In 2015, #DiversityJedi Edith Campbell invited me, Sarah Park Dahlen, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Nathalie Mvondo, and Ebony Elizabeth Thomas to create a Summer Reading list. That summer, we launched our first We're The People Summer Reading List.
The composition of the group has shifted each year based on our availability and this year, we changed the name of the group. It is now the We Are Kid Lit Collective.
This year's collective includes Tad Andracki, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo, Lyn Miller-Lachmann, and Sonia Alejandra Rodriguez. Here's our Purpose Statement:
The We Are Kidlit Collective works to create materials and opportunities to recognize the humanity of Indigenous and People of Color (IPOC) in youth literature. Our work is premised upon the principles of social justice, equity, and inclusion and centers IPOC voices in children’s literature in order to identify, challenge and dismantle white supremacy and both internalized and systematic racism. Our intended audience includes educators, librarians, caregivers and young people. We look for ways to improve the literacies of IPOC children, promote books written by and about IPOC, and to encourage gatekeepers to bring a lens of critical literacy to their work.
I am pleased to work with the collective and to share the 2019 Summer Reading List! It is our fifth year of creating the list. Head on over and take a look. Make sure you check out the lists for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
