"Every single kid deserves to see themselves coming off the page."
- John Corey Whaley, author of Highly Illogical Behavior
When I read Anne of Green Gables for the first time, I saw myself.
A spunky kid with red-ish hair, a penchant for telling the truth (to a fault), a desire to prove that anything boys could do girls could do just as well (if not better, thank you very much), and a deep longing to be loved and belong.
Reading about the character of Anne Shirley - and identifying with her, seeing a little bit of myself in her - inspired me to acknowledge parts of myself I didn't know were there. It pushed me to try on courage, to test out creativity, and to practice sharing my ideas.
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L.M. Montgomery provided a mirror in which I saw myself reflected, a window through which to see a world different from my own, and a door through which to walk into experiences that stretched and changed me.
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Fast forward...
To my years teaching middle school Language Arts, trying to find texts that spoke to my students.
Under-representation doesn't even begin to describe it.
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I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on race, diversity, equity, or inclusion. I'm learning (in the present and continuous tense). But I do know this much - schools are woefully behind when it comes to equal and accurate representation. There is a disturbing absence of literature featuring diverse and inclusive characters at all levels of education. Students are begging to read books about kids like them - who look like, talk, like, and experience the things they experience. ​
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Because that's what makes reading really fun. And meaningful. And important.
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And though I'm no longer in the classroom, I'm trying to change things in a way I can - by making classroom resources for novels that feature diverse and inclusive characters AND making it super easy and accessible for teachers to use.
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I want to change the world through what I’m doing. I want kids to feel seen, understood, and valued. I want to encourage kids to think for themselves, see the worth in someone different from them, be curious about the world, and fall in love with reading.
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And I know you want that too.