30. How do we encourage diversity in young adult literature?

Why isn’t there more diversity in young adult literature? According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s report on diversity in young adult children’s literature, more than 40 percent of the main characters in the books it surveyed were white. No other demographic comprised more than 11 percent. Should literature introduce our children to perspectives and viewpoints different from their own? In this episode, Kevin looks to Caroline Richmond, a YA author and the interim executive director of We Need Diverse Books, to discuss why it is important for young adult literature to reflect the cultures, experiences, and perspectives that comprise its readership.