Disability in Kidlit — Reviews, articles, and more about the portrayal of disabilities in children's fiction

Research on Diversity in Youth Literature Research on Diversity in Youth Literature (RDYL) is a peer-reviewed, online, open-access journal hosted by St. Catherine University’s Master of Library and Information Science Program and University Library. RDYL is published twice a year; June issues are themed and December issues are unthemed. We are pleased to announce that RDYL 3.1, themed “Minstrelsy and Racist Appropriation in Youth Literature and Culture,” will be guest edited by Dr. Brigitte Fielder (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Dr. Katrina Phillips (Macalester College). The Alienating Lack of Disability Representation in Literature As a kid, I read and wrote constantly. I was born with cerebral palsy, which affects my balance and mobility. When I wasn’t at physical therapy, I had a lot of extra time to read while my non-disabled classmates were playing sports. I always wanted to write to convey my unique experiences of growing up disabled. However, I almost never saw disabled characters represented in literature. Like most people in my age group, I loved the Harry Potter series.

Islam in the Classroom Published in SLJ’s October 2010 print issue, but still relevant today, the following article highlights resources that classroom teachers, librarians, and parents can use to broaden children’s worldview and prompt discussions about current events and news. This article originally appeared in School Library Journal's October 2010 issue. Teachers and parents alike are unsure about the topic, but it’s never been more important Islam proved a tough subject for Coco Huguet when she went looking for resources to use with a fifth-grade global history class at the Hewitt School five years ago. “I looked all over the Internet for teaching material on [Islam] and couldn’t find anything,” says the English and history teacher at the all-girls school on New York’s Upper East Side. “Up until a few years ago, there was very little, especially for younger kids.”

Classroom libraries can plant the seed for a lifelong love of learning A book in a child’s hand is a gateway to learning, opening a door into other worlds. Teachers know this inherently, which is the reason many K-12 educators invest in classroom libraries, curating collections of books that students can access without ever leaving their room. This year, the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is putting so much emphasis on building these classroom spaces that they’re devoting 35 specific sessions — and a significant chunk of their entire annual convention in Houston, Texas, this year — to an effort dubbed "Build Your Stack." “We want our students to see themselves in books and to also understand others and the world more deeply through reading books,” NCTE’s president-elect Franki Sibberson told Education Dive by email.

Fighting Racism Even, and Especially, Where We Don’t Realize It Exists HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACISTBy Ibram X. Kendi What do you do after you have written “Stamped From the Beginning,” an award-winning history of racist ideas that examined some of America’s most seemingly progressive intellectuals — Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, W. E.

Honor Roll The Disability in Kidlit Honor Roll is a list of young adult and middle grade novels we enthusiastically recommend. All titles have been thoroughly vetted by disabled readers. For more information, please see our Honor Roll FAQ. You may also suggest novels that would be a good fit for the list. 2014 Rainbow Book List « Rainbow Book List The Rainbow Project, a product of the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) and Social Responsibilities Round Table (SSRT), proudly announces the 2014 Rainbow Book List. The Rainbow Book List is a bibliography of books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18. The list is intended to aid youth in selecting high-quality books which were published between July 2012 and December 2013. The list also is intended to aid as a collection development or reader’s advisory tool for librarians serving children and young adults. The committee members evaluated over 150 books from small, independent, and large publishers, and selected thirty books from 25 publishers for the 2014 Rainbow List. Among the 150 books evaluated by the committee, committee members noted an increase in the number of graphic novels.

Strategic Classroom Design by Jessica Martin. Creating an Environment Introduction: Jessica shows readers that just because you have 25 students in a classroom, doesn't mean you need 25 desks. Consider flexible seating your new best friend. Allow students to do their work where they are most comfortable. When students make their own decisions about where they learn best, engagement increases, potential behavioral issues reduce, and students are given autonomy over their learning. The Fight to Redefine Racism It is no criticism of Kendi’s book to say that its title is misleading: he offers a provocative new way to think about race in America, but little practical advice. He wants readers to become politically active—to work to change public policy, and to “focus on power instead of people.” DiAngelo, the author of “White Fragility,” is unapologetically interested in people, particularly white people. She is perhaps the country’s most visible expert in anti-bias training, a practice that is also an industry, and from all appearances a prospering one. (Last year, anti-bias training was in the headlines when Starbucks closed its American stores for a day to conduct a company-wide lesson in “racial bias and discrimination.”)

Disability Awareness for Children Pre-K through Sixth Grade - National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled (NLS) Introduction Disability Awareness for Children Pre-K through Sixth Grade is a descriptive listing of books, games, and activities that educate children with and without disabilities on disability awareness, people-first language, sign language, and braille. The juvenile fiction and nonfiction chosen for this guide provides positive representations of adults and children with disabilities. Characters with disabilities are portrayed as part of a diverse group of disabled and non-disabled peers who participate in daily activities and overcome barriers. Nonfiction texts focus on an array of disabilities including learning impairment, autism and Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy and motor impairment, and sight and hearing impairment.

About the Author – CB Lee Biography CB Lee is a Lambda Literary Award nominated writer of young adult science fiction and fantasy. Her works include the Sidekick Squad series (Duet Books), Ben 10 (Boom!), and All Out Now (HarperTeen). CB loves to write about queer teens, magic, superheroes, and the power of friendship. Resources — The Third Teacher + The book is the resulting collection of ways to use to transform teaching and learning through the design of the learning environment - Loris Malaguzzi’s “third teacher.” Our goal with The Third Teacher book was to show that the design of a school is intrinsically linked to learning, and to even go a step further by demonstrating that design directly impacts teaching and learning. The book lives on, however, as a tool for participatory design that allows school stakeholders to enter into our design process. The “79 ideas” serve as a common language between learning communities and designers. Educators, students and parents can identify specific, tangible design techniques that support their visions. The Third Teacher was chosen as one of Fast Company's best design books in 2010.