Friday, June 19, 2020

CCBC - Race and Racism: Selected Books for Children and Teens


This is the second of two bibliographies we are creating to respond to the requests we are getting from around Wisconsin in recent days for books for children and teens about race and racism. We also encourage you to check out the CCBC bibliography Black Experiences: Affirmation and Resilience, Activism and Resistance in 45 Books for PreK-Grade 12.

When choosing books about race and racism and its impact on the lives of Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC), we have emphasized books by BIPOC creators. We have also included several books by white authors that can help readers, especially white readers, develop an awareness of whiteness and white privilege.

This list features both historical books (set in the past) and books set in the present day. Understanding history is critical to understanding racism; it is also critical to acknowledge and discuss the realities of racism and the ongoing legacy of systemic racism today.

We have chosen books for this list from among titles we’ve recommended for our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices. Our selections are far from exhaustive--there are many books we've recommended that offer perspectives on race and racism in the past and present. Additionally, many other reading lists for children and teens about racism have been curated in recent weeks. Among those we encourage you to check out is the one created by author Jacqueline Woodson.

Finally, it's important to keep in mind that no book can take the place of ongoing, meaningful conversations about race and racism. To that end, you may also find We Need Diverse Books and Teaching Tolerance, among others, helpful as you seek out additional resources.



© 2020 Cooperative Children's Book Center




No comments: