Why do we need diverse books?
Criteria for Selection
This website highlights blogs, social media accounts, and podcasts. While trade journals, such as School Library Journal, The Horn Book, and Kirkus Reviews, continue to be excellent sources to find reviews for new books, the lack of diversity within these organizations themselves sometimes hinders them from providing an accurate assessment. The intention of choosing nontraditional platforms is to highlight diverse voices without a bigger platform, as well as to provide alternate channels for reviews that may better fit a reader, librarian, teacher, or parent's lifestyle.
The sources featured on this website were curated and selected based on the following criteria:
(1) The source must primarily be run by a person of color or from a diverse background.
(2) The source needs to be current, meaning actively being updated with at least one post a month.
(3) The authors/creators need to have credibility, either with experience in the industry or background knowledge of the middle grade and YA literary field.
(4) The focus of the source should be on providing valuable and substantial content including a diverse perspective, education, information, or reviews of middle grade and YA literature.
Diverse Books
Children's literature has historically been white-washed. The absence of a diverse cast of characters and themes has prevented children from being able to see themselves or their environments in literature. A growing movement has swept the children's publishing industry in recent years to ensure that there is diverse representation and a variety of voices available so that children can understand the true reality of diversity within the world's population.
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This annotated bibliography resource will compile the best personal blogs, podcasts, and social media accounts that review middle grade and young adult literature for authentic portrayals of diverse characters and themes. It is intended to be a source for education, inspiration, and professional or personal development.
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This resource focuses on middle grade and young adult books. The reason for this is that it has become easier to find picture books with diverse representation, but it remains challenging to find books for older readers or reviewers specifically targeting this age group.
Glossary
BIPOC - A term that stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, referring to racial/ethnic/Indigenous groups that have faced oppression.
Diversity - A term that refers to the intentional inclusion of marginalized or underrepresented groups, including those of various races, disabilities, genders or sexual orientations, and ethnic, cultural, or religious backgrounds.
KidLit - Books written for children or young adults
LGBTQ+ - Stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer, with the + standing in for additional identities.
Middle grade - Books directed at 8-12 year old readers. The books are usually longer than a chapter book, ranging from 200-300 pages and contain few, if any, illustrations. Content tends to be appropriate, but themes can approach mature topics.
#OwnVoices - Books written by an author from the marginalized or underrepresented group that the book depicts, thereby providing an inside perspective. The term was coined by Corinne Duyvis.
Windows and Mirrors - The idea that books should reflect the reader's own experiences (mirror) and provide a view into others' experiences (window). Idea first stated by Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop
Young Adult (YA) - Books directed at 13-18 year old readers. The books are 300+ pages and may include violence, profanity, and romance, as they tackle more mature themes, especially about finding identity.
Read more
guides
Librarian
Diversifying your collection can be an overwhelming task if you don't know where to start. Integrating some of the following resources during collection development or weeding will help you get started:
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Use the Diverse Book Finder Collection Analysis Tool to conduct a diversity audit, as well as to update your picture book collection.
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Incorporate time in your schedule for watching webinars, reading articles/blog posts, or following some of these sources to keep up with trends.
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Keep an eye out for official statistics to track changes in children's book publishing.
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Educate yourself on the lack of diversity in the children's publishing industry.
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Keep up with new sources for reviews or digital media.
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Download the We Need Diverse Books Booktalking Kit.
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Check out a Diversity Map for your area and other tools from YALSA.
teacher
Finding diverse books to add to your classroom library or figuring out how to integrate them into lessons can be a challenge. Here's a few ways to get plugged into the diverse KidLit scene:
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Select a few sources to follow, such as blogs or podcasts, to stay up to date with new releases and reviews.
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Subscribe to free, weekly newsletters from library trade journals, like School Library Journal or Booklist.
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Utilize free lesson plans or discussion guides from many publishers, like this one from Penguin Random House.
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Follow the #DisruptTexts conversation to find books that challenge the traditional canon.
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Check out the Diverse Books Toolkit from TeachingBooks.
parent
Locating new books that your middle grader or young adult may want to read is a never-ending quest. Although kids this age often like to find and choose their own reading material, a helpful suggestion can often be just the right thing. Here are some places to look:
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Check out Our Story from We Need Diverse Books to find reader guides, collections, a readers' advisory quiz, and more.
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The Children's Book Council has lots of resources, lists, and awards to help guide your book hunt.
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If you're concerned about evaluating the appropriateness of a book for your specific child, explore Common Sense Media for an analysis.
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Explore these suggested resources from We Need Diverse Books.
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Follow the social media accounts/blogs/podcasts that your child follows to spark conversation and sharing about books.
REader
So you want to find a diverse book to read or add to your collection? That's great! Whether you're trying to see yourself and your experiences reflected in the books you read or trying to learn more about others, there are a lot of resources out there for you. Start here:
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Explore social media, such as Bookstagram, BookTok, BookTube, or Book Twitter, to find relatable and entertaining content for your age group.
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Check out Our Story from We Need Diverse Books to do a quiz that recommends diverse books for your tastes.
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Looking for a readalike to your favorite book? Try one of these sources for suggestions: Fantastic Fiction, Which Book, or Novelist (access through your local public library)
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Keep up with trends, favorite authors, and more by following Epic Reads, Book Riot, or Read Brightly.
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Create a Goodreads account to track and review your reads as well as join the book-loving community for recommendations.
Information to learn more about building a diverse collection or finding diverse books for various audiences