Introduction

The Rediscovery Planet is the platform launched in 2021 as a space dedicated to childhood and adolescence to hope for the participation and involvement of a very young audience within the cultural center The Recovery Plan.

A central pillar of this project is the creation of a specialized book archive for children and youth, from infancy through adolescence. The collection highlights inspiring black role models, driven by the profound belief in the power of representation and the importance of providing children with stories that reflect their own identities. This research focuses on the portrayal of afro-descendant cultures and protagonists in children's literature, offering diverse narratives that spark the imagination. By fostering a sense of belonging, these stories create new maps that navigate beyond stereotypes and promote active, inclusive practices of citizenship.

Most of this archive stems from donations by the Drosselmeier Academy in Bologna, representing a foundational contribution that has grown steadily since 2022. Alongside the Academy’s contributions, the archive incorporates a significant number of books originating from specific research projects.

The Recovery plan has advanced workshops, readings and programming across the years dedicated to the engagement of young audiences and to supporting education efforts.

This format is designed and curated by Marzia da Luz Ramos Duarte. Part of this platform is the research project “La Riscoperta del Pianeta” (The Rediscovery of the Planet) developed in collaboration with Ilaria Cavallini. The aim of the research is to ‘visualize’ the margins and to multiply, expand and enrich the possibilities of representation in children’s literature.

One objective is to build an archive of the imagination capable of embracing a wider range of children and young people, promoting reading as a valuable cognitive strategy for the younger generation.

Download the Italian bibliography “IMMAGINabili” here.