Reviewed by Deborah Menkart Book Author: Audubon is a familiar name, but how about that other influential painter of birds, Louis Agassiz Fuertes? Born in New York, Agassiz Fuertes’ father was Puerto Rican. Agassiz Fuertes created exquisite illustrations of birds that were printed on collectible cards and distributed to homes across the country by Arm […]
NOT Recommended: A Birthday Cake for George Washington
Reviewed by Allyson Criner Brown Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Update: The widespread response to the publication of A Birthday Cake for George Washington has led to its recall by Scholastic. Read about the social media campaign that led to Scholastic stopping distribution of the book. A Birthday Cake for George Washington, recently published by […]
Painting for Peace in Ferguson Paints Over Truth
Reviewed by Lena Amick Review Source: Teaching for Change Book Author: Painting for Peace in Ferguson by Carol Swartout Klein is a dismaying example of good intentions gone wrong. Using art to unite and heal in the face of adversity is a beautiful thing, but this book of photographs and trite, demeaning explanations of the unrelenting […]
Missing From the Shelf: Book Challenges and Lack of Diversity in Children’s Literature
By Pen America Reading is a formative part of childhood: educating, widening horizons, offering adventures and stoking imagination and creativity. Books for children and young adults are not often thought of as a free expression battleground in the United States—and yet every year, hundreds of demands to remove books…
Guide for Selecting Anti-Bias Children’s Books
By Louise Derman-Sparks Based on “Ten Quick Ways to Analyze Children’s Books for Racism and Sexism.” Updated in 2013.* Children’s books continue to be an invaluable source of information and values. They reflect the attitudes in our society about diversity, power relationships among different groups of people, and various social identities (e.g., racial, ethnic, gender, […]
Under Pressure, Scholastic Recalls Racist Children’s Book
By Deborah Menkart A firestorm erupted when Scholastic released a children’s book early this month, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, by Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, featuring smiling enslaved people baking a cake for George Washington. The back cover portrayed George Washington and his enslaved chef, Hercules, arm-in-arm, like best buddies. The image […]