Antiracist Reading Revolution [Grades K-8]: A Framework for Teaching Beyond Representation Toward Liberation

"When can we move beyond representation to liberation?"

This question from a young Black girl moved New York Times #1 bestselling author Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul to offer a vision for antiracist teaching that goes far beyond adding diverse texts in a classroom library. Antiracist Reading Revolution provides an actionable antiracist teaching framework and models how K-8 educators can create opportunities for transformative reading and discussions in classrooms.

Dr. Cherry-Paul offers six critical lenses that help educators to adopt an antiracist teaching stance, spotlighting the importance of instruction built around love, joy, community, justice, and solidarity. Educators are invited to reflect on their instructional practices, dismantle ideologies that are barriers to students’ critical and creative thinking and cultivate identity-inspiring learning experiences where students can show up fully as themselves and recognize the full humanity of all people. This is what it means to move beyond representation to liberation.

Chapters feature several children’s books that center BIPOC characters and creators. Dr. Cherry-Paul provides prompts and pathways for each children’s book that guide teachers toward putting into action the six critical lenses at the core of the Antiracist Reading Framework – affirmation, awareness, authorship, atmosphere, activism, and accountability. And she provides toolkits for students and teachers to use when selecting and reading books on their own.

Chapters in this book also …

• Offer personal and insightful anecdotes, supported by research and scholarship, that illustrate the power of antiracist teaching in working toward equity, justice, and freedom
• Provide a clear and actionable guide for K-8 literacy educators including classroom teachers, instructional coaches, and librarians
• Encourage critical reflection, pausing to ask educators to examine their own identities and values, and how these influence their teaching
• Guide educators toward selecting and teaching with books that center the lived experiences of BIPOC students

This book is a call to action. In Dr. Cherry-Paul’s words, "In an antiracist classroom, reading helps us to dream, experience joy, engage in collective struggle,  liberate our minds, and  love. Let’s move forward together to realize our vision of an antiracist reading classroom rooted in love and liberation."

"Dr. Cherry-Paul’s meticulous application of the six critical lenses testifies to her commitment to reshaping the landscape of reading instruction. This book is not merely an exploration of diverse literature; it is a call to action, an encouragement for educators to connect these literary offerings to the worlds of their students and change the way reading is taught in the majority of classrooms across the nation. Her Antiracist Reading Framework will be a powerful tool for educators who are guided by a vision of inclusivity and justice." 

From the Foreword by Dr. Yolanda Sealey-Ruiz