Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. announces December Books of the Month
Press release from Florida Department of Education
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. announced December’s chosen books for the Commissioner’s Book of the Month, a monthly reading challenge to promote literacy and reading engagement in preK-12 schools. Each month, Commissioner Diaz highlights five recommended books – one per selected grade range.
“As the holiday season approaches, I am reminded of the joy that reading can bring to families during this special time of the year,” said Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz, Jr. “This month’s book recommendations are perfect for creating lasting memories with your loved ones. I encourage parents to read these inspiring stories to their children and cherish the precious moments you can create through storytelling.”
The Commissioner’s recommendations for December 2023 are:
- PreK – Crinkle Bells by Jay Fleck
- K-2 – Jeremy’s Dreidel by Ellie B. Gellman
- 3-5 – The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Pat Matuszak and Rick Osborne
- 6-8 – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
- 9-12 – “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry
On the FDOE website, you can find the Commissioner’s Book of the Month selections.
I’m sure zero books 📚 from Black or Brown Authors 🤔..what a joke
Have you the recommended book for August for students in Grades 9-12 – Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington?
The main criteria for the book recommendations “during this (holiday season) special time of the year” seems to be merit-based, (“inspiring stories,”) not the skin color of the authors/DEI. I have no doubt that there will books by black and brown authors (and Asian and Native American authors) on the commissioner’s list again, as there was in November, when the commissioner recommended a book by a black author, and in September when most of the books were authored by writers with Hispanic surnames. I am thankful that our state education system resists the trend of woke race quotas, and encourages a colorblind merit based education system for Florida’s kids.
Black Rednecks and White Liberals by Thomas Sowell