Diversity in Books - Doors and Windows
“There will be times when you walk into a room and no one there is quite like you until the day you begin to share your stories.”
The books we use offer a valuable opportunity to bring our students' languages, cultures, histories, and voices into our classrooms. They also provide the opportunity to introduce students to a wide range of diverse stories that reflect different perspectives and experiences — both theirs and others.
This concept is often referred to as "mirrors and windows" and was introduced by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop in her iconic essay, "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors."
Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors
Here, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop discusses her "Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors" analogy to highlight the importance of diversity in books.
Think about your child’s bookshelf. Author Grace Lin shares that "Books erase bias, they make the uncommon every day, and the mundane exotic. A book makes all cultures universal."
Books & Authors at Brightworks
The books we read at Brightworks are intentionally selected to highlight the little and big things that can make someone feel welcome in a new place — a smile, a kind word, or learning how to say someone's name. They also highlight and celebrate diversity in different places, including schools and neighborhoods.
We also work to connect students with diverse authors, artists and experts. Recently, we welcomed Robert Liu-Trujillo who is the author-illustrator of Furqan's First Flat Top and the illustrator of many picture books, including Alejandria Fights Back. When he was a kid, his dad made fresh wheatgrass juice and his stepfather juiced fruits and vegetables. Now as a husband and father, Robert makes fresh juice for his family. He lives in Oakland, California, with his wife and two kids. Visit him online at work.robdontstop.com.
And last year, we had the tremendous opportunity to welcome George McCalman, in conversation with Mohammed Bilal (an award winning Hip Hop artist and renowned community and educational leader in his own right). Together, the two shared insights as George introduced his new book, Illustrated Black History, which reimagines our idea of Black history with a series of vivid portraits of 145 Black pioneers throughout America’s four-hundred-year history.
Meera Sriram also shared her culture with us through a reading of Dumpling Day. This is a colorful peek into how different cultures eat a form of dumpling. Along with reading her book, Meera shared with the kids her story of growing up in India and leaving a career in engineering to become a children’s book author to create more stories for children like her own, who are underrepresented in children’s books. Meera shared the framework of how books can be mirrors (when we see ourselves and experiences reflected back to us) and windows (when we see others’ experiences). Many of the students reflected by writing about a food from their culture or heritage and a name they call someone in their family.
Curated Booklists and Reading Resources.
We Need DIverse Books offers is a great round up of organizations, book lists and resources for publishing underrepresented voices.
The Conscious Kid Is An Education, Research And Policy Organization That Supports Families And Educators In Taking Action To Disrupt Racism, Inequity And Bias. Check out their book lists.
Social Justice Books includes a critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators. In addition to their guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books, Social Justice Books also offers more than 100 carefully selected lists of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.