What children read shape their thoughts of themselves, others, and the world. Therefore books need to include diversity. Penn GSE expert on children's literature, Ebony Thomas, believes all kids need all stories about all kinds of people. She was recently interviewed by Vulture. She was asked how should the writer draw the line between referencing one's own race and still be relatively raceless. Ebony believes that you can't escape race, but we can do better representing each other humanely in our stories. When asked how do fingerprints in children's literature influence children's thought process of race, she replied that right now we only have anecdotal evidence. For example, the doll test. Many Black children preferred a White doll over a Black doll. This may be the same for books. Many protagonists are white. When asked what teachers can do to help children get away from the fatigue of the history of pain, Ebony responded that kids need a balance of stories. Mainstream audiences should have alternatives.
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