windows and mirrors: your favorite diverse books

[Charlotte]

I love the idea that children's books are both mirrors and windows. Children who read books with characters and settings that are like themselves and their communities are seeing the book as a mirror. The book validates their culture and their experience, and it engages their attention. Children who read books with characters and setting from other cultures see the book as a window. It gives them a glimpse into other communities and other experiences, and helps them grow in understanding and empathy.

Unfortunately, as y'all all probably already know, the vast majority of children's books are about "mainstream" characters in "mainstream" settings. But there are wonderful diverse books that deserve more attention! What are your favorites?

[Charlotte]

I'll start -- I have been told that January 15 is International Hat Day, so what better book to read today than "Aunt Flossie's Hats (and Crab Cakes Later)" by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Howard. It's a gorgeous book (illustrated by James Ransome), and the story tells of the visits of two young girls with their beloved great-aunt, who tells them stories from when she was young.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Great topic! Consider Jeannie Baker, especially the aptly titled Mirror.

One danger of any list or collection that springs from a desire to be 'inclusive' or 'diverse' is the issue of 'otherness.'

For example, too often non-white children are portrayed in well-intentioned books as exotic, and/or are pandered to. "Look at me with my dark skin, my papa has a spear and wears a dashiki, but I'm adorable and just like you!" Usually it's not that obvious, but even when it's subtle it's troubling.

And don't think it's just in old books. I won't name names, but I just read a book from 2208 that resembles many others I've read in that the main character is white, but her classmates are 'diverse.' Now these are modern children in a city in the US. I'm sure there's not a lot of 'ethnic' differences between them. Why wasn't the main character of Chinese ancestry (say), and the sidekick white?

Well, one reason is that the authors are predominantly white, and don't trust themselves to do justice to experiences outside their own. Darn shame. Maybe they should do research... open their own windows! It's possible - after all, men write books from the POV of women and girls all the time.

Anyway, that's my rant. I'll try to think of more titles to share.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Aunt Flossie's Hats for the link to the book you mentioned. I'm off the investigate! :)

[Charlotte]

One of my favorite resources for finding diverse books that don't have the problems you mention is the ADL database. It's really good. http://archive.adl.org/bibliography/b...

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Thanks! (and thank you for putting up with my rant)

There are, of course, many 'multicultural' and 'diversity' lists here on GR, too, but they are not vetted. I will take a look at the list you mention, and I will add to this thread as good examples occur to me.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Almost three years later, and I still see that children of color are either sidekicks or 'representatives of their race' in historical fiction and 'urban' fiction. It's not a hopeless case in picture-books, or non-fiction, but can we get any titles of chapter books or novels up here?

Why can't Ivy and Bean be African American? Or Rafe, from the Middle School books by James Patterson? Why can't one of the The Terrible Two be of Hispanic heritage? Or one of Andrew Clements MCs be Paiute or Chippewa?

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Ok, as I said, there are good picture-books. Let's name a few that we've actually read and enjoyed. I loved Thunder Boy Jr. because the kid is a kid, primarily, and the strong story is only flavored with the family's particular cultural traditions. My 4 star review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jennifer]

Most of these are fairly new releases that I haven't quite gotten to yet. I'm reading the first Jumbies book, but the second just came out recently. I read My Brigadista Year and really liked it for the Cuban history. I really want to read Amina's Voice, but every time I check it out it's on hold for someone else and I feel guilty and return it.. lol

[Jennifer]

I'm currently reading
It is about an immigrant family from Vietnam and is a graphic novel for adults but also recommended for YA.

I'm most of the way through it and I would say it's very good. Depressing in places, but, very good.

Before that I read It is a poetry collection, we shelve it in both adult and YA at my local library. It is pretty darn fantastic too.

I also recently read
It is about a Native American family and actually written by a Native American. It reads a lot like the Little House books, which I feel was intentional. There is a whole series, the 5th one recently was released. I plan to just buy the whole series.

Before that was My Brigadista Year, but, I already mentioned that above. Definitely liked it.

Before that was Which is another YA poetry compilation that I also enjoyed.

Another one was I enjoyed it, but forgot to write a review, so have already forgotten a lot of what I liked about it. That's why I pretty much have to write reviews, it's the only way I remember.

I also read It is about a boy with autism, but, that's really the only diversity in the book. Really liked that one as well, in part because of all the Proust references.

I liked but it didn't have enough detail to be a love. It sort of had too much detail to be a fun book but not enough detail to be a really educational book. Still good and there really isn't enough on Kahlo, so, still enjoyed it.

That's about all the diverse books I've gotten to in the last couple months, part of that is because I am waiting on my library system to get Patina, Ahimsa and Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

Again with the earnest messages. Those are undoubtedly wonderful books, but I don't see any of them as being just good reads about ordinary kids. They're more like the 'problem novels' of the 70s that first addressed divorce & dysfunction....

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I mean, yeah, you can't have much of a story without conflict. But can't the child of color have a conflict about something other than his color?

[Jennifer]

Do these count?
The Adventures of Captain Underpants Tales from a Not-So-Fabulous Life The writer of Dork Diaries is African-American and while the main character is white, Nikki's 2 best friends are African-American and Latino. Perhaps this one?
A Whole New Ballgame

Of course, also anything by Kwame Alexander

I dunno, I guess even the books I read that feature white protagonists generally have earnest messages. I have to admit to sort of turning up my nose at the juvenile Patterson books.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

I've added A Whole New Ballgame to my lists, ty.

I dunno, maybe I'm being naive.

................

Maybe the only thing black children care about is the color of their skin and their cultural history. :sarcasm:

[Jennifer]

Cheryl wrote: "

Maybe the only thing black children care about is the color of their skin and their cultural h..."

I'm sorry if I offended you. My Brigadista Year isn't about race. Neither is The Jumbies which I'm reading now. I will bow out now though since I seem to keep stepping on toes.

[Cheryl, Host of Miscellaneous and Newbery Clubs]

No, Jennifer, it's not you, it's the situation.

Good to know about My Brigadista Year and The Jumbies; I'll definitely add them to my to-read lists right now, and I do thank you.