Windows & Mirrors: A Collection of (BANNED) Diverse Literature from Book Passage
/Diversity and the banning of books for children is big news. Organizations like #WeNeedDiverseBooks and Marley Dias's #1000blackgirlbooks are challenging publishers to change what we see on the shelves in bookstores and libraries. Meanwhile, booksellers and librarians are always on the look out for children’s books that can be "mirrors" or "windows" for children.
A “MIRROR” book offers the reader a chance to see their own life reflected in what the character experiences.
A “WINDOW” book offers a reader the chance to experience what life is like for other people who are not like themselves; as though they were looking through a window into another person’s life.
The advantages of featuring diversity to young readers include identifying with characters in the books they read, to help them feel like a part if the wider world and to let them see the value in themselves. Equally all young readers should have a chance to develop empathy for others by reading stories that teach them about how other people’s lives are different to their own.