Reviews and media coverage about the NCACL Cultural Diversity Database (CDD).
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Cultural diversity matters
Ashleigh Meikle The Book Muse: Australian Literature Lover, Reviewer, Blogger and Editor blog 30 April 2023
NCACL Cultural Diversity database
Ashleigh Meikle The Book Muse: Australian Literature Lover, Reviewer, Blogger and Editor blog 15 April 2023
The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature — An Overview
Maureen Mann CBCA Tasmania blog 4 March 2022
Cultural diversity celebrated through stories
Dr Belle Alderman CBCA Tasmanian blog 25 February 2022
Step into the lives of others: A database of Australian children’s literature reflecting our diverse culture
Review: Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER)
Culturally diverse children’s books
Teachers looking for culturally diverse Australian children’s books can search a new, free database, compiled by volunteers at the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature. The searchable fields include Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework codes.
September 4 2019
Review: NCACL Cultural Diversity Database
“…It is so important, in our ever-changing world with its increasing global and multicultural nature, along with the increase in influences of social and multi-media, that our young people are exposed to a diversity in literature. Not only does this enable them to live in another’s shoes, but it also enables them to read more widely and diversely, thus becoming critical and diverse users of texts.”
Reading Time, | Newsletter | June 22 2019 | Liz Derouet
Media coverage: ACCESS , June 2019, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 48–51.
Review: “IBBY Australia congratulates the NCACL on curating this brilliant resource and warmly recommends it to IBBY members and partners. ”
IBBY Australia | Newsletter | No 41, May 2019
“The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature (NCACL) has made a significant contribution to Australian literature for children and young adults. With the Cultural Diversity Database (including 340 books) NCACL promotes the works of Australian Authors nationally and internationally.
Our home and school libraries provide literature that reflect our human experience and support opportunities to identify with characters and places that are not exactly like us. The NCACL Cultural Diversity Database is comprehensive, easy to use and represents value to teachers, librarians, parents and students (school and tertiary). When I shared information about the database with colleagues I received immediate positive feedback about the quality of information available on the website.
I am really pleased to hear of the plans for NCACL to update the database every six months. All we need now is for the NCACL Cultural Diversity Database to be linked in the Australian Curriculum website.”
Linda Guthrie | Teacher librarian | South Australia
PSNews | New Book Database Unshelved | ACT PS News, April 11 2019
‘The NCACL Cultural Diversity Database is an excellent resource for promoting cultural understanding and tolerance through children’s literature. The search facility is easy to use, and I particularly like the short overview provided for each featured title. We are very fortunate to have these books – and this information – gathered in one place for everyone to access wherever they are. Thanks, NCACL!’
Laura Taylor | Planet Picture Book
“The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature is a living national treasure.
Its Cultural Diversity Database breathes insight into books that reflect diversity.
We hope these books lead to open hearts and refuge.”
Media coverage: Joy Lawn | YA literature columnist Weekend Australian, judge Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Author interviews & book reviews Magpies magazine and book blog at https://paperbarkwords.blog/
“The database is accessible and interesting. It seems to me that kids need to be hearing their own stories and more than ever the stories of others too and access to libraries and such information as you are putting together will go some way to help that along.”
Bob Graham | Author and Illustrator | April 25 2019
‘The Cultural Diversity database is great for creating reading lists using the key concepts filter. Try it out, it’s great!”
Pearl | Teacher Librarian | April 25 2019
‘What a great database! I will be accessing this resource for my unit of work. These books are a fantastic way to start conversation between students and to ignite students’ background knowledge about culture.’
Kelly Robson |Bachelor of Education Primary (Special Education) 4th Year @ University of Newcastle
‘I have had a look at the database and am really impressed with it. The quality of literature plus the user friendly search capabilities and connections to the Australian Curriculum make it a valuable resource for our children’s library staff to use. I will certainly promote usage of the database to our SA public library network.’
Amelia Beatty | Project Officer |Public Library Services | Arts SA, Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Media coverage: Cultural Diversity Database – National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature
“This is an amazing initiative by the National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature – a database that can be searched for titles that showcase or promote diversity, be it cultural, linguistic, familial, political, geographical, historical. Explanations and background here, dive right in here.”
Australia School Library Association Newsletter, 30 April 2019
University of Canberra Media Release | 4 April, 2019
‘Congratulations!!! I had a play on the database last night and it was brilliant! What a fantastic resource. I will definitely be letting library staff and Bilingual Story Time presenters know, and will spread the word elsewhere.‘
Personal email from Joanna Bragg | Multicultural Learning Coordinator, Libraries ACT
“The Cultural Diversity Database is a resource all educators will use – either when preparing teaching programs and looking for texts, or a quick picture book suggestion for that last session of the day or the right text for a special occasion (eg. ANZAC Day).
The National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature has thoughtfully and carefully constructed an easy to use database featuring high quality Australian literature and picture books (diverse in genre, audience and media) showing our Australian cultural heritage and population.
With images of the book’s cover, blurbs, publisher details, Australian Curriculum codes, searchable concepts and author details this is a resource every classroom teacher and teacher librarian in Australia needs to know about.
Thank you, National Centre for Australian Children’s Literature.”
Rebecca Toltz | Teacher librarian | Bourke St Public School | Surry Hills, NSW
Media coverage: Database connects kids with culturally diverse children’s books
By Jessica Washington | SBS News |
See also:
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Posted by: NCACL | Published: 30 Apr 2023
