Sharing Books We “Love” to Support On-Going Work During Troubling Times

By Adam Crawley and Elizabeth Bemiss on behalf of the CLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee

We are living and navigating in troubling times. Across the country, educators (e.g., K-12 teachers, librarians, teacher educators, etc.) experience censorship of and challenges to texts that center historically marginalized races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions, and other ways of being. In several states (e.g., Florida, Georgia, Utah), legislation explicitly restricts such representations and discussions in K-12+ schools. Simultaneously, cities across the country are supporting newcomers bussed from the U.S.-Mexico border, and schools and libraries specifically are trying to aid these families with daily needs (e.g., food, shelter) and other aspects (e.g., school transitions, providing books in Spanish). Meanwhile, unrest in Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine continue to weigh heavily on many of our minds and hearts; mass shootings in schools and other public settings remain prevalent; and the upcoming 2024 U.S. Presidential election causes increased tension across politically opposed ideologies. In the midst of all of this, we want to retain hope. We also know that reading and discussing children’s literature with youth can be vital for promoting social justice.

To support educators’ on-going work - and in the spirit of Valentine’s Day week - we asked 2023 and 2024 CLA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity (DEI) Committee members to share about books they “love” for their representation and ability to foster DEI work. While we recognize that no single book can address all of the world’s current complexities, we hope the recommendations in this list are helpful resources and provide a sense of solidarity for your own contexts.

Bathe the Cat
by Alice B. McGinty, illustrations by David Roberts (February 2022, Chronicle Books)

​I read this book as part of my sabbatical research that I completed (in part) at the Center for Research in the Humanities at the New York Public Library. I love the representation of diversity in race, gender, and sexual orientation in this wonderfully loving family, but it’s the cat who steals the show! Teachers can use this book to talk about doing chores and organizing for visitors.  Students will crack up about the shenanigans that can happen when directions get mixed up! Such a fun book! (contributor: Craig A. Young)

Contenders: Two Native Baseball Players, One World Series 
by Traci Sorell, illustrations by Arigon Starr (April 2023, Kokila)

I first learned about this book at the 2023 CLA breakfast and read it immediately. The book is complex and gripping. The contrast between the tension in the media versus the camaraderie portrayed between the Native American athletes speaks volumes about the construction of Native Americans in the U.S. The childhoods of each of the players were fascinating. The artistry by Arigon Starr depicts art that is rooted to each of the athlete’s tribes. Apart from the compelling story, Sorell provides information about other Native baseball players until today, quotes, and an author’s note. (contributor: Laura Ascenzi-Moreno)​

Forget Me Not
by Ellie Terry (May 2018, Square Fish)

As a neurodivergent reader, I love middle grade stories that share the realities of our existence without relying on stereotypes or assumptions, especially when those stories are by neurodivergent creators. One great example is Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry, a dual-perspective novel - half in verse - about a young girl with Tourette’s syndrome (TS). (It’s important to note that the book’s author has TS, too.) It’s a story of friendship and hope and rejecting the idea that it’s better if you hide—your TS, your neurodivergence, who you are. Terry eloquently recognizes the difficulty, but also the brilliance, in finding your own voice and being your most authentic self. (contributor: Jennifer Slagus)

Jo Jo Makoons Series
by Dawn Quigley, illustrations by Tara Audibert (Heartdrum)

Native Americans have a great love of laughter. In this series, author Dawn Quigley (Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe) introduces a spunky seven-year-old named Jo Jo Makoons who lives on an Ojibwe reservation. Jo Jo’s worldview is truly one-of-a-kind as she learns to be friendly, fancy, and imaginative. I love Jo Jo’s hilarious adventures, which are similar to a younger Amelia Bedelia experience. Readers will meet Jo Jo’s Ojibwe family and community (and her pet cat Mimi) as she moves through contemporary, everyday events. Illustrator Tara Audibert (Wolastoqiyik First Nation heritage) adds her comical, cartoon-style artwork to each story in the series. First and second-grade readers will make connections with Jo Jo’s realistic experiences, her feelings in those situations, and learn how she solves her problems. These books are upbeat and humorous, making them a very enjoyable read. (contributor: Andrea M. Page Hunkpapa Lakota)

Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race 
by Megan Madison and Jessica Ralli, illustrations by Isabel Roxas (May 2021, Rise x Penguin Workshop)
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Have you ever struggled with finding the language to talk about race and racism with young children? In Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race, authors Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli and Isabel Roxas provide a template for building children’s (and adults’) racial awareness and racial literacy in simple language. Madison and Ralli’s straightforward language introduces terms like skin color, race, racism, and injustice, while Roxas’s art showcases our commonalities and differences in physical attributes that children will likely recognize. Dismantling racism is a centuries-long process that will likely continue into our future. As difficult as it may be, it is necessary to keep the conversation going. As author and activist James Baldwin once said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” This book provides a pathway for parents, teachers, and librarians to face and dismantle racism by creating a brave space to have more courageous conversations with young readers. (contributor: Nadine Bryce)

The House that Lou Built 
by Mae Respicio (June 2018, Wendy Lamb Books)

Growing up as a first generation Filipina-American, I never saw myself or my lived experiences reflected in any book I read as a child. I am beyond thrilled that Filipinx and Filipinx-American writers and Filipinx-American characters are finally represented in children’s literature. While the work of Newbery Medalist Erin Entrada Kelly may be most known, I wanted to share the work of Mae Respicio as well. The House That Lou Built is one of Respicio’s novels that I would recommend for upper elementary and middle school readers. The protagonist, Lou, defies gender and cultural stereotypes to make her dream of building a tiny house come true, especially when she realizes what is at stake. A coming-of-age novel that is full of family, friendships, Filipino culture, and heart. (contributor: Grace Enriquez)

The Year We Learned to Fly
by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrations by Rafael López (January 2022, Nancy Paulsen Books)

In The Year We Learned To Fly, young readers living in cities see the setting they call home represented in familiar ways.  Woodson draws our attention to nature with mentions of spring rain and the early darkness that accompanies autumn in her story of a brother and sister struggling with boredom. The fashionable Afrocentric grandmother encourages her granddaughter and grandson to use their imagination and helps them to see the world in new ways. The grandmother’s wisdom and sense of history becomes their own. I love the homage to Virginia Hamilton’s The People Could Fly in the story, afterword, and in Lopez’s illustrations. There are beautiful ties to the African American literary tradition related to flying. The book lends to discussions about imagination and ancestry linked to enslavement. (contributor: Susan Browne)

This is Our House 
by Hyewon Yum (April 2023, Square Fish)

This Is Our House, written and illustrated by Hyewon Yum, shows one “normal” Korean American family’s growth in the United States. In the house in New York, babies grow, become adults, and get married. Seen from a granddaughter's viewpoints, this book showcases that Asians are also one of the fabric of the United States. This book also shows interracial marriage as a part of the story. The story and illustrations are peaceful on the surface, however, teachers and students can share their own diverse aspects of their own families, which should be considered as “normal” in the first place. (contributor: Eun Young Yeom) ​

We Still Belong
by Christine Day (August 2023, Heartdrum)

I love how We Still Belong by Christine Day showcases the importance of Native heritage, the impact of stereotypes, the value of kindness, and the importance of community all while captivating young readers. Indigenous People’s Day is a central part of the story, and it can inspire readers to learn more about this day and its significance. This book is perfect for beginning discussions about exploring one's identity and what it really means to belong. The publisher created an Educator Guide that will help with discussions. (contributor: Kasey Short)

These poignant and powerful texts that are well loved by CLA DEI committee members illuminate many issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. These texts speak to issues of race, gender, heritage, and sexual orientation, to name a few, and could be used in the classroom to evaluate the impact of stereotypes or assumptions, to face and dismantle racism, to highlight the value of kindness, or to provide a realistic portrayal of diversity for readers to see themselves and their lived experiences represented in texts.

As delineated in the CLA Bylaws, the DEI committee encompasses a steadfast commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity within CLA:
 
"The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee Chair and members shall help ensure CLA’s commitment to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusivity. The committee shall help create and/or review CLA policies and position statements shared with CLA members and/or the greater public. The committee shall work with membership and nominating committees for recruitment as well as help distribute calls for CLA-related applications. Committee members shall also serve as resources for CLA Standing Committee Chairs when they are developing materials and programs." 
 
For more information about the DEI committee, please contact committee chairs Adam Crawley ([email protected]) or Elizabeth Bemiss ([email protected]).

Adam Crawley is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the School of Education at the University of Colorado-Boulder. He serves as the 2023 and 2024 CLA DEI Committee chair.

Elizabeth Bemiss is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of West Florida. She is a CLA Board Member and chair of the 2023 and 2024 CLA DEI Committee.