Scholastic has collaborated with Dr. M. Ann Levett to curate a balance of fictional and real-life stories that reflect the identities and potential of girls of color. Our books and teaching resources provide insights to counter the stereotypes that confront girls every day and chip away at their self-esteem, their confidence, and their dreams for their futures.
Celebrating Girls of Color
Celebrate the Historically Underrepresented
Our Commitments
We welcome girls of color as irreplaceable members of our educational community through:
When students see their cultures and their peers reflected in a positive and respectful light, they can trust that their school wants them to succeed.
Every child is different, but everyone wants to know that they are heard, respected, and understood. We give teachers the tools to offer this support.
When students work together, they gain the confidence to express themselves, explore new ideas, and push the limits of their potential.
Meet the Girls of Color Mentor!
Rising Voices: Celebrating Girls of Color will help girls realize how intelligent, powerful, and wonderful they are. This series will answer the question, “How are we represented in texts?” and create spaces that afford girls of color untold opportunities to make meaning of their true identities—not those promoted by others with diferent perceptions and values of them. When empowered with the knowledge of who they really are and who they can be, girls of color will defy the stereotypes ascribed to them, break through ceilings, and create new models of success. Girls of color will be unstoppable!
Dr. M. Ann Levett
Dr. M. Ann Levett began her career as a speech and language pathologist and worked her way up to become the Superintendent of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools. A published author and nationally known speaker, Dr. Levett received a lifetime achievement award from the University of Georgia in 2020, was recognized as a National Superintendent to Watch in 2021, and won the 2021 Carl Perkins Community Service Award. Throughout her career, Dr. Levett has demonstrated a commitment to and passion for academic achievement, community partnerships, family engagement, and equity.
The Rising Voices Framework
The books in this library have been curated with these five themes in mind:
- Creative Problem-Solving
How does creativity help people understand a problem and figure out a solution? - Curiosity
How do the people you read about show their curiosity by asking questions and searching for answers? - Leadership and Collaboration
What can we learn from reading about what makes someone a good leader? What can we discover from our reading about teamwork? - Persistence
What qualities help people keep trying when they face challenges? - Vision
How does observing carefully help people understand the world? How can people use their experiences and imaginations to visualize a better future?
Collections That Promote Literacy Skills, Inclusion, and Social-Emotional Development
The Rising Voices Libraries include authentic books written by diverse authors, research-based instruction to empower students to discover and express themselves, and multiple tools to help families support their children’s academic and personal journeys.
Celebrating Girls of Color
Each grade-level library includes:
- 50 books (25 titles including 5 anchor texts, 2 copies each)
- Teaching Cards (1 per anchor text)
- A Teacher’s Guide (K–2 or 3–5)
- Attractive storage bins
- Labeling stickers
- Access to our Digital Resource Website
Rising Voices Celebrating Girls of Color
Rising Voices Celebrating Girls of Color
Rising Voices Celebrating Girls of Color
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Celebrating Girls of Color
Sample Lesson
Teachers Guide
This guide provides strategies for teaching the texts through read-alouds, book clubs, class discussions, and more. Suggestions for how to support English learners, confer with students, and increase family engagement are included throughout the guide.
Sample Lesson
Teaching Cards
A Teaching Card for each anchor text helps teachers introduce the book, build background knowledge, and conduct a read-aloud so students can practice reading strategies. After the read-aloud, prompts for discussing and writing about the text build social-emotional skills and extend learning.
Sample Lesson
Culturally Relevant Authentic Texts
Each Rising Voices grade-level library includes 25 authentic texts (two copies each) that explore and celebrate a wide variety of cultures. When students read enjoyable books that reflect their experiences, they can trust that their school respects who they are and wants them to succeed.
Explore More Rising Voices Collections
Celebrating Black and Latino Boys
These stories provide positive representations of the most underrepresented literary protagonists in our classrooms: boys of color.
Empowering Girls in STEAM
Shatter misconceptions about girls and women as leaders in science, technology, the arts, and math.
Elevating Latino Stories
Celebrate the accomplishments and potential of diverse Latino protagonists across a variety of backgrounds.
Easy Ways to Get Started
