(What We Do All Day, 2016)
Diverse children’s literature can mean “the portrayal of groups that have been marginalized because of race, gender, ethnicity, language, ability, age and social class” (Hayik, 2015, p. 94). To understand the importance of diversity within children’s literature I will review the podcast “A Conversation about Diversity in Children’s Books” (Better Reading, 2020).
Review of the Podcast
This podcast hosts guest who are prominent authors of children’s literature which cover diversity. This post will review the first episode of this podcast series in which Dr Randa Abdel Fattah discusses diversity in children’s literature and highlights current issues which are impacting this literature within Australia.
Dr Fattah is the author of eleven bestselling books for children and young adults, including Does my head look big in this? Which won the 2013 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults award (American Library Association, n.d.). Dr Fattah is a prominent advocate for diversity in children’s literature and in particular islamophobia due to her Palestinian background (Better Reading, 2020).
This podcast highlighted the need for children’s literature which covers large topics and diverse cultures as these books can tackle ideas such as stereotypes, marginalisation and a sense of identity to children. Children from non-Anglo backgrounds may feel out of place in society and diverse children’s literature can give validity to the issues these children face (Better Reading, 2020).
This podcast discussed the lack of diversity in children’s books, particularly in the NSW curriculum. One specific issue which was addressed was the fact that only 3 books in the NSW curriculum feature a character from Afghani descent (Better Reading, 2020). This means the plight of Afghani children will fail to be highlighted throughout the education of children across NSW and any Afghani children in NSW may feel isolated in the Anglo heavy curriculum.
What Did I Learn?
This podcast reinforced the idea that children’s resources should “meet particular needs and which foster inclusiveness” (Manuell, 2020, p. 4). Throughout this podcast, Dr Fattah explains how diverse literature can alter how a child views themselves and others. This is explored through the example of Islamophobia throughout Australia, particularly after 9/11. Dr Fattah states that improved knowledge of Muslim culture through children’s books can allow children to become familiar with the differences in cultures and inclusiveness throughout the community can be improved (Better Reading, 2020). This podcast has reinforced the idea of fostering inclusiveness through literature as highlighting the struggles of marginalised groups within society can allow children to develop an “understanding towards different others and become better equipped to live in a culturally diverse society” (Hayik, 2015, p. 95).
How Can This Knowledge Translate to My Practice?
This activity is relevant to my professional practice as it highlights the importance of delivering diverse content to children. My current position as a library assistant at a Northern Sydney public library sees myself often serving clientele from non-Anglo backgrounds. The content of this podcast has emphasised how promoting works which deal with topics of other cultures and works authored by individuals of other cultures can raise awareness of issues to children while also allowing children to connect with ideas and feelings not represented throughout Anglo literature. In my future practice I will incorporate these ideas by promoting the use of diverse children’s literature throughout the community. This can be done by advertising booklist which feature books of diverse content or by incorporating diverse children’s literature into existing library programs such as story time sessions (Association for Library Service to Children, 2017, p. 5).
References
American Library Association. (n.d.). Does my head look big in this? Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/does-my-head-look-big
Association for Library Service to Children. (2017). Importance of diversity. Retrieved from https://www.ala.org/alsc/publications-resources/white-papers/importance-diversity
Better Reading. (2020). New 6-Part podcast series: A conversation about diversity in children’s books. Retrieved from https://www.betterreading.com.au/podcast/new-6-part-podcast-series-a-conversation-about-diversity-in-childrens-books/
Hayik, R. (2015). Addressing religious diversity through children’s literature: An “English as a foreign language” classroom in Israel. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 17(2), 92-106. doi:10.18251/ijme.v17i2.911
Manuell, R. (2020). Catering to the needs of children and young adults [Modules]. Retrieved from https://interact2.csu.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_49776_1&content_id=_3997959_1
What We Do All Day. (2016). Children’s books about diversity and multiculturalism. https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/childrens-books-about-diversity/