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Children's Nonfiction Prejudice & Racism

This Is Your Brain on Stereotypes

How Science Is Tackling Unconscious Bias

by (author) Tanya Lloyd Kyi

illustrated by Drew Shannon

Publisher
Kids Can Press
Initial publish date
Sep 2020
Category
Prejudice & Racism, Psychology, Sociology
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781525300165
    Publish Date
    Sep 2020
    List Price
    $19.99

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Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels

  • Age: 11 to 14
  • Grade: 6 to 9
  • Reading age: 11 to 14

Description

An essential overview of the science behind stereotypes: from why our brains form them to how recognizing them can help us be less biased.

From the time we're babies, our brains constantly sort and label the world around us --- a skill that's crucial for our survival. But, as adolescents are all too aware, there's a tremendous downside: when we do this to groups of people it can cause great harm. Here's a comprehensive introduction to the science behind stereotypes that will help young people make sense of why we classify people, and how we can change our thinking. It covers the history of identifying stereotypes, secret biases in our brains, and how stereotypes affect our sense of self. Most importantly, it covers current research into how science can help us overcome our biases, offering hope for a future where stereotypes are less prevalent and the world is more fair for everyone.

Written by award-winning author Tanya Lloyd Kyi, this timely and hopeful book addresses the issues of discrimination, racism, sexism, ableism and homophobia and offers concrete suggestions on how to make change. It uses scientific inquiry and loads of relatable and interesting examples to explore these uncomfortable topics in age-appropriate and engaging ways. Chapters, sidebars and colorful illustrations break the text into manageable chunks. Besides the many ways this book could be used to inspire frank and in-depth discussions on the importance of addressing stereotypes and bias, it also links to many science and social studies curriculum topics. Backmatter includes an extensive list of sources, suggestions for further reading and an index.

About the authors

Tanya Lloyd Kyi claims to be a peaceful and non-threatening person, despite having written three books about fire and one about poison. She has never set a building aflame, handled dynamite, or intentionally poisoned anyone … although a suspicious number of friends did have stomachaches after eating her Christmas party meatballs one year.Tanya writes both fiction and non-fiction, often choosing topics related to science, pop culture, or social history—or a combination of the three. She enjoys combining factual research with intriguing narratives, or the life stories of interesting folks.Tanya began her writing “career” as a poet in high school, producing pages and pages of really bad poems that her mother adored. Her love of writing led to the University of Victoria, where she took creative writing and English. Tanya’s early writing jobs were as a newspaper reporter and brochure writer for the government. She also worked as a dishwasher, busgi

Tanya Lloyd Kyi's profile page

Drew Shannon is an illustrator who lives in Toronto. Drew earned a bachelor of arts at Sheridan College and has worked with many different clients, including CBC, VICE Media, UNICEF, The Washington Post and NPR. He is the illustrator of Extreme Battlefields: When War Meets the Forces of Nature and Out of the Ice: How Climate Change is Revealing the Past.

 

Drew Shannon's profile page

Awards

  • Short-listed, Yellow Cedar Award, Ontario Library Association
  • Short-listed, Yellow Cedar Award, Ontario Library Association
  • Short-listed, Red Cedar Book Award, BC Young Reader's Choice
  • Short-listed, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction, The Canadian Children's Book Centre
  • Short-listed, Middle-Grade Nonfiction Award, Cybils Awards
  • Short-listed, Children's Book Award, Science Writers and Communicators of Canada
  • Winner, Books of the Year: Books for Young People, Quill & Quire
  • Winner, Best Informational Books for Older Readers of 2020, Chicago Public Library

Editorial Reviews

A must-read primer for change.

Kirkus Reviews, starred review

... fascinating ...

Booklist

A worthwhile purchase ... that will help readers recognize, understand, and eradicate stereotypes.

School Library Journal

Alongside Drew Shannon's colourful illustrations [Lloyd Kyi] encapsulates key sociological and scientific research on racism and stereotyping.

New York Times

A good acquisition for any middle school or high school library collection ...

CM Magazine

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