Kim Parsons, a recent attendee of the Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR) Schuyler Writers Workshop, says, “books aren’t just a one-and-done. You can continue to spread out that story for more than just nine pages.” She’s talking about the books she and other local writers are planning in the workshop and how the familiar stories they will tell will resonate beyond the pages of the books into the lives of the children who hear or read them.
Since its beginning, NGR has made creating stories that speak to the diverse landscapes, the experiences, the languages, and the cultures of Nebraska a central part of its mission. And now, NGR is not only encouraging such local content, it is working with writer’s in a series of workshops to create Nebraska-related books. Kim has lived in Schuyler for over 50 years and is writing a book about the sweet corn farming that has been a part of her family for 21 years. She considers the impact of the book, “when kiddos in our community see that book, they might say, ‘hey, I know where that is. Mom bought their corn, and I helped clean that corn.’”
This speaks to what she means about books not being a one-and-done. As she puts it, “that continuation, that engagement with the book beyond the pages really helps make brain connections, curiosity, imagination, problem-solving skills.”
Parsons was thus pleased to be a part of the workshop and described it as eye-opening and challenging the ideas she had in her head about writing. She credits Greta Carlson and Wendy Keele, who ran the workshop, with helping her really narrow down her ideas and put them into a readable format for children.
But relevant content is more than just telling the familiar stories of the area. Schuyler has a burgeoning Hispanic community comprised of Peruvians, Salvadorians, Cubans, Guatemalans, and Mexicans. Eve Recinos, another workshop attendee, wants to tell stories that speak to these community members, which she sees as “spotlighting the voices and experiences of children in rural and immigrant communities.”
Eve grew up in Guatemala and describes writing as her passion. Her earliest writings were of the Sierra Madres and the fields of sugar cane, corn, and coffee she viewed from the terrace of her home in Guatemala City. These are the stories she brought to the workshop, which she saw as “a chance to refine my skills and learn from a community of talented writers.” She applauds NGR for seeking to “elevate authentic voices” that “empower young readers to see themselves in the stories they read.”
Parsons, who is the Early Childhood Coordinator for Communities and Families Partnership Collaborative under the auspices of the United Way, reiterates the importance of providing such culturally relevant content when she says, “for our parents who speak Spanish, for them to be able to pick up a book to read to their children and to see things that are familiar to them and be able to read to them in their first language, that is a great resource.” Parsons says she has even used the NGR books in English as a Second Language class she teaches. She also points out that the bilingual texts enrich the lives of English speakers as well, offering the dual language program in Schuyler, where children can take home Spanish texts and read them to their English-speaking parents.
Whether lifelong natives of the community or more recent transplants, what these writers share is a pride in the cultures to which they belong and an eagerness to share with young readers the tapestry of experiences that make up Schuyler. Nebraska Growing Readers’ Writers Workshops have afforded them an opportunity to refine the work they do and avenue for sharing those stories with the children and families of the community.
