MULTICULTURAL
WNDB:We Need Diverse Books
We Need Diverse Books™ is a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people.
Children’s Book Council GoodReads
The CBC Diversity initiative was founded in 2012, as part of the Children’s Book Council’s commitment to promoting diverse voices in literature for young people. We believe that all children deserve to see their world reflected in the books they read. We recognize that diversity takes on many forms, including differences in race, religion, gender, geography, sexual orientation, class, and ability.
Reading Without Walls
National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yang invites you to take the Reading Without Walls Challenge! Inspired by his official platform, the challenge encourages readers to explore books of diverse voices, genres, and formats.
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature
Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature is among the leading educational research centers in the field of multicultural literature. Our mission is to preserve the richness of the many cultures in the field of children’s and young adult literature. Further, our mission is to provide children, teachers, parents, educators, students, and librarians access to multicultural children’s books with high literary and artistic standards. The primary objectives include: a) to foster an interest in multicultural children’s literature for young people; b) to promote awareness of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature (CSMCL); and c) to generate excitement in the study of multicultural literature.
Carter G. Woodson Book Award
NCSS established the Carter G. Woodson Book Awards for the most distinguished books appropriate for young readers that depict ethnicity in the United States. First presented in 1974, this award is intended to “encourage the writing, publishing, and dissemination of outstanding social studies books for young readers that treat topics related to ethnic minorities and race relations sensitively and accurately.” Books relating to ethnic minorities and the authors of such books rarely receive the recognition they merit from professional organizations. By sponsoring the Carter G. Woodson Awards, NCSS gives wide recognition to and encourages these authors and publishers.
Crazy QuiltEdi
My name is Edith (Edi) Campbell. I’m and African American, able-bodied cis gendered female. I’m an academic librarian who works to improve the literacy of teens of color and am a strong ally for all marginalized young people. As part of this effort, I also work to promote authors of color. Reading multiple varieties of text is the basis for all literacies and in becoming literate, we learn how to navigate the world around us. I currently work as a Reference/Instruction Librarian at Indiana State University.
Cynsations
A source for conversations, publishing information, writer resources & inspiration, bookseller-librarian-teacher appreciation, children’s-YA book news & author outreach.
Diversity in YA
Diversity in YA was founded in 2011 by authors Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo as a website and book tour. While the tour is over, we revived the website on Tumblr in February 2013, and we relaunched DiversityinYA.com in January 2014. We celebrate young adult books about all kinds of diversity, from race to sexual orientation to gender identity and disability. Our goal is to bring attention to books and authors that might fall outside the mainstream, and to bring the margin to the center. We encourage an attitude of openness and curiosity, and we welcome questions and discussion.
Pragmatic Mom
Education Matters. My blog is a mash up covering education, parenting, and children’s lit. I post frequently on children’s book giveaways here.
InCultureParent
InCultureParent is an online magazine for parents raising little global citizens. Centered around culture, tradition and language, we feature articles on parenting around the world and raising multicultural and multilingual (also bicultural and bilingual) children. We also spotlight different global holidays together with craft ideas for kids and recipes. We review good books for kids that have a multicultural theme or feature different cultures.
Rich in Color
Rich in Color is dedicated to reading, reviewing, talking about, and otherwise promoting young adult books (fiction and non-fiction) starring or written by people of color or people from First/Native Nations.
A World of Color
This library curated by Elizabeth Bluemle of Flying Pig Books was developed to serve as a collection of books celebrating racial and ethnic diversity where race is NOT the primary driving force behind the story. With the exception of a few resource books, all titles in this collection are in print and available from independent bookstores and from publishers.
AFRICAN
The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA)
The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S. The awards were created by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA) to encourage the publication and use of accurate, balanced children’s materials about Africa.
AFRICAN AMERICAN
The Brown Bookshelf
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers. Our flagship initiative is 28 Days Later, a month-long showcase of the best in Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels written and illustrated by Black creators.
Coretta Scott King Awards
The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood.
NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work, Children’s
An NAACP Image Award is an accolade presented by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.
ASIAN
Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature
The goal of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature is to honor and recognize individual work about Asian/Pacific Americans and their heritage, based on literary and artistic merit.
KitaabWorld
KitaabWorld is an independent online bookstore focused on the discovery and distribution of South Asian childrens’ books, toys and games. It was launched in the fall of 2016 by its founders, Gauri Manglik and Sadaf Siddique, who are passionate about making South Asian children’s literature more accessible and easily available in the US. In many languages, the word ‘Kitaab’ means book – our mission is to connect the world to South Asia, one book at a time, hence the name “KitaabWorld”
Book Dragon
Welcome to BookDragon, filled with titles for the multi-culti reader. BookDragon is a new media initiative of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (APAC), and serves as a forum for those interested in learning more about the Asian Pacific American experience through literature.
DISABILITY
Disability in KidLit
Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature. We publish articles, reviews, interviews, and discussions examining this topic from various angles—and always from the disabled perspective. We believe that a thoughtful portrayal of disability requires more than memorizing a list of symptoms; we hope that sharing disabled people’s thoughts on stereotypes, pet peeves, particular portrayals, and their own day-to-day experiences will help our readers learn about the realities of disability, which are often different from what we see in popular media.
Schneider Family Book Award
About the Schneider Family Book Award The Schneider Family Book Awards honor an author or illustrator for a book that embodies an artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences.
FEMINIST
A Mighty Girl
A Mighty Girl’s book section features over 2,000 girl-empowering books starring stellar Mighty Girl characters. With over 200 book categories to explore, the best way to discover what this section has to offer is by browsing our detailed book menu — just mouse over the ‘Books’ button on the menu bar above. From there you can choose the categories of interest to you and then use the filters on the left-menu to further refine your search.
The Amelia Bloomer Project
The Amelia Bloomer Project curates a booklist of notable feminist literature for people from birth to age eighteen. Our work affirms the power of hearing, sharing, and trusting women’s voices. We are part of the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.
GLBTQ
Stonewall Awards
The first and most enduring award for GLBT books is the Stonewall Book Awards, sponsored by the American Library Association’s Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table. Since Isabel Miller’s Patience and Sarah received the first award in 1971, many other books have been honored for exceptional merit relating to the gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender experience.
Lambda Literary Award (Lammy)
The Lambda Literary Awards (the “Lammys”) identify and celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year and affirm that LGBTQ stories are part of the literature of the world. The Lammys, which receive national and international media attention, bring together 600 attendees—including nominees, celebrities, sponsors, and publishing executives—to celebrate excellence in LGBTQ publishing. It is the most prestigious and glamorous LGBTQ literary event in the world.
The Rainbow Project
The Rainbow Project, a product of the ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT) and Social Responsibilities Round Table (SSRT), proudly announces the 2014 Rainbow Book List. The Rainbow Book List is a bibliography of books with significant gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender content, and which are aimed at youth, birth through age 18. The list is intended to aid youth in selecting high-quality books which were published between July 2012 and December 2013. The list also is intended to aid as a collection development or reader’s advisory tool for librarians serving children and young adults.
I’m Here, I’m Queer, What the Hell Do I Read?
Gay Teen Books, Culture, Politics, Social Justice, Equality, GSA Info… and More! Yes, “Gay Teen” includes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Queer and Gender Non-Conforming Teens! And of course, Allies are welcome!
GLOBAL
Kid World Citizen
Ideas to teach kids about world cultures and our planet through travel, food, music, celebrations, service, maps, art, and projects from Becky Morales, an ESL and Spanish teacher, mom of 5 bilingual and multicultural kids, and co-author of Global Education Toolkit.
Notable Books for a Global Society
Annually, a committee of the CL/R SIG (Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group) of the International Reading Association selects 25 outstanding trade books for enhancing student understanding of people and cultures throughout the world. The committee reviews books representing all genres intended for students K-12.
IMMIGRATION
I’m Your Neighbor
I’m Your Neighbor is a project which promotes the use of children’s literature featuring “new arrival” cultures and groups to engage the entire community in a discussion of commonalities and differences. The project features a recommended list of books and an evolving list of engagement projects for educators, librarians, and community organizations who seek to build bridges.
JEWISH
Sidney Taylor Book Awards
The Sydney Taylor Book Award recognizes the best in Jewish children’s literature. Medals are awarded annually for outstanding books that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award was established in 1968 by the Association of Jewish Libraries. It is named in memory of Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series. Taylor’s were some of the first children’s books with Jewish characters that were of literary interest to readers of all backgrounds.
LATINIX
Pura Belpré Award
The award is named after Pura Belpré, the first Latina librarian at the New York Public Library. The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latino/Latina writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. It is co-sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), and REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, an ALA affiliate.
Americas Award
CLASP founded the Américas Award in 1993 to encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States, and to provide teachers with recommendations for classroom use. CLASP offers up to two annual book awards, together with a commended list of titles.
The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award
Texas State University College of Education created The Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award in 1995 to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. It is named in honor of Texas State University distinguished alumnus Dr. Tomás Rivera.
Latinx in Kid Lit
Our vision is to engage with works about, for, and/or by Latinxs; offer a broad forum on Latinx children’s, MG, and YA books; promote literacy and the love of books within the Latinx community; examine the historical and contemporary state of Latinx characters; encourage interest in Latinx children’s, MG, and YA literature among non-Latin@ readers; share perspectives and resources that can be of use to writers, authors, illustrators, librarians, parents, teachers, scholars, and other stakeholders in literacy and publishing.
MUSLIM
Salaam Reads
Salaam Reads is an imprint that aims to introduce readers of all faiths and backgrounds to a wide variety of Muslim children and families, and offer Muslim kids an opportunity to see themselves reflected positively in published works. The imprint, which takes its name from the Arabic word for “peace,” plans to publish books for young readers of all ages, including picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and young adult.
NATIVE AMERICAN
American Indians in Children’s Literature
Established in 2006, American Indians in Children’s Literature (AICL) provides critical perspectives and analysis of indigenous peoples in children’s and young adult books, the school curriculum, popular culture, and society. Scroll down for links to book reviews, Native media, and more.
Resources and Kid Lit About American Indians
In writing about a culture that is not one’s own, it is imperative to be able to make those connections. Good intentions are not enough to provide the history or perspective of Native peoples. Book research is not enough. Visits to reservations aren’t enough, either. Real relationships with American Indians are vital in order to avoid romanticizing or denigrating various groups through stereotypical ideas and characters.
American Indian Youth Literature Award
The American Indian Youth Literature Awards are presented every two years. The awards were established as a way to identify and honor the very best writing and illustrations by and about American Indians. Books selected to receive the award will present American Indians in the fullness of their humanity in the present and past contexts.
Oyate
Over the years, Oyate has read and reviewed thousands of books, videos, and recordings about American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, First Nations and Indigenous peoples. We choose to carry items that we think portray Native peoples in authentic, honest and culturally appropriate ways.
SOCIAL JUSTICE
Jane Addams Peace Association Children’s Book
The Jane Addams Children’s Book Award annually recognizes children’s books of literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.
The Pirate Tree: Social Justice and Children’s Literature
The Pirate Tree is a collective of children’s and young adult writers interested in children’s literature and social justice issues.
WHITE LENSE
Coloring Between the Lines
This blog looks at issues of race and culture in relation to creating and using children’s literature, as seen by the white American author-illustrator of multiracial, multicultural books, Anne Sibley O’Brien.
Reading While White
We are White librarians organizing to confront racism in the field of children’s and young adult literature. We are allies in the ongoing struggle for authenticity and visibility in books; for opportunities for people of color and First/Native Nations people in all aspects of the children’s and young adult book world; and for accountability among publishers, book creators, reviewers, librarians, teachers, and others. We are learning, and hold ourselves responsible for understanding how our whiteness impacts our perspectives and our behavior.