Looking to broaden the stories on your bookshelves this year? Mark your calendars: A new day celebrating diverse reading is on the horizon.
The nonprofit We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) is launching its inaugural “We Need Diverse Books Day” April 3 to highlight the importance of access to inclusive reading, the organization announced exclusively to USA TODAY.
WNDB was inspired by a viral Twitter hashtag in 2014 in response to an all-white, all-male children’s author panel at BookCon. Now, 10 years after its grants and programming launched, the organization will celebrate by donating 10,000 titles to schools and libraries across the country.
What is ‘We Need Diverse Books Day’?
WNDB is encouraging readers of all ages to pick up a book that features the stories of marginalized communities. Across social media, the organization will recommend titles and resources on where to obtain copies.
You can get involved by requesting a diverse book at your local library or buying from your independent bookstore and sharing your recommendation and review on social media using #DiverseBooksDay, WNDB says. And for every $10 donated, the nonprofit says it will provide a diverse book to an underresourced school.
“WNDB has helped change the landscape of children’s literature, but diverse books are for everyone and for readers of any age,” Roxane Gay, “Bad Feminist” author and WNDB board member said in a statement. “We can all grow and benefit from reading books that reflect the diversity of our world.”
‘We Need Diverse Books Day’ highlights need for inclusive reading
The inaugural reading day comes as book bans are on the rise across the country. PEN America’s study of over 1,000 of the most commonly banned books found 44% include people and characters of color and 39% contain LGBTQ+ people and characters.
Dhonielle Clayton, WNDB board chair and author of “Blackout,” stressed the importance to young readers of seeing themselves represented in books.
“Growing up, I was a huge bookworm, but I rarely saw a girl like me on a book cover,” Clayton said in a statement. “I know firsthand as an author and educator that there is power in diverse literature to build self-affirmation in young readers and to encourage them to dream big. These children deserve to know that their lives matter, both on and off the page, and they can grow up to become lifelong readers.”
A 2023 study by nonprofit First Book found that students spend more time reading when educators add new, diverse books to their classrooms. And while 99% of surveyed educators agreed that a diverse classroom library is crucial, only 58% said their library collection is as diverse as their students are.
The “faith and tireless work” of WNDB supports authors of color and gets diverse books into the hands of readers, says Angie Thomas, the bestselling author of “The Hate U Give.” Thomas won the organization’s Walter Dean Myers Grant in 2015. In addition to grants, WNDB hosts awards, campaigns to champion diverse reading, mentorship and “adopt a library” programs.
“Winning that grant allowed me to purchase a laptop so that I could write my debut novel ‘The Hate U Give’ and launch my career,” Thomas said in a statement. “WNDB’s programs have now supported hundreds of writers like me, helping us tell our stories so that we can share them with readers everywhere.”
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].
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