An "It's Complicated!" post by literary agent Stefanie Sanchez Von Borstel
While on faculty at the National Latino Writers Conference last Thursday, a timely USA TODAY headline read:
For the first time in US history, more than half of all newborn babies born last year are minorities. The entire US population is 36% minority, and this milestone shows how swiftly our nation’s youth is diversifying.
Yet a recent study by the SCBWI found that in 2010 more than
90 percent of children’s/young adult books published in the US featured white
protagonists. As a literary agent, I’ve found it’s important to show publishers
there is a demand, and in turn help them feel confident to publish even more
diverse voices. As an author advocate, I believe it’s critical for writers of
color to see their fellow writers succeed. As a mother, I know it’s urgent that
we make sure young readers see themselves in the books they read.
The debut middle-grade novel by Diana Lopez, Confetti Girl
(Little, Brown), is an example of a book filled with diversity that doesn’t
focus on diversity but instead wraps diversity around a wonderful story.
Apolina “Lina” Flores is a sock enthusiast, volleyball player and science lover
looking for answers about her life. Filled with colorful Mexican-American
cultural details such as dichos, confetti-filled cascarones and cumbia dances,
the story struck a chord with middle-schoolers nationwide.
