The Representation of Authors and Illustrators of Color in School-Based Book Clubs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine Firefly (Preschool) and Seesaw (K–1) Scholastic book club order forms for a period of one year”from September of 2004 through June of 2005”in order to determine which authors and illustrators of children’s literature, particularly those of color, were routinely included and excluded. This study was undergirded by the theory of the selective tradition and the work of children’s literature experts who advocate for the inclusion of books written by people of color. The results indicated that books written and illustrated by European Americans dominated both book clubs to an extreme degree while books written and illustrated by people of color were often excluded. For example, this study found that no books written or illustrated by Native American were made available for purchase during this one-year period.