I just read a great article on the website for the journal Teacher Librarian: "Supporting the Literacy Needs of African American Transitional Readers" (Oct 2010, S. Hughes-Hassell, E. Koehler, & H. Barkley). The authors discuss how research reveals reading scores for African American children are consistently lower than those of white children, but if kids have access to stories and books that reflect their own lives and experiences, it may foster a better appreciation for life-long habits. They go on to suggest strategies to help motivate readers at this transitional stage. And what I really liked was the list of suggested titles - an excellent source of information for any media specialist or librarian who needs to diversify their collection.
Some titles include:
Barnes, Derrick D. Ruby and the Booker Boys series.
DeGross, Monalisa. Donavan’s Double Trouble
Draper, Sharon M. Sassy series
To see the rest of the article and recommended books click here and enjoy!
