Diverse middle grade books 2017

Diverse childrens books is a booksharing meme designed to promote the reading and writing of childrens books that feature diverse characters. Five are realistic, five fantastic, and all are great examples of what middle grade books can achieve. Wndb announces the winner of its 2017 middle grade short. To enter the we need diverse books middle grade short story contest, writers should supply a story of up to 4000 words suitable for an audience aged between 8 and 12. Many nonfiction titles go for the 1014 age range, which cuts through both the ya and middle grade field. Fresh ink, an ya anthology of diverse short stories,was published by penguin random house on august 14, 2017. Reminiscent of leslie marmon silkos classic storyteller, this impressive collection for mature middlegraders wields word and art, love and anger to narrate the diverse experiences of. For the month of august, everything remains the same on our list of best selling middle grade books. You will find diverse books that take place in many different locales, from india to the philippines to england and beyond. Set in a new york city apartment building, you get to know and quickly care for a large cast of characters, with shy newcomer kid at the center. Includes people of color, disabilities, lgbtq, minority faiths, and.

We are a group of authors who love reading and writing middle grade literature. Books that celebrate diversity for 7th and 8th graders these comingofage stories offer a glimpse into the lives of teens and tweens from different cultures and times thatll resonate with your middle schooler. Its for those kids that i curated this list of contemporary diverse middle grade books. While the united states has a divisive history around the separation of church and state in public school, current national and state teaching standards do include curricular objectives related to the study of religion. New york, ny january 22, 2018we need diverse books wndb has selected the winner of its 2017 middlegrade shortstory contest, established to celebrate previously unpublished. We need diverse books middle grade short story contest 2017. These books tell funny, heartwarming, adventurous realistic fiction tales with. Use our tags to filter books and find the perfect read for yourself or someone you love. George won a stonewall book awardand made the american library associations 10 most challenged books list in 2016 and 2017. What do we do all day diverse historical middle grade fiction. Diversekidlit finding ones voice and identity in 2017. Spurred on by the we need diverse books movement, a crop of new imprints and initiatives reflect publishers ongoing efforts to expand the middle grade category, seeking out traditionally. A diverse list of new and upcoming middle grade books featuring kids of color as the main characters, for readers age 812. Here are ten of my favorite books so far this year.

I do try to include books with diverse characters on all my book lists, but ive made it the special focus of this list. A pakistaniamerican muslim girl named amina faces a challenging first year in middle school. We are living in a time when there are more books about minority people than every. If you like books where its not obvious at the outset what the story is about, where the hum of discovery keeps you turning pages, youll enjoy this middle grade. Tags agents seeking diverse books, diverse books, diverse middle grade, diverse picture books, diverse young adult books, literary. Please dont add ya or na there are other lists for those. But, if youre the parent of a wellread tween, you should definitely be looking forward to 2019 because there are some, quite frankly, amazing books coming out. Kirkus editors have sifted through all of this years books to tell you which rise to the top. With the understanding i cant possibly cover every topic but ive made the effort to spread a wide net. Childrens middle grade hardcover may 28, 2017 childrens middle grade hardcover may 28, 2017. Contemporary, diverse realistic middle grade fiction books for kids ages 8. This paper focuses on the ways a diverse group of sixthgrade public schoolchildren engaged with religious content in their english language arts class. Our selection of books picked from the nationwide bestselling hardcover middle grade list on the new york times, includes rick riordans the trials of apollo.

A while ago i shared with you a list of 25 books every boy should read and one of you asked about books that help to teach cultural diversity. Each entry should be accompanied by a short biography and. Diversity in historical fiction for kids what do we do all day contemporary diverse middle grade books read your. Acknowledgments introduction 1 early learning pk grade 3 4 elementary grades 46 16 middle school grades 79 30 high school 10adult 42 teachers 70 contents. The 2018 ultimate list of diverse childrens books here wee read. Childrens middle grade hardcover october 08, 2017 childrens middle grade hardcover october 08, 2017. Salaam reads simon schuster books for young readers march 14, 2017 amina has just entered middle school and everything is so different. In her first middlegrade novel, awardwinning picture book author and illustrator angela. Reading diverse novels provides opportunities for students to gain a better. This symbol is next to middle grade books that i consider excellent for reluctant readers. Middle grade fiction is defined as novels with characters aged 8 or novels intended for that audience age range. She is the coauthor of the tiny pretty things series, and the forthcoming author of the belles series.

We need diverse books announces the 2017 walter dean. Nprs book concierge is your guide to 2017s best reads. Mg at heart book club a place for middle grade book. In this post, ive collected recently shared agent spotlights with literary agents who are accepting middle grade or mg submissions. Shes in jeopardy of losing her best friend, she feels pressured to live up to her parents expectations, and shes struggling to stay true to her culture. This year 2017, as of december 20th i have read 91 books, not including picture books. Though the grownups are still around, the kids in these stories are all growing in confiden. Books that celebrate diversity for 7th and 8th graders. All entries must be in english and be previously unpublished. A diverse list of new and upcoming middle grade books for readers age 812 with kids of color as the main characters.

Best middle grade books, all the greys on greene street, laura tucker, dream within a dream, patricia maclachlan,the line tender, kate allen, look both ways. We decided in june of 2017 to start an online book club all about mg lit in all its forms, as a resource for parents, librarians, teachers, writers, and everyone who loves the heart and hope of books for this age group. This community embraces all kinds of diversity including and certainly not limited to diverse, inclusive, multicultural, and. Learn the correct word count for novels and childrens books here. Dhonielle clayton is coo of we need diverse books, a former middle school librarian, a former secondary teacher, and an all around childrens literature nerd with two masters degrees in the field.

Here are ten im especially looking forward to, a mix of fantasy winged lions. A tale told in ten blocks, jason reynolds, the lost girl, anne ursu, my jasper june,laurel snyde. Here are 18 middle grade books that will be at the very top of our reading list in 2019. Insights, whats new, writers digest magazine february 2016 online exclusives. January 18, 2017 new york the we need diverse books walter award judging committee has confirmed selections for the second annual walter dean myers award for outstanding childrens literature young adult category. Childrens middle grade hardcover books best sellers. Here are ten great middle grade read alouds that will empower students to think critically. This copy is for your personal, noncommercial use only. Middle grade literary agents open to submissions writer. Here is a sampling of ya and middle grade titles recommended by the sydney taylor book award committee, and other suggested books, to mark holocaust remembrance.

Bixbys last day, and the wild robo t as my favorite read last year. This month, ive selected one adult fiction book, one young adult fiction book, and a middle grade fiction book. If youve kept up with the young adult book world recently, you have certainly noticed that diverse ya books with big, important topics are exploding right now. The most exciting middle grade books of 2019 brightly. This list consists of middle grade books published from june 2016 up to july 2017, so these are all books fresh off the presses and ready to be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. Includes people of color, disabilities, lgbtq, minority faiths, and more. Grades 9 to 12 the absolutely true story of a parttime indian in sherman alexies national book award winner, arnold spirit jr. But for this list, we were somehow able to narrow it down to just two titleskwame alexanders gorgeous celebration of poets and poetry itself, and chris harriss hilarious romp that recalls the.

While it would be impossible for me to gather an exhaustive list that would include all cultures around the globe i did choose 10. Since its inception in 1968, more than 200 holocaustrelated titles, both fiction and nonfiction, have been recognized as sydney taylor award winners, honor books, and notable books. Diverse historical middle grade fiction what do we do. Unlike the diverse fantasy middle grade book list, it was much, much easier to create a book list filled with diverse historical middle grade fiction. You can choose to read any or all of the three books. Poetry had a good year in 2017, and not just in regard to mg books. Best childrens and ya books of 2017 the boston globe. Noncaucasian protagonists in science fiction, fantasy, horror, and paranormal romance, diversity in young adult and middle grade, books wit. Ageappropriate middle grade and ya books about the. Cultural diversity books for middle schoolers renee at. We ask authors to please refrain from voting or inviting their fans to vote on this list. Suma subramaniam to receive cash prize and have her winning short story published in the hero next door anthology, coming fall 2019 from random house childrens books.

This list will be updated regularly with new agents added to the top. Unlike last year, we seem to have a few trends running throughout our favorite middlegrade reads of the year oh, the poetry. In january 2017, we need diverse books published a middlegrade anthology of short stories called flying lessons and other stories featuring a wide breadth of diverse authors and stories. Its packed with essays, lists, poems, comics, and illustrations from a diverse range of voices, including tv. We ask authors to please refrain from voting or inviting their.