One of my favorite ways to embark on the New Year is to set a lofty reading goal for myself. I peruse any and all best book lists and queue up my GoodReads with all the newly published books I can’t wait to get my hands on. I take equal delight in doing the same careful cultivation of the classroom library, searching for new and exciting books to get in my student’s hands to reenergize their reading lives and help them with the goals we have on deck.
Always at the heart of this work for me is building my students’ love of reading and reading identities. To do this, I’ve found I have to rethink my childhood favorites, reflect on the range of diverse texts I have available in my library, and swap out some classics for some new, fresh titles and authors!
A Note About The Canon
There is nothing like chatting with a reader and finding that you both have shared reading experiences. For many of us, the canon offers that access into a literary world of shared texts and authors. However tempting it can be to lean on canonical texts of the past, we want to challenge ourselves to think about the supposed universality of texts. In the article, “The Great Unread” by Joseph Luzzi, he warns us to be suspicious of the universality of classic texts and how it supposes that one group’s experience can speak for everyone else. He writes, “The classic that keeps on being read is the book whose situations and themes remain relevant over time—that miracle of interpretive openness that makes us feel as though certain stories, poems, and plays are written with us in mind.” We can use this same frame when looking for new, updated texts: those that highlight relevant, meaningful themes and ideas and will speak to the wide range of students in our classes. In this way, we can reimagine the canon and create our own student-centered assortment of highly engaging texts that our students will relate to.
Windows and Mirrors
Especially with the current state of our world, it is vital that we centralize diversity and equity in our classrooms. When we ensure that our curriculum centers students and their identities, we can foster a sense of belonging and compassion and highlight the importance and relevance of learning.
To ensure this happens, we need to analyze our curriculum through two lenses: Where do students have access to windows, stories in which they learn about others, and where do they have access to mirrors, stories that reflect their lives?
This idea is commonly referred to as “mirrors and windows” and was introduced by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop in her iconic essay, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors.” When books don’t serve as mirrors to children, Bishop says, “They learn a powerful lesson about how they’re devalued in society.” Jan 25, 2019. Read the full article here.
Windows Are Stories that Help Us Understand Others
Windows are stories that represent different perspectives than the reader holds. These types of stories reveal truths about life through another person’s eyes. It lets the reader peer into a new experience like looking through a window. Through these kinds of reading experiences, our students gain an understanding of the diversity of human experience and the world. Research shows that reading can increase empathy, which makes these types of stories vital to include in our classroom libraries.
Mirrors Are Stories that Help Us Understand Ourselves
When stories act as mirrors, readers see themselves positively reflected. When we find stories that we can personally connect to, we feel affirmation in our lived experiences and can better understand and reflect on them.
We need both windows and mirrors in our classrooms so students can practice empathy and understanding and feel that our classrooms are inclusive and value their perspectives.
What’s Considered a Classic Text?
There are numerous classic texts, those our parents read aloud to us when we were little, those that we all had to read in school, some we fell in love with, some we still think of and shudder (Rebecca for me!) When I think of classics, I consider mainstays in each genre.
We’re going to give some suggestions for the newest titles that you could use as alternatives to or paired texts with some common classics. There are so many new books this year, but we chose some of our newest favorites from a range of authors that we think are sure to become instant new classics for your library!
Alternatives to Consider:
We read through the lists of the best children’s literature of the year and curated our own LP list of alternative titles to try for each genre. It was hard to narrow it down, but here are some of our favorite “instead of” titles to try as alternatives to classics in each genre.
Instead of This Try This:
Picture Books: The broadest category on this list: any book containing many illustrations, especially one for children.
Instead try: The Last Stand by Antwan Eady
In this beautiful picture book, a young boy and his grandfather run the last stand at their local farmer’s market. This story teaches themes of community, hard work, and taking care of those who need you.
Fairy Tales: Traditional literature including fairy tales, folktales, myths, legends, and fables.
Instead, Try: Plain Jane and the Mermaid by Vera Brosgol
This graphic novel flips every fairy tale you know on its head. In this story, Jane is on a quest for independence no matter what her parents, the villagers, and anyone else might say!
Realistic Fiction: Books set in modern times and based on real-life situations.
Instead, try: Wildful by Kengo Kurimoto
This beautiful graphic novel focuses on a girl who finds meaning after the death of her grandmother through exploring and connecting with nature.
Adventure: A story that is often dangerous and exciting in which the protagonist takes on the hero’s journey.
Instead, Try: Anzu and the Realm of Darkness by Mai K. Nguyen
After losing her grandmother, Anzu feels especially sad about the upcoming Obon festival. When a dog steals her grandmother’s necklace, Anzu gets pulled into the land of the dead, where she must break a curse before it’s too late!
Mystery: Fictional stories where the main character solves a mystery or crime; often suspenseful and dramatic, and can include clues, red herrings, and plot twists.
Instead, Try: The Queen of Ocean Parkway by Sarvenaz Tash
This mystery adventure takes place in Brooklyn and highlights the characters, history, and unique stories in this beautiful city. In this story, an 11-year-old podcaster-turned-detective teams up with the new kid in the building to find their missing neighbor!
Historical Fiction: Stories set in a past time period that convey information about that period of a specific historical event.
Instead, Try: One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline Ransome
Told through the eyes of three brave female characters, this novel follows the story of a Black family’s covered wagon journey from the South to the West. Written in verse, it brings women’s voices to the history of the Black Homesteaders movement of the late 1800s.
Fantasy and Science Fiction: Stories that integrate imagination, worlds, and characters of magic and myth.
Instead, Try: Boy 2.0 by Tracey Baptiste
This story combines science fiction with realism as the main character tackles issues of race, family, and belonging, and as he navigates life in his latest foster care home and his power of invisibility!
Poetry: Literary work in which special attention is given to the expression of feelings and ideas through figurative language, style, and rhythm.
Instead Try: How to Write a Poem by Kwame Alexander and Deanna Nikaido
This creative picture book celebrates poetry and encourages young children to look at the world around them and write a poem. This book gets the reader to ask a question, imagine, dream, and write from the heart!
Don’t Forget About Nonfiction!
When thinking about the classics, it’s mostly fiction titles that make the list. There are simply too many possible topics to cover! But this is a plug to remember to look through your nonfiction library too! We can make sure there is a broad range of topics, written by diverse authors about culturally appropriate topics that will engage and empower our burgeoning researchers, historians, and scientists!
Why This Matters…
Our goal is always to empower our students and encourage them to see themselves as change-makers. Literacy is the gateway to change, and when we create students who see themselves as readers, we allow them to see and understand themselves, see and understand others, and understand history so they can work towards a more just future.
Recommendations
Take your learning to the next level with these recommendations.
https://literacypartners.com/how-can-we-make-our-read-aloud-curriculum-more-inclusive/
A Guide to Culturally and Historically Responsive Teaching and Learning
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