Tough Like a Girl #12 – Ghosts

Lis and Nathaniel are here to talk about a supernatural tale with a bit of additional baggage.

Some of the articles that Lis references can be found here:
https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.ca/2016/09/not-recommended-ghosts-by-raina.html
http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2016/07/reading-and-wrestling-with-ghosts-by-raina-telgemeir/

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6 responses to “Tough Like a Girl #12 – Ghosts

  1. Welcome to the Fire & Water Podcast Network! Correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t recall this show being on the Council of Geeks stream, so it kept being filed under “I’ll get around to trying” but never did. I’ve caught up on a few episodes that have dropped into the FW stream (are they all there yet?) These include Ghost in the Shell (read a few issues when Dark Horse started doing the floppies, but the technobabble quickly alienated me) and Ms. Marvel (though I’m not much for mainstream Marvel Comics these days.) Have enjoyed this new one the most so far, and glad you didn’t shy away from criticizing Raina Telgemeier, though I’ve been hearing she’s the biggest thing in actual “graphic novel” sales these days.

    As a liberal, I’m always pushing for more representation, but as an old white dude, I’m also keenly aware that better representation is equally important. In the internet age where basic research is a few keystrokes away, there are no more brownie points to be given out for mere inclusion, and an ocean of demerits waiting for callous cultural appropriation. I haven’t had a ton of exposure to Native American culture, but all I have to do is think “what if these kids were playing on an old Southern plantation instead” and the potential for deep hurt in this work becomes clear. Add to that the fact that this book targets children under the Scholastic brand, and whatever entertainment value it might have had gets swallowed up by the willfully ignorant perpetuation of Anglo myths that in our era feels like a paramount concern for progressive society to address.

    1. Woo! First comment! Yes, Punch Like a Girl was its own separate feed from the Council of Geeks stream, which made it all the more natural for its new home here. Glad to hear you’re enjoying the back catalog as well, and yes everything is up.

  2. So excited to have you part of the Network!! I’m still working through your back catalog, so haven’t listened to this episode just yet. However, I’m really enjoying the early episodes!!

  3. I’m glad to see this podcast on the F&W Network. I enjoyed your analysis of Ghosts, and the different perspectives you each brought to the discussion. I plan to make my way through your previous episodes in the coming weeks.

  4. Fascinating discussion for a first episode on the network. I would love to have Lis as librarian for the schools near me.

    My daughters are in middle school, and big fans of Raina. They’ve worn out the covers of both Smile and Sisters. I take some credit for my girls getting into graphic novels with my love of comics, and I gladly read the books they like to share their interest. They rarely express interest in what I read, but that’s fine and typically expected. But I have no hesitation about reading all-ages books, and it’s so fun to discuss the stories with first-hand understanding.

    So yes, I’ve read Smile and Sisters, as well as Drama and Ghosts. My favorite is Sisters, so Lis, I highly recommend you give it a try. But please, put the notebook away and breeze through it just for fun. 🙂

    I must admit, I fell down on the job recognizing the cultural appropriation in Ghosts. I cut it a lot of slack by viewing it as a fable, but that may have lowered the bar a bit too much. All of your points were completely valid. I might have to play the podcast again with my girls so we can discuss it more.

    Thank you for this podcast! I look forward to more episodes, especially opportunities to find new books for my kids.

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