There’s still time left to check out some great reads for Pride! Stop by our display or check out our lists here:
Stonewall award books / Pride books for Tweens (4th-6th) / Family Pride Reads
Staff Picks For Kids
Staff Picks For Kids Blog
This Way, Charlie
This way, Charlie, by Caron Lewis, is fictional narrative about animal rescue, based on a real life story of two orphans, a goat named Jack, and a partially blind horse named Charlie. This title is a 2022 Monarch nominee!
When Charlie arrives at Open Bud Ranch, he can tell that another animal, Jack, seems to like to be all by himself. Their relationship gets a bumpy start, but when Jack finally summons his courage to be around others, he invites Charlie on a walk to his favorite place. See what happened one stormy night as these two adventurers help protect each other, and become forever friends.
The real Jack and Charlie from This way, Charlie.
The Tulsa Race Massacre
This spring marks 100 years since the thriving Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, sometimes called Black Wall Street, was burned down and many of its residents were killed in what became known as the Tulsa Race Massacre. While this is not an easy subject to discuss with children, acknowledging and learning from this violence in our history is important for all Americans to grapple with. These books are best shared and discussed with older children.
The New York Times has also published an interactive article that shows 3D renderings of what the Greenwood District likely looked like before it was destroyed. Survivors of the massacre also testified in Washington D.C. about what it was like to live through such an experience.
Jewish American Heritage Month
May is Jewish American Heritage Month The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of Jewish Americans who helped form the fabric of American history, culture and society.
https://www.jewishheritagemonth.gov/
Learn more about famous Jewish Americans, their accomplishments, and Jewish life by checking out some great books we’ve curated for you!
Another good list to check out is the Sydney Taylor Award for Jewish Childrens’ Books Winners, 1990-Present. “The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. Presented by the Association of Jewish Libraries since 1968, the award encourages the publication and widespread use of quality Judaic literature.”
Pilkey Apologizes for Passive Racism
In March of 2021, a Korean American father reached out to Scholastic about concerns he had about racist imagery and negative stereotypes in Dav Pilkey’s 2010 book The Adventures of Ook and Gluk. After several conversations between the father, Dav Pilkey, and Scholastic, on Monday, March 22, 2021, Scholastic halted distribution of The Adventures of Ook and Gluk with support from Pilkey.
The graphic novel is written and illustrated by characters from Dav Pilkey’s “Captain Underpants” series, and is the story of Ook and Gluk, two cavepeople who live in the fictional town of Caveland, Ohio, in 500,001 B.C. In the book, Ook and Gluk travel through time to the year 2222, where they meet Master Wong, a martial arts instructor who teaches them kung fu.
The author issued a letter of apology via his YouTube channel, acknowledging that his use of stereotypes when it came to the character of Master Wong, kung fu, and Chinese philosophy amounted to “passive racism.” In his apology, Pilkey stated that he had “intended to showcase diversity, equality and nonviolent conflict resolution” with the book, but he had fallen short of these goals.
Racial stereotypes and passive racism are harmful to all children because it perpetuates the narrative that this is normal for people to be treated this way. It is important for all children to see people of color represented accurately, without racist misinformation, because it fosters positive self-image and reduces the chance that children will internalize harmful stereotypes.
Scholastic has vowed that they will publish books that represent a diverse society, and the library will continue its journey to learn about the importance of inclusive collections.
Youth Services staff have curated a list of graphic novels, illustrated chapter books, and picture books that accurately reflect the diversity of Asian American lives and experiences. Please check the list to place holds and learn more.
If you would like to read more information on how to talk to children about racism in books and media see here.