Rainbow Library Books Now Approved for Schools in the TSD
The Rainbow Library is an initiative that promotes LGBTQ+ affirming text sets in schools. According to https://www.rainbowlibrary.org/washington two-thirds of the Rainbow Library books feature the voices of queer authors of color and 40% of the books feature the voices of trans and nonbinary authors.
"Melissa" (formerly published as "George" by Alex Gino) is a Rainbow Library book about a transgender girl that makes her transition after her teacher won’t let her play a role she wants in a production because she is the opposite gender. This book can be found on the library shelves at both Maple View Middle School and Summit Trail Middle School.
Rainbow Library books have now been approved for use and distribution for schools in the Tahoma School District, including elementary schools.
As of right now, it is up to each school to purchase a set of these books if they so choose. We can confirm they will be found on the library shelves of at least one elementary school in the district: Lake Wilderness Elementary.
According to the Wildcat Newsletter put out by Lake Wilderness Elementary on Monday, March 14th, 2022:
Our PTSA has graciously donated a selection of books suggested by a Rainbow Library book list. The books donated align with our belonging goals and increase our library selection to further inclusivity and representation for our wildcats. The books have gone through the library selection review process. Many of the books were approved through the process and will be included in our collection. Click here to preview approved donated books. As with any library materials these books are available for families to review. You can reserve a copy through the online reservation link.
Thank you to our PTSA partners for this donation and considering their support for all wildcats!
The library selection review process was completed by a committee under the direction of Emilie Hard, Director of Equity for Tahoma School District. 17 books out of the 24 listed on the Rainbow Library website were approved. See the approved list of books and a brief summary below or download the approved list here.
For a complete list of Rainbow Library books found on https://www.rainbowlibrary.org/washington for the Kindergarten-2nd grade level, go HERE: https://bookshop.org/lists/kindergarten-2nd-grade-rainbow-library-book-list
For a complete list of books for the 3rd-5th grade level, go HERE: https://bookshop.org/lists/3rd-5th-grade-rainbow-library-book-list
We encourage all parents and guardians to be familiar with what’s available to their children in the schools. According to Tahoma Board Policies and Procedures, books can be gifted or recommended to school libraries, and complaints can be filed against books that are already on library shelves. There is a formal process for each, which is explained in THIS district document.
If you would like to exempt your child from checking these books out at their school library or file a formal complaint against a book held in a school library, print the form found HERE and return it to the school principal. The book will then be sent to the Department of Teaching and Learning to undergo a formal reconsideration process.
