I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla : Raising Healthy Black and Biracial Children in a Race-Conscious World

Rating:
Summary: A solid, research-based guide to kids' ideas of race
Review: As a regular reader of current works concerning children's development of racial identity, I found Dr. Marguerite Wright's "I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla" to be both refreshing and urgently needed in our society. Most of the books available about this subject present a world-weary, pessimistic message, that children of color naturally feel inferior and the most you can do is "deal with it" by using defensive stop-gap measures. In contrast, Dr. Wright has sifted through observations gleaned from her years of research and practice to craft a proactive, empowering approach to fostering and maintaining what her research has found to be young children's initially innocent and accepting regard of so-called racial differences. While Wright acknowledges the pervasive, subtle prejudice of today's America, she does not stop at bemoaning these inequities, but instead strives to arm parents and teachers with the knowledge they will need to correctly gauge children's understanding of race and also with wise tactics to prevent the often malignant race-obsession of previous generations from seeping into the minds of children. The copious advice she offers emphasizes augmenting a questioning awareness of race in children--after all, if we pass on to children a merely self-defeating, "racism is inevitable and unassailable" mindset, aren't we ourselves perpetuating the status quo? Wright advocates a enlightening new view of cultivating children's racial development when she argues that even if bias is there, we can help children to think through options of action in a mature and questioning manner and not just "deal with it," but act on their own terms.

Rating:
Summary: Home Run for Mom and Teacher!
Review: As an adoptive single parent of three beautiful black daughters and a teacher, I have often wondered if we do too much or too little to build self-confidence, pride in self and in race, and awareness of history. Dr. Wright's book combines developmental appropriateness, self-esteem and common sense in a manner that really hit home for me. Her examples are very accurate...and yes, my daughter got tired of being the "runaway slave" and "Harriet Tubman" in chase games and no, her classroom teacher didn't try to perpetuate any racial inequities- it was stupidity pure and simple on her part...she didn't realize that at a certain level, children assume very different things than adults. This book was extremely helpful to me and provided me with a lot of information which was shareable with others, particularly in terms of when and how to present information to children and the ways in which children interpret what they see and hear. There was a strong thread of common sense which gave the book a usefulness to many of us trying to help children find a valid and empowering identity in a changing world.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't like book at all
Review: I didn't care for this book at all. I think it is a very well written book, for TEACHERS, but not for a parent who is transracially adopting a child. I was looking for a book on how I would parent an African American child and this book was more of a textbook. I think it is very misleading to have it labeled as a "must read for parents and teachers" and it should be advertised as a book for teachers. I thought "Inside Their Voices" was much more informative about the experiences of a transracially adopted child.

Rating:
Summary: Didn't like book at all
Review: I didn't care for this book at all. I think it is a very well written book, for TEACHERS, but not for a parent who is transracially adopting a child. I was looking for a book on how I would parent an African American child and this book was more of a textbook. I think it is very misleading to have it labeled as a "must read for parents and teachers" and it should be advertised as a book for teachers. I thought "Inside Their Voices" was much more informative about the experiences of a transracially adopted child.

Rating:
Summary: A must-read for parents and teachers
Review: I found this book so engrossing that I finished it in one day. The author has a lot of wonderful advice on how to address issues of race with children, and I found the interviews with them (particularly the preschoolers) fascinating. I did disagree with the author's opinions on single parenting and the role of religion in children's lives, but...Overall, this is a must-read for parents and teachers who want to foster positive attitudes towards race in children.

Rating:
Summary: I'm Vanilla I'm Chocolate
Review: I read the book(I'm Vanilla I'm Chocolate) and is real and much needed in today's society. She speaks the truth about young children, not seeing the differences of skin color, like us adults. I like her nurturing techniques. Positive talking and down playing the negativity. I carry the book and use it as a reference guide and give it as gifts. The book is needed, as a parent that wants to learn.

Rating:
Summary: I'm Vanilla I'm Chocolate
Review: I read the book(I'm Vanilla I'm Chocolate) and is real and much needed in today's society. She speaks the truth about young children, not seeing the differences of skin color, like us adults. I like her nurturing techniques. Positive talking and down playing the negativity. I carry the book and use it as a reference guide and give it as gifts. The book is needed, as a parent that wants to learn.

Rating:
Summary: Great book for raising any child!
Review: I'm a biological mom of a caucasian son, and an adoptive mom of one bi-racial and one african american child. I thought this book spoke in clear, non-clinical terms about how to raise a healthy child with a positive self-image, no matter what the race! In a household like mine, where everyone has a different race but the same name, it is a great resource to see that they all grow up to know they are important, lovable, and vital to our family and our world.

Rating:
Summary: Marguerite expands the reader's conciousness.
Review: I'm Chocolate, You're Vanilla is a candid look at the modern race 'situation'. I saw myself in so many of the pages and realized I'm NOT the only one who sees it, thinks about it and lives it. Intellegently written, this book is the cherry pie in it's field and promises a smooth swirl into the meltingpot that is America. EVERYONE should read it.

Rating:
Summary: practical and hopeful
Review: Marguerite Wright's book offers a hopeful perspective on rasing confident children within todays' society. While racism continues in subtle ways throughout America, this book offers parents and educators practical ideas for raising confident children. Her positive view helps the reader to see that it is possible to help a child (regardless of culture) to grow to their potential. Her practical guides are concrete and thought provoking. This book is a concise and excellent resource.