Diversity in Youth Literature: Opening Doors through Reading - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0838911439 ISBN 13: 9780838911433

Publisher: ALA Editions, 2013

Synopsis

Surveying the landscape of children's and YA literature, this contributed volume shows how books have grown to include the wide range of our increasingly diverse society. Identifying both exemplary and problematic titles, the contributors

• Provide context by sketching out the historical trajectory of diversity in youth lit
• Organize titles into sections that range from familiar themes (African American, Asian, Latino) to the lesser known (such as literature dealing with incarceration, transnational adoption, and homelessness)
• Offer guidelines for evaluating and selecting the best in diversity literature
• Suggest youth-tested programs and strategies to promote multicultural books in the library and classroom

This thoughtful and timely book helps meet the informational, recreational, and cultural needs of today s youth and those who serve them.

About this title

About the Author

Jamie Campbell Naidoo is an associate professor at the University of Alabama's School of Library and Information Studies and founder of the National Latino Children s Literature Conference. He teaches and researches in the areas of early childhood literacy, multicultural and international children's literature, and diversity in librarianship. He is a former children's librarian and school librarian, and his current research specializes in public library services and programs to Latino children and library services for LGBTQ families. He is a member of REFORMA and has served on numerous children s book award committees. Celebrating Cuentos: Promoting Latino Children s Literature and Literacy into Classrooms and Libraries, edited by Naidoo, was published in 2010. His latest book, Rainbow Family Collections: Selecting and Using Children s Books with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Content, was published in 2012.
Sarah Park Dahlen is an assistant professor of library and information science at St.Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She teaches courses in library materials for children and young adults, library services for youth, storytelling, and introduction to library and information science. Her research interests include representations of the Korean diaspora in children's literature, children's librarianship, transracial adoption,social justice, and Korean diasporic history. She has served on several children's book award committees and is currently serving as the chair of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association's Literature Awards Committee for Children's Literature.

Review

"This compact book offers a wealth of collection-development guidance regarding multicultural literature for children and teens, and notably includes the LGBTQ perspective as well. Recommended for the neophyte youth services collection-development librarian or for those seeking to update a youth collection to reflect patron diversity, this book is a handy companion that incorporates thoughtful reflections on the historical context of diversity within youth literature (or the lack thereof) into 13 easy-to-digest chapters. Other features include literature lists, an index, and a 'Further Reading' reference section, which presents additional articles, books, and online resources to expand and ensure high-quality purchases from the canon of children's literature written for and by those reflecting diverse backgrounds." --Booklist

"It is exemplary and should serve as an inspiration for other contexts." --Bookbird

Edition details

• Publisher: ALA Editions
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0838911439
• ISBN 13: 9780838911433
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 224
• Editor: Campbell Naidoo Jamie, Park Sarah