Students Speak: This Book Changed My Life

Ms. Willis, a high school teacher in Starkville, Mississippi, will tell you that representation in books matters:

“Many of my students have never been able to make a personal connection with a book. One student told me that he'd never seen a mixed race person in a book and that he didn't believe that anyone had ever written about people like him.

Another student said she had never read a book with a black female as the main character unless the person was a slave or a civil rights activist, no one just doing everyday things. Everyone deserves to look into a book and see their own reflection.”

“Representative Resources” is teacher-speak for what kids innately want in the books on their classroom shelves — a book they can relate to.

Mrs. Swigut’s 4th graders in Sommerville, Massachusetts explains:

"[We want] to get more books of identities that we don't see enough. This includes LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, people from other countries, and people of different races. We are requesting diverse books because we don’t want kids who, for example, are in a wheelchair to feel like there’s nobody they can relate to. We want kids to see people like them, but also we want people to see that everybody is not the same. [We want] to get people to know there's a bigger world out there." — Corrina

"If you don't see yourself in books, you might feel invisible." — Isaac

We asked students of all ages about the books that changed their lives. Here are the Authors, Books, and Characters that inspired them.

A: What AUTHOR fueled your ASPIRATIONS?

Lauren, 8th Grade
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sánchez
“I like Erika Sanchez’s story I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter because I know what it’s like to grow up in a culture that’s different to the one my parents grew up in.”

Hannah, 11th Grade
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
‍“I really enjoyed reading Born A Crime by Trevor Noah, because learning about the challenges he faced in his life gives me ideas of how to handle challenges in mine.”

B: What BOOK helped you BE YOURSELF?

JJ, 4th Grade
Abdul’s Story by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow
“I like Abdul’s Story because Abdul makes mistakes like I do. I like that he learns from his mistakes.”  

Ally, 8th Grade
Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
“I like Fish In A Tree because it talks about the experience of dyslexia.”

Pearl, 8th Grade 
El Deafo by Cece Bell
“A book where I felt seen and understood was El Deafo because it shows someone wearing a medical device, and I wear one too.”

C: What CHARACTER helped you feel CONFIDENT?

Guadalupe, 12th Grade
Nuestro mundo: Level 3 Spanish Short Story Collection by Dirk Esterline
“Emilia inspired me to stay true to myself as she showed her passion. I love the story because I am a native Spanish speaker and this book is written in Spanish.  I was able to share my culture with my classmates when we read this story.”

Miluna, 1st Grade
Selena by Silvia Lopez
“I like books that show me what I can be when I grow up!”

Noble, 2nd Grade 
Weirdo by Tony Weaver, Jr
“I love Weirdo because it shows Tony finding his community.”