Month: September 2015
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Hispanic American Heritage Book List
Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal by Margarita Engle (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2014) What the Moon Saw by Laura Resau (Yearling/Random House, 2008) Portraits of Hispanic American Heroes …
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Parents' Choice Awards for Five Hachette Audio Titles
New York, NY – Hachette Audio is happy to share the news that five of its audiobook titles are being honored by the Parents’ Choice Foundation this year. Winning titles …
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How to Make a Difference in 8 Practical Steps
Contributed to CBC Diversity by Faye Bi
Many organizations, CBC Diversity among them, have done a fantastic job raising awareness of diversity in children’s literature. We’re at the point where we can easily fill a convention’s diversity panel. But how do we know if we’re making a difference? Is anyone listening to us? I often hear from supporters of diversity that they don’t feel like they have a loud enough voice to make an impact. Not everyone is a publisher or book buyer, after all. So what can we do?
Here are my practical tips for members of the publishing community, and anyone with a love of children’s books:
1. Listen. Keep an open mind about others’ experiences. I say this as a Chinese-American woman; I do not know what it’s like to be black, disabled, or an author.
2. Be deliberate in choosing the media you consume. If you read 15 books last year and not a single one was by a woman or writer of color, ask yourself why. Was it discoverability? Try to actively seek out diverse works.
3. Promote diverse books. Talk about diverse books with your family members, friends, and colleagues. Ask your child’s teacher to assign diverse books. Request books by diverse authors that may not be stocked in a bookstore or ordered by a library. Normalize these books.
4. Amplify diverse voices. If you are in a position of influence, allow others the space to share their experiences publicly. Follow and repost people online who might offer a different perspective.
5. Put your money where your mouth is. Financially support writers from diverse backgrounds by purchasing their books for yourself, your library/bookstore, or as gifts to others. If you are in charge of budgets, allocate real funds to diverse purchases, recruiting, promotions, and mentoring.
6. Have difficult conversations with people you value. This one is the hardest, but I believe it has the most impact. If someone—be it a family member, a close friend, or a colleague—says or does something that may be, speak up.
(Note: While I am the last person for tone policing, people will more likely react positively if the conversations are conducted in a respectful or professional manner.)
7. Become a diversity advocate. Celebrate successes and be the one to bring up issues and potential problems before they arise. Get involved with likeminded people and organizations (We Need Diverse Books, Latinos in Kid Lit, CBC Diversity, etc.) to mobilize others. Seek out mentors, or become a mentor yourself.
8. Recognize that no one is perfect, and that these conversations are ongoing. Own up to your mistakes when called on them. Also, cut yourself a break sometimes: you can still like problematic things—just recognize them as such.
Faye Bi works as a publicist at Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and Saga Press, and also volunteers for Sirens, a conference dedicated to women in fantasy literature. She tweets at @faye_bi.
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Remembering Who YA Fiction is For
Wetta understands the importance of creating (and marketing) YA fiction for young readers of all backgrounds and interests. I want to be sure there are books for all sorts of …
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Children in TX, FL, NY, NJ, and NC Logged the Most Reading Minutes in the 2015 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge
NEW YORK, NY – This summer, more than 267,000 children from across all 50 states and 28 countries read 286,611,349 million minutes in the 9th annual Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. The …
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28th Annual Ezra Jack Keats Mini-Grant Program Call for Proposals
NEW YORK—September 15, 2015—The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, which fosters children’s love of reading and creative expression in our diverse culture, celebrates the 28th year of its Mini-Grant program—and Keats’s …
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The Animorphs Series to Be Adapted for Film
Featuring 54 novels, the series was originally written by K.A. Applegate and published by Scholastic. It follows five teenagers who develop the ability to transform into various animals, and are …
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Little, Brown Books for Young Readers to Publish Special Tenth Anniversary Edition of Twilight Featuring Exclusive Bonus Content
New York, NY — Megan Tingley, Executive Vice President and Publisher, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, announces the publication of a special tenth anniversary edition of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight, …
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Rita Williams-Garcia on Diversity and the Writing Life
As a young girl, Williams-Garcia practiced writing 500 words each night. She believes that children of all backgrounds need to see their lives represented in literature. We need diverse stories for each and …
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Classic Children's Book Authors Who Disliked Children
Maurice Sendak was a known curmudgeon, but you may be surprised to learn that Dr. Seuss, Margaret Wise Brown, and other beloved children’s authors were uncomfortable around children. ‘You make …
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Penguin and Books A Million Launch Campaign to Donate Books to Children in Need
New York, NY – Penguin Young Readers and Books-A-Million are pleased to announce the launch of a nationwide campaign in support of First Book, a nonprofit that transforms the lives …
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Curriculum Planning and the Common Core
Rather than feeling bound to the classics, Tennyson frequently assigns contemporary novels and readings that are accessible to students. She also makes an effort to include diverse titles, so that …
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Enter the Multicultural Back to School Library Book Giveaway!
Now through September 30, you can enter to win a bundle of diverse children’s books. Every child should have access to a school library accessible throughout the school day and …
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HarperCollins Publishers Announces Two-Book Deal With Victoria Aveyard
New York, NY — HarperCollins Publishers announced today the acquisition of a two-book deal with Victoria Aveyard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series. Suzie …
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Banned Books Week 2015 Posters & Resources from CBLDF!
Materials include: Raina Telgemeier’s CBLDF Banned Books Week Handbook 2015 poster Jonathan Hill’s character poster CBLDF Banned Books Week Shelf Talkers Visit cbldf.org for more great resources, and join the …
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Happy Birthday, Robert McCloskey!
Born and raised in Ohio, the small-town boy dabbled in numerous hobbies — from playing the harmonica to tinkering with machines — before discovering his knack for drawing. After graduating …
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Submissions Now Open for the Carter G. Woodson Book Award
Submissions are now open for the Carter G. Woodson Book Award, presented by the National Council for the Social Studies for the most distinguished non-fiction books for young readers depicting …
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2015 National Book Awards Longlist for Young People's Literature
New York, NY – The National Book Foundation announces the Longlist for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. Finalists will be revealed on October 14. Among this …
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Bringing Picture Books into Middle and High School Classrooms
In addition to pairing well with higher-level texts, picture books open up discussion on perspective and word choice, and create a feeling of community in the classroom. By tapping into …
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Scholastic Acquires Bestselling Author Eric Litwin and Bestselling Illustrator Tom Lichtenheld's 'Groovy Joe'
New York, NY — Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, has acquired at auction world rights to three “Groovy Joe” picture books, plus rights to …
