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A report from Penguin Books UK and the Runnymede Trust focusing on diversity in literature in English Schools

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Lit in Colour | Supporting inclusive reading in schools

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It's vital that the books we read in our formative years reflect the rich diversity of the society we live in. That's why we at Penguin have joined forces with The Runnymede Trust to explore how to support schools to make the teaching and learning of English literature more inclusive.

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Knights Of publishes commercial children’s fiction – distributed through the UK, Ireland and Europe

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We're only as great as our readers - that means you - #BooksMadeBetter is our community, filled with opinion on what books gets us going and what stops us in our tracks. Where fellow Knights share industry ideas, criticisms, solutions and what makes them tick.

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Tiny Owl is an independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children.

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rev_slider alias=slider-4][/rev_slider] Tiny Owl is an independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children. Established in 2015, our energy and passion stem from our belief that stories are bridges to new experiences. *** Buying directly or from independent bookshops is the best way to support independent publishing!

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CLPE's Reflecting Realities report: a survey of ethnic representation in UK children's literature published in 2019 

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CLPE's Reflecting Realities report: a survey of ethnic representation in UK children's literature published in 2019 

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Report published in November 2020

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop talking about why we need to diverse books. We need diverse books because we need books in which children can see reflections of themselves – but also look through and see other worlds.

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Glass Doors

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Integrating the Study of Black Historical Figures Into The Primary Curriculum Using Literature- CLPE

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Integrating the Study of Black Historical Figures Into The Primary Curriculum Using Literature- CLPE

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https://clpe.org.uk/blog/2020/beyond-black-history-month-integrating-study-black-historical-figures-mainstream-primary

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Beyond the Secret Garden? 'Black Asian and Minority Ethnic' Representations in Children's Literature.

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Beyond the Secret Garden? 'Black Asian and Minority Ethnic' Representations in Children's Literature.

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Articles by Darren Chetty and Karen Sands-O'Connor

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Beyond the Secret Garden? 'Black Asian and Minority Ethnic' Representations in Children's Literature.

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This document is a collation of six columns, written with Karen Sands O'Connor. These columns were published in 'Books for Keeps', the British children's books periodical, in 2018. The columns are presented in order, from Issue

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Whose Worlds Are We Sharing With Children?- Mat Tobin

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Whose Worlds Are We Sharing With Children?- Mat Tobin

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An article Mat Tobin wrote for Lantana

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Supporting Independent and BAME Publishers

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Supporting Independent and BAME Publishers

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An article from Jo Cummins of Library Girl and Book Boy about how to support independent and BAME publishers who often publish more diverse texts

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Dumas Pere and Bumble Bear- On Black and Asian British authors who deserve to be much better known by Imogen Russell Wililams

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Dumas Pere and Bumble Bear- On Black and Asian British authors who deserve to be much better known by Imogen Russell Wililams

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Black and Asian British authors who deserve to be much better known

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Although Black writers are now rising up the bestseller charts in the wake of BLM protests, many superb Black and Asian British authors - particularly children's authors - are still under-served by marketing muscle, and deserve to be much better known. The recent academic report Beyond "Diversity" in Publishing by Anamik Saha and Sandra van ...

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Diversifying Knowledge of Children's Literature- Matthew Courtney

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Diversifying Knowledge of Children's Literature- Matthew Courtney

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An OU RFP article about diversifying knowledge of children's literature

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Adolescent Identities: The Untapped Power of YA

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Adolescent Identities: The Untapped Power of YA

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A journal article from Research on Diversity in Youth Literature from Dr Melanie Ramdarshan Bold and Dr Leah Philips.

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Disability in Kidlit is dedicated to discussing the portrayal of disability in middle grade and young adult literature.

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Disability in Kidlit - Reviews, articles, and more about the portrayal of disabilities in children's fiction

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Despite some reservations, our reviewer would recommend this contemporary novel about young Bat - and the reviewer's ten-year-old goddaughter agrees.

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Reflecting on Black presence in children’s books- Farrah Serroukh, Karen Sands O'Connor 

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Reflecting on Black presence in children’s books- Farrah Serroukh, Karen Sands O'Connor 

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Article from The British Library's Discovering Children's Books collection

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Go deeper: Reflecting on Black presence in children's books

The characters that we meet in children's books shape the way that we see ourselves and our community around us. Take a look at the history of Black British representation.

Abolition campaigns and children's literature

When the first books for children appeared in Britain, the country was involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Europeans enslaved people from Africa, taking them to the Caribbean and Americas where they were forced to work in terrible conditions, without pay or other rights.

During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many people, including children, protested the use of slavery in Britain's Caribbean colonies. Because most people could not vote in Britain, they had to use other ways to get the attention of politicians.

Did you know that until 1918, you had to be a man and own property in order to vote?

Some Black Britons, like Olaudah Equiano, wrote about their early lives in slavery in order to change people's minds about the slave trade. Many white British women participated in boycotts of products made by enslaved people, such as tobacco, cotton and sugar. Because British children also consumed sugar, some writers created poems and stories to encourage them to give up this foodstuff.

First page from Amelia Opie's poem, 'The Black Man's Lament; or, How to Make Sugar' (1826).

Amelia Opie's poem, 'The Black Man's Lament; or, How to Make Sugar' (1826) opens by asking child readers to help end slavery. Opie, a white woman, was a Quaker. Quakers believed that no person should be enslaved by another.

Have you ever participated in a boycott or protest?

Another white British writer, Anna Laetitia Barbauld, believed children should be taught to reason, or argue, about slavery rather than just pity enslaved people. She wrote a dialogue between a 'Master and Slave' for children ( Evenings at Home, 1792-96), where the enslaved man explains to a slave owner why all people should be free.

Do you try to win arguments using logical reasoning or emotion?

Both Amelia Opie and Anna Laetitia Barbauld wrote on behalf of Black people, imagining what they might say. Most Black writers in Britain at the time, like Olaudah Equiano, wrote for adults instead of children. White writers arguing for the freedom of Black enslaved people also used racial stereotypes.

Minstrels and tricksters

In the late 19th century, Black British people sometimes worked as entertainers, called minstrels, in seaside towns, playing music and singing comic songs for audiences of mostly white adults and children. Some minstrel shows featured white people using 'blackface', a form of make-up and dress to represent an offensive caricature of a Black person. Walter Crane, one of the most important illustrators of the time, depicts one of Old King Cole's fiddlers as a minstrel in typical costume in his Alphabet of Old Friends (1884).

'Alphabet of old friends', c. 1884. Image credit: State Library of South Australia - OS/19 CRA b

Both Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo (1901) and the golliwog character in Florence Upton's The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg (1895) were drawn with caricatured, or exaggerated, features and wore clothing similar to the seaside minstrel. Like the minstrel, these characters had comic roles. Both became symbols of racism in the 20th century because they were used to make fun of Black people and were built around damaging stereotypes.

However, it is possible to tell humorous stories without treating Black people as the object of laughter. By copying down stories from Black Jamaican storytellers, Walter Jekyll's Jamaican Song and Story (1907) introduced British readers to the trickster figure Anansi, whose humorous adventures have entertained British children ever since.

Did you know that Walter Jekyll was the tutor for Jamaican poet Claude McKay, who went on to become part of the Harlem Renaissance, a group of Black artists, writers and composers based in the Harlem area of New York City in the 1920s?

Trish Cooke, born in Bradford, and Louise Bennett and James Berry, both born in Jamaica, have all retold Anansi stories for British child readers and listeners from their own family traditions ( How Anansi Got His Stories by Trish Cooke, illustrated by Anna Violet, 2014; Anancy and Miss Lou by Louise Bennett, 1979; Anancy-Spiderman by James Berry, illustrated by Joseph Olubo, 1988).

What stories do your family tell?

The winds of change: new stories about being Black and British

Following World War Two, many people who had lived in Britain's colonies, including people from the Caribbean, India and Africa, came to Britain to find work and a good education for their children. These new communities realised that books for children often ignored people of colour or failed to represent them in a positive way. Many started writing books for children to make the changes they wanted to see. Writers like Petronella Breinburg, Andrew Salkey and Beryl Gilroy produced stories about growing up Black and British.

Did you know that the first Black illustrator to be nominated for a Kate Greenaway medal was Errol Lloyd in 1973, for his pictures in Petronella Breinburg's My Brother Sean?

These writers and artists are part of what is called the Windrush Generation, migrants from the Caribbean who came to Britain after 1948, mainly on ships such as the Empire Windrush. Their books are important because they are some of the first to show Black children as central to the narrative in a positive and inclusive way.

What parts of the world feature in your family tree?

Reflecting realities: Publishers creating inclusive books

Over 30 years ago, in 1987, author and publisher Verna Wilkins founded Tamarind Books. She was concerned that so few children's books included Black and minority ethnic characters, and about the effect that this had on children. Her independent publishing house focused on challenging this imbalance, producing quality inclusive literature that featured Black, Asian and minority ethnic children and children with disabilities. (Tamarind Books later became an imprint of Random House Children's Books and in 2016 Wilkins came out of retirement to found Firetree Books.) Her books range from stories that show children enjoying everyday experiences through to biographies of iconic and important Black public figures. Her moving and sensitive biography of the late Stephen Lawrence ( The Life of Stephen Lawrence, 2001) celebrates the life of this young man, while also shedding light on the injustice and tragic circumstances that led to his death.

Whose life story would you be interested in reading about?

In the spirit of Verna Wilkins' work, and with ongoing concerns about under-representation, several independent publishers have emerged in the UK. They are rising to the challenge to create inclusive books that show a range of stories, characters and experiences. These include (but are not limited to) Alanna Max, Child's Play, Knights Of, Lantana and Tiny Owl.

Everyday lives, family and belonging

Anna McQuinn worked as an editor for Verna Wilkins before founding Alanna books (now Alanna Max, a new partnership with Ken Wilson-Max). Both her Lulu and Zeki picture book series' illustrate the everyday lives of young Black characters of baby or toddler age. They take trips to the library, doctor and swimming pool. Alanna Max is driven by the desire to produce inclusive literature that centres Black characters, making it a normal and mainstream experience for all readers. As Anna McQuinn puts it, her books and characters 'show the world as it really is'.

In Zeki Can Swim (2017), Zeki drives the narrative and takes the reader along for a trip to the local swimming pool. The illustrations capture special, joyful moments between parents and their children, as well as the playful energy of Zeki's friends in the pool. Like his sister Lulu, Zeki's everyday exploits are tremendously important because they provide a platform for both Zeki and Lulu - and their readers - to explore life as babies and toddlers.

What story would you like to write?

Family and belonging is at the centre of the picture book So Much (1994), written by Trish Cooke and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury. So Much is a playful and joyous celebration of families coming together, a showcase for the powerful bonds of family relationships and community. Every page exudes warmth, love and heart. First published in the '90s, the book has since gone on to become a contemporary classic.

So Much by Trish Cooke, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury

Usage terms Text © 1994 Trish Cooke
Illustrations © 1994 Helen Oxenbury
From SO MUCH by Trish Cooke, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Reproduced by permission of Walker Books Ltd, London SE11 5HJ
www.walker.co.uk

Who are the special people in your life that you would include in your own book?

Books also offer a space to dream, go on adventures or imagine worlds beyond our own. Nathan Bryon's and Dapo Adeola's debut picture book Look Up (2019) invites the reader to do just that. This thoughtfully and beautifully illustrated story is told from the perspective of a science-loving young girl named Rocket, who dreams about being an astronaut. Inspired by role model Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, Rocket serves as a role model in her own right by being central to the narrative, enjoying life and chasing her astrological dreams.

Look Up! by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola: digital artworks

Usage terms Illustrations © Dapo Adeola 2019. Look Up! is co-created by Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola. Except as otherwise permitted by your national copyright laws this material may not be copied or distributed further.

Children's books are powerful: they shape how we see ourselves and others around us, as well as how we relate to the wider world. They can be a vehicle to tell stories about the range of British communities that exist today, and in the past. The books we've shown you today are just a small part of one of those many stories.

Whose stories do we still need to tell?

For adults: Find out more

To read more about representation and inclusive children's books, explore the list below.

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Corebooks Online < https://clpe.org.uk/corebooks>

Centre for Literacy in Primary Education Book Lists < https://clpe.org.uk/library/booklists>

Chetty, Darren, 'The Elephant in the Room: Picturebooks, Philosophy for Children, and Racism', Childhood and Philosophy, 10.19 (January-June 2014), pp. 11-31

'You can't do that! Stories have to be about White people!', Media Diversified (2013) < https://mediadiversified.org/2013/12/07/you-cant-do-that-stories-have-to-be-about-white-people/>

Chetty, Darren and Karen Sands-O'Connor, 'Beyond the Secret Garden'. Regular column on children's books and diversity for Books for Keeps, beginning January 2018 < http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/>

'Why Diversity Should Start at Story Time', Times Educational Supplement (30 September 2016), pp. 36-38

Ramdarshan Bold, Melanie, Inclusive Young Adult Fiction: Authors of Colour in the United Kingdom (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019)

Ramdarshan Bold, Melanie, BookTrust Representation of people of colour among children's book authors and illustrators (2019) < https://www.booktrust.org.uk/globalassets/resources/represents/booktrust-represents-diversity-childrens-authors-illustrators-report.pdf>

Sands-O'Connor, Karen, Children's Publishing and Black Britain (Palgrave Macmillan, 2017)

'50 Books to Diversify Your Classroom Reading List', Times Educational Supplement website < http://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/50books-to-diversify-your-class-reading-list-11397499>

Soon Come Home to this Island: West Indians in British Children's Literature (Routledge, 2008)

Serroukh, Farrah, Reflecting Realities: Survey of Ethnic Representation within UK Children's Literature (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education, 2018 and 2019) < https://clpe.org.uk/library-and-resources/research/reflecting-realities-survey-ethnic-representation-within-uk-children>

Banner image: © Estate of Petronella Breinburg. Illustrations © Errol Lloyd. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. Please credit the copyright holder when reusing this work.

Written byFarrah Serroukh

Farrah Serroukh is a Learning Programme Leader at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE - www.clpe.org.uk). Throughout her career, Farrah has always been committed to centering marginalised voices and keenly advocated for inclusive practices both within and outside of the education sector. Before joining the CLPE, she taught across the primary school age range and held several leadership posts. As well as sharing responsibility for leading on the design, development and delivery of the charity's professional development programme, she co-leads on the research and development strand of the CLPE's work. She is the author of CLPE's Reflecting Realities Survey and leads the ground breaking and award winning work in this area.

Karen Sands-O'Connor is the British Academy Global Professor of children's literature at Newcastle University. She has published seminal histories of Black British children's literature, notably Soon Come Home to this Island: West Indians in British Children's Literature and Children's Publishing and Black Britain. Her work highlights the links between empire and children's book publishing, and explores issues of voice and agency in literature by, for and about Black Britons. She is currently investigating the role of radical activists in publishing for a Black British child audience.

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Go deeper: Reflecting on Black presence in children's books | The British Library

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The characters that we meet in books shape the way that we see ourselves and our community around us. Take a look at the history of the representation of Black British communities in children's books, from early abolition literature to modern story books such as Anancy-Spiderman by James Berry, Sean's Red Bike by Petronella Breinburg and Errol Lloyd, Zeki Can Swim!

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Darren Chetty- You Can't Say That! Stories Have To Be About White People!

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Darren Chetty- You Can't Say That! Stories Have To Be About White People!

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Chapter in Nikesh Shukla (ed) (2016) The Good Immigrant. Unbound. London

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“You Can’t Say That! Stories Have To Be About White People”

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Chapter in Nikesh Shukla (ed) (2016) The Good Immigrant. Unbound. London

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Interview with Elle McNicoll about neurodiverse representation in books

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Interview with Elle McNicoll about neurodiverse representation in books

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Bare Lit 2018 - Speaking of Morality in Young Fiction

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Bare Lit 2018 - Speaking of Morality in Young Fiction

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A blog post by Candy Gourlay about morality in YA/children's lit and the importance of seeing yourself reflected in books.

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By Candy Gourlay

I was so looking forward to sharing the stage with debut author Rutendo Tavengerwei ( Hope is Our Only Wing) and the excellent Bali Rai ( The Harder They Fall) at the Bare Lit Festival last Sunday. Our theme - Morality in YA and Children's Fiction - was a corker!

But it wasn't to be.

My vanishing panel

The first shocker was a message early in the morning that Rutendo would not be able to come, through no fault of her own. I don't think it's my place to explain what happened - suffice to say I was gutted I would not be able to meet her.

I frantically messaged lovely author friend Patrice Lawrence to find out if she was free to stand in. She wasn't.

Then, another message: Bali's train had been delayed and then now it was too late to get to London. He wasn't coming either.

I was having visions of sitting alone on a stage babbling nonsense for an hour and a half ... when festival director and co founder Mend Mariwany suddenly appeared with a relieved grin.

He'd managed to persuade Samantha Williams, inspirational multicultural bookseller, to become my fellow panellist, and writer and educator Darren Chetty (who had come along to attend our talk) to become chair.

Here's a doodle of the three of us from illustrator Sarah McIntyre:

We had a quicky FIVE minutes to chat and prepare, and then we were on the stage!

I have to say my two new colleagues were superb. Samantha calls books "weapons of mass destruction" and earnestly believes that reading is key to a child's future wellbeing. Dismayed by the whiteness of books available to her own children, she has thrown herself into bookselling - with the aim to "source, sell, encourage, self-publish and promote beautiful British multicultural children's books that celebrate diversity particularly children and families of Caribbean/African descent".

Darren co-wrote this feature Why Diversity Should Start at Storytime with Karen Sands O'Connor, He and Karen also co-wrote this fascinating piece looking at the representation of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices in British chldren's fiction - read it!

This article is not a proper report of the event, though I do repeat some things that were said. It's more like my own take on the themes we explored.

Here is Darren's first question:

British kids lit grew out of a desire to educate and moralise. How do these factors impact your writing?

Writing with an agenda

There is no doubt in my mind that any author writing a book would have an agenda.

Certainly, having once been a book-loving child who never saw herself in the books she devoured, inclusion is number one on my author agenda.

They say children's fictions should be like mirrors and windows, well for me, all the mirrors were broken or, worse, distorted like a carnival hall of mirrors.

This is the story I tell over and over again to white audiences at the diversity panels that have become a regular gig for me as a "diverse" writer.

Gazing across the majority brown faces in the Bare Lit audience, I realised it was not a story I needed to tell this audience. They already lived it.

Long ago I attended an Arvon Writing for Teenagers week with Melvin Burgess and Malorie Blackman. Tbh I was nervous about meeting Melvin, whose every book ( Junk, about heroin use ... Doing It, about boys and sex) seemed to spark controversy. But meeting Melvin, I realised that his agenda was as sincere as mine - like me, he was holding up a mirror. To teenagers who didn't recognise the sanitised versions of themselves in books written for them.

"I realised nobody was writing stuff for real teenagers," Burgess said in a Guardian interview, about the seventies and eighties when he was one of a few authors who began to write for the demographic. "It's such a seminal part of your life, the point when you become who you are, and yet nobody made stuff for them."

It is said that the teenager was invented in the 1940s when American film-makers realised that teenagers had money to spend - I wrote about it over on my writing blog, Notes from the Slushpile, headlined The Invention of the Teenager. Two decades after Burgess first shocked with his books, I can't help the feeling that there has been the same commercial awakening to the spending power of younger demographics. Even though every other movie or TV series seems to be a superhero blockbuster, there are many impressive books published today that marshal the same awareness, respect and sensitivity with which Burgess writes for his young readers.

Mirrors and windows

I couldn't take notes during the panel (because speaker 😳), so I cannot reproduce the words of my co-panellist Samantha Williams, who spoke passionately about the urgent need to put brown faces on the covers of books, about customers begging her for help because their children were desperate to become white and fair like the characters they saw in media.

Darren, as a primary school teacher, told a story that I can reproduce here courtesy of his blog:

A few years ago, I was teaching a Year 2 class in East London. We had been working on writing stories. When it came to sharing what they had written, one boy, who had recently arrived from Nigeria, was eager to read his work to the class.

As he read out his protagonist's name - I had suggested that children might use the names of people in their family - another boy, who was born in Britain and identified as Congolese, interrupted him.

"You can't do that! Stories have to be about white people," he said. This is not an isolated incident.

It is easy, attending a festival like Bare Lit, to rant on about books as mirrors and inclusion and representation. But as a child saved by books that didn't represent me, I want to put in a word for books as windows - because windows are incredibly important to help a child imagine a bigger, better world in which to live in.

When I visit schools in the posh parts of London and tell the children that I am from the Philippines, the children become animated and tell me that their cook/nanny/cleaner is from the Philippines.

There was a ripple of indignation when I mentioned this anecdote, the audience were offended on my behalf. But why be offended by the truth? Eleven per cent of the Philippine population leave the country to work overseas, mostly in menial jobs. But by meeting me, the children see something outside their ordinary worlds. They realise that Filipinos are as diverse as they are. And hopefully, they will learn to give us permission to be whoever we want to be. Windows.

In 2015, I was invited to contribute to a round-up in the Guardian headlined Banned, burned, or simply life changing: what are the best dangerous books? where children's authors "share the books they probably weren't meant to read that either rocked their world or rocked the world".

My colleagues listed books such as The Color Purple by Alice Walker, Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath ... here was my response:

When I was growing up in the Philippines, there were very few locally published books for children and so everything I read was imported from America and the United Kingdom. When I think back, ALL the books I read as a child were dangerous. They took me out of the ordered rules of my cultural life and proposed that there were other choices out there.
I explored worlds that bore no resemblance to my own in my native Philippines. They made me disgruntled, discontented with my lot. Western characters seemed to travel everywhere, and as a little girl in Manila, I could not imagine ever being wealthy enough to even travel to any of the nearby countries in Southeast Asia. I puzzled over how characters spoke their minds. In my ordinary world, there were complex, unwritten ways of communicating, saying yes even if you mean no is an art embedded in many Asian cultures.

It was not just culture clash either. Here were child characters who had eye-popping adventures, who ignored boundaries, who took their fates in their own hands. It was terrifying and unimaginable. And oh so delicious.

Whose morality?

So perhaps under the umbrella theme of 'Morality in Children's Fiction', we also need to ask whose morality? Morality, after all is in the eye of the beholder.

In the olden days when infant mortality was high, adults published books designed to save their souls. If you read Victorian fiction, there are plenty of idealised portraits of young orphans like Oliver Twist who are ultimately saved by discovering that they are wealthy after all - which kind of makes sense when you take into account the materialism of the Industrial Revolution.

Growing up in the Philippines, colonised first by Spain then by America, I grew up with folk tales that I realised later had been repurposed with a racist colonial intent - like the story of the crow whose feathers used to be beautiful and white until he committed some misdemeanor for which his feathers turned black!

One of the first Filipino characters I encountered as a child was Juan Tamad (Lazy Johnny), who rather than climb the guava tree would lie under it, mouth open, waiting for the fruit to drop into his mouth. Again, here are the voices of our colonial masters calling from the past, reinforcing the lazy servant stereotype one can still hear still parroted today by the entitled classes.

Sadly, in the Philippines, one continues to witness toe-curling racism and racial self disgust. Skin whitening is big business and the silver screen is peopled only by fair-skinned actors. In our nonchalant celebration of whiteness, I can hear those colonial voices shouting down the centuries, reinforcing our staunch belief in our racial ugliness.

So yeah, we artists always seem to be engaged in correcting the imbalances of the societies we live in. In my book Tall Story, my loveable hero, Bernardo, has a thick accent because I have always hated the power politics behind accents in the Philippines. As a schoolgirl, I used to be one of the most robust and taller girls. Everyone else was petite - and I had to endure endless Hulk and Baby Huey barbs. So in Tall Story, Bernardo becomes a giant and I write him inside out so that people see who he is before they actually meet him.

Positive representation?

Here is Darren's second question to the panel:

Given the history of erasure and distortion of people of colour in kids lit, there are strong calls for positive representations of POC. There is also the need to tell great stories with morally complex characters. How do you work with these pressures?

So ... imagine what it must have been like when people saw themselves for the first time reflected in a mirror.

Now imagine what it would be like to see one's self in books for the first time.

While we call for representation, it will not be easy to see one's self represented. What do we really want to see? Do we want to see a better version of ourselves or do we want to see ourselves, warts and all? And what about all our secret doubts and insecurities? What about the unbeautiful parts of us, do we want those on display too?

And what is positive representation?

Does it mean characters who are people of colour always have to be the goody and never the baddy?

Does it mean never portraying a Filipino as a cleaning lady or a nurse or a caregiver? Or an African American as a drug-taking rap artist? Or an Indian or Pakistani character as a shopkeeper?

It took me a long time to commit to writing my forthcoming novel, Bone Talk. Watch this video I made to introduce it and you'll see why.

There aren't any novels written about the Bontoc people who are the heroes of my story, which is set in 1899 when the United States invaded the Philippines. When I visited the area, there was a reluctance amongst people I approached to discuss the animist cultural practices I was researching. "We are Christians now," one man told me, resisting my questions about death practices.

I trawled history books and diaries of anthropologists - but they were all written by Americans, portraying the Bontoc people - who were head-hunters - in either racist or exotic terms. How do I represent them in an era that some of them would prefer not to remember?

Knowing that my readers are going to be children was another challenge. How do I write about a culture that so far removed from that of the modern child reader? How do I write in a way that would have my reader embrace my heroes instead of "othering" them?

The answer, I soon realised, was simple. Write well.

Writing well means writing characters in 3D - multidimensional, complex, with many shades of grey.

Writing well means allowing yourself the time it takes to discover the truth in your story.

Writing well means not settling for your first uncorrected first draft but taking the time to imagine and reimagine your story until it is at its best.

Writing well means your reader, whoever he may be, can see himself in your story.

Write well. It takes a lot of time. It hurts. But it's what we gotta do.

And then, of course, because of the lack of previous representation, we are pioneers. We have a LOT to make up, a LOT to say. All the issues, all the themes, all those things that had previously gone unsaid!

Which tbh would make for a boring read.

Children are true natives of this age of short attention spans and the florid author must be careful to observe the first commandment of writing for children: Thou shalt not be boring.

Sure, have an agenda. But story must always come first.

So my advice to the Bare Lit audience (I could tell that there were many writers by the way they took copious notes), was to remind them that writing is about craft. Craft your agenda into the hidden seams of your story. Craft it to enable your reader, not to educate her. Whatever your message, sew it in carefully and invisibly to serve plot and character (I know aspiring writers are fed up with hearing it but SHOW DON'T TELL!).

For the sake of readers who might be bored by all this writing talk, may I direct writers to this article I wrote: Exposition: It's about Emotion not Information - which tackles the nitty gritty of building a case without the actual case.

Anything goes?

Here is Darren's final question:

What, if anything, can children NOT cope with in fiction? For example, must stories have a happy ending?

It is tempting to say that children of today can cope with anything. But that isn't true. I think for every child reader, there is a line that can be crossed. And so though I don't think authors should limit themselves in the themes they choose to write about, the books a child reads definitely benefits from the curation of an adult who knows them well.

The other day, I was asked on Woman's Hour what I thought about age banding (which hit the headlines back in 2008). I said I understood the commercial need for it but at the end of the day young readers need a curator, someone who understands how books are safe spaces for children to experience the life they have yet to live, someone who can identify the perfect book for the individual child. That curator - the librarian - is sadly fast becoming an endangered specie.

It is interesting though to note the breadth of "tricky" subjects that books for young people dare to cover today: death, sexuality, violence, abuse, drugs, war ...

I have just finished reading the heartbreaking Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes, which imagines the ghosts of black boys shot by American policemen roaming Chicago. Though it describes some of the deaths, these descriptions are sober, quietly painful, and never gratuitous.

On the other hand I've read Mal Peet's posthumous young adult novel, Beck, about a boy who is sexually abused in care homes. Another brilliant, Carnegie-nominated book from Peet, but I would certainly be very careful who I recommend it to as there is a grim hopelessness to the story.

Writing Bone Talk, I worked hard to keep my underlying themes of imperialism and identity covert. I just want readers to enjoy it as a ripping adventure.

The truth is young people have sensitive antennae to these underlying themes. Children are deeply moral creatures, with a strong sense of what's fair and unfair. Sit in any playground and inevitably you will hear the cry "That is so unfair!" 😄

In fact, young people can be quite black and white about right and wrong. The beauty of novels for young people is that it allows us to show them all the shades of grey in between.

Books of earlier times regarded children as unthinking, empty vessels that needed to be instructed on the ways of the world.

But now we live in times inundated by a such a relentless gush of information that I don't think our children need further instruction. What they do need is the wherewithal to make sense of it all.

Books are a safe place to learn how to do just that.

In the past children may have been instructed to turn to books to find answers. My hope is that children will read my books and find, not answers, but questions that can set them on the path to understanding their world.

One of the things that differentiate children's books from books for adults is that no matter how dark the subject matter, books for young people will always offer hope.

Back in 2011, I attended a panel to hear Morris Gleitzman talk about his searing Holocaust novel Once. Here is what he said about hope in children's books:

We are handing the world over to our children. The survival of the species depends on their capacity for optimism.

Gazing at the brown faces at #BareLit18 I realised I didn't have to tell my story of not seeing myself in the books I loved. This audience was already living it. The #KidLit industry would do well to attend next year. And listen. https://t.co/2IWf039YY1
Pic by @iamheathermarks pic.twitter.com/WXeIU8TSK2
- Candy Gourlay (@candygourlay) May 30, 2018

1. With thanks to Bare Lit, and to my lovely friends at Native Province, who recommended me to the organisers.
2. Like what you see? Click here to subscribe to email updates
3. If you are an author trying to make heads or tails of self promotion, you might want to read my recent post on Notes from the Slushpile: My Year of Launching Prodigiously
4. Hey, I've got a new picture book in the shops and here it is!

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Bare Lit 2018 - Speaking of Morality in Young Fiction

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By Candy Gourlay I was so looking forward to sharing the stage with debut author Rutendo Tavengerwei ( Hope is Our Only Wing) and the excellent Bali Rai ( The Harder They Fall) at the Bare Lit Festival last Sunday. Our theme - Morality in YA and Children's Fiction - was a corker!

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Why Children's Books That Teach Diversity Are More Important Than Ever

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Why Children's Books That Teach Diversity Are More Important Than Ever

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Article on The Conversation by BJ Epstein

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If you think back to your childhood, what sticks with you? For many people, it's those cosy times when they were cuddled up with a parent or grandparent, being read a story.

But bedtime stories aren't just lovely endings to the day or a way to induce sleep, they are also a safe way to experience and discuss all sorts of feelings and situations. So even when children think they're just being told about an adorable bunny's adventures, they are actually learning about the world around them.

We know that children's books can act like both mirrors and windows on the world. Mirrors in that they can reflect on children's own lives, and windows in that they can give children a chance to learn about someone else's life. We also know that this type of self-reflection and opportunity to read or hear about different lives is essential for young people.

Research on prejudice shows that coming in contact with people who are different - so-called "others" - helps to reduce stereotypes. This is because when we see people who initially seem different, we learn about them and get closer to them through their story. The "other" seems less far away and, well, less "otherly".

But while it may be ideal for children to actually meet people from different backgrounds in person, if that isn't possible, books can serve as a first introduction to an outside world.

Representing the world

Despite knowing how important it is for diversity to be represented in our day-to-day lives, many children's books are still littered with white, male, able-bodied, heterosexual, cisgender, nominally Christian characters. And research suggests that over 80% of characters in children's books are white - which clearly doesn't reflect the reality of our world.

All of these reasons are why the We Need Diverse Books movement was set in motion in 2014, stemming from a discussion between children's books authors Ellen Oh and Malinda Lo. The movement aims for more diverse children's books to actually be created and for these works to be available to young people. And while we need people to actually write them, we also need publishers to produce them, and bookstores, libraries, and schools to stock them.

As someone who researches children's literature, I think we'd have fewer conflicts in the world if we all read more diverse literature and lived more diverse lives.

I like to think that if we had more diverse children's books, featuring a broad range of characters in many different jobs and situations, as well as more diverse role models in the media, young people would feel empowered, and they'd believe that when they grow up, they could be anyone and do anything they wanted. And they'd look at their friends and think the same for them, and they'd grow up respecting and appreciating everyone's talents.

With this mindset present, issues such as race or religion wouldn't even play a subconscious role. And it would mean that within a generation or two, we wouldn't read articles about appalling and depressing statistics, and we wouldn't need campaigns to increase diversity in literature, academia, or anywhere else.

Role models

But books aren't just about "others". When we see people like ourselves in the media, including in fiction, we get a glimpse of who we might become, and we feel validated. We can gain role models and inspiration through literature.

Perhaps partly in response to people's growing awareness of the need for role models - whether in person or in literature - one young black girl, Marley Dias, started a campaign to find 1,000 "black girl books". Dias recommends works such as Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia, Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson and I Love My Hair by Natasha Anastasia Tarpley.

But I wonder how many of those "black girl books" feature black girls in prominent roles, such as working as professors, doctors, teachers, or even as presidents of nations. I have a suspicion that the percentage would be disappointingly low.

Just featuring a minority character isn't enough to create quality diverse literature, but it is a first step. And while there are some useful websites that recommend diverse children's books and even literary awards dedicated to promoting such works, much still needs to be done.

Along with the increased worries today about immigrants, refugees, and general "otherness", some societies seem to be headed towards a sense of false nostalgia about a time when the world was controlled by whites.

Given this is not how the world is or should be, we owe it to young readers to show them reality in the books they're reading. Perhaps then the next generation will be less frightened of the "other" if they get to meet them and learn about them from an early age.

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Why children's books that teach diversity are more important than ever

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If you think back to your childhood, what sticks with you? For many people, it's those cosy times when they were cuddled up with a parent or grandparent, being read a story. But bedtime stories aren't just lovely endings to the day or a way to induce sleep, they are also a safe way to experience and discuss all sorts of feelings and situations.

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Pen&inc. is CILIP's new guide to diversity in children's publishing. Its aim is to improve choice for readers and opportunities for authors, illustrators and publishers from all backgrounds and abilities.

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Whose Stories? is a podcast about children’s books, diversity, and the role of archives, brought to you by Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children’s Books. In the first season of our podcast, we’re exploring the story of children’s books and Black Britain.

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Whose Stories? is a podcast about children's books, diversity, and the role of archives, brought to you by Newcastle University and Seven Stories: The National Centre for Children's Books. In the first season of our podcast, we're exploring the story of children's books and Black Britain.

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Booktrust Represents Mid-Term Report: November 2020

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Booktrust Represents Mid-Term Report: November 2020

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Dual-language resources for bilingual children and parents and for the multi-lingual classroom. Bilingual books for children.

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Mantra Lingua UK | Dual language books and bilingual books and resources for bilingual children and parents and for the multi-lingual classroom.

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Mantra Lingua is a UK based publisher of award winning multilingual education resources. We provide innovative, user-friendly solutions to the specific challenges facing teachers and students within the classroom, and at home. Our patented PENpal technology supports EAL, MFL and SEN students in particular and is also proving invaluable in the mainstream school market.

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How Books Can Bring Children Together

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A story from Syria: How books bring children together

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Nadine Kaadan is a Syrian children's book illustrator and writer. She wrote about the conflict to help Syrian children make sense of war. Now her book, Tomorrow, is reaching and touching children in the UK, too.

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The Danger of a Single Story- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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The Danger of a Single Story- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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TED Talk

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Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. Novelist Chimamanda Adichie tells the story of how she found her authentic cultural voice -- and warns that if we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.

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What happens when diverse readers see themselves reflected in fiction?

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Alex Wheatle: What happens when diverse readers see themselves reflected in fiction

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Author Alex Wheatle explains why books need to show children and teenagers a world they recognise - and start telling some different stories.

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The Windows and Mirrors of your Child's Bookshelf: Grace Lin

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The Windows and Mirrors of your Child's Bookshelf: Grace Lin

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TedXNatick

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The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf | Grace Lin | TEDxNatick

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CLPE Reflecting Realities Report- books published in 2018

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CLPE Reflecting Realities Report- books published in 2018

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Report published 2019

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An article by Rebecca Butler, a wheelchair user, about children's books depicting children and young people in wheelchairs.

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The One in the Wheelchair - a look at children's books and disability

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Characters in wheelchairs certainly play a more prominent role in children's books than they once did. As an academic and full-time wheelchair user, Dr Rebecca Butler looks at a few books that present wheelchair users very differently. What can we learn from them?

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Floella Benjamin- BookTrust Annual Lecture

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Floella Benjamin- BookTrust Annual Lecture

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2018 BookTrust Annual Lecture

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Baroness Floella Benjamin gives the BookTrust Annual Lecture

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Discover what Baroness Floella Benjamin OBE talked about when she gave the BookTrust Annual Lecture 2018 and see pictures from the night in our gallery.

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In The Reading Corner- Diversity in Children's Books

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In The Reading Corner- Diversity in Children's Books

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An episode of In The Reading Corner about diversity in children's books

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Just Imagine - excellence in teaching reading and writing

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Just Imagine seeks to promote excellence in the teaching of reading, writing and oracy using high-quality literature by providing a range of resources for teachers and a curated collection of books reviewed and selected by our expert panel.

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BookTrust Articles and Resources on Disability in Children's Literature

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BookTrust Articles and Resources on Disability in Children's Literature

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Advice and recommendations from BookTrust regarding representations of disability in children's books

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Looking for information on disability and children's books? Bookmark is full of advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers.

For more information about Bookmark, contact BookTrust's disability consultant Alexandra Strick.

Bookmark Book of the Month: August

All the Pieces of Me
Author: Rebecca Westcott and Libby Scott

For 14 year old Tally, starting Year 9 is not proving easy. Attempting to maintain friendships is exhausting, understanding teachers' expectations is challenging and making sense of all the spoken and unspoken rules of school life is quite simply a nightmare. Plus, being on the autistic spectrum, she finds the combination of shouting, canteen smel...
Read more about All the Pieces of Me

Blogs and articles on disability and books

Jordan Scott talks to BookTrust consultant Alex Strick about how stammering influenced ...

Do your school library shelves represent all the children who use them? Esther Brown at...

'There is still a stigma around dyslexia'

Malcolm Duffy talks about his oldest daughter's diagnosis of dyslexia in secondary school, and why the condition is at the forefront of the prize-winning author's third novel, Read Between the Lines.

Explore our carefully-chosen booklists, blogs, and resources to promote mental health and wellbeing in children and adults.

Click here

Bookmark advice for:

Families, teachers and librarians

Advice on how to find inclusive books and why positive images of disability matter.

and

Writers, illustrators and publishers

Top tips on including positive images of disability in books, and what else the publishing industry can do to help.

Free books for children with additional needs

Our Bookstart programme gives free books to children under five with additional needs, whether your child is deaf (Bookshine), blind/partially sighted (Booktouch) or has a condition affecting their fine motor skills (Bookstart Star).

Get books and resources for special schools

Spark is a programme for special schools based in England, designed to inspire a love of stories and books in children with additional needs.

Resources for special educational needs

This guide is designed to support the books with a variety of ideas and advice to help you make the most of each title.

Special School Library Pack posters 2020-21 for your classroom or library.

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Bookmark: children's books and disability

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Looking for information on disability and children's books? Bookmark is full of advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers. For more information about Bookmark, contact BookTrust's disability consultant Alexandra Strick. All the Pieces of Me Author: Rebecca Westcott and Libby Scott For 14 year old Tally, starting Year 9 is not proving easy.

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Book Island is an indie publishing house for picture books in translation, specialising in beautifully illustrated, high-quality picture books that can be enjoyed and treasured by both parents and children.

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Book Island: picture books and giclée prints from around the world

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Book Island is an independent publisher offering beautifully illustrated and thought-provoking picture books and high-quality giclée prints from around the world. Free shipping worldwide on all prints. Browse our collection here!

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Don't Shoot The Deputies Podcast: Representation in Children's Literature

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Don't Shoot The Deputies Podcast: Representation in Children's Literature

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An episode of Don't Shoot The Deputies where Russ and Steve are joined by Jazz Newton, Doaa Alsoraimi and Ashley Booth (from Croxteth Primary and St Silas C of E Primary, Liverpool) to discuss representation in children's literature.

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Representation In Children's Literature by The Dynamic Deputies Podcast

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It is so important to ensure there is diverse representation in the books we offer our young people. For this podcast we're joined by Jazz Newton, Doaa Alsoraimi and Ashley Booth (three colleagues based in Liverpool) to discuss this important issue. We really hope that their passion and expertise gets you thinking about the diet of literature you provide for the children in your schools.

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BookTrust Represents is a three-year project created to promote children’s authors and illustrators of colour.

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Since 2019 BookTrust Represents has reached over 45,640 children across England with free books and school author events. We've created memorable learning moments for children by working with some of the UK's leading authors and illustrators of colour in children's literature and bringing them into the classroom virtually and in person.
Read more about what other schools are saying about BookTrust Represents author events
Why representation matters

Books play an important role as mirrors for children: these stories and characters will affect how they see themselves and the world around them, their motivation to read, and their aspirations to become authors and illustrators of the future.

However, finding books that truly reflect the diversity of families in the UK is challenging. Over the past 11 years, fewer than 2% of all authors and/or illustrators of children's books published in the UK were British people of colour. This is why we've launched BookTrust Represents. We want to help get the right books in children's hands by supporting schools and creators of colour with the knowledge and opportunities needed to alleviate some of these complex barriers.

BookTrust Represents Research

Find out about our ongoing research into representation of people of colour among children's book authors and illustrators.
Our research

Books can change lives

Find out more about how we support families and practitioners to get children reading for fun.

Why reading matters

Find out about the impact of our work and read testimonials to discover how it has made a real difference to practitioners, parents, carers and children.

Bookmark: books and disability

Find advice and book recommendations for families, teachers, librarians, authors and publishers.

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Since 2019 BookTrust Represents has reached over 45,640 children across England with free books and school author events. We've created memorable learning moments for children by working with some of the UK's leading authors and illustrators of colour in children's literature and bringing them into the classroom virtually and in person.

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CLPE Reflecting Realities Report- books published in 2017

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CLPE Reflecting Realities Report- books published in 2017

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Report published 2018

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CLPE's work is informed by our research and development projects designed to improve literacy teaching in primary schools. These include Reflecting Realities, Power of Pictures, Reading for Pleasure and Power of Poetry.

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The Reading Realm: Live session on diversity in children’s literature

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The Reading Realm: Live session on diversity in children’s literature

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A live CPD session looking at the CLPE’s Reflecting Realities report and a range of books from independent publishers.

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Day 24 Learning at Home with The Reading Realm: Diversity in Children’s Publishing - The Reading Realm

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Today we explored CLPE’s ‘Reflecting Realities’ report and the importance of books being ‘mirrors, windows and doors’. We looked at independent publishers, including Knights Of, Book Island, Lantana and Tiny Owl. You can also find more books featuring BAME characters at Alanna Max. Finally we explo…

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English Curriculum: Race, Racism, Literary Criticism

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English Curriculum: Race, Racism, Literary Criticism

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A padlet of articles and resources to support teachers exploring issues of race in KS3/4/5 texts

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30 Picture Books To Promote Black Representation in Children’s Literature

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30 Picture Books To Promote Black Representation in Children’s Literature

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A great PowerPoint from Miss Newton-Langi from Croxteth Primary School (@MissNewton91 on Twitter) that gives examples of 30 fantastic picture books featuring Black protagonists.

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Children's Literature With Black Representational Role Models.pptx

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Blogs on diversity in children's literature and publishing curated by Knights Of publishers.

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Lantana Publishing: an award-winning children's book publisher and social enterprise giving new and aspiring Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) authors and illustrators a platform to publish.

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Lantana is an award-winning children's book publisher and social enterprise with a mission to publish inclusive books by authors from under-represented groups, celebrating every kind of child and family.

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Talking Race: Race and Children's Literature

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Talking Race: Race and Children's Literature

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This episode examines the absence of race in children’s literature. Guest interviewer, Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, talks with Darren Chetty and Lisa Stephenson about the reasons why BAME children think stories are about White people and why in a tiny minority of books forprimary children feature a BAME character or a BAME protagonist. They discuss thepositive role played by the Story Makers project in addressing this absence.

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Race and Children's Literature with Darren Chetty and Lisa Stephenson

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Listen to this episode from Talking Race on Spotify. This episode examines the absence of race in children's literature. Guest interviewer, DrEmily Zobel Marshall, talks with Darren Chetty and Lisa Stephenson about the reasons whyBAME children think stories are about White people and why in a tiny minority of books forprimary children feature a BAME character or a BAME protagonist.

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Darren Chetty- 'Beyond The Secret Garden' at The Thriving Child Conference

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Darren Chetty- 'Beyond The Secret Garden' at The Thriving Child Conference

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Black and minority ethnic representation in the children’s literature sector

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Black and minority ethnic representation in the children’s literature sector

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A report for Arts Council England, written by  Cathy Harris, Bernadette Stiell, David Leather -  Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/04-11-19%20Time%20for%20Change%20-%20Research%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

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Led by Dr Anamik Saha and Dr Sandra van Lente in partnership with Goldsmiths, University of London, Spread the Word and The Bookseller, Rethinking ‘Diversity’ in Publishing is the first academic study in the UK which looks at how cultural production itself might disadvantage writers of colour. The Report is published by Goldsmiths Press.

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Black and minority ethnic representation in the children’s literature sector https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/04-11-19%20Time%20for%20Change%20-%20Research%20Report%20FINAL.pdf

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Penguin have joined forces with The Runnymede Trust to explore how to support schools to make the teaching and learning of English Literature more inclusive. They want to increase students’ access to more books by writers of colour and those from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Home About Lit in Colour Read the report Teachers Students Parents and supporters Teachers: you play a unique role in inspiring a lifelong love of reading. We recognise that many teachers are under considerable pressure […]

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Home and Belonging List and Resources from The British Library

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Home and Belonging List and Resources from The British Library

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Explore a selection of children’s books including Starring Tracy Beaker, So Much, Coming to England, Azzi in Between and Clarice Bean.

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Explore a selection of children's books including Starring Tracy Beaker, So Much, Coming to England, Azzi in Between and Clarice Bean.

Banner image © Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford

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Themed book list: Home and belonging | The British Library

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Explore a selection of children's books including Jacqueline Wilson's Starring Tracy Beaker, Trish Cooke's So Much, Floella Benjamin's Coming to England, Sarah Garland's Azzi in Between and Lauren Child's Clarice Bean series.

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Resources from the UKLA on diversity and inclusion- some free to non-members, some only open to members

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In line with UKLA's aim to support and inform all those concerned with the development of language, literacy and communication, these resources provide ideas for promoting diversity and inclusion, recognising the dynamic and evolving contexts for literacy education in the 21st century.

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Radical fiction award given by The Alliance of Radical Booksellers

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The Little Rebels Children's Book Award celebrates radical fiction for children aged 0-12.

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Lists of  silent books (wordless picture books) that can be understood and enjoyed by children regardless of language

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In response to the waves of refugees from Africa and the Middle East arriving in the Italian island, Lampedusa, IBBY launched the project "Silent Books, from the world to Lampedusa and back" in 2012. The project involved creating the first library on Lampedusa to be used by local and immigrant children, www.facebook.com/BiblioLampedusa/

The second part required creating a collection of silent books (wordless picture books) that could be understood and enjoyed by children regardless of language. These books were collected from IBBY National Sections, over one hundred books from over twenty countries. This set of books was deposited at the documentation and research archive in Rome (Palazzo della Esposizioni), a set delivered to the library in Lampedusa and a further set was part of a travelling exhibition.

There are, to date, five collections of Silent Books: the Silent Books Collection 2013 (110 books), the Silent Books Collection 2015 (51 books), the Silent Books Collection 2017 (79 books), the Silent Books Collection 2019 (67 books) and the Silent Books Collection 2021 (76 books). Within each collection there is a selection of Honour Books. Each of the earlier collections has toured as an exhibition at various venues in Italy and all over the world, as well as being displayed at the Bologna Book Fair and at the IBBY Congresses in New Zealand, Greece and Russia.

As part of this project, IBBY Italia has compiled 10 tips for reading silent books in a community that does not speak a common language, which can be seen here. IBBY Sweden has also produced a booklet giving ideas about how to use the Silent Books with children. The booklet, Silent books, a handbook on wordless picture books packed with narrative power, can be downloaded here.

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In response to the waves of refugees from Africa and the Middle East arriving in the Italian island, Lampedusa, IBBY launched the project "Silent Books, from the world to Lampedusa and back" in 2012.

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A blog devoted to translated children's literature from around the world

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Founded in January 2013, Inclusive Minds is a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion, diversity, equality and accessibility in children's literature, and are committed to changing the face of children's books.

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Inclusive Minds is a collective for people who are passionate about inclusion, diversity, equality and accessibility in children’s literature, and are committed to changing the face of children’s books.

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The website of We Need Diverse Books. Please note that this is the US group. A UK based group can be found on twitter at @DiverseBooksUK

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A blog post about the Representations Mini Conference about diversity in children's books
Also see resources from the event that could be used in school: http://www.liverpoollearningpartnership.com/representationsresources/

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50 Examples of Children’s Literature With Black and Minority Ethnic Representation

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50 Examples of Children’s Literature With Black and Minority Ethnic Representation

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A great PowerPoint from Miss Newton-Langi from Croxteth Primary School (@MissNewton91 on Twitter) that gives examples of 50 works of children's literature with BAME protagonists

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Books with Neurodivergent Characters- KS2

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Books with Neurodivergent Characters- KS2

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A booklist from Liverpool Learning Partnership

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A booklist from Liverpool Learning Partnership featuring books for primary with LGBT+ characters

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Black History, Black Lives and Anti-Racism

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Black History, Black Lives and Anti-Racism

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A book list from Scott Evans, The Reader Teacher, @MrEPrimary

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Diverse Stories: a list of children's books featuring BAME characters in lead roles

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Diverse Stories: a list of children's books featuring BAME characters in lead roles

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List curated by Mike Watson (@WatsEd on Twitter)

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Lists of Children's Books with Diverse Representation from @sarahs_chapter

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Lists of Children's Books with Diverse Representation from @sarahs_chapter

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Over 200 books with BAME characters and LGBTQ+ representation

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Grown up, YA and children's books written by Muslim Authors that are being released in 2020

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An Updated (but still incomplete) List of British BAME Authors for Children & Young People

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An Updated (but still incomplete) List of British BAME Authors for Children & Young People

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by Matt Imrie on the Teen Librarian website

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This list is no longer being updated, please visit the UK BAME Authors & Illustrators page for an updated easier to use version
*last updated 10 February 2020*

When the list of books for the 20th anniversary of World Book Day in 2017 was released it was notable for being lily-white. I was surprised that a day purporting to celebrate books across the world was limited to authors that are from a small part of it and decided to take a look at British authors for children and young people in the UK that have a BAME (Black, Asian, and minority ethnic) heritage. While putting the list together I was helped in this endeavour by a number of brilliant friends and colleagues on twitter and facebook.

This list is not complete so if you have suggestions for more authors (*and edited to include illustrators) or if you are an author or illustrator with a BAME heritage then please do let me know in the comments beneath this post.
Sophia Acheampong http://www.lovereading4kids.co.uk/author/Sophia-Acheampong/gd/Sophia-Acheampong.html Dapo Adeola https://www.facebook.com/DapsDraws/ @AdeAdepitan @devandollie @patriceaggs @sufiyaahmed Mehrdokht Amini http://childrensillustrators.com/illustrator/mehrdokht1976/portfolio Hamza Arshad https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/134114/humza-arshad.html @HamzaProduction http://www.walker.co.uk/contributors/Atinuke-12281.aspx Dean Atta https://sites.google.com/site/deanatta/ @RebeccaKBarrow @MissBelloTweets @FloellaBenjamin Jasbinder Bilan @malorieblackman https://twitter.com/akemidawn @SitaBrahmachari Nathan Bryon https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/606265/rocket-says-look-up-by-nathan-bryon-illustrated-by-dapo-adeola/9781984894427/

Aisha Bushby
https://www.egmont.co.uk/blog/egmont-pockets-debit-from-rising-star-aisha-bushby/
@aishabushby @tanyabyrne Sarwat Chadda @sarwatchadda Maisie Chan @MaisieWrites https://www.maisiechan.com/ Kandace Chimbiri http://www.goldendestiny.co.uk/index.php @knchimbiri @chirpywriter Casey Elisha http://caseyelishabooks.com Nizrana Farook https://www.facebook.com/NizRite/ Kereen Getten https://www.instagram.com/kezywrites/ @KereenGetten @candygourlay Lorraine Gregory https://www.lorrainegregoryauthor.co.uk/ @authorontheedge @SwapnaHaddow Davina Hamilton https://www.davinahamilton.com/ @davina_writes Sam Hepburn (see Sam Osman) Ashley Hinds https://www.ashleyhindswhdb.com/ @ashleyhindswhdb Konnie Huq https://www.thebookseller.com/news/konnie-huq-pen-series-piccadilly-press-747021 @YasmeenMay Sharna Jackson @sharnajackson Danielle Jawando @DanielleJawando @helloIammariam @Nadinekaadan @savitakalhan @mkhanauthor @LawrencePatrice @Ayisha_Malik @sangumandanna Manjeet Mann https://www.manjeetmann.com/ @ManjeetMann @Irfan_Master @TaranMatharu1 Kiran Millwood Hargrave http://www.kiranmillwoodhargrave.co.uk @pmistryartist Rita Phillips Mitchell http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/member/rita-phillips-mitchell @stefmowords Nick Mohammed https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/authors/nick-mohammed/130313/ @nickmohammed
@girlinthelens
Grace Nichols
https://www.poetryarchive.org/poet/grace-nichols
Tola Okogwu http://tolaokogwu.com @TolaOkogwu
Richard Rai O'Neill
https://richardthestoryteller.weebly.com/
@therroneill
http://www.samhepburnbooks.com/ Serena Patel @SerenaKPatel @annaperera1 Yasmin Rahman @yasminwithane Onjali Q. Rauf @onjalirauf Na'ima B Robert @NaimaBRobert @whatSFSaid Annabelle Sami https://www.andlyn.co.uk/annabelle-sami @annabellesami London Shah http://www.londonshah.com @London_Shah Alexandra Sheppard @alexsheppard @emmashevah @NadiaShireen @nikeshshukla @RanjittheAuthor Rashmi Sirdeshpande https://rashmisirdeshpande.com/ @RashmiWriting Emma Smith-Barton @AmnaKhokher Malaika Rose Stanley http://www.malaikarosestanley.com https://twitter.com/tashadrinkstea @TabithaSuzuma @brixtonbard
Nadine Wild-Palmer
https://www.pushkinpress.com/product/the-tunnels-below/
https://twitter.com/NadineWildPalm
@kenwilsonmax @BZephaniah Publishers Dinosaur Books
Dinosaur Books is an independent publisher that produces books for children aged 5 - 14. They aim to publish stories for young readers that combine exciting, page turning adventure with ideas that encourage readers to think.
Lantana Publishing
Lantana Publishing is a young, independent publishing house producing award-winning picture books for children. Lantana's mission is to select outstanding writing from around the world, working with prize-winning authors and illustrators from many countries, while at the same time nurturing new writing talent.

Knights Of publishes commercial children's fiction - distributed through the UK, Ireland and Europe. We're all about hiring as widely, and as diversely as possible, to make sure the books we publish give windows into as many worlds as possible - from what's on the page all the way to sales copy.

We are passionate about children's books and we believe everyone loves a good story! However, some children struggle to find books in which they see themselves and their experiences. So at Alanna Books, we aim to produce stories that are naturally inclusive of a wide range of people and experiences - so ALL children can enjoy them.
Tamarind Press
Tamarind Books was founded by Verna Wilkins in 1987 with the mission of redressing the balance of diversity in children's publishing. Over twenty years later, the world has changed but the problem is still very relevant today. And so, Tamarind still exists to put diversity 'in the picture'.
Hope Road Publishing
HopeRoad Publishing is an exciting, independent publisher, vigorously supporting voices too often neglected by the mainstream. We are promoters of literature with a special focus on Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. At the heart of our publishing is the love of outstanding writing from writers you, the reader, would have otherwise missed.
Cassava Pepublic Press
Our mission is to change the way we all think about African writing. We think that contemporary African prose should be rooted in African experience in all its diversity, whether set in filthy-yet-sexy megacities such as Lagos or Kinshasa, in little-known rural communities, in the recent past or indeed the near future. We also think the time has come to build a new body of African writing that links writers across different times and spaces.

An independent publishing company committed to producing beautiful, original books for children. Established in 2015, our energy and passion stems from our belief that stories act as bridges - providing pathways to new experiences whilst connecting us to here and there. Our stories are visually rich and conceptually meaningful. They give children unique perspectives on universal themes such as love, friendship and freedom and a greater awareness of the diverse and colourful world we live in. We have a range of books from Iranian authors and illustrators including two beautiful tales by Rumi and one from The Book of Kings. We are also developing a programme of intercultural projects, pairing authors and illustrators from around the globe.
Fire Tree Books
Building on the powerful legacy of Verna Wilkins' 30 years in the industry, Firetree books is expanding, updating and refreshing important messages for a new audience in today's diverse classrooms and homes.
Firetree presents unselfconscious representations of all children. Our books aim to inspire and entertain readers by depicting the diversity and lives of children in our shrinking, inter-dependent world.
Jacaranda Books
Jacaranda Books Art Music Ltd is a fresh and exciting new independent publishing house based in London. We publish adult fiction and non-fiction, including illustrated books, which cross linguistic, racial, gender and cultural boundaries - books in many ways as cosmopolitan as our city.

A list of inclusive publishers compiled by Chitra Soundar: http://picturebookden.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/inclusive-indie-publishers-by-chitra.html? m=1
The Jhalak Prize
The prize is unique in that it will be accepting entries published in the UK in 2016 by a writer of colour. This will include (and not be limited to) fiction, non-fiction, short story, graphic novel, poetry, children's books, YA, teen and all genres. The prize will also be open to self-published writers. The aim is the find the best writers of colour in the country.

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An Updated (but still incomplete) List of British BAME Authors for Children & Young People

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This list is no longer being updated, please visit the UK BAME Authors & Illustrators page for an updated easier to use version *last updated 10 February 2020* When the list of books for the 20th anniversary of World Book Day in 2017 was released it was notable for being lily-white.

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Diverse Voices- 50 of the best Children's Books

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Diverse Voices- 50 of the best Children's Books

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A distinguished independent panel of experts has come up with a list of 50 books for all children, from birth to teens, living in the UK today. Books published since 1950 to the present day were considered.

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Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books is delighted to announce Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK.

A distinguished independent panel of experts has come up with a list of 50 books for all children, from birth to teens, living in the UK today. Books published since 1950 to the present day were considered.
Kate Edwards, CEO Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books said:
"Children's books shape our earliest perceptions of the world and its cultures, building understanding, empathy and tolerance. Despite this there is still a lack of representation of children from different cultural backgrounds - especially as main characters. By drawing attention to some best loved and well crafted children's books, our Diverse Voices season will curate an exciting and diverse list of books that will help to inform the choices of librarians, teachers, booksellers and readers when they pick books to recommend, stock, read and enjoy. Britain's rich and diverse cultural heritage is something to be celebrated and championed."

Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books includes: much-loved picture books to share, poetry, must-read novels, fascinating biographies, future classics and challenging books that are likely to provoke discussion.

The list has inspired a number of project and partnership work over the summer in conjunction with The Reader Organisation, Discover London, New Writing North and Gem Arts - outcomes of which will be presented in Seven Stories Book Den exhibition space. Seven Stories will also be hosting a celebratory weekend on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 October with storytelling, music and activities inspired by Diverse Voices.

The Guardian children's booksite is celebrating and discussing Diverse Voices and all kinds of diversity in children's books all this week with features, discussions, author interviews and galleries. See what they are up to and join in the discussion here: www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site

Seven Stories have also specially created learning resources for use in schools, which will be available from Thursday 16 October to encourage the use of books that reflect the diverse world we live in. See www.sevenstories.org.uk/learning for details.

Debbie Beeks, Learning & Participation Manager, Seven Stories: 'These books offer a rich world to inhabit, enjoy and explore. The responses from children, young people and families demonstrate the power these art forms have to make a group a community, a creative response a moment of realisation, a story a part of a personal journey. I hope that children, carers and educators are inspired to get hold of the books, try some of the ideas in the resources and experience for themselves, the art in this collection of stunning books.'

Seven Stories invited a panel of experts to help draw up the Diverse Voices Book list. Publishers across the industry were also invited to submit books for consideration.

The panel of experts includes:

Julia Eccleshare, Guardian Children's Books Editor and Early Years Diverse Voices Champion

Sarah Smith, Libraries Development Manager, Brent Libraries and Young Readers Diverse Voices Champion

Katherine Woodfine, Arts Project Manager, Booktrust and Older Readers Diverse Voices Champion

Jake Hope, Freelance Children's Book Consultant, Chair, Youth Libraries Group North-West and Teenage Readers Diverse Voices Champion

Debbie Beeks, Learning and Participation Manager at Seven Stories, Reading for Pleasure Champion for Diverse Voices

The Diverse Voices Book List and season is supported by Frances Lincoln Children's Books and has evolved out of the Diverse Voices Book Award, which was founded in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945- 2001) to encourage and promote diversity in children's literature.

Frances Lincoln Children's Books is part of the Quarto Publishing Group UK. For more information go to: www.franceslincoln.com
Press enquiries to:
Nicky Potter E: nicpot@dircon.co.uk T: 020 8 889 9735 M: 0771 5587948

Or
Kathryn Row, Programming and Marketing Manager Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books E: Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books Early Years (0+)kathryn.row@sevenstories.org.uk T: 0845 271 0777 ext 209 "The images and stories that children hear from the very beginning of their lives are instrumental in expanding their view of the world and in shaping their later attitudes. Born without any sense of the artificial divisions between people or hierarchies in their status, which may later be imposed, pre-schoolers are open-minded: they see animals in pictures and have no difficulty in knowing that they represent humans. They jump effortlessly over 'barriers' and differences. For that reason, making sure that everyone is represented in pictures and words is vital. Happily, there are some excellent examples of books that do this. But, the campaign to make books for the very young has a long history - forty years and more from the earliest days of The Other Award - and the growth in the output of these titles has remained stubbornly slow. This selection shows what can be done and why it matters. Let's hope it encourages writers, illustrators and publishers to add to it."
Julia Eccleshare, Guardian Children's Book Editor and Early Years Champion.

Amazing Grace Mary Hoffman Illustrated by Caroline Binch. Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

The classic picture book about the little girl who loves stories and shows us that we can be anything we want to be.

Fruits: A Caribbean Counting Poem, Valerie Bloom Illustrated by David Axtell. Macmillan Children's Books

A rhythmic counting poem that describes all manner of delicious Caribbean fruits as a little girl tries to eat as many of these as she can in a single day.

The Goggle-Eyed Goats, Stephen Davies Illustrated by Christopher Corr. Andersen Press

A vibrant and colourfully illustrated tale about Old Al Haji Amadu's five extremely naughty and very hungry goats who gobble and gulp through whatever they find.

Handa's Surprise, Eileen Browne. Walker Books.

A mouth-watering story about Ayeko who puts seven fruits into her basket, but one by one these disappear as all manner of creatures snack upon them.

Hue Boy, Rita Phillips Mitchell Illustrated by Caroline Binch. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

As much as Hue Boy longs to be bigger, he discovers size isn't everything in this uplifting village-based story about a small boy with a very big personality.

Leon and Bob, Simon James. Walker Books.

A quiet reflective book about the unusual friendship shared by Leon and Bob and the sense of fun and fulfilment others can bring into our lives.

Not So Fast Songololo, Niki Daly. Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

An African town is brought to life through sight and sound in this touching story of young and old where Grandmother Gogo and grandson Songololo set out on a stroll together.

Over the Hills and Far Away, Elizabeth Hammill Illustrated by 77 artists. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

A stunning collection of 150 rhymes from countries all over the English-speaking world, including Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa and the Caribbean compiled by Seven Stories co-founder Elizabeth Hammill. The collection contains best-loved nursery rhymes, but also new discoveries, and vibrant rhymes from Native American, First Nation, Inuit and Maori cultures.

Ramadan Moon, Na'ima B. Robert Illustrated by Shirin Adl. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

The festival of Ramadan and its celebration across the world is explored in this thoughtful book which looks at the role faith plays in many children's lives.

Rastamouse and the Crucial Plan, Michael De Souza Illustrated by Genevieve Webster. Little Roots.

A cheeky, cheese-filled tale about super bad thief Bandalulu who has stolen all the cheese from Mouseland.

So Much, Trish Cooke Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury Walker Books

A fun, feel good and familiar story about the different generations of a family brought together by their love for a new baby.
Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books
Where's Lenny? Ken Wilson-Max Frances Lincoln Children's Books

An ideal first picture book by an award winning author/illustrator in which Lenny and his dad have a game of hide and seek in the house, enjoying fun and games together.
"This is a delightful selection of books with stories that are timeless and can be enjoyed time and time again. There is much to discover and pleasure to be gained through re-reading many of these titles missed on first readings. Whilst targeted at emergent readers, this selection works well with both less confident and more proficient readers. The text ranges from 'wordless' stories, to advanced picture books, graphic novels and short chapter books. The collection ensures there is something for everyone and richly promotes and celebrates the diversity of Britain." Young Readers (5+)
Sarah Smith, Libraries Development Manager, Brent Libraries and Young Readers Champion.

Azzi In Between, Sarah Garland. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

A powerful graphic novel about Azzi and her family who seek refuge, filled with drama and tension it shows just how dangerous some people's home lives can be and the difficult decisions needed to reach a place of safety.

Betsey Biggalow is here, Malorie Blackman Illustrated by Jamie Smith. Random House Children's Books

Somewhere between Pippi Longstocking and Tracy Beaker, Betsey Biggalow, who stars in these short, pacey stories, is an imaginative and enquiring girl who is sometimes mischievous but always endearing.

The Colour of Home, Mary Hoffman Illustrated by Karin Littlewood. Frances Lincoln Children's Books.

Hassan feels out of place in a cold, grey country so different from his colourful Somalian home, which he was forced to leave because of war. But gradually things change... and he sees the new colours of home.

Fly, Eagle, Fly! Christopher Gregorowski Illustrated by Niki Daly. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

A story of fulfilment and freedom shown through the parable of the baby eagle who is reared with chickens. This simply told yet dramatic story from Africa will delight children everywhere and encourage them to "lift off and soar," as Archbishop Tutu puts it in his foreword.

A Hen in the Wardrobe, Wendy Meddour. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

This is a funny, heart-warming family story set in Britain and Algeria, with fascinating glimpses of traditional Berber culture and lots of colourful characters.

Kasia's Surprise, Stella Gurney Illustrated by Petr Horacek. Walker Books.

A moving and hope-filled book about Kasia and her mum who have moved to the UK from Poland, it looks at the importance of the people we are close to and the gradual acceptance of change.

Mirror, Jeannie Baker. Walker Books

Although thousands of miles apart, there are many similarities between the homes and daily routines for the two boys in this book, its minutely detailed illustrations inspire readers to see that, in spite of surface difference, there is often more similarity in our lives than might, at first, be recognised.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, John Steptoe. Puffin Children's Books

This special book has a fairy-tale like charm as a King takes on the search for a wife. Mufaro has two daughters, one rude and mean and the other generous and thoughtful, which will win the hand of the King?

Number 1 Car Spotter, Atinuke. Walker Books.

A witty story about the hugely appealing Number 1 who sets about searching for and solving problems and carrying out chores for his family.

Under the Moon and Over the Sea: A Collection of Caribbean Poems, ed John Agard and Grace Nichols. Walker Books.

A lyrical and lively collection of poetry that captures the sights, sounds, tastes and tales of the Caribbean and its people.

Walter Tull's Scrap Book, Michaela Morgan. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

The inspirational true story of Walter Tull's life is vividly reimagined here in scrapbook form, drawing on photographs, documents and records of his life. Born in Kent, in 1888, Walter Tull became not just the first black British professional outfield football player - for Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Town - but also the first black officer in the British Army.
Older Readers (8+)"As children grow older and become more confident readers, they will want to choose what they read for themselves - so it's all the more essential that they are given access to a wide range of books that will grab their attention and demand to be read. The books on this list showcase the tremendous variety and richness of the best writing for this age group - here are stories that will take children on journeys to new places, introduce them to different people, and widen their horizons. Yet what's perhaps even more important is that young readers are also given access to those books that reflect their own lives and experiences, and the diversity of their communities - showing that children just like themselves can be heroes and heroines too. The publishing industry still has lots of work to do to improve the diversity of books for children, but the books on this list are great examples of the way forward."
Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books

Katherine Woodfine, Arts Project Manager, Booktrust and Older Readers Champion.

Boy Overboard, Morris Gleitzman. Puffin Children's Books

Jamal and sister Bibi want to lead Australia to victory in the World Cup, but that entails a journey from their homeland, Afghanistan where their family has upset the authorities, and a lengthy voyage overseas.

The Island, Armin Greder. Allen & Unwin Books for Children & Young Adults

The poignancy of the pictures in this story about a man washed up on an island beach and outcast by its community explores intolerance and is a powerful and moving conversation starter for discussions around acceptance.

Journey to Jo'Burg, Beverley Naidoo. HarperCollins

A deeply affecting modern classic about a brother and sister who journey through the South Africa of Apartheid in a race against time to find their mother thereby saving their poorly baby sister, Dineo.

The Life of Stephen Lawrence, Verna Allette Wilkins Illustrated by Lynne Willey. Tamarind.

Full of life and potential, Stephen Lawrence was a boy with huge hopes for the future. Murdered in 1993, the book looks and prejudice, injustice and a family's fight to uncover the truth.

Little Leap Forward, Guo You and Clare Farrow Illustrated by Helen Cann. Barefoot Books

This semi-autobiographical tale looks at Little Leap Forward, a boy who grew up in the hutongs of Beijing during the Cultural Revolution in China.

Oranges in No Man's Land, Elizabeth Laird. Macmillan Children's Books

Ayesha lives in war-torn Beirut, a city divided by conflict. When Ayesha's granny falls ill, she must cross the barricades into deadly no-man's land to try to get the medication that is so badly needed.

A Nest of Vipers, Catherine Johnson. Random House Children's Books

The youngest member of a collective of pick pockets and con-artists in 18 Century London, Cato Hopkins appears at risk of paying penance for his crimes with his life...

Talking Turkeys, Benjamin Zephaniah. Puffin Children's Books.

A thought provoking and wide reaching collection of poetry for children that explodes from the page, begging to be read aloud.

Tall Story, Candy Gourlay. David Fickling Books

Quirky, unusual and filled with affectionate humour, this story looks at the relationship between Andi, who is short, and her long lost, enormous half-brother Bernardo who comes to live in London from the Philippines.

Too Much Trouble, Tom Avery. Frances Lincoln Children's Books

A fast-paced read about brothers Em and Prince who struggle to make a life and home for themselves on the streets of London. Winner of the Diverse Voices award 2010.

Trash, Andy Mulligan. David Fickling Books

Raphael is a dumpsite boy whose days are spent sifting through rubbish and whose nights are spent sleeping beside it. This deeply affecting story tells how one fateful moment - the discovery of a small leather bag - can radically change one's fortunes...

The Trouble with Donovan Croft, Bernard Ashley. Oxford University Press Children's Books

Keith's new foster brother, Donovan, won't speak to anybody, will Keith be able to uncover the reasons why and help Donovan to open up?

The Unforgotten Coat, Frank Cottrell Boyce. Walker Books

This acutely perceptive, gem of a book recounts how Julie tries to help two Mongolian refugees who are struggling to fit in with their new classmates in Liverpool and movingly describes why their friendship ended unexpectedly...

The Wheel of Surya, Jamila Gavin. Egmont

The violence and danger of India during the Independence movement and its partition from Pakistan acts a catalyst for Jaspal and Marvinder to flee from their village in an effort to reunite with their father who is a student in England.
Teenage Readers (13+)"Young people on the cusp of adulthood are able to grapple and contend with ethical dilemmas and morality, contemporary literature aimed at this age has richly explored this leading to many dynamic and innovative works. Diverse titles focus around subjects like migration, immigration and nationality and show the ways these can become politicized and the impact of that happening. Philip Ridley's playscript, 'Moonfleece' is a striking example. It offers a razor-sharp insight into the way narratives can be manipulated and the prejudice and inhumanity that can result from this. Being a playscript it is a work that young people themselves are able to engage with fully, witnessing firsthand the thoughts, motivations and feelings of the characters' affected and leaving its readers and audience with heightened understanding."
Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books

Jake Hope, Freelance Children's Book Consultant and Teenage Readers Champion.

Apache, Tanya Landman. Walker Books

Following the vicious murder of her brother, orphan Siki vows to become an Apache warrior to take revenge upon her brother, Tazhi's, killers.

The Arrival, Shaun Tan. Hodder Children's Books

This wordless graphic novel explores the many reasons that lead people to leave their old lives and homes behind and set out upon the journey entailed in starting afresh.

Artichoke Hearts, Sita Brahmachari. Macmillan Children's Books

Aged twelve, Mira's life changes when her Nana Josie becomes ill and Mira begins to learn about the secrets of her family and loved ones in this emotionally honest novel.

Blood Donors, Steve Tasane. Walker Books

A skin-crawling novel about Marshall O'Connor who lives in the 'Finger' a block of flats with a deep, dark and deadly secret. This distinctive, fresh and decidedly creepy novel explores stigma and prejudice.

The Breadwinner, Deborah Ellis. Oxford University Press Children's Books

Kept house-bound by the Taliban's law that women and girls should not leave the house on their own, Parvana, her mother and sisters are in danger of starvation when their father is arrested.

Half-Caste & Other Poems, John Agard. Hodder Children's Books

The poems in this highly original collection, penned by John Agard uncover a wealth of human experience and on differences in race.

Moonfleece, Philip Ridley. Methuen

A playscript that explores the tensions between two groups of teenagers who come to learn the way party politics influence the everyday lives of individuals and the devastating impact this can have.

Noughts and Crosses, Malorie Blackman. Random House Children's Books

Sephy and Callum live in a world of split communities and civil unrest, can their feelings for one another grow and blossom against this backdrop and what will occur if those feelings are discovered?

Palestine, Joe Sacco. Jonathan Cape

An extraordinary piece of current affairs reportage told in graphic novel form and recounting the conflict in the West Bank and Gaza strip.

Persepolis 1 & 2, Marjane Satrapi. Vintage

This eye-opening graphic novel about author Marjane Satrapi's childhood growing up in Tehran uncovers the way a country's politics, religion, history and traditions, influence a sense of identity.

Refugee Boy, Benjamin Zephaniah. Bloomsbury Children's Books

Thrilled to have left his home country of Ethiopia for the first time, Alem is excited to be spending a holiday with his father in London. Happiness turns to despair when he discovers his father has left him alone in an unfamiliar country...

(Un)arranged Marriage, Bali Rai. Random House Children's Books

This highly personal story was partly influenced by Bali Rai's own experiences, it looks at the impact cultural traditions can have on young people growing up in modern times and the book will resonate will all who have experienced the pressure of expectation at the hands of their family.
-ENDS-Notes for Editors:
The Weight of Water, Sarah Crossan. Bloomsbury Children's Books

Poetic and reflective, the story tells how Kasienka comes to England from Gdansk in Poland with her mother, a suitcase and a laundry bag full of clothes, desperate to search for her father.

Frances Lincoln Limited was founded by Frances Lincoln in 1977. In 1983 the company started to publish illustrated books for children. Since then it has won many awards and prizes. Best-selling titles include Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman with illustrations by Caroline Binch and We are Britain by Benjamin Zephaniah with photographs by Prodeepta Das.
Seven Stories - National Centre for Children's Books
Frances Lincoln died, aged 55, in February 2001. She was described by Julia Eccleshare in the TES as "the publisher best known for pioneering multicultural books for children."

Frances Lincoln Children's Books is part of the Quarto Publishing Group UK. For more information go to www.franceslincoln.com

Seven Stories is the only place in Britain dedicated to the art of children's books and the joy of reading, and one of just a few such places in the world. Their work is enjoyed by over 150,000 people every year. Everything they do aims to inspire children and grownups to be curious, imaginative and creative. They strive to ensure that people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities can take part to enjoy a lifetime of reading for pleasure.

Their home is a carefully converted Victorian warehouse in Newcastle upon Tyne in Northeast England. The museum opened in 2005. Seven floors house galleries for exhibitions, performances and creative space, a specialist children's bookshop and a café.
Diverse Voices Book Award
Seven Stories is widely recognised for its abilities and achievements. They have established an internationally important collection of artwork, manuscripts and archives of Britain's most acclaimed writers and illustrators for children from 1930s to the present day. They bring this unique treasure trove to life through playful and immersive exhibitions, entertaining and informative public events, imaginative and inclusive learning and outreach programmes and research opportunities.

Seven Stories was awarded National status by Arts Council England in 2012 in recognition of the significance of their collection and its high standard of care, and the excellent ways that they engage with visitors and users.
The Diverse Voices Children's Book List and Season
The award was jointly founded by Frances Lincoln Ltd and Seven Stories - National Centre for Children's Books in memory of Frances Lincoln (1945-2001). The prize was for a manuscript that celebrates cultural diversity in the widest possible sense, either in terms of its story or in terms of the ethnic and cultural origins of its author. There were four awards and Janetta Otter-Barry at Frances Lincoln has commissioned or published nine books by the writers who entered the award: three titles in the Takeshita Demons series by Cristy Burne, winner of the inaugural award; Too Much

Trouble by Tom Avery, the 2010 winner and In Too Deep published in 2013; the 2011 winner Om Shanti Babe by Helen Limon, which was published in 2012; and A Hen in the Wardrobe and The Black Cat Detectives, the first two titles in the Cinnamon Grove series by Wendy Meddour, who entered the 2009 award. Wendy Meddour's How the Library (Not the Prince) Saved Rapunzel is published in October 2014.

Seven Stories is bringing together children, young people and families with Diverse Voices Top 50 children's books, through reading for pleasure work with four exciting organisations, GemArts, Discover London, The Reader Organisation and New Writing North. This collection of books is the source material for explorations, debate and creativity that will be celebrated in an exhibition at Seven Stories 13 th October 2014. The aim is to raise the profile of these books, for the books to be read and celebrated, for children to see themselves, step into another's shoes and find their place and belonging among the characters and settings of many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Each group will celebrate difference and look for commonality and explore what that means to them personally through play, art making, writing, photography and poetry. Book packs and supporting resources will be available to buy from Seven Stories to support you to bring Diverse Voices Top 50 children's Books to your settings and enrich your reading journeys.

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Seven Stories | 50 of the Best Children's Books

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Seven Stories, National Centre for Children's Books is delighted to announce Diverse Voices - 50 of the Best Children's Books celebrating cultural diversity in the UK. A distinguished independent panel of experts has come up with a list of 50 books for all children, from birth to teens, living in the UK today.

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Children's author Susie Day picks her favourite middle grade books that explore LGBT+ issues.

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Reading is a Start: booklists and resources from Shapes4Schools

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Reading is a Start: booklists and resources from Shapes4Schools

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A useful list of books and related resources for books created by Black writers and illustrators, or featuring Black characters and stories.

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This week we have stood in solidarity with Black people everywhere, including the many people we work with, teachers, and the hundreds of young students that we've taught over the years.

We've had more requests than normal from teachers - mainly about reading lists and resources for books created by Black writers and illustrators, or featuring Black characters and stories. Their questions point to a growing movement amongst educators who recognise the urgent need to diversify reading lists and curriculums.

Organisations like The Black Curriculum, for example, are initiating broader change across the education landscape. They have created a Report calling for reform of the History curriculum, moving away from the dominant narrative in order to reflect our multi-ethnic and broadly diverse society.

Similarly, in Literacy and English Lit curriculums, as well as new RSHE frameworks, there is a vital need to integrate diverse characters and stories. Books are embedded throughout a child's school journey, at the spine of any good primary curriculum; as such they are a powerful tool for change.

As Aimee Felone, Co-Founder of children's publisher 'Knights Of' writes in her recent article for the Guardian: 'Reading isn't the only answer but it's the start'.

The first thing to say is that we are by no means experts. But we wanted to pull together this list in an effort not only to provide a starting point for anyone who might be interested, but also to educate ourselves. The books featured here are a mix of fiction and non-fiction; some educate on racial issues and some are stories about friendship, adventure, empathy and the everyday experiences of children - whether starting school or dealing with their anxieties and fears. We've kept the lists fairly short, with the view to update as we go. The lists are noticeably shorter at KS4 to account for the lack of scope/time and exam constraints.

This list will be continually updated as we receive new recommendations from teachers.

Hope it's helpful and please share with teachers, friends, parents, children!

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This week we have stood in solidarity with Black people everywhere, including the many people we work with, teachers, and the hundreds of young students that we've taught over the years. We've had more requests than normal from teachers - mainly about reading lists and resources for books created by Black writers and illustrators, or featuring Black characters and stories.

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Compiled by the GEC Community of parents, teachers, authors (and kids!), here is a round up of books available to help Smash Stereotypes.

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A selection of great books which can be used as part of the curriculum, and which should not be missing from any school or college library.

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A selection of great books which are appropriate for use with primary school children (Key Stage 1, some books are also appropriate for Early Years). These books can be used to talk about different families and to address and challenge gender stereotypes.

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We are passionate about children’s books and we believe everyone loves a good story! However, some children struggle to find books in which they see themselves and their experiences. So we aim to produce stories that are naturally inclusive of a wide range of people and experiences - so ALL children can enjoy them.

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Being flexible at this stage is key because your projects are prone to many changes, including asset updates, optimisations; the list goes on. By the end you should understand what makes an asset "stylized". The main thing to know is that this Foundry Katana tutorial helps you at the end of the 3D pipeline process. Think about what main sections you want to keep constant. This process is fairly simple, keep following along. Camera Tracking is a process that involves using real footage and tracking its motion so that 3D elements and VFX can be added to it. As a result, Katana is not only a look development and lighting tool, but also a scene management tool where we are assembling elements that came before (i.e. in modelling, layout, animation, fx, groom, etc). From the creators of Houdini, SideFX's tutorials are curated from their community to help their users improve their 3D modeling. Created by SketchUp users for SketchUp users, this website contains resources for CG artists. 20 minutes, oftentimes a skeletal animation is first created create the floor shapes and tools to create Better Visuals! 3d walkthrough animation of Warehouse Is Too Large And There Is Specious Parking And This Warehouse Has Large Seating Area Where People Are Discuss And Meet To Another People.
The 3D Builder software will tell you whether there are errors, with pop-up box notifications suggesting how you can fix them.

Instead of using Blender, we can use an external app called 3D Builder by Microsoft. The "How to Make Origami" app is simple and easy to use. While Blender was initially designed for animation, it is still possible to make your models 3D printable. Featured tutorial: This series tackles on styling your model appropriately to get the best look possible. Featured tutorial: Banks showcases how to animate and model a Penrose Triangle. That said, you may want to create your own 3D model in Blender. If this is something you want to do, follow this tutorial. In this free video tutorial for Blender Guru, he presents a complete beginner's introduction to rigging. This tutorial, again from the brilliant Blender Guru, gives you a complete beginners introduction to what this tool is and how to start using it right now.

With models already rigged, and now with Bullet Time, it has become easier than ever to get realistic animation out of the box with very little effort. Poser's new Bullet Physics tool simulates rigid body dynamics, soft body dynamics and even dynamic strand-based hair. These will add a useful tool we need to get your model ready for a smooth and successful 3D printing process. Add some Hollywood flair to your projects. If not, there are plenty of free models available on sites such as Thingiverse or Cults 3D. However, not all of them are designed for 3D printing. If you are new to Blender, be sure to check out our guides on how to group objects and merge objects, as well as simple 3D models for Blender beginners. This tutorial contains shortcuts that are super-useful, and that help to streamline your workflow. Good luck on your modeling journey, and let us know what are your favorite free tutorial websites! In this three-part rigging tutorial you'll learn the subtleties of rigging a car. Painting dynamic characters is an interesting tutorial for enhancing character designs. This 20-minute video tutorial will walk you through Blender's shading and lighting features, and shows you what you can do with them.

What will need to be flexible as you work through your iterations. This should also work on older versions of Blender. Blender comes bundled with an awesome feature called Camera Tracking. 4/8/2022 120 Hours. Here at the left you have a view from your camera and at the bottom is the Dope Sheet editor, which is basically a bit more advanced Timeline Editor. Perhaps you already have a pre-existing 3D model in mind. This means no missing vertices or holes exist on your model. F: Lets you fill a space between vertices you've selected. For a model to be manifold, it needs to be enclosed in a space that can exist in real life. So I'm just going to do this real simple. Here you'll learn the basics of masking and chroma keying in Blender - just the thing for mixing real world footage with CG via a bit of green screen action. Before you start creating anything in Blender, you need to master the basics. Many 3D artists got their start in Blender, a program that many consider as the best 3D animation software available. It is available on Windows 8 and 10. After downloading and installing 3D Builder, open the program and import your model.

3d walkthrough animation of Warehouse Is Too Large And There Is Specious Parking And This Warehouse Has Large Seating Area Where People Are Discuss And Meet To Another People. Artists who are stumped on how to model wood would find the tutorials helpful. Another great way to enhance your skills is to find a community to share your work and find other animators like yourself. A passion project created by a Colorado native, The SketchUp Essentials will be a great find for beginners. I was impressed with the accuracy and speed at which Poser created subdivisions, which add greatly to the realism already available in Poser. Created by SketchUp users for SketchUp users, this website contains resources for CG artists. SketchUp resources are also provided, making it one of the best places to hang out for improving your skill with SketchUp. After spending about 30 seconds watching this tutorial, one thing becomes apparent immediately: Surfaced Studio knows Blender inside and out. The story unfolds; a hostage crisis has broken out on one of the tower's upper floors. One of the many claims to fame that Blender enjoys is its suitability for traditional, 2D animation. In this Blender tutorial, Gleb Alexandrov walks us through different styles of lighting in Blender.

Surfaced Studio's Blender for Absolute Beginners series walks you through downloading the program and cracking in for the first time. This Blender animation tutorial is an attempt to help you logically link the different functionalities of the program. In Blender, you can draw 2D characters and scenes with the Grease Pencil tool; you can even use the program's onion skins to track your 2D character over several frames, emulating the feeling of animating in a more traditional 2D animation program. Even the game's single-player modes feel anemic. We believe you have many more questions than these concerning autodesk maya 3d animation tutorial , and the only way to satisfy your need for knowledge is to get information from as many reputable online sources as possible. Featured tutorial: This tutorial highlights the basics of creating a 3D image using a variety of Adobe software. The training page listed all the highlights of each unit, and all the training videos are on YouTube. For more advanced classes, the website also offers a Training category, where the tips may need a bit more time to take in. For more detailed product, pricing and tiered upgrade pricing information, please visit the Poser website.

While certifications sometimes focus on specific skills, degree programs cover more material and move from beginner to expert level skills. Polyfjord is clearly very knowledgeable, and presents his skills transparently and with so much enthusiasm. It's not much to worry about, as most of the tutorials are open access. Her tutorials use SketchUp as a tool to create impressive models. This tutorial helps you step your models up by incorporating some SketchUp Plugins. Featured tutorial: This tutorial is about one of the hardest things for any artist: shading! Featured tutorial: This tutorial on creating pool water is an essential one for artists working on water effects. In this tutorial you learn to create stylized assets that can be used as your set pieces. A Collectable strategy game set in the Warcraft universe. We have APB and LEGO Universe to look forward to this year! It is quick to go through and a good place to see some basic functions and features you have access through Blender. Featured tutorial: The first part of their SketchUp model house tutorial series is a great introduction in creating a basic 3D architectural model. It'd be smart to master such a basic skill as soon as possible.

The group's creative suite of programs provides artists of all skill levels - from novice to professional - with the tools to illustrate, animate and create 2D and 3D art. Tutorials vary with regard to the user's skill level. Which autodesk maya 3d animation tutorials are popular right now? Valdamar asks: Now a question you asked us to answer a few months ago - which intellectual property would you like to see made into an MMO that hasn't currently been licensed for one? Lateris asks: How can someone who is new to the RPG scene in MMO's learn what stats are, how to read them, add to them, and translate it in user friendly terms? 3d Scene Setup Tutorial is a great way to setup your scene in the most efficient way to optimize your workflow. Featured tutorial: This tutorial in Peter Quint's Youtube channel involves modeling glass. Featured tutorial: Their Quick Tips tutorial page is a treasure mine for beginners. Be sure to consider the functionality of a autodesk maya 3d animation tutorial before making a purchase. I wish you the best of luck with your new purchase! As an animator, you should have a willingness to learn and be eager for more knowledge as well.

It renders out an animation images frame by frame in a specific format that is needed to stream the animation. A solid familiarity with the latest in computer animation. Whether you're looking to stylize your corporate video, polish your latest TV spot, or add VFX to your indie film, PixelPlex can help you realize your vision. Achieve photo-realistic results for video, marketing launches, Logo's or presentations with 3ds max. Welcome to the free 3d max tutorial video section, we hope that you enjoy your stay. 3D Text Animation Tutorial from forcg on Vimeo. Using a wide array of 3D animation and other media content-creation software tools, we did just that, without any live action video shoots whatsoever, not even motion-capture sessions. In a throwback to the original games, this level is filled with suspended rails, from which Sparkster can hang and slide using his tail. Imagine the possibilities in what you can do once you've got this fundamental lesson down! Depending on your requirements you can choose cartoon animation designers and custom flash animation designers.

WE ARE PROVIDE SHORT TRICKS OF 3D ANIMATION.WE ARE ALSO PROVIDE VIDEO TUTORIAL OF ANIMATION. BECAUSE WE ARE BELIEVE IN EVERY PERSON TO GROW UP HIS CREATIVITY WE ARE GIVES 3D ANIMATION VIDEOS,SOFTWARE TUTORIAL, TIPS & TRICKS.

WE ARE PROVIDING SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF 3D ANIMATION. Having said that, it's the perfect tool for managing simple projects, rearranging sequences, and getting to grips with basic effects. Having them partially behind a background prop or leaning against something in the photo helps to sell the idea that they were a part of the background from the beginning. Character design.

Having worked in the industry for over 17 years, it's my humble attempt . PIXELPLEX is an award-winning digital media design firm in San Diego specializing in Motion Graphics, Visual Effects, Stop-Motion, and 3D Animation for film, video, and the web. In the case of 2D based web animations you will have to create an image manually that will go to each frame. Following along with any of the exercises outlined above will surely get your gears turning if you feel stuck. 2. If 3D can overcome or even cartoons when CAD software if you do not need to get dinosaur wallpaper Murals on one or more graphics design Aurora3DAnimation software which combines project manager To figure out there.

However, its business model is similar to Lynda; you get a free week as a trial period to see if what they have is suitable for you. Using Amira 5.4.5, a 3D model of the ventricular system of the brain was generated by segmenting chosen anatomical structures from an MRI dataset. BoneMatrices are calculated when we render the mesh by using boneMatrixPtrs. Make sure you are in the view of the Camera mode you first set up and select "Render," and then "Render Image." Make sure the format is set to .PNG. To make this 3D Intro I used After Effects. Intro Templates, Logos, Mockups and Gaming Templates. And are there any other games out now or in development with a mystery/horror atmosphere, other than The Secret World? Valdamar asks: Which MMO in development is each member of the Massively staff most looking forward to playing? Need a stock photo for an effect? That's not to say you shouldn't bring your own ideas to the table, because you will be, but you need to be able to take feedback and criticism well.
Alright, there's one last thing we need to understand and we are good to go for writing some code. The image below shows the result of the above code. Cools - To keep my work as true 3D I use two HD cameras of the same brand. Using projects, you will learn by applying techniques directly to models you will work with throughout the training course. An animation companies in Delhi are adept at making an action, suspense or an emotional sequence using superb language. The concept and techniques of animation are being used extensively today. All about 3D Design and animation free 3D design basics - All about 3D Design and animation free 3D Design Magazine Data Conversion Article - All about 3D Design and animation All free : What is virtual reality ? Follow along with our free 3D Max video tutorials on & watch as we show you how to use the tools and basics then move in techniques and time saving tips.

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Being flexible at this stage is key because your projects are prone to many changes, including asset updates, optimisations; the list goes on. By the end you should understand what makes an asset "stylized". The main thing to know is that this Foundry Katana tutorial helps you at the end of the 3D pipeline process.

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Liverpool's not-for-profit radical & community bookshop - established in 1974, and run collectively by a women workers' co-operative (which means no boss & no owner!)

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Featured books - NfN Recommends: For Children and Young Adults!

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Featured books - NfN Recommends: For Children and Young Adults!

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A New Chapter is an online bookshop that provides children's books to customers and schools across the UK. They specialise in diverse and inclusive books that all children will be able see themselves in, as well as book sourcing services.

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Inclusive and Diverse Children's Bookstore | A New Chapter

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A New Chapter provides children's books to customers and schools across the UK. We specialise in diverse and inclusive books and book sourcing services.

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Mirror Me Write is an independent bookseller promoting diverse + inclusive literature in Manchester and the North-West. They work with schools to provide diverse books for every age group.

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A Manchester indie bookseller bringing diverse and inclusive books for children and young adults into homes and schools across the UK

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Moon Lane Ink CIC is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company dedicated to raising equality in children's books. Equality of access, equality of representation and equality of roles within the publishing industry.

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Moon Lane Ink is a not-for-profit Community Interest Company dedicated to raising equality in children’s books. Part of the Moon Lane Group.

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For over 30 years, Letterbox Library has been a leading children's bookseller and education supplier, bringing teachers, librarians and parents the best in inclusive children's books.

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About Letterbox Library

For over 30 years, Letterbox Library has been a leading children's bookseller and education supplier, bringing teachers, librarians and parents the best in inclusive children's books.
We are famous for our book selection process:

we specialise in books in which all children can see themselves and which reflect our world community in all of its diversity;

we use an expert team of volunteers, including teachers & children, to review and choose all of our books;

inclusive content is not enough; our reviewers only select books which also show excellence in storyline/artwork;

we are passionate about resisting commercial trends; we want to offer children real choices in what they read;

we are also known for our books promoting social justice.

We are a not-for-profit social enterprise.

we are committed to providing you with high quality and honestly priced products

for full access to this site & discounts, you can become a member of Letterbox Library for just £5 a year Click here....

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Multicultural Diversity Children's Books - Letterbox Library

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A leading supplier of multicultural, gender equality and special issue books for children. Celebrating equality and diversity for over 30 years. Click here to see more.

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Black, multicultural books and bilingual content for adults and children.

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An article by SF Said about his own experiences of seeing his background reflected in children's literature

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Doors- Dr Rudine Sims Bishop

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Mirrors, Windows and Sliding Doors- Dr Rudine Sims Bishop

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Look Up Inspiration Pack- Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola 

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Look Up Inspiration Pack- Nathan Bryon and Dapo Adeola 

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Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don’t need the book to use these resources.

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Picture books can be a great way to practice inference skills and start class conversations about big topics. Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don't need the book to use these resources.

About Look Up!

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . LIFT OFF. Science-mad chatterbox Rocket is going to be the greatest astronaut, star-catcher and space-traveller that has ever lived! But first, she needs to convince her big brother Jamal to stop looking down at his phone and start LOOKING UP at the stars.

Class conversation starters:

Do people spend too long looking down at their phones?

How do illustrators show the relationship between characters?

What's in outer space?

This Inspiration pack includes:

A prompt photograph

Cover clues

High-resolution illustrations from the books

Pictures and prompts to develop text and inference skills

Exercises to introduce pupils to picture book design and illustration techniques

Craft ideas or a creative challenge set by the book's creators

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KS1 POWERPOINT - PICTURE BOOK INSPO: Look Up! - Puffin Schools

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Picture books can be a great way to practice inference skills and start class conversations about big topics. Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don't need the book to use these resources.

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Billy and The Beast Inspiration Pack- Nadia Shireen

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Billy and The Beast Inspiration Pack- Nadia Shireen

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Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don’t need the book to use these resources.

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Picture books can be a great way to practice inference skills and start class conversations about big topics. Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don't need the book to use these resources.

About Billy and the Beast

Whilst on a lovely walk in the woods, Billy and her trusty sidekick Fatcat hear a terrible rumble . . . a terrible rumble coming from a Terrible Beast! He's making a Terrible Soup out of all of Billy and Fatcat's friends! Luckily, our brave heroine Billy has a trick or two up her sleeve (or in her hair). Join Billy on her mission to defeat the Terrible Beast (and save those adorable little bunny rabbits too).

Class conversation starters:

What are the ingredients of a good friendship?

What expressions does your face make when you're thinking?

What are their inner-strengths?

This Inspiration pack includes:

A prompt photograph

Cover clues

High-resolution illustrations from the books

Pictures and prompts to develop text and inference skills

Exercises to introduce pupils to picture book design and illustration techniques

A worksheet to help pupils create their own characters

A story makers challenge from the author and illustrator, Nadia Shireen

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KS1 POWERPOINT - PICTURE BOOK INSPO: Billy and the Beast - Puffin Schools

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Whilst on a lovely walk in the woods, Billy and her trusty sidekick Fatcat hear a terrible rumble . . . a terrible rumble coming from a Terrible Beast! He's making a Terrible Soup out of all of Billy and Fatcat's friends!

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Billy and The Dragon Inspiration Pack- Nadia Shireen

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Billy and The Dragon Inspiration Pack- Nadia Shireen

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Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don’t need the book to use these resources.

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KS1 POWERPOINT - PICTURE BOOK INSPO: Billy and the Dragon - Puffin Schools

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Our fearless heroine Billy is back! Whilst at a fancy-dress party, something terrible happens: Billy’s loyal sidekick Fatcat is kidnapped by a fire-breathing dragon. Uh-oh! But luckily for Fatcat, Billy won’t stand for that: off she goes on a brave rescue mission . . . Join Billy for a fairytale ad…

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A resource pack for KS1/2 based on Vashti Harrison's Little Leaders books.

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All ages: 18 empowering books with Black characters

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All ages: 18 empowering books with Black characters

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A booklist from Puffin Books of empowering books with Black characters

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Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison
Meet the little leaders. They're brave. They're bold. They changed the world.
Among these biographies, readers will find heroes, role models and everyday women who did extraordinary things. Featuring 40 trailblazing black women in the world's history, this book educates and inspires as it relates true stories of women who broke boundaries and exceeded all expectations.

Debut author/illustrator Vashti Harrison pairs captivating text with stunning illustrations as she tells the stories of both iconic and lesser-known female figures of black history - from nurse Mary Seacole, to politician Diane Abbott, mathematician Katherine Johnson, and singer Shirley Bassey.

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All ages: 19 empowering books with black characters - Puffin Schools

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It's important that children have access to diverse books, and young readers will love these tales of daring heroes, brave kids and great friendships. Featuring black characters at the forefront, these stories have positive role models that both inspire and empower.

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Amazing Muslims Who Changed The World Resouce Pack

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Amazing Muslims Who Changed The World Resouce Pack

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A resource pack for KS2 based on Amazing Muslims Who Changed The World by Burhana Islam

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Children’s books with dual-heritage characters

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Children’s books with dual-heritage characters

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A booklist from Puffin featuring dual-heritage characters

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All ages: Children's books with dual-heritage characters - Puffin Schools

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Readers will love these tales packed with positive role models, from little ones eagerly awaiting new siblings to older readers enjoying adventures in Cairo and even an eye-opening tale set in 1940s America.

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#BOOKTRUSTREPRESENTS: 30 MG and YA UK authors of colour

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#BOOKTRUSTREPRESENTS: 30 MG and YA UK authors of colour

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An article by Lucas Maxwell for Book Riot featuring a list of 30 MG/YA books by UK authors of colour

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From 2007 to 2017 in the UK, fewer than 2% of all children's books were created by UK authors of colour.

This report was commissioned by the UK reading charity BookTrust and written by Dr. Melanie Ramdarshan Bold.

I've written before on the lack of diversity in the UK publishing industry, specifically when it came to including protagonists in MG & YA lit that featured BAME protagonists.

It's crucial that students see their lives, their culture, religion, their neighbourhoods, and their heritage reflected in the books that they read. This severe lack of representation highlights a huge problem in the publishing industry.

Fortunately, BookTrust has launched #BookTrustRepresents, a three-year project aimed at promoting UK authors of colour for young and teenage readers.

It's a fascinating and at times infuriating read. You can read the study and find a list of great UK authors of colour here.

As a School Librarian my job is to get what is available into as many hands as possible and promote these authors as best we can. Author visits, Skype visits, displays, anything that creates awareness to this problem.

In the meantime, here are 30 UK authors of colour that write for MG & YA audiences that are definitely worth a read.

Join detective duo Nik & Norva as they track down a killer in their high rise building. It's a sweltering London summer and there's a killer on the loose. Amazing new mystery for ages 11+

The Novice (Summoner Series #1) by Taran Matharu

When Fletcher discovers he has magical powers, he travels to an elite magical academy to hone his art. However, training can be just as deadly as the real thing. Fast, fun fantasy adventure!

Karen's father is Pakastani and her mother is white Christian, so when she decides to convert to Islam, her Muslim school friend puts her to the test and has some tough questions for her. Things start to go downhill at home for Karen as well. A great look at Islamophobia, culture and identity.

Bailey & Indigo are an item. Indigo has a troubled past, while Bailey has a mum and dad at home and a guitar to play and an afro to pick. But when a homeless man targets Bailey, things begin to change. An award winning tale of of belonging.

A series of short stories by amazing YA BAME authors touching upon terrorism, OCD, stories containing LGBTQ themes and much more. Each story will grip, haunt and educate, not to be missed.

Proud by Juno Dawson et al

A collection of stories by UK LGBTQ+ authors, it's a celebration of talent with funny, emotional stories guaranteed to hook you.

Safiya and her mother don't really get along. Safiya loves gaming and her mother just doesn't see the point in immersing yourself in a make-believe world. When Safiya's mother falls into a coma, she enters a world that looks just like one of her games. Full of hope, magic and intrigue!

Sante doesn't know her past, but her dreams give her clues of shipwrecks, music and eagles. Her life is a nomadic one, so when people from her dreams come to seek a long lost treasure that is connected to Sante's parents, her life becomes more and more dangerous.

TW: Sexual abuse

Lei is a member of the lowly Paper caste, and when she is kidnapped and forced to serve the demon king, she feels her life is truly over. She finds hope in the other slaves, and together they begin to plan the revolution. A hard hitting fantasy YA.

Two teens film police beating an unarmed youth from their housing estate and find themselves on the run from the authorities. Along the way they uncover a deep conspiracy that involves corporate interests and rotten cops. Great thrilling YA.

Sci-fi love story about twins heading back to Earth after a virus wipes out everything they know. Heartfelt, adventurous and honest.

Amazing story about a young Syrian refugee named Ahmet who finds himself in the UK without his family. When some school friends decide to hatch a plan to reunite him with his family, they discover they may have bitten off more than they can chew. Great novel to promote empathy and kindness.

All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman

Mehreen is 16 and cannot cope with her depression anymore. She joins an online community that pairs her with another pair of people who would like to end their lives. They form a death pact and prepare to end it all. However, Mehreen finds that the reasons why she joined the community are also reason to keep going. Powerful, heartbreaking story.

Terror Kid by Benjamin Zephaniah

Rico is a kid who knows trouble when he sees it. As a cyber hacktivist, he is passionate about injustices that happen in his neighbourhood and all over the world. Then he meets Speech, a mysterious man who helps him take his skills to the next level. But what is Speech hiding?

Oh My Gods By Alexandra Sheppard

Helen Thomas is half human, half immortal Greek god. Her dad, Zeus, wants her entire family to keep the whole Greek God thing on the down low, which means no altering people's minds, no lightning bolts or anything that will bring unwanted attention to themselves. Things don't quite go to plan, though!

Lemar is the second shortest kid in his year and his friends never let him forget it. His dad is long gone, his sister is an overworked single mum and his mother is at her wits' end. When a notorious gang leader shows and interest in Lemar, his life gets thrown into chaos.

Ade has just moved to the UK from Nigeria, and things are tough. He's bullied for being different and generally doesn't feel at all welcome. With the help of some new friends, he decides to take on the bullies and be himself without any fear. An uplifting story for ages 9 and up!

A Burnt Child by Shereen Pandit

Yazz has moved to the UK from South Africa after a lifetime of political activism. When a treacherous ex-friend reappears in her life and asks her to help solve a mysterious death, she finds herself falling into a life she hoped she'd left behind.

The Jungle by Pooja Puri

Mico leaves his family behind in search of a better life. Instead, he finds himself in the jungle, the notorious refugee camp in Calais. While there, he becomes entangled in a life with the dangerous Ghost Men, magic users who can cross borders unnoticed. Trapped in a desperate situation, he must look to some unlikely friends in order to escape.

At her new school, Leelu suddenly realises that she doesn't understand anything the teacher is telling her although all of her classmates seem to understand perfectly.

Even stranger, someone is leaving strange objects at her house. Nut shells, trinkets and other things. Leelu becomes convinced that these items have magical power, but what is really going on?

Little Badman by Humza Arshad & Henry White

Humza considers himself the greatest 11 year old rapper that has ever lived. But when his music teacher mysteriously disappears, his career is put on hold. Then more teachers start disappearing and Humza knows something is up. With the help of some friends, they set out to unravel the mystery.

Chinglish by Sue Cheung

It's 1984 and Jo has just moved to Coventry with her family. They live above a Chinese food takeaway restaurant and Jo and her sister are made to work there by their parents. Told in diary format, it tells the shocking, hilarious and sad story of a truly dysfunctional family. Highly recommended for anyone interested in reading a story about true determination and hope.

It's 1899 and Samkad wants to be a warrior like his father. Before he becomes one, he must undergo a sacred ritual. This is put on hold when an American comes to their village. He brings sweet treats, a broad smile, and other Americans who aren't so friendly. Based on true historical events, Bone Talk is a searing look at friendship, war, trust and much more. An amazing novel.

Millie lives with her brother Oskar in a small cabin surrounded by forests and snow. When strange men come to the cabin asking for refuge, they oblige. The next morning, the men have gone, and so has Oskar. Millie must embark on a dangerous adventure in order to get Oskar back.

The Harder They Fall by Bali Rai

Jacob is the new kid in school, and Cal sets out to be his friend. It turns out Jacob isn't interested in making any new friends, no matter how Cal tries. When Cal discovers that Jacob has a secret, he tries to protect him from the bullies at school, even if Jacob acts like he doesn't want any help. Great story about redemption and bullying.

Trigger Warning: Islamophobia

Being unlucky in love so many times, Sofia decides to renounce dating forever. Then she is persuaded to write an expose about the Muslim dating experience, and her life is changed forever.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta

A bold, unflinching story told in verse about standing up for yourself. As a mixed-race gay teen, a boy must learn to survive in an cruel world. He finds solace in the Black Flamingo, an artist alter ego. Powerful story, not to be missed.

Adam lives with his mother and younger sister. His sister decides not to speak, his father has abandoned the family, and Adam feels more and more alone. When his grandfather dies, he thinks he's lost one of his only true friends. Then he meets William, the man who received Adam's grandfather's heart after he died. William has no one and doesn't feel he has much to live for any more. When Adam and William meet, their lives change forever.

Ilyas is 15 and is feeling the pressure to do well at school. His dream is to be a comic book artist but the gang he belongs to has other ideas. They are stepping up their game from low level graffiti artists to much more. Getting out of the gang becomes Ilyas's top priority, although it's easier said than done.

Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault

A devastating story about a teen who moves into her aunt's house with her mother after financial difficulties. After a house party, her life becomes shattered and she struggles to keep herself alive. A powerful story about survival.

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#BookTrustRepresents: 30 MG & YA Books by UK Authors of Colour

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From 2007 to 2017 in the UK, fewer than 2% of all children's books were created by UK authors of colour. This report was commissioned by the UK reading charity BookTrust and written by Dr. Melanie Ramdarshan Bold.

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From Dean Boddington
https://misterbodd.wordpress.com(MisterBodd on Twitter)

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A list from Puffin Books featuring South Asian characters

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Before the term starts, Jellybean longs to go to school and make new friends. But on her first day, the playground seems so big and noisy - she doesn't want to leave Mum's side. With the help of her teacher, who brings magic into the classroom, and her special new friend Alex, can Jellybean settle in? This imaginative and inspiring picture book is perfect for little ones starting nursery or school.

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KS1 / KS2 : Books starring South Asian characters - Puffin Schools

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Before the term starts, Jellybean longs to go to school and make new friends. But on her first day, the playground seems so big and noisy - she doesn't want to leave Mum's side. With the help of her teacher, who brings magic into the classroom, and her special new friend Alex, can Jellybean settle in?

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Extra-Ordinary People Inspiration Pack- Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Annabel Tempest

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Extra-Ordinary People Inspiration Pack- Rashmi Sirdeshpande and Annabel Tempest

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Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don’t need the book to use these resources.

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Picture books can be a great way to practice inference skills and start class conversations about big topics. Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don't need the book to use these resources.

About How to be Extra-ordinary!

Read about the extraordinary stories of15 extra-ordinary people. Meet well-known faces from around the world: artist Frida Kahlo, leader Nelson Mandela environmentalist David Attenborough - and discover unsung heroes like physics whizz Sau Lan Wu, and a spy you (probably) haven't heard of . . . Above all, discover that there are MANY ways to be extraordinary.

Class conversation starters:

What does 'extra-ordinary' mean and what would you like to do in the future?

What inspires people to achieve their dreams?

How can pictures and design help the reader understand the beginning, middle and end of a story?

This Inspiration pack includes:

Exclusive pictures about David Attenborough, British Naturalist and broadcaster and Aeham Ahman, the pianist of Yarmouk.

A prompt photograph

Cover clues

High-resolution illustrations from the books

Pictures and prompts to develop text and inference skills

Exercises to introduce pupils to picture book design and illustration techniques

A class research challenge and work sheet

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KS1/2 POWERPOINT - PICTURE BOOK INSPO: Extra-Ordinary People - Puffin Schools

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Picture books can be a great way to practice inference skills and start class conversations about big topics. Every Puffin Picture Book Inspiration Pack is free to download as a fully editable powerpoint. It includes high resolution images linked to the exercises so you don't need the book to use these resources.

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Virtual Penguin Talks for Secondary Schools

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Virtual Penguin Talks for Secondary Schools

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Penguin Talks, in partnership with Speakers for School, is a programme of free, creative talks for young people, giving them the opportunity to both hear from, and directly question, a world-renowned thinker, writer or influential figure from our family of authors.

The aim of Penguin Talks is to help equip young people for the future by introducing a new generation of readers to new ideas and perspectives, and broadening their understanding of issues which speakers feel to be particularly prevalent for this generation.

Previous Penguin Talks

All our virtual events are streamed on the dedicated Penguin Talks hub with live captions, and are available to watch again on Penguin Platform Youtube.

Previous Penguin Talks

In the inaugural Penguin Talk, in September 2018, Professor Yuval Noah Harari joined comedian Russell Brand to discuss the changes and decisions which will impact young people in the not-so-distant future.

In December 2018 and to mark the publication of her memoir, , Michelle Obama paid a special visit to students in Islington, London, to about empowerment through education and the importance of self-belief.

In May 2019, Scarlett Curtis, author of Feminists Don't Wear Pink, and actress Saoirse Ronan visited a Dublin school to discuss what being a feminist means and the power that young people have in the fight for gender equality.

Fresh from her joint Booker win, in October 2019, Margaret Atwood and Ash Sarkar visited a college in Salford to discuss resistance, activism, and the literary legacy of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments.

In November 2019, Stormzy, international footballer Eniola Aluko, and #Merky Books authors Chelsea Kwakye, Ore Ogunbiyi and Derek Owusu visited Stormzy's old secondary school to talk about how to find your voice and use it.

In February 2020, Marie Forleo, entrepreneur and author of Everything is Figureoutable, and Cash Carraway, author of Skint Estate, visited a school in Oval, London to talk about success and failure, while trying to answer the question: can anyone be successful?

See the impact

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Penguin Talks, in partnership with Speakers for School, is a programme of free, creative talks for young people, giving them the opportunity to both hear from, and directly question, a world-renowned thinker, writer or influential figure from our family of authors. The aim of Penguin Talks is to help equip young people for the future by [...]

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Adolescent Identities the Pilot Study™ is a UCL Grand Challenges funded research project looking at the role of YA literature in the lives of young people, ones who are young now but also including those who were once young. Lots of YA reading suggestions for secondary schools on here.

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Book Club Questions for Noughts and Crosses- Malorie Blackman

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Book Club Questions for Noughts and Crosses- Malorie Blackman

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What's the story?

Voted one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic.

Sephy is a Cross: dark-skinned and beautiful, she lives a life of privilege and power. But she's lonely, and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her. Callum is a nought: pale-skinned and poor, he's considered to be less than nothing - a blanker, there to serve Crosses - but he dreams of a better life.

They've been friends since they were children, and they both know that's as far as it can ever go. Noughts and Crosses are fated to be bitter enemies - love is out of the question. Then - in spite of a world that is fiercely against them - these star-crossed lovers choose each other. But this is a love story that will lead both of them into terrible danger . . . and have shocking repercussions for generations to come.

Spark a debate

This resource includes questions on all four books in the Noughts & Crosses sequence. Below is a little of what you can expect. Download the pack for more.

1. AN UNEQUAL SOCIETY

* Noughts & Crosses is set in a world where one group of people are treated as second-class citizens because of the colour of their skin - an apartheid society. Although this has clear parallels with the history of our own world, Malorie Blackman has reversed the more familiar historical situation so that the people discriminated against are those with white skin - noughts.
* How well does this reversal succeed in making you see things from another perspective?
* The Sunday Times states that the book 'inspires the reader to wish for a world that is not divided by colour or class'. Do you agree? Does the book feel inspiring in this way to you?
* How does the discrimination in this society affect something as simple as a trip out to Celebration Park?
* Consider this day out from the perspective of both Callum and Sephy. Does anything make you angry?
* Are there any elements/details about discrimination which surprised you?

2. THE POWER OF WORDS TO HURT
* 'Blank by name, blank by nature,' says Lola, a classmate of Sephy's (page 87); and Callum is horrified when Sephy (Chapter 5) uses the term 'blankers' in the heat of the moment. How hurtful are derogatory terms of this nature? What does it say about the person who uses them?
* Is Callum's father, Ryan, right when he defends his use of the term 'blanker' by saying (Chapter 28), 'We name it, we claim it.'?
* What terms are used by the noughts to describe the Crosses? How do you think Sephy would feel if Callum described her in such a way? What is the best way to respond if someone uses a similar term about you?

3. SEPHY AND CALLUM
* We first meet Sephy and Callum on a beach, thinking of their futures - and of each other. How different are their expectations of the future? Their ambitions? How realistic are they?
* They kiss for the first time but Sephy is not keen. When do you think she begins to think of Callum as more than just a friend?
* How difficult is it for Sephy and Callum to have a relationship, given their different backgrounds? What problems still exist between people who fall in love?

4. FIGHTING FOR EQUALITY
* The noughts who want equality are fighting the injustice in more than one way. One approach is that of the Liberation Militia; the other comes from Alex Luther and his protests. Callum's parents, Ryan and Meggie, take opposing views (Chapter 28); which do you think has the stronger argument?
* Can violent protest ever be justified?
* What is the attraction of the LM to the noughts who get involved?
* How does Sephy decide to get involved (see Chapter 89)? How does she feel she can make a difference? If you were Callum, which route would you follow? And if you were Sephy?

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KS3 DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: Noughts and Crosses - Puffin Schools

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Voted one of the UK's best-loved books, Malorie Blackman's Noughts & Crosses is a seminal piece of YA fiction; a true modern classic. Sephy is a Cross: dark-skinned and beautiful, she lives a life of privilege and power. But she's lonely, and burns with injustice at the world she sees around her.

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Postcolonial Writers Make Worlds asks how our reading of British literature shapes our sense of identity in Britain today. Useful resources/reading for teachers approaching A-level English.

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Contemporary Black and Asian British writing is changing how we see and read literature in English today

Writers such as Aminatta Forna and Andrea Levy, Daljit Nagra and Kamila Shamsie, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Bernardine Evaristo, have created work that fundamentally challenges prevailing ideas of British literature.

Reading them reminds us that British writing has a diverse range of backgrounds and many different histories.

This website offers ways into exploring this exciting work.

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Writers Make Worlds - Contemporary British writing - writers make worlds

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Writers such as Aminatta Forna and Andrea Levy, Daljit Nagra and Kamila Shamsie, Linton Kwesi Johnson and Bernardine Evaristo, have created work that fundamentally challenges prevailing ideas of British literature. Reading them reminds us that British writing has a diverse range of backgrounds and many different histories.

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In June 1948 the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean. 70 years on, Windrush Stories invites us to consider a longer, more complicated and ongoing relationship between Britain and the Caribbean.
Includes articles, essays, extracts and close readings.

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In June 1948 the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean. 70 years on, Windrush Stories invites us to consider a longer, more complicated and ongoing relationship between Britain and the Caribbean.

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Why Nostalgia for Classic Children's Books is a Problem-  Laura Ovenden

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Why Nostalgia for Classic Children's Books is a Problem-  Laura Ovenden

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Thank you for visiting Tes Magazine. The article or page that you are looking for, along with thousands of other articles from our archive, is in the process of being migrated to the new Tes Magazine experience.

While this process is being completed, please visit our new homepage for the latest in education news and features.

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Thank you for visiting Tes Magazine. The article or page that you are looking for, along with thousands of other articles from our archive, is in the process of being migrated to the new Tes Magazine experience. While this process is being completed, please visit our new homepage for the latest in education news and features.

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Windrush Stories Resource Pack- British Library

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Windrush Stories Resource Pack- British Library

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Creative writing ideas and activities that draw on the histories, people and objects featured on Windrush Stories.

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In June 1948 the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean. Many aboard had been to Britain before. Some had fought in World War Two. Most were filled with excitement and hope about coming to the 'Mother Country'. However, this was not the first nor the last ship to carry migrants from the Caribbean. Nor was Britain an unknown world. Slavery, colonialism, and struggles for freedom had entwined the two societies for centuries.

Using original sources, these creative writing activities invite you to explore the arrival of Empire Windrush and reflect on this wider history, including the experiences and contributions of people who migrated from the Caribbean to Britain.

Before you start the activities, we suggest reading:

Information for teachers

Suitable for secondary school students (Key Stages 3, 4 or 5). We also have activities for primary students.

Key curriculum areas: English Literature, English Language, Creative Writing; Black History Month activities.

Students can pick-and-choose standalone activities, or work through the complete set.

The activities provide students with opportunities to:

creatively respond to original sources, from photographs to literary drafts;

work with language and form across a range of genres, from journalism to poetry;

explore Caribbean, British and Black British history, culture and experience.

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Windrush Stories teaching pack (secondary students): Creative writing activities | The British Library

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In June 1948 the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks, Essex carrying hundreds of people from the Caribbean. Many aboard had been to Britain before. Some had fought in World War Two. Most were filled with excitement and hope about coming to the 'Mother Country'.

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LGBT+ History Month Inclusive Books List

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LGBT+ History Month Inclusive Books List

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The list below has been compiled by Charlie Morris is Senior Publicity and Marketing Executive at Little Tiger Group, a former independent bookseller, and social media manager for the Pride in Publishing network. At Little Tiger, Charlie works across all children's books from board books to Young Adult fiction. Find her on twitter @charlieinabook. We do not necessarily endorse them.

The Girls by Lauren Ace and Jenny Lovlie.
This is the story of four little girls who are best friends, each with their own interests and passions. As they grow up, we see them support each other through thick and thin. We can see from Jenny's illustrations that the girls attend Pride (a march to celebrate and fight for LGBT rights) and support one of their own as she forges a life with her wife.

Julian Is A Mermaid by Jessica Love
All families are different - and yet in many ways the same! This book uses a gentle rhyming text to follow eight different families, celebrating their everyday differences as well as the similarities they share.

We Are Family by Patricia Hegarty and Ryan Wheatcroft
A picture book about self-confidence and love, and a radiant celebration of individuality.

Introducing Teddy by Jessica Walton
A sweet and gentle story about being true to yourself and being a good friend, Introducing Teddy can also help children understand gender identity.

Plenty of Hugs by Fran Manushkin and Kate Alizadeh (out in April)
Two mommies spend a sunny day with their toddler in this cozy, rhyming picture book that is a loving celebration of family. This cheerful book follows a family from morning to night in lively rhyme that rolls off the tongue.
Llama Glamarama by Simon James Green and Gary Parsons (out in June)
A hilarious, rhyming story with a powerful message about celebrating

differences.

Princess Princess Ever After by Katie O'Neill
Join Sadie and Amira, two very different princesses with very different strengths, on their journey to figure out what "happily ever after" really means-and how they can find it with each other.

Lumberjanes by Shannon Watters, Noelle Stevenson , Grace Ellis , Brooke Allen Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and theyre not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
Heartstopper is about love, friendship, loyalty and mental illness. It encompasses all the small stories of Nick and Charlie's lives that together make up something larger, which speaks to all of us.

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Sarah Hagger-Holt
Izzy's family is under the spotlight when her dad comes out as Danielle, a trans woman. Izzy is terrified her family will be torn apart. Will she lose her dad? Will her parents break up? And what will people at school say? Izzy's always been shy, but now all eyes are on her. Can she face her fears, find her voice and stand up for what's right?

The Deepest Breath by Megan Grehan
Written in accessible verse `chapters' and in a warm and reassuring style, The Deepest Breath will be of special relevance to young girls who are starting to realise that they are attracted to other girls, but it is also a story for any young reader with an open mind who wants to understand how people's emotions affect their lives.

The Strangeworlds Travel Agency by LD Lapinski (out in April)
When 12-year-old Flick Hudson accidentally ends up in the Strangeworlds Travel Agency, she uncovers a fantastic secret: there are hundreds of other worlds just steps away from ours. All you have to do to visit them is jump into the right suitcase. A magical adventure for 9+ readers that will take you to whole new worlds.

Death in the Spotlight by Robin Stevens
Hazel and Daisy must take centre stage and solve the crime . . . before the murderer strikes again.

Seo is Twine's youth champion.
Unique Selling Points
PRICE: £9.99 IMPRINT: ZunTold Books

ISBN: 978-1-9162042-2-5

BINDING: Paperback

EXTENT: 336 BISAC: juv0010000

CATEGORY: YA and crossover

AUTHOR: Rebecca Zahabi

PUBLISHERS:

ZunTold
PROUD by various
A stirring, bold and moving anthology of stories and poetry by top LGBTQ+ YA authors and new talent, giving their unique responses to the broad theme of pride. Compiled by Juno Dawson.

The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
This is not about being ready, it's not even about being fierce, or fearless, IT'S ABOUT BEING FREE. Michael waits in the stage wings, wearing a pink wig, pink fluffy coat and black heels. One more step will see him illuminated by spotlight. He has been on a journey of bravery to get here, and he is almost ready to show himself to the world in bold colours ... Can he emerge as The Black Flamingo?

Wranglestone by Darren Charlton
In a post-apocalyptic America, a community survives in a national park, surrounded by water that keeps the Dead at bay. But when winter comes, there's nothing to stop them from crossing the ice. Then homebody Peter puts the camp in danger by naively allowing a stranger to come ashore and he's forced to leave the community of Wranglestone. Now he must help rancher Cooper, the boy he's always watched from afar, herd the Dead from their shores before the lake freezes over. But as love blossoms, a dark discovery reveals the sanctuary's secret past. One that forces the pair to question everything they've ever known.

The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven (out in March)
Physics genius Caro Kerber-Murphy knows she's smart. With straight As and a college scholarship already in the bag, she's meeting her two dads' colossal expectations and then some. When Caro discovers a (definitely questionable) scientific breakthrough that promises to make you irresistible to everyone around you, she wonders if this could be the key. What happens next will change everything Caro thought she knew about chemistry - in the lab and in love.

Afterlove by Tanya Byrne (out in August)
Ash Persaud is about to become a grim reaper in the afterlife, but she is determined to see Poppy Morgan, the love of her life again - the only thing that separates them is death. AFTER-LIFE COMES LOVE .
Dangerous Remedy by Katherine Dunn (out in May)
The first in a dazzling, commercial, historical adventure series set in the extravagant and deadly world of the French Revolution. A whirlwind of action, science and magic reveals, with a diverse cast of fearless heroines, a band of rebels like no other.
Hideous Beauty by William Hussey (out in May)
Dylan is forced to come out after his secret relationship with Ellis is exposed on social media, but to his surprise, everyone is really supportive - or appears to be. But Dylan's and El's happiness is short-lived, and following a tragic accident, Dylan begins to realize how little he knows about the boy he loves...or those closest to him.
Boy Queen by George Lester (out in August)
Fall wig first into a world of big hair, high heels and even higher stakes in George Lester's debut novel Boy Queen. Life's a drag until you try . . .Robin Cooper's life is falling apart, there's only one thing for him to do: bring it to the runway.

..............

Charlie Morris is Senior Publicity and Marketing Executive at Little Tiger Group, a former independent bookseller, and social media manager for the Pride in Publishing network. At Little Tiger, Charlie works across all children's books from board books to Young Adult fiction. Find her on twitter @charlieinabook

Link to original list https://toppsta.com/blog/view/lgbt-history-month

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Inclusive Children's Literature - LGBT+ History Month

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Pop 'n' Olly Books Pop'n'Olly is an LGBTQ+ equality educational resource used by children, parents, carers and teachers. Our videos and books are used in primary schools across the UK, and beyond, to teach about equality, diversity and acceptance. Created by Olly Pike, Pop'n'Olly 'usualises' different types of people, particularly those who may be LGBTQ+, and ultimately aims to [...]

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A searchable book collection featuring girls as main characters. Includes sections on social issues to search by.

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Sorry about the interruption, but we just need to do a quick check to make sure that you’re a human being. To do so, simply fill out the CAPTCHA below and you’ll be on our website in no time!

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Inclusive book posters by Dean Boddington @MisterBodd on twitter

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Scope Pinterest Board: books with disabled characters

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Scope Pinterest Board: books with disabled characters