Rereading and the Impact on Practice

Abstract

“I read Little House on the Prairie when I was a child and it didn’t make me racist”,“the kids love Indian in the Cupboard”, “it is our history we should include it and not censor”.These are all sentiments expressed in librarian groups. How much of this sentiment is based on ourown nostalgia for the books of our youth? If we were to engage in rereading these books that are ofthe childhood canon would we be so certain that we should engage our youth in experiencing thesetitles? Would we be defensive of arguments that these books need to be carefully curated andintroduced to students? Or not introduced at all? Censorship and the recent attempts in the UnitedStates as a backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion practices tend toward simple solutions ofcomplex conversations. Rereading childhood favorites may complicate the answers and bringnuance to a complex conversation. This paper examines one person's attempt to reckon with whatthe books of her youth taught her, while also opening discussion with practitioners about the impactof rereading on their own practice.