Bishop s work is simple.
Mirrors windows and sliding glass doors essay.
Mirrors reflect a child s own life experiences.
Reflections of the development of african american children s literature religious diversity children s literature green.
The award pays tribute to the quality and magnitude of beloved children s author virginia hamilton.
Bishop was awarded the coretta scott king virginia hamilton award for lifetime achievement.
This essay originally appeared in perspectives.
Read her essay mirrors windows and sliding glass doors.
Choosing and using books for the classroom.
Professor rudine sims bishop has suggested the best children s books are mirrors windows and sliding glass doors in her seminal essay in 1990.
The idea behind dr.
Speaking to the lack of children s books with african american characters and themes the essay called for books to act as windows and mirrors that would allow all children to see themselves and the experiences of others in what they read.
Additional resources we used in class.
Bishop makes the point that it s crucial for children from marginalized groups to view themselves in the books they read.
It has been twenty nine years since rudine sims bishop s seminal essay mirrors windows and sliding glass doors was published.
When lighting conditions are just right however a window can also be a mirror.
They become windows when they offer a different view into the lives and experiences of others and doors that allow children to trust their.
Mirrors windows and sliding glass doors originally appeared in perspectives.
These windows are also sliding glass doors and readers have only to walk through in imagination to become part of whatever world has been created and recreated by the author.
Choosing and using books for the classroom vol 6 no 3 summer 1990 and the hopes it expresses are just as relevant today.
All young readers need more books with characters of all ethnicities and backgrounds having a diverse range of experiences.
Jo refers to the original essay mirrors windows and sliding glass doors pdf 763kb by rudine sims bishop.
In the essay dr.
Bishop coined the phrase windows mirrors and sliding glass doors to explain how children see themselves in books and how they can also learn about the lives of others through literature.
Check the reading rockets site for several video interviews and a handful of links one of which connects to her seminal essay mirrors windows and sliding glass doors.