Northgate HS Ethnic Studies class and St. Mary’s College students discuss diverse children’s books

Northgate HS Ethnic Studies teacher Meg Honey and Saint Mary’s College of California Professor Dr. Mary Raygoza are both passionate about helping their students understand the importance of diversity in children’s literature. 

Honey helped found the Rise Up Against Racism nonprofit that installs “Little Free Antiracist Libraries” in the community, including at El Dorado MS and in her own classroom. Filled with books that have been banned elsewhere, the library is a resource for Honey’s students, who are delving into issues including justice and identity, as well as book bans, censorship, and activism.

“Ethnic studies students explore themes of joy and resilience, inclusion, equity, and belonging,” Honey said. “And children’s literature really helps us make sense of those important topics in a way that provides great access and connection, while also giving us the opportunity to discuss big topics in really simple form.” 

Raygoza is teaching a course this month called, “J is for Justice: Early Childhood Books for a More Just World,” which is exploring similar themes. So, Honey invited Raygoza and her college students to collaborate with the Northgate Ethnic Studies students in a joint discussion on Tuesday about how children’s literature impacts children and families. The students broke into groups to read and discuss some of the books, after the teachers noted that children’s books can be viewed as “mirrors,” “windows,” or “sliding glass doors.”

Reflecting on this, Northgate student Emma Arruda said, "books serve as a mirror that can reflect your own lived experiences, a sliding glass door that allows you to put yourself into another person's reality, and a window that allows you to take a deeper look into another person's life/culture." Emma said her group "also talked about how some of these books might be put on banned or censored book lists as a way to suppress people's chosen identities that don't fit the mold of social norms."

The students used a rubric called "Considerations in Selecting Books for Young Children that Build Equity and Inclusion," as they discussed the characters, stories, themes, settings and illustrations in the books. Honey noted that historically some groups of people have been virtually "left out" of literature, while other people have been "over-represented in books and media." Her students sometimes analyze children's books while referencing high school level books such as "An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States," to see how the same themes are discussed at different grade levels.

After reading the book, "Cornrows," by Camille Yarbrough, Northgate senior Ismael Opeyany said: "The book provided us a window to look into a different culture, showing the importance of braids. Coming from somebody outside this culture, I understand their culture better now.”

Saint Mary's student Kate Plachy complimented an insight shared by a Northgate junior Brooke Rooney, who said that the reason people ban books is because they know the messaging works in helping people to better understand each other. Honey agreed, adding: "People who are implementing book bans know that these books create more inclusive and welcoming societies."

For Honey and Raygoza, as well as their students, the time spent together was inspiring and motivated them to want to collaborate with each other again in the future. 

"Our convening affirmed that social justice and community-centered learning can take place across education levels," Raygoza said. "SMC undergraduates learned from and with high school students as they read and analyzed early childhood books together. What was most powerful was watching my college students learn directly from high school students who are already thinking critically about representation, power, and whose stories get told. Meg Honey’s high school students are engaged in sophisticated, justice-centered literary analysis."

Raygoza also praised Honey's teaching and relationship to her students. "Meg Honey’s classroom is a space where joy, critical inquiry, and community come through not only her curriculum but the uplifting and affirming ways in which she engages with all students."  

Honey was also incredibly impressed with Raygoza's accomplishments and the work she is continuing to do at Saint Mary's College. They are both Northgate HS alumni — Honey graduated in 1997 and Raygoza graduated in 2005, with Honey as her swim coach.

"Returning to Northgate as an alum was deeply personal," Raygoza said after the class. "My path into educational research and teacher education began here with my senior project focused on the topic of educational inequity in the era of No Child Left Behind. Pursuing my passion was possible because of my humanizing, empowering teachers at Woodside Elementary, Oak Grove MS, and Northgate."

She went onto earn Bachelors and Masters degrees and a Ph.D., and teaches in the Teacher Education program at St. Mary's. But the "J is for Justice" course is open to students with any major and focuses on children's books that uplift characters of marginalized identities. "The culminating assignment of the course is for students to author their own children’s book, selecting a theme based on something they would have loved to read as a child themself," Raygoza said.

Honey said she was glad her students got to learn how Raygoza started out as a Northgate student and followed her passion to make a difference in education through her work. 

Both the Northgate and SMC students said they appreciated the joint learning experience, as well as the educators.

• SMC junior Anna Clara Rocha ('27), said: "We got to sit down and meet with the students in Ms. Honey’s social justice class and I can say that as a college student from Saint Mary’s College I was thoroughly impressed with what I witnessed. The students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, spoke eloquently about such important social issues and were very well informed. You could feel the energy in the classroom, these kids are the future of social justice and Ms. Honey has created an amazingly safe environment to teach this curriculum!"

• Northgate senior Ciaria Ireland said: "Working with SMC students was a fun and new experience for me. I would love to do something like this in the future, maybe even just reading books about topics related to Ethnic studies, and then dissecting and studying the book. This visit really brought out something I didn't even know was inside of me."

• Northgate freshman Charlotte King said: "I really enjoyed listening to everything the SMC students had to say. They all had very valuable insights, and the sharing space felt very comfortable. I think it was also super fun to be able to understand the perspectives of people older and more educated on certain topics."

• Northgate junior Brooke Rooney said: "I would love the opportunity to collaborate with SMC students once again because it gives us high schoolers the belief in our own capabilities of contribution, even if we have not yet reached the collegiate level of education. I believe true learning is held in experiences and reaching beyond the walls of a single institution. In order to move forward as a flourishing society we need to have the courage to expand the reach of our knowledge."

• Northgate sophomore Livia Stroh said: "We talked about representation shown in the children's books that we read and how the books were able to show that in a way that would be easy for young children to understand. Each book has a different way of showing the representation that aligns with the themes and topics in Ethnic Studies, and they each show the representation in a clear and respectful way that is easy for children to learn from and understand."

• SMC student Olivia Burke (NHS '23, SMC '27), said: "Mrs. Honey’s classroom is filled with joy and passion, and I am grateful that I got to experience it! It is clear that she has a heart for her students and the material she teaches, and is making a real impact through her work. I am so glad to know that Northgate students have such a wonderful teacher and role model who is highlighting the value of social justice, activism, and representation."

In a followup survey at Northgate, many students said they would like more opportunities to engage with SMC students. "I truly hope to continue working with Mary (Raygoza) and create more moments like Tuesday," Honey said, adding that she is also excited about MDUSD's teacher residency partnership with Saint Mary's. "There are so many powerful understandings and experiences that happen when K-12 schools connect with our higher education institution partners."

Social Justice Storytime with Saint Mary's College Students on Jan. 17th at Pleasant Hill Library 

Dr. Raygoza and her "J is for Justice" students will present a special Social Justice Storytime in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.'s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Pleasant Hill Library.

The students will read a selection of children's books that focus on themes of empathy, inclusivity, solidarity and mindfulness. The program is best suited for ages 2-8 with a caregiver. No registration required.

Gregory Gardens Elementary Principal Katie Koontz is promoting this event to her school community because it ties in with the school's emphasis on the social justice curriculum standards of identity, diversity, justice and action — which are part of the school's Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) program.

"Our social justice work is really about giving students the tools and language to talk about who they are, how they relate to others, and how to handle big feelings and real-world topics in a safe, supported way," Koontz said. "Each standard has age-appropriate lessons and book selections that help spark conversation, build empathy, and teach students how to listen, reflect, and respond respectfully." 

Raygoza said the event information has been shared with MDUSD principals and is expected to draw over 100 families. "We're so excited," she said. "Children's books and literacy — including book bans and debates on the science of reading — are hot news topics right now. The work of educators, librarians, and children's book authors to inspire hope, awareness, solidarity, and change through books and early reading is so important. Children's books offer high school and college students alike opportunities to engage in critical analysis and hope."