Recently the national nonprofit, Diverse Books for All Coalition, announced that it will purchase and distribute, over the next 18 months, 600,000 new, high-quality, affordable diverse children's books that will include bi-lingual titles. The coalition represents more than 40 nonprofits and member organizations supporting millions of children from low-resourced communities. Through its collective buying power, the coalition will represent approximately 20% of the retail book market for children aged 0-8. The Coalition has already initiated the acquisition and allocation of 130,000 diverse books through four selected publishers—Abrams, Barefoot Books, Candlewick, and Penguin Random House. (A sample of the books that will be available through the Diverse Books marketplace are hyperlinked below.)
First Book, the parent organization that created the coalition, conducted a Diverse Books Impact Study over a 6-month span with 400+ educators across the US. The study underscored the need for diverse books by proving that when kids can see themselves in books, they collectively read 4+ hours a week and demonstrate a grade-point increase 3+ percentage points higher than the nationally expected average.
Ernestine Benedict, Chief Communications Officer of ZERO TO THREE, and a member of Diverse Books for All Coalition is available to talk about the coalition and why their mission is so urgent. She can also talk about the First Book Impact Study and how the data supports the need for diverse children’s books in underserved communities.
About the Diverse Books for All Coalition
The Diverse Books for All Coalition is an unprecedented national consortium of 40 nonprofits and membership organizations spanning all 50 states and reaching millions of young children every year. We are dedicated to increasing access to and affordability of young children’s books by and about diverse races, cultures, identities, and abilities, supporting families & educators in using diverse content, and creating a positive narrative around representation in books. Learn more at www.diversebooksforall.org.
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