Books As Mirrors and WindowsLike this list

In 1990, Rudine Sims Bishop, Professor of Education at Ohio State University, wrote an article that likened books to "mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors." Mirrors, because books tell stories in which we recognize ourselves and our own experiences. Windows, because books allow us to see stories of people and experiences different from our own. Sliding glass doors, because reading a book allows us to enter and immerse ourselves in both of these worlds — the familiar and unfamiliar. Ultimately, Bishop notes, "[l]iterature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience." Reading books with diverse characters, stories, and settings helps us to better understand, and enjoy, the world around us. The list below includes new and popular books for kids, teens, and adults. Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), ix-xi.