On Friday, November 11th, ISB parents and staff, as well as local school librarians, teachers, and neighbors, gathered for the culminating event of ISB’s Literacy Week: a workshop focused on the need for diversity and equal representation in children’s literature. This workshop addressed how we, as parents and educators, can use children’s books to prepare our children for a more global society and foster curiosity, empathy and global citizenship.

In this workshop, Jill Eisenberg, Senior Literacy Specialist from Lee & Low Books, the largest multicultural children’s book publisher in the country, gave an informative presentation and expertly moderated a panel with Authors/Illustrators Selina Alko & Sean Qualls. Sean, Selina, and Lee & Low are deeply committed to promoting inclusion and diversity. They discussed the lack diversity in children’s literature today and the work that they are currently doing in this field. The panelists then opened the floor to questions from the audience.

“The workshop on the importance of diversity in children’s books was incredibly timely. I appreciated hearing the stats that demonstrate the lack of diversity, yet felt uplifted knowing that there are people who are trying to influence changes in book publishing. I especially loved the listing of resources for finding diverse books.”

-Yvonne Brathwaite, ISB Parent and Board Member

 

Watch a video of the workshop below. Thank you to ISB Parent Caleb Cooks for filming!

For top notch resources for connecting with diverse books for your child, you can access Jill Eisenberg’s presentation here. Also be sure to check out the ISB Library’s Parent Resource page for diverse reading lists in Spanish, French, and English, as well as bookstore recommendations.