About
The Diverse Books for All Coalition is a national consortium of nonprofit organizations and networks working together to increase access to affordable, high quality children’s books by and about diverse races, cultures, identities, and abilities.
The Need
Equity Through Every Page
1.
Our country is experiencing an unprecedented literacy crisis.
More than 2/3 of 4th graders were unable to read proficiently according to the 2022 National Assessment of Education Progress. Among children of color, more than 80% were not proficient1 .
2.
Our kids are diverse. Their books aren't.
Children of color are the majority of US children, and that number continues to rise.2 Yet, representation in children’s books has remained stagnant. Out of 3,391 children’s books published in the US in 2023 and reviewed by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), only 524 had a Black/African American main/secondary character or topic, 86 indigenous, 410 Asian, 300 Latine, 6 Pacific Islander, and 32 Arab. 36% of books published in 2023 are about animals or objects, in comparison to 12% of books about Black/African characters.3
3.
Diverse books help foster a love of reading and a positive sense of self
Research suggests that children begin to distinguish faces by race as early as 3-months old4. Reading stories with authentic portrayals of diverse characters from an early age help children develop a strong sense of self and empathy for others as well as a love of reading and critical early literacy skills.
4.
Diverse books need to be more accessible.
These books are often available only in hardcover editions or in smaller print-runs, dramatically increasing the price and limiting access. Research shows that “books centering nondominant social identities will be underproduced relative to demand for them."5
5.
Parents, caregivers, providers and educators need help.
Parents, caregivers, providers and educators are asking for resources to help access and use diverse content in their programs, classrooms, and communities.
1 The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2022, November 4). Since pandemic’s start, 42 states see rise in fourth-graders below reading proficiency. https://www.aecf.org/blog/fourth-grade-reading-proficiency-2022
2 Racial and ethnic diversity in the United States: 2020 census. U.S. Census Bureau. (2022, August 18). Retrieved March 23, 2023, from https://www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/racial-and-ethnic-diversity-in-the-united-states-2010-and-2020-census.html)
3 Independent analysis of data accessed on 07/18/20234 by Diverse Books for All Coalition using the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison Diversity Statistics Book Search (https://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/diversity-statistics-book-search/)
4 Kelly, D. J., Quinn, P. C., Slater, A. M., Lee, K., Gibson, A., Smith, M., ... & Pascalis, O. (2005). Three-month-olds, but not newborns, prefer own-race faces. Developmental Science, 8(6), F31-F36.
5 Adukia A., Eble A., Harrison, E., Runesha, H.B., Szasz, T. (2023). What we teach about race and gender: representation in images and text of children's books. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 138(4), 2225-2285.
The Solution
Let’s change the plot
We recognize all diverse experiences, including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities.
the number of -- and access to -- affordable, quality, diverse children's books available to our members and the children they serve.
a network of nonprofit organizations and networks working to increase the number of diverse books in the market.
and elevate a national narrative to promote the importance of diverse books.
that parents, caregivers, providers, and educators have the resources and support they need to access, use, and advocate for diverse books in their programs, communities, classrooms, and homes.
How We Work
We’re writing this story together
The 60+ members of the Coalition serve children, families, and educators in all 50 states and provide books to millions of children across the country every year through a robust array of evidence-informed programming that builds literacy skills and engagement in reading. Together, we represent a significant voice to publishers, and we are leveraging our collective power to negotiate better prices and to bring new authors, languages, and stories to market.
Coalition members will have the opportunity to engage with our network of Coalition partners, exchange ideas and resources, participate in activities advancing the mission of the Coalition, and build access to low-cost and high-quality diverse books.
Join Us! We are seeking new members to help contribute to this important work!
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