Book Selection Criteria

With care in mind, we've curated a thoughtful and prescriptive book selection process to meet our organizational goals. Our selection committee is diverse to ensure we are reviewing books through a variety of lenses - racial, economic, cultural, institutional and age appropriate. In the spirit of uplifting, we will feature BIPOC authors and illustrators speaking in their own voices.  Learn more below about what we look for in the books we select.

Representation

• Overall collection is balanced and representative of BIPOC communities

• Overall collection represents a variety of lifestyles - Urban/Suburban, Low/High Income, etc.

• Author and Illustrator are own voices/BIPOC

• Visual/Illustrations - majority of characters on front cover are people of color

Cultural integrity 

• Avoids Tokenism, Stereotypes and Harmful Undertones - i.e all Indians live in teepees

• Shows protagonists and community of color in a positive light

• Includes people's authentic accounts and experiences

• Promotes values of inclusion, equality and acceptance

Cultural education 

• Educates about a community of color

• Reflects current reality and cultural context - not outdated

Appeals to audience

• Book is engaging for kids

• Book is age-appropriate in length, content and reading level