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Windows and Mirrors:  Why we need diverse books

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Windows and Mirrors:  Why we need diverse books

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By Chad Everett, guest blogger

I was an undergraduate student the first time it happened. One of my professors shared the following line from W.E.B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folk: "One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder." I was rocked. As I read and re-read the quote, I felt as though layers of myself were being peeled away. This was the first time in all my years of education that an instructor presented me with a piece of text that showed me myself, a mirror. Not a mirror that provides surface level reflection, but a mirror that revealed the innermost thoughts that not even I could fully comprehend. By mirror, I mean a text in which I saw a reflection of my identity and experiences. Sure, I sat in classrooms where we engaged in the obligatory Black History Month readings of African American authors, but never before had an instructor presented one of those texts in a manner that was meant to empower and enlighten.

As I collaborated with classmates and each shared his or her thoughts on the quote, it was as though the fog on that metaphorical mirror I had always been acutely aware of, but had never been able to see clearly in, was being slowly wiped away. Bishop (2009) highlights the importance of providing students access to mirror texts: "when children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part." In addition to serving as a mirror for me, the text served as a window for many of my classmates who had only experienced reflections of themselves in books, never experiencing the power of a window text. Books are sometimes the only place where readers may meet people who are not like themselves, who offer alternative worldviews (Tschida, Ryan, & Ticknor, 2014).

Take a moment to think about the texts students have access to in your classroom and the texts they have access to in your school's library. Think about the stories being told, who is telling them, and who is being left out. If I were a student in your school, would I be able to find multiple texts with reflections of myself and multiple texts that serve as windows into the worlds of others?

Viewing literature through a lens of windows and mirrors helps us understand that, in addition to texts being stories to be enjoyed, they are powerful tools of social justice. In the primary and intermediate grades as we are devoting copious amounts of time to helping students become proficient readers, we must remember that students are discovering their place in school and world, and the texts we provide access to inform this discovery. With access to mirror texts, students are able to see that their narrative matters, and with access to window texts, students learn to understand and appreciate the narratives of others. The power of literacy to transform lives does not exist in skill and strategy instruction alone; it also resides within the stories students read. What message do we send students when they do not see themselves reflected in the texts we use in our classrooms? What message do we send to students from non-marginalized groups when we only use texts that reflect their culture and experiences?

The diversity provided through window and mirror texts extends beyond ethnicity. Diversity includes how a piece of literature addresses family structures, dialects; cultural traditions and values. Presenting diverse, enabling texts is especially important for African American males, a group that often feels disconnected from school at an early age. The reading achievement gap that persists between African American males and their peers could be attributed to a lack of literacy engagement, rather than a lack of ability. Alfred Tatum phrases it this way, "Neither effective reading strategies nor literacy reform will close the reading achievement gap unless meaningful texts are at the core of the curriculum and educators know how to mediate such texts."

The need for diverse books extends beyond the English classroom. In social studies, students need access to multiple texts so they have more than a single story about an event. According to Adichie (2009), "the single story creates stereotypes, and the problem with stereotypes is not that they are untrue, but that they are incomplete. They make one story become the only story."

So, as you are out placing orders on Amazon and searching the shelves of your local bookstore, think about the variety of narratives each of your students bring into your classroom. And if your students are unable to find a mirror text in which they can see themselves, encourage them to pick up a pen or keyboard and create their own.

About Chad:

Chad Everett is a self-proclaimed literacy and technology geek. A strong believer in the power of collaboration and the power of technology to expand learning communities, Chad co-founded #MSedchat, Mississippi's education Twitter chat. He is also deeply involved with community adult literacy, believing the change needed to transform education extends beyond the school's walls. Chad serves on the volunteer council and tutors with Literacy Mid-South. He is also a consultant with The Educator Collaborative. A frequent professional development leader and conference presenter, Chad spreads a love and enthusiasm for learning and the role technology plays in literacy instruction.

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Windows and Mirrors: Why We Need Diverse Books

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By Chad Everett, guest blogger I was an undergraduate student the first time it happened. One of my professors shared the following line from W.E.B. Dubois' The Souls of Black Folk: "One ever feels his twoness, -- an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder."

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Why It's Important for Kids to See Themselves in Books

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Why It's Important for Kids to See Themselves in Books

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For far too long, children's books that featured culturally diverse characters were hard to come by. But, that has changed significantly in the last few years. It is becoming easier than ever before for parents and kids to find diverse titles. And that's good news because, according to the 6th Edition Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report, 47% of parents want books featuring people of color.

It is really essential that we fill our kids' home libraries with books featuring characters that look like them. Here are three important reasons why:
1. It helps to inspire and create an impact.
Kids need to see people who look like them who have faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and made a difference in the world. Whether it's reading about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad or Cesar Chavez and his work for migrant workers, reading about people from our culture who look like us gives us insight into our history and background.

Stories of other people's lives can impact our own by helping us better understand our world. Seek out books about inspiring individuals who are culturally reflective of your kids. We have included some booklists below to help.
2. It provides a mirror to identity.
Some books our kids enjoy should be mirror books. These are books with characters that look just like our kids. Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, children's literature scholar and recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement, says, "Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books."

Not all mirror books need to be about a specific person who has achieved great things. Kids also need to see kids just like themselves doing ordinary kid stuff like visiting the library, going to the pool, and playing in the backyard. Highly relatable books allow kids to identify with the characters. It's validating for kids to meet a character in a story who has hair that resembles theirs or wears glasses just like they do.
3. It allows for connections to be built.
When kids enjoy reading titles with characters who look like them, it helps form a connection to the book on another level. Identifying with the characters in a story allows for a deeper comprehension of the text because kids are making these kinds of self connections.

That is not to say that all books must have characters that look like our kids. As Bishop says, books also act as windows into other cultures, allowing us to travel to other places and connect with others who are not exactly like us.

Filling your kids' reading diet with books that act as mirrors and windows allows for a deeper and more well-rounded reading experience for them. Help your kids find titles where they see themselves, and beyond. Here are some book lists to assist you in your search:
Connect with Jodie Rodriguez on her site, Growing Book by Book. Featured Photo Credit: © FatCamera/iStockphoto

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Why It's Important for Kids to See Themselves in Books

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For far too long, children's books that featured culturally diverse characters were hard to come by. But, that has changed significantly in the last few years. It is becoming easier than ever before for parents and kids to find diverse titles.

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors