When the Common Core Standards were created, the authors included a list of titles in Appendix B that exemplified the level of text complexity found in Appendix A and inherent quality for reading materials at each grade level. This list was intended as a comparative tool, as a way for teachers and administrators to measure current libraries against countrywide expectations for rigorous literature and informational text. Since its publication, this list, and the titles included and omitted, has created quite a bit of controversy.
Two things were fairly obvious when considering the texts included in Appendix B:
- Most of the titles were first published decades ago.
- Most of the titles do not reflect the backgrounds and experiences of the majority of children in classrooms today including by race, gender, class, language, ability, family background, and more.
Two things are also fairly important when constructing a classroom library and when selecting texts for instruction:
- Students should have the opportunity to be exposed to both classic and contemporary literature as well as nonfiction texts.
- All students should have the opportunity to see themselves reflected back, as well as to be exposed to cultures and experiences that may differ from their own, in the literature and nonfiction texts we study.
Diverse Book Collections to Supplement the Common Core Appendix B
To provide a more diverse portrayal of the world we live in and the opportunity for students to discover their story in a book, Lee & Low Books has updated our Multicultural Appendix B Supplement collections, curated by literacy experts, for grades K–1, 2–3, 4–5, 6–8, 9–10, and 11–12.
All Multicultural Appendix B collections are completely customizable and include:
• Award-winning, culturally authentic books for each level
• Contemporary stories by established and new authors of diverse backgrounds
• #OwnVoices stories and cross-cultural storytelling
• Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction titles to engage all types of readers for close reading and multiple re-readings
Next Steps
For full price and ordering information, or to receive a sample, contact us! Someone from our Educational Sales and Literacy team will get back to you shortly:
- Email: quotes@leeandlow.com
- Fill out our quick online form
- Phone (Toll free): 1-888-320-3190 (Option 3)
- Evaluate your current collections using the Classroom Library Questionnaire
Learn More
For further reading, please check out:
- How Common Core’s book choices fail children of color
- Choosing the World Our Students Read
- What’s in your classroom library? Rethinking Common Core Recommended Texts
- 8 Strategies to Help Educators Explain Lexile and Invest Stakeholders
- 5 Strategies to Help Parents Navigate Lexile
- 7 Strategies to Help Booksellers and Librarians Navigate Lexile
- What is Close Reading?
