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What is the influence of good books on children?

Looking for children’s books that tell a non-standard narrative

  • I’m ordering 300ish books for a children’s library. After reading this thread asking for http://ask.metafilter.com/273729/Feminist-anti-racist-queer-ally-featuring-YA-books-for-tween-girls I realised that our collection is full of books focusing on straight, white (usually male) youth in nuclear families and it’s seriously lacking. Can you folks recommend any books to help me improve our collection? I’ve already taken note of the great suggestions in that thread. I’d like to open up the question a little more. We mostly serve kids from 2 to 15 years old so I’m looking for picture books/kidlit and YA literature. Here are some books I’d like to add to our collection – books with: - LGBT (or QUILTBAG) youth as main characters, LGBT (or QUILTBAG) family members and/or parents - Youth of colour - Interracial couples, interracial parents - Divorced/separated parents, blended families, adopted youth - Characters/Parents that don’t “fit” gender stereotypes (eg. Fathers doing emotional labour) - Youth with mental illness, family members/friends with mental illness - Characters facing emotional/sexual/physical abuse, domestic abuse in the family - Youth with physical disabilities, family members/friends with physical disabilities - Aboriginal youth (preferably of Canada), residential schools - Homelessness, poverty - Significant events in history presented in child-accessible format - Anything else I’m missing… Ideally there would be a healthy mix of books that 1) are ALL ABOUT issue (ie. “Heather Has Two Mommies”) 2) just happen to have images/characters to do with issue that are secondary to story Also, it would be optimal if the author had “skin in the issue.” We weeded way too many books about racism and Aboriginal youth that were written by middle-aged white people that seemed to lack a little sensitivity on the issue. Can you folks help me make a super list of books? Thank you in advance!:D

  • Answer:

    We Need Diverse Books has a bunch of links on http://weneeddiversebooks.org/where-to-find-diverse-books/, and their http://weneeddiversebooks.org/summer-reading-series/ has given me several ideas for books to look for.

eisforcool at Ask.Metafilter.Com Visit the source

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http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0399257748/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is a great picture book about a black boy and his grandma riding the bus together and all the people and things they see. It touches on class issues (why do we ride the bus when they ride in a car?) And the author and illustrator are both POC.

hydropsyche

Any book at all by Jacqueline Woodson. She's written everything from picture books to YA. I'd list individual titles, but you could start anywhere in her catalog; they all fit, and they're all excellent. She's managed to tick almost every box on your list (except Aboriginal youth).

thetortoise

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Willow. Protagonist is white but has no permanent home, is poor, and has a Mexican-American best friend. (This may need to be read to make sure the relationship stands up. I haven't read the book since I was a kid. I know it was a bfd at the time but the book was written in 1940 and the Mexican best friend who was so progressive then might not read so well in 2015.)

phunniemee

Also, a couple more of my favorite YA titles: Half a World Away by Cynthia Kadohata - amazing novel about a boy struggling with behavioral and attachment issues after international adoption (POC author) Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork - Latino author and main character, about an autistic teen boy dealing with ethical dilemmas and work, heartfelt and thoughtful

thetortoise

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0374443300/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/ is a true account of growing up poor and black in the era of segregation. I knew Leon; he was a custodian at my high school, and he was a good man.

Faint of Butt

Check out Canadian publisher http://groundwoodbooks.com/: "...we are particularly committed to publishing books for and about children whose experiences of the world are under-represented elsewhere."

the_blizz

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