UW–Madison’s Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC) was highlighted in May and again in June by Publisher’s Weekly (PW), which “offers feature articles and news on all aspects of the book business, bestsellers lists in a number of categories, and industry statistics.”
Administratively housed in the School of Education and also supported by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, the CCBC serves as a resource to Wisconsin schools, teachers, librarians, and others interested in children’s and young adult literature. The center’s team of librarians works to: provide expertise in contemporary children’s and young adult literature; increase diversity in children’s and young adult literature; provide intellectual freedom services to schools and public libraries; and recommend outstanding books for children and teenagers.
The article in May looks at how the CCBC has changed through the years, expanding its mission to track the number of books published by and about BIPOC people. Through its Diversity Statistics, the center has found that diversity in children’s books has increased significantly since the program’s start in 1985.
The article notes that “there is more representation of intersectional identities,” as well.
CCBC director Tessa Michaelson Schmidt says: “It’s not just about one ‘fill-in-the-blank’ kid; it’s about multiple primary characters having intersectional identities. Someone might be a Latina who is gay and also has a learning disability — and her best friend is white, Jewish, and nonbinary. There’s more nuance in terms of representation, and we’re seeing an increased authenticity of what intersectional lives look like and how they’re portrayed in children’s books.”
In June, CCBC published its 2022 Diversity Statistics, which were also highlighted by PW. This article looks at the CCBC’s 2022 findings, and includes additional statements from Schmidt. The CCBC found that diversity among the books the center received almost doubled in some areas, which is “encouraging,” according to Schmidt.
“If this trend continues, we may soon see a world in which publishing for children and teens consistently reflects the rich diversity of perspectives and experiences within and across race and culture,” Schmidt concludes.