Does My Head Look Big In This by Randa Abdel-Fattah
When Kambia Elaine Flew In From Neptune by Lori A. Williams
From The Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Perepolis byMarjane Satrapi
A Step From Heaven by An Na
A Stone In My Hand by Cathryn Clinton
Sadika’s Way by Hina Hak
Life Is Funny by E.R. Frank
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
A Cool Moonlight by Angela Johnson
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata
Sold by Patricia McCormick

I run a lit group for young women. We focus on woc writers. I run an online discussion forum and blog to support what we do. I have only recently begun posting reviews on my personal blog and because I’m a one woman show, we don’t have as many reviews as I’d like on our community blog. That will be changing this year.

I read across genres, gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I think anyone who doesn’t have diverse reading habits is missing out on some much quality literature.

I am very active at a social network for book lovers. Recently I began to explore teen book review sites and while I am disappointed, I am not surprised. The lack of diversity in the books reviewed is depressing.

I wrote elsewhere that it is assumed that all readers are interested in popular, mainstream literature but that multicultural literature is limited in themes and characters and therefore, it appeals primarily to people of color. This is an unfounded assumption, but you’d have to read the literature to know this is untrue.

Most often when black literature is reviewed by white reviewers it is historical fiction because you know black writers only write historical fiction and biographies. When I’ve asked white readers for multicultural recommendations, more than once I’ve been told, “But, I’m not black, why would I know black authors?” (Close your mouth)

If you ask me to name my favorite authors and books, I can easily rattle of a list diverse by race, gender, genres, themes and cultures. I majored in English and I read plenty of the standard white guys. Like them, too.

I am however a woman, an African American woman, and I have an affinity for hearing our voices. I am a curious, voracious reader and I want to hear other people’s stories, too. My reading habits reflect a real interest in diversity.

If I’m guilty of anything is that I tend to forget about the white guys. I swear I like them, but let’s be real- they are not hurting for an audience.
Women of color, people of color get little play except from readers who know and want to read quality literature from as many perspectives they can find.

I have the good fortune of running a small community library. Our collection represents works primarily by and about women. Our collection reflects a commitment to multiculturalism and diversity. Our collection reflects the experiences, voices and aspirations of our readers and provides an introduction to worlds they don’t know but I know they could relate to in they open the book.

I invite you to check us out at Color Online.

I regularly read a wrung sponge, The Happy Nappy Bookseller, and The Brown Bookshelf. Recently discovered The Diversity Challenge, White Readers Read Black Authors and Lotus Reads.

Thanks to KB at Brain Lair for sharing this link. Enjoying this discussion.

Brenda, tell it. I’m there with you.

I love CCBC and Brown Bookshelf, and pretty much any/all of the authors already mentioned!!

Let’s reach for all levels of diversity with openness to expand our perspectives: ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, gender, political, economic, age, … You get the picture.

In general the American societies I study are on their way to embracing ethnic diversity, but we’ve got a ways to go for true, deep diversity. There’s so much more to all of us than our ethnicity.

I teach kindergarten. My classroom library is very diverse but sadly my personal library is not.

http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books/pcstats.htm

couldscome, welcome to AuthorsNow! I’m going to check out those other sites.