I'm going to mix things up a bit this month, and use this section to promote a beautiful campaign. Just think of all the most popular characters in children's literature today: Harry Potter, Katniss Everdeen, Junie B. Jones, Augustus Waters, Greg Heffley, even Captain Underpants. Do you see the racial similarities between these characters? There is VERY little diversity amongst children's literature today.
A group of people are working diligently at creating awareness for this issue. "We Need Diverse Books" is their moniker as well as their mission statement. Minority children and adolescents will gain so much from seeing characters that they can identify with. And those who are not minorities will learn so much from exposure to diversity. Please visit http://www.weneeddiversebooks.org for more information and for help in choosing a book for your child that supports this campaign's ideals.
When you look back at the books I've reviewed over the months in this blog, I'm guilty of choosing books that lack the diversity that these kids need. I'm going to be more careful and do my best to support this campaign by choosing some of their recommended books.
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