Benefits of Reading Books from Diverse Backgrounds

May 17, 2023
Publishing

“It’s unfortunate really—how everyone can live on the same soil yet not even know the first thing about their neighbours.”
– Ciore Taylor

We have 7.8 crores of people on the planet we call home and the diversity we see around us is extensive and dynamic. Books have great power in teaching us how to exist in a world that may be unfamiliar to us for it gives great insight into lives that aren’t like ours.

Let us see why it is important to have diversity and representation in literature and how books can help.

What is Diversity?

Diversity is differences in racial and ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic, and academic/professional backgrounds. This includes people with different religious and political beliefs, sexual orientations, cultures, heritage, social and life experiences, and opinions or backgrounds.

Stories are a huge part of our lives, don’t you think?

Tell us, do you visualize yourself as the protagonist whenever you read a book?

Books allow you to see yourself in the story you read. It has the power to encourage and enlighten us about lives we do not live, places we may never go, or live in a culture we would never get to experience. Hence, when you envision yourself as a character that is different from you, you would also get to see we truly have so much in common despite the differences.

Diverse books also help in introducing new ideas and thoughts while cultivating compassion, awareness, empathy, understanding, and change. Introducing books with diverse backgrounds at a young age will help kids struggling with their identities and accept themselves. It also makes them feel loved and belonged.

We are not just talking about sexual orientation here. Children are prone to type-1 diabetes between ages 8-12. Instead of worrying about other kids laughing at him, you could give a children’s book with a character having diabetes. Children are highly acceptive and you may never know, they may even take turns to protect your kid and the best of friends. As they say, you change everything for one kid and create empathy in a thousand more.

Isn’t it true that most of us find our best friends in books? That is because it is a safe place to learn and grow. Diverse books can take us to faraway places too. Because not all of us can travel the world.

Diverse books also open up to a world that focuses on divergent themes like adoption, immigration, racism, being differently-abled, divorce, war, grief, and holidays, to name a few. These are essential for anyone, especially a child’s well-balanced emotional growth. They can be prepared for wherever life takes them and whatever life brings without ignorance and prejudices inhibiting them.

Here are a few recommendations of diverse books from us:

1. Emmanuel’s Dream by Laurie Ann Thompson. The true story of Emmanuel, born with a limb difference, who went on to cycle 400 miles across Ghana in 2001.

2. My Hair by Hannah Lee. With a special birthday celebration coming up, our main character must decide what to do with their hair. A showcase of intricate hairstyles with gorgeous illustrations.