A Sweet List
Of “well written books…bringing stories that are engaging and compelling,” sometimes startling.
The Notable Books for a Global Society (NBGS) is a relatively new list. Many may ask, why do we need another list?
First a quote: In honor of the woman who was the initial force behind the NBGS, I begin with this quote from Yvonne Siu-Runyan from “Breaking Boundaries with Global Literature”:
“Stories are people, just as people are stories; that is, when we read or hear stories, we learn about and deepen our understanding about others and self. Stories provide a way to understand the past and present, project toward the future, and celebrate both the multiplicity and commonalities among all peoples so that humanity can evolve toward peace, acceptance, and harmony throughout the world.”
I asked Karen Hildebrand, current NBGS Chair and CLR/SIG Board member to tell us what we would want to know about this list of notable books. (lists, teacher resource information, etc. found at http://www.clrsig.org/index.php
- 1. Why was this “new” award-recognition established? What is the vision and what are the hopes of this IRA group regarding bringing attention to the books selected for the annual list of Notable Books for a Global Society?
Karen’s reply: This award list is an outgrowth of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group (CLR/SIG) sponsored by the International Reading Association
(IRA) beginning in 1979. Out of this group, spearheaded by Yvonne Sie-Runyan (University of Northern Colorado ) in 1995, came the idea to create a comprehensive list of outstanding books for K-12 readers that represent cultures of different countries, religions, ethnicities, different lifestyles and backgrounds.
The list was created for teachers, students and families to suggest quality
books that help readers understand the world is made up of many different groups of people who have different ways of living. We wanted the list to go beyond just looking at holiday and food differences, but to actually depict cultural differences and similarities. exposure to cultural lifestyles beyond the social media, but what contemporary authors have to say through their writing to bring actual life and voice to the cultures within their books.
As I have given NBGS presentations I have had teachers say over and over how grateful they are to have a list of multicultural books they feel confident about using in their classrooms. Sometimes, the term “multicultural” can be scary for teachers, not wanting to be incorrect in their use of books with cultural scenarios that they have no reference background for selection. Because of that hesitancy, some teachers don’t use multicultural books at all!
The books that are chosen as our top 25 have been read and evaluated by a 9-panel committee of professors of children’s literature, librarians, and classroom teachers. Teachers can appreciate the selection being done for them and feel validated that these books can be used with confidence.
New website address: http://www.clrsig.org/index.php
2. Of the criteria described on the Books for a Global Society website, would you speak about two or three that are especially important to you?
I have to say that we literally sit with the list of criteria in front of us and return to it over and over. Our definition of “global” has broadened as our worldviews have broadened for 21st century thinking.
For example, a year ago two of our winners (Marcelo in the Real World and Anything But Typical)
were books about autism. A recent winner (Five Flavors of Dumb) is about a strong female character who is deaf and yet is involved in the world of music. Years ago, autism and deafness may not have been considered as “global” but because we are looking at reading communities that are in a minority or have been overlooked or marginalized, we felt these were outstanding books to represent the “underrepresented” in contemporary literature for youth.
I think our most important criterion, however, is a well written book. We have read some books that we really liked the topic, but the writing was not engaging or compelling. Because teachers are putting so much trust in our lists now, we cannot accept a book that does not draw young readers into the story regardless if the topic is one that needs to be addressed.
Another criteria is the accuracy and authenticity of the cultural representations. The oft-argued concept of the insider/outsider authorship is still an argument that rears up now and then. We sometimes have to do some background research on the author and the content before we make a decision. A beautiful example of this is last year’s winner
“Blessing’s Bead” by Debbie Dahl Edwardson. Debbie has written a story based within the Inupiaq
(Eskimo) culture of Alaska that she married into many years ago. Though not born into the culture, she has lived and raised her children in Barrow, Alaska, and has certainly grown to know the Inupiaq culture and “Blessing’s Bead” is the result of that knowledge.
Why do you encourage children to read these books?
We believe it is so important for children and young adults to read globally. As has been affirmed for a long time, where we grow up and what we read as children often shapes us as adults. Our values and outlooks on life, including prejudices and biases, can be formed at an early age. If children are encouraged and provided with books that offer a window outside of their own communities, we hope we are broadening their view of the world and preparing them to become informed citizens for a 21st century world. Our list also offers a variety of genres so we are providing poetry and fiction and nonfiction and picture books and graphic novels and biographies. I recently had a teacher of AP high school English discover a picture book that was perfect for introducing a writing concept she wanted to use with her seniors and it was a huge success, on her part and for the students.
Another way to think about our list of books is to address the ELL and immigrant children, or children who live in alternative parenting families that are in today’s classrooms. Teachers need to find books where these children can see themselves. Offering books that allow these children to find their own cultural identity or lifestyle within the pages of books in the United States provide teachers the opportunity to be culturally responsive. It is our hope that our list is giving teachers and thus students a place to go to find those quality books for their classrooms.
Our goal is to create a list of books that provide wonder and surprise and yet thoughtful reflection as readers learn about cultures that have had struggles unlike our own, or to look for comparisons in our lives dealing with similarities and differences, sometimes to celebrate, sometimes to provoke critical reflection. “Dear Primo” by Duncan Tonatiuh is an excellent example of looking at two cultures simultaneously as cousins write back and forth from Mexico to the US and share each other’s lives. Jeannie Baker has done this beautifully in “Mirror” from Morocco to Australia. We hope that the books of historical fiction put certain events into a perspective that helps us understand today’s world as a result of the historical significance at that time, as in “Heart of a Samurai” by Margi Preus as Japan opens up to the western world or “Warriors in the Crossfire” by Nancy Bo Flood as we learn what happened on the small but significant island of Saipan during World War II.
~ IRA has published “Breaking Boundaries with Global Literature; Celebrating Diversity in the K-12 Classrooms” edited by Nancy L. Hadaway and Marian J. McKenna (c2007).
http://www.reading.org/General/Publications/Books/bk616.aspx?mode=redirect
More booklists divided into genre, theme or author lists are available at:
I might recommend more specifically for The Pirate Tree, Chapter 8:
“Using Poetry to Explore Social Justice and Global Understanding” by Mary Napoli.
~ The CLR/SIG publishes a journal called “The Dragon Lode”.
In addition to articles on global literature, the spring edition always announces the new NBGS winners. This article includes not only the winners, but classroom uses and recent books that can be used in conjunction with the award-winning title.
Subscription information:
http://www.clrsig.org/dragon_lode_subscription.php
~ To become a member of the CLR/SIG:
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