48 pages • 1 hour read
Caterpillar Summer
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Background
Literary Context: Diversity and Representation in Middle Grade Literature
Caterpillar Summer is in keeping with an increased focus on presenting a variety of cultural experiences in adolescent literature. Historically, characters of nonwhite racial backgrounds and other minorities (commonly termed BIPOC, for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) have been underrepresented in middle grade literature. A 2018 study found that 50% of adolescent books depicted characters who were white, while only 10% contained characters of African American backgrounds, 7% Asian or Asian Pacific Islander, 5% Latinx, and 1% Indigenous or First Nation decent. Likewise, 27% of books featured characters who were animals—more than all minority representation combined. Since the late 2010s, however, publishers, teaching associations, and library associations have endeavored to raise the visibility of minority groups through adolescent literature. (Huyck, David and Sarah Park Dahlen. “Diversity in Children’s Books 2018.” 19 June 2019).
Rudine Sims Bishop, Professor Emerita of Education at The Ohio State University, stresses the importance of representation in literature:
When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part (Sims Bishop, Rudine. “Unlock all 48 pages of this Study Guide
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