Background and Mission

This was what prompted me to begin my research on representation in children’s literature. Reading is an important part of elementary-level students’ education, but it may be even more important for providing values that will be ingrained into them at an early age. These values are essential for the development of a child’s character; they learn how to treat themselves and those around them from the stories they read. Needless to say, it is crucial that they read literature with an equal and fair representation of everyone. Representation helps children understand the reality they live in and discover other cultures, resulting in the development of empathy and respect for them. 

Fortunately, in recent years we are seeing more characters representing different ethnicities in children’s books, thanks to representation in children’s literature gaining more importance. However, not all ethnic groups are represented equally and fairly. Out of 3,173 US-published children’s books received by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin in 2022, only 24 books (less than 1%) were about Arabs, an ethnic group that belongs to the Middle Eastern North Africa South Asia (MENASA) community I belong to. In fact, this group was second to Pacific Islanders as having the least representation in books about people of color. Furthermore, other groups from the MENASA community were not even featured, which made me wonder if their numbers might be even lower. Now I understand why I couldn’t find books with characters and stories that I could relate to -- they were not accessible because there are not that many of them!

This is why I decided to create READ AND WRITE TO UNITE in 2023, with the goal of exposing elementary-level students to books that portray MENASA culture and its people in a positive and accurate light. The books are truly for everyone: MENASA children can finally see themselves in what they read, and children from all other cultures can learn about one that may be different from their own, but equally amazing. Everyone will also benefit from the books: MENASA children will gain self-acceptance and confidence, and children from other cultures will gain understanding and compassion. Additionally, I came to the conclusion that the best way to make sure literature is more representative of reality and more respectful of the identities of MENASA children is if they become the authors of their own stories! I want to encourage children to write about their feelings and include themselves in the stories they write because every person’s story matters and needs to be told.

READ AND WRITE TO UNITE provides easy access to these wonderful books and stories in the following ways:

• Our website: After searching for books that teach about MENASA culture and people without any negative stereotypes, I am proud to present a wonderful list of books for elementary-level students. The books are categorized by age group to help children and adults select the stories appropriate for the child’s reading level. Additionally, we have Write A Story, which is a place for students in grades K-6 interested in sharing their unique stories about MENASA to submit their work.
• Donations: I will donate the lovely books from the website to local (and eventually national!) elementary schools. By providing grades K-3 classrooms direct access to these books, they will hopefully be read more by teachers during storytime, and children can easily find them on the shelves of their classroom libraries.

I truly believe the simple act of reading positive and accurate stories about the MENASA community will teach all children how much they are more alike than they are different from one another. 

So let's read and write to unite our children today for a brighter tomorrow!

Sarina Marzbani, Founder✏️