At recent meeting of the Diversity & Inclusion Parent Affinity Group, Head Librarian Jennifer Friedman presented a partial list of Foote library books that support our mission to be a place where all children feel accepted for who they are—a school that celebrates diversity in all its forms.
"We have a broad range of families and we believe books should be windows and mirrors: you should be able to see yourself and the outside world," said Jennifer.
Foote's 48,000-volume collection is unparalleled in its size and breadth, and is the byproduct of careful and thoughtful planning by our three full-time librarians. Jennifer Friedman, Anna Stover and Katie Santomasso pour over review journals to select new books that will offer students a range of perspectives and inspiring stories about strength, resilience, empathy, understanding and experiences that differ from their own.
Here's just a small sampling of the books in our collection that Jennifer shared with the parent affinity group:
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Jerome By Heart by Thomas Scotto and Olivier Tallec Two boys, Raphael and Jerome, nurture a tender and emotional friendship despite the disapproval of parents who wish they would play soccer rather than chase butterflies. |
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Julián is a Mermaid by Jessica Love A boy loves to dress up as a mermaid, and his mother takes him out into the world to see there is a place for him. |
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My Hair is a Garden by Cozbi A. Cabrera After a day of being taunted by classmates about her unruly hair, Mackenzie seeks guidance from her wise and comforting neighbor, who shows her that natural black hair is beautiful. |
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Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets by Hena Khan A beautiful picture book that simultaneously explores shapes, Islam and the cultures of the Muslim people. |
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A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin A celebration of Chinese culture that tells a whimsical origin story of the moon, from the author of the Ling and Ting series. |
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Dreamers by Yuyi Morales A New York Times / New York Public Library Best Illustrated Book of 2018, Dreamers tells of the author's journey from Mexico to the U.S. with her infant son in order to give him a better life. |
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Still a Family by Brenda Reeves Sturgis and Jo-Shin Lee A girl and her family find strength and empathy after losing their home and being forced to move into a homeless shelter. |
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Night Job by Karen Hesse and G. Brian Karas A powerful and tender story about the bonds that form when a boy joins his father on his night shift as a school janitor. |
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The Breaking News by Sarah Lynne Reul A story about community, resilience and optimism in the face of devastating news events. |
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The Unwanted by Don Brown A graphic novel that tells the story of the Syrian refugee crisis. |
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Turning Pages: My Life Story by Sonia Sotomayor How books helped the first Latina Supreme Court justice to find inspiration, resilience and to dream of a future in which anything was possible. |
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Game Changers by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James E. Ransome A picture book biography about how hard work and practice led Venus and Serena Williams to become tennis trailblazers. |
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The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo A novel-in-verse by an award-winning slam poet about an Afro-Latina heroine who tells her story with blazing words and powerful truth. |
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Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac A boy learns about his Native American heritage—and finds strength in it—during the trying circumstances of the Great Depression. |
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Little Man, Little Man by James Baldwin and Yoran Cazac A coming-of-age story about a boy who discovers the challenges and joys of black childhood. |
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Super Late Bloomer by Julia Kaye A highly personal collection documenting the early months of artist Julia Kaye's gender transition. |