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Child Studies

Brita A. Bookser

Brita Bookser

Brita A. Bookser

Assistant Professor

Education

Ph.D. in Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley.

M.A. in Infant Mental Health at Mills College

B.S. in Psychology with a concentration in Counseling and Family Psychology at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) San Luis Obispo

Biography

Brita A. Bookser specializes in early childhood and educational equity. Her interdisciplinary program of socially and policy relevant research (1) describes dimensions of exclusion and punishment in education, (2) explores inclusive educational opportunities, and (3) develops transformative methods of research and teaching. Dr. Bookser’s scholarship has been published in several academic journals, such as the International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal, Journal of Children’s Literature, Public Library Quarterly, and School Psychology, among others. She is an eager mentor and collaborator with undergraduate student researchers.

Bookser facilitates students’ learning opportunities through intellectually engaging and dynamic courses that animate the Jesuit values of social justice and care for the whole person. In 2026, she was honored with a nomination for the Diana Burgos Brutoco Award for Teaching Impact in Early Career, a university award that recognizes faculty who “have brought to the campus community a notable enthusiasm and innovation” within their first eight years. She regularly teaches:

  • CHST 4: Cultural Competence and Humility with Children and Families
  • CHST 6: Anti-Racist and Decolonial Praxis in Early Childhood Contexts
  • CHST 11: Quantitative Research Methods and Statistics
  • CHST 181 & 182: Senior Capstone I & II (research series)

She also serves as Faculty Director of the Loyola Residential Learning Community, where she is a present and welcoming academic resource for students.

Selected Publications

Bookser, B. A., & Williamson, T. J. (2026). Picture book diversity deserts: Sociodemographic and geographic trends across public libraries in Los Angeles County. Public Library Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1080/01616846.2026.2642559

Bookser, B. A. (2025). Teachers “committed to a livable future”: Cultivating womanist anti-carceral praxis in early care and education settings. International Critical Childhood Policy Studies Journal, 12(2), 6-21. https://iccpsonlinejournal.org/index.php/childhoods/article/view/343

Bookser, B. A., & Williamson, T. J. (2025). Teaching for justice with picture books in higher education. Journal of Children’s Literature, 51(2), 61-69. Link to article.

Bookser, B. A. (2025). “I wouldn’t really call it a suspension, but—”: A mixed methods study of novel forms of exclusionary discipline in preschools. Journal of Research in Childhood Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2025.2543873

Bookser, B. A. (2024). Unsettling the unimaginable: A genealogical counterstory of early care and education in the United States. Pedagogy, Culture, and Society. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681366.2024.2355099

Bookser, B. A., Ruiz, M., Olu-Odumosu, A., Kim, M., Jarvis, S. N., & Okonofua, J. A. (2021). Context matters for preschool discipline: Effects of distance learning and pandemic fears. School Psychology, 36(5), 325-334. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/spq0000452