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The Children’s Book Council and DOGObooks.com Reprise Partnership on Summer Reading Program
Tiburon, CA May 24, 2016 — For the fourth consecutive year, the Children’s Book Council is proud to partner with DOGObooks.com on their annual Summer Reading Program. The DOGObooks Summer Reading program …
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Diversity in the News: May 2016
The newsletter is a valuable resource for librarians, teachers, booksellers, parents and caregivers, publishing professionals, and children’s literature lovers. Find thought-provoking articles, diverse new releases, and more in this month’s issue and sign …
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Announcing Our Children’s Book Week 2016 Bookstore Display Contest Winner!
As the winner of the official Children’s Book Week Display Contest, Wild Rumpus will receive a visit from a 2016 Children’s Choice Book Awards winner or finalist author/illustrator! View photos of …
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#DrawingDiversity: ‘Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too)’ by Keith Negley
Tough Guys (Have Feelings Too) by Keith Negley (Flying Eye Books/Nobrow Press, November 2015). All rights reserved. @nobrowpress @keithnegley
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Children’s Book Week 2016 Photo Recap!
Communities nationwide celebrated the joy of reading with story times, scavenger hunts, and countless other activities. Thanks to all our kid-lit friends for making this the best Book Week yet! …
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CBC Diversity Presents “Strategies for Selling Diverse Books” at BEA 2016
The discussion was moderated by Betsy Bird, Collection Development Manager at the Evanston Public Library. Panelists included Shauntee Burns, Outreach Librarian at the New York Public Library; Elizabeth Bluemle, Co-owner of The Flying Pig …
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BEA 2016 Children’s Book Author Breakfast
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and acclaimed graphic novelist Gene Luen Yang discussed his latest series, Secret Coders, and his commitment to diverse books. Through his platform, “Reading Without …
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#DrawingDiversity: ‘The Journey’ by Francesca Sanna
The Journey by Francesca Sanna (Flying Eye Books/Nobrow Press, 2016). All rights reserved. @nobrowpress
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang Celebrates Children’s Book Week with Raina Telgemeier
Yang and Telgemeier addressed roughly 250 attendees on their work and the diverse books that continue to resonate with them. The discussion was followed by a reception and signing. Watch the complete …
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Can you name a single, lovable Middle Eastern character in a middle grade novel? Now you can!
Contributed by Firoozeh Dumas, Author
People often me ask why I waited so long to start writing. I always thought that in order to be a writer, one had to be English and dead. I started writing when I was thirty-six years old so I could tell my stories to my children. I wanted them to know what I have known since I was seven years old; that our commonalities far outweigh our differences. I learned this when my family moved from Abadan, Iran to Whittier, California. From a young age, I did not fear those who are different from me, and what an asset that has been in my life! As an adult, I discovered that many people never learn this simple truth. They live in fear of “the other”, and there are many “others.”
After my first book, Funny in Farsi, was published, I started giving lectures around the country. Readers in every nook and cranny that I visited said the same two things to me, “I never thought a writer from the Middle East could make me laugh out loud” and “Your family is just like my family!” I soon realized that most people learn about other cultures from the evening news. The problem is that only bad news is news. Most people never expect a female Iranian writer to be relatable; they expect me to be oppressed and sad. That is what they have seen on the news. I am neither.
When I visit schools, I always ask if it is anyone’s birthday. It always is, so I sing “Happy birthday” in Persian. A stunned silence descends upon the room. I can see from the looks on their faces that some of the students had never thought that children in the Middle East also celebrate birthdays and sing a special song. The only images of the Middle East that many students have seen are of war. Some cannot fathom any images of joy with the Middle East. I don’t blame them.
People often ask me why diversity in literature is important. The news does not teach us that there is a universality to the human experience. We don’t learn that in every culture, mothers worry about their children, that children love to play, and that we all have a weird uncle. Not everyone has a chance to travel to other cultures and to learn about our shared humanity, as I did. In the absence of travel, books are the next best thing. In fact, they’re even better since books allow us to time travel as well.
I regularly get emails from readers who tell me that whenever they see Iran on the evening news, they now think of my family. For them, Iran is no longer the face of bearded mullahs and angry men. It is the country where regular families, like mine, are from. My tween novel, It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel, features one of the few Iranian character for younger readers. I am thrilled that readers will laugh and cry with her, root for her, and most importantly, relate to her. There is no downside to learning about all kinds of people. Every time we read about a diverse character, we open a window into our hearts and minds. And who doesn’t want more windows?
Firoozeh Dumas was born in Abadan, Iran, and grew up in California and her birth country. She is the New York Times best-selling author of Funny in Farsi and Laughing Without an Accent. It Ain’t So Awful, Falafel is her first novel for young readers. Firoozeh lives in Munich, Germany with her husband and three children. Visit her website at www.firoozehdumas.com.
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Gene Luen Yang to Publish Nonfiction Graphic Novel
Dragon Hoops will tell the true story of the 2015 Bishop O’Dowd High School boys’ basketball team and their journey to the California state championship. The book is scheduled for publication by …
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls Podcast: Episode 3 with Michael Chabon
Through his platform, “Reading Without Walls,” Yang hopes to inspire readers of all ages to pick up a book outside their comfort zone. In episode three of his podcast, Yang talks …
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“What’s the Ambassador Reading?” with Gene Luen Yang
Yang’s series launches just in time for Children’s Book Week. In keeping with his platform, “Reading Without Walls,” Yang enjoys a diverse range of stories across multiple formats: a novel in verse …
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2016 Teen Choice Book Awards Finalists on Their Favorite YA!
Teen Book of the Year and Teen Choice Debut Author finalists Victoria Aveyard, Kelly Loy Gilbert, Jenny Han, Marissa Meyer, and Tommy Wallach continue to draw inspiration from their favorite YA. Check out their recommendations …
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Q&A with National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang
A former teacher, Yang continues to connect with young readers through his graphic novels and mission as National Ambassador, inspiring students to “Read Without Walls” across cultures and forms. I’ve heard from …
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Children’s Book Week Comics Blog Tour: Gene Luen Yang
In the first post, Green chats with fellow graphic novelist Yang about his favorite books and the appeal of the comics medium for young readers: When it comes to education, the …
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Happy 97th Annual Children’s Book Week (May 2-8)!
Tell your friends! Help spread the joy of children’s books and reading all week long! Find sample posts and more in our digital toolkit: Join …
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Children’s Book Week Celebrates Graphic Novels
See below for the blog tour schedule: Tuesday, May 3 – Sharp Read featuring Ryan North Tuesday, May 3 – Teen Lit Rocks featuring MK Reed Wednesday, May 4 – Love is Not a Triangle featuring Chris Schweizer Wednesday, May …
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang Engages Non-Readers
A former computer science teacher, Yang believes that technology has the potential to expand literacy. Through his platform, “Reading Without Walls,” he hopes to break down the conventional barriers between genres …
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang’s Creativity in Progress Series: Part 2
In his second post, Yang discusses some of the different approaches to the creative process. Yang considers himself a “planner” or “outliner,” creating a preliminary outline for his projects while allowing …
