The need for Diversity and Inclusion in Children’s Books

Written by School Library Association

The need for diversity within children’s literature and reading experiences is so self-evident it’s not something I will discuss, except to say that all children should see themselves represented in the books that they read. The difference it can make is significant – and a lack can be a huge barrier to a child becoming a fluent and confident reader.

So, assuming a representative and inclusive collection is what you’re aiming for, this isn’t going to happen by accident. The CLPE Reflecting Realities report shows that 15% of books in 2020 featured a minority ethnic character and, even within those, not all of the representations were accurate or authentic. The last thing anyone wants to do is inadvertently embed a prejudice or tell only one story for an ethnic character. For example, if all the books you stock featuring an ethnic character show them living in poor housing and being bulled, that builds a stereotype. Children learn from books – good and bad – so the detail in what they read is important.

Before I move on to what practical things you can do to build positive reading experiences that have diversity built in at foundation level, there are three top tips I’d like to share for engaging with this topic:

1)     Anti-racism is a lens which is applied to all work. It’s looking at what you may normally do and being mindful of potential issues, or where gaps may be.

2)     Othering is problematic. It is defined as “treating people from another group as essentially different from and generally inferior to the group you belong to” and this can happen incidentally. For example, a display of ‘black writers’, unless part of a wider display theme that includes ‘white writers’, may accidentally reinforce the idea that all/most writers are white.  

3)     There is not one right way – language and best practice changes, as it does with all topics, so it can feel difficult to get it ‘right’. This shouldn’t stop us from trying. Put the people you want to include at the centre of your vision, and talk to them about it. This means that even if it’s not ‘right’ generally, it’s more likely to work for your children.

So, given the lack of diverse childrens’ literature, what can we actually do?

-        Be mindful of the way you build the collection. We all have biases which play out through our choices (I have a fondness for adventure books, and a general dislike for books about relationships which led to, in general terms, boys being better catered for than girls until I noticed it and corrected the balance). Get to know the smaller publishers, the publishers which aim for inclusion, and if you don’t know, ask someone who does.

-        Centre the voice of the reader or target group. There are so many options, it can be hard to know where to start. But building priorities can often come down to the readers or non-readers you have in front of you. What will make the difference to them?

-        Change the book awards you follow, or spotlight a different one each year. There are some amazing awards out there: Jhalak Prize, Diverse Book Awards and – one coming for next year for books with neurodiverse characters – the Adrien Prize.

-        Think about your background processes – are you using the library management system to its potential? What are the key search terms being entered? Are they the same as what the children will be using?

The range of things you can do to build diversity into the reading experiences we provide for children is huge, but at its core it’s about inclusion and acceptance. Whatever they want to read, in whatever format or language – any reading is reading for pleasure except that which is being done to tick it off a list. The wider the range of reading experiences, of formats of book, of types of setting and context, the richer the reading will be and the higher the chances a reading experience will resonate. Reading is magic – it’s up to us to make sure that everyone can see themselves as a magician.

Available Resources from the SLA

·        Reading recommendations – ask for specific book recommendations - https://www.sla.org.uk/reading-recommendations

·        Keep up to date with what’s being published through our Friday Favourites https://www.sla.org.uk/blog or our journal https://www.sla.org.uk/the-school-librarian

·        Audit tool – SLA members can also access an audit tool and other resources to support once they’re logged in.