OMG Books!

First Book, a nonprofit organization that provides new books to low-income children in need, has distributed over 100 million free or low-cost books to kids in thousands of communities across the nation. The First Book Marketplace is a First Book program that purchases new books from leading publishing houses and offers them at discounted prices exclusively to schools and programs serving children from low-income families.

Now, First Book has a new initiative called Offering More Great Books (OMG Books).

Through this initiative, the First Book Marketplace will make a one-time non-returnable special purchase of $500,000 from a selected publisher (or publishers). 

For all the publishing houses out there, First Book is now accepting purchase order proposals!

Here's what you need to know:

Malín Alegría: A Road Map for Bicultural Youth

Photo (c) Dulce Barona

Elementary-school-teacher-turned-writer and California native, Malín Alegría (Estrella’s Quinceañera), answers a few questions about her new teen series Border Town (Scholastic/Point), her struggles with self-image, puffy Princess dresses, and growing-up bicultural.

Can you describe your high school years? Are there echoes of Fabiola’s experiences in your past?

In high school I was a rebel — a tame, respectful, nice rebel. I was a late bloomer and utterly uncomfortable with my developing body and relationships with boys. 

In my junior and senior years, I was voted most creative and class clown. I was definitely on a mission to be different, to not suck up to the cool rich crowd, and to start my own trends. My hair color and identity changed every couple of months. I struggled with self-acceptance. There were no role models on TV or in magazines I could look up to and try to emulate. Many times I felt alone and misunderstood. 

CBC Diversity at ALA Midwinter

For all of our librarian followers, we have a special treat for you! 

CBC Diversity will be making an appearance at ALA Midwinter in Seattle, WA on Sunday, January 27th, 2013 from 3-4PM. We will be holding an informational session about the initiative and all the resources it offers librarians. Not only will the session showcase valuable information about the initiative and how the publishing industry is handling the current state of diversity in children's books but, it will also allow the librarian-filled audience to ask questions and give advice to the representatives about the future of CBC Diversity.

Diversity 101: Not Injun Joe

Native American Stereotyping in Literature

Contributed to CBC Diversity by Joseph Bruchac 

No group in American culture has been more stereotyped than Native Americans. While other ethnic stereotypes now meet with disapproval, harmful images of native people are still accepted or defended within majority culture, even when Native Americans complain. There are images and characters in books and other media, expressions in current usage, the naming of places and sports teams, and negative expectations about the behavior of Native Americans. It is so pervasive that non-natives often don’t realize they’re saying or doing things hurtful to Native Americans. (And when it is pointed out, the response is often disbelief or denial.)

Industry Q&A with author Lisa Yee

Tell us about your most recent book and how you came to write it.

 

Warp Speed is about a Star Trek geek who is bullied every day. I wrote it because during an assembly a boy said, "I need to know what happens to Marley."

Marley was a minor character in Stanford Wong Flunks Big-Time who is bullied. Later, the boy's teacher told me that he had never spoken in class before -- that he was just like Marley.

I had no plans to write that book, but after a couple of years, I couldn't forget that boy, and I knew I needed to write Warp Speed.

Do you think of yourself as a diverse author?

No. I just think of myself as an author whose characters reflect what I see around me.