Debbie Reese facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debbie Reese
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Reese at 2016 Association of Children's Librarians Institute
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| Nationality | Nambé Pueblo Nation |
| Occupation | Scholar, educator |
| Known for | American Indians in Children's Literature |
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Notable work
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An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People (2019) |
Debbie Reese is an important scholar and educator from the Nambé Pueblo Nation. She started a project called American Indians in Children's Literature. This project carefully looks at how Native and Indigenous people are shown in books for kids. In 2019, she also helped write a book for young adults called An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People.
Early Life and Learning
Debbie Reese grew up on a reservation in New Mexico. She is a member of the Nambé Pueblo nation.
She earned a PhD in education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Later, she got a master's degree in library science from San Jose State University. This degree helped her learn about libraries and how to find and share information.
Her Work: Making Books Better
Before getting her PhD, Debbie Reese was a school teacher. She taught at two American elementary schools. She also taught at two schools for Native American students. These schools were Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, and Santa Fe Indian School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She also taught at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
In 2006, Reese created American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL). This is a website and group that looks closely at how Native and Indigenous people are shown in children's books. She often talks about how some older, famous children's books, like Peter Pan or the Little House on the Prairie series, don't show Native people correctly. She explains that these books can make readers think Native people no longer exist.
Reese believes that teachers and parents should choose books written by and about Native Americans. She says this is the best way to learn their true stories. She has often spoken out against large publishers releasing Native stories written by non-Native authors. For example, she and others spoke against the book A Birthday Cake for George Washington. She used her AICL website to share how the publisher reacted to these concerns.
In 2019, Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza wrote An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People. This book is based on a longer book called An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States. Their book for young people won the 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Young Adult Honor Book award.
Personal Life
Debbie Reese lives in New Mexico. She is married and has one daughter.
Awards and Honors
- 2018 - May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award, from the American Library Association
- For An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States for Young People:
- Best YA Nonfiction of 2019, Kirkus Reviews
- Best Nonfiction of 2019, School Library Journal
- 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Young Adult Honor Book
- 2020 In the Margins Award
