Haili Smith, 16, and her sister Brooke Smith, 13, have very different tastes in books. But they share a belief that kids like to read about characters they can relate to. So, in 2020, they started Books Like Me. The nonprofit group supplies teachers with culturally diverse children’s books. “We didn’t really like reading a few years ago,” Haili said. “Then we started to look for books that had characters we saw ourselves in. It made us want to read more. We thought we could share that with students.”
Haili and Brooke made a list of books they liked. On social media, they asked for donations of these titles. They began receiving boxes of new books to give away. Teachers and librarians can request a donation from Books Like Me online. Books are available in various genres and formats (体裁和开本). The Tristan Strong series, by Kwame Mbalia, is popular. So is Sulwe. The picture book was written by actress Lupita Nyong’o and illustrated by Vashti Harrison. “The art’s really good,” Brooke says. Ever since the organization was founded, Haili and Brooke have given away more than 16,000 books.
Anitra Carter teaches at a primary school. Donations from Books Like Me have gotten her students excited about reading. “It sparks something to see a character that looks similar to them,” Carter says. Carter believes diverse characters help kids develop empathy(同情). “There’s so much that we can learn when we read about other cultures,” she says. “So when we’re having real-life situations ... kids have some background knowledge about the experiences of other people.”
Haili and Brooke have also taken books directly to students. “They all looked so happy when they found a book that really resonated with them,” Haili recalls a book fair. That, of course, is the goal. “I hope, and I think,” Haili says, “that all kids should see themselves represented in books so that they enjoy reading.”
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