We Need Diverse Books

We live in a culture and a system where racism is often swept under the rug. We clearly need to talk about it.  We need to talk about racism with other adults, but just as important, we need to talk about racism with our children. We love our kids and grandkids, we want the very best for them. The only way things will change and their world will become a more peaceful place is if we talk about the existing racism in most every culture and country throughout the world. I believe its roots lie in ignorance and our inability to talk about it. 

One way of battling racism is through reading books that show a variety of races and cultures to your children. We can easily show our daughters books with strong females who become scientists or teachers or doctors or political leaders in the hopes that they will grasp onto the idea that they can be and do anything that a boy can. I believe that trend in children’s books started in the last 2 generations and now look at our ambitious daughters! We can do the same thing with race. Show them the book where a Pakistani girl stands up for her right to an education, show them the book where a black boy invents a way to save his village during a drought, show them the book where a black girl figured the math that led to a man landing on the moon, show them the book where a Syrian girl lives in the “world of tents” as a refugee, show them the book where a Muslim girl decides to wear her baaka with pride, show them the book where the girl from India decides to be proud of her family traditions, show them the book about a black girl and the racism she experiences, etc etc. Everyone can do better at introducing different cultures to their kids through books. We love those animal books, we love our classics, but we can do better. We must. 

When you show them the book, talk about the culture. If you don’t know the culture, learn about it. How is it different from your culture? Different doesn’t mean your culture is right, or theirs is wrong - it just means it’s different. That’s it. Tell your kids what their food is like, what their families are like, what folk tales and stories come from their country, what songs they sing, what form(s) of God they may or may not believe in, etc. Racism is fed by ignorance and starved by education. When a child grows up respecting another’s culture, traditions, and ancestry - it will be hard for them to form untrue judgments, assumptions, and bigotry. 

So, you may need to buy some new books. Look at your budget, see if you can add one or more per month. Or go to your local library. I actually found that my local library did not have many of the diverse books I wanted, but they did allow me to put in requests! It’s kind of like placing a book on hold, but you put a book on request.  It may be called something different at other libraries, but basically, you’re asking them to expand their collection to include the book you want. In my experience, when a library receives a few requests for the same book, they buy the book. You may have to ask a few friends to band together. 

If you are unable to buy books right away, but you are looking at your current book collection and realizing it is all animal characters, or all white characters, or (even worse) only one culture—it doesn’t mean you have to throw away those books! One of my fave examples of this is Mrs Piggle Wiggle. I love those books. I grew up with them and read them to my kiddos. But... they are all white people, the mothers are always home, the fathers are pretty much absent, and definitely only one way of life is presented. It’s clearly out of date. You can still read those Mrs Piggle Wiggle books—I mean, they’re hilarious! Just talk about them. Isn’t it interesting how these families are different from our family? It could just be a quick compare and contrast conversation, or depending on your child and their age, it could be a conversation pointing out that published books from that time period only showed one way of life—ask how and why. See if they can figure it out. I bet your kids are smarter than you think. 

It’s a good time to do some research on the books you have at home. Was/Is the author racist? What images are your kids seeing? For example, the famous Dr. Seuss often portrayed people of Asian descent in a negative light. Is this something you want your kids exposed to? Probably not. Throw those particular Dr. Seuss book out. Keep the neutral ones if you want to. The more recent Curious George books are great, but the early Curious George books could be disturbing. Maybe your kids aren’t making the correlation, but maybe they are?  Either way, maybe only read it until they’re older and you can talk about it with them. Let them decide if they want to keep that first Curious George book. Again, you don’t need to throw away all your favorite books, but definitely do your research and have the conversations. 

My fave diverse picture books right now (Age 3-6):

“Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry. This book is sooooooo cute. Perfect illustrations. This is a story about a daughter who tries to decide how to do her hair but keeps changing her mind, and Dad is frantically trying to do her hair the way she wants it. It’s just so absolutely adorable. It was a “hold the book to my heart” moment when I finished reading it. Would be a great Father’s Day gift. 

“Last Stop On Market Street” by Matt de la Pena. A boy rides the bus with his grandmother. He sees cell phones and cars and people with things he does not have. This book will gently open your children’s eyes (and maybe yours too) to the plight of those who cannot afford those things. The plight of those who eat their dinner at a soup kitchen, take public transportation, use computers at public libraries. This book could lead to lots of neat conversations with your kids. How could you help? How could they help? The illustrations by Christian Robinson are absolutely amazing. 

“Where Are You From?’ by Yamile Saied Mendez. A brown girl goes about her daily life and is consistently asked, “Where are you from?” She was born in America so she says, I’m from here, but then people ask, Where are you really from? This is such a tough question to ask a child who may not know their heritage and may feel like an outsider. She goes home to ask her grandfather and he has the most beautiful explanation. He starts by describing all different lands, the beautiful parts and the mistakes that were made. She asks again, wanting a place, and he says, pointing to his heart, “You’re from here. From my love and the love of all those before us.” The message is one you will want your children to remember for a long time. 

“Jabari Jumps” by Gaia Cornwall.  Jabari is a boy learning to swim and has his first lesson diving off the diving board. His father encourages him, allows him to feel the fear without brushing it away, and lets him know it’s ok to be scared about it. Great message for parents and children. I love the advice he gives his son. Definitely a keeper. 

“The Day You Begin” by Jacqueline Woodson. This is one of my favorite writers - every time I finish a book by Jacqueline Woodson I wish I could keep reading. Her words feel like music. This is a book about a girl who enters on her first day of school, nervous because she looks different, nervous because she talks differently, nervous because she doesn’t feel like she has anything to share, nervous about who she is in general. The message is clear. Celebrate our differences, and find common ground. Great for kids and adults. 

“I Am Enough” by Grace Byers.  Poem about celebrating each person’s worth.  Difference isn’t bad or good, it’s just different, and because we are different, we can all help each other. She compares reasons why we are here to different objects in daily life. “Like a ladder, here to climb…” or “Like the moon, I’m here to dream.” etc. 

Other suggestions for age 3-5: 

“A Big Mooncake for Little Star” by Grace Lin. 

“Just in Case you Want to Fly” by Julie Fogliano.

“The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade” by Justin Roberts.

“Leila in Saffron” by Rukhsanna Guidroz

“Lubna and Pebble” by Wendy Meddour

For Age 6-8:

Here are 3 books to read to any child about people who were underestimated but overcame the odds. The empowerment offered here can apply to any marginalized child who might feel like their color or disability makes them less capable. 

“The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind” by William Kamkwamba. Amazing true story about a 14-year old boy living in Malawi, Africa. A severe drought led to starvation in their village and no one knew what to do. William decided to go to a nearby library (YAY!), taught himself English, and then checked out textbooks so he could figure out how to make a windmill. The people in his own village called him crazy, but he was determined to take action. This is in a picture book format and also available as a chapter book. Both are inspiring. At the back of the book shows a picture of the real man and his make-shift windmill that saved his village. 

“The Girl With a Mind for Math” by Julia Finley Mosca. True story of Raye Montague, born in 1935, who encountered racism and sexism on her way toward becoming an engineer. She was the first person in the world to design a ship using a computer. Her unwavering perseverance would inspire readers of any age. Her advice at the end is: “always remember that just because someone says “you can’t” that doesn’t have to stop you.” Loved this story so much. 

“The Oldest Student” by Rita Lorraine Hubbard. True story about Mary Walker. Born a slave in 1848, she was finally free at 15 years old, but had never been taught how to read. She finally taught herself to read when she was 116 years old. “You’re never too old to learn.” Has pictures of the real Mary Walker - I wish I could meet her! Illustrated by Oge Mora - so so amazing. 

For age 9-12: I’ve read all these books and like them all for different reasons. Some show the readers a culture not typical in America, some show characters who experience racism and ignorance, some show the background and history of a specific race, some show traditions of a culture that many are unaware of and need to be sensitive to. Check the reviews on GoodReads before you buy so you can make sure it matches with your child’s reading level and readiness. 

“Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson

“A Long Walk to Water” by Linda Sue Park

“American as Paneer Pie” by Supriya Kelkar

“Listen, Slowly” by Thanhha Lai

“Front Desk” by Kelly Yang

“Esperanza Rising” by Pam Munoz Ryan

“Tristan Strong” by Kwame Mbalia

“Prairie Lotus” by Linda Sue Park

"As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

"The Brave" by James Bird

“Jefferson’s Sons” by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley (for 12+)

"Genesis Begins Again" by Alicia D. Williams (for 12+)