Step Up Scholastic

Dear Scholastic, We are here again, Scholastic? Really. Again? Another chance to tell the truth instead of perpetuating falsehoods, but you chose the party line of continuously turning to blind eye. My people - who were here on the land before colonizers arrived - had more to fear from the white people. We lived in harmony with the land and the animals. Your people brought death and disease.   So let's rewrite this review to tell the truth and stop the nonsense. You are singlehandedly keeping lies alive and enslaving the minds of anyone who reads your ridiculous books.

Burton, Michigan

Dear Scholastic, 

As a teacher I am always on the look out for books my students can relate to, but most of the books authored are for white children. Many others, in particular the history books like If you lived in Colonial Times, depict racist stereotypes of Native Americans and Blacks. This year I have only made one book order and my students have not bought any. Please update your collections!

Kapolei, Hawaii

Dear Scholastic,

At this point, your company should be aware of its role in indoctrinating the youngest of people residing on this land to accept white supremacy. White supremacy is the root cause of all the inequalities that result in violence & death in our country. This book is a contributing factor. Instead of us going through each book, why haven't you done the work yet to stop this? Why isn’t it a company-wide policy yet to be anti-white supremacist, anti-racist, & anti-colonial? I can only surmise that you are complicit and will no longer be purchasing Scholastic books until you declare that your company is committed to stop indoctrinating our young in white supremacy. Please do better!

Portland, Oregon

Dear Scholastic, I am a kindergarten teacher in Washington, DC. Next month, I will be teaching a unit on Colonial times. I recently read a review of your book If you Lived in Colonial Times by Anne McGovern (1992) and am horrified that Scholastic is still publishing this book. I refuse to read a book in my classroom that erases my students' diverse histories, and instead whitewashes history in favor of a feel-good narrative that centers whiteness. It is disheartening that it is near impossible to find books about the Colonial period that tell the stories of Native people and African Americans, considering they were instrumental to American life at this time. Please invest in writers of color who can tell these stories. I hope you will publish books that reflect this time in a truthful and developmentally appropriate way.

Ahsley C. Washington, D.C.

Dear Scholastic, First, I want to answer the title/question of the book. If I Lived In Colonial Times, I would have been either an enslaved African in America or a free African from either Mali, St Helena or Uganda, or possibly a Portuguese whaler working off the West African coast (all according to my DNA testing.) As a State-licensed early childhood teacher, I actively work with other teachers to be critical thinkers of the materials we choose for our classrooms. Teachers have more and more choices than ever before. That, coupled with our increased responsibility to work with the multi-racial and very diverse students across this country, means that we no longer need to be bothered with poorly written, inaccurate, racist books that teach students to disregard the humanity of those who look and live differently than themselves. We now have alternatives at our fingertips, so please keep that in mind...

I recently read a review of your book If you Lived in Colonial Times by Anne McGovern (1992). This book presents colonial history exclusively through the lens of white colonists. The book presents harmful stereotypes about Native Americans throughout. The only reference to Africans and the institution of slavery is that "some ships brought people who were not glad to come." The book does not acknowledge the United States as a colonial or imperial power. History can be presented honestly at a developmentally appropriate level for young people. This book promotes dangerous myths to children in their early stages of identity formation. This book should no longer be published or distributed.

Mars C. Chicago, Illinois

Dear Scholastic, I recently read a review of your book If You Lived in Colonial Times by Anne McGovern (1992). This book presents colonial history exclusively through the lens of white colonists. The book presents harmful stereotypes about Native Americans throughout. The only reference to Africans and the institution of slavery is that “some ships brought people who were not glad to come.” The book does not acknowledge the United States as a colonial or imperial power. History can be presented honestly at a developmentally appropriate level for young people. This book promotes dangerous myths to children in their early stages of identity formation. This book should no longer be published or distributed. It was taken out of my classroom library and will recommend all other teachers do the same!

Christina Bustos Mesa, Arizona

Dear Scholastic, For many years I was a regular writer for Scholastic Teacher and Scholastic Scope. I admired both publications but recently am becoming aware of just how out of step my old employer has become. I recently read a review of your book If You Lived in Colonial Times by Anne McGovern (1992). This book presents colonial history exclusively through the lens of white colonists. The book presents harmful stereotypes about Native Americans throughout. The only reference to Africans and the institution of slavery is that “some ships brought people who were not glad to come.” The book does not acknowledge the United States as a colonial or imperial power. History can be presented honestly at a developmentally appropriate level for young people. This book promotes dangerous myths to children in their early stages of identity formation. This book should no longer be published or distributed.

Karen Branan Washington, D.C. 

Dear Scholastic, 

Start listening to indigenous, Black, Latinx and other people of color who point out hurtful portrayals in books you publish. Hire editors qualified to review your publications. Many parents and educators rely on you to publish quality books and materials, and you are failing them.

Drew Curtis Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts

Dear Scholastic, 

Please stop publishing If You Lived in Colonial Times. Do you think that in 2019 your child should be reading books from educational publishers that depict Native people as killers and Africans as people who "were not glad" to be taken to the US? The experiences of non-white people need to be equally centered in our history. 

Please find a better book that tells the story to ALL our kids.

Robert Handel Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Dear Scholastic, 

Please stop publishing harmful and stereotypical books like If You Lived In Colonial Times. All children deserve an equal, Representative, and honest education. This book does not meet those requirements as it pushes a "white savior narrative" that enslaving people and committing genocide against Native Nations people was a good thing. 

Dear Scholastic, 

I’m one of your authors, writing to encourage you to let go of the title, If You Lived in Colonial Times. I’ve just seen images of some of the pages, and it’s unacceptable for this book to be used as an educational tool. Imagine especially the impact of the book for Black and Native children. It’s time for this title to be retired. 

Thank you, 

Anne Sibley O’Brien Peaks Island, Maine   

Dear Scholastic,

I teach in New York City public schools, where my students come from all over the world (including native to this land). All of them deserve to see themselves--and those different from them--represented meaningfully in children's literature.

I was deeply disturbed, therefore, to read about If You Lived in Colonial Times, which centers white settlers and leaves out the experiences of Native Americans and African Americans.

Please remove this book from circulation until it can be revised--and update your catalogs to add more books by and about people of color throughout history. In addition, update your internal hiring, decision making, and marketing process so that it better reflects the true history and diversity of this country.

Sincerely,

Dear Scholastic, 

You have responsibility for the messages that millions of children receive, and are therefore in a position to impact them greatly. When you deliberately publish books like If You Lived In Colonial Times, a book that tells children that mail carriers might be "killed by some Indians," or that enslaved Africans were "not glad to come," you deliberately whitewash history, and profit from it. You deliberately ignore and continue the harm caused to millions of indigenous and enslaved peoples. 

I believe there are many, many additional books that can carefully and age-appropriately explore and explain the history of the founding of the U.S. to children. You are in a position to choose which books to publish, and I urge you to make that necessary and deliberate choice. 

George Garner South Bend, Indiana

Whitewashed Colonial History Children’s Book Still in Print

Dear Scholastic,

I am a social studies teacher in Fresno, CA with major concerns about your new book on Donald Trump by Joanne Mattern (2017). The book, which claims to offer young readers an informative, accurate, and unbiased narrative about the 45th U.S. president, glosses over context and ignores the spectrum of perspectives on this president. I am disappointed in you, particularly because I often purchase Scholastic books to share with my students. Students deserve access to unbiased resources which help them think critically and shape their own opinions. I am surprised that Scholastic doesn't have a more robust editorial process in place. I hope you will consider recalling this book or reprinting it with a more accurate version of the story of this president, one which explains the range of opinions on his presidency. Until that is the case I will be boycotting Scholastic and encouraging my fellow educators to do the same.

Dear Scholastic, 

Shocked and Appalled. This book is nothing short of propaganda and has nothing to do with providing an unbiased description of who is currently in the office of president in the USA.  Children need to know the age-appropriate truth. There is no way around the fact that this is a very controversial time in our history.  This president acts in ways children know better than to behave. I strongly urge that you recall this book and rewrite a truly honest and accurate version, that includes facts and not political rhetoric.  

— Thanna Vickerman

L.A., California