Looking for multicultural children's picture books with diverse main characters? I've gathered up over 60 of my favorites here. From board books to picture books, these books have characters with different skin tones and cultures --which are what our real world looks like. No matter our skin color, ethic or cultural background, it's important to read stories that show lots of different … [Read more...]
Incredible Diverse Anthology of Short Stories for Middle School
Flying Lessons and Other Stories edited by Ellen Oh (of We Need Diverse Books) will be your new go-to book of short stories for middle school and high school. The writing is absolutely incredible with short stories meant for ages 8 - 12 written by amazing, award-winning, and diverse authors. Authors in this children's anthology include: Matt de la Peña Grace Lin Meg Medina Tim … [Read more...]
Multicultural Children’s Book Day Twitter Party #ReadYourWorld
Please join us for our Multicultural Children's Book Day Twitter Party! Win 1 of 12 Book Bundles! Giving away Book Bundles every 6 minutes! Friday, January 27th 9 pm to 10 pm EST Hashtag: #ReadYourWorld We will be discussing the state of children's book publishing and giving away diversity book bundles every six minutes. We invite EVERYONE to join us: authors, publishers, parents, caregivers, … [Read more...]
Multicultural Kids Picture Book About Family and Africa
Under the Same Sun by Sharon Robinson, illustrated by A.G. Ford is a warm-hearted multicultural picture book about a grandmother's visit to her son and grandkids in Tanzania. This story is based on the daughter of Jackie Robinson's real family and is published by Scholastic Books. This book celebrate diversity and is a lovely multicultural book choice for your home or classroom … [Read more...]
MyFamilyBuilders Diverse Character Building Blocks
MyFamilyBuilders™ Toy Set is a set of gorgeous magnetic building blocks of diverse people for ages 1+. And I LOVE this block set!! I love it because it's GREAT for representing the real world (diversity, hello!) and it's well crafted with strong magnets out of beautiful non-toxic, eco-friendly hardwoods. The creator of MyFamilyBuilders™ Toy Set wanted to create a toy that represented his … [Read more...]
Let’s Talk About Nurturing Empathy in Our Kids
I want my children to be kind -- now and as adults. Kindness grows from understanding both ourselves and others which leads, very importantly, to empathy. So how do we nurture kindness and empathy in our children? Books. Start with books. Let's Talk About Nurturing Empathy in Our Kids Reading not only helps us understand ourselves better, it also expands our understanding of other … [Read more...]
Lee & Low Picture Books with Diversity (Multicultural Children’s Book Day)
Welcome to the 2016 Multicultural Children's Book Day! Today I'm privileged to share with you four new picture book titles from Lee and Low, a publisher known for diversity in subject and author. The mission of Multicultural Children's Book Day #ReadYourWorld is to: 1) raise awareness for the kid's books that celebrate diversity and 2) get more of those books into classrooms and … [Read more...]
Back-to-School Books
As your children return back-to-school, you'll want to read these new picture books, especially Chopsticks by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Little Sweet Potato by Amy Beth Bloom. Back to School Books Because You Are My Teacher by Sherry North, illustrated by Marcellus Hall Teachers, here's your new first day of school read aloud! It sets the tone for your classroom, that it's a place for … [Read more...]
Exploring Other Cultures and Languages With Your Family
by Karen Nemeth, Ed.M., Author of Many Languages, One Classroom: Teaching Dual and English Language Learners and Founder of Language Castle LLC When you think about exploring different cultures and languages with your family, I hope you aren’t imagining a scene where everyone is silently memorizing flashcards or sleepily repeating the days of the week over and over again. Discovering the … [Read more...]
Innocent Hand Clap or Racist Song?
“Mom! Want to see something?” my eight-year old asks. She gets off the counter stool and stands, waiting. I finish unscrewing the vitamin lid, “Okay, what?” "It goes, ‘I went to a Chinese restaurant to buy a loaf of bread, bread, bread . . .'" Her hands clap and pat her legs as she continues singing. “'. . . punch you in the body, oops I’m sorry, don’t tell my mommy, Chinese, … [Read more...]
Special Needs, What a Joke
Do you ever wonder what a mom feels when her child is labeled? Maybe your child has been labeled. Or maybe you'll know someone who could use your compassion and empathy. This is where I begin, sharing from my heart, what those words mean / meant to me. I wrote this in an essay writing class last month. Our in-class prompt was to end with "what a joke." I knew exactly what I wanted to write. … [Read more...]
Teaching Diversity in a White-Washed World
Karen Carter guest posts today. She's a mom, an author, and an advocate for social justice. Teaching Diversity I’m what author Amy Ford calls a “Pink Parent,” a term I think is actually pretty darn cute. I’ve yet to read her book, BROWN BABIES, PINK PARENTS about transracial adoption, but I relate to her goal of helping other “pink parents” navigate the challenges of raising children whose … [Read more...]