Cultural Competence A-Z: B is for Books!

So this one may be my favorite...

I LOVE books. I'm a total book junkie. Everyone has their own personal obsessions. Mine is books. I'll say it loud and proud - I have a book addiction. It could be worse... 

So, it would stand to reason that I would try to turn my kids book junkies too. I am totally convinced that it's working. The other day when my 3-year-old daughter should have been napping, she was 'reading'. I walked in and there were books ALL OVER THE ROOM. On her bed, on the floor, with her dolls. It was a total disaster in there so you think I might be mad, right? Not me. I was beaming with pride. That's my girl.

So why not combine some of the things I love the most: books and diversity. Books are a fantastic way to learn about almost anything. In fact, I created a fantastic list of books with diverse characters and storylines. Below is a list of diverse books to read with your kids. Some are from my booklist (see below) and some are bonus books.

Diverse Books For Babies & Toddlers:

• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
• Ramadan Moon by Na'ima B. Robert
• My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete, & Shane Evans

Diverse Books For School-Aged Kids:

• The Lady in the Box by Ann McGovern
• Ling & Ting: Not Exactly the Same by Grace Lin
• Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Diverse Books For Teens & Young Adults:

• Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney
• Not If I See You First by Eric Lindstrom

This list is only the start. You can access other great lists of books on my friend Sarah's blog Book Birdie here and my friend Sally's food and educational blog here. Both of these sites are essential for parents - I consult both of the regularly. You can also get our full list of diverse books with over 60 titles for babies to young adults.

I hope that no matter what, books are a great way to introduce your kids to something new. Go on a journey by reading with your little ones, get one of the books for your budding school-aged reader to read on his or her own, or suggest to your teen that you should read one of the books together. Any way you do it, you will be amazed at how much you and your kids will learn about others through books.

---

Get Your Book List Here!