#weneeddiversebooks

[richincolor]

It's Banned Books Week!

While this isn't really a week to celebrate because censorship and the suppression of diverse voices is never okay, this is a week to lift up the work of educators, librarians, authors, book publishers, anyone who has a hand in making sure everyone's voice is represented in the books we love. The past few years have seen an increase in school boards across the country banning books in classrooms and libraries. The most egregious, to me, has been the removal of classroom sets of books in Florida. The ALA released early data on the number of challenged books for 2023 so far and its heartbreaking. The data reveals that, "Between January 1 and August 31, 2023, OIF reported 695 attempts to censor library materials and services and documented challenges to 1,915 unique titles - a 20% increase from the same reporting period in 2022, which saw the highest number of book challenges since ALA began compiling the data more than 20 years ago. The vast majority of challenges were to books written by or about a person of color or a member of the LGBTQIA+ community." (https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/book-ban-data) I don't know about you but this makes me want to fight even harder.

So, what can you do? The ALA provides an cool list of ways you can get involved not just this week but all year round such as volunteer at a library, speak out at a school board meeting, join organizations such as Unite Against Book Bans, purchase and share banned books, and even attend some of the events this week. Check out this page (Banned Books - Get Involved) for more detailed information about how you can help. 

Starting today the ALA is hosting a few events that you can gain insight and inspiration. I'm looking forward to Banned Books Week Honorary Chair LeVar Burton's talk tonight at 8pm EST (5pm for you Cali folk like me) and a roundtable discussion titled "A Seat at the Table: Youth Advocates on Fighting Books Bans" by students leaders doing the hard work on Thursday at 8pm EST/5pm PST. Click on this page (Banned Books - Events) to get more information. 

Lastly, Saturday, October 7th is Let Freedom Read Day where the ALA is asking us all to commit to doing at least one thing to help fight against censorship and support those on the front line. On their page (Let Freedom Read) is a list of actions that you could do on Sunday (or any day really), but for me, personally, please send love to a teacher or librarian because we could really use the support. Just saying "I'm there for you" or maybe donating a book to a teacher's personal classroom library would go far in the fight against censorship.  If there is any time to give back to those who promote literacy and representation for all, this is the week to do it. 

#banned books week #weneeddiversebooks

[elloellenoh]

The Dangers of Current Book Bans and Censorship in the US

This movement to ban and soft censor (quietly pull or not purchase) books is extremely dangerous. They are deliberately targeting diverse books, in particular - LGBTQ+ and BIPOC, because this is a movement to silence historically marginalized voices.

The people leading the book banning effort don't want these books in schools, libraries, even bookstores! They are not content to police their own children, but have taken grave overreaching steps to police what ALL youth have access to. But the worst part is the deceptive campaign of lies and misinformation that is used to control a very specific narrative. Books are accused of being porn, grooming, race baiting, fearmongering. But that’s not what it is really about. At the heart of this book banning movement is a desire to take away our youth’s ability to read and empathize with people who are not white, not cis, not straight, not able bodied. It is the most egregious form of othering. It is hammering home to those who do not fall within those labels that they are not part of the American story. Because when they ban LGBTQ+ and BIPOC books as they scream “think of our children!” what they are really saying is they are only interested in protecting a very specific type of child.

These book bans are driven by the larger movement to restrict classroom conversations and lessons about race and LGBTQ+ issues that has been led by certain groups driven by fear and hate in response to the progress made by marginalized voices. It’s not new. There have always been people in power who are afraid of what “losing their power” would look like. They thrive on fear mongering. Fear of the poor, of immigrants, of Black and Indigenous people of color, of those with mental and physical disabilities, of LGBTQ+ people, of all who are not like them. And these days anyone speaking up become the targets of harassment, hate and threats, especially teachers and librarians.

But know that they are targeting schools, and children, because controlling education and our youth is a long game strategy for them. If the impact of racism and bigotry are not taught in the classroom, if books about marginalized kids are censored and unavailable, we risk creating a generation of kids who never learn the value of empathy. And when marginalized kids don’t see themselves in the literature they read, we teach them that they are not valued, not wanted. That they are not equal. And there is no greater devastation to a child than to feel like there is no place for them in the world.

Right now we all need to be aware of what is happening and do whatever we can to speak up, make noise, fight back! There are so many ways you can help. Read articles. Pen America and Book Riot has been following the bans across the country. Take a look at all the books being banned. Support the authors and the books however you can. Go to the library and borrow them. If they are not there, ask them why. Attend local government meetings and make yourself heard! Form banned book clubs. Write to your local school boards, assemblymen, congressmen, let everyone know that banning and censoring these books is wrong! There are both small and big things that everyone can do!

Remember, there is a young person out there who needs one of these books so that they can feel seen and loved and know that they are not alone. That book just might save their life.

#book banning #censorship #critical race theory #racism #intersectionality #weneeddiversebooks #diversity #advocacy #lgbtqplus #lgbtq #youth #childrens books

[debtheauthor]

Hi, new followers! For the ones who aren't bots, please check out my book, FRACTURED PRINCESS, available on Amazon (Kindle, paperback, hardcover)!

https://linktr.ee/debreneebyrd

#books #writing #fantasy #weneeddiverseauthors #weneeddiversebooks #black authors #black girl magic #ya fantasy

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

Reluctant Reader Wednesday: What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell 

When Sadie and Logan decide to skip their class field trip and go for a drive instead, they don’t realize that this decision will change their lives. When they discover a corn maze that they’ve never seen before, it seems surprising, but not impossible. After all, they live in Indiana, and corn mazes are very popular. But they always see corn mazes in the fall, never at the end of the school year. 

Sadie and Logan decide to enter the maze and go exploring, and this decision changes their lives even more. Because once they get inside the maze, they discover that it’s impossible to escape. Reality is strange here. Time is strange here. And doors appear and disappear with no explanation. When Sadie and Logan discover piles of clothes and other possessions that were left by people who never escaped the maze, they’re worried. When they discover the dead bodies, they’re terrified. Because some of those dead bodies look exactly like them.

This was one of the most unique and memorable fantasy/horror stories I’ve read in a VERY long time. Give this book to teens and even grownups who love mind-bending books that they will remember for a long time afterwards. This would also be a great choice for readers who want to read about LGBTQ characters in a one-of-a-kind setting, as well as stories about mental illness, friendship, abusive relationships, and survivors.

#Reluctant Reader Wednesday #What Stalks Among Us #Sarah Hollowell #horror #fantasy #mazes #time loops #alternate timelines #ADHD #LGBT #LGBTQ #weneeddiversebooks #Kingsbridge Library #NYPL

[aribabyjpg]

Okay, so I think I fell in love with writing again.

I just finished a YA Contemporary Romance with a Black Tans lead. I started two new projects right after a Cyberpunk based on Virtual Reality and a Dark Fantasy with a Black Trans Witch lead! 🦋💗

Check out my Wattpad to read into my imagination 🦋

#personal #transgender #trans #lgbt #lgbtpride #hrt #mtf #male to female #trans people #black transgirl #wattpadwriter #wattpadbook #writers #authorlife #author #black authors #own voices #weneeddiversebooks #lgbt books #trans books

[propertiuspress]

I love stories. Some of you know, but some probably don't, that about ten years ago, Propertius Press came into being. We're doing some pretty awesome work - curating a collection of reads selected for their propensity to stay with you long after you turn the last page.

We look for authors with an authentic voice, whose story hasn't been told in the same old format and fashion, and we lift them up to readers everywhere.

Check them out. In a world with sparkly, fast joys everywhere you look, Propertius invites you to settle in, get comfy, grab a cuppa, and breathe in.

www.propertiuspress.com

#smallpress #indie press #not for profit #books #bookstore #writing #ebooks #lgbtq #submissions #black writers #weneeddiverseauthors #weneeddiversebooks

[lunaslittlelibrary]

Sing If You Can't Dance by Alexia Casale

"I think 5Stars is too low for what this book means to me." my #bookreview of #SINGIFYOUCANTDANCE by @AlexiaCasale Out July 6th! @FaberChildrens Pre-order now! #ukya

Ven has her future all planned out. Her dance group is going places and so is she . . . Then she collapses. On stage. In hospital, Ven discovers that she has a medical condition – one that threatens to ruin everything. No more dancing . . . walking is challenging enough. But she doesn’t want your pity. Ven is determined to have a big, exciting life. Sure, her future might be different, but it’s…

View On WordPress

#WeNeedDiverseBooks #Alexia Casale #booklove #House of Windows #recommend #The Bone Dragon #uk author #ukya

[incrediblydevine]

This was such a fun year for reading ❤❤ I went to in-person book festivals and author meet n greets, bought way too many books, had book hangovers and book slumps, was wonderfully emotionally destroyed by some books, fell in love with new book boyfriends/girlfriends and overall lived some amazing lives through these stories. Here are some of my favorite reads of 2022, plus a repost from @mercys.garage that made me feel like a celebrity for a day! @therealsjmaas @tracydeonn @justina.ireland @imaginariumbookfestival @kezarthur @ilona_andrews @naominovik @seananmcguire #bookstagram #booktok #readingislife #goodreads #urbanfantasy #yabooks #crescentcity #readingislife #booksandcoffee #booksaremagic #reading #pocauthors #weneeddiversebooks #goodreadschallenge #2022readingchallenge #goodreadsreadingchallenge https://www.instagram.com/p/CmWynZrOOdJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#bookstagram #booktok #readingislife #goodreads #urbanfantasy #yabooks #crescentcity #booksandcoffee #booksaremagic #reading #pocauthors #weneeddiversebooks #goodreadschallenge #2022readingchallenge #goodreadsreadingchallenge

[sunsetsandwrittenwords]

all proceeds from #HFCWSY book sales this week (9/18 - 9/24) will be donated to the @americanlibraryassociation to fight against #bannedbooks. why? because diversity in voices and in ideas matters. because an individual has the right to choose what they want to read. because so-called “controversial” subjects are exactly the ideas that help children learn to think for themselves. because every child deserves to see themselves in the pages of a book. books defined my childhood and still do — and why should anyone try to limit that effect for someone else? my favorite banned books include titles like: 🌟 “Nineteen Minutes” by @jodipicoult 🌟 “1984” by George Orwell 🌟 “The Handmaid’s Tale” by @therealmargaretatwood 🌟 “Looking for Alaska” by @johngreenwritesbooks 🌟 “The Kite Runner” by @khosseini and others on my TBR include “The Color Purple” (Alice Walker), “Beloved” (Toni Morrison), and “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” (Maya Angelou). share your favorite banned books in the comments and visit my website to purchase a copy of HFCWSY (from any retailer!) to help donate towards this important cause ✨ • • • • • • • • #bannedbooksweek #uniteagainstbookbans #powerofbooks #weneeddiversebooks #weneeddiverseauthors #diversitymatters #diversebooks #diverseauthors #diversevoices #powerofwords #freedomtoread #supportauthors #powerofspeech https://www.instagram.com/p/CiuzulJuKJk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#hfcwsy #bannedbooks #bannedbooksweek #uniteagainstbookbans #powerofbooks #weneeddiversebooks #weneeddiverseauthors #diversitymatters #diversebooks #diverseauthors #diversevoices #powerofwords #freedomtoread #supportauthors #powerofspeech

[mizamour]

Frizzy by Claribel A Ortega and Rose Bousamra: This middle grade graphic novel is amazing! It is going to make so many kids feel so seen! Marlene is a Dominican-American girl who loves hanging out with her loyal best friend and cool Tia Ruby, but she faces a lot of pressure from others around her. Her mom, who has internalized the anti-Black narrative of “good hair” versus “bad hair,” is constantly worried about Paola being ladylike and “presentable.” Presentable, to her, means taming her hair and her fun-loving exuberance into something like her model-esque, demure but catty cousin Diana - but that isn’t who Marlene is, and she knows it. Can she find a way to embrace herself as she is, help her mom understand her, and stand up against school bullies without getting in trouble? Well, maybe not without trouble - but it just might be worth it. This book is phenomenal, with gorgeous, expressive art paired with an honest, compelling, real narrative. It explores family relationships with nuance and promotes self-love while also acknowledging all the systemic factors that play into discrimination based on looks, and that it’s not as easy as “just love yourself and don’t care about what people think.” I can’t wait to get this book on our shelves! It comes out this October. #frizzy #frizzyhair #frizzyhairproblems #frizzyhairdontcare #curlsfordays #curlyhair #graphicnovelsforkids #middlegradebooks #middlegradegraphicnovel #schoollibrarian #librariansofinstagram #librariansfollowlibrarians #teacherlibrarian #mirrorsandwindows #wndb #weneeddiversebooks #representationmatters #claribelortega #alaac22 #ala2022 @claribel_ortega https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfmbn-OuPak/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#frizzy #frizzyhair #frizzyhairproblems #frizzyhairdontcare #curlsfordays #curlyhair #graphicnovelsforkids #middlegradebooks #middlegradegraphicnovel #schoollibrarian #librariansofinstagram #librariansfollowlibrarians #teacherlibrarian #mirrorsandwindows #wndb #weneeddiversebooks #representationmatters #claribelortega #alaac22 #ala2022

[slitheringink]

WNDB is putting together book care packages to LGBTQ+ kids in Texas and Florida. I ended up picking up a shirt to support this. Those can be found here.

#weneeddiversebooks #charity project #lgbtq

[richincolor]

Happy Black History Month!

This Black History Month I'd like to celebrate the genre that makes us jump at every unknown noise, brings us nightmares, and has us up late turning the page in anticipation of what will happen next - Black Thriller & Horror! There has been a lovely uptick in the publishing of Black Thrillers and Horror in the past few years where Black protagonists are solving complex mysteries, fighting against all forms of supernatural beings, and sometimes a combination of both. I've had so much fun reading all of these novels and am greatly looking forward to what 2024 has to bring. 

When creating a list of Black Thriller/Horror writers I must begin with the queen, Tiffany D. Jackson. Her first book "Monday's Not Coming" was a perfectly written thriller with a plot twist that hit with a gut punch that I'm still recovering from. Since then she's been on a streak with hit after hit after hit. Her latest, The Weight of Blood, is a book you cannot miss.

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

When Springville residents—at least the ones still alive—are questioned about what happened on prom night, they all have the same explanation … Maddy did it. An outcast at her small-town Georgia high school, Madison Washington has always been a teasing target for bullies. And she's dealt with it because she has more pressing problems to manage. Until the morning a surprise rainstorm reveals her most closely kept Maddy is biracial. She has been passing for white her entire life at the behest of her fanatical white father, Thomas Washington. After a viral bullying video pulls back the curtain on Springville High's racist roots, student leaders come up with a plan to change their host the school's first integrated prom as a show of unity. The popular white class president convinces her Black superstar quarterback boyfriend to ask Maddy to be his date, leaving Maddy wondering if it's possible to have a normal life. But some of her classmates aren't done with her just yet. And what they don't know is that Maddy still has another secret … one that will cost them all their lives. 

2023 also gave us two amazing debut thrillers and I, for one, cannot wait to see what these two authors cook up next. 

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

You must work twice as hard to get half as much. Adina Walker has known this the entire time she’s been on scholarship at the prestigious Edgewater Academy—a school for the rich (and mostly white) upper class of New England. It’s why she works so hard to be perfect and above reproach, no matter what she must force beneath the surface. Even one slip can cost you everything. And it does. One fight, one moment of lost control, leaves Adina blacklisted from her top choice Ivy League college and any other. Her only chance to regain the future she’s sacrificed everything for is the Finish, a high-stakes contest sponsored by Edgewater’s founding family in which twelve young, ambitious women with exceptional promise are selected to compete in three mysterious events: the Ride, the Raid, and the Royale. The winner will be granted entry into the fold of the Remington family, whose wealth and power can open any door. But when she arrives at the Finish, Adina quickly gets the feeling that something isn’t quite right with both the Remingtons and her competition, and soon it becomes clear that this larger-than-life prize can only come at an even greater cost. Because the Finish’s stakes aren’t just make or break… they’re life and death. Adina knows the deck is stacked against her—it always has been—so maybe the only way to survive their vicious games is for her to change the rules.

I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me by Jamison Shea

Laure Mesny is a perfectionist with an axe to grind. Despite being constantly overlooked in the elite and cutthroat world of the Parisian ballet, she will do anything to prove that a Black girl can take center stage. To level the playing field, Laure ventures deep into the depths of the Catacombs and strikes a deal with a pulsating river of blood. The primordial power Laure gains promises influence and adoration, everything she’s dreamed of and worked toward. With retribution on her mind, she surpasses her bitter and privileged peers, leaving broken bodies behind her on her climb to stardom. But even as undeniable as she is, Laure is not the only monster around. And her vicious desires make her a perfect target for slaughter. As she descends into madness and the mystifying underworld beneath her, she is faced with the ultimate choice: continue to break herself for scraps of validation or succumb to the darkness that wants her exactly as she is—monstrous heart and all. That is, if the god-killer doesn’t catch her first. From debut author Jamison Shea comes I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast Is Me, a slow-burn horror that lifts a veil on the institutions that profit on exclusion and the toll of giving everything to a world that will never love you back.

And to round out this list, we also gotta point out the fellas who are also killing it with the Thriller/Horror genre. 

Promise Boys by Nick Brooks

The prestigious Urban Promise Prep school might look pristine on the outside, but deadly secrets lurk within. When the principal ends up murdered on school premises and the cops come sniffing around, a trio of students―J.B., Ramón, and Trey―emerge as the prime suspects. They had the means, they had the motive . . . and they may have had the murder weapon. But with all three maintaining their innocence, they must band together to track down the real killer before they are arrested. Or is the true culprit hiding among them?

The Getaway by Lamar Giles

Welcome to the funnest spot around . . . Jay is living his best life at Karloff Country, one of the world’s most famous resorts. He’s got his family, his crew, and an incredible after-school job at the property’s main theme park. Life isn’t so great for the rest of the world, but when people come here to vacation, it’s to get away from all that. As things outside get worse, trouble starts seeping into Karloff. First, Jay’s friend Connie and her family disappear in the middle of the night and no one will talk about it. Then the richest and most powerful families start arriving, only... they aren’t leaving. Unknown to the employees, the resort has been selling shares in an end-of-the-world oasis. The best of the best at the end of days. And in order to deliver the top-notch customer service the wealthy clientele paid for, the employees will be at their total beck and call. Whether they like it or not. Yet Karloff Country didn’t count on Jay and his crew--and just how far they’ll go to find out the truth and save themselves. But what’s more dangerous: the monster you know in your home or the unknown nightmare outside the walls?

The Forest Demands Its Due by Kosoko Jackson

Regent Academy has a long and storied history in Winslow, Vermont, as does the forest that surrounds it. The school is known for molding teens into leaders, but its history is far more nefarious. Seventeen-year-old Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent's king-making; he’s just trying to survive. But then a student is murdered and, for some reason, by the next day no one remembers him having ever existed, except for Douglas and the groundskeeper's son, Everett Everley. In his determination to uncover the truth, Douglas awakens a horror hidden within the forest, unearthing secrets that have been buried for centuries. A vengeful creature wants blood as payment for a debt more than 300 years in the making—or it will swallow all of Winslow in darkness. And for the first time in his life, Douglas might have a chance to grasp the one thing he’s always felt was power. But if he’s not careful, he will find out that power has a tendency to corrupt absolutely everything.

If you are a fan of murder mysteries, supernatural thrillers, or just like to get scared, get thee to a bookstore (or library) and support your Black Thriller/Horror writer.

#young adult books #weneeddiversebooks #book lists #black history month #black thriller #black horror

[elloellenoh]

This video of me talking about book bans was flagged by TikTok and removed for violating community guidelines. Since I didn’t say anything that should have triggered removal my only thought is that someone complained. I don’t know you tell me. I’m including the video here.

The mere fact that there are parents who don’t want kids to learn history or learn about the lives of marginalized communities speaks volumes to what is behind all the book bans. Control, fear, racism, prejudice, hate.

Book bans are incredibly harmful. They DO NOT increase sales for most books. Especially for marginalized creators. What they do is take away access and visibility to those books and they just stop getting printed and those authors can’t get published anymore. Publishers will then go back to that old myth that diverse books don’t sell. And that is what the other side wants to happen. Help fight back!

#weneeddiversebooks #book bans #censorship

[debtheauthor]

You can now pre-order the Kindle edition of my YA Fantasy FRACTURED PRINCESS, 2nd Indie Edition!

#writing #books #fantasy #weneeddiverseauthors #weneeddiversebooks #black authors #black girl magic #amazon #kindle

[kingsbridgelibraryteens]

Middle School Monday: Mabuhay! by Zachary Sterling

JJ and Althea are reminded again and again that they don’t fit in with most American kids. Their parents run a Filipino food truck called The Beautiful Pig, where Althea hands out free samples and JJ dresses up in a pig costume. The lunches they bring to school smell weird to the other kids. And their mother tries to teach them life lessons through Filipino folklore stories.

But when weird things start happening around them, the kids realize that the characters from those folklore stories are real, and that means that their whole family is in danger!

Give this book to older kids and younger teens who are fans of exciting stories and fans of FOOD!

#Middle School Monday #Mabuhay! #Zachary Sterling #graphic novels #Kid Lit #weneeddiversebooks

[oat2023]

Data Structures for the Girlies'

Introduction:

"Hello, tech enthusiasts! Are you ready to elevate your programming skills and dive into the world of data structures? 'Data Structures for the Girlies' is here to transform your learning experience!"

Why This Book?

Tailored for Beginners: Perfect for those starting their journey in computer science.

Women in Tech Focus: Empowering content that resonates with women in the field.

Real-World Examples: Understand complex concepts through relatable scenarios.

Key Features:

Interactive Learning: Engaging exercises and quizzes.

Community Support: Access to an exclusive online community for doubt clearing and networking.

Expert Insights: Tips and tricks from successful women in tech.

Benefits: Boost Confidence: Gain a strong foundation in data structures.

Career Advancement: Essential knowledge for tech interviews and internships.

Networking Opportunities: Connect with a global community of like-minded learners.

Testimonials: Hear from those who've excelled with the help of this book.

Special Offer: Limited Time Discount: Grab your copy today at a special price!

Call to Action: https://michellexcomputer.gumroad.com/l/data-structures-for-the-girlies

"Don't miss this chance to join a community of aspiring women in tech. Get your copy of 'Data Structures for the Girlies' and start your transformative coding journey today!"

#indiebookstore #freebooks #kindlebooks #onlinebookstore #ebooksph #weneeddiversebooks #antiquebooks #diversebooks #usbornebooksandmore #readallthebooks #darksidebooks #ebooksforsale #indiebooks #ebooksale #ebookshop #favoritebooks #middlegradebooks #ebookstore #coffeetablebooks #handmadebooks #travelersnotebooks #facebookshop #ebookseller #booksbooksandmorebooks #bluebooks #morebooks #affordablebooksph