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  • Scholastic & Blizzard Entertainment Announce World of Warcraft®: Traveler, a New Book Series Based on the Bestselling Franchise

    NEW YORK, NY — Scholastic, the world’s largest publisher and distributor of children’s books, and internationally acclaimed game developer and publisher Blizzard Entertainment today announced a collaboration on a new …

  • Library of Congress National Book Festival Welcomes Extraordinary Lineup of Writers

    The Library of Congress National Book Festival routinely attracts the participation of many of the nation’s most-honored and most-respected authors, and 2016 is no exception. This year’s festival, to be …

  • Didi and the Diverse

    Contributed by Kate Evangelista, Author

    The word diverse can mean a lot of things to a lot people. That’s what’s fantastic about the word. Diverse literally means variety.

    As a budding writer, I have always been attracted to diverse characters. This goes beyond just the color of their skin or the culture they come from. Although I already have characters in my head that represent different races and cultural backgrounds, I’m waiting for the right opportunity to start writing their stories. 

    A couple of years ago, I was in search of a critique partner, as many of us writerly types do. I had just written Disclaimer: I Like Boys, which has since been renamed No Holding Back. This is the story of Nathan and Preston. My boys. Finding love.

    I found an author who also writes diverse books and is very vocal about writing diverse books, so I thought: Why not? We exchanged chapters. A day later I got an email from this author telling me that she couldn’t critique my story anymore. Why? Because my book was about two boys falling in love. I found that quite ironic. Apparently to this author, the word “diversity” has limits.

    That is the funny thing about writing. You meet many different types of people. Diverse people. With diverse ideas. And these are just the characters in my head.

    Before No Holding Back, there is No Love Allowed. Didi’s story. Oh, Caleb is in there too. But for the sake of this post, let’s focus on Didi.

    When Didi first came to me, she was a character who was clearly different from any heroine I had ever encountered. She spoke her mind. Demanded that she be written in the fashion she dictated. What is a humble writer—i.e. typist—like me to do?

    So I sat down and listened.

    As she told me her story, one aspect of her character came up. Didi has bipolar disorder. Like many in this world we call home, all I knew about this disease of the mind were the extreme mood swings. Right away I knew I had to do my research. I couldn’t go into writing Didi’s story blind to what she goes through on a daily basis.

    I needed to learn more. So I turned to an abundance of articles, documentaries, and interviews (some personally conducted by yours truly). But the weird thing is the more I learned about Didi’s disorder, the more I realized I knew nothing. I reached the point where writing her story became daunting.

    First of all, I did not want to bog down the book with information. No Love Allowed is a love story. It’s an easy read meant to entertain you for a couple of hours. A book you can read in one sitting. Imagine doing that when all you’re reading are facts fit for a website Q&A.

    This is why Didi said she didn’t want her story to be about her disorder. She had bipolar disorder, but she wasn’t the disease. She was more.

    That was when writing her story became fun. Each and every scene she was in came alive in my head. From her makeover scene with Nathan to the moment she feels her hand shaking and couldn’t paint because the side effects from her meds were particularly bad that day. Each and every piece of dialogue is wholly Didi.  

    With No Love Allowed finally hitting shelves, I must say farewell to Didi and her beloved Caleb and move on to the other characters in my head. Those who have been following my work since my very first publication may notice that my characters have become more diverse with each book. I want that to continue until I can write no more.

    Because for me: Diversity has no limits.

    When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University - Manila with a Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full-time and is based in the Philippines.

  • J.K. Rowling’s Writing Chair up for Auction

    The chair features a hand-painted message from the author, as well as a quote from the Sorting Hat. It also comes with a signed letter: Dear new-owner-of-my-chair. I was given …

  • Klutz® to Launch Klutz® Jr. January 2017

    New York, NY – Klutz, the creator of premium activity kits for kids, today announced plans to launch Klutz Jr., a book and craft kit product line for kids ages 4 …

  • Promote Your Book in Story Monsters Ink™ Magazine!

    Story Monsters Ink is a free subscription-based magazine by Five Star Publications, Inc., that gives parents and educators the latest news about award-winning and debut books, profiles on renowned and emerging authors, upcoming book …

  • Submit for the Anansesem Caribbean Children’s Literature Ezine

    Anansesem is currently seeking new works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art from children’s authors and illustrators. For additional information and guidelines, visit anansesem.com. You may submit your online application here. …

  • Warner Bros. Consumer Products Announces Global Publishing Partners For ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’

    Burbank, CA – Warner Bros. Consumer Products (WBCP) announced today a slate of new publishing partners signed on to support Warner Bros. Pictures’ highly anticipated return to J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding …

  • #DrawingDiversity: ‘Dear Bunny’ by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Blanca Gomez

    Dear Bunny by Katie Cotton, illustrated by Blanca Gomez (Quarto Kids, March 2016). All rights reserved.

  • Harry Potter Fans are #ReadyForHermione, Run Global Literacy Campaign

    Harry Potter fans are feeling the Herm. Hermione Granger, that is. It’s easy to feel disenchanted by the political process during election season, but the Harry Potter Alliance (HPA) is …

  • B.J. Novak, Penguin Young Readers, Donate 10,000 Books to Children in Need

    New York, NY – B.J. Novak, actor and #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book With No Pictures, will donate 5,000 copies of his acclaimed children’s book to …

  • National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang’s Creativity in Progress Series

    In his first post, Yang shares insider tricks for keeping characters consistent. Here’s an example of a model sheet used as reference for Yang’s upcoming graphic novel, Dragon Hoops:

  • Storytime with Dogs

    At the Scarsdale Public Library in New York, therapy dogs and their owners are paired with kids for storytime activities; and media specialist Mary Hamer is bringing dogs into classrooms …

  • Scholastic Releases Cover of Upcoming Illustrated Edition of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

    New York, NY – Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today for the first time released the cover image of the fully illustrated edition of …

  • “Niche” Numbers

    Contributed by  Nikki Garcia, Assistant Editor,  Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

    There are a lot of well-meaning people in publishing who work hard to create more diversity in books. But unfortunately there can also be times when excuses are made for not highlighting diversity through books:

    *There isn’t enough of an audience to buy these books.

    *It’s difficult to reach that market.

    *That market is too niche.

    *We have too many tough issue books.

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    These are just a few I’ve heard over the years across the industry. No single group or department is more to blame than the other. When I acquire a diverse book, I often have to think about how to get my point across at various meetings, like an acquisitions meeting. I want to make sure that marketing, sales, and publicity know that there is indeed a market and audience for this book, so I often look for statistics to support my case:

    • In November 2015, the Census Bureau reported that at least 350 languages were spoken in homes across the United States.
    • In July 2014, over 42 million people identified as Black or African American, over 3.9 million identified as American Indian and Alaska Native, more than 17 million identified as Asian, and almost 8 million people identified with two or more races.

    • In July 2014, the Hispanic population of the United States was at 55 million, making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest racial minority.

    • In 2014, there were 46.7 million people in poverty.

    • In 2014, over 783,000 households were of same-sex couples.

    • In 2010, over 62,000 children under the age of 15 years old were reported as having a disability.

    I think it’s difficult for some to see a world outside of their own—a world that’s full of children and adults from different walks of life. Sometimes, there are people who are unable to look beyond their own race, lifestyle, and income, and who forget that there are other groups of people who exist—people who will buy “niche” books. But I hope that with each day, we stop looking towards easy excuses.

    I think it helps to keep reminding our peers of the big picture. If you’re an author or writer trying to bring more diversity to children’s literature, know that statistics are on your side. There is a child who can relate to your characters and there is definitely an audience for your book.

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    Nikki Garcia is an assistant editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she works on books for all ages. During her time at LBYR, she has had the honor of working with picture book authors such as Peter Brown and Frank Viva, as well as novelists such as Wendy Mass, Matthew Quick, and Holly Black. Born and raised right here in New York City, Nikki graduated from St. John’s University, and thankfully didn’t have to travel very far to make her dreams come true.

  • James Patterson and Scholastic Renew Pledge to Help Save School Libraries!

    New York, NY— James Patterson will personally donate another $1.75 million to school libraries this year, in the second installment of his School Library Campaign. In partnership with Scholastic Reading …

  • Candlewick Press to Launch New Imprint

    Inaugural titles include Animals, a picture book by Swedish designer Ingela P. Arrhenius, and An Artist’s Alphabet by illustrator Norman Messenger. We hope that even from across a bookstore, Candlewick Studio titles will …

  • Celebrate Children and Books

    April 30, 2016 will be the 20th anniversary of Children’s Day / Book Day. Celebrate by reading to a child in your life. To learn more, visit http://www.patmora.com/whats-dia and http://www.patmora.com/dia-planning-booklet. …

  • Submit for the 2016 WNDB™ Walter Dean Myers Grant

    Eligibility Applicants must identify as diverse Applicants must be unpublished as illustrators and/or authors. This includes both trade publishing and self-publishing. Essays, short stories, and articles do not render an …

  • Scholastic Reports Fiscal 2016 Third Quarter Results

    New York, NY – Scholastic Corporation (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today reported financial results for the Company’s fiscal 2016 third quarter ended February 29, 2016. …

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