Flying Lessons & Other Stories

In 2014, Ellen Oh, author of young adult and middle grade books, spearheaded a campaign centered around the need for more diverse representation in children’s books. What started as a social media movement in response to an all-white, all-male panel of authors at a publishing convention, eventually grew into the nonprofit organization known as We Need Diverse Books (WNDB). As founder and CEO, Oh teamed up with other authors and publishing professionals to tackle these inequities.

WNDB defines diverse experiences as “including (but not limited to) LGBTQIA, Native, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities,” noting that its definition of disability broadly includes not just physical and mental disabilities, but mental illness and addiction as well, often created by social barriers (“About Us.” We Need Diverse Books, 2023). With this definition in mind, their aim is to promote literacy and empathy while diversifying the publishing industry and reducing bias. Ultimately, WNDB strives for more children to see themselves reflected in the texts they read.

To tackle these goals, Oh and her team created a wide range of programs supporting authors, illustrators, publishers, and classrooms across the United States. As a result, WNDB has helped change the landscape of children’s and youth publishing, boosting the number of diverse texts, some of which have won prestigious awards like the Newbery Medal.