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Where to Find Diverse Children’s Books

by P.R.I.D.E. Team

Seeing someone who looks like you represented in media is an important part of a child’s positive racial identity development. Each weekend, the P.R.I.D.E. Program recommends books featuring diverse characters — follow @ThePRIDEprogram to stay up to date — but this week, we wanted to provide you with resources where families and educators can find books for the home or classroom. Here are great places to find recommendations for your next library visit:

Part of the University of Wisconsin School of Education, the CCBC has lists like 50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know and 30 Books Every Teen Should Know.

Caldecott isn’t the only name in children’s book awards. The American Indian Youth Literature has been highlighting the best in writing and illustrations about American Indians since 2016.

The Américas Award was created in 1993 and aims to “encourage and commend authors, illustrators and publishers who produce quality children’s and young adult books that portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States” and counts Ada’s Violin as one of its honorees.

Past winners of this award include Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh and Puddle.

This award honors books across the African disapora, with 2018 winners hailing from Nigera, South Africa, and Ghana.

This resource is a compendium of lists of children’s books “by and about underrepresented groups.”

Books like Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut — a P.R.I.D.E. favorite — have been among the honorees of this longstanding award.  

A national committee votes on this children’s book award that honors the “literary and aesthetic excellence that effectively engage children in thinking about peace, social justice, global community, and equity for all people.”

Established in 2012, the South Asia Book Award recognizes both children’s and teen books that portrays South Asia or South Asians living abroad.

Sponsored by Texas State University, this award focuses on books that depict and honor the Mexican American experience. 

This grassroots organization advocates for literature that represents all young people.

Do you have resources you think we should know about? Email them to RacePRIDE@pitt.edu.

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