CULTIVATING CONSCIOUSNESS: STUDYING THE IMPACT OF CULTURALLY DIVERSE LITERATURE Stephanie Barrientos & Susan R. Adams
Introduction
moves away one day. In the end, Chloe remembers a lesson her teacher taught her
As Stephanie1 turned the page of Jaqueline Woodson’s 2012 picture book Each
about kindness and regrets not showing kindness to Maya when she had the chance.
Kindness, Rachel’s2 voice interrupted her,
A few students were confused by the
“Wait… I’m confused… isn’t that the new
character they saw on the last few pages of
girl with shabby clothes who moved away?”
the book. Maya, the new student, was a
Murmurs erupted around the group as several
White girl with blonde hair. Chloe appeared
students mirrored Rachel’s confusion while
to be bi-racial with slightly darker skin and
others explained their differing opinion.
tight, curly hair. Further engaging in
In Woodson’s book, the narrator, a girl
conversation with Rachel and some of her
named Chloe, shares the story of when a new
classmates led Stephanie to understand that
girl, Maya, joined Chloe’s class. Maya wears
throughout the story, her students thought the
second-hand clothes that do not fit well and
blonde girl was the narrator and the bi- racial
plays with old-fashioned, inexpensive toys.
girl was the poor, new student who was shut
Maya tried to make friends with Chloe and
out from acceptance. The illustrations in the
her classmates, but everyone rejects her until
book clearly show the small, blonde girl
Maya just plays by herself and eventually she
arriving to the class as a new student, being
1
2
Stephanie is the person who conducted the original study in her K-12 classroom. Susan is her university thesis adviser and co-author on this manuscript.
All students’ names have been changed to pseudonyms to protect their identity.
