Book Selection Criteria

I had quite an extensive criteria I used for my book collection list. Two major sets of

criteria I focused on was having a wide range of genres and also I worked hard to make sure my

books reflected many different types of communities, including communities my students were

not familiar with. I wanted the readers of my book selection to see communities that reflect many

different people and that there is beauty in all different types of communities.

The first criteria I had for my book collection was that I wanted my collection to include

many different book genres. I have seen in many classroom libraries collections that contain

diverse books in the genres of historical fiction and realistic fiction, but hardly ever saw diverse

books in other genres such as poetry or graphic novels. According to the Journal of Childrens

Literature, There were few (if any) books depicting parallel cultures that fit within a literacy

genre such as science fiction or poetry (Crisp, Knezek, Quinn, Bingham, Giradeau, & Starks,

2016, p. 34). The Journal of Childrens Literature found that the books that had diverse cultures

were reflected almost solely in the dominant genres. I used books in my collection that portrayed

diversity in six different book genres. I used poetry, chapter books, a wordless picture book, and

many other genres of literature so that my students would see that diversity is not just included in

historical fiction.

The second criteria I had for my diverse book selection was making sure that my book

collection showed readers a way of life in a community that looked different from their own.

Childrens literature provides a window through which young readers can explore the world

(Serafini & Moses, 2014, p. 467). I want my readers to see communities other than their own and
gain an appreciation for communities different than theirs. Seeing other communities will help

my readers develop empathy for other people and a deeper desire to want to serve other people.

Bibliography

Crisp, T., Knezek, S., Quinn, M., Bingham, G., Giradeau, K., & Starks, F. (2016). Whats on

Our Bookshelves? The Diversity of Childrens Literature in Early Childhood Classroom

Libraries. Journal of Childrens Literature, 42 (2), pp. 29-42.

Serafini, F., & Moses, L. (2014). The Roles of Childrens Literature in the Primary Grades. The

Reading Teacher, 67 (6), pp. 465-468.