Topic: Diversity
In 2019 Better Reading were given a grant by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund to produce a 6-part podcast series which explored diversity within children’s books, which was released in 2020. Host Cheryl Akle spoke with Dr Randa Abdel Fattah, Will Kostakis, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Laura Bloom, Deborah Abela & Rachel Bin Salleh from Magabala Books on how diversity is a hot topic within Australian publishing, and they spoke about their views on how diverse children’s books are (Better Reading, 2020). Each episode explored different themes, cultural diversity and the lack of representation in the school curriculum, LGBTQIA+ representation, the importance of disabled characters in books and the benefits of exposing children to diverse literature from all ages.
Image: Better Reading, 2020
From listening to this series, it reiterated to me that the world is changing and evolving around us and this needs to be reflected in the literature that is being published for children and young adults. There seems to be a fear around not exposing children to these issues too early or they will feel overwhelmed, or they won’t understand, but the most powerful thing that can happen is children seeing reflections of their experiences in literature. One of the topics that arose while listening to Maxine Beneba Clarke was that in today’s society families can be made up by all different parts. This might seem like a small issue when speaking about diversity within books however its importance is immense. Family-diverse books can show children even if they come from different lifestyles, they still make up a family (Mokrzycki, 2021).
When I finished the series, I reflected back on the books that I have read in 2022 and took stock of the diverse characters that were present in the different texts. There were stories that addressed mental health issues, neurodiverse and LGBTQIA+ characters in every second or third book and there were a number of authors who come from diverse backgrounds and wrote about their culture and experiences. When I think back to when I was in my teenage years and recalling the novels I was reading, they didn’t offer these types of themes on this scale and that was only 10 years ago!
This series is a wonderful tool for those who are in a position that shape collections and programs for children and young adults. Diverse collections and using these books within programming shows children there are others in the world like them and this empowers them in their reading journey. Reading diversly also allows children to develop those vital skills that they learn through reading like empathy and establishes good lifelong reading habits (Cahill, Ingram & Joo, 2021, p.270). I really enjoyed listening to this podcast and reflecting back on each episode. It made me think about how moving forward when I am in the position of developing a program or shaping a collection that I make a conscious effort to select books that are wonderfully diverse and reflect the world around us.
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References
Better Reading. (2020). New 6-part podcast series: A conversation about diversity in children’s books. https://www.betterreading.com.au/podcast/new-6-part-podcast-series-a-conversation-about-diversity-in-childrens-books/
Cahill, M., Ingram, E. & Joo, S. (2021). Storytime programs as mirrors, windows and sliding glass doors? Addressing children’s needs through diverse book selection. The Library Quarterly, 91(3), 269-284. https://doi.org/10.1086/714317
Mokrzycki, S. (2021). The need for family-diverse picture books. https://www.scisdata.com/connections/issue-119/the-need-for-family-diverse-picture-books/
“the most powerful thing that can happen is children seeing reflections of their experiences in literature”
Excuse me for quoting you to you, but what an incredible line! It is powerful. I agree that there is already so much more diversity in literature than there was 10 years ago, and what a truly great thing that is. I can recall many friends and family members struggling though difficult times and thinking they were in it alone as their struggles seemed isolated to them – if only they had relatable stories and characters telling them that no, they’re not alone.
There are so many podcasts around these days that this one has evaded my searches, so I thank you for bringing it to my attention! I plan to sit in the sun and give it a listen later this week.
I’m interested in more of your thoughts on Australia’s contribution to the library of diverse children’s books: what are we doing well, and what are we doing poorly? Are there any gaping holes yet to be filled?
Thank you, Gabrielle, for this post,
– Laura
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“Stories Behind the Story with Better Reading” podcast delves into the importance of diversity in children’s books, minnesota wild jackets discussing how inclusive narratives empower young readers and reflect diverse realities. It’s a compelling exploration of how literature shapes empathy and understanding in the next generation.
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