Customer Reviews

That's Not Fair!: A Teacher's Guide to Activism with Young Children

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

I believe Michelle Malkin describes this book well when she writes;

"Ann Pelo details an activism project she initiated at a Seattle preschool after her students spotted a Blue Angels rehearsal overhead as they played in a local park. "Those are Navy airplanes," Pelo lectured the toddlers. "They're built for war, but right now, there is no war, so the pilots learn how to do fancy tricks in their planes." The kids returned to playing, but Pelo wouldn't let it rest. The next day she pushes the children to "communicate their feelings about the Blue Angels."

Pelo proudly describes her precociously politicized students' handiwork:

"They drew pictures of planes with Xs through them: 'This is a crossed-off bombing plane.' They drew bomb factories labeled: 'No.'

"Respect our words, Blue Angels. Respect kids' words. Don't kill people."

"If you blow up our city, we won't be happy about it. And our whole city will be destroyed. And if you blow up my favorite library, I won't be happy because there are some good books there that I haven't read yet."

Pelo reports that the children "poured out their strong feelings about the Blue Angels in their messages and seemed relieved and relaxed." But it's obvious this cathartic exercise was less for the children and more for the ax-grinding Pelo, who readily admits that she "didn't ask for parents' input about their letter-writing - she didn't genuinely want it. She felt passionately that they had done the right thing, and she wasn't interested in hearing otherwise."

So much for "community-building, deep thinking, and partnership." "

This is not what I expected from this book. Nor do I believe that toddler's should be brainwashed with left or right activisim. That is most definitely WRONG

Wish I could give it no stars. It's no wonder Ann Pelo made Bernard Goldberg's "100 People Who Are Screwing Up America."
Couldn't have said it better myself.

The "Blue Angels Project" contained within this anti-establishment propaganda piece details how co-author Ann Pelo proudly misled preschool students into thinking that the U. S. Navy precision flight team, the Blue Angels, would bomb U. S. cities. She details what one child wrote: "If you blow up our city, we won't be happy about it. And our whole city will be destroyed. And if you blow up my favorite library, I won't be happy because there are some good books there that I haven't read yet." Ms. Pelo is welcome to her point of view, but her inflicting it upon young children in this manner in deplorable.

I actually teach children for a living and think this book and it's authors, are one of the many reasons children grow up to be absolutely useless. They are never told they can not accomplish something, they are never allowed to fail, and their parents blame everything on everyone except their children. Children grow up thinking that someone, like their parents, will walk them through life. Children need to fail, school districts need to let students receive grades less than a 50, and parents and teachers alike need to help them grow up.

I spend everyday getting children to feel worthy of what they can do, but they need to have realistic goals and know what they can not do as well or what they need to work on.

I'm sure somebody like the last reviewer will make it a right vs. left argument but in reality it is doing what is best for children and our future. Some of the reviewers have mentioned that this book will help your children "think critically about issues that are of importance in their worlds." Wow I thought we should be more worried about teaching the basics of math, reading, and science at this age, then having them worry about adults lame political version of high school.

This book is living proof that radical Leftists try to inculcate their views into other people's children. So much for the Left's view of "diversity."

The Blue Angels as the bad guys?

Gimme a break!

This is drivel of the first degree, a political agenda thinly disguised (and not very cleverly) as something worthwhile with which to indoctrinate teachers and eventually children, with the author's liberal political bias. That it is recommended to teachers is beyond astounding, especially if they are paid and employed to teach in the United States and have any professed understanding of what their native country represents in the world community. This tome does not even represent a fine line between propaganda and education - it tramples any such finesse with the author's blatant leftist opinions.

This book is little more than a guide for teachers bent on brainwashing their preschool students into mini-drones of the radical left.

The author of this book should never be allowed in front of a group of small children ever again, and neither should any other 'teacher' who would seriously consider using this drivel as a legitimate resource for their classroom.

It is frightening and dangerous to even think that teachers would be willing to indoctorinate the smallest children in such a manner, by telling them that the Blue Angels would try to bomb their town. It is ghastly.

Teachers should teach. Let kids form their own opinions when they are ready. Period.

An example of the author's ignorance and the questionable authenticity of the anecdotes is found in the "Blue Angels" story. Supposedly, the kids admonish the Angels not to bomb their library.

The Blue Angels fly fighter planes, not bombers. And, the planes are not armed anyway, as they are part of an acrobatic and demonstration team.

A nitpick? Perhaps. But, just as one's body temperature is an indication of one's health, such poorly-constructed stories are an indication of how our educational system has strayed from the track of education.

Should be rated 0 stars, but 1 is the bottom of the scale. A restraining order should be issued to keep these authors away from anyone under the age of eighteen.

If I could give this book NEGATIVE STARS, I most certainly would. I am astounded that the author of this book is so ignorant to think that children of this age should be subjected to this type of political garbage!! Thankfully, I am from a more conservative town, and this would NEVER be allowed into the curriculum, but if my child came home with ideas like this, I would go STRAIGHT to the school and demand that this stop. If the school wouldn't do something about it, then I would change schools. I will not allow my child to be subjected to this way of thinking. My children will be raised with respect for the military, and it's history. I do not want this liberal author, or the teacher putting such ideas into my child's head!
This book is PURE GARBAGE!!