When it comes to diversity, children's books are sorely lacking; instead
of presenting a representative range of faces, they're overwhelmingly
white. How bad is the disconnect?
A report by the Cooperative Children's Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that only 3 percent of children's books are by or about Latinos — even though nearly a quarter of all public school children today are Latino. When kids are presented with bookshelves that are unbalanced, parents can have a powerful influence. Take 8-year-old Havana Machado, who likes Dr. Seuss and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. At her mothers' insistence, Havana also has lots of books featuring strong Latinas, like Josefina and Marisol from the American Girl Dollbooks. She says she likes these characters because, with their long, dark hair and olive skin, they look a lot like her.
Only a small fraction of children's books have main characters that are Latino or Native American or black or Asian. And it's been that way for a very long time. In 1965, The Saturday Review ran an article with the headline "The All-White World of Children's Books" — and the topic is still talked about today, nearly 50 years later.
Bad News For Outlawstells the true story of Bass Reeves, an African-American U.S. Marshal in the Old West — shown here disguised as a farmer. The book won a Coretta Scott King award and became one of Lerner Books' best-selling titles.
Do White-centric Books Sell Better?
So why is diversity in children's books such a persistent issue? One theory is that it's all about money. "I think there is a lot of concern and fear that multicultural literature is not going to sell enough to sustain a company," says Megan Schliesman, a librarian with the Cooperative Children's Book Center.
But Schliesman says that belief is a myth — after all, some companies publish multicultural children's books and are profitable. For instance, Lerner Books published the nonfiction picture book Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U. S. Marshal. The book, which told the story of a black lawman in the Old West, won awards, got attention from libraries and independent bookstores and became a best-seller for the company.
"There is an enormous amount of demand for this kind of content from libraries," says Andrew Karre, an editor with Lerner Books. According to Karre, public and school librarians try very hard to put books with a wide range of characters on their shelves.
Why Diverse Book Options Matter
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson wrote Bad News For Outlaws, as well as several other books about African-Americans. She is also a librarian at the public library in Rio Rancho, N.M. She says that young people need to see themselves represented on the page so that they will continue reading.
"If they don't see that then perhaps they lose interest," Nelson says. "They don't think there's anything in books about them or for them."
Nelson says she understands that publishers are going to respond to what the market demands. Right now, the vast majority of best-selling children's books are by and about white people. But as the U.S. population changes, Melinda Machado thinks the books American children read will change too.
Publishers might want to catch up a lot sooner, though. According to new data from the Census Bureau, nearly half of today's children under 5 years old are non-white.
Gantos' novel follows the humorous adventures of a boy named Jack Gantos, grounded "for life" by his parents and prone to the most gushing nosebleeds. But he is restored by the stories he learns about his hometown, Norvelt, a planned community in Pennsylvania founded during the Great Depression.
Raschka's wordless picture book, told through watercolor, ink and gouache, recounts the saga of a dog whose beloved red ball is stolen by a bigger dog. The ball bursts and Daisy's spirit seems to break with it, until the other dog returns with a blue ball that is better than ever! The Newbery and Caldecott prizes, the most prestigious in children's literature, were announced Monday by the American Library Association. Gantos' novel follows the improbable adventures of a boy named "Jack Gantos," while Raschka's picture book recounts the saga of a dog whose favorite toy is destroyed. Both winners are well established in children's publishing. Gantos has been a finalist for the Newbery and National Book Award. Raschka won the Caldecott in 2006 for "The Hello, Goodbye Window." Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults: “Where Things Come Back,” written by John Corey Whaley, (Atheneum Books, 2011). Coretta Scott King (author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults: Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans,” (Balzer + Bray, 2011). Coretta Scott King (illustrator) Book Award: Shane W. Evans, illustrator and author of “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom,” (Neal Porter Book, 2011). Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience: Two books were selected for the middle school award (ages 9 to 13): “Close to Famous,” written by Joan Bauer (Viking, 2011). “Wonderstruck,” written by Brian Selznick, (Scholastic Press, 2011). The teen (ages 14 to 18) award winner is “The Running Dream,” written by Wendelin Van Draanen, (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011). Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video: Paul R. Gagne and Melissa Reilly Ellard of Weston Woods Studios, Inc., producers of “Children Make Terrible Pets.” The video is based on the book written by Peter Brown. Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States: “Rotters,” produced Listening Library. The book is written by Daniel Kraus and narrated by Kirby Heyborne.
Tomorrow in Dallas (7:45 a.m. CT on Jan.23, 2012), the American Library Association (ALA) will announce the top awards in children’s and young adult literature as part of the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 20 - 24.
(Please see the video at the bottom of this post.)
The ALA Youth Media Awards honor children’s and young adult authors and illustrators, as well as producers of children’s audio and video materials.
Known worldwide for the high quality they represent, the ALA Youth Media Awards are selected under a cloak of secrecy by national judging committees composed of librarians and other children’s literature experts.
The books honored serve as a guide for parents, educators, librarians and those interested in providing children and teens with the very best reading and viewing materials.
Be sure to tune in. And you parents out there, this is a great list for books for your kids and grandkids.
Vaunda Micheaux Nelson wrote Bad News For Outlaws, as well as several other books about African-Americans. She is also a librarian at the public library in Rio Rancho, N.M. She says that young people need to see themselves represented on the page so that they will continue reading.
