Common Sense Media Review
By Christy Matte
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Resource to find diverse books for kids makes search easier.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
We Read Too
Parent and Kid Reviews
What’s It About?
WE READ TOO isn't about bells and whistles and earning points. It's about curation. Founder Kaya Thomas was frustrated by the challenge of finding literature with appropriate and meaningful representations of people of color. Her answer to this challenge was to create a living directory of books written by and about people of color. The We Read Too collection runs the gamut from picture books to chapter books to middle grade and young adult literature. Each book listing includes the cover art and a summary with links to sites like Amazon and Goodreads. Users can search for a topic or browse by age and have the ability to share their favorite titles to social media. There's also an option to suggest a new title. The We Read Too team reads each book before approving it to the collection. As with most broad collections, it's possible to find romance, science fiction, folk tales, and more.
Is It Any Good?
If you're looking for diverse literature for use at home, in a classroom, or for a library, you've found it. We Read Too has a wide range of options, making it easy to find appropriate and interesting topics for kids with varied interests and ages. Navigation is simple and clear without distractions to the task at hand. It feels a bit strange to not be able to purchase and read the books from within the app, but the outward bound links help. This is an excellent resource for adults and young adults of all backgrounds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about representation in general and in relation to We Read Too. When you watch TV or read books, how are the characters and their families similar to yours? How are they different? Is it easier to relate to a story when a character "looks" and lives like you do?
Talk about diversity in media and literature. Why might it be important to have lots of different types of families and cultures represented on TV and in books?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android
- Subjects: Language & Reading : reading
- Pricing structure: Free
- Release date: August 23, 2018
- Category: Reference
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , High School , Middle School
- Publisher: Kaya Thomas
- Version: 4.0.1
- Minimum software requirements: iOS 11.0 or later; Android 5.0 and up
- Last updated: April 15, 2019
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
You May Also Like...
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate