Any time I see a cause that supports Children's literacy, I immediately want to support it. There are too many benefits to children reading to list, but children who read diverse books are even more likely to be empathetic and well-adjusted humans as they grow up. It's a cause taken by the nonprofit We Need Diverse Books, an important organization that wants to help diverse authors get their books into the hands of readers. In addition, they have declared April 3rd as "We Need Diverse Books" Day - and to celebrate I picked some of my favorite diverse YA books that I would love to get into the hands of more students.
1. Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy
This book broke me in all the best ways - and is a fantastic way to show off the diverse messiness that comes from being a teenager. The magic system is unique, and the curse of forgetting these two accidentally cast on themselves is something I had never read before. It also has very modern problems that all teenagers would relate to, done in an entertaining way. Overall, this book was in my top 10 for last year, and I think it's an important one for teenagers to read.
2. Sleep Like Death by Kalynn Bayron
Imagine if in Snow White the Evil Queen wasn't actually evil. If she had wished for a child and tried to delay the payment, it would have caused consequences. What if the magic mirror wasn't actually a mirror but a man? All of these combine into the most interesting Snow White retelling I have ever read. It takes everything we love about the classic story and presents it in a wholly unique way. Not to mention, it's a part of a bigger fairy tale universe, and made me put Cinderella is Dead on my TBR before I had ever finished the book.
3. Snowglobe by Soyoung Park
Snowglobe was also one of my top 10 books last year, and it's one I have been anxiously awaiting the translation of the sequel for. I don't think I have seen as scathing a critique of reality TV since The Hunger Games first came out, and honestly, in a lot of ways, it is better. I loved the world it created, how climate change accidentally made the world freeze. But the mystery and subtle magic of this world have me chomping at the bit for the next part.
4. Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy
If you like your magic with a side of music, then this book is for you. An accidental obedience spell takes Leo and Grimm on an adventure. It's got cozy romantasy vibes, that reminded me a lot of Ella Enchanted - the movie, not the book. I also adored the magic system within this book, loving how its focus on teamwork simultaneously caused the problems and the solution. Not to mention, the enemies-to-lovers vibes are perfect for those who need an introduction to the trope, so they'll be hooked for life.
5. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
While I would recommend the other four books on this list to any teenager, Iron Widow and its sequel Heavenly Tyrant are definitely for those about to age out of the YA genre. However, the plot of starting a rebellion and figuring out what to do with the country after is one that I found important to read about, with more than justified female rage. Not to mention, its inspiration of Chinese history had me start to learn more about where their culture came from, making it for multiple fascinating research rabbit holes.