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Adding more books written in Spanish that students want to read is essential for our library. I fear that by providing subpar Spanish books, students will get the wrong idea about the value given to speaking and reading Spanish in our library. The library should be a place where students understand that we embrace all cultures and languages. According to Paris and Alim, instead of eradicating cultures, school curriculums should seek ways to “critically enrich strengths rather than replace deficits (2017, pg. 1).” In other words, we should be providing students opportunities to grow as Spanish readers in addition to helping them learn English. Moreover, books bring people together. Students need opportunities to learn to care for one another after they have spent the last couple of years apart. There is a growing body of research linking empathy to reading fiction. A reader who is transported into a story increases his/her empathy and willingness to help others (Stansfield, Bunce, 2014; Johnson, 2011). Empathy is one part of the equation that will allow our youth to harness the power to imagine better. Imagine a more inclusive and empathetic society. According to J.K. Rowling, imagination "...in its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity... is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared." Consequently, all of my students should have access to reading fictional stories that can transport them and show them how to imagine and hope for a better life for everyone. Help me build a library in which all students feel valued. Help me give my Spanish speaking students fictional stories to foster emotional growth. Help my students meet standards HS.2.2.G.1-3 to demonstrate empathy and equity in knowledge building within the global learning community.
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