OUR MISSION
We Need Diverse Books is a grassroots organization created to address the lack of diverse, non-majority narratives in children’s literature. WNDB is committed to the ideal that embracing diversity will lead to acceptance, empathy, and ultimately equality.
We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA+, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities. Our mission is to promote or amplify diversification efforts and increase visibility for diverse books and authors, with a goal of empowering a wide range of readers in the process.
In order to accomplish our mission, we reach out to individuals and groups involved in many levels of children’s publishing—including (but not limited to) publishers, authors, distributors, booksellers, librarians, educators, parents, and students.
OUR HISTORY
In 2014, our movement was spearheaded by author Ellen Oh and a group of 21 other children’s book writers and industry professionals in response to the announcement of an all-white, all-male panel of children’s book authors at a major book and publishing convention. What began as a social media awareness campaign quickly grew into a global movement that demanded the attention of the publishing industry, the media, and readers everywhere.
WNDB was started by a team of writers, illustrators, and publishing professionals, led by the original Executive Committee (Ellen Oh, Lamar Giles, Marieke Nijkamp, Miranda Paul, Aisha Saeed, Karen Sandler, and Ilene Wong) and supported by the original PR team (Stacey Lee and SE Sinkhorn).
PRESS
Come check out our Media coverage here.
HOW TO REACH US
Are you a member of the press? Contact us here: info@wndb.local
Please note: We receive an overwhelming number of requests and cannot guarantee a timely response in all cases. We suggest checking our resources page to find many other organizations that advocate for diversity and may be available to you for contact.
NEWS
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Tumblr for up-to-the-minute updates!
HOW CAN I HELP?
If you'd like to volunteer with WNDB, please fill out our volunteer form and one of our team members will be in touch shortly.
And here are a few ways that everyone can help promote diversity in children’s literature!
- BUY DIVERSE BOOKS. Actually buying diverse books is a very, very important way to help. The success of this movement rests on supporting creators and publishers who are putting out quality diverse content, preferably by diverse creators. Moral support is important, but monetary support for creators helps ensure their ability to work, and strong sales numbers allow publishers to bring on similar projects when they might have received resistance before. If you have the funds to do so, please purchase books, preferably soon after their release if possible. If your local bookstore doesn’t carry the book you want, ask them to order it. With enough interest, booksellers will begin to stock the books, further increasing access.
- REQUEST DIVERSE BOOKS FROM YOUR LIBRARY. If your book-buying money is limited, consider requesting books from your library. If libraries begin regularly stocking these books for their collections, exposure and access increases.
- SPREAD THE WORD. If you read a particular diverse book that strikes a chord in you, please recommend it far and wide. When your friends ask what to read next or if you have suggestions for their kids, suggest diverse books. If you belong to a site that does book reviews, consider posting one. Word of mouth is a powerful motivator for book purchases. We are also big proponents of using social media to spread the word and organize, and WNDB can be found on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook. Please follow us on Twitter at @diversebooks and use the #WeNeedDiverseBooks hashtag to tweet us your successes or suggestions! We’ll RT and amplify when we’re able.
- GIVE DIVERSE BOOKS AS GIFTS. If you know someone who you think would love a particular book, give it to them as a gift!
- WRITE AUTHORS AN APPRECIATION LETTER AND SEND IT VIA THEIR PUBLISHER. When you read a diverse book you like, send the author a nice note. You can address fan mail to their publisher or literary agent, both of whom can get in touch with the author. A kind letter will give the author a wonderful boost (trust us!), and sending it through the publisher will show them that the author is striking a chord.
- IF YOU ARE A PUBLISHER, EDITOR, AGENT, LIBRARIAN, OR BOOKSELLER, TAKE A STAND. Readers can only take this movement so far. Publishing professionals must take a stand and dedicate themselves to taking risks and not buying into the old standby “there’s no market” line. The success of diversity in children’s literature depends on people at ALL levels working to make it happen. Refuse to pass on projects solely because it’s “too hard” to sell a book with XYZ characters. Hire diverse staff with different outlooks and backgrounds. If it’s at all possible, offer paid internships. Make an effort to select a wider variety of books for your store or library. If you work in a bookstore, check out Grace Lin’s Cheat Sheet for Selling Diversity for some suggestions on hand-selling.
- IF YOU ARE A TEACHER OR EDUCATOR, CREATE A DIVERSE READING PROGRAM. If you have the power to do so, create a diversified reading list for your classroom. Encourage your students to read widely. Request that your school stock diverse books, or bring some from your own collection. Don’t limit students by saying they “can’t” or “shouldn’t” read about someone who isn’t like them, or that they “wouldn’t be interested” in certain books. Invite local diverse authors to speak in your classroom.
- IF YOU ARE AN EVENT ORGANIZER, COMMIT TO DIVERSIFYING YOUR PANELS AND SPEAKERS. When you’re in the planning stages for an event, consider the list of speakers and panels you’re inviting or selecting. Aim to feature a variety of people. Don’t throw in a single generalized “diversity” panel and call it a day — make an effort to diversify as many panels as possible by including people of color on a fantasy panel, LGBTQIA people on a romance panel, disabled people on a panel about plotting, etc. If you don’t have a lot of variety in your applicant pool, then you must do some outreach. Commit to showcasing representation beyond the majority.
