an open letter to Jet Blue
As authors, librarians, publishers, and scholars of children’s literature, we were thrilled to learn that Jet Blue was promoting a new initiative within the Soar with Reading program. Placing free book vending machines in low-income areas of Washington, DC is an innovative idea, and we commend your corporation’s commitment to promoting literacy through the development of home libraries. Upon visiting the Soar with Reading website, however, we were dismayed to see that the books on offer seemed limited to The Magic Treehouse series. These books undoubtedly appeal to young readers and they serve as windows into other worlds, but they fail to serve as “mirrors” for the children of color most likely to access the vending machines (which can have unintended consequences). We subsequently requested and reviewed the list of titles* and found that of the 46 books, only FOUR are written by people of color. The remaining books feature white children and a wide variety of animals—not the sort of diversity we hoped to see.
For decades, people of color and their white allies have fought for greater diversity in children’s literature; the latest manifestation of this activism can be found in the We Need Diverse Books movement. Statistics compiled annually by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center show that the publishing industry has stubbornly refused to produce books that reflect the nation’s diversity. Although children of color represent the majority of school-age children in the US, the publishing industry–and corporate publishers in particular—continue to generate books that overwhelmingly feature white children only.
As literacy advocates, we sincerely want to see the Soar with Reading program succeed. We do hope, however, that you will make every effort to partner with independent publishers that make diversity and equity a priority; we recommend Lee & Low Books, Just Us Books, Cinco Puntos Press, Pemmican Publications, and Rosetta Press (diverse titles from these and other publishers can be found on the We’re the People summer reading list). We also urge Jet Blue to connect with nonprofits like the Children’s Defense Fund and Reading Is Fundamental; these organizations serve the same population you hope to reach, and could provide advice on developing a more diverse book list. Children of color are eager to see themselves reflected on the pages of the books they read, and stocking your vending machines with such titles might heighten demand and ensure that the children are deeply engaged with the books they take home. We share Jet Blue’s goal of improving literacy through book ownership, and ask that you consider us a resource as you expand and improve your Soar with Reading program.
Sincerely,
Anita Merina, NEA’s Read Across America
Kabir Seth, Co-Founder, Storied Myth; founding member, Diversity in Apps
Stacy Whitman, Publisher, Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books
Tracey Baptiste, M.Ed., author
Ebony Elizabeth Thomas, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania
Cheryl Willis Hudson, author/publisher
Nathalie G. Mvondo, writer/blogger
Gabrielle Halko, Associate Professor of English & Children’s Literature Specialist, West Chester University
Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, children’s author/educator
Carleen Brice, writer
Sarah Park Dahlen, Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science, St. Catherine University
Dr. Nancy D. Tolson, Children’s Literature Scholar
Robin Bernstein, Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University
Leslie Gallager, Librarian, Brooklyn Prospect Charter School
LaTonya M. Baldwin, blogger/activist/parent
Allie Jane Bruce, Children’s Librarian, Bank Street College Library/We Need Diverse Books
Sarah Hannah Gomez, blogger/critic/scholar
Edith Campbell, librarian
Sofia Quintero, author
Karen Simpson, author
Michele Simms-Burton, writer
Philip Nel, University Distinguished Professor of English, Kansas State University
Shveta Thakrar, M.A., author
Kelly Starling Lyons, Children’s Book Author
Dr. Debbie Reese, American Indians in Children’s Literature
Dr. Zetta Elliott, author/scholar/publisher
If you would like to add your name, please do so in the comments section.
*list of titles provided by Tatiana Kneer
1 |
busy doggies |
John Schindel & Jonathan Chester |
2 |
10 Hungry Rabbits |
Anita Lobel |
3 |
Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night? |
Brianna Caplan Sayres |
4 |
Panda Kisses |
Alyssa Satin Capuccilli |
5 |
Too Many Cats |
Lori Haskins |
6 |
Bear Hugs |
Alyssa Satin Capuccilli |
7 |
Dinosaurs before Dark |
Mary Pope Osborne |
8 |
Knight at the Dawn |
Mary Pope Osborne |
9 |
Fact Tracker: Dinosaurs |
Mary Pope Osborne |
10 |
The Whizz Pop Chocolate Shop |
Kate Saunders |
11 |
Bud, Not Buddy |
Christopher Paul Curtis |
12 |
Cause |
Tonya Bolden |
13 |
Sweet Dreams Lullaby |
Betsy Snyder |
14 |
busy kitties |
John Schindel & Jonathan Chester |
15 |
Dancing Feet! |
Lindsey Craig |
16 |
Go Robot Go |
Dana M. Raur |
17 |
Hot Dog |
Molly Coxe |
18 |
Mouse Makes Words |
Kathryn Heling/Debora Hembrook |
19 |
Dolphins at Daybreak |
Mary Pope Osborne |
20 |
Fact Tracker: Knights & Castles |
Mary Pope Osborne |
21 |
Fact Tracker: Dolphins and Sharks |
Mary Pope Osborne |
22 |
One Came Home |
Amy Timberlake |
23 |
100 Cupboards |
N.D. Wilson |
24 |
Discovering Wes Moore |
Wes Moore |
25 |
Dim Sum For Everyone |
Grace Lin |
26 |
What’s Up, Duck? |
Tad Hills |
27 |
How Do Lions Say I Love You? |
Diane Muldrow |
28 |
Too Many Dogs |
Lori Haskins |
29 |
Dancing Dinos |
Sally Lucas |
30 |
I Like Stars |
Margaret Wise Brown |
31 |
Dark Day in the Deep Sea |
Mary Pope Osborne |
32 |
Night of the Ninjas |
Mary Pope Osborne |
33 |
Big Egg |
Molly Coxe |
35 |
Emerald Atlas |
John Stephens |
36 |
Flesh and Blood So Cheap |
Albert Marrin |
37 |
Duck & Goose: Goose Needs a Hug |
Tad Hills |
38 |
Duck & Goose 123 |
Tad Hills |
39 |
The Little Airplane |
Lois Lenski |
40 |
My Loose Tooth |
Stephen Krensky |
41 |
Cat on a Mat |
Susan Schade |
42 |
Ducks Go Vroom |
Jane Kothuh |
43 |
High Tide in Hawaii |
Mary Pope Osborne |
44 |
Fact Tracker: Ninjas and Samurai |
Mary Pope Osborne |
45 |
Fact Tracker: Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters |
Mary Pope Osborne |
|
|
|
46 |
Sky Jumpers |
Peggy Edleman |
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