Why was the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Name Changed?
In 2018, the American Library Association decided to rename their prestigious children’s literature award, from the previous name of Laura Ingalls Wilder Award. The award was given as recognition for authors and illustrators who have given a lasting contribution to children’s literature.
Authors and illustrators who have won the award includes Laura Ingalls Wilder, who won its very first award and had the award named after her, E.B. White, Dr. Seuss, Beverly Cleary, Maurice Sendak and more. It is usually awarded only every few years.
In 2018, the ALA decided to rename the award to the Children’s Literature Legacy Award due to racial insensitivities surrounding the Little House books. This includes the portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans in Little House on the Prairie and a black-face minstrel show in Little Town on the Prairie.
The ALA acknowledge that Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books are a product of the cultural attitudes towards these groups at the time the books took place and were written, but felt it best to change the name of the award to better match their values for inclusiveness.
