My Favorite Resources for Finding Diverse Books

My Favorite Resources for Finding Diverse Books | Heritage Mom

source: https://heritagemom.com/index.php/2020/06/21/my-favorite-resources-for-finding-diverse-books/

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time, but my fear of forgetting someone kept me from moving forward. Everyone is in planning mode now though, so I don't want to hold back when it's better to share.

Before searching for books, I like to revisit Charlotte Mason's history streams. My friend, Min Jung Hwang, has written a wonderful overview of Charlotte Mason history lessons across the years, so that's now my first stop.

"With every subject, I must know the reasons for including it in our school. I'm called into God's holy business of aiding in the formation of character in His eternal child. And "history" is God's story. It is the continuation of the story He began from Genesis 1:1. We are living in it. We are having our God-appointed time on His "stage" in the "already-and-not-yet" epoch, as we await the finale. That is, Jesus' return."

Once I'm all filled up and grounded in that CM loveliness, I start looking for books across various cultures. I used to search for each ethnic group separately, but lately I've been using my friend Erika Alicea's ongoing list of multicultural history books. In it, she breaks books down into 4 categories, and she's always adding to the list, so be sure to check back frequently for additions:

Latino/Hispanic Asian/Middle Eastern Native American/Indigenous African-American/African descent

"It is of utter importance that students of color see themselves in the literature they read. However, it is also important that every child, regardless of ethnicity, read diverse literature because we live in a diverse world. The world becomes a richer place for the student and offers him or her a feast of knowledge as they learn about other cultures, including that of their families."

Another one of my loves is The Parallel Narrative, a site created and curated by my new IG friend, Emily. In her own words, here is the purpose of her site:

With these booklists, I hope to highlight the lesser known and the lesser taught narratives of U.S. History.

These narratives are not unknown, they are not forgotten

. They are oftentimes left out of curricula or given very little voice in traditional classrooms, textbooks and history lessons.

Anyone who knows me will understand why I first started cyber-stalking her. I had been using her site for a while, so when we hooked up on IG, I was pretty close to ecstatic.

And speaking of the web, I also find great book recommendations on Facebook. My absolute favorite FB group for both books and civil discussion on said books is Living Books of All Peoples. They are mostly Charlotte Mason peeps, and many are highly read. If you decide to join the group, I strongly suggest that you start with the "announcements" at the top and always run a search before posting a question. There is so much information on there that it is likely you'll find what you need without even needing to post. The vibe of the group is very eclectic, and some of the ladies are more aggressive about expressing their opinions than I'm used to or prefer, but the moderators don't tolerate craziness, so it's not one of those pages where adults behave like children. That's part of what I love about it.

Another FB page I enjoy for finding books is Reshelving Alexandria. But you're going to have to put on your big girl panties if you want to swim in their ocean because these ladies are not just looking for the best books for next term - they are book connoisseurs. Many (most?) of them collect books, and they own more books today than I will have in this lifetime. I personally can't always keep up with the conversation because I haven't studied books to that degree (yet), but I'm super cool with collecting the crumbs that fall off their table because they taste really good.

Other people/placesI follow for book ideas:

Alisha at Little Women Farmhouse - In her own words: "I left the classics' train. And I jumped on the enlightenment train. Sometimes it still includes classics. But it's a train that is inclusive and seeks to give a full picture of history." She builds her own curriculum, and I follow her to see what she's doing each term and to get an overview on her favorite books. Delina Pryce McPhaull at Woke Homeschooling - I haven't had the pleasure of meeting her, but I bought her Oh Freedom! "Conscious US History Curriculum" when it launched last year and have enjoyed incorporating some of her recommendations into my plans. I know how much work it takes to put together something like this, and I'm thankful for her contribution. Jessica Telian of Living Book Lists - She creates and sells history book lists that "specifically bring in the viewpoints of minorities often ignored in most children's history books." I found out about her on the Living Books FB page, and bought one of her lists on Etsy the next day. The gift shops of history museums and historic landmarks are some of my absolute favorite places to find wonderful books. Their book selections are often carefully curated by historians, and I've found books that I've never seen or heard of elsewhere. And if you're looking for micro-local history - like the history of your county - those small little museums that have been converted from the old train depot and places like that are goldmines. Go when it's not busy because the lessons the employees and volunteers share when they have time to just talk are invaluable.

At this point, it probably seems like I'm just promoting my friends, but I can assure you that this is not the case. I haven't met all of these ladies and the ones I am friends with became my friends after we discovered our shared passion for helping families apply CM's principles across a wider body of books. We don't promote each other's work because we're friends. Instead, our friendships were born out of respect for each other's work.

And, of course, if you're looking for African American book recommendations, here are some of the lists I've put together:

I'm positive that I've forgotten some of the sites I use, so don't be surprised if something new pops up on this list by your next visit!

You can find me on Instagram at @heritagemomblog, and stay tuned for resources designed to help you bridge the gap between the curriculum you love and the diversity you long for!

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