Kala Williams on Culturally Diverse Literature for Children

Kala Williams has been in education for over 15 years as a tutor, project manager, secondary and finally primary teacher with most of her career spent in Primary Education. She developed her fast-growing consultancy, Bright I’s, to support teachers in developing best practice approaches in the teaching of reading and drives her business on a rigorous approach to pedagogy based on research-rich methodology.

An avid reader of children’s literature with a passion for reading for pleasure and sharing knowledge of children’s books which she actively does under the twitter handle @rogue_reading where she personally takes on the agenda of increasing access to texts through open book giveaways at least termly.

In this interview, Kala and I discuss the lack of racial and cultural diversity in children’s books; the effect this may have on children’s development; Kala’s experiences of books growing up; strategies and ideas for increasing images of diversity in Early Years settings; authors from BAME communities; top tips for choosing children’s books. 

Kala’s website is here: www.brightideasconsult.co.uk

Her blog is here: www.brightideasconsult.co.uk/blog

and Twitter:  @rogue_reading

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reading.rogue.9

And Kala’s reading group is here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/readks2/

Centre for Literature in Primary Education (CLPE) report, Reflecting Realities: https://clpe.org.uk/library-and-resources/research/reflecting-realities-survey-ethnic-representation-within-uk-children

Arts Council: Time for Change https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/04-11-19%20Time%20for%20Change%20-%20Literature%20Review%20FINAL.pdf

Penguin #Merky Books https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/company/news/2018/july/stormzy-merky-books-penguin-story-so-far.html

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe: https://amzn.to/2WZtdy0

Hidden Figures by Margot Shetterly: https://amzn.to/2NvQvsf

Handa’s Surprise by Eileen Browne: https://amzn.to/2K5lbPf

Flotsam by David Weisner: https://amzn.to/2p3J7ev

Cendrillon by Robert D San Souci: https://amzn.to/2WVRXrd

Love Reading 4 kids: https://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/

Coffee bookshelves: https://coffeebookshelves.com/about/

We Need Diverse Books: https://diversebooks.org/

News from Nowhere: https://www.newsfromnowhere.org.uk/