The Wall in the Middle of the Book

The Wall in the Middle of the Book is an example of how limited text and simple visuals can be profound. Written by well-known and award-winning children’s author Jon Agee, this book speaks with the innocence of a child and delivers a lesson in what bias is for all.

Let’s stop for a moment and think about walls. Walls have been around for thousand of years. Supporting our roofs, they provide shelter from the weather. Walls keep our pets and farm animals from running amok. They provide defense against wild animals that might want to eat us.

But they also wall us away from other people. People we fear, people we don’t know or understand, people we think might want to hurt us in some way. People different from us. They wall in our biases.

Being biased against someone else is like putting up a wall and shutting the other person out.

In Agee’s book, a towering wall runs down the center of the book, dividing the right side from the left. On one side is a small person wearing armor. On the other, wild-looking animals and, we are told, an ogre.

The wall keeps the knight safe. Or does it?

This book is suitable for preschool through adults.

The AHEV Library has shared a video reading of the book.

Discussion Questions for The Wall in the Middle of the Book

• Can you name some of the reasons why people build walls?
• Have you ever built a wall? Why?
• What are some good things about walls? What are some bad things?
• What does the character in the book think the wall protects him from?
• Is the side of the wall he is on safe?
• Is he mistaken about who is on the other side of the wall?
• How does the wall prevent him from learning about his neighbors?
• What could he have done instead of building a wall?
• How can words be used to build a wall between people?

Activities for The Wall in the Middle of the Book

Who is Behind the Wall. Create an artificial divider such as a cardboard wall or drapery. Assign students to take turns sitting on one side of the wall or the other. By asking questions, see if the students can identify each other. What did they learn new about their classmate?

Breaking Down Walls. Having a pen pal from another school, state, or country can help break down walls between those who come from different backgrounds. Digital pen pals work particularly well in our online classes. WeAreTeachers.com reviews several different pen pal organizations.

Human Bingo. Create Bingo type cards with positive hobbies and likes your students share such as love music, play video games, travel to another state, eat rice, can swim, can sew, reads, and so on. Have students find people with the same likes, experiences, and hobbies and have them sign each other’s cards.

We have created one you can use. If you want to make your own, a search of the Internet will provide numerous examples. Use this template from Education World.

Tearing Down Walls

According the National Association for the Education of Young Children the four goals of anti-bias education are: