More Than A Checkbox: APALA’s Evaluation Rubric for Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Literature

Abstract

The APALA Evaluation Rubric for Asian American and Pacific Islander Youth Literature (APALA Rubric) was created by an Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) Family Literacy Focus subcommittee for the purpose of providing a resource to support library workers in evaluating youth literature. The APALA Rubric is framed by Asian Critical Theory, especially the tenets of Asianization, counterstorytelling, and intersectionality. The Rubric can be applied to evaluating youth literature in collections around the world.

The Rubric is guided by the following: What impact does this book have on a child or teen reader’s understanding of themselves and the world in which they live?

The poster will be organized by categories (such as stereotypes, humanity, power, agency) and include application examples. We will also share the impact the Rubric has had by people who work in classrooms, libraries, and the publishing industry about how they use the Rubric and how it has impacted their work.

Given the rapid increase in Asian American children’s books being published in the US, as well as the increase in imported Asian books, it is even more important for people to understand the contours of Asian diaspora literature for youth.