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| Right to Left: Pat Cummings, Stacey Barney, John Parra, Don Tate, and Lisa Yee |
In this discussion-based breakout session, we have multiple perspectives from different parts of the children's literature community:
Pat Cummings, author/illustrator of over thirty-five books for young readers (and Board member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, among others.)
Stacey Barney, Senior Editor at Penguin/Putnam Books for Young Readers
John Parra, Golden-Kite winning illustrator.
Don Tate, author and illustrator, winner of the Ezra Jack Keats Award.
Lisa Yee, author of 16 books and winner of the very first Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
Some highlights:
Stacey Barney:
"Write organic stories." Sometimes she finds that it's almost as if writers are checking off boxes for diversity with their diverse cast of characters, but "character shouldn't feel like categories."
John Parra:
"Be respectful. Show it to others who are part of those communities. Make sure authentic is how it's portrayed."
Don Tate:
"Study. Research. Vet. ...Make sure you're not exploiting the topic."
Lisa Yee:
You can write outside your experience "but you have to get it right."
The panel are telling us fascinating stories, like Lisa sharing how her Millicent Min (in 2003) was the first middle grade book with a photo of an Asian American kid on the cover.
Don shares about doing a school visit when he was asked by a 5th grade class if he only illustrates Black people, and how he asked the two African American boys in the class if they felt like they've read books that represented them - and they said no. So he turned to the rest of the class and explained that he's made it his mission, he's built his whole career, to create positive portrayals of people that look like those two boys… and the whole class clapped.
Stacey tells us about teaching (elementary and preschool and high school), and reading picture books to the kids, and how she made an effort to choose picture books that reflected their experience. "Kids are kids."
Pat speaks of her school visits, and how kids pick up books out of curiosity. She shares how she was asked once by a British author why she only does books with Black characters. Pat countered, asking the British author why
they only created books with British characters…
John speaks of how he sees diverse books being published, but the awards and reviews and the best lists of the year aren't that diverse. After they've published, how do they get recognized and supported?
They cover editorial staffing (and the importance of diversity in staffing across departments, including marketing, publicity and sales), being vetted by additional experts, and much, much more.
We Need Diverse Books™team members Miranda Paul and Nicola Yoon presented an enormously informational session on writing outside of your own diversity. Paul, who is married to a black African man, wished for more books featuring characters that looked like her biracial family—particularly when her daugher questioned why so many books featuring characters that looked like her were about slavery. Yoon also comes from a biracial family and shared her concern. Here are a few things to think about when writing outside of your own race, background, experience:
• Honest Reflection. Consider your own motivations, biases, ignorances for writing a particular story. What is your connection to the topic?
• Collaborate
Identity experts with whom you might work with or co-author a book. They can help you to realize things you didn't realize you don't know.
• Observe
Make research trips, take notes, watch, listen (Cavet: You are still an outsider at this phase)
•Recognize
Be honest with your reader, explain literary choices, share your research process, extend beyond the book
• Tell the truth
Write characters, not caricatures. If you’re writing a stereotype, you’re not telling the truth. All Asians are not good with math. All black girls aren’t sassy. People are complicated, create complex characters. Know what makes your character tick— What do they love? What do they want
• Diversify your life
Include more types of people in your own life, it will not only make you a better writer, it will make you a better person.
As per their website,
We Need Diverse Books™ is a grassroots organization of children’s book lovers that advocates essential changes in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that reflects and honors the lives of all young people. #LA15SCBWI tackled the issue today with a panel of esteemed writers and illustrators. Illustrator Joe Cepeda was one of the speakers.
Cepeda is the illustrator of numerous award-winning picture books that feature diverse characters, such as
Nappy Hair, From North to South: Del Norte al Sure,
Swing Sisters: The Story of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm, and so many others.
Years ago, however, Cepeda illustrated a book that became an issue: Nappy Hair. Some people were offended by the use of the word “nappy,” and Cepeda wasn’t aware of the baggage the word carried. When the book published, there was somewhat a media outcry. “If we had more books that featured diversity, things like this wouldn't be an issue,” said Cepeda.
After college, Cepeda did what many illustrators do: he went to New York, where he was discovered by none other than Arthur Levine. He's been working consistently ever since. The first manuscripts offered were mostly stories about people of color—Chicano or African American. Starting to feel boxed in, he voiced his concerns to editors. "The result was more diversity," Cepedia said, holding up his books
featuring hamsters as the main characters, to which the audience roared in laughter.
“I’m proud to be a Chicano,” he said, “but I’m an illustrator and I want to be able to illustrate everything.
We need diverse books—of course we do! So during a lunch time chat, a group of #LA15SCBWI conference goers discussed that topic. We Need Diverse Books™ team members, Miranda Paul, Jim Averbeck, and Don Tate led group discussions.
Pictured below, writers discuss why it is important for children to see themselves in books.
From left to right:
A. E. Marling spoke to the importance of all people from every background seeing themselves included in fantasy, which is why he includes characters of color in his stories. "Books can portray that everyone has a place," Marling says.
Judy Goldman spoke about how seeing yourself in a book generates self respect, and she lamented the fact that most of the people seen in books are white and surbarban. "If you don’t recognize youself in a book, you won’t identify. You won't know that you are important."
Cassie Gustafson writes books for teenage adolescent girls. "The more you know about someone else, the less they are other," she says.
Michelle deBaroncelli spoke about the importance of white readers seeing diverse characters in books, "to help remove seperation and otherness."
Far right, writer Liz Pratt was a bit quiet. Totally understandable. Expressing youself on the topic of diversity is not an easy, especially when you are in the minority.
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| Miranda Paul discusses the We Need Diverse Books initiative and goals. |
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| Jim Averbeck leads an enthusiastic discussion |
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