Problematizing Inequities of Representation in Classroom Libraries: (Dis)Connections Between Students and the Texts They Read

• In Event: Critical, Culturally Sustaining, and Antiracist Approaches to Language and Literacy Pedagogy

Abstract

The metaphor of children’s literature as a mirror affirming lived experiences and window into other ways of living has been widely embraced by educators since initially conceived three decades ago. Despite a proliferation of publication in the last five years, diverse texts that offer mirrors and windows are not as abundantly found in diverse classrooms. This paper shares research which interrogates the diversity of texts (n=624) found in elementary classrooms, as reported by teachers surveyed (n=52). A thematic analysis suggests the texts do not adequately mirror the diversity of students (n=1087). Through a critical literacy lens, this study calls for educators to diversify collections by attending to equitable representation that validates identities and cultivates literary connections.

Author

• Marisa Ferraro, Southern Connecticut State University