Attending Kweli’s The Color of Children’s Literature Conference brought me to New York City, with just enough time to squeeze in a visit to meet Kandace Coston, my editor at Lee and Low Books for SUMO JOE, illustrated by Nat Iwata. The office building is secured, so I had to have the security guard call me…
Category: #OwnVoices
#OwnVoices Controversy
There has been a lot of tweets lately about #OwnVoices and who is writing diversity in children’s books after a controversial TedTalk by Nora Raleigh Baskin. I found this article by The Good Men Project that puts everything into perspective. In this post: I will lay out why racism is the foundation for #OwnVoices controversy…
#OwnVoices Half Filipino Character Face Off
I wanted to share a robust conversation that I had with two middle grade authors recently after posting this video that compared their two characters — both half-Filipino. One author is #OwnVoices and one is not. I have been tracking Filipino-American children’s books because I’m shocked and dismayed by how few there are. This is…
Native American Folklore & Creation Stories by Native Americans
You might have missed the drama caused when Nancy Bo Flood was invited to join the “Indigenous Experience in Children’s Literature” panel. Native American children’s book blogger, Debbie Reese objected: “As regular readers of AICL know, I’ve been studying the ways Native peoples are depicted in children’s literature for decades. In that time, I’ve come…
#DiverseKidLit #ownvoices Linky
Our theme for this #DiverseKidLit is #ownvoices. The #ownvoices hashtag was created to draw attention to diverse authors and illustrators who are creating books that honor their own heritage and experiences. (As always, the theme is only a suggestion. Diverse posts on alternate topics are always welcome.) What Is #DiverseKidLit? Diverse Children’s Books is a book-sharing meme designed to promote…
Young and Feminist: 3 Book GIVEAWAY
Please welcome Abby Richmond, a high school senior and friend of my oldest daughter. This book, Young & Feminist, is her brainchild. Her thoughts about being a feminist in these challenging times are below. Young and Feminist edited by Abby Richmond A collection of feminist essays by high school students. Contributors include Rose Bostwick, Alisa…
New Voices Competition #AmWriting
If you haven’t been following my progress with my first picture book submission, I entered a New Voices children’s book publishing contest. I didn’t win, but I received an offer for editorial assistance on my book manuscript, Sumo Joe. I jumped on that offer. I’d been trying to get into a critique group where I…