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

In March and April of this year, we ventured into new territory with initiatives that included: holding our very first virtual Symposium & Walter Awards ceremony, announcing a new writing intensive in partnership with Hello Sunshine and Madcap Retreats, and announcing two new initiatives to be funded by proceeds from an exciting new YA fantasy novel. Read on:

March & April

Picture Books/Early Reader

• Laxmi’s Mooch by Shelly Anand, illustrated by Nabi H. Ali – Teaching Your Kids Body Positivity? Learn to Practice It Yourself
• The True Stories of Animal Heroes series by Vita Murrow – At a Time of Vast Human Healing, Writer Vita Murrow Looks to Our Animal Neighbors for Support
• Jayden’s Impossible Garden by Mélina Mangal, illustrated by Ken Daley – Finding Nature in the City
• Curls and Glow by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Geneva Bowers – Q&A With Ruth
• Bindu’s Bindis by Supriya Kelkar, illustrated by Parvati Pillai – My Picture Book Was Inspired by My Love of Bindis
• In My Mosque by M.O. Yuksel, illustrated by Hatem Aly – Muslim People, Cultures, and Mosque Architecture Are Diverse
• Seven Special Somethings: A Nowruz Story by Adib Khorram, illustrated Zainab Faidhi – New Beginnings & Active Hope: Adib Khorram Opens Doors
• Watercress by Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin – The Power of Family History
• Your Mama by NoNieqa Ramos, illustrated by Jacqueline Alcántara – Marginalized People Are Taught to Be Embarrassed by Our Mothers
• Usha and the Big Digger by Amitha Jagannath Knight, Illustrated by Sandhya Prabhat – Cover Reveal
• Love in the Library by Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Illustrated by Yas Imamura – Cover Reveal
• Wanda by Sihle Nontshokweni and Mathabo Tlali, illustrated by Chantelle and Burgen Thorne – The Importance of Intergenerational Storytelling and Learning Self-Love From Our Elders
• What Happened to You? by James Catchpole, illustrated by Karen George – Why It’s Important to Talk to Kids About Disability and “What Happened to You?”
• The Wonder of the World Leaf by Summer Edward, illustrated by Sayada Ramdial – Community, Nature, and Wonder as a Balm in Troubling Times
• Ari J.’s Kinky, Curly Crown by Ain Drew, illustrated by Shamar Knight-Justice – Why I Wrote a Children’s Book About Black Hair
• Dumpling Day by Meera Sriram, Illustrated by Inés de Antuñano – Cover Reveal
• Born Ready by Jodie Patterson, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow – Q&A With Jodie & Penel
• For All/Para Todos by Alejandra Domenzain, illustrated by Katherine Loh – Q&A With Alejandra

Middle Grade

• Starfish by Lisa Fipps – Q&A With Lisa
• Cookie Chronicles series by Robbi Behr and Matthew Swanson – Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr in Conversation
• Amina’s Song by Hena Khan – Muslim Representation in Children’s Books Is Evolving
• The Many Mysteries of the Finkel Family by Sarah Kapit – Q&A With Sarah
• Merci Suárez Can’t Dance by Meg Medina – Q&A With Meg
• Boy, Everywhere by A.M. Dassu – Challenging Damaging Stereotypes About Refugees
• Caprice by Coe Booth – Cover Reveal

Young Adult

• I Think I Love You by Auriane Desombre – Q&A With Auriane
• Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira – Life in Spanglish
• Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales – Sophie Gonzales Was Inspired by Attachment Styles for Perfect on Paper
• Rest Easy by Warona Jolomba – Cover Reveal
• Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore – Q&A With Steven
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley – Q&A With Angeline
• The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore – Q&A with Anna-Marie
• List of Ten by Halli Gomez – Living With Tourette Syndrome Inspired Me to Write My Young Adult Novel
• Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People by Kekla Magoon – Cover Reveal
• Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas – Lost in the Never Woods Is a Peter Pan Retelling About Trauma
• She’s Too Pretty to Burn by Wendy Heard – Q&A With Wendy
• The Hazards of Love Vol. 1 by Stan Stanley – Why My Graphic Novel Has an All-Queer, All-Latinx Cast
• Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer – Therapeutic Storytelling: How a Book About Queer Witches Helped Me Heal
• Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan – Q&A With Sabina
• The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris – Q&A With Brittney
• House of Glass Hearts by Leila Siddiqui – Cover Reveal
• These Feathered Flames by Alexandra Overy – Queernorm Fantasy Worlds: Writing as an Escape
• Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart – Q&A With Ciannon
• Between Perfect and Real by Ray Stoeve – Q&A With Ray

Articles & Educational Resources

• Sensitivity Readers Can Make Publishing More Accountable, if We Allow Them To by Rebecca Wei Hsieh
• Unapologetically Asian American: Growing Up in Georgia & Anti-Asian Hate Resources by JoAnn Yao
• 6 Authors Share What They Love About Writing YA Romance by Alaina Lavoie
• Platforms Like Wattpad Allow Marginalized Authors to Reach Readers by Chazz Mair
• Author Rajani LaRocca Writes Because She’s Fascinated by People by Karis Rogerson

WNDB Programming

2021 Symposium & Walter Awards – “For the first time ever, WNDB is excited to present our annual Symposium and the Walter Awards as a virtual event!” | Watch the replay of the Symposium & Awards ceremony

Native Writing Intensive Is a Community and Career Building Opportunity – “Native writing spaces are needed. This type of programming is not one-and-done. Collectively, we are stronger together, we inspire each other, we encourage each other, we understand each other.”

Q&A With Olivia Funderburg, Managing Editorial Assistant – “We’re pleased to welcome Olivia Funderburg, Managing Editorial Assistant at Berkley Publishing, an imprint of Penguin Random House, to the WNDB blog to discuss her career. Olivia Funderburg participated in the 2017 WNDB Internship Grant Program.”

Announcement of the LitUp Writing Intensive – “In partnership with Hello Sunshine and Madcap Retreats, WNDB is excited to help oversee LitUp, a women’s writer’s fellowship for unpublished, underrepresented voices. LitUp will elevate, mentor, and champion first-time authors so more diverse stories are seen, heard, and read by all.”

Delacorte Press to Publish The Grimoire of Grave Fates in Partnership With We Need Diverse Books – Delacorte Press will publish The Grimoire of Grave Fates, a new YA fantasy novel [created by Hanna Alkaf (The Weight of Our Sky) and Margaret Owen (The Merciful Crow)] told in interconnected points of view by 18 acclaimed young adult authors… Alkaf and Owen will be using proceeds from the sale to establish two initiatives for marginalized authors, in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Alkaf’s fund will go toward supporting and mentoring Muslim writers seeking to publish children’s literature, and Owen’s fund will do the same for transgender writers.