Diversity
A study by author Krista Maywalt Aronson revealed that children who looked at picture books portraying children from different races together reported more interest in playing across difference.
"If we want parents to have serious discussions about race with their four and five and six-year-olds then we need to have books that help to do this," writes Betsy Bird on her blog A Fuse #8 Production. "A Picture Book Reading List for Discussing Race, Religion, and Alternative Lifestyles with the Young" is included.
In response to the passionate and engaging conversation around the recent list of culturally diverse books, SLJ's review editors asked readers and experts in the field to select titles for inclusion in this expanded list. Add your own favorite titles in the comments section.
Writer Carly Okyle was born with cerebral palsy—a movement disorder—in 1985. She writes of how growing up, she wasn't exposed to disabled characters in books and television and how the media landscape has changed over time, with disability hitting the mainstream, including some worthy book titles.
Tim Wadham shares how Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library, was a pioneer in the library field and influenced services and literature for Spanish-speaking patrons.
In this editorial, School Library Journal's editor-in-chief Rebecca Miller pays tribute to the Diversity Issue, which highlights the ongoing need for more diverse representation in books published for children and teens, provides practical guidance for librarians and teachers, and so much more.
Bank Street School librarian Allie Bruce found herself facing a complicated question from a sixth grader about the lack of minorities on YA book covers, starting with Julia Alvarez's Return to Sender. The question led Bruce on a year-long lesson on diversity in children's literature with a sixth grade class and—some surprising results.
The effects of the income gap are starkly evident in long-range studies of our youngest learners, making it critical for libraries to provide early learning services to those who need it the most: poor children.
"While some might see diverse books as limited, we have found the exact opposite is true when discovering each book’s marketing potential. We are open to trying different approaches, depending on what the book is about." Jason Low, Publisher, Lee & Low Books NOTE: SLJ Conversations is a sponsored supplement to SLJ's Extra Helping newsletter. This interview was commissioned by Lee & Low.
1,308 articles
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER? LOG IN
Thank you for visiting.
We’ve noticed you are using a private browser. To continue, please log in or create an account.
