Appendix C: Not Judging a Book by Its Cover: Social Justice Book Rubric
The purpose of this rubric is to assist you in selecting appropriate books that are social justice–oriented for your classroom. Examine the illustrations, peruse the text, and answer the questions.
Title _____________________________________________________
Expertise: Describes the experience and knowledge the author and illustrator have so that they can create accurate portrayals of the people depicted.
According to the author/illustrator notes, is the author/illustrator qualified to write or illustrate material related to the book's theme? (ex: they have experienced the subject of the book or conducted extensive research)
Yes
No
Has the book been recognized by an organization that highlights the work of multicultural literature? (ex: The Coretta Scott King Award, New Voices Award)
Yes
No
Is the author representative of the racial group that is written about in the book? If not, do they have expertise on that racial group from an affirming perspective?
Yes
No
Briefly explain your rationale:
Accuracy: A critical aspect of high-quality multicultural literature, it ensures that stereotypes are not perpetuated and that characters are portrayed realistically.
Does diversity exist among the members of each cultural group portrayed? (ex: variety of careers held, variety of physical attributes, different social class)
Yes
No
Representation of people, events, places, and cultural artifacts is accurate and not distorted. (ex: teepees are not houses for all Native Americans regardless of tribe)
Yes
No
Book includes significant specific cultural information, not just stereotypes. (ex: Latinos are not categorized as the same; Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc.)
Yes
No
Historical Information is correct.
Yes
No
Are there multiple abilities represented? (Wheelchair, hearing impaired, neurodivergent, etc.)
Yes
No
Briefly explain your rationale:
Respect: Author and illustrator show respect for the characters portrayed. They avoid the use of derogatory language and illustrations.
Do the author/illustrator avoid using condescending language and illustrations? (ex: no words like savage, lazy, primitive, third world)
Yes
No
Representation of characters is realistic. (ex: there are no stereotypes in the characters' speech, appearance, and behaviors. No overemphasized facial features or characters look like caricatures)
Yes
No
Characters demonstrate awareness of identity, conflict, and/or pride associated with themselves and others.
Yes
No
Words in foreign language are used and correctly spelled.
Yes
No
Style of artwork/illustrations represented in books (graffiti, abstract, repurposed items in pictures, etc.).
Yes
No
Briefly explain your rationale:
Message: The book shows acceptance of diversity, supports democratic values of equity, and addresses social and political issues responsibly.
Characters are portrayed as equal to mainstream groups. (ex: characters of color are not portrayed as subservient or supporting characters)
Yes
No
Wisdom is also held by characters of color. (ex: characters solve their own problems versus relying on white characters to solve their problems)
Yes
No
Social justice is addressed directly.
Yes
No
Languages used that are not standard American English. (prose, rap, poetry, metaphors, African American Vernacular English, spoken langugage talk)
Yes
No
Book positively impacts the reader (emotionally, cognitively, physically, etc.).
Briefly explain your rationale:
Quality: The book meets general quality standards applied to other books.
The story has a well-developed plot, is interesting, and engaging.
Yes
No
Illustrations have pleasing use of color, composition, and/or perspective.
Yes
No
Grammar and word choice are easily understood and age appropriate.
Yes
No
Informational texts are historically accurate and include multiple perspectives.
Yes
No
Briefly explain your rationale:
A book with mostly yes's can be considered appropriate; a book with several no's may not be appropriate. However, a book with one or two no's could still be used in your classroom as long as you discuss the problematic features with your students.
Total:
Overall Recommendation:
I would recommend this book.
Yes
No
I would use this book.
Yes
No
I have resources to support the gaps that may exist in this book.
Yes
No
Resources to consider as a supplement to the book:
