Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover A Critical Guide to Choosing Children’s Literature

1. An Introduction to Children’s Literature in Education  Didja Know? Handy Habits for Recognizing Representation in Children’s Literature  2. Stories Matter: How Power and Privilege Show Up Within Children’s Literature  Didja Know? (A Bit of) The History and Anatomy of Picture Books  3. Critical Visual Literacy in Children’s Literature  4. Insiders and Outsiders: Who’s Writing, Who’s Watching, and Why It Matters?  5. Who’s Afraid of the Big Banned Book?: The Politics of Children’s Literature  6. Wait! What the Hell Am I Supposed to Do with All of This?

Biography

Dr. Laura M. Jiménez teaches at Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. Her work focuses on the representations of marginalized communities in children and YA literature, the ways teachers can teach social justice with and through children’s literature, as well as the ways we can change academic spaces to be justice oriented and humanizing. 

“An incredible book—I feel so much wiser after having read it. Laura Jiménez respects the intelligence of her reader too much to sugarcoat the truth and we are all better readers, writers and humans because of it. I wish everyone in the children's literature community could read and learn from this smart, perceptive and insightful book; not only does Laura open our eyes but she also gives us tools to keep us alert. For those of us who believe that children's literature can change the world for the better, this is an essential guidebook.”

— Grace Lin, Children's Literature Legacy author and illustrator

 

“Reading Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover feels like a coffee date with your favorite professor. Dr. Jiménez gently walks readers through our own biases while imparting the knowledge to help us grapple with the reasons to challenge our assumptions and engage with children's literature that meet both the moment and readers who aren't often considered when book choices are made.”

— Jill M. Hermann-Wilmarth, PhD, professor in the College of Education and Human Development at Western Michigan University

 

“Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover is the definitive guide to becoming the advocate your students need. The book introduces the vital concept of looking at our shelves with fresh, critical eyes, making visible the need to move past our own nostalgia to ensure the stories we share with students honor and reflect the diversity of their lives. It provides the political clarity we need to protect our students' right to read, pushing past fear to focused advocacy.

This blurb could state, read this book because it is brilliant, informative, and helpful in understanding the back story to the back story, and why that matters in your teaching. But the real reason you should read this book is because it is authentic and written with the care of an expert who respects the reader as an agentive, intelligent, compassionate educator who has the gumption to want to engage readers with books that will transform their lives. Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover has set a new bar for how I want to engage with books as a thinker. As strange as it is to write, reading this book reminded me of late nights at my computer with a glass of red wine and Cheetos—elevated content layered with the stuff you reach for because it just works.”

— Detra M. Price, The Ohio State University

 

“Warm, funny, and endlessly readable, this book makes selecting and teaching with diverse children’s literature feel essential and doable. With sharp insights, real life examples, and plenty of humor, Laura invites educators into conversations that can help change our schools and our world.”

— Caitlin L. Ryan

 

“Imagine a deeply wise, real-talking best friend gives you decades of scholarship about children’s literature in a fun-to-read (often funny!), pithy, accessible guide with tons of examples and resources to make what you learn actionable. Expect you will be challenged often. But then, you will be well-informed to make decisions about what texts to include and exclude in your curriculum, and your students will be better served because of it. Whether you’re a professor planning your children’s lit undergrad or graduate course, a school librarian, a classroom teacher, a literacy coach, a school or district leader, or a consultant, you need this book.”

— Jennifer Serravallo, New York Times Bestselling author and literacy expert

 

"I have been reading and learning about children’s literature and its use in the classroom for decades, and I have never encountered a book as truly transformational as Judging a Book by More than Its Cover. Dr. Jiménez goes beyond the surface of children’s literature, inviting readers to engage in deep, critical analysis. She asks us to reflect on our own identities, our own reading lives and our own learning in order to analyze books more thoughtfully. Throughout the book, she brilliantly guides us using her own expertise alongside the insights and resources of others. And she does all of this with honesty, humor and respect for where we might be in our journeys. Most importantly, she helps us learn how to choose books with intention, empowering us to do our very best for the children and families we serve."

— Franki Sibberson, author of In Community With Readers: Transforming Reading Instruction with Read-Alouds and Minilessons