By Dennis Abrams
Jacqueline Woodson has written: “Imagine being one thing and having to spend your life reading about something else. Yes, you need that something else but you need who you are, too — so that you know exist in a bigger world.”
One of the hot topics in children’s books for the last few years has been the growing need for books that showcase the growing diversity of America’s classrooms – from young children to teens. Both parents and teachers are on the search for resources to help children discover books that reflect their lives as well as those of their fellow students.
And so to answer that call, Scholastic Reading Club and the nonprofit group We Need Diverse Books™, have joined forces to answer that need with a special edition Scholastic Reading Club flyer offering 75 key books titles for grades 4-8 – books that feature both diverse characters and storylines.
This specially curated offer will feature award-winning titles, classics as well as new releases, and will reach over 100,000 classrooms with 2.5 million students with great book ideas just in time for the holidays.
The collection highlights a variety of titles highlighting important and timely themes about race and ethnicity, multiculturalism, different religions, LGBTQ stories, persons with disabilities and more.
Additional titles beyond those featured in the flyers will be available online at Scholastic.com/ReadingClub. All book orders are submitted by a teacher on behalf of his or her classroom, and, for every purchase, the classroom earns reward points that can be redeemed for books as well as other classroom materials.
“The goal of this offer is to reflect the world as it is: filled with stories and experiences as diverse as you find in American classrooms today. Scholastic Reading Club evokes such strong emotional memories for children when they find the perfect book for the first time. This special collaboration with We Need Diverse Books™ helps all kids discover the power and joy of reading.”
Dhonielle Clayton, VP of Librarian Services for We Need Diverse Books™ added, “We are thrilled to partner with Scholastic on the Reading Club flyer, and to help all kids find both mirrors of their own experiences and windows into the experiences of others.”
To learn more, click here.