UPenn Library gets new diversity children's book section

The University of Pennsylvania’s Van Pelt Library has a new children’s section of diverse and inclusive books.

Taken into consideration when deciding which books were added was the 'Stonewall Book Award' which 'recognizes... books of exceptional merit relating to the gay... and transgender experience.'

The University of Pennsylvania’s Van Pelt Library has a new children’s section of diverse and inclusive books. Each book in the 1,500+ collection has won or has been nominated “for awards related to diversity.”

Each book in the new section displays “diversity across gender, sexuality, ability, race, religion, and socioeconomic class,” reports The Daily Pennsylvanian, with target audiences ranging from Kindergarten to 12th grade. 

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One of the book awards taken into consideration when deciding which books were added to the collection was the “Stonewall Book Award” which “recognizes K-12 books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience.”

The new section of diverse children’s books is intended for UPenn’s education majors and educators associated with UPenn so that they can “help us foster that understanding and tolerance in young readers and bring us close to reflecting the diversity of our local and global communities.”

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UPenn anticipates that the collection will grow by “several hundred new books each year.”

Campus Reform contacted all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.