Blog
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The Diversity of Imagination
Contributed by Christine Bronstein, Founder, Nothing But The Truth Publishing
Many topics are being explored around diversity in children’s books, which I think is critical to our world. Publisher’s Weekly reported that the Association of Writers and Writing Program’s annual conference had “more panels than ever addressing issues of diversity in both adult books and children’s books and inclusivity in terms of whose work is being published and promoted.” As an author and a publisher—and a very white one—I wonder if we don’t need a new framework to understand the importance of this topic for our culture as a whole. Maybe we should view the lack of diverse voices as a cultural problem that extends beyond the color of our skin; one that may form our views of the world as literally more black and white than they are.
Books, like no other craft, give us windows into the imagination and world of the creators. Children’s books help children make sense of the world around them and aid the development of language and thinking. Books help children with social cognition, providing them with a deeper understanding of how the social world works.
What happens to a culture where only the imaginations and inner worlds of one race or one gender or one way of living our lives is laid out for us to examine? It inherently creates a sense of separateness for those both outside and inside of the dominant culture being represented. I believe that pushing for diversity in children’s books may be one very important key to opening the minds and hearts of our culture as a whole.
I asked Maria Martin, long time Kindergarten teacher—and author of our upcoming children’s book, which aims to help children communicate inclusively about race and heritage—how the lack of diversity in children’s books affects children. She told me:
“Children need to see themselves in books in order to connect to the world of books. When students of diverse backgrounds only see books by and about the majority culture, they get the message that books are not for them. We also give students the message that their life experiences are not important. The message for white students is that cultural diversity is not something to embrace and value. Books are such a critical component to education that when students feel excluded from that component, it reverberates through their entire educational experience in a negative way. As an educator of young children, my biggest goal is to instill a lifelong love of learning. Because books are a crucial tool for learning, students have to learn to love books. Students learn about the world through books, so we have a responsibility to make sure that the world we represent through books is accurate.
“Recently, I read the book A Letter to Amy, by Ezra Jack Keats, to my daughter. She continued to ask me to read the book for several nights in a row. When I commented that she really must like this book, she said ‘I like this book because Amy looks like me.’ As a brown-skinned child with long, thick braids, she doesn’t always get to see herself in books. The benefits of diverse books for children of all cultures and backgrounds are endless.
So, when the few books by and about people of color are relegated to a niche shelf on the far side of a bookstore, or worse, not published, we further ingrain this idea of separateness into young minds. By doing this we are saying that someone’s world and imagination aren’t as interesting or universal because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. What if we had all grown up with equal representation of races in children’s books, allowing us to choose characters we admire and connect with based on attributes other than race?
If the goal is actually inclusion—as many in the publishing world are claiming—the path should not only be to publish, review and promote diverse voices, but also to open our minds to our sameness, our oneness, and ingrain in ourselves and our children that no person can be neatly slotted into one section or another. Make sure the children around you are exposed to as many diverse books as possible so they have a full understanding of what it means to live in our world.
Here are some of Maria Martin’s favorite inclusive books for kids:
Shortcut, Donald Crews
Come on Rain Karen Hesse
Last Stop on Market Street, Matt de la Peña
Grandfather’s Journey, Allen Say
I Have a Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Whistle for Willie, Ezra Jack Keats
Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters, John Steptoe
Christine Bronstein is the founder of Nothing But The Truth Publishing, an independent publishing house specializing in works by diverse female authors. She is also the author of the popular Stewie BOOM! children’s book series. In 2009, she started A Band of Women, a social network and information website for women. Chris’s writing has been published on Forbes.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, and on Maria Shriver’s website. She has been featured in Elle, 7x7 Magazine and The San Francisco Chronicle.
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Scholastic to Publish J.K. Rowling’s “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Screenplay in the US and Canada on Nov. 19, 2016
New York, NY — Scholastic (NASDAQ: ?SCHL), the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, announced today that it will publish the screenplay of the film Fantastic Beasts and Where …
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Diversity in the News: April 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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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang on Reading & Writing Without Walls
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Free Sync Audiobooks For Teen Summer Program Encourages Literacy Through Listening
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Remembering Diversity Advocate and Publisher Jackie Carter
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James Patterson Recognized With The AASL Crystal Apple
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#DrawingDiversity: ‘In the Wind’ by Elizabeth Spurr, illustrations by Manelle Oliphant
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Kid Lit Auction Benefits Refugees in Europe
Now through May 2, literary items ranging from novel critiques to author visits are up for auction. Proceeds will support Lifting Hands International. The range of items (and experiences), include novel critiques …
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2016 Banned Books Week Grants Offered Through Freedom to Read Foundation’s Krug Fund
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Diversity, Disability, and Dolls
Contributed by Vera Lynne Stroup-Rentier, Ph.D., Author
Public Law 99-457 passed in 1986, amending the Education of the Handicapped Act and requiring states to provide appropriate and free public education to children with disabilities ages 3 through 5. Shortly after the implementation of this law began in 1991, I was fortunate enough to work with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in Washington, D.C. As one of the few white women on staff, I learned much about diversity and disability. However, the lessons I learned often left me dismayed about how society represented each and every child. I learned one such lesson when I wanted to find dolls that the children and I could wash together in the water table. I liked this activity because I could talk to children about the different aspects of the dolls, like skin color. I went in search of black dolls for the water table because the children in my class were black and Hispanic. I rarely had a white student in my class. I went to store after store after store looking for dolls. There were white babies everywhere but no black or Hispanic babies. I finally found a catalog I could order them from but could not get over that fact that dolls of other races were not available in stores. These were the same stores my students’ families shopped in every week.
The good news is that over the past 25 years the practice of having a limited diversity of dolls has changed. Now, even Barbie comes in all shapes and sizes! While I do consider this a victory for young girls everywhere, my daughter, who is from India and has a disability, still has a difficult time finding herself represented in children’s literature. Certainly, there are lots of books about girls growing up in today’s society. In fact, many have whole series of books written about them. Most of the time, though, they are white girls growing up in a world with limited colors. My friend Jo and I wanted to change the way my daughter and others like her are able to view themselves in our ever-changing society. We wanted to show children from all walks of life with many different types of disabilities and backgrounds doing the things they love most. This love translated into building on their interests and skills so they can become more self-directed and self-determined over the course of their young lives. We know being self-determined starts to happen way before a teenager turns 18. We encourage you to peel back the pages of a good book and see how it represents you or a child you care about it in a positive way. This same book should embrace the child’s diversity in the context of their family.
Vera Lynne Stroup-Rentier worked in the fields of Early Childhood and Special Education as a teacher for 25 years. She has a PhD in Special Education from the University of Kansas and is currently working at the Kansas State Department of Education. She has co-authored seven children’s books with Jo Meserve Mach for Finding My Way Books. All Finding My Way books are written to honor children with special needs or disabilities by sharing their stories. Their most recent title, ‘OE Wants It To Be Friday,’ features a young girl adopted from Russia who has Cerebral Palsy and uses a communication device. Visit findingmywaybooks.com for more information.
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Hollins Announces Winners of the Inaugural Margaret Wise Brown Prize in Children’s Literature
The annual award showcases the most distinguished picture book manuscript as selected by a panel of judges. This year’s recipients are Phil Bildner for his book Marvelous Cornelius, and Jane …
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Lionsgate Acquires Rights to Globally-Renowned Magic Tree House Book Series
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Author Dav Pilkey Gives a New Book to Every Student at 50 Schools Nationwide for Summer Reading
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls Podcast: Episode 2 with Derek Kirk Kim
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 two of his podcast, Yang …
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Arkansas, Massachusetts, and Nebraska Win Disney and First Book “Magic of Storytelling” State Vote
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A Message from National Ambassador Emeritus Jon Scieszka!
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“State of America’s Libraries 2016” Shows Service Transformation to Meet Tech Demands of Library Patrons
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Children’s Book Week 2016 Preview
We have your favorite Children’s Book Week traditions and exciting new events heading your way! Here’s a look at some of the highlights: Bi-Coastal Kickoff: This year’s celebration launches with …
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One Million Books Sold in The Iron Fey Series by New York Times Bestselling Author Julie Kagawa
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