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Flashback to me as young parent: I'm taking our two brown boys to the library on a weekly outing that never fails to delight. They tug me into the children's section, drop my hands, and race off to wander freely through aisles of beautiful picture books. (I browse, too, but keep an eye on them and the public bathrooms. I've heard my mother's stern warnings about her grandchildren's safety even though I roll my eyes when she issues them.)

Tim picks his usual fairy tales and adventures. Jim finds the scary stories and funny books. I look for good historical fiction to add to the pile. I also am on a constant hunt for brown faces in all kinds of stories. Ezra Jack Keats (A SNOWY DAY) comes home with us, along with Vera Williams (MORE, MORE, MORE SAID THE BABY). Trina Schart Hyman's illustrations of brown princesses and Chinese princes catch my eye.

There weren't any picture books I could find back then about the Indian-American experience and/or our colonial heritage, but today, I could have added CHACHAJI'S CUP by Uma Krishnaswami, for example, and GRANDFATHER GANDHI by Arun Gandhi and Bethany Hegedus to our pile.

But what if the ONE BOOK I could find featuring an Indian child was a sweetly-told tale about food? In one panel, a sari-clad mother and her brown child are standing around a table of feasting Brits, serving them during the Raj period. The Indian mother and daughter are smiling and looked safe, but later they subversively and courageously claim part of the meal while hiding in a closet.

Our boys were four; they colored self-portraits at school with dark brown crayon. They knew they were Indian. Their grandmother wore a sari. They knew who they resembled physically and ethnically on big and small screens, as well as on the pages of books. If the story I described in the preceding paragraph had been the ONLY BOOK—the single story—reflecting their emerging ethnic identity, I might have hesitated to take it home. How could I use this ONE BOOK to explain to the boys why Indians had been forced to serve the British for so many years? How would I underline the suffering of colonial oppression that our ancestors had endured?

But what if I'd also had access to both of the picture books I listed earlier, and more? What if there were multiple stories around which we could gather as a family that represented the uniqueness (windows) and normalcy (mirrors) of Indian people, both past and present? Then my decision about that ONE BOOK would have changed. I would have loved to take it home, because we had a wide collection of stories and images in which to place it. I could have said, "Remember in CHACHAJI'S CUP when we read about how Britain ruled India? This story takes place in that time. This is before GRANDFATHER GANDHI led the Indian people to freedom."

Given the current discussion about the representation of slavery in picture books, I'm posting my favorite TED talk by Chimamanda Adichie below. My hope is that even during this racially-charged season of history as a nation, we remember not to outsource the entirety of the black experience to a single story. Let's take stock of the emerging and existing collection of stories we offer children around the storytelling fire. Are we creating, publishing, sharing, compiling, buying, featuring, and promoting MANY excellent stories all year around about black lives, past and present, offering a plethora of windows and mirrors?

And then, writers and illustrators, get to work! Let's hone our craft, pursue excellence, and tell a whole bunch of great stories in creative freedom. We're going to make even more mistakes than we already do if our books are forced to bear the burden of serving as that ONE STORY. If you relied on me and my books alone to represent the South Asian experience, I'd crumble under the pressure. I've made too many mistakes already.

Editors, publishers, booksellers, prize committees, and reviewers, I love that you are producing and celebrating MANY STORIES about MANY CHILDREN! Keep it up! MORE, MORE, MORE, say the babies!

Teachers, parents, librarians, booksellers, as you display, handsell, promote, and read MANY STORIES aloud, maybe we won't need this heated and difficult discussion about ONE BOOK. Although part of me is glad that we're talking about it so widely. Because back when our boys were four and I was leading them through a library, it felt like I was the only one keeping an eye out for brown and black faces in books. Now I have you guys, thanks be to God.

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I got a high compliment recently from Middleton High School student Ali Khan, who told me, basically, that he was my mini-me. Last year, Ali created a trailer for my book OPEN MIC: RIFFS ON LIFE BETWEEN CULTURES IN TEN VOICES (Candlewick, 2013). Our approach in that anthology of adding humor to discussions of race strongly resonated with Ali, who happens to be hilarious (go ahead, watch the trailer he made).

Read On Wisconsin and the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison arranged an interview to bring us together to share thoughts on the book, racial identity, and humor. Here's an excerpt from the interview:

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I've often suggested that booksellers and librarians play around with "windows and mirrors" when it comes to displaying multicultural books. They can place such a title on a shelf of diverse reads for readers looking for windows into another world, or for children hoping to see their particular ethnic/racial experience reflected in a story. In the past, this kind of display was the only way I might see one of my books face out in a library or bookstore, or featured online.

These days, in a practice that's becoming more common, a multicultural book is displayed with other titles around a "mirror" theme common to all children.

For example, my novel Rickshaw Girl might be placed on a shelf beside other fiction for children with Asian settings and protagonists. It might also be displayed as it is here, at Graves Memorial Library in Kennebunkport, Maine, as part of a collection called "Young at Art: Picture Books and Novels Featuring Young Artists." This display about art includes several other titles that may or may not be "multicultural."  Any reader who wants a story featuring a protagonist who is a young artist will be offered my story. That reader may or may not find her ethnicity reflected in my book, and it may or may not provide her with a first window into Bangladesh. An adult gatekeeper has guided her to a list of books where she will see her love of art reflected, but the rest of a story's mirror/window magic will be between her and the book, where it belongs.

Another example is my book Secret Keeper, which in the past has been featured as a title about India. Recently, however, I found it on a Minnesota's Hennepin County Library list called "YA Books For Tomboys: young adult novels featuring characters that love sports, love to get dirty, hate pink, and don't want to be 'ordinary' girls." There's my "multicultural" novel, rubbing elbows with the likes of Little Women, Hunger Games, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. Again, a reader who likes strong female protagonists will be offered my book, and the other mirrors and windows offered in the story—if she chooses it—is up to her.

Gatekeepers, take a look at your lists and displays with fresh eyes. Then have some fun playing around with new windows and mirrors themes to lead young readers to multicultural books. I'd love to hear about your creative lists and displays.

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Waxing poetic about Thanhha Lai's Inside, Out, and Back Again at Mrs. Dalloway's Books in Berkeley, CA.

Anne Whaling, children's book buyer at Mrs. Dalloway's Bookstore in Berkeley, asked me and a couple of other visitors (Nina Lindsay, Oakland public librarian and author-illustrat LeUyen Pham) to share a few recommendations of books featuring diverse characters for ages 5-10.

I was delighted to introduce a few of my favorites to an audience of eager readers and their parents. Here are my "quick picks," with annotations provided by Anne and a quick description of why I like the books.

Four Feet, Two Sandals by Karen Williams (Eerdmans). When relief workers bring used clothing to the refugee camp, everyone scrambles to grab whatever they can. Ten-year-old Lina is thrilled when she finds a sandal that fits her foot perfectly, until she sees that another girl has the matching shoe. Soon Lina and Feroza meet, each wearing one coveted sandal. Together they solve the problem of having four feet and two sandals. (What I particularly love in this story: the exploration of power, and the fact that the resolution brought about by the person with least power.)

Rain School by James Rumford (HMH). It is the first day of school in Chad, Africa. Children are filling the road. "Will they give us a notebook?" Thomas asks. "Will they give us a pencil?" "Will I learn to read?" But when he and the other children arrive at the schoolyard, they find no classroom, no desks. Just a teacher. "We will build our school," she says. "This is our first lesson." Starred review, Booklist. (What I particularly love in this story: the revelation to the North American reader that school is more than just a building, and that it's about a community of learners, and the fact that the children of Chad are the revealers of this truth.)

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything by Lenore Look (Simon and Schuster). When Ruby's cousin Flying Duck emigrates from China to live with her, Ruby decides the best thing about Flying Duck is that she is a great new friend. BUT the worst thing about Flying Duck is that now, no one speaks English at home. Plus, there's strange food on the table every night and only chopsticks to eat it with. And Flying Duck is deaf, and Ruby doesn't know any Chinese Sign Language. As if that weren't enough, this summer proves to be even more perilous as Ruby faces the dangers of swimming lessons, the joys of summer school, the miracle needed to keep a beautiful stray dog that wanders into her life, and much more. Is it all too much for anyone -- even the Empress of Everything -- to handle? Starred review, SLJ (What I particularly love in this story: the humor and strong characterization make this the perfect book to illuminate Betsy Bird's concept of "casual diversity.")

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai (Harper). Inspired by the author's childhood experience of fleeing Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon and immigrating to Alabama, this coming-of-age debut novel told in verse has been celebrated for its touching child's-eye view of family and immigration. Newbery Honor Book, and a winner of the National Book Award. Starred reviews, Horn Book, Kirkus, PW, SLJ. (What I particularly love in this story: readers will love seeing their own sibling relationships mirrored in the author's depiction of three very different older brothers, plus this is a beautiful "between-cultures" read that is award-winning and accessible.)
The No. 1 Car Spotter by Atinuke (Kane Miller). When a cart breaks down and the villagers can't get their goods to market, Oluwalase Babatunde Benson, otherwise known as the No. 1 Car Spotter in his village, comes up with a brilliant solution. (What I particularly love in this story: it makes me laugh out loud and shatters any "single story" of Africa that might be lurking in the back of the reader's mind.)

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When challenged by others as to why he focuses on stories about foreigners working in African countries, New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof responds with the idea that "bridge" characters are needed to draw readers into a story.

The rules must be different in the world of global children's literature. Kristof makes two assumptions that don't work for me: first, that readers won't be able to connect with stories unless you include an American, and second, that his readers are American.

I've never included "bridge" foreigners in stories set outside North America. First, I trust young readers to connect with characters of a different culture. Second, since I grew up "between cultures," so I never assume that my reader is staunchly in the majority culture. I always ask how the story would be received by a child within that culture as well as by North American readers, and "outside saviors" seem to discourage rather than empower non-majority children.

Of course, this literary premise of needing "bridge" characters may be the reason why (a) global books don't sell well without a big gatekeeper push, and (b) I got rejected for years and years because I was submitting books without them.

What do you think? Does a "bridge" character in fiction draw you into a story? If books by authors like Jhumpa Lahiri and Khaled Hosseini didn't have anything or anybody "American" in them, would they have won such wide cultural favor?

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Today in my "Race, Culture, and Power in Children's Stories" class at Saint Mary's College of California, we took a look at the winners of the 2014 ALA Youth Media Award, announced early this morning. We explored four questions:

1. Do any of the winning books or honorees feature a main character belonging to a group that has endured oppression in North America due to race or culture? 
2. Are any of the winning books or honorees set in a non-Western country?
3. Are any of the main characters from an economically powerless family or subculture?
4. Did any of the winning authors/illustrators grow up on the margins of power when it comes to race, culture, and/or class?

Do these questions matter in children's stories? Setting aside the Coretta Scott King and Pura Belpré awards for a moment, how would you answer these questions?

Note: In my author hat, I'm thrilled for all of the winners and so proud to see children's books making headlines. Congratulations, one and all! But in teacher mode, I am encouraging a focus on marginalized and powerless children and so invite you to join the discussion.

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Today I'm thrilled to host Gene Yang, one of the contributors to Open Mic Anthology (Candlewick), via skype in my Jan Term class at Saint Mary's College of California. My students have prepared questions to ask him, and here are a few:

• Do you find that because of your background as a Chinese-American, you have integrated your own characteristics into some of the characters? Especially because of your ancestry, do you feel a connection with the characters you have created?
  
• Have you ever been criticized for not having an authentic-enough experience to write your stories, considering you are Chinese-American? If yes, what is your response to critics?
  
• What made you write about the Boxer Rebellion? What is more special about this event than others in Chinese history that made you spend precious time on this subject?
  
• What kind of research did you have to do to make the story more authentic since you were originally born in California? Was your upbringing more American or Chinese and how did this contribute?
  
• How does your faith play a role when writing your stories?

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I've just finished a month of teaching "Race, Culture, and Power in Children's and YA Books" during Jan Term at Saint Mary's College of California. As the college-wide theme this year was Inspired (see above), I asked students to create picture books by fulfilling two requirements: (1) they were required to write fiction featuring a "hero's journey," and (2) they needed to explore an aspect of race, culture, or power.

I was delighted by their books, as well as their ability to debate issues around authenticity, banning, bowdlerization, ethnic awards, and multicultural representation on book covers. We also enjoyed eye-opening skype visits from Yolanda Leroy Scott of Charlesbridge, Renee Ting of Shen's Books, Debbie Reese of American Indians in Children's Literature, and Stacy L. Whitman of Tu Books. Thanks to all of these experts for their time and thoughtful input.

When asked about their takeaways from the class, here are a few student responses:

"I've developed a keen eye for exclusion."
"Never thought about white default before."
"Children's stories are powerful."
"Kids notice race at an early age."
"Stories featuring multicultural kids doing 'regular stuff' are empowering."
"There's power in being bicultural."
"It's hard to write a children’s story!"

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Today I'm delighted to host Carol Antoinette Peacock, author of a new middle grade novel, Red Thread Sisters (Viking / Penguin). A well-paced, satisfying hero's journey, this moving book tells the story of Wen, an eleven-year-old girl who leaves an orphanage in China for a new home in Boston. Tween readers will root for the protagonist in her quest to find a home in America for Shu Ling, her best friend in China.

Red Thread Sisters doesn't gloss over the grief of adoption. Even as Wen fiercely advocates for Shu Ling, she battles for herself as well, grieving for what she left behind in China and taking stock of what she might gain—and lose—as she accepts her new family and home. A new friend Hannah, proficient with American culture and popular at school, is also processing a familial loss, evening out the power between the two girls and making their friendship credible.

The author skillfully switches from the narrator's fluent and honest internal voice, which we assume is in Chinese, to displaying Wen's emerging proficiency in English through dialog. This simile worked perfectly, for example, using a memory from the orphanage to describe the irritating struggle of language acquisition: "Wen strained hard to pick up any English she knew. The words seemed to buzz, like flies swarming over the babies' heads on the hottest days."

By the end of the story, this novel accomplishes the purposes of good "between cultures" stories: it widens hearts and builds bridges. I read it in one sitting and got choked up at two scenes (read the book to guess which ones). I hope you enjoy this chat with Carol as much as I did.

For a reader unfamiliar with international adoption, I hope Red Thread Sisters will enlighten that reader about the challenges, but most important, the happiness of building a family through international adoption.

Although international adoption is far more common than years ago, some people still sense that these families are beset by racial prejudice and cultural differences. And of course, families created through international adoption do encounter these issues.

But what I wanted to convey to all readers was the joy of international adoption. Unexpectedly adopted, Wen must leave her best friend, Shu Ling, as close as sisters, behind. Wen promises she’ll find Shu Ling a family of her own, once she’s in America. But can Wen keep her promise? As the reader follows Wen’s valiant efforts to find Shu Ling a family, the power of Wen joining her own adoptive family emerges, too.

Later in the book, Shu Ling, begins to fear belonging to a family in America. Wen tells her, “Being with a family is better because if you get lost, they drive around in your car until they find you. If you feel sad, they try to cheer you up, even if they don’t really know what’s wrong. If you get sick, they sit by your bed and take care of you. And if things get hard, like maybe there’s less money, they still love you, no matter what, because they’re your family. That’s what’s better.”

I should add that I’m an adoptive mother of two Chinese daughters, so I have lived the joys and challenges of international adoption. As I wrote Red Thread Sisters, I realized I was actually writing about the power of connection, through families and through friendship.


Oh, what a good question! The high point of getting published was the day Leila Sales at Viking/Penguin, my editor, got the go-ahead to buy my novel. I’d done seven years of research and revising Red Thread Sisters. And now my book was going to be published! When I got that email from my agent, I screamed, I was so happy.

A low point? I wrote Red Thread Sisters, based on my own experience working with older children at my own daughters’ orphanage. I got input from so many helpful adoptive parents. And when the book kept getting rejected, I felt very discouraged. I wrote Red Thread Sisters from an inner passion. Each rejection felt like such a stab in the heart.


I gave the novel depth. My wonderful editor at Viking suggested I add more of Wen’s struggles to adjust to American culture. This was a very important change and improved my story enormously. Now I was writing not just a book about international adoption but a more nuanced novel, about cultural themes and a host of subplots. The scenes of American life broadened the book’s appeal and gave the book a much larger audience. Thank you, Leila!


I worried that no one will read my novel. I’m not kidding, even though Red Thread Sisters is getting good reviews, I still sometimes worry it won’t sell. I brood that I won’t be able to share my message and tell my story. Anytime readers tell me they loved my book, I feel so relieved and deeply gratified.


Another good question. I’m a practicing psychologist and have used my dog to help emotionally disturbed kids for years. I am thinking of writing about this experience, maybe including the perspective of the dog. I need to go walk the beach with my black Lab, Pepper, and immerse myself in my next book.

We'll have to walk our dogs together! I have a black Lab named Zipper! Thanks for joining me on the Fire Escape, Carol. I'm looking forward to your next book and will become your Facebook fan HERE (hint to my Fire Escape visitors).



 “…provides a moving and engaging experience for readers. A fine addition to both the coming-of-age genre and books sensitively dealing with cross-cultural adoption.” — Kirkus Reviews 

“….perfectly paced…heartwarming and joyous.” — School Library Journal 

 “This…intimate novel focuses on Wen’s difficult emotional journey…Wen’s selflessness and determination are poignant but not overly sentimental and the story’s truths about children in need are sensitively expressed…..” — Publishers Weekly

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TU Books, the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery imprint of Lee and Low, recently announced their first annual New Visions Award. "The New Visions Award will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color," they say.

I wondered why the award was restricted to the race of the author rather than of the characters, and asked Stacy Whitman, editorial director of TU BOOKS, about her take on this sticky issue. Here's the email exchange between the two of us (shared with Stacy's permission):

Mitali: Hi Stacy. Just wondering why you decided to focus the award on "writers of color" rather than "main characters of color"?

Stacy: This is like the Lee and Low New Voices Award, which is aimed at discovering new voices of color, given that so many writers are white. Everyone is still welcome to submit to our regular submissions. Hope that clears it up.

Mitali: Yes and no. I've always wondered how Lee and Low defined "of color."

Stacy: It's a good question. Here's the answer Louise usually gives writers who ask about it for New Voices, which I'll be adapting as people start to ask me:

While our company does acknowledge and actively work with Caucasian authors and illustrators, our New Voices contest specifically promotes the work of new writers who are not Caucasian. We use the term “color” in the commonly accepted way to refer to those writers and readers who might otherwise be referred to as members of minority populations (African Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans, and Native Americans), but who are fast becoming larger and larger percentages of the United States population. We apologize if you find this terminology exclusionary, but it is meant merely to be descriptive. For want of a better term, we use what is in common usage throughout the country.

As a company founded with the mission of creating books in which children of color can see themselves in the stories they read, we feel it is critical to acknowledge these unheard voices. In the mainstream world of children’s publishing—statistically dominated by works by and about Caucasians—writers of color and their stories for children have and continue to slip through the cracks, making up a small percentage of the children’s books published each year. Aside from our small efforts to promote new writers from diverse communities, you will find there are national children’s book awards that have similar focuses, for example the Coretta Scott King Award which acknowledges African American authors and illustrators, and the Pura Belpré Award which acknowledges Latino authors and illustrators.

It can be tricky—I personally prefer the author to define themselves, rather than for myself to define it. And for me it includes multiracial people (Tobias Buckell, an editor of Diverse Energies, for example, is half black and half white, even though many people just looking at him would assume he is "just" white, which is a complicated genetic thing that society oversimplifies). But what it comes down to is that we're trying to help discover new voices from underrepresented groups through this contest.

Me: Thanks, this is helpful. My opinion is that with all the mixing and melding going on, any authentic experience of a writer will ring through in the fiction if we focus on the culture/race of the character rather than of the author. If an upper middle class Bengali woman like me writes about a poor Bengali fisherman's son (as I'm doing right now), I'm crossing huge borders of class, gender, and caste, but not race ... may I write this story? I certainly hope so, because I am! Anyway, the goal is to widen the choices of fiction for readers so that we're not all rooting solely for educated upper class heroes with European roots ... the question is how to get there.

Stacy: Exactly, and this is pretty much a two-pronged approach for us--encouraging everyone to submit to the main submissions, but also doing the contest in a hunt for more diversity among writers as well as in the stories.

ABOUT THE AWARD

TU BOOKS, the fantasy, science fiction, and mystery imprint of LEE and LOW BOOKS, announces their first annual New Visions Award. The New Visions Award will be given for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. Authors who have not previously had a middle grade or young adult novel published are eligible.

The Award winner will receive a cash grant of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author. An Honor Award winner will receive a cash grant of $500. Manuscripts will be accepted through October 30, 2012. See the full submissions guidelines here.

The New Visions Award was established to help more authors of color break into publishing and begin long, successful careers, while also bringing more diverse stories to speculative fiction. The award is modeled after Lee and Low's successful New Voices Award, which was established in 2000 and is given annually to a picture book written by an unpublished author of color.

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An inspiring story about a Bangladeshi girl who wants to go to school but must work as a bricklayer. Thanks to hard work and a loving family, Yasmin's dream comes true. I hope with all my heart that she is representative of the children we'd see in Dhaka working from dawn to dusk. A wonderful read; highly recommended.

Finally! A picture book featuring a suburban African-American family that has nothing to do with slavery or racism. The message about friendship is beautifully told.

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Bubbly, colorful, and exciting, THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING by Uma Krishnaswami is as entertaining as the best Bollywood "fillums." A middle-grade read stuffed with romance, adventure, and mystery, this entrancing book published by Atheneum was starred by Kirkus and Publishers Weekly. Travel with Dini to Swapnagiri, India, where practicing a little "dekho, dekho" (look, look) and "shuno, shuno" (listen, listen) will lead to a happy-ever-after ending that makes everyone feel like dancing.

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Cook up a steaming pot of Wakame Miso Soup (recipe included in the book) and settle down to read this tale of two grandmothers. THE WAKAME GATHERERS by Holly Thompson, illustrated by Kazumi Wilds (Shen's Books), introduces us to the joy of gathering wakame seaweed in the surf crashing on a Japanese shoreline. Thompson's heartfelt story and Wilds' lively art illuminate the tension of inheriting two cultures which in the past have been enemies, as well as underline this generation's call to retain a costly peace.

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How do you present the complexity of busing in the 1970s to young children? With an even-handed, character-centered picture book, of course. Richard Michelson's BUSING BREWSTER (Knopf) jumpstarts the conversation, introducing children to spunky first-grader Brewster, drawn with chin held high on the cover by R.G. Roth.

At his new school, an Irish-American teacher named Miss O'Grady inspires Brewster by not laughing at his dream of becoming President. I couldn't help wondering, though, if Miss Evelyn, the first-grade teacher in his own neighborhood, couldn't have encouraged the same dream in Brewster. That's the question Michelson seems to be hinting at when he writes through Brewster's eyes: "Miss O'Grady's the librarian. She looks just like Miss Evelyn."

A window into a time in history when children participated in one of the United States' most controversial social experiments, this picture book is also a mirror for a sweet relationship between a protective big brother and a happy-go-lucky little one.

Richard Michelson was born in a mostly Jewish neighborhood in Brooklyn that became mostly black by the time he was 12. His family stayed, and his father was shot and killed in the family's hardware store by a black man. Michelson has dedicated much of his writing for children to reconciliation between the two communities, and informs each books with extensive research as well as his own lifelong relationships.

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Many picture books portray the gains of adoption, but few celebrate it while admitting the reality of all that a child loses. GOYANGI MEANS CAT by Christine McDonnell (Viking) gently and lovingly allows a child to grieve the experiences that came before. Parents who read this book aloud tacitly permit their child to express the grief that is an inevitable part of adoption.

The author is an adoptive parent and a school librarian, and her understanding of and respect for children shines throughout this lovely book. Child-centered illustrations by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher echo the theme of a safe space to explore loss.

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Looking for a girl hero in a middle-grade novel with a heart to protect the abused? You'll find her in THE TROUBLE WITH HALF A MOON's Dellie (Putnam | 2011). The author, Danette Vigilante, grew up in Brooklyn's Red Hook housing project, and her "insider's" mastery of the setting magically transports us there. We feel the blue flakes on the playground benches, hear the sound of approaching sirens, basketballs dribbling, and neighbors' fights, and smell the antiseptic used by Dellie's mother to clean the elevators.

Vigilante's first person tween voice effortlessly weaves in details about Puerto Rican culture in this debut novel. Dellie honors her hard-working, loving, strict parents, staying true to the culture's norms, even as she decides to break a few rules for the sake of someone in need. Perfect read to illuminate for tween girls that so-called "small" choices can make a difference in their own lives and in their communities.

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Travel the world from your sofa with this superb list of 80 books (.pdf file) covering every geographic region. The bibliography is curated by Kathleen T. Horning of the Cooperative Children's Book Center, and includes contemporary and historical books published here and in other countries between 2001 and 2011. K.T.'s goal is to "give readers here a glimpse not only of life in or the history of other parts of the world, but also of what children and teens elsewhere may be reading." (Full disclosure: My Bamboo People made the list.)

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Today I'm delighted to host my über-talented friend Uma Krishnaswami, on blog tour for her recently released middle-grade novel, THE GRAND PLAN TO FIX EVERYTHING (Atheneum, 2011). But before we spend time with Uma, here's an introduction to her newest sparkling tale ...

"Full of references to Bollywood movie traditions and local customs, this is a delightful romp with a fresh setting and a distinctive and appealing main character." — Kirkus, starred review

"Krishnaswami perfectly captures movie-star infatuation, best-friendship, geographical displacement, and youthful determination in this exuberant blend of American tween life and Indian village culture." — PW, starred review

ABOUT THE BOOK: Eleven-year old Dini loves movies—watching them, reading about them, trying to write her own—especially Bollywood movies. But when her mother tells her some big news, it does not at all jive with the script of her life she has in mind. Her family is moving to India…and, not even to Bombay, which is the center of the Bollywood universe and home to Dini's all-time most favorite star, Dolly. No, Dini is moving to a teeny, tiny village she can't even find on a map. Swapnagiri. This joyful, lively Bollywood inspired story, full of colorful details, delicious confections and the wondrous, magical powers of coincidence, will have you smiling from ear to ear.

 And now, let's talk with the lovely Ms. Uma.


I wasn't overly conscious of trying to interpret India, because I figure my view of anywhere is going to be just that--one view. It's why we need many stories. I did realize that I was picturing a hilly region far from the hot cities, and that some people may find that goes against how they visualize India. Well, if I were to set a story in New Mexico, I imagine there'd be people who might say, "That's in America?" So I figured the best thing to do was to give agency to Dini, my hyphenated character in The Grand Plan to Fix Everything. She sees both India and America through her own Bollywood-tinted lenses, so the reader gets to see it that way too. And if it seems a little fractured and crazy--well, that's pretty much how it is.

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19. 2010 Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 3/31/2011
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Awards, Books Between Cultures, Bamboo People (Charlesbridge 2010), Add a tag

I'm thrilled that Bamboo People has been named the Children's Literature Honor book by the APALA arm of the American Library Association. Here's the full list of winners—congratulations, one and all, and thanks to the librarians who selected the books:

Picture Book Winner
Malaspina, Ann. Yasmin’s Hammer. Illustrated by Doug Ghayka.  New York: Lee and Low, 2010.

Picture Book Honor
Thong, Roseanne. Fly Free! Illustrated by Eujin Kim Neilan.   Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press, 2010

Children’s Literature Winner
Preus, Margi. Heart of a Samurai. New York: Amulet Books (Abrams), 2010.

Children’s Literature Honor
Perkins, Mitali. Bamboo People. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge, 2010.

Young Adult Literature Winner
Senzai, N. H. Shooting Kabul. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010.

Young Adult Literature Honor
Bazaldua, Barbara. A Boy of Heart Mountain. Illustrated by Willie Ito.  Camarillo, CA: Yabitoon Books, 2010.  

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Julie Musil said, on 3/31/2011 3:49:00 PM

What an honor! Congratulations to you and all the other authors.

Helen's Book Blog said, on 3/31/2011 5:27:00 PM

Congratulations! Bamboo People was one of the best YA books I read last year and Shooting Kabul is one of my favorites this year.

Gerri L said, on 3/31/2011 6:22:00 PM

* Wonderful! Congratulations to all of you!

sheela-chari said, on 3/31/2011 6:36:00 PM

Congratulations to you, Mitali, and all the other winners!

Rasco from RIF said, on 3/31/2011 7:24:00 PM

Congratulations, Mitali, I am so thrilled for you and Bamboo People...you know how much I liked that book and I still reflect on it often! Applause and showers of RIF gold stars!

Sayantani said, on 3/31/2011 7:43:00 PM

Congratulations Mitali - well deserved! A fantastic list here!

jama said, on 4/1/2011 7:44:00 AM

Congratulations, Mitali. Hooray for Bamboo People! SO well deserved :).

Doret said, on 4/2/2011 8:24:00 AM

Much congrats and Senzai, Shooting Kabul was a great debut.

Mitali Perkins said, on 4/2/2011 11:10:00 AM

Thank you all, so much. I am thrilled.

Ann Malaspina said, on 4/3/2011 4:17:00 PM

Congratulations to you for Bamboo People! I loved the story. Thanks for posting, too.

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20. Notable Books for a Global Society 2011

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 3/24/2011
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Peacemaking and Literature, Awards, Books Between Cultures, Add a tag

Curious about how to share books set in other countries or cultures with kids? This slideshow prepared by Karen Hildebrand of the Notable Books for a Global Society commitee demonstrates the rich resources available online to enrich the reading of these books (flip past the first two ad slides to get started.)

Notable Books for a Global Society 2011

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21. Culture, Justice, and Kid/YA Books: A Chat between Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Mitali Perkins, and Susanna Reich

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 10/5/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Books Between Cultures, Add a tag

During the 2010 Brooklyn Book Festival, Susanna Reich moderated a conversation in the PEN American booth between Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich (8th GRADE SUPERZERO) and me. We chatted about writing characters who are social misfits, how writing biographies is similar to writing across cultures, raising questions of faith in fiction, writing to learn, and ... zombies along the Thai-Burma border? But wow, I don't remember talking quite so much ...

---

Download the mp3

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jeannine said, on 10/5/2010 7:38:00 AM

Wow what a dynamic group of women writer warriors. Wish I could have been chatting it up with you. One day!!!

Rachel Stark said, on 10/6/2010 5:32:00 AM

Wish I could have been there to catch this in person. Thanks for sharing the link, as well as your thoughts and stories!

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22. Selling Color in a White World

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 9/27/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Mitali Events, Books Between Cultures, Multicultural Events and Resources, Race/Ethnicity in Children's/YA Books, Add a tag

Please answer this call from Elizabeth Bluemle, bookseller and blogger at Publishers Weekly, for input on how to "sell color in a white world."

At the New England Independent Booksellers Association trade show next week, the Children’s Bookselling Advisory Council is holding a panel discussion on this topic. I’d love for booksellers, authors, publishers and editors, sales reps and publicists to attend and share their successful strategies for getting past reluctant or stymied gatekeepers and reaching across color lines to share wonderful, diverse books with kids. I’ll be posting a follow-up in ShelfTalker after the panel. Here’s the description:

Friday, October 1, 10:15-11:45 am

Multicultural Kids Books: Selling Color in a White World

We all want to support and sell wonderful multicultural books, but many of us live in areas with fairly homogenous populations. How do we get past unconscious color barriers, both our own and our customers’, and put great books featuring characters of all colors in the hands of children? Participants will leave with helpful resources, including sample booktalks, tips for successful conversations with hesitant customers, resources for meeting the needs of multiracial families in your neighborhood, a list of helpful websites, and an annotated bibliography of great multicultural books by age. Panelists will include bookseller Elizabeth Bluemle (The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne, Vt.), author Mitali Perkins, Stacy Whitman (Editorial Director of Tu Publishing), and Karen Lotz (President and Publisher of Candlewick Press).

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Anjali said, on 9/27/2010 3:57:00 PM

I hope this will be put on YouTube. (Will you let us know if it is?) I'm very interested in this topic. I'm an author on the verge of trying to look for a publisher for my picture book that takes place in India. Glad people are talking about this!

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23. A Chat with Christina Gonzalez, Author of THE RED UMBRELLA

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 7/20/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Books Between Cultures, Author Interviews, Add a tag

I love historical fiction when both words are handled excellently by an author, don't you?

I've been lounging in the garden this summer, making my way slowly but surely through a pile of books. But time didn't plod as I read Christina Gonzalez' THE RED UMBRELLA (Knopf Books for Young Readers) — it flew as I turned page after page without stopping.

This tender, intimate look at one family's separation is a superb way to learn about Operation Pedro Pan and the Castro revolution in Cuba. Between 1960 and 1962, with the help of the  the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami, over 14,000 children from Cuba were sent by parents who opposed the revolutionary government. These children were placed with friends, relatives and group homes in 35 states.

The first half of the novel is set in Cuba, and provides an incredible firsthand look at how a young person's life can change drastically and quickly under a repressive government. Everything is at risk as the danger builds — friendships, romance, work, home, family.

The second half is set in Nebraska, and focuses on Lucia's efforts to become part of life on a North American farm while taking care of her brother Frankie and missing her parents intensely. Yes, I got choked up in places, especially the ending, and so will you. THE RED UMBRELLA is a perfect read for middle-schoolers and I've been recommending it right and left.

Today I'm thrilled to host Christina on the Fire Escape as she talks about her debut novel. We invite you to sit back, put on some Cuban jazz, pour a chilled glass of guarapo (sugar cane juice), and enjoy the conversation.

So, tell us, Christina, when, why, and how did a successful lawyer decide to write a children's book?

I've always been a big reader, but when I saw my children reading some of the same books I loved as a child, my passion for writing was re-ignited. I enjoyed being an attorney, but I wasn't passionate about it. Writing for middle graders/young adults is what I love to do because I believe that is the time in your life when everything and anything is possible...your whole life lays before you and you take those first steps in choosing who you will be. What can be more exciting?

Absolutely nothing. Moving from passion to hard work, what kind of research apart from talking to relatives did you do for THE RED UMBRELLA?

I read American and Cuban newspapers of the time to see how the same historical events were being depicted in the two societies. Yet there is nothing like getting first-hand accounts and so I spoke with many people outside my family who were part of Operation Pedro Pan.

This really gave me an even deeper insight into what my parents and mother-in-law went through when they were sent out of Cuba as teenagers. Of course, this all caused me to want to learn more and so I asked more probing questions about my own family's experience and listened closely to the stories I'd probably heard since I was born..

Jenny Schwartzberg said, on 7/20/2010 10:41:00 AM

This book sounds wonderful. Thank you so much Mitali and Christina for this interview!

jpetroroy said, on 7/20/2010 10:45:00 AM

Wonderful interview. The Red Umbrella has been one of my favorite books this year and Christina sounds so lovely

jpetroroy at gmail dot com

N.H. Senzai said, on 7/20/2010 11:09:00 AM

I'm in the middle of reading it and have just hit the part where... well, I can't say and ruin it for others :) All I can say is that I can taste the flan and cafe con leche as I disappear into the story -- beautifully done Christina!

Michelle M said, on 7/20/2010 11:55:00 AM

I am not typically a fan of historical fiction but this book certainly changed my mind! Thank you for such a wonderful, in-depth interview. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Christina Gonzalez!

Mandi Garfield said, on 7/20/2010 12:07:00 PM

Great interview and inspiring for aspiring writers like me!!!

[email protected]

Hull.Margaret said, on 7/20/2010 4:03:00 PM

My niece by marriage came from Cuba by way of PR. She and my nephew have 2 boys who were taught English and Spansh from birth.
Tks. for writing such a great book and such a great BLOG.
Penny

MissAttitude said, on 7/20/2010 4:47:00 PM

What lovely interview. I'm starting the book tonight so I can read it before vacation and review it during vacation :)

I have no doubt that The Red Umbrella does justice to the children who went through the Pedro Pan experience, thank you for bringing it to so many people's attention. It was indeed one of the Catholic church's shining moments :)

Doret said, on 7/20/2010 6:10:00 PM

The Christina Day scene was one of my favorites. I loved the image of the Red Umbrella.

And N.H. Senzai, reminded me, this book made me hungry. I found myself eating empanadas while reading.

Celia Olmos said, on 7/21/2010 10:36:00 AM

I can't wait to read this book. I am also a Cuban refugee brought to the U.S. with my mom in 1961 at 8 months of age. It would be an honor to receive a personalized book. My email: [email protected].

Amy said, on 7/22/2010 3:26:00 PM

I'm going to suggest this for purchase at the library where I work. =) Can't wait to read it.

Melina said, on 7/22/2010 3:32:00 PM

I love books like this. Thank you for the giveaway and for the great interview. I learned a few things.

Ellen Zschunke said, on 7/22/2010 3:46:00 PM

This sounds like a great read - I'll have to add it to my "to read" list, though I'll be honest, that list is VERY long right now!!!

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24. Amazon as Publisher? An Insider's View From YA Author Zetta Elliott

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 5/4/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Books Between Cultures, Teen Reads, Author Interviews, Race/Ethnicity in Children's/YA Books, Add a tag

I admire certain publishing houses because of their history of championing voices from the margins. Recently I was surprised to discover that Amazon Encore (yes, that Amazon) makes a similar claim as a publisher. Here's the program's mission statement:

Even great books can be overlooked. And authors with great potential often struggle to connect with the larger audience they deserve to reach ... AmazonEncore is a new program whereby Amazon will use information such as customer reviews on Amazon.com to identify exceptional, overlooked books and authors with more potential than their sales may indicate.

I definitely had my questions, so I invited Zetta Elliot, author of the award-winning picture book Bird, to share about how Amazon Encore published her novel A Wish After Midnight. Zetta calls this program "part of the 'next wave' in publishing," and provides a compelling argument about why it worked for her. (Note: the emphasis in bold in some of her answers comes from me, not Zetta.)

Could you tell us more about why you self-published this novel first and then how Amazon Encore decided to pick A Wish After Midnight?


I think my experience was the same as most aspiring authors—I finished the manuscript in 2003 and began querying dozens of editors and agents. No one was interested! One white male agent said it was “cliché,” yet when I asked him to name another time-travel novel featuring an Afro-Latina protagonist he couldn’t, of course. So after five years of rejection I opted to self-publish.

My first picture book, Bird, was coming out in the fall of ’08, so I made sure I had copies of A Wish After Midnight to share with educators and librarians whenever I did a public presentation. I don’t know just what it was that caught AmazonEncore’s attention—likely a combination of my credentials, the success of Bird, and the quality of the book itself. I got an email from an acquisitions editor last summer saying he’d read my book, loved it, and felt we could partner to reach a wider audience.

I know AmazonEncore looks at reader reviews, and I was fortunate to have many book bloggers who raved about my novel. I had already made a book trailer and study guide for the book, it had been adopted by local schools and public library systems…in a way, it was a no-brainer, altho

Jeannine Atkins said, on 5/4/2010 6:31:00 AM

That was really interesting to read about the back story, and, Zetta, I look forward to reading A Wish After Midnight (I’m slow to get to so much, but I hope better late than never). Mitali, love your praise for Zetta’s innovation, courage, and prophetic voice.

Courtney Cook Hopp said, on 5/4/2010 6:37:00 AM

It is great to hear about the "alternate routes" to being published. Thank you for the interesting interview!

Melissa Wiley said, on 5/4/2010 6:54:00 AM

Wow, Mitali, Zetta, thank you both. That was fascinating. Zetta, I've been looking forward to reading A WISH AFTER MIDNIGHT. Even more so now! I loved BIRD.

Eagerly awaiting the Andrew Fukuda piece, Mitali.

Maggie Desmond-O'Brien said, on 5/4/2010 8:21:00 AM

Wow! Thank you so much for this! I'd never even heard of this route to publication before, and it sounds intriguing. I'll have to pick up BIRD and A WISH AFTER MIDNIGHT sometime soon! :)

Laura Atkins said, on 5/4/2010 8:42:00 AM

I do think there will be more and more alternatives to getting published by the mainstream publishers. Zetta's persistence, plus getting her work out there (using blogs and other contacts) has made all the difference.

Beth Kephart said, on 5/4/2010 10:02:00 AM

Thank you for the honest and thorough look at this process.

Zetta said, on 5/5/2010 6:51:00 AM

Thanks for giving me the chance to talk about my publishing experience, Mitali! And thanks to the other commenters for the words of support. It's an exciting time if you're open to change...

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25. My Bollywoodish Book Cover

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By: Mitali Perkins, on 4/22/2010
Blog: Mitali's Fire Escape (Login to Add to MyJacketFlap)
JacketFlap tags:  Books Between Cultures, First Daughter Books (Dutton 2007-8), Add a tag

HarperCollins India is releasing my First Daughter books next month, beginning with the first, and editor Pradipta Sarkar sent me the new cover. Here's the India version, followed by the American original. What do you guys think?

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EM said, on 4/22/2010 9:07:00 AM

Wait - what? When did Sparrow turn into Carrie Bradshaw?

MissAttitude said, on 4/22/2010 6:02:00 PM

LOL @ EM!

I think both covers are cute. Althoug the Booywoodish cover is not how I pcitured Sparrow (the U.S. cover fits better). And this is minor, but the Bollywood cover girl looks tall. Sparrow is short right?

But so cool that you're being published in India!!

Sherry said, on 4/23/2010 5:25:00 PM

Ummm, hate to mention it, but why is she so white?

Jeannine said, on 4/24/2010 5:13:00 AM

I like the second one best. I haven't read the books yet so don't know the characters description but the girl on that cover is cute. We need more brown faces on covers.

Pradipta said, on 4/26/2010 1:51:00 AM

Sherry, she isn't white - she's the same skin tone that an average not-particularly-dark-complexioned Pakistani/Indian girl is, which is... not really brown.

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