Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors
Books are an invitation for children to see themselves in imaginative stories, and an opportunity for them to look into the lives of others who are different from them. At Book Harvest, we are devoted to ensuring that every child has access to books that reflect their own lived experiences and that provide an authentic portrayal of children whose backgrounds, abilities, and circumstances may be unfamiliar. In this way, children can develop an appreciation for the universe of human experience from their earliest years.
We call this approach "Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors."
The Opportunity
Book Harvest promotes and shares books that portray all children, honoring diverse backgrounds, languages, abilities, and perspectives, and including stories by and about people of color. We believe that books should serve as mirrors and windows for all children: in order to become avid readers and to reap the full benefits of lifelong literacy, children have to see both themselves and worlds beyond their own in the stories they read.
We are inspired by the work of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop whose seminal essay, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” asserts:
“Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. Reading, then, becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often seek their mirrors in books…When there are enough books available that act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities, because together they are what makes us all human.”
Book Harvest works every day to provide books to children and families that are “Mirror, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” into the lives of all children everywhere.
You can view a PDF of some of our favorite books here.
When there are enough books available that act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities, because together they are what makes us all human.
Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
The Challenge
The Cooperative Children's Book Center's 2023 Diversity Statistics report highlights significant growth in the representation of BIPOC content in children's books since 2015, though the number of diverse books published has shown little change in the past year.
In 2023, 3,491 children’s books were published in the United States. Of those 3,491:
15% were about Blacks/African Americans
11.7% were about Asians
8.6% were about Latine
2.5% were about Indigenous people
0.92% were about those of Arab descent
0.17% were about Pacific Islanders
Of those 3,491:
13.4% were written by Black/African American authors
18.4% were by Asian authors
11.4% were written by Latine authors
2.4% were written by Indigenous authors
1.2% were written by authors of Arab descent
0.11% were written by Pacific Islander authors
As civil rights activist Marian Wright Edelman observes, “You can’t be what you can’t see.” We clearly have a long way to go before we can say with certainty that all children can see themselves in the books and authors they read – but Book Harvest is determined to make progress along this road.
What We're Doing
Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors in Action
At Book Harvest, we are committed to providing high-quality diverse and inclusive books to children and families.
Diverse Books for All Coalition
Book Harvest is an inaugural member of the Diverse Books for All Coalition, a coalition of organizations from across the US led by the nonprofit social enterprise First Book. The Coalition was created to address the lack of access to diverse and affordable children’s books.
Book Drive Materials
We provide materials that explain Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors and encourage book drive captains to share this perspective with their participants. While we welcome all donations of new and gently used children’s books, we are always especially grateful for diverse and inclusive titles!
Dream Big on MLK Day
At our cornerstone event, celebrated on MLK Day each year, we celebrate our big dream of books and literacy for all children as we honor the legacy of Dr. King.
Meeting Families Where They Are
Laundromats, barbershops, health clinics — in all these everyday places where families spend time, we stock bookshelves filled with free books in which children recognize themselves, through which they become eager readers on the laps of their parents while the laundry spins or in the barber’s chair as the clippers buzz.
Our Featured Five Children's Books
Every month we feature five children's books that are at the top of our donation list.
These are all included on our Regulator Bookshop and Amazon wishlists.
This month's Featured Five celebrate family and community.
Hanukkah Pajamakkahs
Dana Henry
Olga Ivanov, Aleksey Ivanov
The Heart Never Forgets
Anna Ot
Hayden Goodman
The Boldest White
Ibtihaj Muhammad, S. K. Ali
Hatem Aly
Love/Amor
Matt de la Peña
Loren Long
Priya Dreams of Marigolds and Masala
Meena Patel