An easy assumption to make with the recent boom surrounding diversity in children's is that this is a new discussion, that the voices on the large media outlets are bringing up entirely new and unexplored ideas (this is a frustration Sumayyah Daud describes in her post for YA Highway titled "I'm Still Here"). Hopefully readers of these articles have also noticed the careful references to the long and troubled past of this discussion as Christopher Myers describes watching his father struggle to publish certain texts and as many of the articles quickly cite Nancy Larrick's "The All-White World of Children's Books" published in 1965. But some of the voices that have been tirelessly shouting to be heard and make a change in publishing are those authors, readers, teachers, reviewers, and overall book and equality lovers. These writers have been publishing their words on diversity in children's literature for years now, by passing the blocks of larger media sources by using personal websites, blogs, and social media sites like facebook, twitter, and tumblr. One such powerful duo, YA authors Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon, created a website specifically devoted to this cause titled Diversity in YA, and have continued to expand the site ever since, adding a tumblr page and twitter account in order to reach as many followers as possible. Back in November 2013, Lo and Pon were interviewed by Lucy Nisbet in an article for YA Interrobang. In it, Lo and Pon talk about the following and the fellowship they've developed through their various online outlets. Nisbet credits the growth of the overall discussion of diversity in children's literature to online sources and discussions much like Lo and Pons: "Awareness of the lack of diversity in books, TV shows and films for teenagers has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly on the internet. This awareness is in part thanks to the rising number of blogs and websites like Diversity in YA, which encourage readers and writers to think critically about representation in the stories they enjoy." 

 

With these resources playing such an important part in the history--and, most certainly, the future--of this discussion, I plan to use this page to collect several of the sources in a single spot for others to see (especially since a summary of their work and discussion would span years of involvement). 

 

Below you can read about a few such sites and authors. Click on the icon to go to their specific social media site. Most have accompanying websites as well which can be found listed beneath the description of their social media work.