Representation comes to the forefront of Scholastic book orders with a special Reading Club edition produced with the We Need Diverse Books campaign.
The new Reading Club flyer offers 75 books for readers in grades four through eight. The diverse list spans a variety of cultural, religious, and racial identities, and includes characters with disabilities, LGBT characters, and stories that highlight economic disadvantage.
“The goal of this offer is to reflect the world as it is: filled with stories and experiences as diverse as you find in American classrooms today,” says Scholastic’s Ann Marie Wong. “This special collaboration with We Need Diverse Books helps all kids discover the power and joy of reading.”
We Need Diverse Books has been a growing movement in children’s and young adult literature over the past two years. The movement promotes stories told by and representing people of all backgrounds, experiences, and identities, emphasizing the importance of relatable fiction for everyone.
“We are thrilled to partner with Scholastic on the Reading Club flyer, and to help all kids find both mirrors of their own experiences and windows into the experiences of others,” says Dhonielle Clayton of We Need Diverse Books.
Among the books included in the flyer are National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, and El Deafo by Cece Bell. Kazu Kibuishi’s graphic novel series Amulet is also highlighted, as are comic books like Ms. Marvel by G. Willow Wilson.
Related: 9 Young Adult authors remind us why we need diverse books
The Scholastic Reading Club produced with We Need Diverse Books will reach 100,000 classrooms and 2.5 million students before the end of the year. Anyone who went to elementary school in the past twenty years can easily remember the excitement generated by book orders, and the impact that new books had on their lives; hopefully, the new diverse offerings will have the same, world-expanding effect on young readers from every stripe of life.
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