A non-profit dedicated to spreading diverse literature has announced the donation of $5,000 in books to Brandywine Middle and High School. We Need Diverse Books Director Caroline Richmond tells us the group is giving the donations to five schools around the country.
“We ultimately received nearly 100 of these applications, but the Brandywine nomination really stuck out to me because it was submitted by a group of educators and parents in the community,” Richmond said. “It really caught my eye.”
Brandywine Community Schools has faced some controversy in the past year as members of the board of education seek to have books they deem inappropriate removed from the school libraries. Richmond says this is a disturbing national trend.
“The book ban movement is really disproportionately targeting diverse titles. Many of the writers and illustrators we’ve supported through the years via grants, workshops, and mentorships, we’re finding their books on these lists.”
Brandywine High School history teacher Abilyn Janke says it’s crucial students have the opportunity to be exposed to a diverse array of experiences and views. Brandywine parent Ryan Adams adds it’s a school’s job to prepare students for reality, and books help to do that. We Need Diverse Books will send the school librarians a spreadsheet of books to choose from, and the librarians can then decide which titles to order.
