diversebooks.org
As Black History Month comes to a close, we
reiterate that Black history is not static, limited purely to the past —
it is made year-round. Here’s to the history-making Black creatives whom we’ve featured on the
WNDB blog over the past year, along with some additional reading &
resources.
(Source: diversebooks.org)
"I want a vast spectrum of Black stories to be published, from historical, fantastical, and magical to realistic fiction, filled with love, joy, dreams—and yes, I want them to address racism and other systemic issues in our society."-
(Source: diversebooks.org)
"I went into Felix Ever After knowing I would want to write about a person like me, someone I had never before seen in books or in any media: A Black, queer, trans masculine person who identifies as a demiboy. I’ve seen trans masculine characters (though still very rare), I’ve seen queer characters (not as rare these days, but there could still be more), and I’ve certainly seen plenty of non-Black and especially white characters in stories before. Sometimes it’s a mixture of two of these identities, but never all at once."-
(Source: diversebooks.org)
"Black kids’ lives are particularly complex. And while it’s way past time for people to understand we are more than Black pain (so, so much more), our pain does have a way of vining its way into our stories. It has to. It’s part of our story. So yes, a book about a Black girl that is primarily about friendships shifting, family, and a first crush also has to be about police brutality. Why? Because that’s the truth of being Black in America. Black kids know this; other kids should know it too."-
Lisa Moore Ramée, WNDB Summer Reading: Both Pain and Joy Are Part of Kids’ Lives
(Source: diversebooks.org)
The fight is far from over but in celebration of the Supreme Court’s decision this week, here’s a list of books by authors whose identities and works reflect those of DACA recipients! Here’s to the Dreamers. 💖
We’ve featured these titles on our blog, curated them with the help of educators and librarians for the OurStory app, or honored the authors with Walter Awards/Grants:
PICTURE BOOKS
MIDDLE GRADE
YOUNG ADULT