Representation in Children's Literature
Of children’s books published in 2018, 50% of Children’s books featured white characters, 27% animals, 10% African/African American, 7% Asian PI/Asian PA, 5 % Latinx, and a dismal 1% American Indian/ First Nations. While these numbers have improved over time, the fact remains that the majority of books available are still either about white characters or contain misrepresentations of BIPOC. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, “Children’s literature continues to misrepresent underrepresented communities, and we wanted . . . to show not just the low quantity of existing literature, but also the inaccuracy and uneven quality of some of those books.... “ Furthermore, only “29% of books about Africa/African American people were written by Black authors/illustrators.” That means that over 70% of books about black characters were written by someone other than a black person. Think about it this way, would we ever ask anyone but a doctor for medical advice? 
Reflections:
What do we expect our children to get out of reading? Do we go through our children’s books, looking intentionally and critically at the representation of diverse characters? Have we ever read a book to them and considered the accuracy of the depiction of minorities? What happens if the only heroes our children read are white? What if the only time our children see a BIPOC, they are weak or in danger?
Danger of the Single Story:
I ask that last questions to say this: If our children only read about the negative impacts of racism on BIPOC, and the intentional and systemic injustices, then we might also see our children looking at BIPOC with only sympathy. There are numerous stories of minorities’ heroism. We need to present a balance in narratives that better reflects the diversity of human beings. In Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Ted Talk, she discusses the “danger of the single story.” She says, “The consequence of the single story is this: It robs people of dignity. It makes our recognition of our equal humanity difficult. It emphasizes how we are different rather than how we are similar.” After we make the leap to invest in diverse stories, we must be intentional. I myself have bought a book before researching or reading it. Then, I find out that while it features a BIPOC character, it is written by a white person. Instead of tossing it, I have decided that my job as a parent and teacher is to also acquire just as many or more books that are written by people who look like that main character. I also need to take a critical lease to the book to determine if the depiction of the diverse character is well-rounded and accurate.
1.) The list below are of books that I have personally read. This is not at all a comprehensive list of the many depictions of black characters or black authors and illustrators.
2.) I chose to make a list of black stories and authors because right now, we are faced with a crucial moment in history to educate ourselves on Black Lives. (I am happy to give you many other resources/ lists for other POC. I teach 80% Latinx, so I own and have read a diverse collection)
3.) Many of the books that I have listed in high school have mature themes. While I have personally have these in my middle school library, I would urge you to make your own decisions about what is appropriate for your children. (Again, research is key)
K-2
Juneteenth; Dream March: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.- Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison
The Boy who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba
Hair Love by Mathew a. Cherry, illustrated by Vashti Harrison
You Should Meet: Mae Jemison- Laurie Calkhoven (white author)
3-6th
As Brave As You- Jason Reynolds
One Crazy Summer- Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming- Jaqueline Woodson
The Watsons Go To Birmingham, The Mighty Miss Malone- Christopher Paul Curtis
Middle School/ High School
The Crossover- Kwame Alexander
Harlem Summer, Monster- Walter Dean Myers
Look Both Ways- Jason Reynolds
Hidden Figures- Margaret Lee Shetterly
Pride- Ibi Zoboi
Born A Crime- Trevor Noah
Dear Martin- Nic Stone
The Hate U Give- Angie Thomas
Long Way Down, All American Boys- Jason Reynolds
The Sun Is Also A Star- Nicola Yoon
The Black Flamingo- Dean Atta
All Boys Aren’t Blue- George M. Johnson
We Are not Yet Equal; One Person, No Vote- Carol Anderson
Anger Is A Gift-Mark Oshiro (Latinx Author)
Just Mercy- Bryan Stevenson
Lifting as we Climb- Evette Dionne
Sources and Further Reading:
“An Updated Look at Diversity in Children's Books” https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=an-updated-look-at-diversity-in-childrens-books
THE DIVERSITY GAP IN CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLISHING, 2018
List of sights to help you find diverse books: https://diversebooks.org/resources/where-to-find-diverse-books/
The Danger of the Single Story: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/up-next
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