CCBC-Net Archives
Re: Multicultural Literature, continued
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From: Elizabeth Bird <fusenumber8_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 15:55:55 -0500
Well, shoot. I'll take the bait. Seems like an issue worth talking about in any case.
Debbie, to address the question of whether or not trying to find books in which people aren't entirely white is a white/privileged/heterosexual call, I am all three of those things. And since I'm the one on SLJ asking for folks to come up with books where kids can see themselves reflected in the story, then yes indeed. That's my call. But let's just be clear that I am NOT saying that there shouldn't be books for kids about race, about homosexuality, about disability, and about diversity where that is the focus of the book. We need those books desperately. We just happen to ALSO need books where a kid's pet dies and the kid isn't always white (go on and find me a picture book on that topic with a non-white character). This isn't an either/or conversation. I think we've room enough in our children's collections for books where diversity is the focus of the subject and books where diversity is integral to the story without having to be the focus. The term "casual diversity" (which I'm only using until we can find a better phrase) applies to a book like "Cradle Babies" by Debbie Slier, a book that I happen to know you adore as much as I do. That's a book about baby's emotions and it is also a wonderful reflection of a variety of different American Indian tribes.
Hopefully that clarifies things a tad.
Betsy Bird
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 15:55:55 -0500
Well, shoot. I'll take the bait. Seems like an issue worth talking about in any case.
Debbie, to address the question of whether or not trying to find books in which people aren't entirely white is a white/privileged/heterosexual call, I am all three of those things. And since I'm the one on SLJ asking for folks to come up with books where kids can see themselves reflected in the story, then yes indeed. That's my call. But let's just be clear that I am NOT saying that there shouldn't be books for kids about race, about homosexuality, about disability, and about diversity where that is the focus of the book. We need those books desperately. We just happen to ALSO need books where a kid's pet dies and the kid isn't always white (go on and find me a picture book on that topic with a non-white character). This isn't an either/or conversation. I think we've room enough in our children's collections for books where diversity is the focus of the subject and books where diversity is integral to the story without having to be the focus. The term "casual diversity" (which I'm only using until we can find a better phrase) applies to a book like "Cradle Babies" by Debbie Slier, a book that I happen to know you adore as much as I do. That's a book about baby's emotions and it is also a wonderful reflection of a variety of different American Indian tribes.
Hopefully that clarifies things a tad.
Betsy Bird
-- Youth Materials Specialist New York Public Library Branch Collection Department 31-11 Thomson Avenue Long Island City, NY 11101 http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production *Giant Dance Party*<http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14758671-giant-dance-party>by Betsy Bird (Spring 2013) --- You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu. To post to the list, send message to: ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu To receive messages in digest format, send a message to... ccbc-net-request_at_lists.wisc.edu ...and include only this command in the body of the message: set ccbc-net digest CCBC-Net Archives The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp To access the archives, go to: http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net and enter the following: username: ccbc-net password: Look4PostsReceived on Wed 05 Feb 2014 02:56:56 PM CST
