Developing a sense of place through books about New York

Bedford, A. W. (2007). Developing a sense of place through books about New York. Journal of Children's Literature, 33(2), 38-46.

When an article on children's books makes me want to order its bibliography, I count it a success. This one, a celebration of children's books about New York, did that. Bedford organizes her collection of children's books about New York into five categories: "books that lead readers on a tour of the city, books that focus on individual landmarks, poetry and alphabet books, books that describe specific historical events, and family stories"(p.39). Bedford weaves in ideas for teaching using these books. One can easily imagine a great reading-writing unit for kids that uses these books to help children understand a "sense of place."

All that being said, I'd like to see bibliographies of books about other places. Whatley, who is from New Orleans, suggests that a collection could be built from books about that city. I'd welcome that. I do not believe that New York is the epitome of American life, not even American urban life. Let's look at the totality of the American experience, though it could be good for a time to focus on one special place.