Comments on: Reviewer's Assumptions about Audience

By: Genny O'Herron

Genny O'Herron — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:52:37 +0000

Who is the “we,” who is the “them?” I appreciate being challenged in my dominant-white-paradigm thinking that unconsciously assumes that books, reviews, etc. are written with mainstream-me as audience. These kinds of assumptions are subtle and it is good to examine this basic question more thoughtfully: who does the writing for whom–who’s story is told??? It’s the kind of critical thinking that I try to spark in my students–this blog gives me another avenue to be more conscious myself.

By: Alicia M. Fagan

Alicia M. Fagan — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 05:17:59 +0000

In my effort to provide my students with an opportunity to to see the world from others perspectives, I am afraid that I have introduced books to my students that have not been culturally authentic. I have relied on reviews not ever taking into consideration the background of the writer, and not thinking about the marketability of the book vs. the authenticity. There is no clear solutions or easy way to meet all the needs of readers. I think that as educators we need to take some responsibility in researching what we are presenting to our students and deciding if it is accurate and meets our students needs.

By: Annette Fiedler

Annette Fiedler — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 04:09:44 +0000

I do agree with your thoughts ladies. All the information that I have learned this semester about cultural authenticity has been intriguing. I am now more aware of text, as well as visual images that conveys cultures. I am now aware of how to choose books more accordingly for the cultural aspect of children’s literature. Teachers read reviews on books in order to implement them into the classroom, this is where cultural authenticity and accuracy in reviewing must be focused towards. The reviews that I have read thus far this semester have proved either very vague to very imformational. This is also true for authors of all multicultural children’s literature.

By: tabitha kline

tabitha kline — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 03:03:16 +0000

Writers should be responsible for cultural authenticity. Publishers should check the authenticty. Teachers need to be aware of this issue and choose books accordingly.

By: Carilyn Cash

Carilyn Cash — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 01:33:51 +0000

As many others have already said, both sides of the argument are valuable. All cultures should have books written about them so that the cultures can be shared with others and passed down from generation to generation, however, the authors who write these books need to make sure that they are portraying the culture they are writing about correctly. Teachers believe that authors and publishers have done the research needed to make the books authentic and use these books to supplement or sometimes even guide lessons. Reviewers also need to be responsible for judging the authenticity of these books, and for that to happen, reviewers need to know and understand the culture of the book that they are reviewing!

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 19:49:55 +0000

I have definitely seen the need to choose books that are respectfully written about cultures. Authors need to make sure that they complete their research and write their stories in a respectful way as to not offend anyone. As a teacher, I also see the need to read books and make sure that are appropriate for my audience and provide opportunities for my students to research cultures to see if the author is being respectful within the text.

By: Rae Etta Zuniga

Rae Etta Zuniga — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 19:02:12 +0000

These are all interesting and important points to keep in mind as we examine children’s literature with a cultural lens. Too often, we just pick up a book to read to children that has some sort of cultural theme and never truly consider the hidden implications or the author’s intended purpose or audience. I appreciate the awareness I am developing as a teacher of students who have many cultural backgrounds as I more closely examine the books I chose to share with those students. I’m learning to critically look at the authenticity and accuracy of the story as well as the author’s background and intended purpose for writing the story. I will no longer just assume the book is appropriate because it was on the shelf!

By: Theresa

Theresa — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 05:24:46 +0000

Both sides of the spectrum are important, but it equally important, I am learning, that we select books with care and hopefully knowledge of the message we want to convey to our students. Either point, the bottom line is that quality writing that is accurate and authentic is first and foremost.

By: Salina Wilson

Salina Wilson — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 20:21:53 +0000

I see both ends of the argument. I understand why an author would write a book for a wider audience, but I also understand the importance of writing for the culture of the writer’s background. The reviewers of these books need to differentiate the two alternatives so that the reader understands the purpose and audience of the book. This, among other thingsk,will help teachers to plan thier lessons. Reviewers have a large responsibility which I’m afraid many have not realized, and Dr. Sung points out.

By: Andrea Ross of JustOneMoreBOok.com

Andrea Ross of JustOneMoreBOok.com — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:58:44 +0000

Thought you may be interested in this relevant message from PaperTigers:

This year PaperTigers.org will be recognizing, for the first time, a special set of books that embody our mission to promote cross-cultural understanding, and it would be great if you could help us by suggesting 3 to 6 of your favorites to be considered for the set that will receive the “Spirit of Paper Tigers” seal.

This seal will signal the quality of the books – books that “stand out”. What is really special, however, is that these outstanding books will then be distributed to those who otherwise would not have access to them.

Our aim is straightforward: we aim to select a set of 6 books – 3 of them from the younger picture book range and 3 from the middle-reader range – that we will send to schools, local libraries etc in areas of need in different parts of the world. We will also talk about these six books in our December issue of PaperTigers and on our blog.

Here are our criteria:

- Books that reflect the multicultural or cross-cultural focus of PaperTigers, i.e. books that promote knowledge of “the other”, books that encourage empathy and understanding

- Books that kids enjoy reading!

- Books in English, or bilingual with English as one of the languages

- Books in the picture book and middle-reader range, roughly 4 to12 years

- Books that, in this first year and for practical reasons, were published in the United States and/or Canada between the beginning of June, 2008, and the end of June, 2009.

At this stage our Spirit of PaperTigers Book Set project is a modest one, but we are excited about it. We hope to build it up into something bigger in the future. We also hope that, in the schools or libraries that receive the sets of books, arrangements will be put in place for the children themselves to choose – from within the set – their favorite picture book or their favorite middle-reader book. We would then present the choices made by the young readers on our site and blog.

Your suggestions, along with those of others who have strong interest in books for young readers, will help us have a better picture of what is out there. So, over to you, now: if you could possibly send me your favorites by July 1, that would be a great help.