Why Do I Have Categories Based on Race/Ethnicity/Humanity?
I was recently explaining to someone on Facebook why a series would be in a certain category and thought, "Hey, I should also post this explanation to the blog on Alien Star Books!"
Here's what I told him: I should explain, the books are sorted by the main character(s)'s race/ethnicity/humanity so our kids can read books with protagonists that they can relate to. A resistant reader might never pick up a book featuring John Carter or Harry Potter or Bella Swan, but he/she might read a book with a main character that shares his/her race/ethnicity/cultural background. For example, my sister (science teacher) had a student who picked up a book about George Washington Carver, looked at his picture and asked in disbelief "He was Black??" She told the kid yes. And this child who was definitely resistant to reading picked up that book and read it cover to cover. BINGO! There we have it!
Her experience explains exactly why this website exists, so our kids and parents, caregivers, homeschoolers and teachers can find books that teens and young adults of Color can relate to. And then we give them more choices, so if they like a certain genre, maybe they'll look farther than the original category and read!
This is all about using every tool we can find to help our kids read -- and of course, promote my favorite genres -- Science Fiction and Fantasy!
Here's what I told him: I should explain, the books are sorted by the main character(s)'s race/ethnicity/humanity so our kids can read books with protagonists that they can relate to. A resistant reader might never pick up a book featuring John Carter or Harry Potter or Bella Swan, but he/she might read a book with a main character that shares his/her race/ethnicity/cultural background. For example, my sister (science teacher) had a student who picked up a book about George Washington Carver, looked at his picture and asked in disbelief "He was Black??" She told the kid yes. And this child who was definitely resistant to reading picked up that book and read it cover to cover. BINGO! There we have it!
Her experience explains exactly why this website exists, so our kids and parents, caregivers, homeschoolers and teachers can find books that teens and young adults of Color can relate to. And then we give them more choices, so if they like a certain genre, maybe they'll look farther than the original category and read!
This is all about using every tool we can find to help our kids read -- and of course, promote my favorite genres -- Science Fiction and Fantasy!
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