Amazing Grace

by Mary Hoffman

“You can be anything you want, Grace, if you put your mind to it.”

This classic children’s book invites you in to the imagination and life of a young girl, Grace. She loves listening to stories and acting them out. She learns her class will be putting on a performance of Peter Pan and wants to be Peter. However, she has to overcome other people’s narrow view points & the doubts they create in her own mind in order to achieve her dream.

Story Read Aloud

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Talk About It

• How do you think Grace felt being told she couldn’t be Peter Pan: first because she’s a girl and then because she’s Black? How would you feel if you were told you couldn’t do something because of your gender or the color of your skin?
• Do you think children still grow up believing that someone’s gender or skin color determines what they can do? (Talk about the fact that this is true but that we must work to change that kind of thinking.)
• Do you think it matters if an actor looks just like the original character? What could be amazing about having things look different?
• In response to the comments in the class, Grace’s teacher chooses to ignore them and keep moving forward. In order to be an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More, what could the teacher have said instead? Some examples: It is not okay to decide what someone can on cannot do based upon the color of their skin. That is called racismThe belief that a person's personality, behavior, & values is based solely upon their race. It is also the belief that one group of people are better than another. More.; In this class we make decisions based upon who gives the best audition for each part. It doesn’t matter what gender they are or the color of their skin.
• In that moment, what could Grace’s friends have done or said to be an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More? This can include speaking up that Grace’s gender and skin color don’t matter; telling Grace directly that you think she’d be great at the part; or letting the class know that their comments are hurtful.
• When Grace tells her family about what happened at school, why do you think her mom looked angry? (This is a great time for parents to share how they would have felt the same way.)
• Do you agree with Grace’s grandma that she can be anything she wants as long as she puts her mind to it? Is that something someone has ever said to you? How do you think Grace felt hearing that?
• When Grace and her grandma arrive at the ballet and see the photo of the dancer as Juliet, what do you think Grace was thinking or feeling? (Parents: this gives you the chance to talk about how important it is as a child to see people that look like you in the books you read, shows you watch, toys you play with, or people you learn about who are achieving things in the world.)
• After Graces’s audition the class sees her talent and votes for her to be Peter Pan. Why is this important? How do you think it made Grace feel?

Explore More

• You’ve already thought about ways you could have been an allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More to Grace in the classroom. Spend some time role playing what you would say. (The more we practice the language to use and the courageDoing something even when you know it will be hard. More it displays, the easier it will be for children to do this when we are not with them.). Take turns having each member of the family be the allyA person willing to speak up or simply stand next to someone else (or a group of people) when they are being treated unfairly. An ally is also committed to learning and understanding more in order to help create changes. More.
• Return to talking about the importance of having diversityThis word simply means differences.  It generally refers to differences in things like race, gender, religion, language, culture, or appearance. More in the books we read, things we watch, etc. Spend time as a family picking out new books or shows to watch. Here’s an example of a great bedtime book. Here’s a list of shows featuring diverse casts.