Diversity in books

When you look through your books do you see a diversity?

Do you have a range of many different types of books?

I had an opportunity this week to look at my bookshelf  and share some of them with my children. Yes lots of ladybird books and Mr. Men books. I never had though many non fiction books. What’s on your children’s shelf? Sure enough the books we buy are usually fiction. The books we borrow are often non fiction.

Let’s look wider. Do the books I have available show a diverse world? How do I share cultural hertigages from around the world or talk about friends in my neighbourhood who are different?

Poetry is a lot of fun but often not on many shelves. This week on Raising Playful Tots you’ll find some ideas about introducing poetry all in time for Poem in your pocket day in April.

Bookstores and libraries are better than ever now about displaying a wide range of books for the under 5s but they do put centre stage the most popular. This perpetuates the popular status. We notice the displays but what displays do we see?  We have spring- new life- Easter right now but I don’t recall seeing many displays on losing a pet or family member. All things that often happen during a young tots life. We have a display on people who help us in the community but children want to know why that person is holding a cane or walking with a dog or why that child is in a wheelchair.

Let’s take a wider look at our books and actively find new genres and styles for our little ones in April.

Photo credit

Here’s a new place to me that I wanted to share!

“Passion For Knowledge is a non profit organisation whom aims to inspire young people, particularly those from inner-city and minority ethnic backgrounds, to read more.We provide an array of topics and themes to reflect today’s diverse society. Our aim is to promote a love of reading and an understanding of the world we live in, and to inspire young people to live their dreams. ”

Passion for Knowledge “have complied a recommended reading list for key stages 1-4 which offers you the chance to purchase 25 books in each key stage that have been picked by our celebrities and a panel of members that are in touch with today’s “Multicultural Britain” to select and provide young people with titles of interest which they can relate to enabling them to explore and enjoy reading. Books can be bought as a bundle or individually.”

Find out more about their book bundles and choose a new title for your Key Stage 1 ( 4-8 year olds) child.

Click over to Passion for Knoweledge

Have you found some unusual books or found a new genre this week?

How do you choose which books come into your home?

Share your ideas in the comments