Two years ago, I had a teacher friend make a post on social media challenging teachers to take an honest look/walk-through their classroom library and look for books that offered diversity among the characters, discussed difficult topics, or highlighted individuals who represented specific races and cultures. I took on the challenge and quickly realized that the books in our classroom library were severely lacking any sense of diversity, and I took action.
I began researching about books that would help our students navigate hard topics, talk about diverse issues, inspire great thinking and writing, spark creativity, and create a reading community in the classroom.
As teachers, I believe that it is feverishly important that we acknowledge and reflect on the important role that picture books, chapter books, and nonfictional resources can and will play in our students’ lives. I feel passionate about helping students ignite a desire for reading and foster a love for the stories and information found within the pages of books. Our students deserve the opportunity the learn in an environment that supports and encourages reading as well as uses stories to help them make sense of the world. ALL of our students also deserve to see themselves represented in the pages of the books in our libraries.
“Reading can help all of us write a different story.”–Donalyn Miller
Books can help students make connections with others who are experiencing the same life obstacles that they are. Books let our students know they are not alone. Stories make them smile, laugh, hope, and dream.
Our students deserve access to books and texts that are culturally relevant, diverse, and provide opportunity for understanding.
Here is a list of books that I recently received through a Donors Choose project centered around diversity as well as others I have recently added to our classroom collection. These books can be used to help share ideas, learn about life lessons, discuss complex and difficult topics, dig into diverse issues, help our students relate to characters whose lives and events may mirror their own, and better understand the world around them.
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*I have a growing selection now, so the small list above are some recent additions. If you are interested in finding resources that highlight other diverse books, please check out the links below! They will give you an excellent starting place.
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