Rohan Zhou-Lee

During Pride Month and every month, WNDB honors the lives of trans and non-binary people. Here are Own Voices books by trans and non-binary authors, whom we have featured on our blog or recognized with Walter Awards. 

Also check out Maya Sungold’s essay, “The Importance of Celebrating Trans Stories” on our blog.

GEORGE by Alex Gino

ZENOBIA JULY by Lisa Bunker

FELIX EVER AFTER by Kacen Callender

CEMETERY BOYS by Aiden Thomas

DARK AND DEEPEST RED by Anna-Marie McLemore

I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST by Mason Deaver

THE SHIP WE BUILT by Lexie Bean

EACH OF US A DESERT by Mark Oshiro

DRAGON PEARL by Yoon Ha Lee

PET by Akwaeke Emezi (Walter Award Honoree)

The fight is far from over but in celebration of the Supreme Court’s decision this week, here’s a list of books by authors whose identities and works reflect those of DACA recipients! Here’s to the Dreamers. 💖 

We’ve featured these titles on our blog, curated them with the help of educators and librarians for the OurStory app, or honored the authors with Walter Awards/Grants: 

PICTURE BOOKS 

ALREADY A BUTTERFLY by Julia Alvarez, Illustrated by Raúl Colón 

ANTONIO’S CARD/LA TARJETA DE ANTONIO by Rigoberto González, Illustrated by Cecilia Concepción Álvarez

CARMELA FULL OF WISHES by Matt de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson

A GIFT FROM ABUELA by Cecilia Ruiz

A MOVIE IN MY PILLOW/UNA PELICULA EN MI ALMOHADA by Jorge Argueta, Illustrated by Elizabeth Gomez

MY DIARY FROM HERE TO THERE/MI DIARIO DE AQUÍ HASTA ALLÁ by Amada Irma Pérez, Illustrated by Maya González 

MIDDLE GRADE 

THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US: YOUNG READERS EDITION by Reyna Grande

GHOST SQUAD by Claribel Ortega

I LIVED ON BUTTERFLY HILL by Marjorie Agosín

MAÑANALAND by Pam Muñoz Ryan

THEY CALL ME GÜERO by David Bowles (Walter Honoree)

THE WAY TO RIO LUNA by Zoraida Córdova 

YOUNG ADULT

AMERICAN STREET by Ibi Zoboi

BLANCA & ROJA by Anna Marie-McLemore

CLAP WHEN YOU LAND by Elizabeth Acevedo

COME ON IN edited by Adi Alsaid

DISAPPEARED by Francisco X. Stork (Walter Honoree)

DON’T ASK ME WHERE I’M FROM by Jennifer de Leon (Walter Grant Winner)

FURIA by Yamile Saied Méndez (Walter Grant Winner)

I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER by Erika L. Sánchez

THE SUN IS ALSO A STAR by Nicole Yoon (Walter Honoree)

WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT BY Isabel Ibañez Davis

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE by Jenny Torres Sanchez

The Cooperative Children’s Book Center has released the results of their 2019 survey on diversity in kidlit/YA.

We thank them for this invaluable work, note their commitment to adding Arabs/Arab Americans in future surveys, and present these graphs of their findings.

The 3,716 books surveyed have this many main characters total for the following groups:

Black/African: 11.9%

First/Native Nations: 1%

Asian/Asian American: 8.7%

Latinx: 5.3%

Pacific Islander: 0.05%

White: 41.8%

Animal/Other: 29.2%

LGBTQIAP+: 3.1%

Disability: 3.4%

“Taken together, books about white children, talking bears, trucks, monsters, potatoes, etc. represent nearly three quarters (71%) of children’s and young adult books published in 2019.” - librarian Madeline Tyner

When we looked at the breakdown for IPOC creatives who wrote and/or illustrated stories with characters of their own race, we found the following:

First/Native Nations: 68.2%

Pacific Islander: 80%

Latinx: 95.7%

Asian/Asian American: 100%*

*NOTE: these percentages include both authors and illustrators and, as pointed out by author Linda Sue Park for past surveys, Asians/Asian Americans are frequently illustrators but not necessarily authors of their own stories, meaning this is not fully reflective of #OwnVoices representation.

Black/African creatives wrote and/or illustrated only 46.4% of stories featuring Black/African characters.

—

Lisa Moore Ramée, WNDB Summer Reading: Both Pain and Joy Are Part of Kids’ Lives

let me guess… a hot lady villian? one who deserves redemption?

maybe a hero? a good guy?

do we want some powers? a girl who could take down god? or maybe she is god?

how bout a girl who doesnt need powers too take down god?

maybe we want our girl too have hat sweet pastel aesthetic but still kick ass?

how bout some loving girls, you know the type. real sweethearts.

maybe you want someone whos a little more…. rocky

or do we straight up just want milfs today

My current favourites from r/trippingthroughtime.

Bonus:

Hey, remember this old Rosethorn/Briar comic? It’s finally done OTL