Today’s blog post is part of our Stories For All Project series, focused on sharing the latest announcements and impact stories about our effort to put diverse, inclusive books into the hands of kids.
Today’s guest blogger is Melissa Spradlin, Executive Director of Book’em in Nashville, TN.
Having the right book at the right time can make a difference in a child’s life – sometimes forever. That is why having a variety of books to choose from is so important to our program.
Every day I work with Book’em in Nashville to make kids and teens owners of books, helping them discover the joy of reading.
Our public schools serve over 80,000 students of different ages and different backgrounds. They represent more than 100 different countries, many different ethnicities, races and languages. They are creative, giving, curious, caring, amazing kids.
Because we have such a diverse population, it is extremely important to showcase diversity in the books we have available for our children. You never know what book might turn a child into a reader, but books that speak to their experience get enthusiastic readers even more excited and inspire readers who are a bit more reluctant.
Being able to choose from a variety of diverse books allows our kids to see themselves represented in ways they can relate to. It also helps broaden our students’ horizons and pave the way for a more inclusive future.
We are grateful that First Book’s Stories for All Project™ has allowed us to provide diverse, inclusive books to the children we serve.
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Mark speaks with Heather Jopling, author of