Banned Book Week started yesterday.

For those of you who don’t know,

“Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Typically held during the last week of September, it highlights the value of free and open access to information. Banned Books Week brings together the entire book community –- librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types –- in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.” –American Library Association

Here at Lee & Low Books, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite banned/challenged titles (in no particular order).

1. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee – banned for use of racial slurs and profanity.
2. Harry Potter (series) by J.K. Rowling – banned for depictions of witchcraft and wizardry/the occult.
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie – banned for racism, sexually explicit language, and profanity.
4. The Kite Runner by Khaleid Hosseini– banned for depictions of homosexuality, profanity, religious viewpoints, and sexual content.
5. Our Bodies, Ourselves by Boston Women’s Health Book Collective – banned for language and “promoting homosexuality.”
6. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck– banned for profanity and sexual references.
7. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle – banned for offensive language and use of magic.
8. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury – banned for language. 
9. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – banned for profanity, racial slurs, and “blasphemous language”,
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley – banned for sexual content.
11. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky – banned for drug usage, sexually explicit content and unsuited to age group
12. Summer of my German Soldier by Bette Greene – banned for language and racism.
13. The Giver by Lois Lowry – banned for “religious view point, suicide, unsuited to age group, and sexually explicit content.”
14. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – banned for “violence, sexually explicit content, and being unsuited to the age group.”
15. Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich– banned for “drugs, inaccurate, offensive language, political viewpoint, and religious viewpoint”
16. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things by Carolyn Mackler – banned for “offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited to age group.”

Here are some other resources for Banned Book Week:

ALA: Frequently Challenged Books of the 21st century

Banned Books that Shaped America

Book Challenges Suppress Diversity

The daughter of an anthropologist, Laura Reiko Simeon’s passion for diversity-related topics stems from her childhood spent living all over the US and the world. She fell in love with Sweden thanks to the Swedish roommate she met in Wales while attending one of the United World Colleges, international high schools dedicated to promoting cross-cultural understanding. Laura has an MA in History from the University of British Columbia, and a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Washington. She lives near Seattle.

As the Librarian and Diversity Coordinator at a school with a global population, my guiding vision is that the books I offer must be both mirrors that reflect children’s lives and windows that open up new worlds. This is a challenge when the small percentage of children’s books in English showing people of color is largely restricted to stories of oppression far removed from my students’ daily lives of homework, soccer, and wishing for a puppy. Of course it’s important to be aware of injustice, but it sends a powerful message if we only show racial diversity in settings of suffering and conflict.

While “diversity” is not generally the first word that comes to mind when Americans think of Sweden, today fully 20% of Swedes are either immigrants or children of immigrants, many from Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Combine this with Swedes’ commitment to children’s rights and a vibrant literary and artistic community, and you have the perfect setting for stimulating debates and boundary-pushing creativity.

A grant from the Swedish Institute allowed me to visit Stockholm last year to interview librarians, authors, illustrators, publishers, and teachers about how recent picture books reflect their multicultural society. During my visit I learned about a fundamental distinction between their approach to diversity and our own. There is a concerted effort to publish works of artistic and literary merit, free from heavy moralizing, that express a child’s perspective and tear down the walls that segregate people of color into a few categories: civil rights hero, the downtrodden, and token exotic friend.

from Bridget and the Gray Wolves by Pija Lindenbaum

There is a firm belief in Sweden that the problem in stories must be about something other than differences.Marie Tomicic, of the Swedish multicultural publisher OLIKA, explained that when the problem in the story is the fact that a boy is playing with a doll, that sends a very different message from a book where the boy’s choice of a doll is unremarkable and the conflict “emerges from the play itself,” such as arguing about what scenario to act out.

This is why recent Swedish picture books that show ethnic diversity involve conflicts about ordinary, universal topics such as sharing. Several authors who are passionate about diversity proudly told me that if you were to read the text alone, you would never know that the illustrations in their books showed characters of many races. Often it’s even hard to tell exactly what ethnicity characters are meant to be. The Swedish Institute for Children’s Books monitors and publishes detailed data about gender – but not race – largely because of this ambiguity.

Gunna Grähs, a prolific author and illustrator, writes about a multicultural Swedish suburb where immigrants from several continents pursue ordinary daily activities such as buying lottery tickets or helping a neighbor who forgot to feed his cat. For decades Siv Widerberg has written stories in which multiethnic groups of children build sandcastles at daycare, collect sticks in the woods, and more. Anna Bengtsson shows characters with different ethnic backgrounds going to the hairdresser or playing in a pile of snow. Similarly, Eva Lindström, Lena Anderson, Eva Susso, Pija Lindenbaum, and many other Swedish writers are revolutionizing children’s literature simply by bringing people of color out of the margins and into the mainstream of daily life.

This is not to say that Swedes have arrived at a place of perfect enlightenment. Many of them admire our willingness to publish children’s books that explicitly talk about prejudice, since history and culture have made this topic uncomfortable in their own country.

Controversy erupted in Sweden 2012 over Little Heart, a character intended to reclaim and empower the pickaninny stereotype. There was also heated debate about whether hip hop artist and children’s culture advocate Behrang Miri was justified in moving Tintin in the Congo to the adult section of a library. In response to these painful incidents, Professor of Illustration Joanna Rubin Dranger has been working on improving Swedes’ visual literacy around racial stereotypes through her fascinating School of Images.

Yet recent research supports a significant benefit of the Swedish approach: when children read books featuring racially integrated groups of peers doing fun things together, it has a lasting positive impact on their play with members of other races. (This was not the case when they read diverse books showing members of just one race.) The bad news? There are so few of these types of books that likely “most American children have rarely or never seen a cross-race friendship depicted in a picture book.”

What can we do without access to most of these wonderful Swedish books? We can bring greater intentionality to how we choose diverse books. We can search for and purchase books that show diversity as a natural and positive aspect of daily life. We can discuss the implicit and explicit messages in diverse books with young readers, helping them learn to read with awareness. Children deserve more from their diverse books: let’s start tearing down those walls.

My plan: To write a quick little post about summer reading and summer at ALA. But, you know what they say about the best laid plans.

I wasn’t online last night and missed the Limbaugh shenanigans. Only a small part of me wants to understand the method to this man’s madness the rest of me wonders about those in this country that give power to not only to him but to a press that continues to sensationalize any event by addressing our emotions rather than our intellect when we think they’re providing us with information.

I could tell you that I know Deborah Menkart and Deborah Menkart is not racist. One cannot be authentic in their understanding of another culture if they do not embrace their own culture. If you’ve missed it, he accuses Menkart and Teaching for Change of being racist because they don’t sell his book. His book by the way, that is racist and inaccurate in its portrayal of US history. But, spending time in is web gives it power.

People of color can be prejudiced, but they cannot be racist, because they don’t have the institutional power.

Racism = prejudice + power

Whereas 50 years ago, my ancestors in the Delta finally had the power to leave the segregated South for the racism of Chicago. Did those schools in the Delta even have a library? I know some of my relatives were illiterate and I know how hard they worked to get their children into school. Institutional racism is a bitch.

40 years ago my parents had the power to live in a segregated neighborhood while they sent their children to a school that was 98% white. There were no books by any authors of color in that school library and the social studies teacher my 7^th grade year refused to teach about Africa. How in the world I formed my racial identity is a mystery! I don’t even remember checking about books with black children from the public library in the black neighborhood.

30 years ago my husband and I had the power to move to Indianapolis and was immediately told which neighborhoods to avoid. We carefully selected an area with ‘good’ schools that had a diverse student population. The teaching staff however, did not reflect this diversity. My daughter often complained that she never could find books in the library about teens like herself. Nonetheless, my children were empowered by the education they received in these schools and are building successful careers.

20 years ago I had the power of a classroom teacher. My US History classes were no doubt afrocentric as was my classroom library. I had to work to find books for my students, but I had them reading. And questioning. I was in one of the worst performing schools in the state of Indiana. I felt like I was giving them tiny drops of water. Institutional racism wastes minds and that’s a terrible thing.

It may take a while to get power; it may take a long while. But, no one is going to give it to you. Sometimes, we only think we have power, but isn’t that all that matters? Isn’t life all about the perception? I think that’s what Limbaugh has figured out. I have the power to dismiss insanity from my life and to sit back and by a good book written by an author of color.

Currently Reading: Feral Nights by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Support Teaching for Change.

Follow the hashtags, join the conversation #DiversityatALA #WeNeedDiverseBooks

Last year at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, we had a great turnout and discussion during our book buzz event. If you’ll be at ALA, join us again this year to keep the conversation going:

Lately, everyone’s been talking about diversity in children’s books. We know where we are and where we need to be. But how do we get past “Diversity 101” and find ways to create lasting change? Join us for a special “Diversity 102” discussion on:

• New books from LEE & LOW’s imprints

• How to turn talk into change (e.g. the amazingly successful #weneeddiversebooks campaign)

• How to create truly inclusive book collections

• How to encourage more diversity at every level of the publishing chain

Details:
Sunday, June 29, 2014
3:30–4:00 PM
Las Vegas Convention Center
Exhibit Hall, Book Buzz Theater (located on the Exhibit Floor with the entrance located in Hall N3 next to Booth #2245)

Bring your friends, questions, and ideas. We look forward to seeing you there!

Another small press to put on your radar: Brown Girl Publishing.

From their site:

Our Company: Brown Girls Publishing is a boutique publishing company, focusing primarily on digital content, while still providing printed books through Amazon. Our goal is to provide a voice for literary fan favorites, while introducing the next generation of authors.

Our Founders: Between them, National Bestselling authors, ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray have more than two million books in print. The dynamic duo decided to combine their respective talents in a highly popular series, in addition to their successful solo careers. So naturally, their next endeavor would be something near and dear to their hearts – helping build the next generation of authors, while at the same time, spotlighting some fan favorites. Victoria, a former successful entrepreneur, also holds an MBA from New York University. ReShonda is a former TV journalist and marketing professional with over 20 years of experience.

Beautiful summer weather this Sunday afternoon! I began my day in the garden and had my first harvest. I had so little on my ‘to do’ list yesterday, no more than to go to the market and to  read. The market here hasn’t even begun. And, the #weNeedDiverseBooks session at BEA was yesterday. I got myself to a diner to follow the tweets where I learned about plans for #WeNeedDiverseBooks to work with the National Education Association and First Book to plan a KitLit Diversity Expo in Washington DC in 2016. The jam-packed room resounded with support for the need for more diverse books and the momentum is just beginning.

No doubt it will take every day from now until then to plan the expo, but it will take everyone one of us being involved in kidlit to make it successful. Now more than ever is time to be present and any and every forum that relates to young adult literature, not just diversity. We have to continue showing up to stay part of the conversation. Join them on Twitter or Facebook if you can’t join in person.

As I reflect on the yesterday’s events, I considered two groups: librarians and young adults themselves.

I think it will be very hard for many young adults to express their desire for more books with characters like them. Those who do have a high level of awareness and will make extremely articulate cases for why we need more diverse books.

My own story is not unlike many of my generation, of not knowing I wanted books with black people until I’d found them. I grew up in Catholic all white schools and as an avid reader, I read whatever I could find. I remember going to the public library in the black neighborhood as a child. Black librarians (or were they clerks?) worked there but I do not remember books with black children then. I remember the good sisters giving me anthologies that contained stories and poems written by black authors and while I was initially embarrassed, I cherished those books and read them again and again. Probably in high school I found the Soul Brothers and Sister Lou. Definitely in high school I found Sammy Davis’ Junior’s Yes I Can and Margaret Walker’s Jubilee. I don’t remember any others, but I know the desire was there. Junior year I know I read Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Gwendolyn Brooks with some discomfort in my all white classes yet the topic I selected for my research project that year was LeRoi Jones.

Of course teachers need better training on cultural awareness, but the issue I’m looking at is the lack of books available to me in the library. What if I could have found them freely on my own? What if my classmates could have read books about black kids? Or Latina? Or Asian? How much more would we all have grown and developed? I can’t help but think that if I’d read more books with characters like me, I’d have found my voice sooner.

What experiences are young people of color today having with their reading selections? How many are able to find what they want? How many want more books with young people of differing color, nationality, sexual orientation or abilities? I remember how powerful Ari’s voice was and would like to hear from more young people.

I have to shake a finger of blame for the lack of diversity at my fellow librarians who continue to complain ‘the books are too hard to find’. I’m right here sharing book news as is Diversity in YA,  Rich in Color, and American Indians in Children’s Literature as is your library’s booksellers as is Amazon!! (hint: search young adult African American) Library shelves should reflect the diversity of America!

In April, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) released “The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children”.

“The white paper explores the critical role libraries play in helping children make cross-cultural connections and develop skills necessary to function in a culturally pluralistic society.  The paper calls for libraries to include diversity in programming and materials for children as an important piece in meeting the informational and recreational needs of their community.”

“The Future of Library Services for and with Teens: A Call to Action” was just released by the Young Adult Library Services Association. The report affirmed that teens find libraries to be a safe haven, but it also reported on how many libraries are at risk of losing teen spaces. Who are these teens you ask?

“According to an analysis of the 2010 census data completed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, there are currently 74.2 million children under the age of eighteen in the United States; 46% of them are children of color.14 All of the growth in the child population since 2000 has been among groups other than non-Hispanic whites.”

The report goes on to enumerate the many social issues confronting these teens and dynamic programs libraries across the country have developed not necessarily to address these issues but to address literacies this empowering teens through measures that are equitable and just.

And it starts with the books on the shelves that reflect the world in which we live.

Literacy. I haven’t talked tech in a while. Google scares me not because of their admitted lack of diversity but because Google continues to develop more and more Artificial Intelligence capabilities. Oh, it began with how they studied search patterns (knowledge seeking behaviors) it blossomed with Google Glass and thrives when we hear about Google devices in surgeries and now Google Nose?? Let’s keep our kids literate. Follow these stories and know how information and technology is being used in our world.  Let’s keep them reading! Let’s get them Binging it!

That beautiful sunshine has morphed into a dark gray sky, thunder and pouring rain. Diversity is beautiful.

Are you a librarian or parent working to create a diverse book collection in your home or school? Don’t miss Lee and Low’s inventory and list of resources to help you along the way.

Be certain to read The Brown Bookshelf’s feature from Carole Bostone Weatherford on why she entered the print on demand and ebook market.

There is a market, and need for, more multicultural books and ebooks. The number of multicultural children’s books being released each year has plateaued at fewer than 100 titles a year. This at a time when the U.S. population is increasingly diverse.

Several days ago, Zetta Elliott’s post about #weneeddiversebooks discussed the need for those who want more diversity in YA to support self published authors.

I’ve been discussing the barriers faced by writers of color and my colleagues had several ideas, including a collective of indie authors. I think the big review outlets—Kirkus, School Library Journal, Horn Book—ought to devote a column to indie authors so that they can shine a spotlight on the very best self-published books instead of using blanket policies to shut out those truly talented writers who have already been turned away by publishers. But if members of the children’s literature community refuse to change and instead opt to wait on the publishers themselves to do better, nothing will ever change…

I’d had a similar discussion with Amy Cheney just the week before. Amy says that without self published authors, there would be even less for her students to read. She specifically mentioned L. Divine who self published to continue her Drama High series and No Matter What by Jeff Rivera.

I still, still hesitate with self published works even though I know Zetta Elliott, B. A. Binns, Neesha Meminger, L. Divine and Jeff Rivera do good work. These authors know the process and don’t rush a first draft to press. Not everyone has that dedication.

And then there are small presses. While some can rush works through, the majority whose work I’ve read, spend time with writers of color who wouldn’t get a chance with a larger press. They don’t necessarily have the resources for a lot of marketing, but the larger houses that do have the marketing departments don’t necessarily use them on newer writers.

And, we can’t assume anything because a book comes from a major publisher. Biases are still there, editing can be sloppy and research on historic events, cultures or places can be incorrect.

By these standards, we should be willing to give independent authors and smaller publishers a try, but when you consider that these large publishers so seldom give writers of color a try, perhaps we need to really reconsider where our money is going. In Econ class we called it the ‘dollar vote’. Be selective where you spend your money and make it count. Look at the reviews and consider how well Native American culture is being portrayed. They won’t get it right until our dollars vote for the right books.

I really do try to make this easy for you. I have a nice list of authors of color who have published with smaller companies, and I even have information on some of the smaller publishers who have been flying under the #seneeddiversebooks radar. While many publishers such as those listed below are on my Resource Page, the ones I’m presenting today are not.

 Pinata Books

 RoadRunner Press

 Saffron Press

 Shen’s Books

 Starbright Books

 Tara Books

 Tiny Satchel Press

 Tulika Books

 Tuttle Publishing

 7th Generation Press

Black Sheep YA is an imprint of Akashic Books.

“Akashic Books is a Brooklyn-based independent company dedicated to publishing urban literary fiction and political nonfiction by authors who are either ignored by the mainstream, or who have no interest in working within the ever-consolidating ranks of the major corporate publishers.”

Black Sheep YA is meant to appeal to reluctant readers and those looking for something not found in traditional publishing. 2014 Titles include Changers Book 1: Drew by T. Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper and Game World by C.J. Farely.

Jacqueline Guest’s books are published by Lorimer. From her webpage:

Jacqueline is a Metis writer who lives in a log cabin nestled in the pinewoods of the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta . 

Her award winning books are unique in that many of the main characters come from different ethnic backgrounds including First Nations, Inuit or Metis. Her well-drawn characters face issues common to every child such as bullying, blended families and physical challenges and are strong role models for today’s youth. Jacqueline’s historical novels for young readers’ present Canada ’s vibrant past as an exciting read every child will enjoy. Her young adult mysteries address teenage problems in a sensitive way while still providing a great page-turner.

Her recent books include Free Throw, Triple Threat and Hat Trick.

Na’ima B. Roberts? Too awesome!! Check her out on Wikipedia!

If you’re more visual, She Wore Red Trainers is her current UK release.

It’s love at first glance when Ali meets Amirah, red trainers and all. Ali is still getting over the loss of mother, and trying to come to terms with his identity as a Muslim who likes basketball, motorbikes and wants a gap year in Mexico. Amirah, the gifted artist, has sworn never to get married. But falling in love isn’t simple when trying to remain true to the deen, the spiritual path of Islam.

Watch the trailer and then read the first chapter!

Into steampunk steamfunk? You have to know about Balogun Ojetade, author of the Chronicles of Harriet series, self published by Roaring Lions Produections. Come back sometime. I just bought a copy and plan to review soon. Much more to follow on this author.

Natasha Hanover

I also just purchased Edge of Truth by Natasha Hanova. Hanova writes YAParanormal, is published by Sapphire Star Publishing and is a blogger extraordinaire!

Paul Ferrante publishes with Fire and Ice, an imprint of Melange Books. Melange is a “royalty-paying company publishing ebooks and print books. We pay authors 40% net royalties on ditital formats and 10% on print.” Self publishing that isn’t completely DIY. Ferrante writes the T.J. Jackson mystery series nad has currently released the third in the series, Roberto’s Return.

Something’s Wrong in the Birthplace of Baseball

In life, he was one of the all-time greats, a trailblazing icon who played the game with unmatched passion and style. In death, his mystique only grew, the circumstances of his demise shrouded in controversy and myth. When he passed into legend it was believed his like would never be seen again. But now he’s come back. And it’s up to T.J., LouAnne and Bortnicker to solve the riddle of Roberto’s Return.

Medeia Sharif released Snip, Snip Revenge this April from Evernight Press.

Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald. With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right.

One of my recent blog posts ending with

Over the next few weeks, I hope to introduce you to few players who are recreating the game for the sake of our children. That’s what we have to remember, this is for our children.

I do have a couple of these posts, but I soon realized that Brown Bookshelf had the same idea and they have done a fantastic job of reaching out to individuals who creating amazing possibilities in kidlit. This week as part of their Making Our Own Market series, they feature self publisher authors and closed the week by asking readers to post the names of self published books they’ve read.

Last week, they began their series with CAKE Literary. Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle Clayton, the ladies behind CAKE Literary are creative, energetic and forward thinking entrepreneurs. Their recipe for success is creating quite a stir! I was able to catch up with Sona lately and she was gracious enough to write the following post. I think what strikes me most as I read the various posts she and Dhonielle have written, is how their passion for diversity in YA lit grew from rather negative situations but is blossoming into something positive. Their passion is their energy. Here’s Sona!

When my daughter was two, her favorite book series was Fiona Watt and Rachel Wells’s That’s Not My collection of board books. There were so many creatures to contemplate: dinosaurs, puppies, lions, oh my. But one in particular stood out. It was a book called That’s Not My Princess, populated by princesses in all shapes and sizes – and even a few different colors. One princess quickly became my favorite. She was small and brown, wearing what very much appeared to be Indian princess regalia (which, of course, as a small brown girl myself, once upon a time, I’d grown up coveting).

Sona Charaipotra

She rocked a long, flowing purple lengha, with a bright, jeweled top, and a rich, velvety chunni that she’d cinched at her waist. On her wrists were golden bangles, just like the ones my mother got me for my wedding. She was a princess after my own heart.

Naturally, that’s the princess I convinced my daughter Kavya to choose every time. At two, it was easy. This little brown princess was just as glittery and pretty as the others, and she was decked out in Kavi’s favorite colors, pink and purple. What more could we ask for? But as Kavya grew older, it became harder and harder to get her to stick with our princess. It’s not that she was particularly interested in this princess or that princess. It’s that she figured out the narrative structure of these books: the final fill-in-the-blank was always the right fill-in-the-blank. The one to be chosen. Alas, in this book, this particular princess was white and blonde, with blue eyes and an admittedly sparkly tiara. And, I’d quickly learn, that was to be the case with most princesses we’d encounter in future books.

So I shouldn’t have been all that surprised when Kavi’s Disney princess fixation came to a head. She’d coveted them all: the put-upon Cinderella, the delicate (and needy) Snow White, the sheltered (and objectified) Jasmine, and of course, Rapunzel, with her long flowing golden hair. And I swear, that golden hair will be the death of me. At 4, just weeks before her Princess Tea Party celebration (and in the wake of her idolization of two other very blonde princesses, Anna and Elsa of Frozen fame), Kavi realized something, and it shattered her, just a little bit. She needed to be golden. She needed that hair, pale and light and, apparently, all that is good. She needed it, and she needed it now. It would have been easy to write this off as just another tantrum. After all, who doesn’t want what they can’t have. But thinking back to that little brown princess I’d tried so hard to get her to adopt, I realized that, despite it all, I’d failed her.

But it wasn’t all my fault. As my husband Navdeep Singh Dhillon, a fellow writer, pointed out in his piece here, institutional racism is so ingrained, we often don’t realize that it’s there – and that it’s having a devastating effect on our little ones. Some 30 years ago, I remember keenly feeling like I never saw myself in books – and I remember just as keenly the toll it took on my self-esteem. I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t important enough, to have my story told, to have my voice heard. It hurt. And 30 years later, as I watch my daughter go through the same exact thing, it hurts even more.

Dhonielle Clayton

This, at its crux, is why my writing partner Dhonielle Clayton and I decided to co-found CAKE Literary, a boutique book packaging company with a decidedly diverse bent. Over the course of our two years together at the New School, where we both got our MFAs in Writing for Children, we had countless conversations about the startling lack of diversity in books for kids and teens, a problem that continues to persist despite the fact that it’s now 2014, and by 2042, the “minority” will be the majority. We already make a strong effort to diversify our own personal work, and the work we create together. But that’s not nearly enough. The idea behind CAKE is that if something is a deliciously written story with strong, well-developed characters and an intriguing plot, people will pick it up. So if you infuse those kinds of stories with diversity – in race and ethnicity, class and culture, gender and orientation, ability and disability – then the market can’t argue. People will pick it up. And slowly but surely, the marginalized will become the mainstream.

What exactly does CAKE do? We create those stories: high concepts that are fun reads, but have a strong dose of diversity without making that diversity the central focus. The plot is the focus. Our debut, Tiny Pretty Things, due next summer from HarperTeen, is a good example of this. The story is a mystery set at a cutthroat ballet academy in New York City, where three girls – one black, one white and one half-Korean – are all competing for prima position. Their backgrounds definitely inform their experiences at the school and in the world of dance (and also in the world at large). You can feel their experience. But the plot is what propels you forward (we hope!).

So why is CAKE a packager and not a publisher? We have so many ideas, stories that we think deserve to be told. Ideas that deserve to be on shelves, ideas will become books that readers out there are looking for – the #WeNeedDiverseBooks call to action confirmed that! But we don’t have time to write all of these books – nor do we have the authentic background or voice to do them justice. That’s where CAKE comes in. CAKE comes up with the concept, fleshes out, then finds that authentic voice to put the meat on the bones. If it’s a book about a Mexican-American family in Texas, then damn straight that’s what we’re aiming to find in our writer. And that is not my background, or Dhonielle’s. We work with the writer throughout the process of drafting, and once we have the proposal or a completed manuscript, CAKE’s agent takes it out to publishers. Some packaging companies get a bad rap for being notoriously stingy – but because we’re writers ourselves, we aim to make CAKE a highly writer-friendly company.

In the end, that CAKE story aims to be fun and delightful and will no doubt thrill some little girl one day when she picks it up, and lo and behold, finally sees herself reflected on the page. Because books should be mirrors, as well as windows. I wish I could be there to see it.

What I do know is this: we all have our reasons for what we do. Dhonielle and I both had this experience growing up, and we’ve heard stories from countless others – writers and non-writers – who’ve felt the same. In propelling forward CAKE’s mission to diversify our shelves (and you can learn more about the #WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign to do just that here!), my reason is these days is my children. I want their reflections in the books they read, and I want them to be able to read about people from all different backgrounds. I can’t wait for the day when the dark-haired princess is the one Kavya picks from the line-up, because she realizes that the princess that looks at her is just as golden as the blonde-haired one.

Want to learn more about CAKE and our mission? We’ll be looking to hire writers this summer, so connect with us at CAKELiterary.com or via [email protected]. You can also find us on Twitter: @CAKELiterary

I recently joined a webinar for the purpose of learning about upcoming multicultural titles in children’s literature. Lee and Low, Groundwood, James Lorimer and Co (distributed by Orca) and Tuttle Books all shared information about new or upcoming titles. I have to admit I was quite interested in the picture books although I rarely take the time to read them.

At the same time, I look for titles written by authors of color and for books that have fully developed characters of color, where their culture is part of their identity. This doesn’t mean constantly fighting racism or proclaiming ethnic identity but it does mean paying attention to hair texture, family structure, foods and dialog. Eluding to a character’s skin tone doesn’t quite give a full sense of who that character really is.

I read someone somewhere, probably a white author, stating with regards to writing about characters of color that they felt ‘damned if they do and damned if they don’t’. Yes, I feel you on that. I honestly don’t know if I can clearly articulate how I feel about white authors writing characters of color. Do most of us know what we want and, do we know when our expectations are fair and equitable?

What does ‘do it right’ really mean? I continue to say that if your personal life, your friendships, reading and musical selections, knowledge of history, restaurant and movie choices aren’t diverse then you should avoid trying to write diverse. You can’t get it right if you don’t know it.

But, what if a white author does know it and then chooses to write about Native or Asian characters? How far can they develop the story without being criticized? Imagine if a white author were to write honestly about what goes through a characters mind when they encounter a group of Latino teens speaking Spanish or if they’re trying to figure out a young black person’s natural hairstyle. What if a secondary character who is a person of color also happens to be the antagonist? I think that could happen in real life. Books can guide young white readers ability to navigate this racist and sexist world as well as it can young folk of color.

I suggest that if white authors cannot be honest with characters in these moments, if they are going to be accused of being racists or bigots, then they can’t ‘do it right’. Allow them to be racist? No. But, do allow them to explore honest thoughts and emotions. Authors should be able to work with editors who know how these situations unfold. We should work toward having honest dialogs. Once again, I’m expecting way too much of children’s literature because this just doesn’t happen in American society.

See, this is what happens when you don’t write. All your thoughts merge in unexpected ways in unexpected places and you end up with a huge thought peice when all you wanted to do was announce new and upcoming books. So, here we go!

Lee and Low

Family owned company that focuses on stories that children of color can identify with and that all children can enjoy.

Parrots Over Puerto Rico author Susan L. Roth and Cindy Trumbore Illustrator by Susan L. Roth

Killer of Enemies by Joseph Bruchac

Summoning the Phoenix: Poems and Prose author Emily Jiang illustrator by April Chu

The Hula Hoopin Queen Written author Thelma Lynne Godin illustrator by Vanessa Brantley-Newton

Twenty-Two Cents: Muhammad Yunus and the Village Bank author Paula Yoo and Jamel Akib

Drift author M. K. Hutchins

Rebellion (Conclusion to the Tankborn series) author Karen Sandler

Lee and Low will also be republishing their very popular global Cinderella books this year.

GROUNDWOOD

Canadian publishing company.

spring

Why Are You Doing That? author Elisa Amado illustrator Manuel Monroy

Bravo, Chico Canta Bravo authors Pat Mora, Libby Martinez Illustrated by Amelia Lou Carling

Norman Speaks! author Caroline Adderson Illustrator Qin Leng

Lost Girl Found: Story of the Lost Girls in Sudan author Lean Bassoff and Laura Deluca

The Amazing Travels of ibn Battuta author Ratima Sherafeddne illustrator Intelaq Mohammed Ali

Movi la Mano/I Moved My Hand author Jorge Luján illustrator Mandana Sadat translator Elise Amado

upcoming

Work: An Occupational ABC written and illustrated by Kellen Hatanaka

The Cat in the Wall author Deborah Ellis

LORIMER

Lorimer is a division of Orca Books that maintains a diverse cast of characters throughout their hi/lo Sport, Replay, Podium Sports Academy and Lorimer Side Streets series. Some of the newer titles include the following.

Free Throw by Jacqueline Guest

Hat Trick by Jacqueline Guest

Sidelined author Trevor Kew

Big League Dreams: Baseball Hall of Fame’s first African Canadian, Fergie Jenkins author Richard Brignali

TUTTLE

66 year old company founded in Tokyo.

Jet Black and the Ninja Wind authors Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani

Revenge of the Akuma Clan by Benjamin Martin

In Real Life by Lawrence Tabak

Korean Folk Songs Stars in the Sky and Dreams in Our Hearts written by Robert Choi; illustrated by Sam Ed

Mei Mei’s Lucky Birthday Noodles by Shan Shan Cen and Heidi Goodman

Ming’s Adventure on China’s Great Wall author Li Jian translator Yijin Wert

The Sheep Beauty author Li Jian translator Yijin Wert

In the Forbidden City by Chiu Kwong-Chiu

This is the Greatest Place: The Forbidden City and the World of Small Animals by Brian Lee

#WeNeedDiverseBooks formed in direct response to the all white male panel selected to be the voice of kidlit at BookCon. The movement happened because so many people are so tired of the lack of books that feature characters of diverse ethnicity, sexual preference or religion. This issue is simply the tip of the iceberg and as such, will have no simple solution. What I’m saying is, it ain’t over.

As readers/consumers we have to remain vigilant. Watch the lists and articles to be sure they are truly diverse and if not, call them on it! Request books at your local library and book store by authors of color. There are plenty of suggestions on what we as readers can do but the real work lies with publishers. Not only do books need to be published by authors of color, by Native Americans, authors who are LGBTQ or with different abilities but these works need to have the same support mechanisms as other authors: they need to be promoted and rigorously edited. Except that the models publishers continue to follow only promote top performing authors regardless of their color. How do you get to the top if you’re never given the resources and support to get there?

Maybe you make a shift.

When we look at what readers can do, we’re simply circling the tip iceberg. We need to be there, circling or no one else will see the danger. But circling doesn’t diminish the iceberg.

Lyn Miller Lachmann writes

Book people need to join with other civil rights activists and at the same time make clear that diversity in children’s books is a civil rights issue as much as diversity in film, television — and political participation. The various struggles to establish and defend Mexican-American Studies programs in Arizona and Texas can serve as models of a successful alliance between the book world and the civil rights world. When the State of Arizona banned the program, the resistance demonstrated that books matter, that stories, language, and the written word are important aspects of one’s culture and identity.

Over the next few weeks, I hope to introduce you to few players who are recreating the game for the sake of our children. That’s what we have to remember, this is for our children.

Passion to a cause exhibits itself in dedicated performance.

I think what I like most about blogging is that it allows me to talk with others while I’m talking to myself. I need to keep getting involved in various capacities to continue to dialog regarding the lack of presence of authors of color in young adult literature. I include the need for works by Native Americans in that discussion as they are a nation recognized by the US government. I can’t fight for more works by authors of color without recognized the need for literature that includes those who are differently abled, LGBT, or of different religions.

Have you ever read a book about a blind teen?

This fight is deep and old.

The ALA provides the following opportunity to share diversity programming, network with like minded folk and find resources.

STILL TIME TO APPLY: Diversity in Action, Family Literacy presentations sought for 2014 Diversity & Outreach Fair

CHICAGO – The ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS) invites library professionals from all kinds of institutions to submit proposals to participate in the 2014 Diversity and Outreach Fair, to be held at ALA’s Annual Conference in Las Vegas from 3 – 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 28. Applications will be accepted through Thursday, May 15, 2014.

Generously sponsored by DEMCO, the ALA Diversity and Outreach Fair is an opportunity for libraries and member groups to share their successful diversity and outreach initiatives with ALA Annual Conference attendees, celebrate diversity in America’s libraries and exhibit “diversity in action” ideas. The theme of this year’s fair will be family literacy.

The 2014 Diversity and Outreach Fair will feature innovative and successful library-based family literacy programs.  Family literacy encompasses a broad range of library programming from all areas of the profession, including early childhood services as well as teen programs, digital literacy, teen programming, financial literacy and other initiatives that bring families together. Using all technologies and materials, from books to tablet computers, family literacy initiatives promote literacy across the lifespan.

Also considered for participation are proposals that highlight library services to underserved or underrepresented communities, including people with disabilities; poor and homeless populations; people of color; English-language learners; gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people; new Americans, new and non-readers; older adults; people living in rural areas; incarcerated people and ex-offenders and mobile library services and bookmobiles.

Selected presenters will develop and facilitate a poster session to be held during the ALA 2014 Annual Conference in the exhibits hall.  In addition, the participants are encouraged to submit, in digital format, information and resources from their program.

For more information, and to apply, please visit www.ala.org/divfair.

If you’ve read Junot Diaz’s recent article in the NYTimes, you know that increasing the presence of authors of color in YA Lit and beyond that, into the literary canon, will take more that trending for a few days on Twitter. Here’s an opportunity to fund and share research with a scholarly audience who may be unaware of the challenges to people of color in children’s literature.

SYMPOSIUM: FROM RESEARCH TO ACTION
 
October 24 and October 25, 2014
http://www.diversitysymposium.org
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana
 
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Deadline: July 1, 2014
 
Attention faculty, staff, students, and community members from all disciplines interested in transforming diversity research to action. You are invited to submit a 250-word proposal to present your diversity related work via a poster, talk, panel discussion, or facilitated discussion. Papers and research studies already published and/or presented elsewhere are welcome.
 
Join us at the 2014 Diversity Research Symposium to:
learn, interact, network, and share your ideas with experienced diversity scholars
meet and hear John Quiñones, Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC news magazine Primetime and anchor for What Would You Do? speak about Changing Ethics in America
be selected to publish your work in our edited e-book, Diversity Research Symposium 2014: From Research to Action
be eligible for the following awards (Each award winner will receive a certificate, and each winning poster/presentation will receive a check for $200):

• Creative Content Presentation Award: Outstanding poster or presentation judged to have the most creative and original content
• Creative Methodology Presentation Award: Outstanding poster or presentation judged to have used the most creative and original research methodology
• GLBT Presentation Award: Outstanding poster or presentation judged to contribute the most to the knowledge and/or awareness of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered issues.

 
We are seeking proposals that focus on transforming cultural diversity research to action, particularly those relating to disparities (medical/mental health, housing, economic, and education), applications (practical and clinical), education (teaching pedagogy, curriculum design), business, and social justice.
 
Questions, suggestions, and comments should be directed to Linh Littleford at [email protected] or 765-285-1707.
Please visit http://www.diversitysymposium.org to submit proposals.
 

SPONSORED BY:
The Ball State University Office of Institutional Diversity and the Department of Psychological Science

 

Stacy Whitman is Editorial Director and Publisher of Tu Books, an imprint of LEE & LOW BOOKS that publishes diverse science fiction and fantasy for middle grade and young adult readers. This blog post was originally posted at her blog, Stacy Whitman’s Grimoire. 

I recently got this question from a writer, who agreed that answering it on the blog would be useful:

My hero is a fifteen-year-old African American boy [in a science fiction story]. A few of my alpha readers (not all) have said that he doesn’t sound “black enough.” I purposely made him an Air Force brat who has lived in several different countries to avoid having to use cliche hood-terminology. I want him to be universal.

Do you have thoughts on this either way?

Is there a possibility that my potential readers could really be offended that a) I am “a white girl writing a book about black people” and b) that my character doesn’t sound black enough? I’ve looked through your blog and website and haven’t found anything specific to my needs on this particular question. Perhaps I missed it?

…should I use Ebonics or not use Ebonics?

First of all, black people—just as white people or Latino people—are a very diverse group of people. There are people who speak in Ebonics (which I believe would be more accurately referred to as BVE–Black Vernacular English) and people who speak plain old suburban English, people who speak with any of a variety of Southern accents and people who have Chicago accents, people who speak with French or Spanish accents (or who speak French or Spanish or an African language). So the question of whether a particular character in a particular situation sounds “black enough” is a complicated question, one that even the African American community can’t necessarily agree on. Within the community (and I say this because I asked a coworker who is African American, who can speak with more authority on the subject than I can) it’s often a question that draws on complicated factors, such as money, privilege, “selling out,” skin tone (relative darkness or lightness—literally, being “black enough”), and hair texture, which all relate to how much a part of which community a person might be.

The question, then, is fraught with loaded meaning not only to do with stereotypes, but also socioeconomic meanings. The question can also tend to be offensive because of that diversity and the loaded meaning the question carries.

Which leads me to the question of your alpha readers. What are their demographics? Is it a diverse group? What is their experience with the military? Is more than one of them African American? When writing cross-culturally, you’ll want to be sure that your beta readers include sufficient numbers of the member of the group you’re writing about. Every individual experience will be different—one person’s opinion on whether a character reads as African American will probably differ from another person’s, especially if their socioeconomic background and regional experiences are different. An African American from the St. Louis suburbs will have a different life experience than someone who grew up on a farm in Louisiana, whose experiences will probably be different from a kid who grew up in Harlem or someone else who grew up in Seattle.

If your local writing group isn’t very diverse, you might need to branch out for beta readers who you can rely on to comment on that particular element of your story—perhaps through an online writing group, perhaps through the SCBWI. You might even approach a local high school and ask if any of their students who come from a similar background to your character might be willing to give you feedback on your manuscript. Do you have connections with a local Air Force base? Perhaps you might network with people you know in the military to find someone who can give you feedback on that aspect of the character building.

To answer your other questions: it’s always possible that someone will be offended by a white person writing about a person of color, but generally, most readers I’ve talked to who care about diversity in fantasy and science fiction want that diversity to come from everyone, not just writers of color. This is why I emphasized alpha readers—it’s important to make sure that if you’re not from that background, you do your research (which it sounds like you have) and then run it past someone other than yourself who understands that culture or background (in this case, you’ve got two cultures going on: African American and military, particularly Air Force, which has a completely different culture than Army).

A few someones is even better, to ensure that you get different points of view and can mesh that feedback into something that works for your particular character, who will be an individual in his own right and not a representative of a group that plays into a stereotype.

Which leads into your next question: should you use Ebonics? And the answer to that is: I don’t know. Do African Americans in the military use Ebonics? Do only some of them, and does it depend on their family history/region of origin? Do their kids speak to each other in Ebonics? Or do they have their own way of speaking that’s particular to the Air Force community? (My uncle was in the Air Force and I have a couple cousins who might read this who may be able to answer that question; they’ve never spoken anything but “Midwestern” to me, but they might have spoken differently to their friends who were also Air Force brats.)

And that’s important too: people often have different vocabularies when talking to different groups of people. When my roommates from Georgia talked to their family, their accents became stronger. When I talk to my rural family, the word “crik” has been known to creep back into my lexicon. So ask yourself, “what’s the context my character is in?” as well.

And of course, that’s just me spouting off from the point of view of an editor. Here are some great answers we’ve gotten from readers:

Ari:

The question about Ebonics is just…. I don’t know. Being “black enough” does not mean you use Ebonics so that shoudln’t be the deciding factor. However, my guess is that as a “military brat” he wouldn’t use Ebonics. I know some African American people who were in the army and they don’t use it. But that’s the army, not the Air Force, so it could be different.

I would be offended if your black character never talked about certain issues we face like the subtle racisim, especially as a black guy. But since’s science fiction it may never come up, although if it starts out in the 21st century in America then the character should acknowledge the fact that he gets looks of suspicion in certain areas because he is an African American guy…

That is so true about how people speak differently wiith different groups of people. When my mother is back home down South, she regains her Southern accent. My father speaks Spanish with his relatives. I use a lot more slang/Ebonics with my African American friends and Latino friends. So that is a key factor. Something an African American person has to learn to do is be able to “speak two languages” in a way. Around white people and authority figures, most of us speak properly, no slang. But I know from what I’ve done myself and from what I’ve seen my parents and their friends do, when African Americans are just with each other, they loosen up and their is less of a concern for “speaking properly”

Cleve:

I’m an African American dad & writer, and my advice to the writer is to skip the ebonics. Not every African American speaks with ebonics, and I fear it may come off as condescending and offensive if you attempt to tell your story in such a way. “Not black enough,” is offensive as hell, wether voiced by black or white people. The character is African American, there’s nothing wrong with him sounding like an American. Period.

Doret:

I believe all writers can create believable characters of another race. But to do this writers must be familiar that race.

Should I use Ebonics or not use Ebonics? – that question makes me cringe. A White author asking this should really take a look at their character and ask themselves, what do I know that will give life to this character of another race.

If they still want to do it, research. Listen in on conversations. Read books by Black authors. Ask around find out which non Black authors have created believable Black characters and read those , also read the Black characters by non Black authors people found unrealistic.

AudryT:

IMO, your character needs to speak based on their influences, not on readers’ opinions of the world. Where do their parents come from? How do individuals from their parents’ backgrounds, childhood neighborhoods, and social class speak? How does that influence your character? Does your character have an opinion about how their parents speak and do they make conscious decisions about their own way of talking? How can you use the character’s voice and upbringing to flesh out the character better and further serve the plot of the novel?

Readers, feel free to chime in and help out writers who write cross-culturally: what other issues should they be aware of when writing African American characters?

Further reading: 10 Great Resources for Writing Cross-Culturally

I remember back in the mid 90s going to buy a car with my then husband. While we were initially impressed with the presence of black sales reps who approached us, it didn’t take more than a couple of visits to realize that the black sales reps were assigned to black customers.

I was reminded of this experience when I read Walter Dean Myers’ recent editorial.

Years ago, I worked in the personnel office for a transformer firm. We needed to hire a chemist, and two candidates stood out, in my mind, for the position. One was a young white man with a degree from St. John’s University and the other an equally qualified black man from Grambling College (now Grambling State University) in Louisiana. I proposed to the department head that we send them both to the lab and let the chief chemist make the final decision. He looked at me as if I had said something so remarkable that he was having a hard time understanding me. “You’re kidding me,” he said. “That black guy’s no chemist.”

I pointed out the degrees on the résumé that suggested otherwise, and the tension between us soared. When I confronted my superior and demanded to know what about the candidate from Grambling made him not a chemist, he grumbled something under his breath, and reluctantly sent both candidates for an interview with the chief chemist.

Simple racism, I thought. On reflection, though, I understood that I was wrong. It was racism, but not simple racism. My white co-worker had simply never encountered a black chemist before. Or a black engineer. Or a black doctor. I realized that we hired people not so much on their résumés, but rather on our preconceived notions of what the successful candidate should be like. And where was my boss going to get the notion that a chemist should be black?

Publishing more books out by authors of color seems like such an obvious solution to so many problems, however the problem of not enough books with characters of color does not exist in a vacuum.

Numerous people have suggested ways to change what is published and many of these people work outside publishing as do I. I’ve never attempted to write a book, never visited a publishing house and have never tried to obtain an agent. My criticisms of this industry are a bit like Sandra Bullock cursing the universe when she realizes her spaceship had no fuel.

But, I see things and it makes me wonder.

I’ve read too many books by authors of color where the author is truly skilled, the story is fresh, entertaining and well developed. Yet there were shortcomings that ranged from flaws in world building, lacking character development, or the lack or a good sense of setting. Who edits these books?

I know that when artwork and teaching materials is needed for a book, the preference is to assign the project to a person of the same ethnic group.  I can’t identify the thought process behind this. Is a book so “Black” or so “Latino” that only people from that ethnic group will relate well enough to the story to develop it correctly? Or, do we just not work together if we don’t have to?

Isn’t it the oddest thing that we see so many creating ways to help Whites write books about people of color rather than identifying and publishing more authors of color and Native Americans? And don’t tell me authors of color don’t exist! Where are the new books by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich? Neesha Meminger? Sheba Karim? Padma Venkatraman? Derrick Barnes? Alex Sanchez? Kelly Parra? Torrey Maldenado?

Creating a culture inside any industry where people understand the advantages to themselves as individuals, their company and even society as a whole is something that no one outside that industry can force.

I don’t believe there will be more books by authors of color until those in publishing understand that they can mentor and edit someone of a different complexion, that they can be as demanding of these authors and have high expectations of them. Or unless more companies like Quill Shift Agency, 7^th Generation Press, Cinco Puntos or Just Us Books exist to innovate alternative avenues of success.

When CBC Diversity first formed, I wondered why they didn’t reach out to those outside their industry to build an alliance. There are so many people who address diversity from so many perspectives that it would have to be empowering to bring them all together. But, as I’ve come to believe I understand problems within the industry, I can’t help but applaud these individuals for trying to do something that certainly will not increase their popularity in their own offices. They best know the limitations inside their industry and what changes need to be made.

How can I end this on a positive note? Well, I cannot ignore all the voices (predominantly female, I must add) that continue to fight the good fight. In many different ways and in many different corners, there are people who are passionately trying to make a difference for young readers. Because right there, those pages in the hands of a young child will color their entire worldview. We have to keep hoping because there is no change without hope. We have to keep our ear to the ground and listen for those who are beating a new path. We can move beyond talk and take action. And, we have to continue questioning this industry.

“Applications are now being accepted for the Annual Virginia Hamilton and Arnold Adoff Creative Outreach Grants for Teachers and Librarians. Two grants up to $1,000 each will be given. One grant will be given to a teacher and another to a librarian for proposals to develop new classroom or library programs that raise awareness of multicultural literature among young people; particularly but not exclusively through the works of Virginia Hamilton. The application deadline is Feb. 28 for that year’s award. Complete instructions and proposal guidelines are available on the Grant Application.”

http://www.kent.edu/virginiahamiltonconference/awards/upload/grant_application-new.pdf

“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~Nelson Mandela

I remember being in my high school English class and reading a story about apartheid. I’d never heard of this before! I’d never read about it in my history classes and, if this were real wouldn’t it be in my history book? Such a systematic and oppressive regime would be important enough to be in the history books if it were real and South Africa was a real place so, I went home and asked my dad if apartheid really existed in South Africa. I was stunned as much in the fact that it existed as I was in the fact that I’d never learned about it before.

Even today, literature introduces issues related to social justice throughout the world that young people never learn about in history or geography classes. Teens will probably be more likely to read the actual words of Nelson Mandela or Paulo Friere in an English class than in a history class.

They may also be more likely to learn cultural similarities and differences through literature. When studying different themes in English class, including writings by Asians and Native Americans will help students realize we’re all in this together. Choose good, authentic writing by African Americans or Latinos that relates directly to the topic being studied. That’s how I began learning about apartheid. Once I was aware of the conditions in South Africa, I paid more attention to news from this country.

And I learned about Nelson Mandela.

English teachers, librarians and parents can continue to introduce young people to South Africa using literature from this region.

This Thing Called the Future by J. L. Powers (Cinco Puntos Press, 2011 Fourteen-year-old Khosi’s mother wants her to get an education to break out of their South African shantytown, although she herself is wasting away from an untreated illness, while Khosi’s grandmother, Gogo, seeks help from a traditional Zulu healer.

Journey to Jo’burg by Beverly Naidoo  (J.B. Lippinott, 1985)  Separated from their mother by the harsh social and economic conditions prevalent among blacks in South Africa, thirteen-year-old Naledi and her younger brother make a journey of over 300 kilometers to find her in Johannesburg.

Totsi by Athol Fugard (Random House, 1980) Athol Fugard is renowned for his relentless explorations of personal and political survival in apartheid South Africa — which include his now classic plays Master Harold and the Boys and The Blood Knot. Fugard has written a single novel, Tsotsi, which director Gavin Hood has made into a feature film that is South Africa’s official entry for the 2006 Academy Awards. Set amid the sprawling Johannesburg township of Soweto, where survival is the primary objective, Tsotsi traces six days in the life of a ruthless young gang leader.

When we meet Tsotsi, he is a man without a name (tsotsi is Afrikaans for “hoodlum”) who has repressed his past and now exists only to stage and execute vicious crimes. When he inadvertently kidnaps a baby, Tsotsi is confronted with memories of his own painful childhood, and this angry young man begins to rediscover his own humanity, dignity, and capacity to love. (adult crossover)

Somehow Tenderness Survives: Stories of Southern Africa by Hazel Rochman (Harper and Row, 1988)  A collection of ten short stories and autobiographical accounts by authors of various races expose the conditions of racism in South Africa.

Themba A Boy Called Hope by Lutz van Dijk (Aurora Metro Books, 2011). A teenager in South Africa achieves his dream of playing professional football – but the prevalence of AIDS in South Africa, affecting young and old alike, means that he must face tough choices along the way.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~ Nelson Mandela

It’s really hard to believe it was 97 degrees last week when we’re having 30 degree nights this week.

The garden is definitely winding down. I’m hoping for a red tomato or two but probably will get the last few green tomatoes, some rutabagas and whatever other surprises are left. One draw back to having a community garden is that people from the community wander into our garden and help themselves to the veggies. I’ll just hope I’m feeding someone who really needs it.

With sadness, I must mention the passing of Sonia Lynn Sadler, She was a talented artist and designed and recipient of the 2011 Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award for Seeds of Change. May she rest in peace.

Malinda Lo (Inheritance, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2013) just compiled a very interesting set of statistics on BFYA. Malinda’s analysis addresses several variations of diversity, helping us to realize all the different teens who are reading the ‘best’ books. Her closing:

The question is: Who is this “young adult” reader that this list is supposed to appeal to? Considering race alone, in a US where 37% of the population is people of color, and where “half of all children under 18 are expected to be non-white in five years” (MSNBC), should the BFYA lists attempt to diversify? How does quality — that slippery concept of “best” — relate to race and representation? These questions are further complicated when you bring in sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

And what about authors of color? What can be done to increase representation in that arena, both in general and in lists and awards that seek to recognize the best of YA? Is that important? Should it be?.

She followed this with an interview with yours truly.

Getting listed in BFYA or other award lists is quite important to authors. Alaya Dawn Johnson (Summer Prince, Arthur A. Levine, 2013) Tweeted this after learning her book is on the National Book Award longlist.

OH MY GOD ow.ly/oU7kv This is…I am…holy crap it is the best rainy morning of my life!—
Alaya Dawn Johnson (@alayadj) September 16, 2013

But, getting your book made into a movie? WOW!! The Watson’s Go to Birmingham will premier on Hallmark this Friday at 8:00 pm.

You do know what day it is, right? HUMP DAY!! It’s all down hill from here!

Have you ever had a difficult time deciding if you needed a particular food supplement so you closed your eyes, held it in your hands and quietly waited to see if it there was a natural tendency to pull or push it away? You have to close your eyes and let you instincts kick it for it to work.

Doughnuts of choice in Terre Haute are Square Doughnuts

I was watching this new show on the Cooking Network where the contestants compete to see who could prepare the best doughnuts. Three contestants, this week two white males and one black female. She was cute, young and very articulate. You do have to say ‘articulate’ when referring to a person of color who is well spoken, right? I can’t just say she had a soft voice with a cute lilt, right?

When challenged to create Japanese themed doughnuts, I wondered if any of these contestants knew of the surprises found in doughnuts in Japan. It can be anything from shredded fish to egg salad, usually savory rather than sweet. One of the guys came close with his rice stuff concoction but the young lady seemed even closer with a green tea dough. I wondered if she and the other judges had closed their eyes to the contestants and relied solely upon what they saw in the doughnuts how different would the results have been? I noticed that every time the black woman’s doughnuts were presented, thewhite female judge seemed to put an edge in her voice (could I say she was inarticulate?) and felt mean in her criticism of the black woman’s work.

I’m not accusing these people of racism, but am saying race (and gender…) is an issue. After all, I found myself way more focused on the black woman than that of the white males. What if race had been taken out of this instance?

Seeing race not only causes the doughnut to be discounted, but it also keeps the cook out of the surrounding conversations. It keeps the book by Indian authors segregated on that shelf just for Indian authors and in relegates Asian authors to workshops for Asian authors rather than for mystery writers. It’s like this post on Code Switch that discussing how minorities hurt corporations. A portion:

Those social settings tend to be segregated, with whites tending to spend time with whites and blacks with blacks. (The next time you are in an office cafeteria, notice who sits next to whom at lunch.) In a world where ethnic groups cluster together, those in the minority are less likely to share and benefit from spillover effects in the ecosystem and are therefore less likely to learn early on about important company developments or technological innovations.

I can’t just buy the books by the new Malaysian author and stick it on a shelf. It needs to be included with all the other dystopian fictions and book talked with them as well!

Am I talking myself out of blogging for books of color? HA! No, because this is still American and our eyes are not closed. And I know that this blog brings together people of all backgrounds through shared interest.

This week I’m heading to my first Unconference and it will be held at DePauw University. Topic: Information Literacy. I’m working on a couple of great interviews that should post very, very soon!

Next week, it’s Cincinnati and the National African American Librarian Conference where I’ll be presenting with B. A. Binns and David Miller. Today, I’m expecting my sister to drive over so we can go harvest the garden.  I’m expecting okra, cucumbers, tomatoes and perhaps a head of cabbage! In the meantime and between time, I’m still reading BFYA.

Have a great week and try that thing of closing your eyes and trusting your instincts!

First Book wanted to improve literacy for all young readers so they developed the Stories for All Project. This special initiative recognizes that children need to have books with characters and stories that are relevant to them.

“We are not the first people to complain and worry about this issue. So we knew if we were actually going to make a difference we needed a market-driven solution. In short, we needed to put our money where our mouth is.“

Stories For All would purchase $500,000 worth of books from any one publisher for books featuring characters of color. This is where I falter: First Book says the response was overwhelming. I look at the books currently available and wonder who all these publishers could be. I could name a few companies but “overwhelming?”

First Book actually found two companies that published a noteworthy amount of high quality books featuring characters of color and they decided to commit $1 million to the program.

Congratulations to HarperCollins and Lee & Low Books

And, thank you First Book for taking direct aim at addressing why more children are not readers. I hope others will follow your lead, if not in donating large sums that will make a difference, then in actually doing something.

If you work with children from low-income neighborhoods, or know someone who does, sign up with First Book today.

Related articles:

An Interview with Mary Cash and Jason Low

NY Times article about the Award

The First Book blog

In purchasing from both of these companies, not only does First Book more firmly establish their dedication to literacy, but the make thousands more books available.

I do have plans for my Cookie posts and I this year, I’m getting things started with a few books by author of color in which food plays a primary role. I remember salivating through Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon and the Great Wall of Lucy Wu by Wendy Wan-Long Shang but,today I’m looking at books in which food is central to the story.

Act of Grace by Karen Simpson  Grace reluctantly embarks on the unlikeliest of journeys and into the magical world of the African-American traditions used by her ancestors to fight slavery and oppression, she undergoes a spiritual transformation that leads to the true nature of her calling: to lead Jonathan Gilmore, the town of Vigilant and her own soul on a path toward reconciliation, redemption and true grace. And, she eats to bury her pain. (Amazon)

A la Carte by Tanita Davis Seventeen year old Lainey of becoming a world famous chef one day and maybe even having her own cooking show. (Do you know how many African American female chefs there aren’t? And how many vegetarian chefs have their own shows? The field is wide open for stardom!) But when her best friend—and secret crush—suddenly leaves town, Lainey finds herself alone in the kitchen. With a little help from Saint Julia (Child, of course), Lainey finds solace in her cooking as she comes to terms with the past and begins a new recipe for the future.
Peppered with recipes from Lainey’s notebooks, this delicious debut novel finishes the same way one feels finishing a good meal—satiated, content, and hopeful. (Amazon)

Dumpling Days by Grace Lin Pacy is back! The beloved heroine of The Year of the Dog and The Year of the Rat has returned in a brand new story. This summer, Pacy’s family is going to Taiwan for an entire month to visit family and prepare for their grandmother’s 60th birthday celebration. Pacy’s parents have signed her up for a Chinese painting class, and at first she’s excited. This is a new way to explore her art talent! But everything about the trip is harder than she thought it would be–she looks like everyone else but can’t speak the language, she has trouble following the art teacher’s instructions, and it’s difficult to make friends in her class. At least the dumplings are delicious… (GoodReads)

Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara When 12-year-old Mariatu set out for a neighboring village, she never arrived. Heavily armed rebel soldiers, many no older than children themselves, attacked and tortured Mariatu. During this brutal act of senseless violence they cut off both her hands. Stumbling through the countryside, Mariatu miraculously survived. The sweet taste of a mango, her first food after the attack, reaffirmed her desire to live, but the challenge of clutching the fruit in her bloodied arms reinforced the grim new reality that stood before her. With no parents or living adult to support her and living in a refugee camp, she turned to begging in the streets of Freetown. In this gripping and heartbreaking true story, Mariatu shares with readers the details of the brutal attack, its aftermath and her eventual arrival in Toronto. There she began to pull together the pieces of her broken life with courage, astonishing resilience and hope. (Amazon)

Bestest.Ramadan.Ever. by Medeia Sharif  Okay, so during Ramadan, we’re not allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset. For one whole month. My family does this every year, even though I’ve been to a mosque exactly twice in my life. And it’s true, I could stand to lose a few pounds. (Sadly, my mom’s hotness skipped a generation.) But is starvation really an acceptable method? I think not. (Amazon)

Stir it Up by Ramin Ganeshram Thirteen-year-old Anjali’s life is rich with the smell of curry from her parents’ roti shop and an absolute passion for food. More than anything, Anjali wants to be a chef who competes on a kids’ cooking reality TV show. But Anjali must keep her wish a secret from her family, who thinks Anjali’s passions are beneath her. Thank goodness for Deema, Anjali’s grandmother, whose insight and love can push past even the oldest family beliefs. Woven with recipes that cook up emotions and actual culinary recipes that make food, this novel is as delicious as it is satisfying. (Amazon)

Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet by Sherri L. Smith  Ana Shen has what her social studies teacher calls a “marvelously biracial, multicultural family” but what Ana simply calls a Chinese American father and an African American mother. And on eighth-grade graduation day, that’s a recipe for disaster. Both sets of grandparents are in town to celebrate, and Ana’s best friend has convinced her to invite Jamie Tabata–the cutest boy in school–for a home-cooked meal. Now Ana and her family have four hours to prepare their favorite dishes for dinner, and Grandma White and Nai Nai can’t agree on anything. Ana is tired of feeling caught between her grandparents and wishes she knew whose side she was supposed to be on. But when they all sit down for their hot, sour, salty, and sweet meal, Ana comes to understand how each of these different flavors, like family, fit perfectly together. (GoodReads summary)

What other titles would you suggest?

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is inviting librarians to register their 2013 El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) programs in the 2013 National Día Program Registry.

By registering their Día programs held throughout the year in the national registry, libraries build a national database that showcases all types and sizes of Día programming. The information will display on the website, in both the map and database format, allowing you to share program information with other librarians and the public interested in learning more about Día programs happening around the country. Libraries that register will also receive Día stickers and bookmarks (while supplies last).

ALSC also is pleased to announce this year’s slogan Día: Diversity in Action. Día is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to linking children and their families to diverse books, languages and cultures.

“As the most important celebration for multicultural children’s library services, Día truly is Diversity in Action,” said ALSC President Carolyn Brodie. “We’re proud to offer this registration as a way of promoting local events on a national level. With every registration, we’re showcasing the reach of Día, allowing ALSC to expand the experience and support of this great initiative.”

“Literacy is essential in democracy and what a diverse country we are,” said Día founder Pat Mora. “Those of us lucky enough to be readers and wanting to share bookjoy can help link all children to books, languages and cultures through Día, day by day, día pro día. Promote your April Día celebration on this helpful ALSC registry. Help illustrate and generate Día excitement nationally.”

Libraries can register at the Día website, where ALSC also offers a resource guide, booklist and logos for download.

The Día celebration was founded in 1996 by children’s book author Pat Mora, who proposed conceptually linking the exisiting El Día del Niño with literacy. The founding partner of Día is REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking. For more information on Día, please visit http://dia.ala.org.

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit www.ala.org/alsc.

Fading Amber: The cambion chronicles #3 by Jaime Reed; K’Teen Dafina 26 December

This is the only book by an MG or POC author of color I could find for December. Please, mentions others in the comment section.

In all of 2011, I located 108 books by authors of color while in 2011 there were 150.

Native American Athletes to Compete in the London 2012 Olympics

By Cheryl Cedar Face · 07/27/2012

From: American Indian Report

Indian Country has an extra reason to celebrate today’s opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics: four Native American women will be competing for a medal in London.

The women are competing one hundred years after Jim Thorpe won two gold medals at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics. If they win, they will join Billy Mills (Oglala Sioux), Duke Kahanamoku (a Native Hawaiian), and Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox), as Native American medalists.

Mary Killman, a member of the Citizen Band Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma, will be competing in the Synchronized Duet Technical swimming event. She and her partner Mariya Koroleva qualified by placing 7th at the Federation Internationale de (FINA) Olympic Games Qualification tournament.

Mary Spencer, First Nation Ojibway, will be competing in the 75-kilogram middleweight boxing event for Team Canada in women’s boxing Olympic debut. Spencer has been hailed as one of Canada’s best bets for Olympic gold. According to her official website, Spencer is a three-time world champion and an eight-time national champion.

Tumua Anae, a Native Hawaiian, will be competing as the goalie for the U.S National Water Polo team. She began training with the National Team in 2010. Anae recorded sixteen saves at the 2012 FINA World League Super Final.

Adrienne Lyle, 27, is one of the youngest American dressage riders to compete in the Olympics. Lyle is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. She earned a place on the American team after placing in the top four at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Dressage Festival of Champions and USEF Dressage Olympic Selection Trials on June 16^th.

All four women are distinguished athletes competing not only for their countries, but for their Indigenous nations. Be sure to watch out for their events!

Could you take a second to answer this question for me? If you need another option, just leave a comment. Thanks!

It IS Asian Pacific Heritage Month! The Hub is running a nice Asian themed series which began with Cindy Pon and most recently featured Asian themed books. How are you celebrating this month?

One of the main purposes of blogging is to speak what’s on your mind. I don’t expect bloggers to have my same perspective on anything, but if you’re going to put it out there, be willing listen to opinions that may challenge what you say. If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen, as my mom would say! Recently blogger Jen Doll was criticized for provided an all white listing of outstanding YA  girl characters of color. After much criticism, she paused, reflected and shared this.

I was just this morning reading an interesting post on a library blog that took thoughts from outside the library world and did a very interesting job of applying the principles to how libraries should evolve. Well, until I got to this.

 My take – Celebrate diversity: How interesting it is to read in Kawasaki’s article that “former teachers make the best salespeople because they ask a lot of questions”.  Often times our library patrons forget that those of us working in school libraries are teachers.   With the dual qualification of teacher and librarian, we hold a powerful range of skills to engage and assist.   Don’t lose sight of it!   With the essential support of librarians, library technicians, library assistants and a range of volunteers working hand in hand with teacher librarians, we present our patrons with a very diverse range of talent, knowledge and skill.

 While we all certainly all have diverse views on what diversity is, I found this one to be quite limited. So I posted a response which said something like “I was really enjoying this list until I got to the fourth item. If librarians are not able to see the world outside their own race, religion or sexual preference then they’re limiting their effectiveness. Librarians should open the world to those they serve.”

I say my response was something like that because my response was deleted! The only ones that remained were responses that praised the author for such a nice post. Talk about lacking diversity, about limited perspective! I cannot assume any ethnic or religious identity on this person, but I can clearly see someone who is controlling and limiting what could be a dynamic and engaging conversation. It really felt like the hand of someone who feels rather entitled and maintains a rather limited view of how immensely diverse the work really is.

Then, there’s the issue of deleting comments. I’ve done that quite sparingly. Most notably, when I kept going back and forth with someone who disagreed with me because I didn’t like a book. I’ve also deleted comments when I’ve posted a grant or scholarship and someone thought I was providing the funding. Other than that (and spam), I provide an open mic.

Many librarians, educato

GoodReads is currently sponsoring the Independent Book Bloggers Contest. Independent bloggers who live in the US, are over 18 and have a GoodReads account entered their blog to be voted as a readers favorite. Winners in each of the four categories will receive a trip to BookExpo America this summer. I entered my blog. I want to go to BookExpo, but I didn’t expect to win. I did expect to expose my blog to people who may never have heard of it, but for some reason, GoodReads didn’t put my blog in the running. I did look through the blogs that did get entered and found a couple that I found quite interesting.

I found the Hawaii Book Blog. Their mission statement reads

“The world’s books are as diverse as the people who read and author them. Hawaiʻi’s own literary landscape is beautifully unique because of the various cultures that inhabit its islands. Mark Twain, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London—these are well known names in literature, but they are also important to Hawaiʻi’s individual literary history. These great authors had much to say about our islands and there are many more authors like them to be found still. The main purpose of this blog is to provide people with a comprehensive platform to learn and discuss books about Hawaiʻi and the Pacific, books by local authors, or books published by local companies. Hawaiʻi’s books are multi-cultural and multi-generational with universal conflicts and themes.”

The blog announces many reading related activities on the islands such as the annual Celebrate Reading . To celebrate National Poetry Month, they’re collecting poems for Poems in you Aloha-shirt day on 24 April.

Also from Hawaii is Michelle and Leslie’s Book Picks.Michelle and Leslie are two sisters!

Michelle is 24 years old and I live in Hawaii. She has adegree in elementary education  and is currently pursuing hermasters in library science.  Her favorite books to read are young adult fiction and contemporary and historical romances. Leslie is  a 14 year old high school sophomore. Her favorite genre is YA with paranormal and fantasy elements. (Take from their “About Us page”)

Have you found any noteworthy blogs in the contest, or is yours entered?

Do any of you Pinterest? I’ve avoided it for a long time, but recently got an invitation and am planning to put the May releases by authors of color on there.

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