Dr. Julia López-Robertson is a Professor of Instruction and Teacher Education at the University of South Carolina. Her scholarly passions reflect a commitment to advance understandings of bilingual and multilingual students to further equitable teaching for all children and shine in her Scholastic Professional title, Celebrating Our Cuentos: Choosing and Using Latinx Literature in Elementary Classrooms.
In this title for educators of grades K–6, Dr. López-Robertson provides teachers, administrators, and anyone working with children and families with information that builds an understanding of what authentic literature is, why it is important, and how to use it as a teaching partner. She makes a case for infusing our classrooms with literature by a range of Latinx authors and illustrators that reflect our students’ experiences and provide a window into the cultures of people from Spanish-speaking countries and communities.
In six information packed chapters, Dr. López-Robertson answers questions teachers regularly ask her, such as:
- How do I check if the trade books I read aloud and include in my classroom library contain bias, stereotypes, and cultural and linguistic authenticity?
- What is the best way to weave quality Latinx literature in whole-class lessons, read-alouds, small group discussions, and writing projects?
- How do I best meet the needs of Latinx students and engage them and their families on a deeper, more equitable, level?
“Celebrating Our Cuentos is engaging, accessible, and filled with important and useful material. There is something in it for everyone – classroom teachers, media specialists, scholars of children’s literature. I highly recommend that anyone involved in the literary teaching and learning of elementary students read this book. It’s a much-needed addition to the field,” says Jonda C. McNair, Charlotte S. Huck Endowed Professor of Children’s Literature, Ohio State University.
To learn more about Celebrating Our Cuentos, click here. To read an article by Julia López-Robertson about how to choose culturally authentic children’s literature for your classroom, click here, and be sure to follow Scholastic Education Solutions on Twitter at @ScholasticEd!
