At the close of Immigrant Heritage Month, also the month in which we honor World Refugee Day, we celebrate the work of an important new picture book writer. In the late 1950's, when the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America went to the high mountains of Laos to commission 32,000 Hmong men ...continue reading "A New Voice in Picture Books: Hmong Writer Kao Kalia Yang"
Category: Highlighted Books & Trends
Are you looking for books on a specific topic? Though Our Collection is comprehensive, we highlight quality books related to popular topics annually — see BOOK LISTS to the left — and we regularly highlight meaningful trends, as they become apparent, in our blog posts below. Check them out!
Who’s Missing? Asian and Pacific Islander American Biographies
This is the first post in a series sharing data from our collection that identifies significant gaps in representation of BIPOC characters in picture books. This past month, in honor of Asian and Pacific Islander American (AAPI) Heritage Month — which pays “tribute to the generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America's ...continue reading "Who’s Missing? Asian and Pacific Islander American Biographies"
“I HATE FICTION!” — Choosing Diverse Books for Particular Readers
Last week Director Krista Aronson and I, as cofounders of the Diverse BookFinder, had the pleasure of joining Andrew Grant-Thomas and Melissa Giraud of EmbraceRace, for a webinar as a follow-up to our action guide on selecting “good” books among those featuring characters who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). One of our ...continue reading "“I HATE FICTION!” — Choosing Diverse Books for Particular Readers"
For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #2
Our first post gave instructions for finding e-books through your local library. But what if you don’t have access to a public library, or your library doesn’t subscribe to the CloudLibrary? Below, we offer our thoughts on two programs offering electronic picture books, free for the first 30 days with a trial subscription -- Epic! ...continue reading "For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #2"
For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #1
As our schools and libraries are closed, we at the Diverse BookFinder are trying to continue to offer access and resources related to picture books featuring BIPOC. This post will explore e-books, with a few recommended titles that you can borrow immediately (unless they’re already on loan in your library system). Through the coming weeks, ...continue reading "For These Strange & Difficult Times: Finding Diverse Electronic Picture Books #1"
Using K-3 Picture Books to Talk About Race & Racism With Children
This piece was co-authored by our project coordinator, Dr. Andrea Breau. Last month, we once again joined the excellent offering of Martin Luther King Jr. Day commemorative activities at Bates College, hosting the only event on the day-long program for families with young children. To our surprise, in addition to the dozen or so children ...continue reading "Using K-3 Picture Books to Talk About Race & Racism With Children"
With Sensitivity and Courage: Sharing Books in the Classroom about Crossing the Border
Alice Levine is a long-time educator and family engagement specialist. After many years of work in the Boston Public Schools, Alice now lives in Western MA where she provides training and consulting for schools, districts, and organizations. Alice is very involved with issues of immigration justice, including solidarity with undocumented immigrants within her own community, witness and ...continue reading "With Sensitivity and Courage: Sharing Books in the Classroom about Crossing the Border"
Happy New Year — All Year Round!
Happy 2020! Perhaps, like people all around the world who follow the Gregorian calendar, you just marked the new year with ceremony, ritual, or a party. (My husband and I sent our daughter and son-in-law out for their first date in six months while we stayed in with our grandchildren. As our new granddaughter slept, ...continue reading "Happy New Year — All Year Round!"
Lighting the Lights
Around the world in the northern hemisphere, festivals mark the darkest time of the year. Celebrating the victory of light over darkness, candles are lit on trees, and in windows, menorahs, and kinaras; lamps, lanterns, and strings of lights glow. Here are a selection of BIPOC titles from our collection about celebrations of light in ...continue reading "Lighting the Lights"
Romps, Adventures & Fantasies: Where are All the Kids of Color?!
Our December Shelfie comes to you from our Advisory Council member, Kait Feldmann. Kait joined Scholastic in May of 2014 and is an Editor at Orchard Books, where she is building a list of picture books and graphic novels. Kait is a proud hapa (mixed-race Chinese) and founding member of People of Color in Publishing. She ...continue reading "Romps, Adventures & Fantasies: Where are All the Kids of Color?!"