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Pondering ways to help people find the best LGBTQ children’s books, I keep coming back to Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s theory of window, mirrors, and sliding glass doors. Specifically, I have been thinking about what experiences we allow the characters to have in the books we buy to bring diversity to our bookshelves. I decided what I needed way an efficient way to evaluate the quality and diversity of my kids (and let’s be honest, mostly my) book collection.
By nature of you being here reading this, you probably think about this too. You likely have a home or school children’s book library, know the importance of diversifying your book collection. You seek to reflect the multifaceted world we live in the books on offer. That is great! But how do you make sure that your bookshelves are not only diverse looking, but also present a diversity of experience within communities. I am here to help!
Before we dig into the good stuff, I want to make it very clear that I think all four of these types of books have a place in a home or classroom library. We as educators or parents often collect books because they fit a theme or unit we are doing or to address an issue that is coming up. This isn’t wrong! It is necessary! What I hope to do by describing these 4 different types of books is make it clear what place each of them has in your collection. I want to make sure you know how to make the most of your library and reading time.
LGBTQ Children’s Books You Need: Adversity Books
Adversity books are the books that we often first encounter when we look for books with LGBTQ+ representation. Any well told story will have adversity. The adversity I am talking about is adversity that centers on real or perceived* LGBTQ+ status. These books have a plot that generally goes like this: kid gets read as LGBTQ+, kid gets bullied because of real or perceived LGBTQ+ status. Then, something happens where the bullies realize the error of their ways, and everyone lives happily ever after.
Why Do We Have Adversity Books?
Often these books show up in our libraries because we want to prevent bullying or address bullying that is already occurring. Additionally, these books might be in your library if you or your child are LGBTQ+ and you want to prepare for how to handle bullying situations. We all want the children in our lives to be empathetic humans and these books can show how bullying hurts people. These books have a place, but they cannot be the only or even the main type of LGBTQ+ representation in our libraries. If they are, we run the risk of children internalizing that bullying LGBTQ+ folks is normal and inevitable. This is not the take away we are looking for!
How to Make Sure You Aren’t Reinforcing Negative Behavior
Another important consideration with all LGBTQ children’s books is education. Make sure you are comfortable answering children’s questions about the LGBTQ+ community. Educating yourself on possible questions the books might bring up is important. Silence breeds shame. If you don’t know the answer, say “that is a really great question and I am not sure of the answer. I am going to do some research and we can talk about it tomorrow.” Then actually research and talk about it tomorrow. Call out stereotypes and harmful behavior in the books. Also, make sure that the children reading with you know that bullying behavior is unacceptable and what to do if bullying is happening. Finally, it can be useful to include these books in units about kindness, community, and empathy. Being proactive in introducing adversity books is best practice. Being proactive sets ups a classroom or home where kids know that bullying behavior is unacceptable and what to do if it happens.
Examples of Adversity Books
Examples of adversity books include:
From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea by Kai Cheng Thom illustration by Kai Yun Ching and Wai-Yant Li
A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss illustration by EG Keller
Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman illustrated by Maria Mola.
LGBTQ Children’s Books You Need: Exploratory Books
In order to not have all the LGBTQ+ representation books on the shelves have bullying themes, adults will often then reach for exploratory books. These are the books where a character goes on a journey of self discovery which unusually ends in them realizing their LGBTQ+ status. These books give a little more nuance and allow kids a window into a LGBTQ+ person’s life.
Why Do We Have Them?
Exploratory books show up in our libraries when we want to flesh out the idea of what it means to be LGBTQ+. You maybe trying to explain what trans-ness is or giving children an idea of what a family with two mommies looks like. Exploratory books can help build empathy, connection, and understanding. Use these books in units about growing up, self advocacy, gender, or families.
Examples of Exploratory Books
Examples of exploratory books are:
When Aiden Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff illustrationby Kaylani Juanita
I’m Not a Girl: A Transgender Story by Maddox Lyons and Jessica Verdi illustration by Dana Simpson.
It is likely if you just have a couple of books with actual or percieved LGBTQ+ characters you have books that fall into the above categories. Adversity and exploratory books are great for explaining who the LGBTQ+ community is and how people should be valued. Any well rounded LGBTQ+ book collection should have some adversity and exploratory books.
LGBTQ Children’s Books You Need: Exemplary Books
It is also important for children to know that LGBTQ+ people do great things! This is where exemplary books come in. Exemplary books are true and imagined stories of LGBTQ+ folks excelling. These books include autobiographies, biographies, LGBTQ+ leaders A to Z books, and even imaginary tales where LGBTQ+ folks save the day.
Why Have Them?
Exemplary books provide models of possibility for young LGBTQ+ people and show all young people that LGBTQ+ folks are not limited in what they can achieve.
Examples of Exemplary Books
Examples of books that fall into the exemplary category are:
Rainbow Revolutionaries by Sarah Prager illustrations by Sarah Papworth
Sharice’s Big Voice: A Native Kid Becomes a Congresswoman by Sharice Davids and Nancy K Mays illustration by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Sewing the Rainbow: A Story About Gilbert Baker by Gayle E. Pittman illustration by Holly Clifton-Brown.
LGBTQ Children’s Books You Need: Simply Living Books
Finally, LGBTQ+ people are real humans. We have families. When we get sick we go to the doctor. When we are hungry have dinner. It is important to read books where LGBTQ+ people do boring everyday things. Simply living books are the newest on the scene. For a long while, almost every book with LGBTQ+ characters had to be about their sexual orientation or gender. It seemed like lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people weren’t allowed to be in a book about farms or going to the grocery store! Thankfully, it is more and more common to find books where LGBTQ+ folks are simply living.
Why Should We Have Them?
Children need to know and to see that LGBTQ+ are part of society and do regular things. If the only books that we read are about adversity, exploring LGBTQ+ status, and/or being exemplary, this gives the false impression that in order to be accepted LGBTQ+ people must over come adversity, find themselves, then be exemplary. That is a lot of pressure and untrue. Children should see the reality of the world present in their books which means gay people at the post office. It means lesbians that go to the library, and transgender folks at football games.
Examples of Simply Living Books
Examples of books where LGBTQ+ folks are simply living include:
We Move Together by Kelly Fritsch and Anne McGuire illustrated by Eduardo Trejos
A Plan for Pops by Heather Smith illustrated by Brooke Kerrigan
Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers illustrations by Marla Frazee.
Other Applications Beyond LGBTQ Children’s Books
So, what do you think? Originally, I was just thinking about this process for children’s books, but really it applies to all media. You could look at your own book collection or the television shows you watch this way. The media that we consume effects the way we think about ourselves and the world. We need to choose for the children in our lives and ourselves wisely. If you were to do a book inventory by going through your books and separating them in to adversity, exploratory, exemplary, and living stacks how would they look? Do you think this system could help you diversify the LGBTQ+ representation on your bookshelves? Let me know what you think!
*Why do I use the phrase “real or perceived LGBTQ+ status”? Small children may know they are part of the LGBTQ+ community or may not. They may be gender creative or maybe they just like wearing dresses regardless of their gender. Often childhood bullying is based on what children perceive to be reality, fact or not.
[…] and books can be a great tool to add in that learning. If you haven’t already read my post on The Four Types of LGBT and LGBTQ+ Children’s Books You Need, I recommend you check that out first as it will give you a great primer on how to structure your […]