Children's Literature Interdisciplinary Collection - CLIC: Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The first and most enduring award for GLBT books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association's Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. http://www.ala.org/rt/glbtrt/award/stonewall

The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.

The American Indian Youth Literature Award, AIYLA, identifies and honors the very best writing and illustrations by Native Americans and Indigenous peoples of North America.

The Coretta Scott King Book Award is given to African American authors and illustrator for outstanding inspirational and educational contributions.

The Belpré Medal honors a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose works best portray, affirm, and celebrate the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth.

Every other year IBBY presents the Hans Christian Andersen Awards to a living author and illustrator whose complete works have made a lasting contribution to children's literature. The Hans Christian Andersen Award is the highest international recognition given to an author and an illustrator of children's books.

Conflict is devastating on so many levels. Considering the daily news images, how can educators help young people understand and process these current events? “We’d like to warn you that the following images are disturbing…” How do we give a sense of a people’s humanity? One way is to tell their stories. We think we can shelter young people from pain and suffering but children are biologically predisposed to soak up their surroundings. Even if the TV and radio are turned off, kids sense anxiety and frustration in caretakers. For the Littles, stories can provide comfort. For older children, who hear about events at school or from friends, it is essential to provide facts along with compassion. Teenagers need action, inspiration and understanding that honor the complexities of world politics. Consider this selected list as a starting point. Young people are counting on us.

Books for Young People on Israel and Palestine in the Western Libraries

Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak by Deborah Ellis - Stories of the children of Israel and Palestine based on interviews done in the winter of 2002 while in Israel and Palestine.

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat - "When a war ends it does not go away," my mother says. "It hides inside us ... Just forget!" But I do not want to do what Mother says ... I want to remember. In this groundbreaking memoir set in Ramallah during the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, Ibtisam Barakat captures what it is like to be a child whose world is shattered by war. 

Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi - Samir, a Palestinian boy, is sent for surgery to an Israeli hospital where he has two otherworldly experiences, making friends with an Israeli boy, Yonatan, and traveling with him to Mars where Samir finds peace over his younger brother's death in the war.

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valérie Zenatti - Seventeen-year-old Tal Levine of Jerusalem, despondent over the ongoing Arab-Israeli conflict, puts her hopes for peace in a bottle and asks her brother, a military nurse in the Gaza Strip, to toss it into the sea, leading ultimately to friendship and understanding between her and an "enemy."

The Stars by Jacques Goldstyn -  This picture is translated from the French. Every day, Yakov takes his sisters to the park. He's supposed to look after them, but their games are boring, so he reads about space and dreams of becoming an astronaut instead. Yakov's world changes when at the park one day, he comes across a girl also reading a book about space. Aïcha has moved into the house right behind his, and the two become inseparable. Together, they search for constellations, check out astronomy books from the library, and marvel at the night sky. However, their fathers fear they are growing too close. They are forbidden from spending time together, and Aïcha eventually moves away. Years later, Yakov works for NASA and builds space probes while Aïcha has become an astronomer - they manage to reconnect.

Light Years by Tammar Stein - For older readers, Maya Laor leaves her home in Israel to study astronomy at the University of Virginia after the tragic death of her boyfriend in a suicide bombing.

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan - For older readers, this book is based on a 43-minute radio documentary that Tolan produced for "Fresh Air," this volume pursues the story into the homes and histories of the two families at its center through the present day. Their stories form a personal microcosm of the last 70 years of Israeli-Palestinian history

Growing Self-esteem for Israeli Youth and Palestinian Youth

• Jewish Readers Deserve to See Themselves Outside of the Holocaust and Holidays by BrocheAroe Fabian
• 12 Children's and YA Books by Palestinian Authors by Hannah Moushabeck
• We Need Diverse Books Website supports all voices 

War in Ukraine -  An Annotated List of Books For Young People on Ukraine (Journal of Educational Controversy Blog, April, 2022.)

Anti-Racism Resources - Western Libraries Guide to local and national resources

Whose Land?  Indigenous Nations, Territories, and Indigenous Communities Across the Pacific Northwest

The materials in this research collection represent points of view, ideas, images and opinions across a wide range of age, race, religion, national origin, and social or political views. Through the retention and inclusion of controversial texts and illustrations, the collection provides an opportunity for the examination of historical and current trends in children’s literature.

The primary role of an academic children’s literature collection is distinct from public and school libraries. Due to this distinct purpose, we have materials that might not be included in public or school library collections such as holocaust denial, gender bias, and racial stereotyping. The Children’s Literature Interdisciplinary Collection supports students and faculty from a variety of disciplines including Communication, Art, Education, English, Theatre Arts, and History and these literatures and illustrations are made available for evidential exploration and revelation.

Appreciation of the breadth and depth of children’s literature can also raise awareness regarding the visionary, insightful, and ground breaking works that coexist within the collection. Silencing, marginalization, and disrespect are real experiences. Context is essential to the appreciation and celebration of children’s literature authors and illustrators who saw beyond their situation and time.

Please do not hesitate to contact the library if you have any questions or concerns about our library holdings.

Email: Sylvia.Tag@wwu.edu