Why do we need more children's and YA books with characters of color?

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"If you cannot find yourself on the page very early in life, you will go looking for yourself in all the wrong places."
- Richard Peck

I heard Candy Gourlay quote Richard Peck in a speech and I was nearly in tears thinking of all the kids of color who are still looking for themselves in the pages of books.

Comments

MotherReader said…
As I was making a list of chapter books that have a summer theme, I found it very difficult to find ones that featured children of color. Especially as I wasn't looking for more serious books - which is all I could find for African-American characters. It highlighted the problem for me once again.
1:05 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
Sigh.

C'mon, authors and publishers, give us more characters of color!!!
1:17 AM
MissA said…
What an appropriate quote. Thank you for sharing it Tarie.

@Mother Reader- It's as if publishers don't think African Americans or any other people of color can have fun! Our books cover some serious topics yes, but they can also be chick lit, paranormal, etc.
2:41 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
Ari, I'm very happy to share the quote. :o)
2:58 AM
tanita✿davis said…
Word to Uncle Richard.

So, so true.
4:04 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
Tanita, heck, I'm *still* looking for myself on the page.
4:12 AM
Zarah C. Gagatiga said…
Peck's quote made a dent and I'm thankful Candy shared it with us!
7:31 AM
Chachic said…
What I'd really want to see is a well-written YA book by a Filipino author set in the Philippines. :) Wouldn't it be great to have something like that? I would encourage all my book blogger friends to read it.
9:56 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
Zarah, Richard Peck and Candy Gourlay rock!

Chachic, that book exists. Let's chat about it later. ;)
1:30 PM
Doret said…
Tarie, I can't wait to read your review of Tall Story.
10:03 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
Doret, I will review Tall Story for Color Online this month or at the beginning of Sept. :o)
9:41 PM
Robyn Bavati said…
I agree that it's so important for kids to find themselves in books. I was raised Jewish, and the prevailing literature when I was growing up (in the sixties and early seventies) was Christian. Weddings were in Churches, families always but always got together for Christmas. Though I wanted to be a writer, I didn't see how I could accomplish it when I'd never set foot inside a Church. The situation isn't much better for Jewish kids today, when almost all Jewish literature for kids is Holocaust based. Kids need to know literature can be as varied as life.
6:07 AM
Tarie Sabido said…
"Kids need to know literature can be as varied as life."

Hear, hear Robyn! :o)
6:49 PM
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