Beauty and Strength in Diversity
"It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and strength." ~ Maya Angelou
First, before anything, let me remind you...go vote. Tuesday. Your voice matters. Ok, now moving on.
Diversity in children's literature is where it is at right now. It is what publishers are looking for, it is what bloggers are talking about, it is what librarians and teachers promote, and my friends, in 2018, it is what we need.
Diversity in children's literature is not an easy thing to accomplish however. Now that there is a bigger push for diverse voices, many questions arise. What is diversity? What qualifies as a diverse book? Can you write a book with characters who are different from you? (The #ownvoices movement tackles this issue.) Should books be mirrors, reflecting your own experience, or windows, giving you a glimpse into another perspective?
These are tough questions and good ones! The fact that the conversation is even happening is a big step. I believe children should be exposed to as many kinds of books and voices and perspectives as possible. I have found deep connections to stories that reflect my own life. I have grown because of stories that show me how others experience the world. When I couldn't afford to travel, books took me places I could only dream of visiting someday. When I was finally able to travel, books brought me back home to my roots.
One of the most common questions I get from parents looking for books is about diverse books. When giving suggestions, I first ask what the motivation for diverse books is. Do you want to start a conversation at home about a particular type of diversity? Or are you just looking to surround your child with different perspectives? Today, I have two books that do both!
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lòpez
There was much buzz about this book as the children's lit world waited for it to hit shelves. Those who were fortunate enough to get advanced review copies sang its praises on social media. The Day You Begin tells the story of what it is like on the first day of school when you don't quite feel like you fit in. But it's not just one type of child that feels lost. Some kids are worried because their hair or skin is different. Some kids feel left out because of the type of food they have to bring to school. Some don't have the same stories of a glorious summer vacation. Sometimes you feel left out of a game.
Woodson does a remarkable job of being inclusive and aware that we all have moments where we feel like we don't belong. Beginnings are hard and it can be a time when our differences are heightened. Her book highlights these tough moments but also, in a not so didactic way, shows us that because of our differences, we belong together. Beautifully done.
Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
Mixed is a little more straightforward than The Day You Begin. Well, at least for the adults. In the beginning, there were three colors: red, yellow, and blue. They all got along until one day when they didn't and each color thought they were better than the other colors. So they moved to separate parts of town. But a blue and a yellow decided they wanted to be together. So they...mixed! When they mixed they created a whole new color. At first this was frowned upon by the other colors but then eventually it caught on. And everybody was happier than before.
This has a direct connection to interracial relationships and that seems the most obvious message - that it doesn't matter what color you are. However, kids have the beauty of seeing the world as what it could be. I can see this story as a jumping point for other kinds of segregation. Think of all the ways we have tried to self-segregate: religion, gender, race and ethnicity, ability, the list goes on and on.
This week I heard about a Muslim community who raised thousands of dollars for the victims and families of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. I've heard many people comment that it seems like we are becoming more divided as a nation. I can't think of a better time for a book like Mixed.
* Another great resource, one I used myself and refer parents to frequently, is The Conscious Kid. This organization promotes diverse books with all sorts of different types of diversity. They have a great website but what I really love is their Instagram.
First, before anything, let me remind you...go vote. Tuesday. Your voice matters. Ok, now moving on.
Diversity in children's literature is where it is at right now. It is what publishers are looking for, it is what bloggers are talking about, it is what librarians and teachers promote, and my friends, in 2018, it is what we need.
Diversity in children's literature is not an easy thing to accomplish however. Now that there is a bigger push for diverse voices, many questions arise. What is diversity? What qualifies as a diverse book? Can you write a book with characters who are different from you? (The #ownvoices movement tackles this issue.) Should books be mirrors, reflecting your own experience, or windows, giving you a glimpse into another perspective?
These are tough questions and good ones! The fact that the conversation is even happening is a big step. I believe children should be exposed to as many kinds of books and voices and perspectives as possible. I have found deep connections to stories that reflect my own life. I have grown because of stories that show me how others experience the world. When I couldn't afford to travel, books took me places I could only dream of visiting someday. When I was finally able to travel, books brought me back home to my roots.
One of the most common questions I get from parents looking for books is about diverse books. When giving suggestions, I first ask what the motivation for diverse books is. Do you want to start a conversation at home about a particular type of diversity? Or are you just looking to surround your child with different perspectives? Today, I have two books that do both!
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael Lòpez
There was much buzz about this book as the children's lit world waited for it to hit shelves. Those who were fortunate enough to get advanced review copies sang its praises on social media. The Day You Begin tells the story of what it is like on the first day of school when you don't quite feel like you fit in. But it's not just one type of child that feels lost. Some kids are worried because their hair or skin is different. Some kids feel left out because of the type of food they have to bring to school. Some don't have the same stories of a glorious summer vacation. Sometimes you feel left out of a game.
Woodson does a remarkable job of being inclusive and aware that we all have moments where we feel like we don't belong. Beginnings are hard and it can be a time when our differences are heightened. Her book highlights these tough moments but also, in a not so didactic way, shows us that because of our differences, we belong together. Beautifully done.
Mixed: A Colorful Story by Arree Chung
Mixed is a little more straightforward than The Day You Begin. Well, at least for the adults. In the beginning, there were three colors: red, yellow, and blue. They all got along until one day when they didn't and each color thought they were better than the other colors. So they moved to separate parts of town. But a blue and a yellow decided they wanted to be together. So they...mixed! When they mixed they created a whole new color. At first this was frowned upon by the other colors but then eventually it caught on. And everybody was happier than before.
This has a direct connection to interracial relationships and that seems the most obvious message - that it doesn't matter what color you are. However, kids have the beauty of seeing the world as what it could be. I can see this story as a jumping point for other kinds of segregation. Think of all the ways we have tried to self-segregate: religion, gender, race and ethnicity, ability, the list goes on and on.
This week I heard about a Muslim community who raised thousands of dollars for the victims and families of the synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. I've heard many people comment that it seems like we are becoming more divided as a nation. I can't think of a better time for a book like Mixed.
* Another great resource, one I used myself and refer parents to frequently, is The Conscious Kid. This organization promotes diverse books with all sorts of different types of diversity. They have a great website but what I really love is their Instagram.
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