As the year comes to a close, we would like to reflect on the work we’ve done, as well as all of the incredible diverse books and voices we’ve featured over the past 12 months. On each day of this final week, we’ll be highlighting features, Q&As, programming, and more! | January & February | March & April | May & June

In July & August of this year, we profiled the 2021 winners of the Creative Writing Awards, introduced our 2022 mentor lineup, and offered an update from a current mentee in our Mentorship program. Read on:

July & August

Picture Books/Early Reader

• You Are Not Alone by Alphabet Rockers, Illustrated by Ashley Evans – Cover Reveal
• Something Happened in Our Park by Marietta Collins, Ph.D., Marianne Celano, Ph.D., and Ann Hazzard, Ph.D., illustrated by Keith Henry Brown – Tackling Controversial Topics in Children’s Books
• Bella’s Recipe for Success by Ana Siqueira, illustrated by Geraldine Rodríguez – What Connects Us as Humans: The Power of Our Stories
• 30,000 Stitches by Amanda Davis, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport – What Connects Us as Humans: The Power of Our Stories
• Today is Different by Doua Moua, Illustrated by Kim Holt – Cover Reveal
• This Book Is Feminist by Jamia Wilson, Illustrated by Aurelia Durand – Read an Excerpt
• What Do You Know? by Aracelis Girmay and Ariana Fields – Q&A With Aracelis and Ariana
• Whole Whale by Karen Yin, Illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff – Q&A With Karen
• A Song of Frutas by Margarita Engle, illustrated by Sara Palacios – Q&A With Margarita
• Hair Twins by Raakhee Mirchandani, illustrated by Holly Hatam – Q&A With Raakhee and Holly
• Carrimebac by David Barclay Moore, Illustrated by John Holyfield – Cover Reveal
• Astrid & Apollo series by V.T. Bidania, illustrated by Evelt Yanait – Suni Lee’s Olympics Win Is More Than That for Hmong People
• My Love For You Is Always by Gillian Sze, illustrated by Michelle Lee – Q&A With Gillian and Michelle

Middle Grade

• Letters from Cuba by Ruth Behar – Q&A With Ruth & Margarita Engle
• Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne – Q&A With Shakirah
• Mighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier – Read an Excerpt | Q&A With Sundee
• Mango All the Time by Fracaswell Hyman – Cover Reveal
• World in Between by Kenan Trebinčević and Susan Shapiro – Q&A With Kenan and Susan
• Different Kinds of Fruit by Kyle Lukoff – Cover Reveal
• The Many Meanings of Meilan by Andrea Wang – The Many Meanings of Meilan Explores Identity and Grief
• Fast Pitch by Nic Stone – Q&A With Nic

Young Adult

• Your Heart, My Sky by Margarita Engle – Q&A With Margarita & Ruth Behar
• Rising Like a Storm by Tanaz Bhathena – Q&A With Tanaz
• Vial of Tears by Cristin Bishara – Cover Reveal
• Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim – Q&A With Elizabeth
• Required Reading for the Disenfranchised Freshman by Kristen R. Lee – Cover Reveal
• The Taking of Jake Livingston by Ryan Douglass – Ryan Douglass’s The Taking of Jake Livingston Uses the Horror Genre To Explore Anti-Blackness and Homophobia
• XOXO by Axie Oh – Q&A With Axie
• The Right Side of Reckless by Whitney D. Grandison – Q&A With Whitney
• Breathe and Count Back from Ten by Natalia Sylvester – Cover Reveal
• The River Has Teeth by Erica Waters – Q&A With Erica
• It Ends in Fire by Andrew Shvarts – Burn It Down: On World Building a Defiant Queer Response to Hogwarts
• Skate for Your Life by Leo Baker – Q&A With Leo
• Not My Problem by Ciara Smyth – Q&A With Ciara
• Brown Boy Nowhere by Sheeryl Lim – Q&A With Sheeryl
• Fresh by Margot Wood – Q&A With Margot
• The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad – Q&A With Nafiza
• A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee – Q&A With Victoria
• Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier, illustrated by Val Wise – Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms Is a Sapphic Graphic Novel About Love and Cheerleading
• How Moon Fuentez Fell in Love with the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gillilan – Q&A With Raquel | You Do Not Have to Explain Your Magic
• Me (Moth) by Amber McBride – Q&A with Amber
• Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis – Q&A With Jessica
• The Last Words We Said by Leah Scheier – Q&A With Leah

New Adult/Adult

• Sword Stone Table edited by Swapna Krishna and Jenn Northington – Q&A With Swapna and Jenn

Articles & Educational Resources

• Meet Youth Activist Zawadi Sankofa by Laura Shovan
• Meet Youth Activist Halley Vincent by Laura Shovan
• Where Are the Arab Authors in Kidlit? by Rhonda Roumani
• Are Antiracism Books for Kids Actually Working? by Nia Tucker
• How Teachers Can Increase the Diversity of Their Reading Curriculum by Heather Barcan
• Bridges & Books Podcast Is Putting the Teen Back in Teen Lit by Maya Sungold
• 12 Children’s and YA Books by Palestinian Authors by Hannah Moushabeck
• 9 Children’s and YA Books by Jewish Authors by Katherine Locke
• Building Community With StoryWalks by Carol Felicio

WNDB Programming

The 2021 Creative Writing Awards Winners – “The five winners share a little about themselves, and their hopes for the future. Congratulations to all!”

Interview With WNDB Picture Book Mentor David LaRochelle – “In this blog post, WNDB mentee Thushanthi Ponweera shares an update about her experience with the WNDB Mentorship Program. Thushanthi is a mentee in the 2021 Mentorship Program and had a Picture Book Mentorship with David LaRochelle.”

We Need Diverse Books Announces Lineup for Seventh Year of Mentorship Program – “In 2022, the program will include sixteen mentorships across four categories: picture book text, illustration, middle grade, and young adult. The 2022 mentors are an award-winning and bestselling lineup of children’s book creators including Kyle Lukoff, S. K. Ali, Saadia Faruqi, Francisco X. Stork, Andy Passchier, Olivia Aserr, Gloria Chao, Janet Costa Bates, Nick Bruel, Jarrett Lerner, Valerie Bolling, Varsha Bajaj, Cindy Baldwin, Silvia López, Sabina Khan, and Padma Venkatraman. Read the 2022 Mentor bios and Mentor Statements on our website.”