Methinks the issue of spreading the word on kiddie lit by people of color is going (has gone?) viral.
Jade Lennox posted a list, broken down by sub-genre no less, of YA written by authors of color.
Then there’s the Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge, which isn’t exclusively children’s books, but all the better.
And because no good viral marketing campaign is complete without MORE lists, the Writers of Color 50 Book Challenge offers a comprehensive Booklist that covers books from just about any ethnic group you could throw at them.
We’re considering re-configuring our pages here at the BBS to make it easier to find books by sub-genre, so don’t be surprised if some of the above children’s-relevent lists end up linked elsewhere on our site.
It’s all about spreading the word.
I’ve been toying with the idea of creating a wiki for books for teens of color. New books could be posted; titles could be linked to reviews, videos and homepages; authors could be listed and linked to interviews…
I think there is so much out there, it amazes me that people still say they can’t find books for teens and children of color. Let’s keep making easy for them!
Edi, I think that’s a great idea. And my head nearly rattled I shook it so hard when I read this I think there is so much out there, it amazes me that people still say they can’t find books for teens and children of color.
It’s true. I know, three years ago when I wrote my book I was hard pressed to find books or information on a wide spectrum of African American children’s books. But now there seems to be plenty. Yet I still run across people all the time who lament the lack of information.
Like you said, all we can do is keep making it easy for them and spread the word. I never shut my mouth about the Brown Bookshelf – poor, poor people who meet me and have the misfortune to say “Yeah, I can’t find…” LOL