, instead of generating                 stereotypes based on a small group of people who are responsible for            the national tragedy. In addition, a list of materials that help                children deal with the tragic events is included. MATERIALS THAT              HELP CHILDREN UNDERSTAND ISLAMIC CULTURE AND THE

ARABIC                      WORLDAmong the multicultural children's literature published                each year in the United States, materials on and about the Arabic               world and Islamic culture have been underrepresented (Lems, 1999).              Although famous Arabic Nights tales, such as Aladdin, have gained               popularity in America, little information is available on the daily             life of the Arabic and the Islamic people in children's                         literature (Lems, 1999). Dowd (1992) stresses the values of                     literature in helping children develop an accurate understanding of             people from other cultures, and she argues that "from reading,                  hearing, and using culturally diverse materials, young people learn             that beneath surface differences of color, culture or ethnicity, all            people experience universal feelings of love, sadness, self-worth,              justice and kindness (p. 220)." It is therefore, important that                 children have access to quality literature that provides an                     authentic and positive portrayal of the Arabic World and Islamic                culture. In the following section, we provide websites that collect             and link to such information. Parents and educators can make use of             these materials to read along with the children at home and in                  school. 
Information and Stories about Islam and Muslims                       http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/Childrens_Services/islam.html Compiled by             the Allen County Public Library, Fort Wayne, Indiana. This website              provides an extensive list of books and links which address Islamic             Culture. 
The Arab World and Arab Americans                                    http://www.ala.org/BookLinks/v09/arab.html By Kristin Lems, from                Book Links, November 1999 9 (2). This article provides an excellent             annotated bibliography (picture books, folktales, poetry, fiction,              and nonfiction) of children's literature set in Arabic countries. It            also includes a fine bibliography and materials that address Arab               Americans and their culture. 
Afghanistan for Kids                             http://www.public.asu.edu/~apnilsen/afghanistan4kids/ By Don &                  Alleen P. Nilsen at Arizona State University. The Nilsen's lived                with their three children in Kabul between 1967 and 1969. This site             is intended for use by adults and children who want to learn about              aspects of Afghanistan, such as its food, stories, and                          clothing. MATERIALS THAT HELP CHILDREN DEAL AND HEALMaterials             in this section are intended to help children cope with their                   personal and social lives, focusing on the national                             tragedy. 
Recommended books for children, parents and caregivers               http://www.hclib.org/pub/reader2reader/coping.html From Hennepin                County Library, Minnetonka, Minnesota. For those concerned about                talking to children regarding the national tragedy on September                 11th. This site offers books, videos and web sites as                           resources. 
Books on Tragedy, Trauma, and Loss                                 http://www.cbcbooks.org/html/cbc_booklist.html From the Children's              Book Council, in cooperation with the Council's member publishers.              Provides a list of books which parents and teachers can use to help             children deal with the tragedy, trauma, and loss resulting from the             September 11th events. 
Coping With Violence                                   http://www.ala.org/BookLinks/v09/violence.html By Sally Driscoll                from Book Links, September 1999 v9 n1. Provides an annotated list of            books (K-12) for helping children deal with                                     violence. REFERENCESDowd, F. S. (1992). Evaluating children's             books portraying Native American and Asian cultures. Childhood                  Education, 68 (4), 219-224. [EJ 450 537] 
Lems, K. (1999). The Arab            World and Arab Americans. Book Links, 9 (2), 31-39. 
National                  Association for the Education of Young Children: Helping Children               Cope with Disaster                                                              http://www.naeyc.org/coping_with_disaster.htm 
National Association            for School Psychologists: Coping with a National Tragedy                        http://www.nasponline.org/NEAT/crisis_0911.html 
National Mental               Health Association: Coping Resources                                            http://www.nmha.org/reassurance/when_to_seek_help.cfm 
National                Education Association: Helping children cope with national tragedy              http://www.usnewswire.com/topnews/Current_Releases/0911-130.html                
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Digest #165 is EDO-CS-01-06 and was published in December             2001 by the ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English and                          Communication, 2805 E 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698,                  Telephone (812) 855-5847 or (800) 759-4723. ERIC Digests are in the             public domain and may be freely reproduced. Additional copies may be            ordered by contacting the ERIC Document Reproduction Service                    at (800) 443-3742. 
This project has been funded at least in part              with Federal funds from the U.S. Department of Education under                  contract number ED-99-CO-0028. The content of this publication does             not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department            of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products,              or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.                   **Title:** Children's Literature in a Time of National Tragedy. ERIC Digest.            **Note:** ERIC Digest D165.                                                            **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Target Audience:** Parents, Practitioners, Teachers                                             **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication, Indiana              University, 2805 E. 10th Street, Suite 140, Bloomington, IN                     47408-2698. Tel: 800-759-4723 (Toll Free). For full text:                       http://eric.indiana.edu.                                                     **Descriptors:**  Childrens Literature,  Counseling,  Crisis Management, Cultural                Awareness, Cultural Differences, Elementary Education,  Parent Child            Relationship                                                                 **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests, Multicultural Literature,  September 11th Attacks              
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