NOVEMBER 18 • 2021 | 13

note that in recent months,
other works of children’s
literature, particularly those
written by Black authors,
are increasingly being ques-
tioned, challenged and
banned amid the Critical
Race Theory debate. Further,
of the 2020 most challenged
books, six out of 10 are
about race and racism and
by authors of color, most of
whom are Black. That is in
sharp contrast to 2019, where
the top-challenged books
were primarily LGBTQ+
themed books.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS
PROVIDE “MIRRORS”
AND “WINDOWS”
We know the importance
of children’s books as both
mirrors and windows for
young people. “Mirror
books” help children see
themselves reflected there so
their lived experiences are

acknowledged, appreciated,
and valued. “Window books”
help young people learn from
and about the experiences of
others who don’t share aspects
of their identity.
Starting at a very young
age and up to the teen years,
children’s books open doors to
conversations about identity,
diversity, bias and social
justice — conversations that
are an integral part of a young
person’s education. Over the
last 10 years, progress has
been made in the publishing
of more diverse books and by
authors representative of that
diversity.
What do the books
described here have in com-
mon?
All of these books were
written by and share
narratives about people of
color and other historically
marginalized people. All
of these books address bias,

discrimination and injustice
in some way. All of these
books foster empathy and
understanding of the stories’
characters. And all of these
books are examples of
excellent, popular children’s
literature with engaging plots
and compelling themes. All
of these books tell important
stories for young people to
learn about the world around
them — both past and pres-
ent.
Children’s books teach
about history and current
events. We cannot let these
anti-CRT state laws and mea-
sures prevent educators from
teaching about important
topics through the lens of
children’s literature. In addi-
tion to exploring different
identities and perspectives,
these books help teach the
truth of our history, reflect on
current events, show how bias
and injustice show up, and

illustrate how people can take
actions to overcome it.
Providing windows, mirrors
and the truth of our history
across the curriculum can
help students learn, think
critically and flourish — in
school and in life outside the
classroom. It is also important
that young people have the
freedom to read what they
want, to follow their interests
and have a wide range of
options to choose from and
explore.
From picture books to
graphic novels, chapter books
to young adult literature, we
need more of these books on
the shelves of our school and
community libraries, not less.
That will help us all build a
better and more equitable
future.

This piece was published on the ADL

blog in October 2021. No author byline

was given.

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