We may never travel far from our own town or city; go to school with people of different backgrounds, have different families, live near a mosque or synagogue, or even eat at a restaurant that serves food from another part of the world.
But it’s still vital that our children meet and come to know different people from different places. After all, they’re growing up in a world that is more diverse and smaller – much smaller – than ever before. They’re seeing lots of images of people from around the world and throughout our country who may look or speak or live differently than they do.
These people, these children, have more in common than we often admit.
The diversity in which our children live is a wondrous thing, too. It gives us all the opportunity to grow beyond often self-imposed borders. Books break down borders of all kinds.
Though the children and families in these books may not look like each other or the readers who pick them up, they share common emotions and experiences.
All of us have the same basic emotions, feelings, and needs. All families have a story. Most family stories started someplace else. Not only is it adults’ responsibility to recognize this, but to help prepare children to thrive in our beautifully diverse world.
It often starts with a book.
About the Author
Reading Rockets’ children’s literature expert, Maria Salvadore, brings you into her world as she explores the best ways to use kids’ books both inside — and outside — of the classroom.
Publication Date
November 10, 2016