Image: Scott, J. (2014, December 4). The challenge in finding black children’s books [photo]. Retrieved from http://mochaparents.com/black-childrens-books/
Being able to see yourself in the books you read is not only affirming your identity in the world, but also lets readers know that they matter. After listening to the two episodes from the Scholastic Reads podcast, I Exist: Why Representation in Children’s Books Matter (2017) and Openly, Honestly Bill: Bill Koenigsberg on Reading and Writing with Pride (2017), the authors confirmed my beliefs. Daniel Holder, the author of Shadowshapers series, argued that children of color need to
see themselves not as villains, but as heroes who are capable of doing amazing things. Author Wendy Shang said that it was important for children to see themselves in books because it gives children hope to pursue their goals and build aspirations. Bill Koenigsberg puts himself in his characters to show that while coming out as gay has its opponents, he assures readers that they are still loved and are no different from anyone else in the world.
As these authors have shared, being able to connect with the book and walk in the character’s shoes is important. It will allow the reader to connect, to believe, and to understand that they are worthy of being seen and heard. Children and teens need to be able to confirm their identities in the world, and one way to do this is to give books teens can relate to. Whether it be urban fiction where they can see themselves in the “hood”, or learning about astronauts like Sally Ride and Mae Jameson, they can see themselves in their shoes and join in their journey. These are primarily the reasons why I would want to build a diverse collection; to give our youth a chance to see themselves in a positive light (outside of the news and society) and to build self confidence. As a librarian, I know I did my job if I gave him/her a book that made them believe that anything and everything is possible.
If in fact our collection were successful with the teens, I would love to share what we learned and provide best practices to my colleagues at other branches and eventually, libraries across the country. Since teens are very active on social media (Choi, 2016), I 
would suggest that librarians tap into them as a valuable resource. I would also want to appeal librarians to think about diversity as a goal for their libraries to show that they are inclusive intuitions. Along with sharing tips about forming teen advisory groups, creating book displays and book lists, conducting programs and outreach using materials with diverse characters, I would want to leave critics with this question: “imagine if you were a minority, female, gay, or Muslim, how would you feel if your library didn’t supply you with books you see yourself in?” In starting this thought-provoking challenge, my hope is that librarians come on board with the diverse books movement, and that all libraries will supply materials where youth can see themselves in the books they read.
References
Choi, M.H.K. (2016, August 25). Like. Flirt. Ghost: A journey into the social media lives of teens. Wired. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2016/08/how-teens-use-social-media/
Scholastics Read. (2017, October 26). I exist: Why representation in children’s books matters. Retrieved from http://oomscholasticblog.com/podcast
Scholastics Read. (2017, June 8). Openly honest Bill: Bill Koenigsberg on reading and writing with pride. Retrieved from http://oomscholasticblog.com/podcast
Stacks, Imagination, Infinite Possibilties 