BookSpring has joined the Diverse Books for All Coalition, a new initiative addressing the need for increased access to diverse children’s books. The Coalition is made up of a growing number of nonprofit organizations, including over 30 national and local organizations dedicated to serving children and families. The Coalition aims to double the number of affordable, quality children’s books by and about diverse cultures and races over the next five years.
The importance of diverse representation in children’s books
Census data reveals the increasing diversity in the United States, especially among children. However, the diversity of children’s books is not moving at the pace needed in order to provide the highest quality, most developmentally and culturally appropriate books that reflect that diversity. Reading stories with authentic portrayals of diverse characters from an early age helps children develop a strong sense of self and empathy for others. By promoting diverse representation in children’s books, BookSpring and the Diverse Books for All Coalition hope to create a more inclusive and equitable society for all children. This is important in Texas and across the country.
Priorities of the Diverse Books for All Coalition
The consortium’s priorities include combining the market power of Coalition members through collective purchasing from publishers, developing a unified narrative/message to underscore the value and benefits of diverse and inclusive representation in books, and providing resources that enable educators and parents/caregivers to advocate for and benefit from diverse books.
Members of the Coalition include: First Book, which is spearheading the Coalition, American Academy of Pediatrics-CA3, Book Harvest, Barbershop Books, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Heart of America, Home Grown, Jumpstart, MomsRising, National Association for the Education of Young Children, National Black Child Development Institute, ParentChild+, Parents as Teachers, Raising a Reader, Reach Out and Read, Inc., Reach Out and Read Greater New York, Reach Out and Read Rhode Island, Read On Arizona, Reading Is Fundamental, Room to Read, Save the Children, Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Start Early, The American Federation of Teachers, The Leaders Readers Network, The Patterson Foundation, Too Small to Fail, UnidosUS, We Need Diverse Books, and ZERO TO THREE.
BookSpring’s involvement in the Coalition
BookSpring joined the Diverse Books for All Coalition as part of its ongoing efforts to promote literacy and reading among children in Texas. As stated in our previous posts, our organization has a longstanding commitment to providing children with high-quality books that are developmentally and culturally appropriate. By joining the Coalition, BookSpring hopes to help address the lack of diverse representation in children’s books in a systematic way.
BookSpring’s role in the Coalition
BookSpring’s staff will be serving on working groups for three pivotal issues: collective purchasing, narrative and communication, and parent supports. The collective purchasing group will work with publishers and authors to encourage the creation and accessibility of more diverse books. The narrative and communication group will work to raise awareness about the importance of diverse representation in children’s books. The parent support group will work with parents and primary caregivers to help them choose and advocate for books that are diverse and culturally appropriate for their children.
We’re excited to join our fellow nonprofits in the Diverse Books for All Coalition and we’ll be providing updates on this important initiative.
