★★★★★
"Living in a small town in Wyoming, our kids have limited exposure to lots of things. Given this, it's especially important to us that our kids experience the richness our diverse world and its people beyond what we see here at home. Since travel is expensive, we need great books! The books we receive through OurShelves normalize and elevate people and life experiences that our kiddos might otherwise miss out on. The books are beautiful and fun. I also love knowing that our purchases are helping put positive pressure on the publishing industry to be more inclusive. All kids should see themselves and their stories represented in beautiful literature. OurShelves helps make that a reality., Our son has a subscription and has loved every book he’s gotten. As a mixed race kid (who loves books!) with a Black daddy and a queer mama, we try to be intentional that he is seeing not only characters and families like his, but also a diverse variety of identities and experiences beyond his–racially and ethnically diverse characters, LGBTQ+, diverse religions and abilities, etc., OurShelves is an excellent company and product for parents looking for quality books for their children, featuring diverse characters and stories. We got books that featured main characters of color, written by authors of color, and books about LGBTQ families: populations that are often not represented in the common books we see. The company is easy to work with and very compassionate and kind. We love it so much I just ordered a subscription for our nephew!, I teach in several different schools and I signed up for OurShelves to bring more diverse books into these classrooms. Without exception, the books are well-written, thoughtful stories with beautiful artwork. These books allow me to bring literature that represents all of my students in my lessons. This is essential for each student to feel that they are a welcomed, valued individual. Students need to see the breadth of our actual society in the books they read and the stories they are told. Children form their world views partially through the stories they are told by the adults who care for them. With the books I have received from OurShelves, I am able to create a more inclusive classroom., and OurShelves is awesome. We have loved the beautiful, whimsical, inclusive stories we’ve received. Having this curated for us ensures that our kids are getting exposure to a fuller range of people and their experiences - we believe this matters in creating loving new citizens of our world! And this way it doesn’t fall to me to try to discover these books - all that work is done by OurShelves, and I’m grateful."
