“Free Our Books” Say 4th Graders After Studying Representation and Book Bans

Teaching Story by Allison Fletcher Acosta

Student protest posters about book bans. Photo by Allison Fletcher Acosta.

As part of the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, 4th graders studied the importance of representation in books and the book bans that have escalated throughout the United States since 2021. This activity was led by the teaching team of Katie Soffer, Rim Haile, Jamirious Mooney, and Simeon Jackson at Inspired Teaching Demonstration PCS in Washington, D.C.

Before the Week of Action, teachers and students discussed the importance of representation in books and the idea, first introduced by Rudine Sims Bishop, of books as mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors to see ourselves and understand others.

The 4th graders read the NEA Today article “Why We Need Diverse Books” and then looked at literature in their classroom for examples. Some students took photos of themselves with “mirror” and “window” books for a display of mirror, window, and sliding glass door books that others can add to throughout the year. Soffer also read aloud A Kids Book About Systemic Racism and the class discussed why it is important not only to show diverse characters, but also to have authors who represent a wide range of backgrounds, or “Own Voices” books.

Note: The 4th grade teachers design a new unit each year on the impact of book bans and how to respond. These include lessons on data analysis and critiquing the Scholastic book fair selection.