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Re: Multicultural Literature, continued
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From: Ehbluemle <ehbluemle_at_gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 16:59:06 -0500
As some of you know, this is a topic whose importance I feel trumps just about any conversation we could have regarding children's literature, publishing, reading, and teaching.
There is so much to say, but I want to address one small but key point in the most recent exchange, and that is the issue of identity in books.
I maintain a LibraryThing.com database of more than 950 children's books (baby to YA) published in the U.S. that feature main characters of color where race is *not* the driving force of the story.
The aim is to direct readers, teachers, librarians, parents, and booksellers to "mainstream" books (as opposed to perceived "niche audience" books, which I cynically tend to read as code for 'white readers mostly won't be interested in reading this') that happen to feature people of color as the main characters.
However -- race is a huge part of a person's identity, and any thoughtful novel will include aspects of identity. That doesn't mean the book is about racism, or intolerance, or marginalization; it just recognizes that race is part of who we are, and we live in the skins and cultures we live in, and to pretend otherwise is dismissive. It's something only the dominant culture can ignore.
So the goal of my database isn't to erase race and pretend it doesn't exist; it's to reflect and represent the big wide world of color in which we live and play and dream and struggle, to have ALL kinds of children show up as protagonists in our mysteries and adventures and toddler bedtime rhymes and fantasy novels and friendship stories.
For a field as sensitive to the emotional needs and feelings of children, it is frankly shocking to me that we can be so incredibly insensitive to the needs of young people to encounter themselves and others in our everyday stories.
I'm not usually a fan of soapboxes, because I think they tend to make people stop listening. But on this kind of topic, the more voices, the better, and the voices need to be pretty loud and persistent to get through.
So I'm thrilled to see this discussion happening here, and, like Jason, want to see it translate to action on all our parts!
Cheers, Elizabeth
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2014 16:59:06 -0500
As some of you know, this is a topic whose importance I feel trumps just about any conversation we could have regarding children's literature, publishing, reading, and teaching.
There is so much to say, but I want to address one small but key point in the most recent exchange, and that is the issue of identity in books.
I maintain a LibraryThing.com database of more than 950 children's books (baby to YA) published in the U.S. that feature main characters of color where race is *not* the driving force of the story.
The aim is to direct readers, teachers, librarians, parents, and booksellers to "mainstream" books (as opposed to perceived "niche audience" books, which I cynically tend to read as code for 'white readers mostly won't be interested in reading this') that happen to feature people of color as the main characters.
However -- race is a huge part of a person's identity, and any thoughtful novel will include aspects of identity. That doesn't mean the book is about racism, or intolerance, or marginalization; it just recognizes that race is part of who we are, and we live in the skins and cultures we live in, and to pretend otherwise is dismissive. It's something only the dominant culture can ignore.
So the goal of my database isn't to erase race and pretend it doesn't exist; it's to reflect and represent the big wide world of color in which we live and play and dream and struggle, to have ALL kinds of children show up as protagonists in our mysteries and adventures and toddler bedtime rhymes and fantasy novels and friendship stories.
For a field as sensitive to the emotional needs and feelings of children, it is frankly shocking to me that we can be so incredibly insensitive to the needs of young people to encounter themselves and others in our everyday stories.
I'm not usually a fan of soapboxes, because I think they tend to make people stop listening. But on this kind of topic, the more voices, the better, and the voices need to be pretty loud and persistent to get through.
So I'm thrilled to see this discussion happening here, and, like Jason, want to see it translate to action on all our parts!
Cheers, Elizabeth
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Received on Wed 05 Feb 2014 03:59:46 PM CST
