By Kelly McWilliams I’m the author of a book called Your Plantation Prom is Not Okay, and it had just gone into copyedits when friends started texting me about Bennifer’s very-much-not-okay plantation wedding in August 2022. Because I, along with the rest of America, was rooting for Bennifer, I … [Read more...] about Why Plantation Celebrations Keep (Violently) Breaking Our Hearts
Opinion
The Need for “Window-Mirrors”
By Jennifer De Leon During a recent school visit, a young woman came up to me in the signing line and burst into tears. We had never met before, but I felt that in that moment, that we had a connection. I saw that she was crying for herself, for all that she understood and didn’t yet understand … [Read more...] about The Need for “Window-Mirrors”
NoNieqa Ramos on Latine/x Heritage and the Power of Us
By NoNieqa Ramos As we finish celebrating Latinx Heritage month, I want to reflect on who we are. I know there are not enough trees on the planet to print the paper required to preface this reflection, not enough iCloud storage space on earth or in the Milky Way to broach a definition. But a few … [Read more...] about NoNieqa Ramos on Latine/x Heritage and the Power of Us
Melissa Blair’s Top 4 Diverse #BookTok Books
A Broken Blade is out now wherever books are sold. My body is made of scars, some were done to me, but most I did to myself. Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the … [Read more...] about Melissa Blair’s Top 4 Diverse #BookTok Books
How LGBTQIA+ Book Bans Impact Kids and Teens
By Karis Rogerson Books helped me figure out, in my mid-20s, that I’m queer. In fact, it was mainly young adult books aimed at teenagers that showed me parts of myself I’d been hiding from for more than two decades. So when I say that I think diverse books are important, and when I spotlight … [Read more...] about How LGBTQIA+ Book Bans Impact Kids and Teens
You Do Not Have to Explain Your Magic
By Raquel Vasquez Gilliland When I write stories, I include magic. I was raised with magic, so this is natural to me. It’s also natural to not explain the origins of magic in my work. In my newest YA novel, How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe, I establish a similar world. Though there … [Read more...] about You Do Not Have to Explain Your Magic
Where Are the Arab Authors in Kidlit?
By Rhonda Roumani Growing up, I never saw myself in the books that I read. But as an Arab American, I was okay with that. That’s because, from a very young age, I was painfully aware that in the news and in movies, my people were the enemy. Arabs were sword-wielding, bomb-making terrorists. Or … [Read more...] about Where Are the Arab Authors in Kidlit?
Queernorm Fantasy Worlds: Writing as an Escape
By Alexandra Overy These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy is on sale now. Reading has always been my escape. From anxious late nights to hiding in the school library, it has always been my go-to method of avoiding the world. A way to get out of my own head for a while, to get completely … [Read more...] about Queernorm Fantasy Worlds: Writing as an Escape
Multicultural Idioms Are a Golden Opportunity for Language Learners
By Anneke Forzani Even if you aren’t familiar with idioms, you might be surprised how often you use them in daily conversations. Let's take a look at why it’s essential to learn idioms, how idioms vary across cultures, and how educators can bridge the cultural divide when teaching … [Read more...] about Multicultural Idioms Are a Golden Opportunity for Language Learners
