You still have time (because it's not until tomorrow) to get on down to the Asian American Writers' Workshop:
The worlds we create in books, whether historical, contemporary or fantasy, inform our notions of ourselves and our possibilities. Yet fewer than 10% of the books published for children and young adults in recent years featured main characters of color. Fewer still were written by authors of color.FB.
Join us for a panel discussion about race in children’s and young adult books. How are characters of color written about in children’s fiction today? Which books represent communities of color accurately, and which do not? How does a skewed understanding of history undermine our ability to navigate our futures? And what can we do to ensure that our children read stories that reflect their lives?
Panelists:
Charlene Allen writes fiction for middle grade and young adult audiences. Find links to her writing at charleneallen.com.
Dr. Sharon Cadiz is a nationally recognized child development expert with a passion for children’s literature.
Matt de la Peña is the author of seven critically-acclaimed young adult and middle grade novels, and one exciting picture book. See his work at: mattdelapena.com.
Vikki Law is a freelance writer and editor. You can find links to her writings at victorialaw.net/writings
Stacy Whitman is the founder and publisher of Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books.. Find her on Twitter at @tubooks.
The evening will be moderated by activist and writer Sonia J Cheruvillil.
