Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover

Children’s literature has always been at the center of literacy instruction in the K-8 classroom. But in the current political environment of book banning and censoring and packaged curricula, what role does children’s literature play in today’s classroom? And how should teachers select which books to offer and read with their students?

In Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover: A Critical Guide to Choosing Children’s Literature, Dr. Laura M. Jiménez takes on these critical questions and more as she offers teachers a set of tools and skills for finding, evaluating and selecting children’s literature for use in the classroom. This book provides a space for teachers to challenge and expand what they know about a wide variety of genres, formats, and structures for children’s literature. From picture books to early readers to middle grades novels, Jiménez guides teachers in applying a critical lens to the books they select for the classroom and offers practical suggestions and strategies for choosing representative, diverse books.

Judging a Book by More Than Its Cover will spark curiosity about reading across identities with authenticity and joy. And perhaps most importantly, this book will ignite teachers’ commitment to themselves and their students as readers.