Using Diverse Books with ELLs: A Guide for Educators

If you teach English language learners (ELLs) and immigrant students, you may be wondering how to choose books that reflect your students' experiences, cultures, and languages. You may also wonder how to choose books at an appropriate reading and language level for your students.

You are in the right place! This guide offers numerous practical resources and tips for finding books for your students, as well as ideas on how to expand access to diverse books for all students.

^{Image: Middle school student Nabila Nasir in Dearborn, MI reads A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park.}

What's in This Guide

This guide includes the following sections:

Getting started

Why Diverse Books Matter: Mirrors and Windows

Diverse books recommendations

Books in the classroom and beyond

Voices from the field

Video interviews

Authors, Contributors, and Featured Voices

Researchers

This guide was developed by Dr. Tracey Flores (University of Texas at Austin) and Dr. Sandra Osorio (Illinois State University) in collaboration with Colorín Colorado.

The guide also features the contributions and scholarship of the following experts:

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop, Ohio State University
Dr. Ayanna Cooper, ELL Expert
Dr. Cathy Gutierrez-Gomez, University of New Mexico
Dr. Nancy Cloud, Rhode Island College
Dr. Yvonne Freeman, University of Texas at Brownsville
Dr. David Freeman, University of Texas at Brownsville

Authors

Numerous books by different authors are featured throughout the guide and on the recommended booklists. In addition, the perspectives and work of the following authors are included: