Official Tumblr of We Need Diverse Books

Q | What does the We Need Diverse Books campaign mean to you?
A | To me, the campaign means awareness, and it highlights the need for representation—in the type of books published, promoted, stocked, book-talked, and hand-sold.
It does not mean gratuitous characters, or gratuitous publishing for the sake of diversity. Nor “only books about Latinos for Latino children,” or “only books about disabilities for children with disabilities.” It’s not about exclusion. The campaign doesn’t banish anyone to the sidelines. I think it means casting a wide net of inclusion in our thinking about what we produce, promote, sell, and read. I’ve always believed we can’t just look at a person and understand her or him. We have to first hear the person’s story for the seeds of understanding to take root. Hearing more stories about characters different from ourselves can only enrich us.  
My book Esperanza Rising is having its 15th anniversary in print this year. I have received thousands of letters from Latino children, and adults, about what the story has meant to them and their families, and how they connected to the story. But just as important are the thousands of letters I have received from children and adults of all ethnicities, who have written to tell me how much the book meant to them. One boy wrote, “I didn’t know about those things until you told them to my eyes.”
I think that’s what the campaign is about. Opening our eyes a little wider.  

Great interview with Pam Muñoz Ryan about inspiration for her new book Echo and what the We Need Diverse Books campaign means to her.

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    I had a copy of Esperanza Rising growing up, very good book

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