You’re invited!
Books and Bites
A series of unique gatherings that blend great food, literature, and meaningful conversation on disability representation in young adult and children’s books
What we do in our classrooms shapes perceptions of disability and positive, authentic representation in literature fosters inclusion by promoting empathy and understanding among students. Through our discussions, we will explore how books can empower all children and provide insight into diverse experiences.
What to Expect
A curated collection of children's books for review
Engaging discussions on authentic representation and diverse voices
Collaboration with like-minded educators
Our Goal
To create a community of educators dedicated to critically analyzing literature and discovering new ways to use them effectively in our classrooms.
For a list of gathered books for discussion, please see this google spreadsheet
Sponsored by Dr. Linda Shandrick Lengyel and Dr. Patricia Crain de Galarce, Center for Inclusion and Special Education
There has been an increasing awareness of the importance of children “seeing themselves” in our schools, and with that an increase in the amount of diversity represented in children’s literature. Just as literature can inadvertently promote attitudes and beliefs that are racist and sexist, ableist beliefs can also be promoted even if unintentional. While the increase of diverse representation should be fully embraced, we need to be able to critically analyze the message that students are receiving about disability. Students will internalize messages about how to view themselves as well as others and too often disability is represented in a way that perpetuates stereotypes that then can become barriers to self-respect, full acceptance, and inclusion.