Guest Post by Austin Author Cynthia Leitich Smith
This is the second week in a series of author guest posts about diversity in children’s literature and the BookPeople Modern First Library initiative. Author Chris Barton shared his thoughts last week here and here. For more about BookPeople’s Modern First Library initiative, and for more recommendations of wonderful new and classic picture books to read, visit bookpeople.com.
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After ballet classes, I visited a nearby bookstore. On Saturday mornings, my mama took me to our public library. Between second and third grade, I won the library’s summer contest for the most books read.
I loved Story. But it wasn’t Story that made me feel the Force.
It was, in 1977, Princess Leia—or more specifically, her hair.
I don’t recall having read a single children’s book about an American Indian. This was before the Cooperative Children’s Book Center began keeping track…
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