Social Justice Books

Critically reviewed selection of multicultural and social justice books for children, young adults, and educators.

Developing Critical Literacy

We share here articles and ideas that parents and teachers can use to help children develop critical literacy skills that will help them as citizens and consumers for years to come. Critique the Scholastic Catalog #StepUpScholastic is a campaign for teachers, parents, and students to tell Scholastic to publish and distribute children’s books that reflect and affirm the […]

Creating an Anti-Bias Library

In addition to selecting books that reflect the criteria of the Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books, consider the balance of books in your library or classroom as a whole. All books should portray people who are real and distinctive without stereotyping or tokenism. Find books that represent groups who are often invisible. Look for […]

Countering Arab Stereotypes

Young children are very aware of the prejudiced attitudes of the adults in their family and community life.  They also are much more aware of widespread stereotypes than adults often realize. Be aware of prevailing stereotypes that young children tend to believe, such as the following: 1. All Arabs have the same culture. This misguided […]

Resources for Putting Our Visions into Practice

Adult Learning Alvarado, C., L. Burley, L. Derman-Sparks, L.I. Jiménez, J. Labyzon, P. Ramsey, et al. 1999. In Our Own Way: How Anti-bias Work Shapes Our Lives. St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Cronin, S., Derman-Sparks, L., Henry, S., Olatunji, C., & York, S. (1998). Future Vision, Present Work: Learning from the Culturally Relevant Anti-Bias Leadership […]

References for Putting Our Visions into Practice

Barbarin, O. & G. Crawford. (2006). “Acknowledging and Reducing Stigmatization of African American Boys”, Young Children, Nov. 2006, 79-87. Clark, K. B. (1963). Prejudice and Your Child. Boston: Beacon Press. Concise Oxford American Dictionary, 2006, Oxford University Press, 129. Cross, W. E., Jr. (1985). Black Identity: Rediscovering the Distinction Between Personal Identity and Reference Group […]

Change Strategies for “Putting Our Visions into Practice: Challenges and Contested Ground”

Putting our educational visions into practice requires ongoing, long-term commitment and persistence. Change efforts, which usually move one step at a time, must be strategic. What follows are suggestions for how stakeholders might begin to engage in efforts to make culturally inclusive, anti-bias early childhood education a reality. Keep building your self-awareness, knowledge and skills. […]