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