Weekly Color Me Brown

Yay Color Me Brown links! This is a feature in which we spotlight links pertaining to authors of color, literature about poc, race, books and anything else we think might be of interest. It usually has some literary and racial connection though :)

PLEASE share your links with us in the comments. We will try and visit each link left for us. We love to meet new-to-us bloggers/blogs so don't be shy to toot your horn and share a review/interview/rant/etc.

YA author of Gringolandia, Lyn Miller Lachmann interviews YA/MG author Mitali Perkins (she wrote Bamboo People, Secret Keeper, Rickshaw Girl and many other books)

The Hunger Games trilogy, which depicts child soldiers in a dystopic future society, has proved widely popular with teen readers. Do you feel its popularity has made teens more receptive to books like yours? How can teachers and parents help young readers make the transition from a fantasy genre to reading about and getting involved in stopping similar atrocities in the here and now?

While reading Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, I couldn’t keep the situation in Burma out of my mind, which made the books all the more compelling to me. One of the nicest notes I’ve received from a teen said, “For me, Bamboo People was a meaningful, emotional, make-you-want-to-do-something type of novel. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if teachers and parents handed Bamboo People to eager Hunger Games readers, inspiring fantasy-lovers like me to affect change in the real world?”

Maggie at Maggie's Bookshelf-Bibliophilia interviews Marina Budhos (YA/MG author of Ask Me No Questions and Tell Us We're Home)

If you had one thing you hoped readers would take away from this book, what would it be? What has the reader response to this novel been like?

I like to write books that are slyly subversive; that turn things upside down a bit without you knowing it. In so many ways these girls are spies, anthropologists reading the cues, the casual privilege of the wealthy town they've been plunked down in. And so, for some readers, I hope this is a way of seeing your own life through fresh eyes. At the same time, I hope the novel also gives voice to a certain invisibleness that many can feel.

Reader response has been quite good and people are appreciative of the freshness of perspective and the timeliness of this story. I was thrilled to receive a great review in the New York Times, as a lot of people saw that. One of the interesting ways the book is being read is as a 'mother-daughter' book--I've had mothers who have read the book alongside their daughters, and they appreciate the conversation it opens up about privilege and 'outsideness' and seeing one's own town through the eyes of immigrants.

My favorite response was that of the son of a colleague--apparently he picked up the book and couldn't put it down and they would fight every night because he wasn't going to sleep and had it hiding under his pillow. What touched me about his response was that it showed that there are readers who feel compelled by the emotional journeys of characters, not just the external plot gyrations.

YA author Mitali Perkins discusses race, class and caste in The Hunger Games trilogy (I figured this was appropriate as more talk of the movie comes about even though it's about a year old)

I appreciate how smoothly Collins included and described different races, but wonder if she was purposeful about the interesting connections between physical appearance (i.e., race), occupation, and class in her story. Did her conscious mind invent those classifications or was her unconscious mind in charge?

I trust the movie makers at Lionsgate will cast the movie carefully. Will they pick actors with a range of accents? Will they represent the same distinctions between race and class as in the novel? If not, why not?

It makes me happy to see that at least some books by poc are getting noticed. There was a lovely review of Bleeding Violet over at This Purple Crayon. it seems to me that some books by/about poc get some publicity before/around their release date and then a few months later, you rarely hear about them. Not so with this book at least!

But what I loved most was not the strange story or fantasy setting or troubled characters but instead the way they were seamlessly intertwined. There was no moment of suspending disbelief for me here; I just went with each twist and turn as if it was all normal. That's how much Ms. Reeves pulled me in from the start. Wow. Just wow.

Finally, we have an interview with YA author Justine Larbalestier. Justine has been MIA lately due to a repetitive stress injury and her presence has been sorely missed. Check out her interview with Malinda Lo

ML: So you’re really interested in difference.

JL: Yeah.

ML: Do you think that’s partly why you tend to include characters that are very diverse in your books?

JL: I think a lot of that has to do with my circle of friends, too. ... One of the earliest communities I was a part of that I remember very vividly was when I was like four or five, and my parents were living in the Northern Territory of Australia, and they were anthropologists. They were living on an aboriginal settlement, and so my close friends and the people I was hanging with at the time, none of them were white, and they were very different from the southern Australian city that I had been living in before then, and it really strongly changed the way I saw the world.

When we went back and we were living in Canberra ... I was new to a new school, and they would ask you where you’re from, what are you doing, and I would talk about this incredible experience that I’d just had, living up north, and I kind of got weird racist abuse for it. I think those kind of experiences really shaped how I think about people and the way they interact. A lot of it was horrible, but a lot of it was actually really positive. I think that definitely shaped the kind of stories I tell. And certainly listening to the different stories that I heard when we were up north and when we were down south definitely shaped the stories I tell now.

WWOC: Renee Watson

Full name: Renée Watson

Birth date: July 29, 1978

Location: Paterson, NJ (But I grew up in Portland, Oregon)

Website/blog: http://www.reneewatson.net/

Genre: Children’s and Young Adult Literature

WiP or most recently published work:

Recently Published: A Place Where Hurricanes Happen and What Momma Left Me

Writing credits: Picture Book: A Place Where Hurricanes Happen (Random House, June 2010)

Middle Grade Novel: What Momma Left Me (Bloomsbury, July 2010)

Articles in Rethinking Schools:

Five Years After the Levees Broke: Bearing Witness through Poetry (Spring 2010)

From Pain to Poetry: The Murder of Sean Bell (Spring 2008)

How frequently do you update your site? Monthly

Is your site designed for reader interaction? No, not yet. Although I post new poems and short stories often. Teachers can also download teacher’s guides for my books.

You've had a busy year, with two new releases (What Momma Left Me and A Place Where Hurricanes Happen). Was it intentional to publish two books so closely together? What was your inspiration for both books?

No, it wasn’t intentional at all to have both books come out so close together. The books are published with different publishing houses, so that’s why the release dates were so close together.

In 2006, a year after hurricane Katrina, I led poetry and theater workshops with young people who were coping with the aftermath of Katrina. The children I worked with inspired me to write A Place Where Hurricanes Happen. Their poetry and stories stayed with me long after I returned to New York, and I wanted to write something to honor their experience.

What Momma Left Me was first a stage play I wrote in high school. I don’t really know why the story stayed with me all these years. I have always been intrigued by the notion of generational curses and blessings—do children really become their parents? And I’ve also worked with young women who either experienced or have been affected by domestic violence, and so, the story was birthed out of a combination of my own questioning and witnessing.

What Momma Left Me has a bit of a Christian leaning. Did you worry that this would alienate any readers? Why did you decide to have the prayer of the Our Father/Christianity overall play a role in the book?

I was never worried about alienating readers because I believe readers are always taking in new worlds so I figured if Christianity was not a part of the reader’s life, they would accept it as Serenity’s truth.

It was important for me to show a young person struggling with what she believes. Having Christianity play a role in the book was another way of questioning and examining what is passed down from one generation to the next.

I also tend to write close to my reality, and growing up church was definitely a part of my life. I wanted a realistic picture of the black community, and in my experience, the Christian church has always played a role—big or small—in the neighborhoods I grew up in.

What was it like to have A Place Where Hurricanes Happen featured on NBC Nightly News? How did the subject come up?

I was very honored to have A Place Where Hurricanes Happen featured. The illustrator, Shadra Strickland, and I were determined to go to New Orleans and give books to students who inspired the story. We were both so excited to share the experience. It was our first time meeting and sharing the work together. So on many levels, the trip to New Orleans was special.

Top 5 reads you’re looking forward to reading in 2010?

Right now, I’m preparing to teach poetry and theater residencies for the Fall and Winter, so I’m reading poetry books so I can get material to use in the classroom. My Top 5 reads right now are Morning Haiku by Sonia Sanchez, Crowned by Ellen Hagan, Blood Dazzler by Patricia Smith, and I’m also devouring Linda Christensen’s book on teaching about social justice issues through poetry, titled, Teaching for Joy & Justice. But in terms of fiction, Chimamanda Adichie’s collection of short stories, The Thing Around Your Neck, is patiently waiting for me for finish it.

100 words or less how would you describe your work?

Because of my background in poetry, my fiction tends to be lyrical. I write about topics that are important to me, and so, even though I write fiction, my stories are very close to reality.

100 words or less please share your thoughts on

Writing and activism

The two are synonymous to me. In the classroom, when I teach poetry, I am always telling students that their voices are powerful, that their voices can change the world. When I teach the poems of Langston Hughes, Martin Espada, Willie Perdormo, Lucille Clifton, Gwendolyn Brooks, Maya Angelou—and countless others—students see how mighty the pen is. I challenge them to think about how their writing can be used as a weapon against injustice, as a bullhorn for the silent, and a witness to the neglected.

Author Elif Shafak

I have the Cinco Puntos Press blog to thank for this video and introducing me to a new author. Not even 10 minutes in and I was already adding Shafak's most recent release, The Forty Rules of Love to my library queue.

Watch and enjoy the next 19:46 minutes

Fall 2010 Releases

This is going to be a four part, seasonal feature. The staff at Color Online noticed lots of blog posts popping up listing YA/MG books to be published in fall 2010. The problem was that we noticed not many blogs were featuring books by/about poc. We've decided to highlight all the YA/MG books being published by Black people in autumn 2010. In the future, we hope to be able to do the same for Latino/Asian/Native American authors as well. All these releases make fall that much better (and who doesn't love fall?). Doret, Zetta and I (Ari) came up with these along with the help of others over at Zetta's blog

September Releases

Not A Good Look (Fab Life) by Nikki Carter

Drama High: Pushin by L. Divine (September 28)

Myself & I (A Keysha Novel) by Earl Sewell

Maxine Banks is Getting Married by Lori Aurelia Williams

October Releases

Pull by B.A. Binns (Oct. 27)

Zora and Me by Victoira Bond & TR Simon (Oct. 12)

President of the Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston (October 5 but already available on Amazon)

November Releases

Shadow Walker by LA Banks (November 23)

Drama Queens (The Good Girlz series) by Reshonda Tate Billingsley (November 23)

The Exorsistah: X Returns by Claudia Mair Burney (November 30)

We Could Be Brothers by Derrick Barnes (November 1)

At The Crossroads by Travis Hunter (November 30)

Losing Romeo by AJ Byrd (November 1)

Please note that we have not read all these books and this is not an endorsement post. It's more of a FYI post.

Do you know of any other YA/MG books being published by African Americans in the fall of 2010? Let us know, we will add them to the list! Also feel free to leave the names of all Latino/a authors you can think of who have written a YA/MG book in 2010 (or 2011, just specify).

This feature will return shortly to feature other ethnic groups and in December we will showcase the winter titles.

New Crayons

New Crayons is a meme created by susan (the founder of Color Online) in order to showcase what new multicultural books we (the Color Online staff) got for the week. Crayons is a metaphor for multiculturalism. Share a link to your own New Crayons post in the comments.

Doret received

Create Dangerously: The Immigrant Artist at Work by Edwidge Danticat

"Create dangerously, for people who read dangerously. This is what I've always thought it meant to be a writer. Writing, knowing in part that no matter how trivial your words may seem, someday, somewhere, someone may risk his or her life to read them."--Create Dangerously

In this deeply personal book, the celebrated Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat reflects on art and exile, examining what it means to be an immigrant artist from a country in crisis. Inspired by Albert Camus' lecture, "Create Dangerously," and combining memoir and essay, Danticat tells the stories of artists, including herself, who create despite, or because of, the horrors that drove them from their homelands and that continue to haunt them. Danticat eulogizes an aunt who guarded her family's homestead in the Haitian countryside, a cousin who died of AIDS while living in Miami as an undocumented alien, and a renowned Haitian radio journalist whose political assassination shocked the world. Danticat writes about the Haitian novelists she first read as a girl at the Brooklyn Public Library, a woman mutilated in a machete attack who became a public witness against torture, and the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and other artists of Haitian descent. Danticat also suggests that the aftermaths of natural disasters in Haiti and the United States reveal that the countries are not as different as many Americans might like to believe.

Create Dangerously is an eloquent and moving expression of Danticat's belief that immigrant artists are obliged to bear witness when their countries of origin are suffering from violence, oppression, poverty, and tragedy.

Hooray for Anna Hibiscus! by Atinuke

This is a collection of four linked stories about family life set in modern west Africa. Anna Hibiscus lives in amazing Africa with her family in a wonderful house in a beautiful garden in a big city. Join Anna as she sings for the president, gets in a terrible tangle with her hair and visits the other side of the city.

Ari received

Sister Chicas by Lisa Alvarado, Ann Hagman Cardinal and Jane Alberdeston Coralin

Taina's turning fifteen-and is so dreading her Pepto-

pink quinceañera, her Sweet Fifteen.What about her secret Jamaican artist boyfriend? Should she let Mami choose her escort, or follow her heart-and ignite a family riot?

Grachi must choose between being the good Chicana-and grabbing la oportunidad de la vida. Now she needs her Sister Chicas more than ever...

Leni's the rebel-with a punk style and an attitude to go with it. But as she tries to make sense of her roots with her Chicas, her life gets more complicated, especially when her childhood friend turns into a handsome rockero...

And even though Taina,Grachi, and Leni don't always agree on things-like boys, clothes, and music-nothing gets in the way of their friendship.

So what new books did you get this week?

Color Me Brown Weekly Links

Color Me Brown is a weekly round-up of links that have to do with race and literature. They can range from discussion posts, rants, interviews with authors of color and book reviews.

The thoughts shared in these links may not be in exact agreement with the Color Online staff. BUT they do discuss issues we are devoted to discussing and fixing.

Bethany Hedgedus interviews author Sundee T. Frazier about her new book The Other Half of My Heart.

Today inside the Writer’s Studio we welcome an esteemed guest, Sundee T Frazier. When looking at her honors and awards one could swoon: Al Rocker’s Kids’ Book Club Selection, Oprah’s Book Club for Kids, and of course, the Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Award top the list. Yes, Sundee is esteemed, she is gifted, but she also is down to earth.

The Senate reviews The Dream Act, a bill concerning citizenship - The Washington Post

The Senate will consider Tuesday whether hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children should be placed on a path to citizenship.

Michele Norris talks about her new memior - The Grace of Silence at NPR

Last year I set out to write a book about America’s hidden conversation about race. However, I changed course after listening to the hidden conversation in my own family. I discovered that my parents withheld profound secrets because they didn’t want to gunk up the engine of upward mobility.

They wanted their children to soar, so they chose not to weigh down their pockets with personal tales of woe. That is why I decided to call my book — my accidental family memoir — The Grace of Silence. But I am hoping that it will encourage readers and listeners to break past the silence in their own families

VivirLatino shares a music video (also there's much more on the Dream Act here)

During this Latino Heritage Month, we are marketed to, studied, talked about and analyzed. During this month many of our homelands, ancestral and actual celebrate their independence days but also within these countries we struggle onward seeking true freedom.

The following video comes from us gracias a Rebel Diaz. Filmed on the streets of Santiago de Chile and produced Chilean team, Artefacto Visual, the video features Villa Grimaldi, which was a concentration camp site during the Pinochet dictatorship ushered in by the United States and where two of the Rebel Diaz crew members, RodStarz and G1′s, parents were tortured.

For me, this video is what this month and every other month of the year is about.

A review of Where the Streets had a Name by Randa Abdel-Fattah at School library journal

Needless to say, if a person writes a book about Palestinians for kids, be it a picture book or a novel, it’s going to be considered a contentious subject. It’s easy to avoid such subjects. Most middle grade does. Abdel-Fattah is to be commended for her guts then. Though her critics will try to find fault with her depictions of Israel, Abdel-Fattah’s restraint is remarkable

Author Sarah Okler reviews Shine Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

The Qu'ran burning fiasco and all the protest over a Muslim temple near the WTC site got me thinking about these things a lot this year, and it gave me a nudge to pick up Neesha Meminger's 2009 debut, Shine Coconut Moon

A Mama le encanta cantar

Floating on Mama's Song/Flotando en la cancion de mama - Laura Lacamara, illus Yuyi Morales

Anita's mama loves to sing. She's always singing around the house, Anita and her little brother get lost in her voice. When Anita turns seven years old, her mama's voice turns magical. When Anita mama sings now everyone around her floats in the air.

When I got home from school that day, the delicious smell of fried plantains and black beans hung in the air. Mama was singing a song from Carmen, her favorite opera. When I ran into the kitchen, I froze. Mama was floating in the air! Outside, our dog, Tito, was floating above the ground too!

Esa dia, cuando lleque de la escuela, note el delicioso aroma de platano frito y frijoles negros. Mama estaba cantando un aria de Carmen, su opera favorita. Cuando entre a la cocina, quede fria. Mama estaba flotando en el aire! Afuera, nuestro perro Tito. Tambien estaba flotando!

The above is only page two. Lacamara gets into the body of the story quickly. One the first page the reader learns something happen to Anita's mama's voice than Bam, they are floating in the house.

Anita's grandmother tells her daughter not to sing any more. Anita's mama misses singing and is very sad. Anita is trying to find a way to make her happy again. Her grandmother is the key.

Lacamara tells a wonderfully lyrical story, that connects three generation of women. To see Morales illustrations once is to love them. Morales has such a way with color and facial expressions. I am always moved by her art.

The reader/ listener will feel the family's love through the words and the art. This picture book debut is gorgeous from both a textual and visual stand point. I absolutely loved it.

Read an excerpt

*for anyone who can read the spanish excerpt, sorry I wasn't able to put in the accents. Originally posted at my personal blog, Thehappynanppybookseller

A Letter For Oprah Winfrey (updated)

Dear: Oprah

Hello, my name is Doret, I have always loved to read. I currently work at a bookstore in Atlanta, GA. As you know dealing with the public is not always fun. Though there's something great about connecting readers with a book they will love. I get much joy from this.

I love the O magazine covers. The color choices and layout are always eye -catching perfect. You should feature the magazine cover team on Oprah, if you haven't already. There are always great books recommendations in O. Speaking of books

When I heard Freedom by Franzen was your most recent book club selection my first thought was noooooo. Oprah, like any one else you are free to read and love any book of your choosing. Though, I wonder why you'd pick a book by an author who doesn't need the attention nor probably wants it. I actually liked Franzen's honest unfiltered feelings about having Corrections selected as a book club pick in 2001 very refreshing.

Did you know 2002 was the last time you selected a contemporary female author? Sula by Toni Morrison and Fall On Your Knees by Ann- Marie MacDonald, where chosen that year.

Your website is very helpful and easy to maneuver, though somehow I still manage to miss the 2004 selection of The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. Please forgive me for not paying closer attention.

Since 2002 you selected 3 female authors and 19 males authors. I find it hard to believe you haven't found more female authors in the last 8 yrs living or dead worth highlighting. Literary fiction is not a male domain.

A man would never go so long without recommending something by a male author. I wouldn't want you to only select female authors. One of the great things about female readers, we are more open to reading outside of our gender. Please don't be fooled by my contributions to Color Online, a blog that focuses on female authors of color. My reading habits are very diverse. As you can see from my personal blog. I am currently reading How to Read the Air by Dinaw Mengestu. It's amazing and I can already tell it will be on a few best of list at the end of the year.

Color Online was started by Susan in 2005 out of necessity, and there' s still a need for it. Just take a look at many of the best of book list of 2009 and notice how many women of color aren't on them.

Oprah, I just want you to please remember there are some great books by female authors that could do with a little attention. Like

Invisible Mountain by Carolina de Robertis - The last half is amazing. One scene touched me so much I was crying so hard, I was choking. I haven't cried like that since the Book Thief or Kite Runner

Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa - One of the best debuts and novels of 2009 but sadly it want unnoticed by many.

Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende - I've heard its amazing and I am looking forward to reading it. It was featured on NPR,

Or Wench by Dolen Perkin-Valdez - A wonderful 2010 debut that was featured on NPR this year.

Please feel free to stop by Color Online if you ever need recommendations for books by female authors of color. If you ever need children's suggestion feel free to stop by my personal blog.

Also there's a beautiful biography called Shining Star: The Anna May Wong Story by Paula Yoo illus. by Lin Wang. Its the story of the first Chinese actress in Hollywood. It very interesting and informative. Every time I think about The Good Earth novel, I am reminded of the movie, then Shining Star. Anna May Wong auditioned for one of the leading roles and like all the other Chinese actors was turned down.

Oprah, I hope you have a wonderful last season. Do enjoy your trip to Australia. If you get to a bookshop check out Australian author Melina Marchetta. I highly recommend all of her titles. If I had to pick just one start with Finnikin of the Rock.


Sincerely,
Doret

Amazon Can't Do That : Where Do Female Authors of Color Fair Better?

So a customer was looking for a new book the other day. She was a fan of Emily Giffin and had just broken up with her boyfriend. She was thinking about buying The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Larsson. Put aside the fact that I am not a fan of this series, I simply knew it wasn't what the customer wanted to read at that moment.

After thinking about it for a minute I suggested Good in Bed by Weiner. Of course I told her about 32 Candles by Carter but she was looking for a paperback. I flirted with telling the customer about Feminsita by Kennedy, but the more I thought about it the more I felt sure Good in Bed was the right recommendation.

The customer read some of Good in Bed before leaving and was very happy with it. Its easy to buy books online but a reader can't get personalized suggestions. I wonder how this impacts female authors of color

Do they sell better in bookstores? Or online? Part of me wants to say online. Customers never have to worry about an item being in stock. Though there's the issue of someone purchasing a book online that doesn't fit their reading mood or they simply don't care for it.

Someone buying a book they don't like shouldn't be a big deal. Unfortunately, too many readers don't regularly read female authors of color. So if a reader is underwhelmed by the one book they decide to read, chances are they won't be seeking out more female authors of color anytime soon.

In the bookstore, customers can get recommendations. They can browse the shelves until a cover catches their eye. I think there's still something to be said for connecting with a book in person. Especially when a reader is getting out of their comfort zone. Some bookstores make this difficult when seeking out female authors of color. Luckily I don't work at one of those stores.

Where do you think female authors of color fair better? Another guick questions - Do you think Independent bookstores are better at suggesting and displaying female authors of color then Chains?

Color Me Brown Weekly Links

Color Me Brown is a weekly round-up of links that have to do with race and literature. They can range from discussion posts, rants, interviews with authors of color and book reviews.

The thoughts shared in these links may not be in exact agreement with the Color Online staff. BUT they do discuss issues we are devoted to discussing and fixing.


The School Library Journal has an article called Courageous Conversations: If we want every child to succeed, we need to talk about race

we took a long, hard look at our library's approach to improving African-American children's kindergarten readiness skills, and thanks to Ellen Fader, our director of youth services, we conceived a new project to reduce the achievement gap. Funded by an LSTA grant, our program, "Preparing African-American Children for Kindergarten Readiness," aims to help the local black community create a library plan that's tailored to its needs.

We next convened a group of community leaders and stakeholders to advise us. Six African Americans and four library staff—two white and two black—came together to talk. Conversations about race with our African-American colleagues were uncomfortable at times. Even the first question that we asked them took courage, "Which do you prefer to be called: African American or black?" But once we started, the questions came easier. No matter how clumsy our questions, though, the advisory group was pleased that the library was focusing on the needs of black children.

This achievement gap doesn't stem from a lack of ability; it comes from a lack of opportunity. We need to close the achievement gap that exists in the United States. We can't fail our black children any longer. The silence needs to be broken. As a black colleague said, "I think there are things that just should be put on the table—no matter how uncomfortable—to move the process along."

The VCFA Journal of the Arts had an article by Nikki Grimes, Color Me Perplexed

It’s 2010, but you’d never know it. I’m just back from ALA and I’m still hearing librarians say things like “I love your work! I only wish I had more African American students so that I could use your books.”

Huh?

I wish I could tell you that such comments are rare. Sadly, they are all too common, and my question is why? What makes a librarian, or teacher, or a parent for that matter, assume that a book is inappropriate, or of diminished value to a child simply because the character on the cover is of a different race?

Let us, for a moment, follow the line of logic that says one should not share literature by and about people of a certain color with children who are of a different color. According to that logic, I would have to suggest schools with predominantly non-white student populations skip Charlotte’s Web, Bridge to Terabithia, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Old Yeller for starters. Forget Alice in Wonderland. Tom Sawyer is debatable. Diary of Ann Frank? I don’t think so. As for adult literature, let’s just say Shakespeare’s readership just shrunk significantly.

Are you gasping yet? Have the words “ridiculous” and “absurd” popped into your mind? I certainly hope so. And yet, the act of an educator who limits the use of books featuring characters of color is no less egregious, and his or her reasons no less absurd. The single most important question we should ask when considering a book for our classroom or library shelves is, is the book any good?

Also at the VCFA Journal of the Arts (Hunger Mountain) was an interview done by Kekla Magoon with Cheryl Willis Hudson (co-founder of Just Us Books). The whole September issue of Hunger Mountain rocks. I encourage you to check out all the articles.

KM: There’s been some discussion in the publishing industry about the “audience” for Black books. Yet, as a self-proclaimed publisher of Black-interest books, you’ve clearly found an audience. Are you responding to a niche market, or a population often overlooked by larger publishers?

CWH: There are a couple of forces working here. Our audience is anyone who reads our books—Black or White or Brown. What we targeted in the early days of marketing our press were African American children because of the obvious lack of variety in the offerings via traditional avenues. Our marketing efforts have always been broad-based: independent vendors, craft and street fairs, schools, libraries, barber shops, beauty shops, mail order catalogs, book clubs—all of these became avenues of access to get to our target audience. We experimented with as many venues as possible and carved out a niche market to sell our books via alternative routes because they were not readily available in most non-Black bookstores or retail outlets. I would say that “diverse books” about African American life and culture for children were extremely limited. Most published books were biographies of George Washington Carver, Martin Luther King, etc.—institutional books that could be found in libraries. Most of these existing books were not written or illustrated by people of African descent. That is still the case today although the canon of contemporary Black writers and illustrators has indeed expanded over the past 40-50 years.

The short answer is Wade and I thought that larger publishers had obviously overlooked contemporary Black families and children. Just Us Books’ readers initially responded to our titles as a breath of fresh air—i.e., here are nice little books featuring positive African American children, not just more books about slavery or recycled biographies about the same historical Black personalities.

Author Jackson Pearce has a short but powerful post about why Islam Is Not My Enemy

I will not allow myself to hate Muslims I know and love or Muslims I’ve never met simply because men and women they’ve never met, with schools of thought they don’t support, hate me.

I would rather my hate be centered on those actually responsible for the terrorist attacks, not those building a youth center or those in my hometown and school.

But mostly, Islam is not my enemy because it is religious and cultural intolerance that enticed terrorists to destroy the twin towers nine years ago. Out of respect for those who died that day, I won’t allow myself to be religious or culturally intolerant. I don’t want to be anything like the terrorists who took their lives

Toni over at Sew Transformed, has a few book suggestions for National Yoga month and National Sewing month.

Now, ideally, I would like to commit to practicing yoga and sewing everyday, but as I'm notoriously lazy, I doubt that will happen but I will do my best. The one thing I can commit to doing is reading more about the subjects. You know I'm always down to read a good book. So here are my choices to commemorate this busy month...

Author Monica Brown's, Arizona Public Radio interview

Northern Arizona children's book author Monica Brown has just released a new bilingual book called Side By Side: The Story of Dolores Huerta and Cesar Chavez. Huerta and Chavez played a major role in the labor movement. On this Labor Day Monica Brown tells Arizona Public Radio the perception of the labor movement hasn't been very positive.

Summer (Summer Edward's Caribbean Children's Literature) makes an interesting obvservation about PoC adult authors vs. PoC children's authors.

I'm particularly interested in the phenomenon as it pertains to authors of color. The statistics tell us that authors of color -- and this includes Caribbean people -- have historically been underrepresented in children's literature in places like the United States and the UK, and on the international children's book market. Although much progress has been made, this continues to be the case, with children's writers of color finding it difficult to get their books published by mainstream, big name publishers, and those who do manage to get published, finding it difficult to get their books picked up by mainstream, big chain bookstores. Yet, authors of color like Danticat and Alvarez who have "made it" in the world of adult literature, don't face these hurdles when they transition to children's writing. Their children's books are readily embraced by publishers and sell well. I find myself wondering if this would have been the case if people like Danticat and Alvarez had started out as children's writers. This is an interesting question, no? Is it easier as a writer of color, to make it in the world of adult fiction than it is to make it as a children's writer. I tend to think so and I am wondering why this is. What is it about the children's book market that had made it so hard for authors of color to penetrate?

National Book Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary on September 25

The Festival, for which President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama are Honorary Chairs, regularly attracts more than 100,000 visitors who come to hear their favorite authors speak, get pictures taken with PBS costumed characters and more. This year’s Festival will take place in Washington, D.C. between 3rd and 7th Streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Women Writers of Color: Cindy Pon

Full name: cindy pon

Birth date: august 29

Location: taipei, taiwan

Website/blog: cindypon.com

Genre: young adult fantasy

WiP or most recently published work: Fury of the Phoenix, the sequel to Silver Phoenix.

Writing credits: Silver Phoenix was my debut novel.

How frequently do you update your site? once or twice a week i'll post on my blog.

Is your site designed for reader interaction? yes! i love blog comments as well as emails from readers.
Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out:

http://cindypon.com/2008/when-they-were-young/

i recently thought about my maternal grandmother. i dedicated Silver Phoenix
to her and my grandfather. i share some fotos and thoughts about them in this
post.

Top 5 reads you’re looking forward to reading in 2010 (or have already read)?

i really loved The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, The Demon's Covenant, Clockwork Angel, Tipping the Velvet and Unwind. all read this year.

100 words or less how would you describe your work?

Chinese inspired fantasy that may read epic at times but really grounded in very personal journeys about growth, friendship, family, love, choices and change. there are demons, cute boys, and food. =)

You are unafraid to write about sexuality in Silver Phoenix. Were you nervous about writing those scenes and seeing how people would respond?

not really. i wrote what i felt was appropriate for my story and the culture i created. when a society's expectation of a girl is for her to make babies, there's no tip toeing around that fact. i think it has made some readers uncomfortable, how forthright i am with that aspect of the storytelling. but i think i remain true to to it--and perhaps, being made uncomfortable isn't such a bad thing. this was a reality for many girls in societies and cultures of the past, even today.

You were recently the subject of a cover controversy. How do you propose we bring more attention to books about PoC so that publishers don't feel the need to whitewash the book in order to support the author and so that bookstores are more receptive to selling them?

The truth of the matter is, publishing is a business and money does need to be made. i think when we see a young adult novel featuring a main protagonist of color gain commercial success, we'll be taking strides in the right direction.

I've always said that The Story is the most important thing to me. after all, it's what i poured my heart and soul into. i understand readers being upset over the cover change, because it was symbolic in many ways. there simply isn't anything like Silver Phoenix on the young adult shelves right now. but if the cover change is necessary to give the book a second life in bookstores, of course i'll support it. is the situation ideal? no. but again, until we have that breakout novel...

the very fact that Silver Phoenix is out there amazes me. i did not have a book like that while growing up.

what can readers do to help? buy the novels!! i realize not everyone can afford to buy hardback covers of novels or perhaps, even paperback. but you can certainly help
PoC stories in other ways :

1. request it at your local library.

2. blog about it. talk about it on twitter, fb. almost everyone agrees that word of mouth still carries A LOT of weight when it comes to a novel's success--especially for debut authors who may not be very well known or carried widely in bookstores.

3. review it (this goes with blogging about it).

4. talk about it with your friends!

5. suggest reading the novel for a book club. if participants can't afford to buy, share the novel. or request through the library. i actually had so much fun doing local library teen book club visits.

6. email the author if you've read her/his story and enjoyed it. i can't
tell you how heartened i've been to hear from readers who really connected with my novel. it's why i wrote it in the first place--to be read by others. it takes a lot of courage to write what you love--and hearing from fans is always a courageous reminder for me.

i'm really a believer in being active through positive action.

thanks so much for having me, ari! i really enjoyed this interview
and thanks for all your support of Silver Phoenix.

Thank you for the interview Cindy! I can not recommend Silver Phoenix enough. It is so very unique. Ai Ling is a fighter while still trying to remain true to the time period she lives in. She can be shy, but she is passionate, committed and brave. Plus she loves to eat and the food descriptions are divine!

Furthermore, even if you are angry at the whitewashing of Cindy's covers, don't refuse to buy the book. Email/write to the publishers and bookstore chains decrying the whitewashing of covers. But the fact of the matter is, the publisher is sticking with Cindy and I, personally, appreciate that. I would be highly upset if I never got to read the sequel to Silver Phoenix.

PS The above is a postcard that you could win later on in a swag giveaway! It's a postcard of Silver Phoenix and a new character, Zhong Ye. It's so pretty :)

Upstate

Upstate by Kalisha Buckhannon 2005
St. Martin's Press

Seventeen year old Antonio is in jail for killing his father. He leaves behind a mother, two younger brothers and a devoted girlfriend, Natasha (who is sixteen). The story takes place in Harlem, New York, 1990s. Over the years Antonio and Natasha write to each other. Antonio is trying to maintain his sanity while in jail and plan his future once he's out of jail. Natasha is busy living her own life, she wants to go to a good college, away from home.

These letters felt very raw. They weren't flowery or ridiculously romantic. They are about romantic longing, but so much more. They talk about books, Harlem, their home lives, life in jail. Before jail, Antonio spent a lot of his time trying to be tough and not share details of his private life with Natasha. In the letters, he finally breaks down. I thought this was a bit too convenient, but I let it slide because I wanted to learn more about Antonio's life. Natasha wasn't as interesting to me. I felt that she was almost stereotypical, but that could be more of a result of how many YA books I've read with similar main characters. She was very determined and wanted to go to college and be a lawyer, and she wasn't going to let her economic background get in her way. Which is wonderful, but I felt that I had heard it all before. Antonio's background seemed all too familiar at first, but it got deeper and more unique. Besides being about the two main characters, we also learn A LOT about both of their families, which I really liked. The parents are a presence (for better or worse) and even the siblings have stories that are told.

Antonio's first letter starts with him asking if Natasha believes he kills his father. I was pleased at the fact that Natasha asks him if he did it. She doesn't blindly take his word for it. I understand wanting to see the best in someone you love, but I liked that Natasha was trying to be realistic and honest. One of the strongest parts of this novel is the language. The author writes very powerfully, you feel as if you are reading very private letters (which is against the law since it's not your mail! haha) and maybe you are intruding. At the same time, you can't put the book down because you need to know if Antonio killed his father and you need to know if Antonio and Natasha will stay together. The last letter is written in 1999 and while the letters are getting few and far between, it's evident that Antonio and Natasha still love each other. The question is if they have room in their lives for each other. SPOILER: Highlight to read: I was a bit ticked that Antonio didn't kill his father. Just once I would like to read a story where the main character killed someone on purpose. Not because I would enjoy it, but it would be very interesting to read about motive, etc.* End of Spoiler

Upstate is a sweet story about a not-so-sweet topic. The love story is original, emotional and very genuine. The circumstances the two main characters were born into suck and it's infuriating that they have to go through what they have to go through. They must grow up way sooner than many children. I can't say how authentic this book is in portraying prison life, I'm on the fence about that because I feel that it was a little too safe but at the same time, I've never been to prison so I wouldn't know. The author does an excellent job of creating characters that grab you and you will not forget about them right away. Perhaps one of the simplest but best parts of this book is the fact that it's about two African American teenagers who are deeply in love with each other. We don't see that very often in books or on TV (but we do in real life!) so this was a nice change. I highly recommend this book. Surprisingly not a tearjerker, but still a very moving story.

Disclosure: My mom bought it for my sister and I (it's interesting because my sister is a hopeless romantic and she didn't love this book like I thought she would. Have any romantics read the book? If so, what did you think?

Throwback Thursday is hosted by Take Me Away Reading

PS I wonder if the book had been set in the present day if Natasha and Antonio would have been Facebook friends? Hmmmm. I think so.

Review originally first ran at Reading in Color

The Lady Matador's Hotel

The Lady Matador's Hotel by Cristina Garcia
Set in a luxury hotel, in a fictional Central American capital. The lives of several guests play out over a week's time. The central character is Suki Palacios, a Japanese Mexican American matador. She's in town for the first ever female bull fighting competition. Suki Palacios is a very memorable character. There is strength in her skill and beauty. She commands the attention of everyone.

The ongoing presidential election is an essential part of the story. This novel is filled with strong female protagonists, including ex guerrilla, Aura Estrada. Aura comes face to face with the colonel responsible for the death of her brother.

Garcia has crafted a beautiful, elegant and lyrical story. Only 205 pages, the author takes the less is more approach. I love novels where there's meaning and purpose behind each word and pause.

"Last night Suki visited the cathedral, off the colonial plaza. It was All Souls Day and the whisperings to the dead rose from the pews, circling in the naves until they hummed with a humid sorrow. Suki trusts in the enigmas of the unknown as she does her own eyesight, or the pumping muscles of her heart. The trick is balancing the measurable known against the vast chaos that defines everything else. In medical school, Suki's professors praised her for her lack of sentimentality but they underestimated her respect for the imperceptible."

CMB (Color Me Brown)

Color Me Brown are weekly roundups of links of interests. We link to reviews, interviews, articles/discussion posts, anything that has to do with literature and PoC. Usually we include five links. Please leave a link to a note-worthy post you came across in the comments!

And feel free to email any member of the staff with a link you find interesting. We can't read everything (no matter how hard we try!) so we appreciate the tips.

First up we have at Love YA Lit an interview with author Zetta Elliott (have you read A Wish After Midnight yet? A must read for every.single.person.)

Love YA Lit: It seems like you had several goals with A Wish After Midnight – to create characters that urban youth of color could connect with, to make transparent the connection between what is generally considered terrorism today and the history of racial violence in this country, to introduce readers to aspects of history often left untouched by textbooks, and to create a magical tale set not in some fancy manor in England, but in a garden in Brooklyn. Was there a certain starting point for the story or a primary goal? How did this all come together in one novel?

Zetta Elliott: One of my female students asked me that recently. I’m lucky in that I’ve been able to design a life that allows me to focus on my interests—ALL the time! I teach black feminist cultural criticism, I studied representations of racial violence in graduate school, I’m interested in the symptoms and responses to trauma, and I grew up believing in magic. Add to that my love for Brooklyn, and I couldn’t have written anything BUT A Wish After Midnight! I write the books I wish I’d had as a child, and I try to honor my varied experiences. It took me a long time to let go of the shame I was made to feel as a teen simply because I was a black girl who liked Jane Austen, New Edition, and Duran Duran. James Baldwin said to “trust your experience,” and that’s what I try to do.

Then at A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy we have a review of The Aristobrats.

Ikea (“pronounced I-kay-a, like the exotic African lodge where she was conceived, not I-kee-ya, like the un-exotic Swedish furniture store“), is one of the few children of color at Wallingford and the only African American girl in her class. She’s Miss Preppy and under tremendous pressure from her attorney father to go to Yale, just like he did. When Ikea is introduced, she has glossy straight hair and hazel eyes. She gets annoyed that people think she should date the only African American boy at Wally. A scene midway through the book shows Ikea sits in the bathroom straightening her hair with a hot comb and putting in contact lenses to hide her brown eyes. The Aristobrats raise questions abouts beauty and the under-representation of children of color at Wallingford, without being a heavy-handed message book.

This next link is a bit older but I adored Thomas Chatterton Williams' memoir, Losing My Cool, so I simply had to share this. From MyBrownBaby. It's about the author's fear of his very high SAT score. What will his friends say? Read the post, then buy his memoir. An excellent read.

The thing is that I was one of a handful of students in the entire school—and the only black student in my graduating class, which had a considerable black and Latino minority—to receive a perfect score on any of the various College Board exams. I was also very definitely not trying to draw attention to this fact—at least not in front of my black hip-hop- and sports-obsessed peers. Along with a quick stutter-step dribble and a reliable pull-up jumper, I’d worked hard to develop the ability to keep it real. What that meant for my friends and me, “keeping it real,” was that we devoted our lives to sports and rapping, to pulling mad shorties, and to throwing the hands whenever disrespected, but we did not give a damn about book learning or what my father, Pappy, called “the life of the mind.” For years, I’d been leading a double existence of sorts, checking my cool at the door after school and studying for the SATs with Pappy as though my whole world hinged on it. Most of my friends had no idea what I did at home.

Another letter to Borders! This one is by Tricia Sullivan

I'm not seeing a post-racial society reflected in the book industry. Only in the last year in YA fiction, Justine Larbalestier's Liar and Jacyln Dolamore's Magic Under Glass raised public outcry online when their publishers proposed selling the books with whitewashed covers. There was an outcry from readers and the covers were indeed, changed. However, if booksellers like Borders will not stock books featuring people of color on the covers, then it gets harder to blame the publishers alone.

In fact, it's not a stretch to see why it is hard to find publishers for books by and about people of color in the first place. After all, publishers will only acquire what they think they can sell. The argument coming from booksellers and publishers alike seems to be that consumers do not buy books with people of color on the cover. This sounds like a self-fulfilling prophecy to me. I buy lots of books by authors of color--in fact, I seek them out. But sometimes I have to shop online to get the books

Last, but not least! Author Mitali Perkins has a list of Funny Books Featuring Multicultural Protagonists. Bookmark it! Below is a sample

Young Adult

FREAK MAGNET by Andrew Auseon
THE MAKING OF DR. TRUELOVE by Derrick Barnes
SHE'S SO MONEY by Cherry Cheva
WHALE TALK by Chris Crutcher
WE WERE HERE by Matt De La Peña
SOPHOMORE UNDERCOVER by Ben Esch

Have a great week!

Women Writers of Color: Jennifer Cervantes

Full name: Jennifer Cervantes

Birth date: 12/30

Location: San Diego, Ca.

Website/blog: www.jennifercervantes.com

Genre: Middle-Grade Fiction

WiP or most recently published work: TORTILLA SUN

How frequently do you update your site? It all depends on events, press, reviews. Some months are busier than others. But I'd say at least once every couple of months.

Is your site designed for reader interaction? Only via email and I always answer back :) Also, my facebook page is definitely interactive and I invite readers to friend me and fan the Tortilla Sun fan page.

Post of note, something in particular you want readers to check out: check out my tortilla making video on my website. Nothing like 'em. :)

Top 5 reads you’re looking forward to reading in 2010?

1. THE DREAMER

2. ESCAPING THE TIGER

3. THE HEALING SPELL

4. MOCKINGJAY

5. BLEEDING VIOLET

100 words or less how would you describe your work?

My writing is centered on heart. I try to create authentic characters with depth and complexities that kids can relate to. Ultimately, I want to engage readers with my writing in a real and meaningful way whether you are 8 or 98.

In Tortilla Sun, you feature elements of magic. Why did you decide to add magical realism to the novel instead of simply making it realistic fiction? There is so much mysticism and beauty in the Hispanic culture and in order to authentically highlight the characters, setting, and plot of tortilla sun, I knew I wanted to draw on the elements of magical realism to make the story come to life.

Does your Latina heritage have a big influence on your work? If so, how? Absolutely. The Hispanic experience is broad and diverse and for me, my own experiences of growing up with one foot in one culture and one foot in the other influences my characters and even their need for belonging. I often draw on my own memories, like eating homemade tortillas in my grandmother's kitchen. Also, my love for my culture whether it's the food, religion, holidays, or traditions is something I want to share with others.

100 words or less please share your thoughts on children and reading:

Children's reading literacy is something I hold close to my heart. I was an avid reader as a child; reading enriched my life in so many ways. It carried me to other worlds where my imagination soared. One of my goals as an author is to contribute what I can to not only improve literacy but to get kids excited about reading, even if it's in one child's life. For this reason, I am participating in reading rock stars (an arm of the Texas Book Festival) and working on other local efforts to ensure that children have the opportunity to let their imaginations soar.

Thank you so much for this interview Jennifer! I highly recommend Tortilla Sun, but be warned: you need to have tortillas and other Mexican food items near you :) The characters are authentic, the magic adds a nice spin and the author's pride in her heritage shines through. Color Online review of Tortilla Sun