No, not that kind of name (I did promise I’d never fake y’all out on a pregnancy again, after all). The name I need is for the anti-kyriarchy/pro-diversity kids’ books review series I’m (finally, after thinking about it for aaaaages) starting.
I’ve asked around on Twitter and Facebook, but for those of you following me neither place (whyever not?), here are some of the ideas so far:
- An Unbiased Review
- Books Against Bias, or Books Without Bias
- Words Without
- Raising Refined Readers
- Get ‘Em While They’re Young
- Equal Reads
- Raising Radical Readers, or Raising Readers Radically
- RMB Reviews
- Wonderful Words, or Wonderful Words Without Bias.
- Actually Good Books
- Books for Unbiased Babes (or Babies — except it’s more for toddler+, if only ‘cuz that’s where the Boychick is).
- Boychick’s Books Against Bias, Boychick’s Unbiased Books, Boychick’s Anti-Bias Books
- Read the Change
It’s been pointed out that most of the names are about what the books are not, and it might be better to have more positive description, of what the books under review are, or at least are trying to be.
Another point: pro-diversity books tend to come in two types: 1) “Not everyone lives/looks/is the same as you.” and 2) “You are not alone.” White privileged liberals (like myself) tend to focus on the first type; and while those are indeed valuable, they are also quite othering, assuming (ironically enough, given their supposed messages of anti-marginalization) that their audience is a child of privilege, usually white, abled, with two parents, middle class, etc. The reviews will include that type of book, but not exclusively, and (to the best of my ability) acknowledging that narrow focus. The name, therefore, should reflect this; titles like “Books to Open Minds” speak only to the first category of book, and aren’t really what I’m looking for.
The review will cover both books with explicit anti-bias messages and those which feature non-white straight cis middle class characters. It will focus on American books geared (for the moment) toward toddlers/preschoolers, because that reflects the books we read to the Boychick, but I hope it will be relevant to my readers outside of North America and with varying ages of children.
So, what are your suggestions on the name? Thoughts? Ideas? And while we’re at it, have any books you’d like me to review?
Also: please remember that I’m still accepting submissions for two guest series: the Womanist/Feminist Parenting Primer, and the anonymous series Naked Pictures of Faceless People. Ideas for other guest posts are also always welcome. Share your stories!
Wow, lots of good choices! Here’s my two cents…
For some reason I am turned off completely by “Raising Radical Readers” and the other version.
I really like “Get ‘Em While They’re Young” and “Actually Good Books” and for the same reason, they really capture the feeling of the point of the books. However, in my experience the American audience seems to prefer things to be a little less ‘clever’.
Thus I would say go with “Boychick’s Books WITHOUT Bias” (it wasn’t exactly one of the options). Seems like a good idea to include your brand, alliteration is always catchy, it sounds quirky, and the ‘without bias’ could be referring to the books themselves or to your review.
I still realllllllly like “Actually Good Books”. hmmmm…
Good luck! I’ll be checking back! I’m always on the search for good kid’s books.
I like “Raising Radical Readers.”
I started a project like this once called Reading Forward, but other life happened and it never went anywhere. If you ever want to turn this into a large scale project with its own site and need help, I’d love to be involved. I can sit all day at a bookstore and review kids’ books. :-)
Ooh, I LOVE these two:
Raising Radical Readers (although the word radical will make non-radicals throw up a little in their mouths)
and
Books Against Bias
Both are simple, to the point, and fun to say!
Best I can do for you is “Global Village Stories”. As in, it takes a village, and we’re all in this village together. And our village includes the whole world. Etc. The diversity and inclusive theme may be too subtle, and it may sound too much like a geography theme, but I do like the idea of having the emphasis on the stories that carry the messages, rather than on the messages or what we hope the messages will accomplish. That is, it is the stories that you will be reviewing–how well they carry the message, as well as what the message is. I assume, anyway.
I like equal reads. I think the word “bias” means different things to different people. “Equal reads” is the most accessible choice of words, and it is saying what you are trying to say.
Or maybe “Radical Reading Reviews”, if you want the word “radical” in there somewhere. Leaves it ambiguous as to whether the reading, or the reviews, or both, are radical; and allows for the occasional radical rant against some book that’s sending an awful message wittingly or no, or a good message done horribly.
Or maybe “Boychick’s Good books”
Or “Boychick On Books”
or “Boychick’s Book World”.
Yes, I’d rather be playing with this than working. How did you guess?
Oooh, I really like Auntie’s idea of “Global Village Stories”! I’m also a huge fan of very simple and to-the-point, so “RMB Book Reviews” or Auntie’s other suggestions of “Boychick On Books” or “Boychick’s Book World” are nice too.
One more note, the only reason I’m not overly impressed with a name including the word “Radical” is because I don’t think that it should be a radical notion to try to raise one’s child to be free of biases. Perhaps I’m overly naive and regardless of what I think should be, it in fact is a radical notion. But that kind of makes me sad to think so.
Shana, that’s my feeling about “radical”, too. On the one hand, I like the alliteration potential, and I acknowledge that anti-sexist, anti-racist etc books probably ARE radical, but on the other, it makes me so sad to think it so.
There shouldn’t be anything radical about trying to treat people equally or about reading to one’s kids books that do so. Certainly I would be thrilled if the books I plan to profile became mainstream; I care not about any cachet from their current alternative/subversive (radical) status.
Just my two cents…but to me it isn’t radical, and if I saw “radical” in the name on a blog of someone I didn’t already read, I’d assume it meant what I considered radical. And then I would probably click away and not read the reviews, because I don’t want wild-eyed ranting in my toddler’s books.
Radical is a riskily subjective word to use, and likely to marginalize what you’re trying to do, is what I’m trying to say.
I like the ideas that try to incorporate ‘global’ or ‘world’ or otherwise suggest inclusion. I like the simple ones also, like Boychick on Books, except that sounds like they’re his reviews and it doesn’t convey what kinds of books – the former is a minor quibble, the latter might fail to draw in people who might be interested.
Granted, if we’re shallow enough to skip out based on the title, maybe we should just go and stay gone…but at the same time the reviews sound lovely, and I’d hate someone to miss them for that.
FWIW , I like Auntie’s idea of “Global Village Stories”. Or I suggest “Boychick’s Global Village Stories”. Look for books from other countries.
I like Raising Radical Readers. The 3 R’s for short!
Okay, I just read all the poo-poos against the 3R’s and I suppose I have to agree. It just rolled off the tongue so nicely. An easy first choice without really thinking about it. Boychick’s Global Village is lovely and Books Without Bias is nice too. Wow. A hard decision!!
A Full-Spectrum Mirror?
Art Reflects Lives?
Another simple suggestion: The Boychick’s Bookshelf
I sort of like Books Against Bias, but I don’t think there’s anything that exists without bias. None of the books that I’ve found could be said to be without bias (or problematical kyriarchal points), though they generally have less.
I like Equal Reads, but The Boychick’s Bookshelf gets your brand and alliteration in the title, and doesn’t sound preachy.
I really like Books Without Bias.
I’m leaning towards a simple name, I love The Boychick’s Bookshelf and the Global Village name is good, too. Maybe Diversity Stories? I agree with the others about having reservations about using the word radical, as that does mean different things to different people and I also think if we keep isolating these types of books as “radical” then that’s how they’ll continue to be viewed rather than just as good books to read.
One reason I like the idea of Global Village partially b/c as I search for books for Donovan, I want books that both talk about diversity, but also books that are stories from different parts of the world. They don’t have to specifically talk about how we’re different or the same, but just a peek into life in a completely different place as an introduction to how different it can be, and still be personal, etc. (I wrote a review on my blog about a book called Wangari’s Trees of Peace that I’ve fallen completely in love with, based on a true story– a genre of kid’s books I will definitely be looking into much more from now on). This way the exposure to other cultures, other people, etc, doesn’t always have to be framed in that “diversity/race” conversation but just be part of LIFE and the way people are, this is just the way it is, this is our world. It doesn’t always have to be this “special conversation” that can have that “othering” effect… Does that make sense?
I like Read the Change and Actually Good Books. Get ‘Em While They’re Young kind of creeps me out in a nebulous and indefinable way.