SCRIBBLE
How Diverse is Children’s Literature? By Imogen Hollins
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f you look back at your childhood, you will probably remember cosy times, cuddled up with a book at bedtime, either reading independently or being read a story. Bedtime stories, however, are not just a lovely ending to the day, these bedtime stories are a safe way to experience and discuss all sorts of feelings and situations.
of literature can serve as a powerful message to enable children to understand themselves, others, and gain the sensitivity needed to negotiate the modern world. According to the National Literary Trust, books help children develop basic language skills and expand their vocabulary much more than any other media. They say that fiction and non-fiction books widen a child’s consciousness: ‘they expand our universe beyond time and place and inspire our own original thoughts’ (NLT).
These stories, therefore, should not only reflect the child’s own life, but also give them a safe way to learn about someone else’s life. When children identify with different communities and genders, it helps them learn about themselves and feel like they belong in the world. It is important that diversity in literature goes beyond ethnicity. Diversity should include various facets of sexuality, gender, appearance, disabilities, language, religion, and culture. A variety of lives and experiences need to be explored in children’s literature to help them accept themselves and others. Done correctly, this type
In the 2011 Census, 13% of the UK population (over 8 million people) identified themselves as Black, Asian or from another ethnic minority. In 2019 the Annual Population Survey estimated that 1 in 25 of the population over 16 identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual. According to Mencap there are 193 thousand children in the UK with a learning disability, and 750 thousand children are disabled. In the NCBLA survey of January to March 2020, they sought the opinions of
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