Updated: Feb 22, 2021
Many of our children are on school vacation this week. If you, like me, are still stuck at home, maybe working, and are looking for an equity focused activity to do with your children, try a racial equity bookshelf audit.
This activity is good for families who are white or “white adjacent” * because it
demonstrates the invisibility of inclusion and exclusion by race – in everyday life - and it teaches children to be critical observers.
Get started: What is a bookshelf audit?
A bookshelf takes stock of what is on your child’s (or your own!) shelf, asking:
Who is represented?
How they are represented?
Who is missing?
For children’s books for all ages, ask yourself:
How representative are our books?
Are some outdated and need removal? (what to do with these - scroll down)
Do we need awesome new books which reflect the US (How find -on a budget? Scroll down)
Young Children (Pre K – Grade 2)
Step 1: Remove all books with animals.
Step 2: Remove all books with non-human characters.
Step 3: Keep all books with BIPOC people (including books with an ensemble of diverse
representation).
Step 4: Keep books with BIPOC main character. (Vernon Area Public Library – video below)
Questions for Young Children
What do you notice?
Do these books show all kinds of people?
Who do we see a lot of? Who don’t we see very much?
Why do you think we should have books which show everyone in our communities?
How would it feel to NOT see people like you in books?
What should we do now? (get more books!)
Older Children (Grades 3 – 6)
Option 1: Same as above and….
Track your data (as in the video)
Shop for new books with your child – using your data.
Share your discoveries and observations. (With your extended family? Friends? Local library? School? Local government?)
Option 2: Same as above and audit a second time for ...
Read this article on intersectionality with your child Intersectionality Facts for Kids (kiddle.co) and ask them to choose another factor to audit for:
Gender
Ability
Religion
Many more…
Option 3: Same as above and audit for role played in the book
Who is in charge?
Who is the problem solver?
Who makes decisions?
Who talks?
Who does NOT talk?
Who grows/changes/learns?
Who is the troublemaker/bad person?
For an example for auditing for the roles in books, see this video of an audit looking at male vs. female characters -The Ugly Truth About Children's Books - YouTube