Within the hypothalamus is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) – clusters of thousands of cells that receive information about light exposure directly from the eyes and control your behavioral rhythm. The hypothalamus, a peanut-sized structure deep inside the brain, contains groups of nerve cells that act as control centers affecting sleep and arousal. Several structures within the brain are involved with sleep.

This booklet describes how your need for sleep is regulated and what happens in the brain during sleep. Sleep is a complex and dynamic process that affects how you function in ways scientists are now beginning to understand. Research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep, increases the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity. Sleep affects almost every type of tissue and system in the body – from the brain, heart, and lungs to metabolism, immune function, mood, and disease resistance. Recent findings suggest that sleep plays a housekeeping role that removes toxins in your brain that build up while you are awake.Įveryone needs sleep, but its biological purpose remains a mystery. In fact, your brain and body stay remarkably active while you sleep. Sleep is important to a number of brain functions, including how nerve cells (neurons) communicate with each other. Without sleep you can’t form or maintain the pathways in your brain that let you learn and create new memories, and it’s harder to concentrate and respond quickly. Quality sleep – and getting enough of it at the right times - is as essential to survival as food and water. Please take care of yourself.Sleep is an important part of your daily routine-you spend about one-third of your time doing it. Please be sure to read annotations carefully and refer to CommonSenseMedia.Org for complete warnings if needed. Some of the content in this list may be difficult for those who have experienced or been impacted by types of actions or situations. We look for books that celebrate the experiences of BIPOC people in all their intersections, while working to find books that are as diverse as possible by considering the creator’s heritage representations of disabilities, gender identity, and sexual orientation and the book’s publisher, genre, format, and date of publication. When necessary, we consult experts in the field. The books ultimately selected have been read by at least two members so that we can avoid books that contain unchallenged microaggressions, ableism, or other oppressive elements. We wanted to create a list of books that we would be comfortable putting in any child’s hands.įor this annual list, we search libraries and review sources for texts written or illustrated by BIPOC creators. We Are Kid Lit Collective realized that we needed to read closely to identify microaggressions, cultural misappropriation, or examples that negated our struggle for social justice, equity, and inclusion. As our conversations took place, the focus of the list became clear. Told by a nameless prisoner in a Palestinian cell, this graphic novel uses symbols and images to explore what it means to be in captivity.Įarly in 2015, Edith Campbell invited a handful of colleagues who share a passion for children, literacy, and diversity to collaborate on a summer reading list. When a bird lands on the prisoner’s window, the two become friends and exchange stories. What if the two become so intertwined it becomes impossible to tell where one ends and the other begins? Such is the case with this fictional graphic novel memoir, following “Singapore’s greatest comics artist” through a meta-history of the Malay Archipelago. This self-published Black queer feminist statement acknowledges the existence of interlocking systems of oppression and the work to dismantle such racial, sexual, heterosexual, and class oppressions. The Combahee River Collective Statementby Combahee River Collective, 1977.

This graphic memoir recalls life in a war zone but also what it’s like just trying to be a child, living life. The author remembers her childhood in 1980s Beirut-finding new ways to go to school, her mother’s car riddled with bullets, and her brother collecting shrapnel.

Plus, an eye-opening Black queer feminist statement is also featured in this We Are Kid Lit Collective Summer Reading list.Ībirached, Zeina. These three graphic novels published for adults with teen appeal will keep young adults engaged during the break. In the next couple of weeks, SLJ will publish individual posts featuring their recommendations for picture books, transitional books, middle grade, and young adult titles. School Library Journal has proudly partnered with We Are Kid Lit Collective to share and promote the group's annual summer reading recommendations.

Kids zone graphic