“We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color.” – Maya Angelou
By now, I’m sure you all have heard about (or seen) that #WeNeedDiverseBooks has been a very popular topic on Twitter this past week. It’s part of the We Need Diverse Books campaign that is occurring over the next few days, and is something that I believe very strongly in.
We live in a society where white is the default, so as a straight, white female there is no shortage of characters that look like me. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that this wasn’t the case for everyone, and that many children grow up without seeing themselves in the stories that they’re reading. Diversity in books isn’t just important for education and understanding; it also shows us that everyone can be the hero of their own story, and that these stories deserve to be told.
I’d love to read more books by authors of colour, and more books with characters of colour, LGBT characters, and characters with disabilities. More than that, though, I’d love to read more stories where ableism, race, gender, weightism, and sexuality aren’t the main conflict in a story and are just a part of who the character is.
And here’s where you can help me: if you could leave me some recommendations for books that you enjoyed that fit any of the above criteria, that would be much appreciated. I’m trying to expand my reading horizons, while also giving these books (and authors) the attention that they deserve.
