New Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience focuses on stories of our diverse world

Mesa County Libraries announce the launch of the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience, a new, self-paced reading activity that explores stories of our diverse world.

Mirrors and Windows is an all-ages celebration of culture focused on diverse books and films offered through the library catalog. It continues through Dec. 31, 2021, and between now and then, readers have an opportunity to earn virtual badges to complete the experience. There is no charge to participate.

Joining Mirrors and Windows is easy. First, visit the library’s website and sign up for Beanstack, an online tool that helps you keep track of your library reading. In Beanstack, register for Mirrors and Windows.

Mirrors and Windows offers 11 badge categories, each representing a different diverse-reading experience. Select a badge category, then read a book or watch a film title that meets badge requirements. Reflect on your thoughts about the materials you choose, and then share what you learned by writing a review in Beanstack, talking to your friends, or posting about it on social media. That’s how you earn a Mirrors and Windows badge!

Earn eight badges by Dec. 31 to complete the challenge.

Mirrors and Windows guides participants in discovering the diverse experiences of others, thus helping them connect with their neighbors in Mesa County. The idea for the reading experience comes from a movement called Read Woke, started by a school librarian in Georgia named Cecily Lewis. Read Woke seeks to connect readers with books that encourage diversity and awareness of underrepresented authors and titles.

The title for the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience was adapted from a famous essay, “Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors” by Rudine Sims Bishop, that addresses the importance of diversity in children’s literature. A mirror is a story that reflects your own culture and helps you build your identity. A window is a resource that offers you a view into someone else’s life experience.

Find more information about the Mirrors and Windows Reading Experience at mesacountylibraries.org/mirrorsandwindows

Posted in Branches, General, Kids, Library News, Reviews and Recommendations, Summer Reading Program, Teens.

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