The Diversity in YA Fiction site is hosting a Diversify Your Summer Reading Challenge that is open to US librarians, bloggers and readers. If you have always wanted to incorporate more diversity in your reading then this is the challenge for you! There will be an opportunity to win some wonderful books at the end of the summer after you complete the challenge.
Challenge rules:
Read any diverse YA or MG book that you like. For the challenge, a diverse book is defined as: (1) main characters or major secondary characters (e.g., a love interest or best friend kind of character) who are of color or are LGBT or (2) written by a person of color or LGBT author. If you need some suggestions, check out their suggested lists: monthly lists of new books, and these book lists at Black Teens Read.
Library participants: Librarians are invited to incorporate diverse middle grade and young adult novels into your summer reading programs, whether it’s as a book display, a book club event, or a book list you’ve created to share with your patrons. Please take photos or shoot video of your display or event and share them with Diversity in YA!
Readers and Book Bloggers: Readers and book bloggers are invited to read diverse MG and YA books throughout the summer (you choose the books!) and write an essay (at least 500 words) about your experience. You can post it on your website, Blogger, LiveJournal, Tumblr, or on Facebook; your post should be publicly readable.
Judging: Authors Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo (Diversity in YA Fiction founders) will select one grand prize winner in each category, and that winner will receive a giant collection of fabulous MG and YA books. In addition, their favorite blog posts may be posted on www.diversityinya.com later this year.
The deadline for all entries is September 1, 2011.
These are the books I have lined up to read over the summer:
Stay With Me by Paul Griffin
Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff
Ruined by Paula Morris
The Benny Imura series by Jonathan Maberry
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma (currently reading this one)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
Chain Reaction (Perfect Chemistry series) by Simone Elkeles
There are tons of titles to choose from. I’m excited to start reading some of these amazing books!
If you have any questions about the challenge please visit the challenge host site at Diversity in YA Fiction. Have a great summer of reading!
