This month is the Lafayette Community Read – our community is reading The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Enriquez. On December 7 we will host a community-wide “book group” where we welcome all to sit down together and explore what the book brings up for us.
But what does immigration mean to our children? Is it part of your own story, your family’s story, or a friend’s story? Are there stories for our children to read that might help them see “immigrants” as people, as friends we haven’t met yet?
Our friends at Brightly have assembled a great list of books to inspire us all to think deeper about our fellow Americans, their stories, and experiences. And this month we have our own display in the children’s area, of books that tell the stories of immigration and immigrants. Our lives are all richer for the different-ness new people bring to our lives – different words, names, smells, tastes, clothing, and ideas.
Maybe as we assemble our Thanksgiving list of gratitudes we can remember stories of immigration, our own or our friends’ and neighbors’. One of my favorite family stories of gratitude for different folks is The Thanksgiving Door, by Debbie Atwell. Our copy has been read out loud each year on Thanksgiving, and still makes us smile. May your Thanksgiving season be filled with stories that make you smile.