Professional Learning for Busy Educators

Teachers have long used literature to help students examine their own lives, and that may be more valuable than ever right now.

I love reading books, talking about books and sharing children's and young adult books with anyone who is willing to listen and chat. I have been a kindergarten teacher, a primary teacher, a teacher-librarian, a book reviewer and a workshop presenter for more than 30 years and have an endless, abiding passion for getting great books into the hands of children, young adults, teachers and parents. I hope you find something here that you will love; and then you can pass it on to someone you love!

Librarians often talk about stocking the shelves with books that offer both mirrors and windows for children. When one child picks up a book, he might see a character who looks like him and experiences life the way he does, but another child reading the same book could experience the story as a window into a new culture or life experience. The goal is for all children to read books that provide both mirrors and windows so they subconsciously build an image of who and what they could be, while building empathy and understanding for the lives of others.

Unfortunately in the children's book world, there are far too few stories featuring diverse characters. "Diverse books are a tiny slice of what's published," said Elizabeth Perez, a children's librarian at the San Francisco Public Library. "They've made some strides, but considering the diversity of the US, it's still very small."