A TASTE FOR READING
Read Across America theme celebrates diversity
It’s a Friday afternoon and the fourth graders at East Vincent Elementary School are seated around a science classroom, engaged in a tasting.
The teacher is wearing an apron, several students have donned chef’s hats, menus are scattered about. Like a restaurant, the tables are covered in red-and-white checked cloths, flower centerpieces and battery-operated candles.
The only thing lacking? Food.
The children are not tasting various cuisines. Instead, they are involved in a “book tasting.”
In recognition of a newly formatted Read Across America,
the fourth graders are sampling from stacks of picture books that focus on diversity.
The National Education Association has been promoting Read Across America since 1998 as a year-round program that culminates with festivities on or around March 2, in honor of the birthday of Dr. Seuss. In the past, those celebrations have centered on reading books by Seuss.
However, this year, the NEA has rebranded Read across America with the tagline “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.” The goal, according to a statement on the Read Across America website, is to foster “a growing need for schools and libraries to in
clude and promote diverse books.”
That’s a goal that East Vincent fourth-grade teacher Stephanie Laubenstein takes personally.
“I’ve been really passionate about this since adopting my daughter in June,” said Laubenstein, who is white.
“My daughter is black so I’m passionate about making sure we raise confident proud kids that can see themselves in the pages of a book,” she said.
In fact, Laubenstein was still on maternity leave when she began planning events for Read Across America day, scouring the internet for picture books that feature diverse characters, and working with Instructional Coach Danielle Rapp to develop programs for the entire school.
Those programs include having guest readers, a book raffle, audiobooks played for all students, and, of course, the book tasting.
Because the school doesn’t own all the picture books Laubenstein wanted to include, she borrowed a record 90 from the Chester County Library system (obtaining special permission to exceed the 30-book maximum).
At the book tasting, the children were actively filling in their “menus.” They were tasked with seeking out “mirror books,” as appetizers and “window books” as entrees. Desserts were whatever selections they liked best.
“In a mirror book, the children see themselves reflected in the pages of a book. The characters look like you, or the family is like yours, or the race, religion or experiences are like yours,” Rapp explained. “A window book helps kids develop empathy.”
Student Armani White held up her mirror book, “Mommy’s Khimar,” by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. The story is about a young Muslim girl playing dress-up with her mother’s khimar, or Islamic headscarf. White herself was wearing a headscarf.
“This is a mirror book to me because me and my mom, we wear khimars,” White said shyly. “Sometimes when I wear mine I feel…” she hesitated. “Brave?” a teacher prompted. White smiled. “Brave,” she said. “That’s why this is a mirror book for me.”
While children’s books celebrating diversity are becoming more common, they are hardly the norm. Publishing statistics from 2018 compiled by librarians at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Education Cooperative Children’s Book Center found that only 10 percent of books published that year depicted African or African American characters, seven percent Asian, five percent Latino and only one percent Native American.
By comparison, 50 percent were about white characters, while 27 percent represented animals.
But having diverse books isn’t just offering volumes about different races. Laubenstein also brought in books for children who are color blind, visually impaired, have disabilities, various family structures, or play different sports.
Student Adrian Castro displayed his “mirror book,” “My Name is Sangoel,” by Khadra Mohammad and Karen Lynn Williams. The main character is a young soccer-loving refugee from Sudan, living in America.
“This is a mirror book for me because I like soccer,” Castro said.
Often, kids like Castro, find elements in “window books” that turn them into “mirror books,” Rapp said.
The Read Across America activities will continue at East Vincent Elementary School throughout the week, with older students reading picture books to younger children and parents coming in as guest readers.
Laubenstein and Rapp hope the students carry with them the lessons they’ve learned long after Read across America day has ended.
“I’m hoping the kids are going to keep realizing that there are books about kids like them,” said Laubenstein.
Both she and Rapp are committed to ensuring that such books are available to the students.
“This is just a start,” said Rapp. “We want this to be part of their everyday experience.”