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Diversity in MG Lit #50 December 2024

Friends, I started writing these Diversity in MG Lit posts six years ago in the fall of 2018. Today marks my 50th post. I wanted to reflect on how far we’ve come and where we might best spend our energy in support of diverse books in the future.
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center has been carefully and exhaustively compiling data on the racial and cultural composition of children’s book characters and children’s book authors and illustrators. Their data shows broad and consistent advances in the number of children’s books both by diverse creators and about diverse characters. The improvement has been particularly strong for Black, Asian, and Latine creators and characters. Each of those categories include more than 10% of the children’s books studied. Indigenous American, Pacific Islander and Arab titles saw a doubling over the last six years though the overall numbers are lower than 10%.
Equally encouraging is the recognition diverse titles receive.  Taking the window of 2018-2024, all the National Book Award winners but one were diverse. And in the ten years before that (2007-2017) six of the ten winners were Black, Indigenous, or Asian.
The American Library Association has many book awards meant to elevate diverse books and their creators. But if we only look at the Newbery Award which does not make race or ethnicity of the author a qualification, all but one of the Newbery medals from 2018 to 2024 went to diverse authors–86%. Each Newbery committee can select as many as 5 honor books in a year. There were 26 honor books and 77% of them went to diverse authors.
This is all very encouraging and has come about due to the efforts of groups like We Need Diverse Books which formed to address this issue in 2014. It’s worth remembering that teachers, librarians, and independent booksellers have been pushing for greater diversity for many decades before social media brought the issue to wider attention.
We have much to celebrate as we complete the circle of another year. And yet there has been a dramatic rise in book banning and virtually all of it targets books for young readers by diverse creators and about the diverse experience. The LGBT+ experience has been a particular target of book banning.
Many anticipate that these bans will increase as the Trump administration takes office. Some states, most recently New Jersey, have passed laws to prevent book bans. Local action does seem to be the most effective deterrent. Book banning is broadly unpopular even among conservatives. And most book banning attempts ultimately fail, though not without causing disruption and heart ache. For my part I plan to pay close attention to my local school board and encourage my state representatives to enact anti-book ban legislation.
I have a far bigger concern than the bans though. Most diverse books are bought by teachers for their in-class collection or by librarians for school and public libraries. The children who need diverse books the most rely almost entirely on these free access opportunities. However, school and library funding has been decreasing for years. The most diverse communities have little or no access to an independent bookstore leaving them only the smaller inventory at big box stores. For example, I work at a medium-sized indy in Portland. Our middle grade section holds hundreds of individual MG titles. By contrast the local Target typically has no more than 30 MG book choices.
In some ways because book bans are emotionally-laden events, they distract from a far more dangerous agenda. Project 2025 would destroy public education as we know it.  Among many objectives, it calls for the elimination of Title 1 funding and Head Start programs. Those programs make literacy possible for millions of low income and mostly diverse children. If those children never learn to read, it will not matter how many diverse books we create for them.
So although I will gladly continue to trumpet the arrival of new diverse books for middle grade readers, the lion’s share of my attention will go toward protecting public education and public libraries for all children. Our teachers and librarians and all of our children have never needed our support more.

Middle Grade Predictions for 2025

As we gear up to move into the new year, it’s always an interesting time to reflect back on the current state of middle grade, and see if there are clues to what might be in store for middle grade in the future. The last few years have definitely proved to be interesting ones for middle grade, with changes at major publishers and to the children’s section at Barnes and Noble, our last big book chain, bringing about a lot of upheaval and unknowns. 

 

Even so, let’s gaze into the crystal ball and see if there are any hints at what might be in store for middle grade in 2025.

 

  1. Graphic novels domination will expand. A couple years ago, graphic novels accounted for a full quarter of all middle grade sales, and that number seems to only be expanding. Graphic novels continue to dominate the children’s bestsellers lists and keep young readers’ attention. With the reading joy and all the benefits that can come from reading these books, we say long live graphic novels!

 

  1. More middle grade authors will move to…LinkedIn? Yeah, as weird as that sounds, with all the instability that has plagued platforms like X and Instagram and TikTok in the last few years, LinkedIn has emerged as a place of calm and interesting dialog. In one survey, LinkedIn came in second (after Instagram) as the place authors where authors plan to focus their platform efforts in coming days. This may even trickle into the middle grade community.

 

  1. Less doom, more laughter. According to an informal survey of librarians across the country, the kids are looking for funny. “Since the pandemic, it’s been a lot of doom and gloom for these kids. There’s so much heaviness they’re coping with. They just want to laugh.” Perhaps in every genre from contemporary to fantasy, we’ll see a higher proportion of jokes on the page. And who can be sad about that?

 

  1. Fewer authors on tour, but more bookstore events. Things are getting local. Gone are the days when sending an author to cities around the country was a viable marketing strategy. One author who recently did one of these tours reports on actual numbers (including a no-show). However, bookstores, especially indie stores, are becoming more creative and resourceful than ever when it comes to bringing the community together to promote reading and children’s literature. We certainly hope to see more of this trend in 2025!

 

  1. Veering shorter. Only recently, big doorstopper middle grade fantasy series (think Shannon Messenger) were big hits. But reports from booksellers and librarians around the country are that reading attention spans are getting shorter. Blame our digital world, blame the pandemic. According to one bookseller, “They may be less likely to read a 400-plus-page book, so I think it’s important for a bookstore to have a variety of titles for this age group in terms of both page length and format.” So we may likely see middle grade books veering younger and shorter, with more play in the form too. This could be a very intriguing trend!

 

What predictions do you have for the state of middle grade in 2025?

WNDMG Author Interview with Raj Tawney on his book All-Mixed Up

WNDMG Author Interview

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Raj Tawney today. Raj’s book is titled All Mixed Up  (Paw Prints Publishing), which was published November 26, 2024.

I absolutely love the description of this novel, a story about finding yourself and pride in your identity- and this sounds like a book every young reader needs!

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About All Mixed Up:

Description taken from online:

New York Times essayist, Raj Tawney, delivers a gripping story of a multi-ethnic American boy who forges a complex friendship with a Pakistani immigrant in the wake of 9/11. It’s 2002–less than one year after the September 11th attacks– and sixth-grader Kamal Rao is tackling a brave new world of challenges, including figuring out who he really is and how he fits in. Even with New York City in its backyard, the suburban town where he lives is anything but open-minded. That means Kamal – frequently picked on and feeling ostracized — usually spends his time alone, making mud pies in the backyard or cooking recipes with his mom and grandma from his family’s three cultures. Then, one day, a Pakistani immigrant named Jaz arrives at school, entering Kamal’s life and challenging his sluggish movement through the world. As the two boys forge a friendship over their love of exploring the outdoors and eating good food, the newcomer begins to show Kamal how being “different” isn’t a bad thing at all. For the first time, a fire is lit within Kamal – but what will happen when questions of Jaz’s origins and his intentions begin to come into question at school and in their town? Will Kamal– now on the cusp of discovering who he really is and who he wants to be — risk his own safety and his family’s trust help his new friend, someone he barely knows at all?

Based on the author’s personal life experiences, an insightful middle-grade novel from a fresh voice in children’s fiction that will be felt long after the last page.

Interview with Raj:

I loved getting to talk to Raj about his new book and I think you will enjoy meeting him as well.

SSS: What a description! This book sounds SO important, and I personally can really relate to how the world changed after 9-11 as an immigrant myself. What inspired you to write a book based in 2002?

 

RT: Thanks so much, Shifa. It means a lot that you personally relate, as difficult a time as it was for all of us in 2001. I think something that’s always bothered me is that we rarely view that period from the perspective of people of color or immigrants. I remember being 14-15 years-old in 2001/2002, in New York, and witnessing fear-mongering at the hands adults, the media, and bullies are school, as well as harassment and anti-Muslim (or anyone who appeared “foreign”) sentiment. As scary as that period was, there were also moments of just being a young person who was still interested in music, movies, and laughing at silly things. I wanted to go back and examine that period as I saw and felt it, but I made the lead character, Kamal, a sixth grader because that period in a young person’s life is even more wide-open and exploratory. There’s still this feeling of being a kid but you know it’s not going to last much longer.

SSS: How do you think 9-11 still impacts the world today? How can historical novels help young readers understand history and how it shapes the future?

RT: I think 9-11 made some Americans feel cynical for a long, long time. Maybe that cynicism is still lingering in our society, which is why the ‘90s has been having a nostalgic surge lately. We tend to long for the days before all of the “bad stuff” happened. Alternatively, in the post-9-11 years, many of us took more of an active stance in wanting to change our world for the better. As dark as it may have seemed sometimes over the past two decades, there have been many beacons of progress. The same can be said during the WWII and Vietnam eras. I think young readers can look to any tumultuous era and find light. I’m constantly searching for a light through all of the negativity. It’s there if we keep our eyes and ears wide open.

SSS: I love reading books with multi-cultural themes. How has your cultural background impacted the main character’s cultural descriptions?

RT: I’m glad you love multi-cultural themes! Kamal, the lead character, is a mixed boy of Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian descent, just like me. My middle name is Kamal, which I also share with my dad and brother. Kamal, in the book, is directly influenced by my life, my family, our history, our food, my unique perspective on the world, and the compassion I believe I have for others. Though he is fictional at the end of the day, Kamal is definitely a version of my younger self. Growing up, I often felt lonely and like an outsider, but as time progressed, I’ve found that being mixed is actually an advantage and a superpower. I wanted to give young readers – especially boys who need more positive boyhood/friendship stories – more opportunities to see multi-cultural characters, whether or not they themselves are such. We’re part of a growing trend in America and it was essential that I capture the cultural complexities, and beauty, that come with being mixed.

SSS: The subject of friendship is so important in Middle Grade. How does Kamal’s new friendship help him find himself?

 

RT: The new kid, Jaz, a Pakistani immigrant, is much freer and sillier than Kamal and helps bring out the positivity that is aching to get out. I think that’s what a good friend does. They support the best qualities of you and want you to succeed. Though the story becomes complicated, Kamal finds self-worth thanks to his new friendship with Jaz.

 

Link to preorder here.

Writing Process:

SSS: When did you start writing this book?

RT: I don’t even remember. I’ve been working on it for so many years in my head and in notebooks. But I began writing it over three years ago now. It’s been quite a journey.

 

SSS: How is the process of writing a middle grade novel different from writing journalistically? How is it similar?

RT: It’s completely different. In journalism, it’s all about facts and getting straight to the point, though I always try to find ways to be creative and stylish. In fiction, especially in Middle Grade, you can take the story wherever you want! But the biggest challenge from writing for a young reader audience. I had to brush up on some of my classic favorite authors, like David A. Adler, Judy Blume, and Jean Craighead George, as well as revisit some newer favorites, like Jerry Spinelli, Amina Luqman-Dawson, and Lance Rubin, to understand how crucial it is to capture a young person’s sensibility. I had to remember what it was like to be in sixth grade, with all of the daydreaming, humor, and insecurities that come with age, and spend time in that mindset. It was fun but also quite challenging.

SSS: Any advice for fellow authors?

 

RT: No matter how ridiculous  an idea sounds, give it a shot and see where it takes you. You can always hit DELETE. And believe in yourself. Nobody will believe in you more than you, seriously.

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Any more books from you we can look forward to in the future?

 

RT: I’m currently working on a manuscript for a YA novel while also pushing All Mixed Up as far as I possibly can. I’m excited to visit schools, libraries, bookstores, and conferences throughout the fall and next year. I want so badly for this book to reach and connect with young readers. I’m going to give it my all.

Thank you so much Raj for answering my questions! I hope everyone picks up a copy of your beautiful book.

About Raj Tawney:

Raj Tawney is a writer and journalist whose work largely reflects his multiracial American upbringing. Born to an Indian, Puerto Rican, and Italian American family, Tawney has explored his identity and family history through personal essays published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and other outlets throughout the country. His debut memoir Colorful Palate: A Flavorful Journey Through a Mixed American Experience (Empire State Editions/Fordham University Press) has received critical acclaim and was recently awarded the Bronze Medal at the 2024 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir. His Middle Grade novel All Mixed Up (Paw Prints Publishing/Baker & Taylor) is already receiving praise before its pub date on October 28, 2024, National Immigrants Day.

Links to social media:

Website: rajtawney.com