How Children's and Young Adult Book Lists Stack Up as Teacher Tools

• In Event: Situating Students: Four Approaches to Critical Engagement With Children's and Young Adult Literature

Abstract

The literary selection process for books to provide for students can be a difficult one for teachers, librarians and parents. The sheer tide of children’s and YA books available, along with the push against simply reifying classic and canonical books, has created a greater need for book lists to guide these important decisions. The purpose of this study is to explore patterns in representation in publicly available, online children’s and YA recommended book lists. With a specific focus on #OwnVoices literature, we analysed if and how books by and about people with minoritized identities are recommended. We also asked if and how protagonists reflect the demographics of K-12 students in the US.

Authors

• Laura M. Jimenez, Boston University

• Betsy Beckert, Boston University

• Allie Jane Bruce, Boston University