http://www.hbook.com/2013/05/blogs/read-roger/books-for-black-kids/ Publications about books for children and young adults Mon, 13 May 2013 16:01:54 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 http://www.hbook.com/2013/05/blogs/read-roger/books-for-black-kids/#comment-40464 Sarah Tue, 07 May 2013 19:19:09 +0000 http://www.hbook.com/?p=26071#comment-40464 Hmm. But the comment wasn't about whether the CSK books tend to be more or less literary-- the comment addressed issues of representation. (And hopefully there's a wider, more diverse representation in the audience for these books as well. While I understand the importance of African-American children and YAs in particular seeing the wide range of their experiences depicted in literature, I would hope that this doesn't mean that books about black kids are exclusively books *for* black kids.) Not being a member of the African-American community myself, I don't think I could participate in the conversation about representation and class in any way but to listen. But I do think there's often the same underlying problem at work in many of these discussions, which is just the need for more children's books by and about people of color in general. For all kids. Hmm. But the comment wasn’t about whether the CSK books tend to be more or less literary– the comment addressed issues of representation. (And hopefully there’s a wider, more diverse representation in the audience for these books as well. While I understand the importance of African-American children and YAs in particular seeing the wide range of their experiences depicted in literature, I would hope that this doesn’t mean that books about black kids are exclusively books *for* black kids.) Not being a member of the African-American community myself, I don’t think I could participate in the conversation about representation and class in any way but to listen. But I do think there’s often the same underlying problem at work in many of these discussions, which is just the need for more children’s books by and about people of color in general. For all kids.

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