“In this young girl’s classroom—and arguably, most first-grade classrooms across the United States—there are few, if any, transitional chapter series books that feature characters of color. There is something glaringly wrong with this picture.”
This is something that, since it’s been pointed out to me, I’ve noticed in every classroom where I have observed. Not only that, it’s rampant in stores and libraries as well. Visibility is an issue for people of color and the disabled.
“However, little research on diversity in children’s literature has focused on the transitional chapter book format, which provides children a necessary stepping-stone toward independent reading.”
If I am being honest, I thought this would be less of an issue than that of picture books. However, this does not surprise me in the least. It’s simply an extension of the same problem.
“The classroom and school libraries contained collections of transitional chapter books that featured almost entirely white characters—94% and 93%, respectively.”
This is absolutely heartbreaking. Children shouldn’t have to search for something that reflects themselves. The sheer overwhelming percentage of “white”dominated literature is a real eye opener that needs to be talked about more.
