Читать книгу Writing Children's Books For Dummies - Peter Economy - Страница 73

The genre that focuses on diversity (formerly referred to as multicultural in publishing) can really pull in a child audience. Publishers want writers who have been traditionally marginalized or whose culture, background, race, or sexual orientation gives them insight into issues of diversity in a unique way. Referred to as #ownvoices in publishing, publishers want to bring the voices of writers from all over the world who’ve had experiences that make them the ideal spokesperson for an issue, such as the picture book and middle-grade book about diversity shown in Figure 3-20.

You may be tempted to write about a culture that’s not your own. But the controversy over the adult novel American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummings (Flatiron Books), demonstrates that writers can sometimes face a backlash and be accused of cultural appropriation, even if they’re not writing an educational book. In Cummings’ book, a New York Times bestseller, she wrote about a Latinx woman who has to flee Acapulco to make her way to North America. Cummings was severely criticized over the fact that she’s not a Latinx writer, so she wasn’t writing about experiences she herself had. Is this fair? The glowing reviews her book received across the board, and the fact that Oprah chose her for her book club, did not douse the fire.

a) From book covers/jackets published by Abrams Books/Magination Press/American Psychological Association. Used by permission of Harry N. Abrams, New York. All rights reserved. May Your Life Be Deliciosa text © 2021 Michael Genhart. Illustrations © 2021 Loris Lora. b) Cady and the Bear Necklace cover reprinted by permission of the author. © 2019 Ann Dallman.

FIGURE 3-20: Dealing with diversity.

If you choose to write about cultures not your own (call it cultural appreciation), keep in mind that people of that culture might get offended if you don’t get it exactly right. So research your heart out and get a sensitivity reader (someone who checks the sensitive issues in the book, which we talk about in Chapter 7) in that culture or field to make sure that your book rings true.