Quick Things You Need To Know:

• We use biographies to introduce periods and events in history, and then move on to discussing social issues
  • Example: MLK biographies > civil rights movement > racism
• Most of these books will be destigmatizing (rather than validating)
• Read every single book with a critical eye.
  • Kidlit authors are notorious for shoddy research, relying solely on whitewashed sources and even other children’s books.
  • I don’t have resources to verify the truth of each story – so we’re just recommending these based on how well they pull kids in and get them excited to learn more. If I do come across conflicting information, I’ll note it.
• Good biographies make the story about the reader. Biographies in kidlit aren’t for learning passive history – they’re building blocks for kids to use when forming their own identities. This is how they learn where we come from, and this is how we think about who we want to become.

Click here to go back to the unpolished book collections main page.

Unpolished book lists in progress:

• Problematic Women’s History Compilations
• Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Women’s History Biographies
• Food Sustainability: Cooks, Chefs & Activists