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Cultural issues are generally those in which what a child experiences as a part of their culture clashes with the way that the world around them portrays that culture. Like the #ownvoices phenomenon described in the section “Diversity,” earlier in this chapter, books about different cultures and writers from nonmainstream cultures can really expand children’s understanding of the world and make them feel that they belong.

Some outstanding picture book entries in this genre include M Is for Melanin, by Tiffany Rose (Little Bee Books), an ABC book that also comes as a board book, celebrating and providing Black-positive messages. Figure 3-23 features They’re So Flamboyant, a picture book about acceptance and stereotyping.

Middle-grade titles worth exploring include Tight, by Torrey Maldonado (Puffin Books), about a kid in the projects whose mom supports his laid-back nature, while his dad wants him to toughen up to his surroundings. Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish, by Pablo Cartaya (Puffin Books), is about a Latino boy and the estranged father whom he confronts in a trip to Puerto Rico.

Young adult books about cultural differences are, understandably for the age group, much more complicated than titles for younger children. Although many middle-grade books are a celebration of cultural differences, YA books in this genre confront more difficult issues. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by bestselling author Sherman Alexie (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers), is about a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. American Street, by Ibi Zobol (Balzer + Bray), a National Book Award finalist, draws on the author’s experiences as a young Haitian immigrant. With the Fire on High, by Elizabeth Acevedo (Quill Tree Books), covers the experiences of a young Latina teenage mother.

From They’re So Flamboyant. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Magination Press/American Psychological Association/Harry N. Abrams. Text © 2021 Michael Genhart. Illustrations © 2021 Tony Neal.

FIGURE 3-23: A picture book about acceptance and stereotyping.