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School Librarian Talks to Students About ‘Whitewashing’ Children’s Book Covers

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School Librarian Talks to Students About ‘Whitewashing’ Children’s Book Covers

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It all started with a complicated question with a complicated answer. I'd been asked by a humanities teacher, Jamie Steinfeld, at the school I work at-the Bank Street School for Children-to booktalk some realistic fiction titles for her class in early October 2013. As I held up Julia Alvarez's Return to Sender (Knopf, 2009), a girl raised her hand.

"Why is there a bird on that cover, when every other book you've shown us has had a picture of the main character?"

There were only 10 minutes left before lunch, and I was tempted to shrug her question off with, "Good question─but we don't have time to talk about it right now."

However, Bank Street's director of diversity and community, Anshu Wahi, had previously advised me to handle difficult questions honestly rather than trying to brush them under the rug.

So I said, "That's a complicated question with a complicated answer. Let's talk about it."

I found a paperback version of Return to Sender and showed them how on the cover, sunlight falls upon the white main character (Tyler), illuminating his face and blonde hair, while the Latina character (Mari) has her back turned, so only her ponytail is visible.

"Can you tell that this book features a character of color?" I asked.

No, they answered. I held up the hardcover version of Return to Sender, featuring a picture of a bird. "What about this version-can you tell it features a character of color?"

The answer was no.

Then, I asked them the same question about the character featured on the book Heat (Penguin, 2006) by Mike Lupica.

No again. I did the same with Jacqueline Woodson's Locomotion (Putnam, 2003). By this point, most of the kids were incredulous.

"They don't want people to know that the book is about a black kid?" someone had asked.

"It's impossible to know for sure what goes into the decisions about any cover," I answered. "But yes, in a lot of cases, publishers hesitate to put characters of color on covers."

Then, came the collective "Why?"

"Why do you think?" I answered.

They all looked at each other. Then, one brave girl volunteered. "Do they think it won't make as much money?"

Bingo.

To give us a common vocabulary, I introduced the word "whitewashing" and pulled up the infamous images of the galley of Justine Larbalestier's Liar (Crows Nest, 2009), which originally featured a white girl rather than a girl of color, despite what the book explicitly states. (The cover has since been changed and reprints now feature a girl of color.)

In her reflection on that discussion in that evening's homework, one sixth grader wrote, "Society is almost afraid of putting a dark-skinned or Asian character on the cover of a book. I feel like these are minor forms of segregation."

To follow up with that lesson, I put together a slideshow of problematic book covers that reduced characters of color to abstract images. We talked about hair, and how often the hair from a black character is covered, as in Chains (S & S, 2008) by Laurie Halse Anderson-or simply concealed by a silhouette, like in Bird in a Box (Little, Brown 2011) by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

"Now I kind of want to be a publisher so that I can break some of these stereotypes," wrote one student.

Over subsequent months, (the teacher) Jamie and I held student-directed diversity sessions about various topics: book covers, gender bias, what sorts of actions they can take to protest injustices, a field trip to Barnes & Noble, and a class visit from two editors at Knopf.

Some of the most memorable student reflections came from the Barnes & Noble field trip:

"I know some girls who will want to read 'just for boys' books, because maybe they like sports, or aliens, or trucks. But they will not want to read that book, because it says 'just for boys.' "

"I saw very few books about diverse sexual orientations..."

"On the covers, I saw thin, pretty girls. I didn't see any overweight girls or anyone with acne. I think that these covers shape an idea of perfect in a girls mind, and make them want to be like that, even though everyone was born perfect."

"I didn't see a book with a biracial main character... it is not fair in any way."

"All the teen books showed girls as if they always had problems that they needed a guy's help with in order to solve."

The exchange with the Knopf children's book editors Erin Clarke and Michelle Frey allowed the kids to see the complexities involved in cover-making. Clarke and Frey brought covers they liked, covers they didn't, and books that had had dozens of covers bandied about. The kids got to pass around six potential covers for one not-yet-published title and give feedback on what worked and didn't work. They also learned that editors are also sometimes frustrated by cover decisions; Erin and Michelle shared one book that had could have had an artistic, colorful cover, but was given a "pretty girl" cover, to both of their frustration. The kids found that the discussion validated their concerns and made them feel that their opinions were valued.

The school year-long project concluded with the kids writing "This I Believe" essays about an aspect of the project that had captured their interest and imagination. I was glad I had not ignored that young girl's difficult question that had─months ago─opened this so-called Pandora's Box. Addressing this complicated question about skewed publishing practices allowed the kids to think critically and develop their own opinions about books, toys, movies, television, and the entire world around them. At the end of the learning unit, the kids had new eyes and greater perspectives.

"I never really noticed all the stereotypes in the book world until this project," wrote one student. "I don't think I'll ever think about books the same way!"
Allie Jane Bruce is Children's Librarian at the Bank Street College of Education. She earned her library degree from The Pratt Institute and tweets from @alliejanebruce.

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School Librarian Talks to Students About 'Whitewashing' Children's Book Covers

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It all started with a complicated question with a complicated answer. I'd been asked by a humanities teacher, Jamie Steinfeld, at the school I work at-the Bank Street School for Children-to booktalk some realistic fiction titles for her class in early October 2013.

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Conversations in the Classroom | #OwnVoices: Three Takes

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Conversations in the Classroom | #OwnVoices: Three Takes

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By Elisa Gall on

The first time I remember my students bringing #OwnVoices up in the classroom was before Corinne Duyvis developed the hashtag, so the children didn't use those words exactly. Third graders were examining the Coretta Scott King Award criteria-which states that for a book to be eligible it must be written or illustrated by a person who is African American.

A few students declared, "That isn't fair!" I took a breath and considered the children in the space and the mix of our group's different intersectional identities (my own included). As a white educator with a diverse but majority white class, the moment made me uncomfortable. Still, I knew that engaging in conversations about identity and justice is how students build up the stamina to keep having them-and ever more difficult ones-as they grow. Here are things I have found helpful to reflect on as I've led and participated in discussions about #OwnVoices and other topics with young people in my library classroom over the years.

Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, assistant professor, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education

Christine Scheper, children's materials specialist, Queens (NY) Library

Hold up the mirror. I must constantly work to better understand my own complex identity, and what that means in my life and in my classroom. I need to keep developing knowledge and skills to ensure that I'm not centering myself or unintentionally making students feel "othered" or further marginalized. Through reading books, attending workshops, following diversity and equity activists on social media, inviting others to learn with me, and more, I push myself to keep reflecting on what me being the teacher means for my students, especially if and when I'm not an #OwnTeacher. This learning is my responsibility and it never stops.

Set norms. Norms, or agreed-upon expectations for behavior and participation, can structure conversations and keep debates focused. Ask students for suggestions for group norms at the beginning of a discussion. Document them and make them visible. Point to them if conversations go off track, or create additional norms if needs arise.

One that is popular in my community is to "share the air," also known as "three before me." If, after talking, a person waits until three other participants have spoken before contributing again, more people have a chance to communicate their ideas.

Another common norm is to only speak from the "I" perspective, which allows students to work to understand that no identity or experience is monolithic. Creating and committing to norms can keep participants accountable and conversations productive.

Fairness routines. Research from Project Zero at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education shows that thinking routines are procedures that, when used habitually, can support student learning by providing structures for a particular type of thinking process. When students in my class questioned the Coretta Scott King Award criteria, I invited them to participate in a fairness routine called "Tug of War." I set butcher paper on the ground, drawing a long line across it. One end represented the opinion that the eligibility rule was fair, whereas the other end represented the viewpoint that it was unfair. Regardless of their own opinions, students identified factors supporting and challenging each point of view using sticky notes to document as many ideas as they could, and placed them in the locations along the line matching the different viewpoints.

Students read their factors and generated a list of "What if?" questions before considering whether or not their own opinions were strengthened or changed as a result of the routine. Their questions, which were candid (" What if the best book couldn't win?"), far-reaching (" What if racism ended?"), and altogether varied, served as evidence of deep reflection and perspective taking. More information about thinking routines can be found on the Project Zero site.

Start from a common place. Frameworks already exist for having conversations and evaluating texts critically. For example, studying authorship is one piece of the anti-bias lens for evaluating children's books by Louise Derman-Sparks (found on the Teaching for Change website). Examining books through all of the elements of an anti-bias lens will help readers analyze, better understand, and form opinions about what they read. Shared vocabulary and context allow people entering conversations to have some common ground from the start.

For readers identifying with and learning from #OwnVoices books and authors, conversations about them are empowering and life-changing. Discussions about #OwnVoices can vary and needn't be seen as difficult outright. My third graders' discussion about the award criteria revolved around fairness. However, I imagine the conversation might have evolved differently if the topic were an #OwnVoices identity other than race, different children had been in the room, or African American children were in the majority of our group that day.

Regardless of the topic, I do know that whenever questions arise, they present challenging and exciting learning opportunities. For me, this is about being open to learning from feedback and sitting with ambiguity. Not knowing everything can be scary, but embracing a growth mindset and getting comfortable being uncomfortable is what opens the door for inquiry and authentic learning for all members of a classroom community-the teacher included.
Elisa Gall is director of library services at an independent school in Chicago.

This article was featured in our free Extra Helping enewsletter.
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Conversations in the Classroom | #OwnVoices: Three Takes

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By Elisa Gall on The first time I remember my students bringing #OwnVoices up in the classroom was before Corinne Duyvis developed the hashtag, so the children didn't use those words exactly. Third graders were examining the Coretta Scott King Award criteria-which states that for a book to be eligible it must be written or illustrated by a person who is African American.

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School Librarian Talks to Students About ‘Whitewashing’ Children’s Book Covers

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School Librarian Talks to Students About ‘Whitewashing’ Children’s Book Covers

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It all started with a complicated question with a complicated answer. I'd been asked by a humanities teacher, Jamie Steinfeld, at the school I work at-the Bank Street School for Children-to booktalk some realistic fiction titles for her class in early October 2013. As I held up Julia Alvarez's Return to Sender (Knopf, 2009), a girl raised her hand.

"Why is there a bird on that cover, when every other book you've shown us has had a picture of the main character?"

There were only 10 minutes left before lunch, and I was tempted to shrug her question off with, "Good question─but we don't have time to talk about it right now."

However, Bank Street's director of diversity and community, Anshu Wahi, had previously advised me to handle difficult questions honestly rather than trying to brush them under the rug.

So I said, "That's a complicated question with a complicated answer. Let's talk about it."

I found a paperback version of Return to Sender and showed them how on the cover, sunlight falls upon the white main character (Tyler), illuminating his face and blonde hair, while the Latina character (Mari) has her back turned, so only her ponytail is visible.

"Can you tell that this book features a character of color?" I asked.

No, they answered. I held up the hardcover version of Return to Sender, featuring a picture of a bird. "What about this version-can you tell it features a character of color?"

The answer was no.

Then, I asked them the same question about the character featured on the book Heat (Penguin, 2006) by Mike Lupica.

No again. I did the same with Jacqueline Woodson's Locomotion (Putnam, 2003). By this point, most of the kids were incredulous.

"They don't want people to know that the book is about a black kid?" someone had asked.

"It's impossible to know for sure what goes into the decisions about any cover," I answered. "But yes, in a lot of cases, publishers hesitate to put characters of color on covers."

Then, came the collective "Why?"

"Why do you think?" I answered.

They all looked at each other. Then, one brave girl volunteered. "Do they think it won't make as much money?"

Bingo.

To give us a common vocabulary, I introduced the word "whitewashing" and pulled up the infamous images of the galley of Justine Larbalestier's Liar (Crows Nest, 2009), which originally featured a white girl rather than a girl of color, despite what the book explicitly states. (The cover has since been changed and reprints now feature a girl of color.)

In her reflection on that discussion in that evening's homework, one sixth grader wrote, "Society is almost afraid of putting a dark-skinned or Asian character on the cover of a book. I feel like these are minor forms of segregation."

To follow up with that lesson, I put together a slideshow of problematic book covers that reduced characters of color to abstract images. We talked about hair, and how often the hair from a black character is covered, as in Chains (S & S, 2008) by Laurie Halse Anderson-or simply concealed by a silhouette, like in Bird in a Box (Little, Brown 2011) by Andrea Davis Pinkney.

"Now I kind of want to be a publisher so that I can break some of these stereotypes," wrote one student.

Over subsequent months, (the teacher) Jamie and I held student-directed diversity sessions about various topics: book covers, gender bias, what sorts of actions they can take to protest injustices, a field trip to Barnes & Noble, and a class visit from two editors at Knopf.

Some of the most memorable student reflections came from the Barnes & Noble field trip:

"I know some girls who will want to read 'just for boys' books, because maybe they like sports, or aliens, or trucks. But they will not want to read that book, because it says 'just for boys.' "

"I saw very few books about diverse sexual orientations..."

"On the covers, I saw thin, pretty girls. I didn't see any overweight girls or anyone with acne. I think that these covers shape an idea of perfect in a girls mind, and make them want to be like that, even though everyone was born perfect."

"I didn't see a book with a biracial main character... it is not fair in any way."

"All the teen books showed girls as if they always had problems that they needed a guy's help with in order to solve."

The exchange with the Knopf children's book editors Erin Clarke and Michelle Frey allowed the kids to see the complexities involved in cover-making. Clarke and Frey brought covers they liked, covers they didn't, and books that had had dozens of covers bandied about. The kids got to pass around six potential covers for one not-yet-published title and give feedback on what worked and didn't work. They also learned that editors are also sometimes frustrated by cover decisions; Erin and Michelle shared one book that had could have had an artistic, colorful cover, but was given a "pretty girl" cover, to both of their frustration. The kids found that the discussion validated their concerns and made them feel that their opinions were valued.

The school year-long project concluded with the kids writing "This I Believe" essays about an aspect of the project that had captured their interest and imagination. I was glad I had not ignored that young girl's difficult question that had─months ago─opened this so-called Pandora's Box. Addressing this complicated question about skewed publishing practices allowed the kids to think critically and develop their own opinions about books, toys, movies, television, and the entire world around them. At the end of the learning unit, the kids had new eyes and greater perspectives.

"I never really noticed all the stereotypes in the book world until this project," wrote one student. "I don't think I'll ever think about books the same way!"
Allie Jane Bruce is Children's Librarian at the Bank Street College of Education. She earned her library degree from The Pratt Institute and tweets from @alliejanebruce.

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School Librarian Talks to Students About 'Whitewashing' Children's Book Covers

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It all started with a complicated question with a complicated answer. I'd been asked by a humanities teacher, Jamie Steinfeld, at the school I work at-the Bank Street School for Children-to booktalk some realistic fiction titles for her class in early October 2013.

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The Multiracial Population Is Growing, But Kid Lit Isn’t Keeping Up

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The Multiracial Population Is Growing, But Kid Lit Isn’t Keeping Up

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By Monica Brown on

Let me begin by recounting a story I heard from Melodia, the daughter of two African-American parents, who, like my book's character Marisol McDonald (from the "Marisol McDonald" series published by Lee & Low), has peach skin and bright red hair.

Melodia tells me that she identifies as "black and proud."

When a girl in Melodia's class referred to her as "white," Melodia corrected her only to be told, "You're white to me."

"Yes, but I'm black to me," Melodia said.

When Melodia came home and told her mom the story, she ended it by announcing that she would be "wearing an afro tomorrow."

When she is with her African-American parents, Melodia tells me she's been asked if she's adopted or albino.

Melodia says, "That's the way people are. They have to label everything, and if they don't know you, they have to make stuff up."

When it comes to race, our culture is obsessed with labels and boxes. For those of us whose backgrounds and faces do not fall under a neat label, the impulse can be to exclude, erase, or question authenticity. Labels are rooted in racist ideas about "blood quantum" and in the legalese of the "one-drop rule." From a 21st-century perspective, labels associated with ethnic identity and perceptions of authenticity often use the colonizer's language and paradigm.

The multiracial population is undeniably growing. According to the 2010 United States Census, nine million people marked more than one race. In fact, the multiracial population grew by 32 percent since 2000, in contrast to the nine percent growth of the population marking a single race. Using the language of the U.S. Census, "interracial or interethnic" families grew by 28 percent. However, the Children's Cooperative Book Center released the statistic that of the books published in 2013, a mere 253 out of 3,200 were about children of color. I look at these statistics and wonder how many of these 253 books feature protagonists who might fall into more than one of the categories used-African-American, American-Indian, Pacific Islander/Asian-American, or Latino. I suspect very few.

There are many words associated with multiracial people, some negative and some positive. For myself, the daughter of a North American father and a South American mother, I prefer "mestiza," because it encompasses my European and Peruvian indigenous origins. But, that's technically (or at least historically) incorrect, because while I have Spanish and indigenous Peruvian origins on my mother's side, I also have African and Romanian Jewish origins.

On my father's side, I have Scottish, Italian, and Hungarian Jewish origins. Some people prefer the terms "mixed" and others "biracial." President Obama has jokingly called himself a "mutt," and there are other terms meant to be humorous that I feel uncomfortable with. Of the limited choices available, I choose "multiracial" with an emphasis on the multi-I am made of multitudes, not fractions.

Although I've described myself as "half-Peruvian" or "half-Jewish" as a shortcut in the past, I fully reject those terms now. I am not half of anything. I am whole in myself, as are my daughters. I am the Latina daughter of a Latina woman. I am bilingual. Melodia is the African-American daughter of African-American parents. She is also Guatemalan and Scottish. We are the face of a complex, multiracial, multilingual, and diverse past, present, and future.

The time has long passed for our children's literature to develop more complex and realistic representations of race. Our kids' books need to represent the biracial or multiracial experience, and not only in black and white. Multiracial characters do not need to have one white parent-they can be Native American and Latino, for example, or Asian-American and African-American.

In my writing for children, and certainly in my "Marisol McDonald" series, I present an ethos of wholeness for children like my own. It is my hope that dialogues like this will encourage us all to write (and edit and publish) toward wholeness for our multiracial children.

Monica Brown ( www.monicabrown.net) is the author of more than a dozen picture books, including "Tito Puente: Mambo King/Rey del mambo" (HarperCollins) and the award-winning "Marisol McDonald Doesn't Match/no combina" (Lee & Low).

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The Multiracial Population Is Growing, But Kid Lit Isn't Keeping Up

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By Monica Brown on Let me begin by recounting a story I heard from Melodia, the daughter of two African-American parents, who, like my book's character Marisol McDonald (from the "Marisol McDonald" series published by Lee & Low), has peach skin and bright red hair. Melodia tells me that she identifies as "black and proud."

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Everyday Diversity: A TL Offers Practical Tips to Make a Difference

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Everyday Diversity: A TL Offers Practical Tips to Make a Difference

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By Crystal Brunelle on

Finding and implementing diverse children's literature in the curriculum has been a priority throughout my teaching career, but it has only been in the last few years that I've thought about how I can move beyond my library walls. I teach my students that one person can make a difference in the world, and I have started to put that belief into practice. Here are several actions I've found helpful in promoting diverse children's and young adult literature with students and beyond.

Seek out and read diverse literature: We're better able to suggest diverse titles if they are part of our reading life. Yes, I know that finding diverse titles can be tricky. There aren't enough books available, but find what we do have. If you want title suggestions and some form of accountability, participate in a reading challenge such as "Diversity on the Shelf," "Latin@s in KidLit," or "Africa Reading Challenge." The hosts provide reading suggestions, and participants offer reviews as they read. Award lists are another great resource. There are many blogs that have diversity as a focus, too. The CCBC-Net discussion in February 2014 generated a helpful list of blogs and other online resources with a diversity focus. Also, as you search for books, if your local public library doesn't have the titles, put their suggestion forms to use. If your bookstore doesn't stock it, ask them to.

Share and share widely: Booktalk the titles with your students, and display them. Don't confine this sharing to the heritage months, either. Genres, themes, and other displays can always include diverse lit. Share beyond your walls, too. Last January, SLJ senior editor Shelley Diaz wrote about the lack of awareness regarding Latino titles, but people may not even know about the books that already exist. We need to be promoters-even if you just slap some stars on the title in Goodreads. If you have more time, review books online, or share your thoughts via social media. If you don't have a blog yet, this is the perfect incentive. You can also recommend titles for book clubs, Battles of the Books, or state and national award lists.

Seek out professional development: Take advantage of opportunities to teach within your district or at local or national conferences. Point staff to resources that promote diverse literature and titles that would support their curriculum. When a team recently asked me for memoir suggestions, I recommended Little White Duck: A Childhood in China (Graphic Universe, 2012) by Na Liu and Andrés Vera Martínez, When I Was Eight (Annick Press, 2013) by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret Pokiak-Fenton, and Drawing from Memory (Scholastic, 2011) by Allen Say-along with other titles from a variety of cultural experiences. Encourage critical thinking: Both staff and students benefit from learning how to evaluate texts they encounter. Being able to detect bias in fiction or nonfiction is a valuable skill. My students are learning to keep an eye out for stereotypes and whether there is an absent voice or perspective. They are becoming critical readers, and we are having some incredible discussions as a result.

Buy diverse books: Our purchases are what will speak the loudest to publishers. In your personal life, you can take the "Birthday Party Pledge" that asks you to give diverse literature as birthday gifts for a year. You can also support the authors you love by buying their books for your own library. In your professional life, be sure to look for diverse titles as you place orders. Small presses, like Oyate and Lee & Low, are often great places to find diverse literature.

These are just a few of the ways I will be actively supporting diverse children's and YA literature in the coming years.

Crystal Brunelle (@librarygrl2) is a library media specialist at Northern Hills Elementary in Onalaska, WI, and blogs at RichinColor.com.

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Everyday Diversity: A Teacher Librarian Offers Practical Tips to Make a Difference

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By Crystal Brunelle on Finding and implementing diverse children's literature in the curriculum has been a priority throughout my teaching career, but it has only been in the last few years that I've thought about how I can move beyond my library walls.

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At the CCBC, we define "multicultural" literature as books by and about people of color and First/Native Nations individuals: African and African Americans, American Indians, Asian/Pacifics and Asian Pacific Americans, and Latinos. This listing introduces 30 essential books and a range of authors for teens. Interested in multicultural literature for younger readers?

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Office for Intellectual Freedom Established December 1, 1967, the Office for Intellectual Freedom is charged with implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom as embodied in the Library Bill of Rights, the Association's basic policy on free access to libraries and library materials.

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What do we mean by diversity?

After compiling the list of the 2015 Top Ten Challenged Books, the staff at the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) noticed that once again, a high percentage of the titles fell into the category of "diverse content." What do we mean by diversity?

Some definitions

Let's start with the definition in the American Library Association's policy manual.
"The American Library Association (ALA) promotes equal access to information for all persons and recognizes the ongoing need to increase awareness of and responsiveness to the diversity of the communities we serve. ALA recognizes the critical need for access to library and information resources, services, and technologies by all people, especially those who may experience language or literacy-related barriers; economic distress; cultural or social isolation; physical or attitudinal barriers; racism; discrimination on the basis of appearance, ethnicity, immigrant status, religious background, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression; or barriers to equal education, employment, and housing."
OIF has pointed to the work of Malinda Lo, who wrote that diverse content means "books by and about people of color, LGBT people, and/or disabled people." In our infographic from 2015, we unpacked that to: "non-white main and/or secondary characters; LGBT main and/or secondary characters; disabled main and/or secondary characters; issues about race or racism; LGBT issues; issues about religion, which encompass in this situation the Holocaust and terrorism; issues about disability and/or mental illness; non-Western settings, in which the West is North America and Europe." This language is long for an infographic and we struggled with the omission of neurodiversity.

Finally, one of our partners in the Banned Books Week coalition is We Need Diverse Books, which offers this definition in their mission statement:
"We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities*, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. "*We subscribe to a broad definition of disability, which includes but is not limited to physical, sensory, cognitive, intellectual, or developmental disabilities, chronic conditions, and mental illnesses (this may also include addiction). Furthermore, we subscribe to a social model of disability, which presents disability as created by barriers in the social environment, due to lack of equal access, stereotyping, and other forms of marginalization."
The overall goal, as Martin Garnar, co-chair of ALA's Task Force for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, wrote:

"We are striving for social justice for ALL - and with these definitions desire to achieve a larger rather than smaller common and inclusive denominator."

Applying the definitions to this year's challenges

In regards to the mission of our office, diversity is about what is not mainstream in libraries and classrooms. Omitted and suppressed information and stories are often a reflection of the dominant players in today's publishing and distribution systems. As OIF wrote in a (2014?) document entitled " Black Words Matter:"

"According to the University of Wisconsin's Cooperative Children's Book Center, only 3% of the 3,200 books written for children in 2013 were about black people and only 2% were written by African American authors. Publisher Lee & Low, using the CCBC's statistics from 1994 - 2012, found that while 37% of the U.S. population are people of color, only 10% of the books include multicultural content."

While "diversity" is seldom given as a reason for a challenge, it may in fact be an underlying and unspoken factor: the work is about people and issues others would prefer not to consider. Often, content addresses concerns of groups who have suffered historic and ongoing discrimination. For instance, a book that often recurs in previous years' top ten challenges is Toni Morrison's Beloved. While it has sex in it, and that's often the complaint, many other books also have sex, and are not challenged. Is the underlying motivation for the challenge racism? Sometimes, it surely is. In other cases, of course, a complaint genuinely may be about precisely what the challenger says it is.

In collaboration with other sponsors of Banned Books Week, we are highlighting the diverse content in the list of 2015 Top Ten Most Challenged Books. Talking about this commonality may offer some insights into the current concerns of those who challenge materials.

For instance, four of this year's titles clearly fall into the LGBT category: Beyond Magenta, Fun Home, I Am Jazz, and Two Boys Kissing. Three books deal with religion, and challengers' suspicion of it: Islam in Habibi and Nasreen's Secret School; and Judeo-Christianity in the Bible. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time centers on the disability of the main character, who is autistic. Call it neuro-atypical: a mode of cognitive processing and emotional responsiveness that falls somewhat outside of the norm. OIF staff agree that all of the above fall well into our common understanding of diversity.

We disagreed about Looking for Alaska. One character suffers from depression to the point of suicide, and mental illness is certainly a disability. Others of us felt that this may be stretching the point; the book is mainly about privileged white people, and the complaints about it don't really focus on the mental illness. But a secondary character with a disability fits our the definition we used last year. I opted to include it in the name of consistency. I can see how others might disagree. Similarly, we talked about whether the Bible - certainly not hard to find in our culture - really fits the definition of diversity. But if challenges to materials about Islam qualify as worthy of note; then attacks against another religion should be tracked, too, even if it is better known in our society.

So that leaves us with just one title - Fifty Shades of Grey - that none of us could see as a diverse book under any of our referenced definitions. So here's the bottom line: even if you dispute the two we argued about ourselves, we're still looking at a clear majority of titles that deal with diverse people and ideas.

So what?

In years past, the Top Ten Most Challenged Books have generated a lot of discussion. That's good. As a society, considering an "index of complaints" helps us to understand who we are and where we're going. Cultures change over time, and the things we fear, or celebrate, change with them.

We should say, too, that this list of challenged titles is not comprehensive. Not every serious attempt to have a book removed from a library makes it to us, nor every challenge to a movie, program, or exhibit. In fact, where challenges are most successful in removing or restricting access to ideas, no one talks about it at all.

Censorship thrives in silence; silence is its aim.

This year's top ten list is very much the tip of the iceberg, with a lot more going on outside our field of vision. But it could be that the shape and composition of the iceberg can be discerned from what we can see. Your comments are welcome. Thank you for reviewing, and contributing, to our thinking on this topic.
James LaRue, director of the Office for Intellectual Freedom

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What do we mean by diversity? After compiling the list of the 2015 Top Ten Challenged Books, the staff at the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) noticed that once again, a high percentage of the titles fell into the category of "diverse content." What do we mean by diversity?

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The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools. The lists are based on information from media stories and voluntary challenge reports sent to OIF from communities across the United States.

Explore the annual Top Ten Most Challenged Books lists:

The Top Ten lists are only a snapshot of book challenges. Surveys indicate that 82-97% of book challenges - documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries - remain unreported and receive no media.

Sometimes OIF receives information as the challenge is happening; other times OIF receives an online report years later. This affects the total number of challenges reported in any given year. Thus the Top Ten Most Challenged Books list should not be viewed as an exhaustive report.

Top Ten Most Challenged Books

Top Ten for 2016

Out of 323 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2015

Out of 275 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

View the 2015 book challenge infographic

Top Ten for 2014

Out of 311 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

View the 2014 book challenge infographic

Top Ten for 2013

Out of 307 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2012

Out of 464 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2011

Out of 326 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2010

Out of 348 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2009

Out of 460 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2008

Out of 513 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2007

Out of 420 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2006

Out of 546 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2005

Out of 405 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2004

Out of 547 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2003

Out of 458 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2002

Out of 515 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Top Ten for 2001

Out of 448 challenges recorded by the Office for Intellectual Freedom

Background Information from 2000 to 2009

View the 2000-2009 book challenge infographic

From 2000 to 2009, 5,099* challenges were reported to the Office for Intellectual Freedom.

1,577 challenges due to "sexually explicit" material

1,291 challenges due to "offensive language"

989 challenges due to materials deemed "unsuited to age group"

619 challenged due to "violence"'

361 challenges due to "homosexuality"

Further, 274 materials were challenged due to "occult" or "Satanic" themes, an additional 291 were challenged due to their "religious viewpoint," and 119 because they were "anti-family."

Please note that the number of challenges and the number of reasons for those challenges do not match because works are often challenged on more than one ground.

1,639 of these challenges were in school libraries; 1,811 were in classrooms; 1,217 took place in public libraries. There were 114 challenges to materials used in college classes, and 30 to academic libraries. There are isolated cases of challenges to library materials made available in or by prisons, special libraries, community groups, and students.

The vast majority of challenges were initiated by parents (2,535), with patrons and administrators to follow (516 and 489 respectively).

* We receive challenge reports after the Top Ten lists have been published. This number reflects all the challenges we received since July 31, 2013 for the 2000-2009 time period.

Before 1990

OIF has only been collecting data about banned banned books since 1990, so we do not have any lists of frequently challenged books or authors before that date.

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The American Library Association condemns censorship and works to ensure free access to information. Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) compiles a list of the Top Ten Most Challenged Books in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools.

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click to enlarge

The old Lakota man known simply as Dan lives in a modest two-room house on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, miles away from civilization. He has no indoor plumbing, no running water. He seems to subsist solely on Folgers coffee. He is in his mid-90s, and he's seen some things.

As Neither Wolf Nor Dog opens, Dan (Dave Bald Eagle, who died last year at 97) has decided he wants his life to be documented, and he has his granddaughter contact a writer named Kent Nerburn, a white man who has previously published a book of Native American stories. Nerburn is a real author, and this film is based on his novel; he's played here by the Yakima-born actor Christopher Sweeney. Kent doesn't initially want to make the trek to South Dakota - Dan won't talk on the phone, we're informed - but while his wife is out of town, he jumps into his truck and makes the 400-mile drive to meet the elder.

Their interactions begin simply enough. Dan produces a shoebox full of written ruminations, observations about history, spirituality and the unspoken mysteries of the world, that he wants collected. But Kent becomes skeptical that he's the right person for that task. After all, why would a Native American choose a white man to be the messenger of his story? Dan's nephew Grover (Richard Ray Whitman) is also dubious: He castigates Kent for defining his uncle through tired stereotypes, and for mistaking meaningless platitudes for spiritualism.

And to be fair, Kent isn't the world's best journalist. He doesn't ask Dan any of the basic questions you'd want to know about someone who's going to be the subject of your book. We actually learn more about Dan through anecdotes that are told by supporting characters, who try to convince Kent to stay onboard the project and fulfill Dan's wishes. This matter is finally settled when Kent's truck breaks down, effectively stranding him there.

Neither Wolf Nor Dog then takes on the form of an old-fashioned road movie (although the characters never actually leave the reservation) with Grover ferrying Kent and Dan around from one significant place to another. There's not much in the way of traditional plot: The film is almost structured like a series of episodes, including a visit to a Native American history museum where the men find their heritage treated merely as decoration, as well as a moving scene set at the site of the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Considering this is a film exploring themes of interlopers in unfamiliar environments, it seems appropriate that Neither Wolf Nor Dog was directed and co-written by a Scotsman named Steven Lewis Simpson. He approaches this material with a visitor's sense of awe, allowing the South Dakota landscapes to consume the screen and often dwarf his characters.

Simpson has only made a handful of features before this, but it's clear that he knows how to convey a sense of place through his camera, favoring long, unbroken takes (both static and mobile) and cramming a lot of detail into individual frames. One of the movie's best scenes involves an uncomfortable confrontation between tertiary characters in a diner, and Simpson makes the right call in letting the camera simply linger on the faces of the mortified observers.

Neither Wolf Nor Dog gets its title from a Sitting Bull quote that refers, according to Grover, to Indians "living like white folks." And yet for a movie that's so interested in the vast gulf separating certain cultures, it's not a broad fish-out-of-water comedy, nor is it (thankfully) the story of a clueless white man learning humility from benevolent Native Americans.

Grover's message to Kent is simple: As a white man, he needs to listen to Dan and seriously consider his worldview, rather than interjecting himself into the old man's story. It's a relief, then, that Neither Wolf Nor Dog wisely heeds that advice, and it's all the more effective for it.♦

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click to enlarge The old Lakota man known simply as Dan lives in a modest two-room house on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, miles away from civilization. He has no indoor plumbing, no running water. He seems to subsist solely on Folgers coffee.

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LibGuides: Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: Websites

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LibGuides: Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: Websites

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Resources | Dia! Diversity in Action - El día de los niños, El día de los libros

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These articles address various aspects of El día de los niños / El día de los libros and preserve the history of the celebration. When possible, links to the articles have been provided, and additional articles will be added over time.

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The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.

NEW CSK BLOG: Follow the latest news and information from CSK on the brand new CSK Blog! To learn more, visit www.olos.ala.org/csk.

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards.

Volunteer for a CSK Committee

Once you've joined EMIERT and the CSK Book Awards Community, complete this online form to volunteer for one of our Standing Committees, including:

Archives and History Standing Committee

Book Grant Standing Committee

CSK Breakfast Standing Committee

Marketing Standing Committee

Membership Standing Committee

Nominating Standing Committee

Programs Standing Committee

Public Relations/Fundraising Standing Committee

Publications Standing Committee

Technology Standing Committee

2019 Author Winner

The 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Author Winner is Claire Hartfield, author of "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919," published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" is a meticulously researched exposition of the socio-economic landscape and racial tensions that led to the death of a black teen who wanted to swim, and the violent clash that resulted. In twenty chapters, Hartfield's balanced, eye-opening account contextualizes a range of social justice issues that persist to this day

2019 Illustrator Winner

The 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Illustrator Winner is Ekua Holmes, illustrator of "The Stuff of Stars" written by Marion Dane Bauer and published by Candlewick Press. In "The Stuff of Stars," Holmes uses hand marbled paper and collage to create a lush explosion of color that brings to life the formation of the universe while distinctly reflecting the essence of the African diaspora.

Ekua Holmes is a native and current resident of Boston, Massachusetts, who has worked as an artist, curator, and active member of Boston's art community. She was influenced by the need to fill the void of what she perceived as an absence of positive Black images in her childhood neighborhoods.

2019 John Steptoe Award for New Talent (Author)

The 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards John Steptoe Award for New Talent Author goes to Tiffany D. Jackon, author of "Monday's Not Coming," published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. In the timely thriller "Monday's Not Coming," Jackson examines friendship, child abuse, and family relationships. In alternating chapters, the reader is immediately pulled into the angst that Claudia feels as she struggles to piece together thisfragmented tale that concludes with a mind-blowing resolution of Monday's disappearance.

2019 John Steptoe Award for New Talent (Illustrator)

The 2019 Coretta Scott King Book Awards John Steptoe Award for New Talent Illustrator is Oge Mora, illustrator and author of "Thank You, Omu," published by Little, Brown Young Readers. "Thank You, Omu!" is a fresh take on a timeless tale of altruism and community-mindedness. Mora's collage work is skillfully pieced together with acrylic, marker, pastels, patterned paper, and old book clippings, creating a visual smorgasbord. Mora brings to life an amalgamation of many grandmothers and captures the African spirit of generosity and community.

2019 Author Honor Books

"Finding Langston" by Lesa Cline-Ransome, published by Holiday House.

"The Parker inheritance" by Varian Johnson, published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

"The season of Styx Malone" by Kekla Magoon, published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

2019 Illustrator Honor Books

"Hidden Figures" illustrated by Laura Freeman, written by Margot Lee Shetterly, published by HarperCollins Children's Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

"Let the Children March" illustrated by Frank Morrison, written by Monica Clark-Robinson, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

"Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop" illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Alice Faye Duncan, published by Calkins Creek, an imprint of Highlights.

2019 Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement (Practitioner)

Dr. Pauletta Bracy is Professor of Library Science and Director of the Office of University Accreditation at North Carolina Central University (NCCU). She has successfully merged scholarship and service with publications such as "Libraries, Literacy and African American Youth "(co-edited with Sandra Hughes Hassell and Casey H. Rawson) as well as her work with the Coretta Scott King Book Awards and with workshops and conferences dedicated to promoting African American books for children and teens. She recently served as co-organizer for Celebrating Our Voices: Black Children's Literature Symposium and Book Festival held at NCCU.

(c) 2019
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards seal images and award names are solely and exclusively owned by the American Library Association.

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-ethnic and multicultural information exchange round table

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The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs.

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LibGuides: Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: Home

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LibGuides: Multicultural Literature for Children and Young Adults: Home

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Diversity in literature goes beyond ethnicity. Diversity may include the various facets of sexuality and gender, cultural, and societal groups. Whether characters in the books we read reflect others or ourselves, what is most important is connecting with them in ways that help us understand who we are today. Sometimes learning about our history through the eyes of diverse characters can be unsettling or even painful, but it also can be an awakening to the unknown. In this collection, I focus on books that reflect multiple cultures in the text or illustrations, sometimes subtle, other times more direct. I believe these books reflect the mosaic beauty of our world.
Ages 4-8
Ada has been an inquisitive child from the time she could crawl. At first, her insatiable curiosity, constant questions, and taking things apart to see how they work frustrate her parents, but soon they nurture Ada's quest for answers instead. As her search for knowledge flourishes, Ada also realizes she might encourage other kindred budding scientists by taking her latest experiment to her classroom. Features reflecting diversity in the rhyming text and expressive mixed-media illustrations include the race of this young girl scientist and the racial makeup of her classroom.

If you need a book to explain airports to children (or adults) who are new to flying this book is perfect because of the range of perspectives Lisa Brown captures through her detailed ink-and-watercolor illustrations, narrative text, and cartoon bubble conversations. Clearly Brown has spent some time coming from, going to, and being in airports. Her depiction of the variety of people (including the featured biracial family going on a trip), movement, sounds, conversations, vendors, crying babies, limited seat space, and more at the airport are impeccable. Her sense of humor comes through in some unexpected details. Look closely!

This delightful picture book describes the life of two people who love ballet: Emma, a beginner, and Julia, a professional. Similarities between these two characters' daily routines and lessons, presented in both the text and softly colored illustrations, provide the perfect staging for the relationship that unfolds at the end of the story. Emma gets to meet Julia backstage, and their encounter is heartwarming. This book is a nice reflection of how two different, yet similar, people come together naturally. A good companion book is Allegra Kent's Ballerina Gets Ready (2016), which also features an African American dancer.

This insightful and realistic story is told through the eyes of Hee Jun, a recent arrival in America from South Korea. Hee Jun, his family, and his grandmother left behind their home and friends. Everything looks, sounds, and feels different in their new surroundings, and everyone is having a difficult time adjusting to living in West Virginia. Things begin to look up when his grandmother visits his sister's kindergarten class to help her transition and he meets a friend. In his new friend's yard, Hee Jun is surprised to find mugunghwa (the Korean national flower that is called Rose of Sharon in the United States). For Hee Jun and his grandmother, the flower is "a piece of home," a remembrance of Korea.
Who We Are!: All About Being the Same and Being Different (Let's Talk About You and Me series). Robie H. Harris. Ill. Nadine Bernard Westcott. 2016. Candlewick. Ages 9-11
Similarities and differences are real among the people in our world. This fifth book in the Let's Talk About You and Me series captures the beauty of diversity within a family and in the broader world. Everything from physical appearance to likes and dislikes, with an emphasis on the importance of accepting-and celebrating-who you are, is clearly presented in the narrative text and cartoon illustrations. A charming companion book is Mixed Me! (2015)by Taye Diggs, a story about a young boy in a biracial family.
Elizabeth Started All the Trouble. Doreen Rappaport. Ill. Matt Faulkner. 2016. Disney/Hyperion.
Following the same engaging format as the original Children Just Like Me, which was published in 1995, this new edition is an engaging visual celebration of children around the world. Each of the six sections (North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Southeast Asia, and Australia) features an abundance of captioned photographs, carefully selected images of children, diverse families, world religions, homes, food, hobbies, and interesting facts, which will hold readers' attention for hours. A cool activity would be to compare the original version with this new book. How have things changed?

Spunk and determination abound in this delightful picture book about the women's suffrage movement. Although Abigail Adams pressed her husband, John Adams, to make sure the Founding Fathers included women in the Declaration of Independence, women were not mentioned. However, the fight for women's rights did not end. Years later, in 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton took up the cause for women's right to vote. Her movement gained a large following of women across the United States. Wyoming became the first state to give women the right to vote in 1869, but it was not until 1920 that women across the nation were allowed to vote. Readers will meet many of the key players throughout history that helped the passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. This is a timely book, with the Democratic Party being the first major political party to nominate a woman for president.
Ages 12-14
Determination, patience, and diligence paid off for Mary Garber, who crossed the gender barrier to become the first and longest working female sports writer in U.S. history. She gained her reputation from writing truthfully about the exceptional ability of Jackie Robinson, the first African American major league baseball player. Her sports writing career spanned more than 50 years. Mary Garber was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the National Sportscaster and Sportswriters Association in 2008, just months before she died at age 92.

Given the ongoing occurrence of veteran-related news, the timing of this book is perfect. Robert C. Snyder, a veteran, does a good job of capturing the crux of what it meant to be a veteran in the past and what it means today in a factual, yet gentle, tone. Through expressive watercolor illustrations and accessible text, this book provides a good overview of veterans in the United States, those who served in the military and have returned to civilian life, as well as mentioning those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Imagine traveling to or even living in space someday. Already, more than 200 astronauts from more than a dozen nations, cultures, and religions have visited the International Space Station. With a narrator who represents humanity throughout history, this intriguing nonfiction book presents a chronological survey of what humans have believed and learned about the universe. Reading this book will likely leave readers with an increased curiosity about the future of space exploration. With recent emphasis on science and math in schools, this book has many applications, including aviation, space exploration, astronomy, astrophysics, women in science, and more. This book is also available in a Spanish edition, Yo Soy la Humanidad (2016).
Ages 15+
In this page-turning mystery and humorous tale, Gidwitz remarkably threads medieval history through stories within a story. Unfortunate circumstances and perceived unnatural powers bring an unlikely group of children and a dog together. King Louis IX issues a death warrant, as it is rumored these children may possess supernatural powers considered blasphemous by the church and state. Jeanne, whose life was saved by Gwenforte, the dog, has seizures and sees into the future. William, a well-read, dark-skinned oblate, has Hulk-like strength. Jacob was forced to leave his Jewish community when a group of anti-Semitic teens sets fire to homes. Gidwitz gives readers much to think about in the parallels implied through the racial bigotry and persecution of the past compared with the present.
Stan Steiner teaches Children's/Young Adult Literature at Boise State University. He has had a long relationship with bringing awareness to multicultural literature through his teaching and publications.
Our world has been changed for the better by women. However, most of the time their accomplishments and contributions have been slighted in the history books. This carefully selected and diverse collection of women who paved the way, including such figures as Pocahontas, Sojourner Truth, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Beyoncé, and Hillary Clinton, would be a good addition to libraries and classrooms. Fifty one-page biographies of American women, arranged chronologically, include facts, family status, and major accomplishments that have made an impact on the world. A portrait and an illustration highlight the entry for each woman. An additional sixteen women are listed along with a glossary at the end of the book.

With recent Supreme Court decisions on gay and lesbian rights, this book is a fitting addition to libraries. Historical background and global perspective serve as an awakening to the growing number of voices that were silenced in the past but are now a unified call for equality. Photographs of smiling participants and bystanders flourish in this perceptive nonfiction book, reflecting Pride activism around the world. The book is organized in four sections: The History of Pride, Pride and Identity, Celebrating Pride Today, and Activism Around the World. Back matter includes a glossary, references, resources, and an index.

These reviews are submitted by members of the International Literacy Association's Children's Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CL/R SIG) and are published weekly on Literacy Daily.

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Multicultural Literature: Reflecting Diversity in Literature for Youth

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Diversity in literature goes beyond ethnicity. Diversity may include the various facets of sexuality and gender, cultural, and societal groups. Whether characters in the books we read reflect others or ourselves, what is most important is connecting with them in ways that help us understand who we are today.

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Why cultural diversity matters | Michael Gavin | TEDxCSU

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This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Michael Gavin, associate Professor of human dimensions of natural resources researches biological diversity, and discusses the importance that history, language and tradition have in the preservation of culture.

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The changing racial and cultural landscape of America is certainly a much-discussed topic -- some researchers studying U.S. Census data and demographics even say that America could be a "minority majority" country as early as 2050. While the barriers between countries continue to come down, and globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings? This collection of videos introduces culturally responsive teaching (CRT), and includes some techniques that you can use to help students from diverse backgrounds succeed together.

Video Playlist: Culturally Responsive Teaching

Watch the first video below, or watch the whole playlist on YouTube.

1. Valerie Purdie-Vaughns on Unintentional Bias (3:04)
In this short video from Big Think, researcher Valerie Purdie-Vaughns explains how bias and assumptions can unconsciously affect the way you act. Although it's geared toward diversity awareness in the workplace, this is a good primer on cultural discrimination.

2. Expanding Teacher Self-Knowledge (1:27)
Since bias is often unconscious, one of the first things a culturally responsive teacher can do is be aware of assumptions about themselves and their students. This quick tip from the Southern Poverty Law Center's Teaching Tolerance initiative explains the value of self-reflection.

3. Office Chat: Culturally Responsive Teaching (9:24)
In this interview, Dr. Kavatas Newell, a faculty member at the University of Mary Washington, introduces some initial ways that teachers can incorporate culturally responsive teaching methods into their classrooms. The audio quality here is a bit low, but the tips are worth it.

4. The Danger of a Single Story (19:16)
Author Chimamanda Adichie's amazing TED talk introduces "The Danger of a Single Story." Teaching students of other cultures may require that you look past familiar stories and narratives to find school materials that resonate with your students' experiences and lives.

5. Building Trust With Families (14:12)
Many students from other cultures are English-language Learners (ELL). Although this video is long at 14 minutes, the panel of teachers and principals organized by Colorin Colorado offers great tips for connecting with the families of ELLs.

6. Recognizing Individual Characteristics (1:10)
This quick video, also from the Teaching Tolerance initiative, reminds viewers to respect students' individuality, even as you learn more about cultural differences and introduce more responsive practices into the classroom.

7. Education: Culture Matters (14:25)
This video from the Kamehameha Schools showcases the importance of culturally responsive educational programs. Students from the native Hawaiian population thrive when they learn in programs that incorporate their cultural heritage and traditions.

More Resources on Culturally Responsive Teaching

Whether you've been teaching diverse learners for years, or you're just starting to think about how to incorporate CRT into your classroom, these organizations and articles can help.

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5-Minute Film Festival: Culturally Responsive Teaching | Edutopia

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The changing racial and cultural landscape of America is certainly a much-discussed topic -- some researchers studying U.S. Census data and demographics even say that America could be a "minority majority" country as early as 2050. While the barriers between countries continue to come down, and globalization continues, how can teachers address the needs of students from a variety of cultural backgrounds and upbringings?

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Implicit Bias -- how it effects us and how we push through | Melanie Funchess | TEDxFlourCity

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Valerie Purdie-Vaughns on Unintentional Bias

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Valerie Purdie-Vaughns discusses how discrimination in the workplace is still a problem, though often unintentional. Purdie-Vaughns is the Director of the Laboratory of Intergroup Relations and Social Mind at Columbia University (http://goo.gl/b9cmQx). Don't miss new Big Think videos! Subscribe by clicking here: http://goo.gl/CPTsV5 Transcript - So, discrimination and bias and inequities is one of the most important topics of the day today.

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The danger of a single story | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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The Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) enabled millions of Black and other voters of color an opportunity to participate in our democracy. Ten years ago, on June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shelby County v. Holder significantly weakened a key provision of the landmark VRA. These LFJ articles remind us of the struggle for voting rights and education and the powerful legacy of Freedom Summer 1964. As we confront current voter suppression and education censorship, let us continue the fight for justice in today's movement.

"Following record-breaking voter turnout in the 2020 election, several state legislatures passed laws to disenfranchise voters, especially in Black communities. These attempts at voter suppression work in concert with censorship policies targeting education to further undermine civics literacy and engagement in the United States." -Freedom Schools for Today's Social Justice Movement

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Learning for Justice | Education Resources

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Learning for Justice provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Download past episodes or subscribe to future episodes of TED Radio Hour by NPR for free.

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Bridging the cultural gap in the classroom | Manuel Hernandez Carmona | TEDxAmoskeagMillyard

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As an ESL teacher in New York City, educator and author Manuel Hernandez saw that multicultural students wanted to learn, but classroom materials weren't relatable to their own cultural experience. Hernandez tells of the significant difference in the classroom when culturally relevant materials were introduced into the learning experience and how we all can benefit.

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Student Enrollment - SD Department of Education

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Fall Enrollment - OFM - South Dakota Department of Education

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American Indians in Children's Literature

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American Indians in Children's Literature

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https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/

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Developing Cultural Competence to Create Multicultural Libraries 

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Developing Cultural Competence to Create Multicultural Libraries 

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wiki with tons of resources

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The YALSA Cultural Competence Taskforce built on the work of the earlier Diversity Taskforce. Our mission was to help library staff incorporate cultural competence into your everyday work, and to increase the relevance and value of libraries as partners in the community.

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We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization of children's book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.

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We Need Diverse Books™ is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and a grassroots organization of children's book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.

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School Library Journal -The Diversity Issue

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School Library Journal -The Diversity Issue

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The world's largest reviewer of books, multimedia, and technology for children and teens

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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Subject Guides: Multicultural Children's Books: Home

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Subject Guides: Multicultural Children's Books: Home

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"I look forward to logging in, every day. Whether I need a quick video about a current event, a pre-made learning activity for a lesson, or using Quiz to poll my class, there's always something useful. I feel like Discovery Education has really listened to what educators need."

Amy Erb STEAM Teacher

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Discovery Education | Your Daily Learning Platform

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Discovery Education inspires educators to go beyond traditional learning with award-winning digital content and professional development. Learn more today!

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Multiculturalism in the Modern World: Jen Holladay at TEDxDenverTeachers

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Multiculturalism in the Modern World: Jen Holladay at TEDxDenverTeachers

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Arts

"Libraries Are For Everyone." That's the message of a series of images created by Rebecca McCorkindale in the days after President Donald Trump announced the temporary travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. She never expected her signs of inclusion to go further than a handful of libraries.

But by the time she'd woken up the following day, she had received messages from librarians across the world wanting their languages represented. And libraries across the country - in Illinois, Minnesota, California, Virginia - had begun putting up the images as posters, along with displays about books on Islam, empathy and being a good neighbor.

"Libraries are the heart of a community, for anyone and everyone that lives there, regardless of their background," she said. "And so we strongly believe that libraries are not neutral. We stand up for human rights."

She is not the only one. Since Mr. Trump took office a little more than three weeks ago, a vocal and growing number of librarians across the country have begun to take a more politically active stance.

But it began before that, after the revelation of the role so-called " fake news " had played in the election. Librarians, sometimes considered an antiquated breed, were swiftly deemed essential in the fight against disinformation. And libraries across the country responded, promoting researcher-vetted content , hosting community discussions on fake news and sharing libguides to help people think critically about what they were reading.

Post-inauguration, reports that the new administration was quick to clamp down on the flow of information from some federal agencies prompted additional anxiety among librarians. The American Library Association's (ALA) Office for Intellectual Freedom, for one, immediately condemned what it saw as government censorship . "ALA opposes any use of governmental power to suppress the free and open exchange of knowledge and information," wrote the association, which typically fights for privacy and against banned books in schools, such as "Brave New World" or "Twilight." (Librarians and scientists had also preemptively begun preserving what they saw as vulnerable government information online, including climate data.)

"Libraries are the heart of a community, for anyone and everyone that lives there, regardless of their background," McCorkindale said. "And so we strongly believe that libraries are not neutral."

But protests against the new administration by librarians only began popping up in large numbers around the country after Mr. Trump signed two executive orders on immigration, one which could lead to the stripping of federal funds of so-called " sanctuary cities " for illegal immigrants, and the other which temporarily banned all refugees as well as travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. - an order that's been halted by the courts, but is still at the center of a legal battle .

" We are huge resources for newcomers to this country, whether it's for connection to this country, legal resources, testing preparation, citizen tests, services like storytimes or homework help," said Elizabeth McKinstry, a public librarian based in Dedham, Massachusetts, who has been vocal in rallying librarians online post-election. "We are there for the most vulnerable folks in our communities, people on the other side of the digital or language divide."

And so, after the two executive orders, librarians across the country began responding with individual acts of resistance at their branches. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, which has been a sanctuary city since 1985, the public library announced that it would be a sanctuary space. At the Hennepin County Library in Minnesota, which serves a large population from Somalia, one of the seven countries affected by the travel ban, a campaign was launched called " All are welcome here." The library serving Multnomah County, Oregon, began promoting books about immigrant and refugee experiences for kids; elsewhere in Oregon, librarians put " all are welcome" buttons on sale. At the William Jeanes Memorial Library in Pennsylvania, a Yemeni-American, Muslim-American girl doll named Sameerah became available for checkout. "We are glad to welcome her to our library," librarian Rachel Fecho wrote online, and said, with evident sarcasm: "She is able to travel freely to the homes of our library patrons."

Major professional library organizations have begun mobilizing, too. The Association of College & Research Libraries, which represents more than 11,000 academic and research librarians, slammed Mr. Trump's executive orders, condemning what it sees as "the use of intimidation, harassment, bans... and violence as means with which to squelch free intellectual inquiry and expression." The Society of American Archivists, which has 6,200 members in government, at universities and elsewhere, similarly critiqued the travel ban, saying it undermined their efforts to "preserve diverse archives and support the study of our nation's cultural heritage."

And the ALA, the country's oldest and largest library organization with some 57,000 members, denounced the new administration's actions, saying they "stand in stark contrast to the core values" of librarianship, which according to the ALA include access to information, confidentiality and privacy, diversity and social responsibility.

Librarian dissent is also spreading on social media. On Twitter, a new @LibrariesResist account is sharing resources "for libraries and library workers in the resistance... because if Park Rangers can do it, so can we" - a reference to the National Park Service rogue tweeting after the Trump administration told the agency not to. The @LibrariesResist resources include pages on privacy and surveillance, fake news and propaganda, a " Stop Trump" reading list and a " Trump syllabus" as well as an explanation of libraries as sanctuary spaces.

Matthew Haugen, the librarian at Columbia University who started the account, said, "I started thinking a lot about how I and other librarians can use our strengths to do something effective... and I thought: 'We can organize resources, do what librarians do.'" Under the hashtags #librariesresist, as well as #librariesrespond, there are now hundreds of posts from librarians sharing their local acts of opposition.

Jessamyn West, an influential blogger, technologist and librarian, said this should come as no surprise, as libraries have long been on the forefront of activism. "We're the ones who stick up for intellectual freedom, or your right to read, or to look at whatever you want to in the library," she said. "There's been an activist contingent for a long time."

Rewind, then, back to the 1950s in America, when fear of communism ran rampant in the U.S., and literature, films and music became targets of government censorship. At the time, librarians got together with professors, publishers and others in the academic and intellectual community to figure out how to respond. The result was a document called " The Freedom To Read ," which began with the sentence: " The freedom to read is essential to our democracy," and ended with: "Freedom itself is a dangerous way of life, but it is ours." A Freedom to Read Foundation was also established by the ALA, to challenge censorship and other threats to the First Amendment in court.

In the late '60s, when a confluence of social movements supporting civil rights, women's equality and war opposition swept the country, the ALA also founded a Social Responsibilities Round Table to respond to the issues of the day. They were particularly focused on ensuring service at libraries to black Americans, and including black librarians in their ranks. This activism, a historical note on the roundtable says, was the result of " aggressive volunteers." By the '80s, the roundtable had become even more aggressive, adding task forces for feminists, gay liberation and "alternative" reading.

Perhaps the moment when librarians are best remembered as activists, though, came in 2001, when the ALA fought back forcefully against the Patriot Act , which expanded the powers of government surveillance in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. Librarians were particularly vexed over Section 215 of the act, colloquially called the "library records provision," which required librarians to hand over patron data when law enforcement asked for it. The act also included a gag order that said librarians could not tell patrons they had forked over their data.

In response, librarians began hanging signs for library patrons telling them that the FBI could be watching them. They also lobbied electronic vendors to add privacy measures , and in 2005, took the fight over the gag order to court . By 2006, the government had given up its fight to protect that order.

And in 2015, Section 215 expired , along with other provisions of the Patriot Act. " Lo ng before [Edward] Snowden, librarians were anti-surveillance heroes ," Slate declared that year.

Under the Obama administration, though, librarian activism seemed to quiet. President Obama was an avid reader , and many librarians told the NewsHour that it felt like the administration was on their side. Librarians fought smaller battles, such as when a group of Dartmouth University students - with the support of Dartmouth librarians - petitioned the Library of Congress to change subject headings in libraries from "illegal aliens to "noncitizens," to be more sensitive to the patrons who visited.

And though government surveillance continued under the Obama presidency, librarians were heartened by his pick to head the Library of Congress: Carla Hayden, a former public librarian, who was also said to be anti-surveillance . Some conservatives criticized her as an " activist ," saying her appointment " politicize[d] " the position. Which begs the question: Should libraries and librarians be politically neutral?

Especially after the election, an increasing number of librarian voices online say libraries are not neutral spaces, and never have been. See Jessamyn West ( " Libraries are not neutral spaces, nor should they be "), Storytime Underground's Cory Eckert (" Libraries are not neutral "), or librarian/technologist Jason Griffey: " Stand, Fight, Resist ."

"It's a political notion, a political stance, by entering into this profession," she said. "In order for people to have access to freedom regardless of who they are, they have to be able to participate in societies freely."

But that ideal is complicated by the fact that libraries are funded, in part, by the government. Though funding often happens at the local level, America's libraries do get money from the Institute of Museum and Library Services , a federal agency whose budget in 2016 was some $237 million . Among other efforts, IMLS has supported the expansion of high-speed broadband service in libraries, which many librarians say is an essential service for patrons. In 2015, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan proposed eliminating the IMLS altogether , and, after the Hill reported in January that the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities could be eliminated under the Trump administration, some fear library funding could be next.

These fears played out days after the election, when the ALA sent out a friendly and encouraging press release saying it looked forward to working with the new administration. Among the ALA's many roles are lobbying for funds for libraries from Congress.

The response was fierce and immediate. Hundreds of librarians began angrily commenting on a ALA website , saying they felt "betrayed." They said it was obvious ALA was just making nice to the administration so as not to lose funding, and that it had lost sight of its core values. " F@ck you, ALA , " Hathcock, the NYU librarian, wrote online. " ALA does not care about diversity and inclusion and justice. Not really. ALA cares only about its bottom line." Emily Drabinski, a librarian at Long Island University in Brooklyn, wrote a post called: " ALA does not speak for me ," and argued that it was "shameful sell out of a profession that stood against the Patriot Act." McKinstry, the Dedham, Massachusetts-based librarian, started a hashtag #NotMyAla , and a blog to keep track of all the librarians registering their frustration . Weeks later, ALA rescinded the release.

"It's very hard," ALA president Julie Todaro said of balancing the need for funding with fighting against politicians who threaten librarian core values. "We a re going to fight for our values," she said. "But we are also a nonpartisan organization, and it's important to realize that our 57,000 members don't all feel the same way."

On an ALA , a few conservative librarians pushed back against all the calls for library activism. In their comments, they complained that the hysteria around Trump was outsized, and said they only hoped there was enough money available to keep funding libraries. In 2010, a piece called " website The Conservatives Among Us " in American Libraries Magazine argued that librarians needed to be more tolerant of conservative views - rare as they may be in librarianship. "That is why conservative librarians are afraid to speak out," wrote Will Manley, the piece's author, "they fear professional ostracism." On the ALA site, the few conservative librarians who commented were quickly drowned out by the larger number who said it was time to fight back.

Short of an organized national movement, it seems clear that librarians will continue to register their dissent vocally and locally, in individual acts of protest. "All of this is going to be local," said McKinstry. "It's what you can do to make information accessible and available, and what you can do to link to resources to help protect people."

Meanwhile, McCorkindale's "Libraries Are For Everyone" images continue to spread around the world. By Thursday, the posters had been published in a dozen languages, including Spanish and Arabic, with plans to translate 13 more. In Brantford, Ontario, a library printed out "Libraries Are For Everyone" images with their 3D printer; in Leicester, England, the poster was hung from a library fence; and in the Bronx, a school librarian began planning a project around it for his diverse group of students.

"People think that libraries are obsolete," said McCorkindale. "But we've stood up against censorship for decades.... And with all that's going on with these executive orders, we will do what we can to help."
Editor's note: This piece has been updated to correct the name of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

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Why these librarians are protesting Trump's executive orders

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Arts "Libraries Are For Everyone." That's the message of a series of images created by Rebecca McCorkindale in the days after President Donald Trump announced the temporary travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries. She never expected her signs of inclusion to go further than a handful of libraries.

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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Imagine your students learning about the massive prehistoric creatures that used to walk the earth and being able to look them in the eye. Or imagine your class studying van Gogh's art and being able to look closely enough to study his brushstrokes.

We're not describing an episode of The Magic School Bus; we're talking about the reality that is Google Arts & Culture.

Similar to its foray into virtual reality via Google Cardboard and Google Expeditions, the tech giant announced in September that it had partnered with more than 50 natural history museums across the world to create a catalog of hundreds of interactive stories, photos, videos and virtual tours.

Included in the catalog are 360-degree views of creatures like Rhomaleosaurus, a 180-million-year-old sea dragon currently on display at London's Natural History Museum. Students can get the 360-degree view in the video below or on Google Cardboard.

"We wanted to give you a glimpse of how these colossal creatures actually looked," Amit Sood, the director of the Google Cultural Institute wrote in a Google for Education blog post. "So we worked with ecologists, paleontologists and biologists to put virtual skin and flesh on the preserved skeletons."

In addition to providing students with scientifically accurate experiences, Google Arts & Culture's offerings have potential for future lesson plans.

1. Providing Efficient and Immersive Museum Exploration

In addition to the individual exhibits already mentioned, Google Arts & Culture's Natural History collection has virtual tours of entire museums. Leveraging the technology of Street View, students can now take a tour of museums from New York to London to Australia.

When Google started offering virtual tours and up-close looks at art museums a few years ago, educator Samantha Peters blogged on TeachHub.com about how teachers could use Google Art Project to more easily take their students on more field trips - albeit virtually.

"Essentially, it can be treated just as a normal field trip would - by splitting students into groups, asking them to look at various genres of painting, requesting observational notes or comparisons of some sort," she wrote.

A virtual field trip of a museum of natural history could be taken with the same approach.

Google Basics for Teaching has a step-by-step guide for using the Google Cultural Institute as a virtual field trip. The guide suggests that teachers have students act as museum curators and create their own exhibitions by compiling related pieces.

In a post on The Art of Education, Apex High School teacher Melissa Purtee wrote that in addition to the museum collection, teachers can, with the help of Places, send their students on a virtual tour of a location they are studying.

"In a lesson about ancient Egyptian art, take a kids on a tour of the Great Pyramids at Giza," Purtee wrote. "This will give your lesson context and help students make the cross-curricular connections to make learning stick."

2. Getting Up-Close-and-Personal Access to Great Works of Art

Just as the natural history exhibit lets you get face to face with a sea dragon, Google Places has a zoom feature that allows students to get closer than ever before to the work of greats like Vincent van Gogh.

In her article, Purtee suggested that art teachers have students access Google Art when studying things like color theory.

"Try zooming in on a van Gogh painting and challenging students to match 10 of the colors they find. Your kids will develop a whole new appreciation for his application of color," she wrote.

Purtee also noted that students can learn how sculptures and other physical works are created by utilizing the 360-degree views.

3. Experiencing History Firsthand with Exclusive Museum Access

You won't have to spend hours traveling to Washington, D.C., and then waiting in line to check out the Smithsonian's newly opened National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Thanks to a grant from Google, the museum is set to become the most technologically advanced in the world, Google software engineer Travis McPhail wrote in a blog on Google for Education.

From its inception, the NMAAHC was designed by Google and the museum's director, Dr. Lonnie Bunch, to have a number of digital experiences.

"We worked closely with the museum to build an interactive exhibit to house artifacts from decades of African American history and let visitors explore and learn about them," McPhail wrote. "With 3D scanning, 360 video, multiple screens and other technologies, visitors can see artifacts like a powder horn or handmade dish from all angles.

McPhail wrote that Google has also created an expedition of the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, which commemorates the 1965 Voting Rights March.

Although the museum is now open, the digital components won't be available until the spring of 2017.

To explore everything we've talked about, visit the Google Arts & Culture.

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3 Ways Google Arts & Culture Can Enrich Your Lessons

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Imagine your students learning about the massive prehistoric creatures that used to walk the earth and being able to look them in the eye. Or imagine your class studying van Gogh's art and being able to look closely enough to study his brushstrokes.

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from AASL

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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces the No Child Left Behind version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with language that includes "effective school library programs."

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), as the national organization for the school library profession, is examining ESSA, unpacking the provisions for school libraries within the legislation, and communicating how they will impact the school library community.

AASL will continue to work with the ALA Washington Office, the ALA Office of Library Advocacy, and other educational organizations to highlight opportunities within ESSA language for school librarians and school libraries to be addressed in state and local plans.

Discussion Forums

Sign in to the site access discussion forums including state workshop materials, success stories, and news.

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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) replaces the No Child Left Behind version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act with language that includes "effective school library programs." The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), as the national organization for the school library profession, is examining ESSA, unpacking the provisions for school libraries within the legislation, and communicating how they will impact the school library community.

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Teen Diversity

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Presented by Preetom Bhattacharya, Coordinator EL, Title I, Special Programs and Services at Huntington Beach City School District, CA
Sponsored by Rosetta Stone
WATCH THE EDWEBINAR RECORDING If you attended the live session, you'll be emailed a CE certificate within 24 hours of the edWebinar. If you view the recording and would like a CE certificate, join the Using Technology for Language Instruction community and go to the edWebinar Archives folder to take the CE quiz.
Preetom Bhattacharya from the Huntington Beach City School District, CA, presents the value of language-learning programs during out-of-school time. Limited time and resources during the school day reduce access to language learning that develops skills students need to engage in a global society. Educators can develop or expand after-school programs to increase students' access to language learning.

Our students are already part of the most globally interconnected population in human history. When students graduate, they should be equipped with the skills to communicate and collaborate cross-culturally. K-12 language programs can help foster a generation prepared to enter the global society, while also allowing students to reap the cognitive and academic benefits that result from language learning.

Learning another language can help develop students' cognitive skills, resulting in higher achievement in other academic areas, and help increase their standardized test scores. Bilingualism can improve students' mental flexibility and working memories, and give them the ability to grasp abstract concepts better than their monolingual peers. Additionally, increasing proficiency with a new language has been shown to improve student proficiency in their primary language.

After-school, before-school, and summer programs provide the perfect enriched learning opportunity to offer students access to language learning, while also complementing the teaching and learning that takes place during the school day.

Watch this edWebinar to learn:

Why using this time to implement language learning makes sense

How to implement an out-of-school language-learning program

Effective strategies to increase student engagement

With well-planned access to language programs, today's students can become tomorrow's world leaders, functioning well across languages and cultures as successful members of a global society. K-12 educators are invited to watch to learn how to implement an after-school language-learning program that is fun and engaging for both students and staff.
About the Presenter
Preetom Bhattacharya serves as the coordinator of English Learners, Title I, and Special Programs and Services in the Huntington Beach City School District, CA where he assists the district in compliance regulations related to state and federal accountability, in addition to facilitating the development of the district's Local Control Accountability Plan. Prior to this role, he has served as a high school science and mathematics teacher and instructional specialist to assist teachers in implementing innovative classroom techniques.
Join the Using Technology for Language Instruction community to network with educators, participate in online discussions, receive invitations to upcoming edWebinars, view past edWebinars, take a quiz to receive a CE certificate for a past edWebinar, and access free resources. WATCH THE EDWEBINAR RECORDING
Rosetta Stone Inc. provides cutting-edge interactive technology that is changing the way the world learns languages. The company's proprietary learning techniques-acclaimed for their power to unlock the natural language-learning ability in everyone-are used by schools, businesses, government organizations and millions of individuals around the world. Rosetta Stone offers courses in 30 languages, from the most commonly spoken (like English, Spanish and Mandarin) to the less prominent (including Swahili, Swedish and Tagalog). The company's core belief is that learning to speak a language should be a natural and instinctive process, and that interactive technology can activate the language immersion method powerfully for learners of any age.

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Access is Everything: Successful Language Learning in Out-of-School Time

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Presented by Preetom Bhattacharya, Coordinator EL, Title I, Special Programs and Services at Huntington Beach City School District, CA Sponsored by Rosetta Stone WATCH THE EDWEBINAR RECORDING If you attended the live session, you'll be emailed a CE certificate within 24 hours of the edWebinar.

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Official Website of the South Dakota State Library

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Are you looking for best books by or about American Indians? First Nations? Native Americans? Indigenous People?

Update on Nov 26, 2018: Some of the books in these lists may have religious or spiritual content that is problematic to the people whose ways are being used by writers. For context, see my post on November 15, 2018 "Open Letter: Trail of Lightning is an Appropriation of Diné Cultural Beliefs. Does the Letter from the Diné Writers Collective Mark a Turning Point?"

Below are links to posts on American Indians in Children's Literature and elsewhere that'll help you find ones selected by Native people (me, and other Native people, including members of the American Indian Library Association)! This page will be updated, so come back and visit again!

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Best Books by Native or Indigenous Writers

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Below you will find our current set of briefs. Check again here soon for new and updated materials.

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Nancy Maryboy, Ph.D.Friday Harbor, WA,

Cherokee / Navajo

by Nancy Maryboy, Ph.D., President

Indigenous Education Institute (IEI)

Welcome to the IEI website! It is a pleasure to invite you to browse through our newly updated website. I want to express my deep gratitude to our Webmaster, Christopher Teren, for his patience and leadership in this endeavor.

As you will see, IEI is involved in a number of projects, all chosen in alignment with our mission and goals. We have chosen to emphasize the use of traditional Indigenous knowledge as it relates to sustainability and balance, or as Navajos might say Hozho. We believe that Indigenous peoples have succeeded in keeping Mother Earth and Father Sky in balance for thousands of years. Now, as global issues such as climate change, increasing ocean acidification, toxic waters, air pollution, and many others, point out the need for strategic and collaborative leadership to restore a global and universal balance, we feel that examples of Indigenous stewardship and emphasis on harmony and reciprocity, can lead the way in putting our planet back into a balance that is desperately needed. The efforts of those who work in areas of Indigenous language revitalization, traditional lands restoration, clean waters, and sustainable technologies are to be greatly applauded.

I want to extend my thanks to the wonderful people who are associated with IEI, in particular the Board of Directors, as led by Dr. Polly Walker, the Elders' Council, the members of our International Advisory Council, the members of our Youth Council, and the PIs and staff and advisors to all of our projects. We really do walk and talk our belief in collaboration and we work hand in hand with western scientists and Indigenous knowledge holders. As the title of our latest book exclaims, we believe in "Collaboration with Integrity."

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About IEI | Indigenous Education Institute

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Nancy Maryboy, Ph.D. Friday Harbor, WA, Cherokee / Navajo by Nancy Maryboy, Ph.D., President Indigenous Education Institute (IEI) Welcome to the IEI website! It is a pleasure to invite you to browse through our newly updated website. I want to express my deep gratitude to our Webmaster, Christopher Teren, for his patience and leadership in this endeavor.

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School Library Program

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Below you will find our current set of briefs. Check again here soon for new and updated materials.