Literacy Today May/June 2016

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books do something that those authored

and illustrated by domestic creators do

not: They provide stories, world views,

information, and images that arise from

cultures and contexts that have the

potential to enlarge the perspectives and

knowledge bases of children and youth

living in the United States and Canada.

The role we play

The call for including more international

literature in children’s lives has

important implications. Teachers and

librarians can strive to include more

international literature in their core

curriculum, book club activities, and

classroom and school libraries. It is also

important to realize that, unlike many

other countries that have 20%–35% of

their children’s books originating from

outside the country, less than 5% of

children’s books for sale in the United

States and Canada are international.

This means that teachers should

realize their students may not find

international literature easily on their

own; therefore, the more teachers are

aware of what is available, the better for

their students.

into new countries. Although the

primary goal of the fair is to conduct

business related to publishing, much

of the activity focuses on related

interests and goals. The fair is attended

by illustrators, authors, translators,

book advocates, critics, members of

the publishing community, and various

related organizations.

The number of educators who

attend is small, but their impact can

be significant. Teachers and librarians

who work directly with children

have an opportunity to broaden their

perspectives and understandings

about how literature from countries

outside their own can influence their

students’ awareness of the wider

world. If an educator can’t attend,

remote participation is made possible

through live webcasts and stored video

presentations, social media, and more.

Making a commitment to expand

the reading our students do means

continuously keeping our own

awareness and reading international.

In this way, we can broaden the global

perspectives of our students and give

them access to the best literary works

from around the world.

This also has profound implications

for publishers, who should be pressured

by all educators to be more assertive in

seeking out good children’s books from

other countries.

Raising awareness

What else can teachers and librarians

do? Become aware of the organizations

and activities that support international

books.

The United States Board on Books

for Young People (USBBY) and IBBY

Canada are the national sections of the

International Board on Books for Young

People (IBBY), a nonprofit devoted

to building bridges of international

understanding through children’s and

young adult books.

Since 2006, USBBY has selected

an honor list of outstanding books

published in the United States that

originated from other countries. The

list can be found at usbby.org.

Another venue to explore is the

annual Bologna Children’s Book Fair in

Italy. Each year, publishers from around

the world gather to introduce, sell, and

buy rights for books to cross boundaries

Spread the word about ILA and inspire others to join the movement.

Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit today!

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD

ABOUT ILA!

It’s easy!

Visit literacyworldwide.org/ilatoolkit

to get everything you need to share

information about ILA in person and

with your social network.

Show your aspiring teachers,

administrators, council members, fellow

educators, friends, or community how

ILA transforms lives through literacy.

LITERACY TODAY | May/June 2016

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