Hello. I'm Tessa, and I really like books.
Much like the people in our lives, books come in all shapes and sizes, colors and styles. They can teach you new things, take you to far away places and – if you're lucky – they can even change your life. And in my case, they can also become a major part of it.
My love of literacy since early childhood eventually led me to my dream job: being an Early Literacy Specialist at a public library. As a children's librarian, I don't necessarily teach kids how to read, but rather I teach them to like to read – something that is almost just as important. After all as, I like to say: First you learn to read, then you read to learn.
This website started as a way for me to document my time in graduate school as I was getting my Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, but it has morphed into something much closer to my heart: representation. My blog now focuses on the diversity, authenticity and intersectionality (and lack thereof) in children's publishing. From now on, I'll be using this platform to dig into these topics a little deeper for myself, other library professionals, and anyone else who feels like reading!
From providing multicultural book lists to tips on how to make storytimes more inclusive, my goal for this blog is for it to help keep the conversation going, to get people thinking more critically about representation in children's books, and to ensure that everyone feels they can see themselves (and others!) represented on their library's bookshelves!
Stay tuned, and keep reading!
-T
My love of literacy since early childhood eventually led me to my dream job: being an Early Literacy Specialist at a public library. As a children's librarian, I don't necessarily teach kids how to read, but rather I teach them to like to read – something that is almost just as important. After all as, I like to say: First you learn to read, then you read to learn.
This website started as a way for me to document my time in graduate school as I was getting my Master's in Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, but it has morphed into something much closer to my heart: representation. My blog now focuses on the diversity, authenticity and intersectionality (and lack thereof) in children's publishing. From now on, I'll be using this platform to dig into these topics a little deeper for myself, other library professionals, and anyone else who feels like reading!
From providing multicultural book lists to tips on how to make storytimes more inclusive, my goal for this blog is for it to help keep the conversation going, to get people thinking more critically about representation in children's books, and to ensure that everyone feels they can see themselves (and others!) represented on their library's bookshelves!
Stay tuned, and keep reading!
-T
