Reading to Reflect Identity | Psychology Today

“We cannot embrace our humanity until we learn each other’s stories. “When I learn the stories of my people and my culture, that’s when I become human.”

—Ezra Hyland

In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop published her groundbreaking article: Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doorsilluminates how reading helps us see ourselves and others more clearly. He wrote: “Books are sometimes windows that offer glimpses of worlds, real or imagined, familiar or unfamiliar. These windows are also sliding glass doors, and readers need only step inside.” imagination to be part of the world created or recreated by the author.

However, when the lighting conditions are just right, the window can also be a mirror. Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us; In this reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of a larger human experience. Reading then becomes a means of self-affirmation, and readers often look for their mirror in books” (Bishop, RS, 1990).

Reading books for children that reflect their cultural identity, personal experiences, family dynamics, and more helps them make sense of their world and reflect on who they are as a person growing up. Reading about those who are different from themselves increases their capacity for empathy and compassion (Kucirkova N., 2019).

Groundwood Books, an independent children’s publisher based in Toronto, hired therapist Tania DaSilva to curate a collection of picture books just for this purpose. “Feeling and Healing,” a collection of picture books for children curated by Groundwood Books, explores everything from emotions to sentimentality. age and including losses identity formation and more. DaSilva, Canada’s Child, Youth and Family Therapist and Clinical Director of Behavior Matters, has thoughtfully put together the book collection with therapists, parents and educators in mind.

“I hope the collection will help address certain topics that are big, important, confusing, and/or can bring up complex emotions,” DaSilva said. Psychology Today. “These beautiful books are easy-to-use, child-friendly resources to support healing or learning through storytelling.”

When we think of bibliotherapy we often think of addressing mental health issues, but it can also be a great tool for personal exploration. How do you think children’s books can help children discover culture and identity?

Tania Da Silva: Children’s books tell stories; They stimulate imagination and connection through images and words, making it easier for most children to connect or relate. Reading books about identity and culture always encourages children to highlight things with which they generally connect and relate in a positive way. It is a great way to normalize children’s experiences and introduce and normalize differences in cultures and how we define and identify as individuals. Reading stories about different cultures and identities can also create wonderful opportunities for discussion and discovery in age-appropriate and simplified ways.

Books are also a great tool to help children discover their identity, who they are or who they are becoming; They can help us connect with our likes, dislikes, beliefs, and many other unique things! I always recommend choosing books that your children can relate to about their own culture and identity, and that allow them to see themselves in the stories. Additionally, reading books about different cultures and people can also help develop a valuable sense of curiosity and openness According to others, this is a very positive thing!

Share a little about the books you chose for the “Emotion and Healing” collection that speak to culture and identity. What factors did you consider when looking for the right headlines to include?

tank destroyer: When looking at books for the culture and identity section, the factors I considered were books that told a great story and highlighted specific cultures; but they can also be used more broadly to encourage children to think about their own similar experiences. For example, books like this Greetings Leroy personal experiences of moving from any country, not just the one mentioned in the book, can be galvanizing. Talking Pictures of Aunt Lucie It was another book that caught my attention because it described how many families have one foot in each country and the struggle to feel like they belong in both places.

Books that tell these stories can easily be adapted to similar situations with different details! When I found my grandmother It’s also a book that I love because it’s not uncommon for children born in Canada but raised by families who have no sense of rejection of their own culture or are even ashamed of it! These stories can truly normalize these feelings and help us work towards embracing ourselves and others with pride in our uniqueness. It helps to realize that our own identity and the identity of others are not only unique but also interesting and special.

Groundwood Books’ “Feeling and Healing” collection explores emotions, identity formation, inclusion, and more.

Source: Groundwood Books/Used with permission

How does having a wide range of books representing different characters and experiences help a child’s identity development?

TD: The wider the range, the better; It shows kids that there is no one-size-fits-all category and that everyone has unique experiences. A wide range shows children that we can connect in surprising ways with someone or something we wouldn’t expect to connect with. It can also aid in our own development, bringing awareness to something we may not have fully noticed or acknowledged before being exposed to a character or a story about him.

As our children develop their identities, a wide variety of experiences and characters can also provide them with a story or character outside of the books they read that they can relate to but have never met or been exposed to. A wide variety of characters and experiences open our children’s world beyond what they are exposed to in their daily lives, helping them develop their own identities and, in the process, openness and acceptance to others.

When you look back on your own life, are there any books that have had an impact on your own culture and identity framework?

TD: When I think of books that are connected to my own culture, these were mostly Portuguese books that we bought while visiting Portuguese bookstores; It’s nice to see stories written more specifically about cultures and different identities in bookstores, not just from the country or community one comes from, but in a language everyone can read. When it comes to identity, I can’t highlight a particular book, but I can highlight the feeling of reading stories and experiencing moments where I felt very connected to the characters or situations; This is a powerful thing for children to experience their situation. The beginning stages of learning to connect with themselves.

What do you hope young readers take away from exploring the “Feeling and Healing” collection?

I hope that no matter what category of book they read, they find the stories simple, easy to read and connect with, finish the book feeling like they got something from it, and have a different appreciation for the experience and the story. It made them feel seen when needed and the books helped their healing journey in a positive way!