BookLab brings together middle school students from the International School of Kenya and children from the Mathare North Library to engage in discussion, art projects and performance relating to the books that they read. ISK art teacher Jane Elleby and ISK librarian Barbara Jones believe that the arts can promote deeper understanding of the texts.
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Jenifer from Mathare North puts finishing touches on her owl
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Carl Hiaasen’s novel Hoot was the inspiration for a great afternoon of discussion, interaction and art at the January meeting of BookLAB, as kids from the Mathare North center and the International School of Kenya continued their monthly book group meetings at ISK.
Hiaasen’s book is about a lot of things, including bullying, peer pressure, and friendship. It is also about protecting the environment and one boy’s determination to help some small borrowing owls threatened by development in Florida. For the BookLAB kids, the afternoon started with discussion in the ISK library, where participants shared their experiences and views on dealing with bullies and how to stand up for yourself.
Then it was time to get a little messy as everyone moved to the art studio to make owls and owlets out of clay, as keepsakes.
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Final touches for clay owl, a keepsake of Hoot
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Our last meeting for the 2008/2009 session of BookLAB focused on the book Burn My Heart by Beverley Naidoo.
The story takes place during the beginning of Kenya's freedom fight for independence, also known as the Mau Mau rebellion. Ms. Naidoo introduces us to the characters of Mathew, Lance and Mugu and the trials of their friendships across races and cultures during this critical time in Kenya's history. We then had a lively discussion focused on land rights, leadership qualities and decision-making.
We practised role playing and put into words how we would attempt to stand up to Lance. Although the story could have polarized our thoughts in the contentious issues presented, I think we have become better at really listening to each other and finding common ground!
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