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Books can transport you anywhere at any given time - they offer us a perspective and experience that we may otherwise never know. Reading books about another person's culture provides us with a glimpse into someone else's story. This is integral in encouraging open and accepting minds and hearts in adults and children alike.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It's a time to recognize how Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans have contributed to and influenced the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the arrival of the first known Japanese immigrant to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869. Up to 20,000 of the workers who laid the tracks were Chinese immigrants.

Teaching kids about different cultures helps them appreciate the differences in people and their traditions. It also helps them respect similarities, which will, in turn, help them understand who they are in the context of their own race, ethnic group, culture, religion, language, and familial history.

Below are a few books written by Asian authors to read this month with children of all ages. Spy any you want to read?

From Little Tokyo, With Love

by Sarah Kuhn

This novel is a modern fairy tale about a girl with anger issues trying to find acceptance from her family and herself. It's a love letter to Los Angeles and young people everywhere who feel like they don't fit in. If you're in the mood for a contemporary YA romance, this is a fantastic choice.
(Young Adult)

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in 2020 and updated in 2023.

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27 Amazing Kids' and YA Books by Asian Authors | Brightly

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Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with these books by Asian Authors, perfect for kids of all ages!

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The Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard

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The Culturally Responsive Curriculum Scorecard

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The Metropolitan Center for Research on Equity and the Transformation of Schools provides an example of how to analyze school curriculum and what to do after reviewing the results. https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/metrocenter/ejroc/culturally-responsive-curriculum-scorecards

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10 Ways to Analyze Children's Books (Updated version)

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10 Ways to Analyze Children's Books (Updated version)

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Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.*
Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, economic class, sexual orientation, and disability). The visual and verbal messages young children absorb from books (and other media) heavily influence their ideas about themselves and others. Depending on the quality of the book, they can reinforce (or undermine) children's affirmative self-concept, teach accurate (or misleading) information about people of various identities, and foster positive (or negative) attitudes about diversity. Children's books teach children about who is important, who matters, who is even visible. Consequently, carefully choosing quality children's books is an indispensable educational and child-rearing task.

It is important to offer young children a range of books about people like them and their family - as well as about people who are different from them and their family. All of the books should be accurate and appealing to young children. Fortunately, there are some good anti-bias children's books, which are available as a result of the ongoing activism of many individuals and groups over many years. However, while choices have improved over past decades, the lack of quality multicultural kid's books currently being published has frustrated many communities. The number of children of color in the United States continues to rise, but the number of books published by or about people of color stays the same or even decreases.

Check the Illustrations

Look for Stereotypes: A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular identity group (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, ability/disability), which usually carries derogatory, inaccurate messages and applies them to ALL people in the group. Stereotypes dehumanize people. So, too, does misinformation. ( See Box 1 below for a list of common, harmful stereotypes).

Unfortunately, all of us absorb socially prevailing stereotypes about a range of people, even if we do not consciously subscribe to them. To alert you to stereotypes in children's books, as well as other media, it is useful to list all the stereotypes you know about various groups of people as precondition for critically reviewing children's books. The books you choose should depict people compassionately and as real human beings. Also consider if images depict all people as genuine individuals with distinctive (rather than stereotypical) features. Books containing stereotypes require you to engage children in critical thinking, but should probably be eliminated from your collection.

BOX 1: Common Harmful/Undermining Stereotypes

Strong, independent girls and women are "manlike"

Book-loving or nonathletic boys and men are "effeminate"

Latino men talk funny, are lazy, gang members, or wear oversize sombreros

Latina women are earth mothers or subservient

African American men are gang members, oversexed, or underemployed

African American women are too independent, oversexed, or "welfare moms"

Arab and/or Muslim men are terrorists

Arab and/or Muslim women are voiceless and passive

All Muslims are Arab / All Arabs are Muslim

American Indians live in teepees, carry bows and arrows, or are half-naked in winter

American Indians were only significant in the past (read)

Disabled people are not independent or are to be pitied

Disabled people must "overcome" their disabilities rather than just live with their disabilities

LGBTQ+ people are invisible

Poor people are invisible

Poor people are depicted as passively needing help from others

AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islanders) are depicted as the "model minority"

AAPI are exotic or their food is exotic/abnormal

All AAPI know martial arts or are meek and compliant

AAPI are portrayed with slanted eyes or just lines to represent eyes

Jewish people are all Zionists (read)

Jewish people are wealthy and yield undue influence in the financial and political world

Look for Tokenism: This is the "one only" message. Regularly seeing only "one" person of any group in a book teaches young children about who is more or less important. Examples of tokenism include books with only one African American child among many white children or having only one book about children with disabilities among many other books. Tokenism also becomes stereotypical. It only allows children to see one view of a group of people, rather than the diversity that exists among all groups.

Look for Invisibility: What children do not see in their books also teaches them about who matters and who doesn't in our society. Invisibility in their storybooks - as well as in textbooks as they get older - undermines children's affirmative sense of themselves and reinforces prejudiced ideas about people who are not seen (See Box 2 for examples of groups who tend to be invisible). The booklists on this website include a great variety of books with groups who are often excluded. (The titles are vetted by Teaching for Change.)

BOX 2: Examples of Groups of People Who Are Often Invisible in Children's Books or Mainstream Media

Families who live in rural areas

Blue-collar workers

Musicians, artists, and writers

Families with two dads or two moms

Single mothers or fathers

Homeless families

Families with an incarcerated parent

People of Middle Eastern descent

Families who practice Islam

Transgender adults and children

Check the Story Line and the Relationships Between People

Even if a book shows visual diversity, the story line may carry biases related to how it handles power relationships among people of various identities. Are whites or male characters the central figures with people of color or female characters in essentially supporting roles? To gain acceptance and/or approval does a child of color, a girl, or child with a disability have to exhibit extraordinary qualities or be the one to understand, forgive, or change? Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their looks or relationship with boys/men?

Are people of color, women, low-income families, or people with disabilities depicted as needing help or in passive roles, while whites, men, and "able-bodied" people are in leadership and action roles? How are problems presented, conceived, and resolved? Who typically causes a problem and who resolves it? Your book collection needs a balance of different people in "doer" roles.

Look at Messages About Different Lifestyles

Do the lives of people of color or people living in poverty in the story contrast unfavorably with the norm of white, middle-class suburban life? Are negative value judgments implied about ways of life that differ from the dominant culture or economic class (e.g., people are to be pitied, or the story is about one person who "gets out" of the less desirable way of life)? Do images and information go beyond oversimplification and offer genuine insights into the lifestyle of the characters in the story? Does the setting reflect current life - or past assumptions about life? Does your book collection depict diversity among people within a specific racial/ethnic group, such as a range of family structures, living environments, socioeconomic conditions and types of work, and male/female roles within the family? (Remember that every racial/ethnic group has diversity, including people who self-identify as white).

Consider the Effects on Children's Self and Social Identities

In addition to specific books, also examine your book collection. Do your books reinforce or counteract messages that teach children to feel inferior or superior because of their skin color, gender, family income, able-bodiedness, or type of family structure? At school, will all of the children you serve see themselves and their family's way of life reflected in your book collection? Will all children of color, including those with mixed heritage, girls, and children from the many types of family structures, children living in poverty, and children with disabilities see one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify? If they are visible in your book collection, are the illustrations and information accurate and respectful? Does your overall collection balance the backgrounds of all the children in your program? Does it also show diversity within the social indentity groups to which the children belong (e.g., a range of ways to be female and male, families reflecting different kinds of jobs within a racial/ethnic group). Does your book collection also include a balance between diversity within your classroom and beyond your classroom?

At home, does your book collection reflect diversity among the groups to which your family belongs? Does it have stories about people like you who have contributed to creating a more just world? Does it also include a range of books showing diversity beyond your family and neighborhood?

Look for Books About Children and Adults Engaging in Actions for Change

To fully develop a strong sense of self and a disposition toward cooperation and fairness, children need to know how to stand up for themselves and others when faced with unfairness. They also need to know about people from all social identity groups who have - and are currently - working for justice for all. In addition to previous criteria, here are more items to consider: The story line should be about children and adults working together, rather than perpetrating the myth that change happens because of special, individual people who do it by themselves. Does your book collection include a balance of people who have made important and honored contributions to American life as well as the world community - and not just the traditional white, male "heroes?" Do some of your books about important people include struggles for justice? Do they show people who were/are poor or from racial/ethnic groups of color? Are people with disabilities engaged in these struggles for justice?

Consider the Author's or Illustrator's Background and Perspective

All authors write from a cultural as well as from a personal context. In the past, most children's books were by authors and illustrators who were white and members of the middle class. As a result, a single cultural and class perspective dominated children's literature. There are now excellent books by people of color from a range of backgrounds - although not nearly enough. Consider the biographical material on the jacket flap or back of the book. What qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the book is not about people or events similar to the author or illustrator's background, what specifically recommends them as creators of the book? What is the author's attitude toward her/his story characters? Are the images accurate and do the illustrators respectfully render the people in the story? Do you have books reflecting a balanced range of author and illustrator identities and experiences?

Watch for Loaded Words

A word is loaded when it in any way demeans or makes people invisible because of any of their identities. One example is the generic use of the word "man" to stand for women as well as men (although the opposite never occurs). This traditional terminology is now questioned by many because of its sexist implications. Here are some examples of ways to avoid sexist language: community instead of brotherhood; firefighters inserted of firemen; human family instead of family of man; ancestors instead of forefathers; chairperson instead of chairman. Examples of adjectives applied to people of color that carry racist messages include: "savage," "primitive," "superstitious," "backward," "inscrutable" and "treacherous." Always consider the context in which a word is used and to whom it applies.

Look at the Copyright Date

Copyright dates indicate the publication year, not the time of its writing, which might be two to three years before the copyright date. Although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity, copyright dates are useful information. More children's books began to reflect the reality of a pluralistic society and nonsexist and non-ableist perspectives in the 1970s. Since then, the range of accurate, respectful, and caring books reflecting diversity has increased significantly (unfortunately the diversity of books published in the United States still does not accurately reflect the actual diversity of the people living here). When considering new books for your collection, begin with most recently published ones and then continue with descending copyright dates.

Assess the Appeal of the Story and Illustrations to Young Children

Although these guidelines focus on the messages about diversity and equality reflected in children's books, it is also important to take quality into account. Be sure the book is a "good read." If children find the story or illustrations boring, a book will not hold their attention, even if the book adds a specific kind of diversity you need. Check for active, interesting story lines where different kinds of people are integral to the people in the story, not the main topic. For example, in A Chair for My Mother, a young child tries to save money to get a comfortable chair for her waitress mother. Although the book shows a single parent, working-class family, and a resourceful girl, it is not didactic. Also look for illustrations that are colorful and recognizable to young children. Although they enjoy a range of styles, illustrations that are too subdued or abstract may not hold their attention.

Check for age appropriateness. Most booksellers list any picture book as appropriate for early childhood even if the story line is really for primary grade children. Sometimes a book for older children will work if you simplify the story or "tell" the story rather than read it. In some cases, this is the only way to get books that present specific groups of children (e.g., stories with Cambodian children or children with learning disabilities). Some additional issues to consider:

Many children's books use animal characters instead of people and there are some excellent books that explore diversity with animal characters (e.g., And Tango Makes Three or A Coyote Solstice Tale). Children enjoy these. However, such books are not a substitute for exploring issues of diversity and anti-bias fairness with people as the main characters.

Some early childhood teachers wonder if it is necessary for every book in their collection to show diversity. Every book needs to be accurate, caring, and respectful. However, you will want individual books about specific kinds of people (e.g., a biracial family or a family with adopted children). Diversity becomes essential in the balance of your book collection, where you want to avoid invisibility or tokenism of any group.

Folk and fairy tales have long been a mainstay of children's literature. In the cultures from which they come, folk and fairy tales were used to teach important lessons and values related to their culture of origin. Children love them in their original versions - not their commercially sanitized adaptations. However, folk and fairy tales also carry messages that convey sexism, classism, and racism and must be used thoughtfully as part of introducing young children to diversity and anti-bias values of quality and fairness.

Overuse of folk tales to "teach" about a specific ethnic/cultural group leads to misinformation and confusion. They are about animals and occasionally people from a mythical past and are designed to teach core values and beliefs in their culture of origin. They are not about how people actually live in contemporary society - and that is what young children need to understand. Information and images about how people really live now is what enables young children to build connections to people who are from different cultures while countering stereotypes that children have already absorbed (e.g., how American Indians really live).

Finally there is the somewhat sensitive issue of what to do about "classic" or "well-beloved" children's books. Many of these are wonderful as children's literature, but unfortunately they often convey values of sexism, racism, ableism, or even colonialism. People who love the books that pose this dilemma argue that it is OK to use them because they "reflect their times," which they imply somehow excuses their biased messages. For example, I adored the Babar series of books as a young child and was unpleasantly shocked to realize as an adult how much the images and story lines reflected messages of European colonialism in Africa. I chose not to use them with my own children, wanting them to learn accurate information about how people in Africa really live. Not sharing childhood favorites may sadden some, but it is far better than the harm caused by reinforcing messages of racism and colonialism.
In a nutshell - as you choose books or critically examine your current book selection, always keep in mind the power of books - their words and their images - to nurture or, conversely, to undermine a child's sense of self, positive attitude toward others, and motivation to act for fairness.
Additional Resources

Louise Derman-Sparks is an internationally respected anti-bias educator and author (along with Julie Olsen Edwards) of Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves. She has co-authored several additional books with Dr. Carol Brunson Day (Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism), the ABC Task Force ( Anti-Bias Curriculum: Tools for Empowering Young Children), Dr. Patricia Ramsey (What If All the Kids Are White?), and Dr. John Nimmo and Debbie Leekeenan ( Leading Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change). She speaks throughout the United States and abroad, and served on the NAEYC Governing Board from 1998 to 2001. Louise has a lifelong commitment to building a more just society for all people. Her children Douglass and Holly, now grown, were her inspiration. A Pacific Oaks College faculty member for 33 years - when its mission and pedagogy reflected anti-bias education principles - Louise is now retired.
*In 1980, the Council on Interracial Books for Children published the book Guidelines for Selecting Bias-Free Textbooks and Storybooks. A shorter version of the book in pamphlet form, "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism," followed. One of the first guides written for teachers and families, it became an invaluable tool for hundreds of thousands of people. Both the book and pamphlet have been out of print for several years. Rethinking Schools published their adaptation of the original Guidelines in 1994.

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Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books - Social Justice Books

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By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on "Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism." Updated in 2013.* Children's books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, [...]

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10 Ways to Analyze Children's Books (Original list)

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10 Ways to Analyze Children's Books (Original list)

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Both in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes-expressed over and over in books and other media-gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about people of color and women are accepted as reality. These ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluating children's books from this perspective.

The 10 guidelines were adapted from a 1980 brochure by the Council on Interracial Books for Children (citation follows). The Worlds of Words adaptation also updates the language to reflect current terminology. The issues of racist and sexist representations in books, however, continue to remain relevant, and genderism has emerged as a critical area of analysis for misrepresentations in children's books.

Look for Stereotypes. A stereotype is an oversimplified generalization about a particular group, race, sex, or gender, which usually carries derogatory or inaccurate messages, and is applied to all members of a group. While you may not find stereotypes in blatant forms, look for variations that demean, ridicule, or patronize characters because of their race, sex, or gender.

Look for Tokenism. If there are characters of color in the illustrations, do they look just like white people except for the color of their skin? Is there one token character of color amidst many white faces? Do people of color look stereotypically alike, or are they depicted as genuine individuals with distinctive features?

Look for Active Doers. Do the illustrations depict characters of color in subservient and passive roles or in leadership and action roles? Who is depicted as needing help and who takes action? Are males the active doers and females the inactive observers? Are gender identities portrayed that go beyond a female/male binary?

Although blatant racist and sexist representations are no longer prevalent, racist and sexist attitudes and assumptions still find more subtle expression in books. Some of the subtle forms of bias include the following.

Standards for Success. Does it take "white" behavior for a person of color to get ahead? Is "making it" in the dominant white society projected as the only ideal? To gain acceptance and approval, do persons of color have to exhibit extraordinary qualities-excel in sports, get As, etc.? In friendships between white children and children of color, does the child of color have to do most of the understanding and forgiving?

Resolution of Problems. How are problems presented, conceived and resolved in the story? Are people of color considered to be "the problem"? Are the oppressions faced by people of color and women represented as related to social injustice? Are the reasons for poverty and oppression explained, or are they accepted as inevitable? Does the story line encourage passive acceptance or active resistance? Is a particular problem that is faced by a person of color resolved through the benevolent intervention of a white person? Who causes and who resolves the problem?

Role of Women. Are the achievements of girls and women based on their own initiative and intelligence, or are they due to their good looks or to their relationship with boys? Are gender roles incidental or critical to characterization and plot? Could the same story be told if the gender roles are shifted? Are there characters with a range of gender identities?

Are people of color and their setting depicted in such a way that they contrast unfavorably with the unstated norm of white middle-class suburbia? If people of color are depicted as "different," are negative value judgments implied? Are people of color depicted exclusively in ghettos, barrios, or migrant camps? If the illustrations and text attempt to depict a particular culture, do they go beyond oversimplifications and offer genuine insight into the lifestyles of the characters?

Look for inaccuracy and inappropriateness in the depiction of cultures outside of dominant white society. Watch for instances of the "quaint-natives-in-costume" syndrome, which is most noticeable in areas like clothing and customs, but also extends to behavior and personality traits.

Do the white people in the story possess the power, take the leadership, and make the important decisions? Do people of color and females primarily function in supporting roles?

How are family relationships depicted? In African-American families, is the mother always dominant? In Latinx families, is the family always portrayed as struggling? If the family is separated, are societal conditions-unemployment, poverty, for example-cited among the reasons for the separation? Are characters from a range of genders portrayed in nurturing roles?

For many years, books showed only "safe" heroes of color, in particular those who avoided serious conflict with the white establishment of their time. People of color today insist on the right to define their own heroes (of any gender) based on their own concepts and struggles for justice. When heroes of color do appear, are they admired for the same qualities that have made white heroes famous or because what they have done has benefited white people? Ask, "Whose interest is a particular hero really serving?"

Are norms established that limit any child's aspirations and self-concept? Children of color are often bombarded with images of the color white as the ultimate in beauty, cleanliness, virtue, etc., and the color black as evil, dirty, menacing, etc. Does the book counteract or reinforce this positive association with the color white and negative association with black? Will all children of color from a range of backgrounds find one or more characters with whom they can readily and positively identify?

Are there gender associations based on who performs brave and important deeds? What concept of beauty is portrayed and does that concept of beauty vary by gender?

Analyze the biographical material on the jacket flap or the back of the book. If a story deals with a theme related to a specific minoritized group, what qualifies the author or illustrator to deal with the subject? If the author or illustrator are not members of the minoritized group being written about, is there anything in their background that would recommend them as the creators of this book? Also, consider the same issues related to other members of the bookmaking team-e.g. translator, editor, publicist.

No author can be wholly objective. All authors write out of a cultural as well as personal context. In the past, children's books were created by white, middle class authors and illustrators, so that a single ethnocentric perspective dominated children's literature in the United States. Read carefully to determine whether the direction of the author's perspective substantially weakens or strengthens the value of the book. Are omissions and distortions central to the character or message of the book? Check the websites of the author and illustrator to read their statements and perspectives in discussing their creation of the book.

A word is loaded when it has insulting overtones. Examples of loaded adjectives (usually racist) are savage, lazy, conniving, superstitious, treacherous, wily, crafty, docile, and backward.

Look for sexist and gendered language and adjectives that exclude or ridicule women or exclude gender identities beyond male/female. Look for use of the male pronoun to refer to both males and females or the use of binary language that signals that the only two options for gender identity are male or female. While the generic use of the word "man" was accepted in the past, its use today is outmoded. The following examples show how sexist language can be avoided: substitute ancestors for forefathers; chairperson for chairman; community for brotherhood; firefighters for firemen; manufactured for man-made; the human family instead of the family of man. Examples of how gendered language can be avoided include substituting siblings for brother and sister, parents for mom and dad, children for boys and girls, and they for he/she.

Books with characters of color did not appear until the mid-1960s, many of which were published to meet the new market demand but were still written by white authors, edited by white editors and published by white publishers. They therefore reflected a white point of view. Authors of colors writing about their own experiences emerged in the 1970s, but this trend has fluctuated with the market over the years. Non-sexist books, with rare exceptions, were not published before 1973.

The copyright dates, therefore, can be a clue as to how likely the book is to be overtly racist or sexist or gendered, although a recent copyright date is no guarantee of a book's relevance or sensitivity. The copyright date only means the year the book was published. It usually takes several years from the time a manuscript is submitted to the publisher to the time it is actually printed. This time lag meant little in the past, but is significant in a time period of rapid change and evolving consciousness as children's book publishing attempts to be relevant.

Adapted by Worlds of Words (2020) from 10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Book for Racism and Sexism (1980), published as a brochure by the Council on Interracial Books for Children (New York). The brochure is out of print and the organization no longer exists.

Another adaptation of these guidelines was created by Louise Derman-Sparks, A Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children's Books.

For academic reviews of global children's literature, please read WOW Review: Reading Across Cultures.

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10 Quick Ways to Analyze Children's Books for Racism and Sexism * Worlds of Words

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Both in school and out children are exposed to racist and sexist attitudes. These attitudes-expressed over and over in books and other media-gradually distort their perceptions until stereotypes and myths about people of color and women are accepted as reality. These ten guidelines are offered as a starting point in evaluating children's books from this perspective.

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The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality.

In this "vital, necessary, and beautiful book" (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and "allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people' (Claudia Rankine). Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

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The New York Times best-selling book exploring the counterproductive reactions white people have when their assumptions about race are challenged, and how these reactions maintain racial inequality. In this "vital, necessary, and beautiful book" (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility and "allows us to understand racism as a practice not restricted to 'bad people' (Claudia Rankine).

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I recommend this book for individuals to read about the history of racism in America.

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK - The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

"An instant American classic."--Dwight Garner, The New York Times

"As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power--which groups have it and which do not."

In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people--including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others--she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK - The Pulitzer Prize-winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

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Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real about Race in School

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Everyday Antiracism: Getting Real about Race in School

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Leading experts offer concrete and realistic strategies for dealing with race in schools in a groundbreaking book that should become required reading for every teacher in the country. Which acts by educators are "racist" and which are "antiracist"? How can an educator constructively discuss complex issues of race with students and colleagues? In Everyday Antiracism leading educators deal with the most challenging questions about race in school, offering invaluable and effective advice. Contributors including Beverly Daniel Tatum, Sonia Nieto, and Pedro Noguera describe concrete ways to analyze classroom interactions that may or may not be "racial," deal with racial inequality and "diversity," and teach to high standards across racial lines. Topics range from using racial incidents as teachable moments and responding to the "n-word" to valuing students' home worlds, dealing daily with achievement gaps, and helping parents fight ethnic and racial misconceptions about their children. Questions following each essay prompt readers to examine and discuss everyday issues of race and opportunity in their own classrooms and schools. For educators and parents determined to move beyond frustrations about race, "Everyday Antiracism" is an essential tool. - Contributors include: - Eduardo Bonilla-Silva - Prudence Carter - Thea Abu El-Haj - Ron Ferguson - Patricia Gandara - Ian Haney Lopez - Vivian Louie - Maria Ong - Paul Ongtooguk - Christine Sleeter - Angela Valenzuela

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Leading experts offer concrete and realistic strategies for dealing with race in schools in a groundbreaking book that should become required reading for every teacher in the country. Which acts by educators are "racist" and which are "antiracist"? How can an educator constructively discuss complex issues of race with students and colleagues?

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Article: How one district talks about race and racism

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Article: How one district talks about race and racism

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One change in behavior that can begin to dismantle systemic racism and implicit biases in K-12 education involves the hundreds of "discretionary moments" that occur during the school day.

These are the moments when a teacher may alter facial expressions and body language-whether consciously or unconsciously-when different students raise their hands or behave in certain ways, says Superintendent Robert Runcie of Broward County Public Schools.

"These things are rooted in our history, our perceptions, our biases," says Runcie, who has been working over the last several years to build the cultural competence of the educators in his district. "Those discretionary moments can have a significant impact on student learning and engagement."

One of Runcie's primary tools has been Courageous Conversation , a professional development framework that guides administrators, teachers and other school staff in leading discussions about race, diversity and tolerance.

More from DA: Are millions of students really missing school?

When the district launched Courageous Conversation, 300 teachers trained to become equity liaisons to champion the program's goals with their colleagues and to work with their principals to develop school-based equity plans.

While the program isn't mandatory, Runcie has encouraged central office leaderships, principals and assistant principals in his South Florida district to participate in Courageous Conversation professional development sessions this year.

"Our schools can be ground zero for a better dialogue, for a better level of conversation among adults who can better prepare the next generation to behave in ways that are an improvement on what we see going on today," Runcie says.

Transforming teaching practices

Many educators and community members are hungry to discuss these issues, particularly in the wake of the shooting deaths of George's Floyd and Breonna Taylor, says Glenn E. Singleton, who created Courageous Conversation through his consulting firm, Pacific Educational Group.

"This is a profession where people are dedicated to making sure the next generation has what it needs to be successful," Singleton says. "It' s a very sensitive area to say, 'with all the incredible things you're doing, there are still these parts we want you to pay attention to because of the of results-because bias is showing up in curriculum and instruction."

More from DA: 6 steps for preventing bullying in the online era

These discussions start with the educators themselves, regardless of their background, examining how race has impacted their lives and shaped their beliefs.

This leads educators to discover the role race plays in their teaching and leadership practices, Singleton says.

This process spans practices as simple as learning to pronounce students' names correctly to understanding and appreciating nuances in how different students express their knowledge, Singleton says.

The fact that the educators in a district as large as Broward can take on this work should serve as a model for other districts hoping to make progress on race, he adds.

"People from very different racial perspectives, backgrounds and experiences can talk about topics in ways that lead to a transformation in their practices," Singleton says.

Embedding equity across the curriculum

Broward County schools, one of the nation's most diverse districts, serves students from more than 200 different countries.

As part of the Courageous Conversation initiative, Runcie and his team are now modifying the curriculum to make instruction more relevant to students of all socio-economic backgrounds.

More from DA: Students' 8 leading safety concerns, other than COVID

The district has also made social justice a key focus of its speech and debate program, which is the largest in the nation. Debate is now offered in all high schools and middle schools and almost all of Broward's elementary schools, Runcie says.

Broward leaders are also looking to distribute resources more equitably. For instance, some schools need funding than others to fortify early literacy programs.

"It is enormously difficult for a young person to be the best they can be, academically or otherwise, if they're dealing with a bunch of social-emotional issues, many of them grounded in issues of race," Runcie says.

"If you're really serious about closing achievement gaps, if you're serious about giving all students an equitable opportunity for success, this is ground zero for creating a culture that's going to enable you to do that."

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How Broward County Schools talks about race and racism

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One change in behavior that can begin to dismantle systemic racism and implicit biases in K-12 education involves the hundreds of "discretionary moments" that occur during the school day. These are the moments when a teacher may alter facial expressions and body language-whether consciously or unconsciously-when different students raise their hands or behave in certain ways, says Superintendent Robert Runcie of Broward County Public Schools.

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Beyond the Statements: Doing the Work to Create More Anti-Racist School Districts    

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Beyond the Statements: Doing the Work to Create More Anti-Racist School Districts    

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This blog gives 7 concrete action steps schools can take toward becoming an anti-racist system:

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Article: Are you Prepared for Race Conversations? 

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Article: Are you Prepared for Race Conversations? 

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Dive Brief:

Dive Insight:

The 2020 survey results, centered on the roles and demographics of school and district leaders, comes at a time when schools across the nation are attempting comprehensive approaches for addressing diversity and antiracist practices .

The AASA study also shows student populations are becoming increasingly diverse, although several groups say much more work is needed to . According to the survey, 34% of respondents worked in districts where less than 5% of students were non-White, compared to improve racial and socioeconomic integration almost 50% in 2010, said Tienken, who offered a sneak-peek at the 2020 study results.

The preliminary findings also show women are filing into school superintendent roles but still represent only one-fourth of the top district leadership positions nationwide.

Even though the increase in women superintendents from 24.1% in 2010 to 26.68% in 2020 represents only a 2.5 percentage point increase, it is more than double the 13.1% documented in 2000, said Tienken, an associate professor of education leadership, management and policy at Seton Hall University in New Jersey.

Tienken predicts there will be a higher percentage of female superintendents in the 2030 study because data shows the percentage of female principals is growing. The 2020 study shows women now account for 67% of elementary school principals, 40% of middle school principals and 33% of high school principals. A typical pathway to superintendent roles is through a principalship, said Tienken.

"A majority of educators are females," Tienken said. "We're interested that females are represented in superintendent roles."

However, people of color are still underrepresented in the superintendency. The 2020 study shows women of color represent almost 13% of all female superintendents, and men of color represent 7% of all male superintendents. The results may help educators understand the national context as they work to diversify the superintendency through policy, professional development, superintendent preparation programs and more, Tienken said.

Among other highlights Tienken shared from the 2020 study's preliminary findings, based on survey answers from 1,218 superintendents across the country from April to June 2019:

The complete survey results will be available in January, Tienken said.

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Most superintendents say they're not 'very well prepared' to lead race, equity conversations

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The 2020 survey results, centered on the roles and demographics of school and district leaders, comes at a time when schools across the nation are attempting comprehensive approaches for addressing diversity and antiracist practices . The AASA study also shows student populations are becoming increasingly diverse, although several groups say much more work is needed to .

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A favorite website for finding diverse books is the Pragmatic Mom.

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A favorite website for finding diverse books is the Pragmatic Mom.

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Inside: Celebrate diversity and culture with this vast collection of multicultural books for children! Includes 60+ book lists, from toddlers through big kids.
I was dismayed to discover that the number of multicultural books for children that have been published hasn't increased during the last 18 years. All this is despite census data showing 37% of the US population consists of people of color.
This graphic is from Lee and Low publishers.
I have posted a large number of book lists focusing on multicultural books for children (some my own creations but others that I've happily discovered).

I am organizing them all here in hopes that more people will read multicultural children's books. Hopefully, this will spark an interest that will lead to more books depicting people of color being published. Moreover, if you are an essay writer who needs materials to write something on multi-culture topics, this list will be a great source.

If you want to deepen your kid's absorption of multicultural reading, then custom bookmarks and stickers would be a great choice as memory keepers and reminders. You can customize them aligned with any highlighted themes, events, and ideas in the books. Create more fun while reading. Furthermore, if you are a bookstore owner, go with some customized bookmarks and stickers with your store logo as promotional gifts, which is a great support to multiculturalism as well.

Also, anyone can create their own digital book and make it interactive by adding videos, images, and buttons with flipbook software. Children will have a great experience when flipping through the pages.

For all of my book lists, please see List of Lists: All My Book Lists (300+)

p.s. Here is another list of classic Best Books for Children from BestBooks.to website.

Multicultural books for children: 60+ Book Lists

I've broken down my multicultural lists by:

Multicultural Book Lists for Kids (a catch-all for those lists that don't fit the categories below)

Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

Asian American Books for Kids with subcategories

Korean American Books for Kids

Japanese American Books for Kids

Chinese American Books for Kids

Southeast Asian Books for Kids

Native American Books for Kids

Hispanic American Books for Kids

Arab American Books for Kids

LGBTQ Books for Kids

Multicultural Book Lists for Kids
White Privilege Books for Kids A Unit on Skin Color: Children's Books & Videos Immigration and the Refugee Experience Books for Kids 50 Must Read Diversity Picture Books Homelessness in Children's Books Special Needs Books for Kids Chapter Book Series Starring Diverse Girl Characters Picture Books to Teach Gratitude Top 10 Diverse Superhero Books 10 Picture Books About Africa to Teach Empathy W Favorite Diversity Picture Books for 4th of July Great Diverse Books from Peachtree Publishing Top 1o Favorite Diversity Books For Kids By Kids Top 10 Multicultural Books for Kids ages 2-14 Books for Kids About Cambodia Children's Africana Book Award Top 10 Multicultural Board Books for Babies and Toddlers Top 10 Best Multicultural Easy Readers Best Multicultural Chapter Books 10 Amazing Multicultural Picture Books About Helping Others 17 Wonderful Multicultural Picture Books About Food 5 Amazing Diversity Read Alouds Multicultural Adoption Books for Kids 5 Feel-Good Picture Books About Africa Top 10 Multicultural Dance Picture Books for Kids Top 50: Best Multicultural Children's Books Top 10: Best World Religion Children's Books Chapter Books to Support 4th Grade or 5th Grade Immigration Unit Great Biographies from Author Paula Yoo Multicultural Soccer Books for Kids Best Multicultural YA Books A Unit to Learn About the Tokyo Olympics Best Multicultural YA Books for Teens 25 Diversity Authors and Illustrators for Kids Spotlighted Black History Month with Carole Boston Weatherford Civil Rights Movement Through Art and Books for Kids HARLEM: Found Ways art exhibit and Children's Books Reflecting Harlem Civil Rights Movement Books for 4th Grade Top 10: Best Children's Books On Civil Rights Movement Top 10: Best African-American Picture Books (ages 4-12) Ruby Bridges and Picture Book As Fast as Words Could Fly Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr with Three Books 5th Grade Social Studies And How to Make It Interesting 5th Grade Enslavement Unit Books 3 Amazing Wordless Picture Books Top 10: Best Asian American Books by CoolAsianKids Asian in America (Amy Chua, new Asian KidLit, dumpling recipe!) Exploring Vietnam: Culture and KitLit Sri Lanka with Kids Books, Recipe and Design Exploring Laos with Books for Kids, Culture and Art Bangladesh: Culture, Alpanas, Children's Books, Recipe and More! 15 Great Korean Folk Tales Top 10: Korean American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Discovering Korea for Kids with Kids' Books, Art and Food Korean-American Picture Book Teaches Multicultural Lesson Japanese Internment Books for Kids Learning About Japan Picture Books for Kids Connecting Science and Art: Hokusai's The Great Wave In Memory of Hiroshima Bombing Books and Crane Origami for Kids Top 10: Japanese American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Let's Go Fly a Kite! Best Bilingual Japanese Books for Kids Japan: Books for Kids on Shogun, Family Crests, Block Prints Japanese American Post Internment Story: Journey Home (ages 8-12) Chinese New Year Picture Books INSTEAD of Tiki Tiki Tembo Top 10: Chinese American Children's Books (ages 2-14) Top 10: Best Chinese New Year Books for Kids 4th of July Picture Books with an Asian Twist Asian American Chapter Book for Girls Percy Jackson + Chinese Mythology = The Monkey King's Daughter Top 10: Best Southeast Asian American Children's Books (ages 2-14) 4th Grade Skype Author Visit: Sheela Chari of Vanished Contemporary Native Americans in KidLit Plimoth Plantation: Learning About Native Americans Top 10: Native American Children's Books (ages 2-16) Top 10: Best Native American Middle School Books Top 10: Best Native American Picture Book Top 10: Best Native American Young Adult Books Notable Native American Children's Author: Joseph Bruchac The Navajo Code Talkers of WWII Best Bilingual Spanish Picture Books Top 10 Hispanic American Heritage Books for Kids Top 10 Bilingual Spanish Books for Kids Top 10: Best Latino American Children's Books (ages 2-16) The Américas Award Hispanic American Books for Kids: Link Round Up 18 Wonderful Picture Books about the Arab World 27 Books for Kids About the Arab World Top 10: Middle Eastern American Children's Books Five Muslim Girl Characters to Read Today Middle East Outreach Council Award How To: Teach Your Children About Islam (and tolerance in the process!) Life in Afghanistan for Girls The Pharoah's Secret at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts 10 Groundbreaking LGBTQ Children's Books Understanding Transgender with LGBTQ Books for Kids To examine any book more closely at Amazon, please click on image of book. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

Junior Library Guild Gold selection

Selected as one of 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023 by dPICTUS and featured at the Bologna Children's Book Fair

Starred review from School Library Journal

anting to Go To School Books: When School is a Privilege
Africa Access was founded in 1989 to help schools, public libraries, and parents improve the quality of their K-12 collections on Africa.

It was surprisingly hard to find board books with diversity and inclusive themes.

I searched my public library for the best diversity easy readers.

These books are from the 2015 Notable Books for a Global Society Award, for middle grade readers ages 8 and up.

I hope these picture books inspire readers about the power of one ... just one person can do amazing things!

My favorite way to learn about new cultures is through food. Explore with me as we read (and eat as recipes are linked) around the world!

These are some of my very favorite diversity chapter books that I hope can read with your kids too!

These five books show different perspectives from the story of a young Masaii girl who wants to touch the moon to visiting family in Tanzania and The Gambia.

May all dancers of color be inspired to reach for their dreams with this book list.

This covers many ethnicities and is categorized by genre.

We are "homeschooling" world religion.

Our elementary school does an immigration unit using these chapter books. I've also added a few newly published books as well.

I hope this list inspires children, parents, and teachers to visit their local libraries and explore the biography bookshelves! I've also included many biographies below featuring diverse historical characters.

View soccer as it's played around the world through the eyes of these picture books.

These are the Young Adult books from the 2015 Notable Books for a Global Society.

I'm new to YA so I was excited to discover this great list.

Civil Rights Movement Books for Kids

My kids study the Civil Rights Movement in the United States in 4th grade and I'm pleased to see a handful of important and often, award-winning, picture books, chapter books, and Young Adult books published each year.

This list covers picture books, chapter books, and young adult.

If you read these picture books in order, it gives an overview of the African-American experience historically starting from slavery to the present day.

Meeting Ruby Bridges was a thrill for me and further reinforced how important it is for kids to learn about the Civil Rights Movement.

Young Booker T. Washington: Fifty Cents and a Dream.

An advanced picture book that paints a portrait of Booker T. Washington as a determined young boy.

If you just want a snapshot of the Civil Rights Movement for young children, try these three books: two picture books and a chapter book.

I have a section in this post about the Civil Rights Movement.

Black History Month Books for Kids and Teens

Asian American Books for Kids

One of the most exciting things for me about blogging was discovering Asian American books for kids.

This genre was just starting to emerge a few years ago when I started blogging. Growing up, I read extensively but I never found books that were like me - an Asian American 2nd and 3rd generation girl living in the suburbs. I'm thrilled to find that this is no longer the case.

Recognizing Children's Books for AAPI Heritage Month (a huge list)

I love these wordless picture books by Asian and Asian American authors/illustrators so much that I made videos of them on my Instagram.

CoolAsianKids made a wonderful list of their favorite Asian American KidLit.

These recently published books show the new diversity of Asian American KidLit as well as the high quality of this genre.

APALA Awards for Best Asian American Children's Books 2013

The Asian Pacific American Libraries Association has announced their 2013 literature award winners.

I created a series of posts a while back that I called Teach Me Tuesday. I wanted to explore a country using children's books as well as different elements of their culture from art to food to artisans. This was the first post I did of this series on Vietnam (and my best one!). The Teach Me Tuesday series is here.

A friend from Sri Lanka gave me a recipe that he loved as a child and this sparked this post. Finding the books is always the toughest part for me.

The more I learned about Laos, the more I want to go to this mysterious, beautiful and tragic country.

Korean American Books for Kids

I'm half Chinese and Japanese and I married a Korean. My first lists of multicultural books for children were on these three ethnicities as a way to show my children their heritage. The Korean American culture is so strong in America that this first post went viral.

This is the first post of mine ever to go viral.

I wanted to learn more about my husband's family history so this is a very personal journey of discovery.

I don't often do individual book reviews but finding this great Asian American book at the library made me want to post on it.

Japanese American Books for Kids

For your young ninja, books to learn about Japan.

It's amazing how a single piece of art can have a ripple effect, inspiring others all around the world and for many generations.

WWII Internment seems to dominate Japanese American books for kids. I agree that it is an important lesson in history - my own mother was forced to relocate but I also hunger for books that explore other facets of being Japanese American.

Kite flying is an important ritual in Asia and I've rounded up every great kite flying book thanks to a little help from my friends and readers.

This was my response to a reader request.

I explore my own Japanese history in this post.

These older books explore the Japanese American internment experience during WWII, a shameful chapter in America's history.

Chinese American Books For Kids

There is such a diversity of Chinese American books for kids from philosophy, culture and contemporary times.

I wanted to show the breadth and depth of Chinese American books for kids. These were our favorites.

I never had a great Chinese New Year picture book despite always doing a Chinese New Year presentation for my children's preschool so I was determined to upgrade!

Fourth of July from a Chinese American immigrant's perspective via picture books. Yep, this is what I blog about!

Lisa Yee portrays the dilemmas of modern day Asian American kids caught between assimilation and Tiger parents.

A Chinese mythology action-adventure series.

Southeast Asian Books for Kids

Southeast Asian culture and books are foreign to me too so I wanted to learn more.

Sheela Chari's debut mystery chapter book is award winning!

Native American Books For Kids

My first list was criticized by Debbie Reese, the preeminent scholar on this topic, for including books that she did not feel accurately depicted the Native Americans. My response was to repost her great lists!

Do kids think that Native Americans are only the past? This list will hopefully change that!

What to read when preparing for a visit to Plimoth Plantation.

This is the list I made.

Debbie Reese's list for middle-grade chapter books.

Debbie Reese's list for picture books.

Debbie Reese's list of YA books is very popular.

I am a huge fan of Joseph Bruchac, a happy discovery from chatting with my librarian when creating my list.

The author of this advanced picture book lives one town over!

Hispanic American Books for Kids

My guest author Derek Taylor Kent comes up with his list for best bilingual Spanish picture books for kids.

I'm noticing some great Hispanic American KidLit lately across all children's book genres!

I'm doing a round-up of Hispanic books for kids of all ages, from picture books to young adult.

Arab American Books for Kids

This is my collection of the best picture books I've read so far about the Arab world.

In the wake of the conflicts in the Middle East, I thought it especially important for kids to learn about Islam and the people of the Middle East which might also teach them tolerance in the process. There is so much negative stereotyping during a war that can color a child's perspective.

Deborah Ellis's Parvana series shows a realistic view of what life is like in Afghanistan for girls today. It's heartbreaking but also so important.

Chapter book The Pharoah's Secret by Marissa Moss discovered in Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. Did I find Senenmut, Hatshepsut's love there?!

LBGTQ Books for Kids

More lists and reviews of diverse, inclusive, and multicultural books for children from KidLit bloggers here on my Pinterest board:

Follow PragmaticMom's board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

My books:

Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Amazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

BEST #OWNVOICES CHILDREN'S BOOKS: My Favorite Diversity Books for Kids Ages 1-12 is a book that I created to highlight books written by authors who share the same marginalized identity as the characters in their books.

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Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists

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Inside: Celebrate diversity and culture with this vast collection of multicultural books for children! Includes 60+ book lists, from toddlers through big kids. I was dismayed to discover that the number of multicultural books for children that have been published hasn't increased during the last 18 years.

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70 Multicultural and Social Justice Books for Children, Young Adults and Educators

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70 Multicultural and Social Justice Books for Children, Young Adults and Educators

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More than 100 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. When you find a book at this site, please purchase it here. Our titles are linked to Bookshop. A portion of your book purchase helps sustain our work. New Releases Activism and Organizing Africa Afro-Latinx American Indians Arabs […]

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Anti-bias Education: children's books on racial identity, gender roles, abilities & disabilities and much more

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Anti-bias Education: children's books on racial identity, gender roles, abilities & disabilities and much more

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Anti-bias Education

A Selection of Children's Books for Each Topic

Selected by Julie Olsen Edwards, co-author of "Anti-bias Education for Our Children and Ourselves".

The following list of wonderful children's picture books have been selected as companions to each of the chapters in the new Anti-bias Education book now available from NAEYC:
Click on a higlighted chapter topic above for suggested books or read below for complete list. Click on highlighted titles to see book details. For more listings of wonderful, beautifully written and illustrated pictures books, consult our database.
The Four Goals of Anti-Bias Education

1. Each child will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.

2. Each child will express comfort and joy with human diversity, accurate language for human differences; and deep, caring human connections.

3. Each child will increasingly recognize unfairness, have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.

4. Each child will demonstrate empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.

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Selected by Julie Olsen Edwards, co-author of "Anti-bias Education for Our Children and Ourselves". The following list of wonderful children's picture books have been selected as companions to each of the chapters in the new Anti-bias Education book now available from NAEYC: Click on a higlighted chapter topic above for suggested books or read below for complete list.

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Scholastic: Diverse Books for Grades PreK-3

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Scholastic: Diverse Books for Grades PreK-3

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The Power of Story: Diverse Books for Grades PreK-3

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Books that tell the stories of historically underrepresented groups specifically related to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion, and culture.

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Scholastic: Diverse Books for Grades 3-7

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Scholastic: Diverse Books for Grades 3-7

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The Power of Story: Diverse Books for Grades 3-7

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Books that tell the stories of historically underrepresented groups specifically related to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion, and culture.

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Educators' Helper Pinterest for Diverse Book Selections

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Educators' Helper Pinterest for Diverse Book Selections

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One of the first steps towards unbiasing is education. External research shows that awareness of unconscious bias can lead to reversals in biased outcomes, and understanding of the unconscious biases that underlie beliefs may be necessary for changing attitudes.

In 2013, Google began educating employees and leaders en masse - creating Unconscious Bias @ Work and other tools - to start a conversation about unbiasing. This helped ensure that employees had a common understanding and language to talk about unconscious bias, and the platform to do so.

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re:Work - Guide: Raise awareness about unconscious bias

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One of the first steps towards unbiasing is education. External research shows that awareness of unconscious bias can lead to reversals in biased outcomes, and understanding of the unconscious biases that underlie beliefs may be necessary for changing attitudes.

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Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good

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Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace & Do Good

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Parents and other caregivers are seeking resources to help them hold children through the current, terrible wave of racialized violence, which is exacerbated by the tensions and vulnerabilities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help engage the broad range of emotions and needs of diverse children in our multiracial society. In some cases, we've highlighted worthy, albeit lesser-known titles. Some are older books, some are newer, and a few will publish later this year but are available for pre-order now. This list skews heavily towards #ownvoices books and is arranged alphabetically by title.

Please use these books to help you do the work of making the world a safer, more equitable place for all children.

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20 Picture Books for 2020: Readings to Embrace Race, Provide Solace &...

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As scholars, writers, and parents who use books to connect with our children and spark conversations with them, we've developed this book list to help engage the broad range of emotions and needs of diverse children in our multiracial society.

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Want to be inclusive? Include your students in the process

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Want to be inclusive? Include your students in the process

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Include your students. Make  lessons out of analyzing your classroom library. This could teach multiple standards at once across content areas such as ELA, Math (students count, add; find percentages using books), History, Language and Speaking & Listening. Preview these resources for ideas.
(Credit: Jessica Lifshitz from https://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/07/07/part-1-having-students-analyze-our-classroom-library-to-see-how-diverse-it-is/ )

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A list of topics and questions to ask when examining history books for racism.

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Leveraging a Culturally Responsive Text: First Steps for Educators 

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Leveraging a Culturally Responsive Text: First Steps for Educators 

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This article gives tips on how to intentionally include diverse texts into daily instruction.

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The following is an interview with Keenan Lee, a first-grade teacher in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. In June of 2020, Keenan crowd-sourced an extensive, grade-band-specific list of culturally diverse texts (Culturally Diverse & LGBTQ+ Books for Prek-Higher Education)-reaching out to educators across the nation via social media. The list features titles for Pre-K students all the way through higher ed/adult reading. In this interview, Keenan shares recommendations for how to leverage these texts to provide powerful learning experiences for students. Q: How would you describe the value culturally diverse texts bring to a classroom discussion? How do they support students' growth?
A: When the teacher includes books that are culturally diverse, they are adding value through exposing their students to books that are written by someone who shares the same culture and traditions. Allowing students to explore books by someone who may look like them or share the same cultural background will develop more interest in reading, which will help academically in developing their literacy skills. Most importantly, for teachers of students who are predominantly white, it is important to expose the students to culturally diverse books because it will introduce the students to situations, traditions, and cultures that are not seen in their home lives or schools. When adding these books for the students, it will help students be more culturally aware and value how they see themselves, others, and their place in the world around them.
Q: Many teachers may be required to teach a certain curriculum with existing texts. Any suggestions for how to integrate new texts into the time they have with students each week?
A: I suggest that teachers should always find time to include a read-aloud of their choosing. It is important that, as teachers, we expose our students to authentic text that doesn't come from a basal reader series. One way I incorporate culturally diverse books in my classroom is during the read-aloud at various times of the day. For example, we would read a book that my students or I have chosen. This takes place before or after lunch and again before the day's special.
Q: There have been lots of great recommendations shared for culturally diverse texts-how do you, as the teacher, decide which ones to share and when?
A: To me, the hardest part is picking a book! There are so many great authors with so many great titles, and it is difficult to just pick one. In all seriousness, when I select books, I try to tie the book into the theme or unit that we are working on in English Language Arts. I found that many of my students have limited background knowledge when it comes to the stories in our reading curriculum, so I reinforce what we are learning by reading a culturally diverse book that the students can connect with. I love when I teach fairy tales and fables because there are so many different variations of popular stories from many different cultures, which makes the read-aloud and the discussion that follows it so much fun. I also try to base the stories that I choose around holidays and special events. One of my favorite stories I like to share around election time is Grace for President. This book shows students, especially female students, that they can be anything they want to be if they persevere and keep going.
Q: Walk us through some steps educators might take, once they have a text in hand, to design a lesson and discussion that leverages a culturally diverse text to its full potential.
A: The first thing I do when I pick out my story is to sit down and read the story myself. Sometimes I have to read the story twice to be sure I am understanding the messaging the author is trying to present. When reading the story myself I am able to put myself in my students' shoes and jot down some questions they might have, and it also allows me to find stopping points in the book that will lend themselves to meaningful discussion. After reading the story, I then think about how I can tie the story back into current events. I always have to do reflection when trying to make the connection to the real world because it allows me to really think about how this will affect my students and how I can be open and honest with them without going too much into it. At the end of it all, I want to tie the lesson back into the story and allow students to make their own personal connections. Overall, I try to leave my students with something that they can relate to and understand.
Q: Discussions about the text have the potential to get heated, emotional, and personal. How do you create a safe space for everyone to feel comfortable digging into the text?
A: I have created a safe space in my classroom from the first time students enter the classroom-these rules don't just apply to discussing culturally relevant texts. My main rule for discussions is that we do not make fun of, laugh at, or judge our friends. We are a family, and families lift and support each other through the good and the bad. I also show my students that sometimes I make mistakes, too, so I share my thoughts and feelings on topics. I think showing/modeling to the students how I react in certain situations really gives them an idea of how we successful have conversations within our classroom family.
Q: Do you have any specific advice for teachers of early elementary school students about facilitating activities?
A: I would tell other early elementary teachers to not hold back when facilitating these activities with their students. The discussions we have in our classroom, with our students, are the most meaningful and rich conversations that many of our students have with peers and adults. For example, to get the conversation started with my students in my classroom, I always ask the students how the characters feel in the story. After asking that question about the characters, I like to tie it back to the student. I proceed to ask the students, "If you were in the book, how would you feel if you were in the story and this is happening?" It is important to have this type of dialogue, especially at the early elementary level, because it allows students to work on understanding and practicing different social emotional skills. Oftentimes, we open the door for students to ask questions that sometimes their parents are not comfortable answering.

One activity that I like to do with my students to show cultural diversity is to read and discuss The Family Book by Todd Parr. After reading and discussing the story, I give each student a sheet of scrapbook paper and instructions for parents. With this activity the students and their family are tasked to create a family collage. On the collage, the students will include anything that makes up their family and how it makes them unique. For example, the students can draw or post pictures of their family members, favorite foods, activities, and other activities that they do together as a family. Once the students return the collage to school, all students have an opportunity to share their collage and what makes them special. As we share the collages with one another, the students are able to subconsciously compare and contrast the differences between their family and their peers. The goal of this activity is to allow students to see that we are all diverse and are unique in our own special way.
Q: Do you have any tips on advocating for inclusion of diverse texts with colleagues or administration who may be resistant to including them in their own instruction or facilitating schoolwide use?
A: As a teacher, we should use our voice to advocate for the inclusion of diverse text with colleagues and administration. One tip I suggest is bringing up why inclusion of these text is important during grade-level planning or PLC times. These are times when everyone can have a say and can express their point of view. I would also include solid research-based information to back your advocacy. Another tip I would suggest for teachers to do is to invite the administration and other colleagues into your classroom during one of your read-aloud times when you are using a diverse book. It is good for administration to see the meaningful conversations that you and your students have together. It is powerful when someone else can watch how the books lead and guide complex conversations.
Q: Where can readers go for more lesson-planning resources or additional ideas for texts?
A: I have included a few links. I go to these pretty frequently to check out new ideas.
Teachingtolerance.org Diversebooks.org Multiculturalchildrensbookday.com Readingrockets.org Firstbook.org

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You Have a List of Culturally Diverse Texts. Now What? - Achieve the Core Aligned Materials

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The following is an interview with Keenan Lee, a first-grade teacher in an urban school district in Pennsylvania. In June of 2020, Keenan crowd-sourced an extensive, grade-band-specific list of culturally diverse texts (Culturally Diverse & LGBTQ+ Books for Prek-Higher Education)-reaching out to educators across the nation via social media.

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Reading Diversity A Tool for Selecting Diverse Texts

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Selecting and Using Culturally Responsive Children's Books

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Selecting and Using Culturally Responsive Children's Books

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Tips for choosing and evaluating children's books (quick worksheet included at the end).

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Reading Diversity Tool: Teacher's Edition

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Reading Diversity Tool: Teacher's Edition

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On the next page you'll be asked to select an Implicit Association Test (IAT) from a list of possible topics . We will also ask you (optionally) to report your attitudes or beliefs about these topics and provide some information about yourself.

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A Bullying Prevention Companion Bibliography

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The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated

Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America.
"An unusually sensitive work about the racial barriers that still divide us in so many areas of life."--Jonathan Kozol

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Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?

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The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy?

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In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation--that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies. Rather, The Color of Law incontrovertibly makes clear that it was de jure segregation--the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments--that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day.

Through extraordinary revelations and extensive research that Ta-Nehisi Coates has lauded as "brilliant" (The Atlantic), Rothstein comes to chronicle nothing less than an untold story that begins in the 1920s, showing how this process of de jure segregation began with explicit racial zoning, as millions of African Americans moved in a great historical migration from the south to the north.

As Jane Jacobs established in her classic The Death and Life of Great American Cities, it was the deeply flawed urban planning of the 1950s that created many of the impoverished neighborhoods we know. Now, Rothstein expands our understanding of this history, showing how government policies led to the creation of officially segregated public housing and the demolition of previously integrated neighborhoods. While urban areas rapidly deteriorated, the great American suburbanization of the post-World War II years was spurred on by federal subsidies for builders on the condition that no homes be sold to African Americans. Finally, Rothstein shows how police and prosecutors brutally upheld these standards by supporting violent resistance to black families in white neighborhoods.

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 prohibited future discrimination but did nothing to reverse residential patterns that had become deeply embedded. Yet recent outbursts of violence in cities like Baltimore, Ferguson, and Minneapolis show us precisely how the legacy of these earlier eras contributes to persistent racial unrest. "The American landscape will never look the same to readers of this important book" (Sherrilyn Ifill, president of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund), as Rothstein's invaluable examination shows that only by relearning this history can we finally pave the way for the nation to remedy its unconstitutional past.

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In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation--that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies.

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Growing up, it was difficult to find books that spoke to my experience as a Black Latina. Although there were a few books I could turn to like Amazing Grace , which served as a reminder that I can be whatever I want to be as a young Black woman, or The American Girls book collection featuring Addy Walker, a young slave, which provided an early introduction to the transatlantic slave trade, there were barely enough to capture the diversity of the African Diaspora or all that comprise the Latinx community. I rarely, if at all, came across any children's books with a Latinx protagonist.

So, it's great to see the increasing number of children's books featuring Latinx protagonists and Latinidad in its entirety. Here are 20 Latinx children's books every parent should get for their child.

By Jonah Winter, Edel Rodriguez (Illustrator)

Sonia Sotomayor made history in 2009 when she became the first Latinx Supreme Court Justice in the United States. The bilingual biography takes you through the South Bronx-born Puerto Rican justice's life from poverty to her seat in our nation's highest court. This is a great Latinx children's book to teach young children to never give up on their dreams and keep fighting for their passions.

By Meg Medina, Angela Dominguez (Illustrator)

Love and patience serve as a bridge to language and understanding for Mia and her abuela. When Mia's abuela comes to stay, she discovers she's unable to read the words of her favorite book because they speak different languages. Over time, they teach one another their native tongues in this cross-generational story about a bond between una nieta and her abuela. This is a great Latinx children's book to teach young children about the importance of language and communication.

By Julia Alvarez, Fabian Negrin (Illustrator)

In this Dominican folktale on the ciguapas, human-looking creatures who live in underwater caves, only venturing out at night, a very bold ciguapa named Guapa befriends a human boy around her age. The story serves as an example that you can befriend others despite their differences.

By Duncan Tonatiuh

The origin story for two volcanoes, Iztaccíhuatl and Popocatépetl, located south of Mexico City, it chronicles the eternal love between Princess Itza and a warrior, Popoca. Itza's father agrees Popoca may have her hand in marriage after defeating Jaguar Claw, ruler of a neighboring land, but when Jaguar Claw tricks Popoca into thinking she's dead after giving her slumber-inducing poison, he remains by her side. It begins to snow, turning them into two volcanoes. Nahuatl words are included in the story, as well as a glossary. It's the perfect Latinx children's book to teach young children about Indigenous stories.

By Marjuan Canady, Nabeeh Bilal (Illustrator)

In this tale, an abuela sends her granddaughter Marisol and friend Winston to run an errand that turns into an adventure as the duo decides to go to Puerto Rico to free the golden coqui in El Yunque Rainforest and break the spell cast by the chupacabra. The question is, will they make it back in time for Nochebuena dinner?

By Sulma Arzu-Brown, Isidra Sabio (Illustrator)

describes it as a Latinx children's bilingual book "that encourages young Black, Afro-Latino, and multi-racial girls to see themselves, and their hair, as beautiful." The empowering book is disrupting the notion of what pelo malo (bad hair) is, emphasizing self-acceptance as it pertains to hair for young women globally.

By Carmen Agra Deedy, Michael Austin (Illustrator)

Based on a witty Cuban folktale, Martina Josefina Catalina Cucaracha, a beautiful cucaracha, puts romantic suitors to the test. As they fail her abuela's "coffee test," she wonders if she'll ever find true love. There's one man standing, what will happen when Martina offers him café cubano?

By Monica Brown, Rafael Lopez (Illustrator)

This bilingual storybook-styled biography takes readers through The Queen of Salsa's early life in Havana, Cuba to her musical career and her big move to the U.S. It's a great Latinx children's book to teach your young kids about what Celia Cruz means to the Latin music community and the impact she had.

By Omar S. Castañeda, Enrique O. Sanchez ( Illustrator)

Esperanza, a young Guatemalan girl, and her grandmother bond over weaving beautifully colored Mayan tapestries. Her abuela, who is incredibly skilled at weaving, is passing down the tradition and the two work to sell their creations at la marqueta.

By Carmen Tafolla, Magaly Morales (Illustrator)

This bilingual book introduces children to the traditional, frozen, fruit-flavored Mexican treat: a paleta. They'll quickly learn how they, too, can create the tasty masterpiece.

By Roseanne Thong, John Parra (Illustrator)

"Red is spices and swirling skirts, yellow is masa, tortillas, and sweet corn cake." A lively, rhyming book about colors, Green is a Chile Pepper features objects Latinx in origin but that children of all backgrounds will comprehend.

By Alma Flor Ada, Elivia Savadier (Illustrator)

The weekends are a very special time for the young girl in this book. Saturdays are spent with her European-American grandparents, and on Sundays, she visits her abuelito y abuelita, who are Mexican-American. This story teaches children that despite the cultural differences, their love is the same. A great read for multicultural kids discovering their heritages and backgrounds.

By Zetta Elliott

Although hesitant to visit a boutique that sells handmade dolls, Max goes and meets Señor Pepe, who has been making dolls since he was a boy in Honduras. He leaves Max with an important message: "There is no shame in making something beautiful with your hands. Sewing is a skill just like hitting a baseball or fixing a car."

By Carole Boston Weatherford , Eric Velásquez (Illustrator)

This book follows the life of Afro-Puerto Rican activist and historian Arturo Schomburg. His life's passion to collect books, letters, music, and art from Africa and the African Diaspora and amplify the achievements of people of African descent through the ages led to what is today known as the New York Public Library's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

By Margarita Engle, Rafael López (Illustrator)

Inspired by the childhood of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga, a Chinese-African-Cuban girl, who broke Cuba's traditional taboo against female drummers, the drum dream girl longs to play the congas and the bongós, but must practice in secret. The inspiring story ends with the disbanding of the gender-based rule and both girls and boys were free to drum and dream.

By Marjorie Agosin, Lee White (Illustrator)

Life changes abruptly for Celeste Marconi, an 11-year-old dreamer, when warships are spotted in her town of Valparaiso, Chile and classmates begin disappearing. Based on true events, the new government declares artists, protesters, and anyone who helps the needy to be dangerous to the country's future, so Celeste's parents go into hiding and send her to America to protect her.

By Elizabeth Acevedo

The Poet X follows a young, Harlem-bred Dominican-American girl, Xiomara Batista, who enjoys the influence of slam poetry as a form of expression as she struggles to identify with her family, faith, and relationships. This is a great book to help young Latinx kids learn the importance of trusting their own voice.

By Angela Cervantes

A volunteer at the local animal shelter, Gaby Ramirez Howard forms a bond with the strays. She feels a bit displaced herself as her mother has been deported to Honduras and she's left to stay with her inattentive father. However, she's eager for her mother to return, so she can adopt her favorite shelter cat but when the cat's original owners show up, Gaby fears her shot at a family will fall through.

By Juan Felipe Herrera, Raúl Colón (Illustrator)

A beautiful portrait accompanied by a biography, quotes and timelines, Portraits of Hispanic Heroes showcases 20 notable Latinx figures who have made outstanding contributions to the arts, politics, science, humanitarianism, and athletics, to name a few fields.

By Alma Flor Ada and F. Isabel Campoy

Yes! We Are Latinos presents profiles of 13 fictional Latinx American characters coupled with historical information about the countries their families derive from. The book is a resource for young Latinx children to see themselves, as well as a great way for non-Latinx readers to learn more about the diversity of our cultural contributions.

Whether it's Latinx Heritage Month or National Book Month, these stories are perfect to cuddle up with the kids to read and learn one page at a time.

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20 Latinx Children's Books That Should Be On Your Shelf

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Growing up, it was difficult to find books that spoke to my experience as a Black Latina.

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"We assume whiteness is the default because whiteness, historically, has been the default. This is one of the many reasons diverse representation matters so much. We need to change the default." -Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist, Hunger, Difficult Women, and An Untamed State, from an interview with The Rumpus

These picture and board books are geared towards children ages newborn to eight, depending on reading level.

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Children's Books by Authors and Illustrators of Color

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"We assume whiteness is the default because whiteness, historically, has been the default. This is one of the many reasons diverse representation matters so much. We need to change the default." -Roxane Gay, author of Bad Feminist, Hunger, Difficult Women, and An Untamed State, from an interview with The Rumpus These picture and board books are geared towards children ages newborn to eight, depending on reading level.

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The Conscious Kid is an education, research and policy organization that supports families and educators in taking action to disrupt racism, inequity and bias

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Netflix celebrates books by black authors reading aloud the story they have written.

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Celebrity readers share children's books by Black authors to spark kid-friendly conversations about empathy, equality, self-love and antiracism. Watch trailers & learn more.

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https://painted-words.com/portfolio/vanessa-brantley-newton/

Vanessa has written and/or illustrated many books that will be a great resource for our work.

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Vanessa Brantley Newton attended both SVA and FIT of New York, where she studied fashion and children's illustration. An artist swathed in retro chic, she loves all things vintage - especially books and clothes from the 40s through the 60's - and it shines through in her designs, which run the gamut of fun and whimsical to stylish and sophisticated. She loves to add unique touches to her work, including mixed media accents, collage, and hand lettering.

Vanessa was born during the Civil Rights movement, and attended school in Newark, NJ. Being part of a diverse, tight-knit community during such turbulent times, Vanessa learned the importance of acceptance and empowerment in shaping a young person's life. When she read Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats, it was the first time she saw herself in a children's book. It was a defining moment in her life, and has made her into the artist she is today. As an illustrator, she includes children of all ethnic backgrounds in her stories and artwork. She wants all children to see their unique experiences reflected in the books they read, so they can feel the same sense of empowerment and recognition she experienced as a young reader.

Vanessa celebrates self-love and acceptance of all cultures through her work, and hopes to inspire young readers to find their own voices. She first learned to express herself as a little girl through song. Growing up in a musical family, Vanessa's parents taught her how to sing to help overcome her stuttering. Each night the family would gather to make music together, with her mom on piano, her dad on guitar, and Vanessa and her sister, Coy, singing the blues, gospel, spirituals, and jazz. Now whenever she illustrates, music fills the air and finds its way into her art. The children she draws can be seen dancing, wiggling, and moving freely across the page in an expression of happiness. Music is a constant celebration, no matter the occasion, and Vanessa hopes her illustrations bring joy to others, with the same magic of a beautiful melody.

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Vanessa Brantley Newton is the author and illustrator of Let Freedom Sing and Don't Let Auntie Mabel Bless the Table, and has illustrated numerous children's books including One Love & Every Little Thing, words by Bob & Cedella Marley, and Presenting Tallulah written by Tori Spelling.

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Resource with a diverse group of authors and books.

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"kids books read aloud" "kids books read out loud" "kid friendly youtube channel" "children's books" "picture books" "kid's books" "read aloud" "read out lou...

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http://www.kidlit.tv KidLit TV is a Parents' Choice Gold Award winner & American Association of School Librarians Best Digital Tool for Teaching and Learning. KLTV is available in over 700,000 schools worldwide via our website and video distribution partners.

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Poetry books for kids of all ages

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When choosing books to read with your kids, how often do you reach for poetry books? If you're like me, not all that often. Which is why I recently set a goal to incorporate more poetry and nursery rhymes into our storytime routine. I have fond memories of enjoying Shel Silverstein's classic poetry book Where the Sidewalk Ends during my childhood years. Can you believe that book is now over 40 years old?

I love poetry because it's so universal, unique, and accessible to kids. The compact, songlike nature of many poems can make learning language feel almost effortless to children. They don't even realize how much they're retaining by reciting a simple nursery rhyme or short poem. Reading poems aloud helps children to practice their volume, pitch, and voice inflection, among other things.

Poetry, like other forms of literature, can also be entertaining, beautiful, and meaningful. Kids are usually immediately drawn to the rhythm and rhyme of poetry. Much like diversity, poetry can provide a mirror for us to see ourselves, and a window into others' experiences, to help us understand the lives and perspectives of different people.

Here are more than 20 diverse poetry picture books to explore with kids. Enjoy!

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22 Diverse Poetry Picture Books for Kids | Brightly

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When choosing books to read with your kids, how often do you reach for poetry books? If you're like me, not all that often. Which is why I recently set a goal to incorporate more poetry and nursery rhymes into our storytime routine.