Last November, an eleven-year-old girl named Marley Dias decided to make a stand. She was tired of reading books that didn’t reflect her. She felt that most of the books she read in school were about “white boys and dogs,” so she started a book drive. But not just any old book drive. She started the #1000BlackGirlBooks movement.

Through her campaign, Marley hoped to collect 1,000 books which feature a black girl as the main character. As Marley’s movement went viral, donations poured in from around the world. To date, Marley has exceeded her goal.

She plans to donate the books to the parish of St. Mary in Jamaica, where her mother is from, as well as schools in Newark, Philadelphia, and her own school in West Orange, NJ. Marley also intends to continue the movement so more diverse books can reach children in other schools.

This lack of diversity in children’s books has become a major issue in the publishing world today. Individuals like Marley and groups like We Need Diverse Books are bringing to light the fact that sadly, there is not much variation seen in children’s books. There is a growing need for books which depict characters of differing skin colors, genders, sexual orientation, ethnicities, cultural or religious backgrounds, as well as those with physical or mental disabilities.

It’s extremely important for all children to read diverse books for several reasons.

1. Diverse books reflect the world today – Our society is made up of many different ethnicities, cultural and religious backgrounds. It is filled with people of different genders, sexual orientations, and those with differing physical and mental capabilities. Not exposing children to that fact can hurt them in the future.

2. Promotes social and cultural awareness – Such books bring about an understanding of the many different people and cultures in our world. They aid in developing empathy toward others and a reduction in stereotyping, which leads to an increase in social development.

3. Allows children of different backgrounds to identify with a character – It’s important for children to “see” themselves in a book and to relate to a main character. A young girl in a wheelchair wants to read about someone in a similar situation. It promotes her willingness to read which in turn, helps increase her reading skills.

4. Helps kids see the world – Books have the ability to transport us anywhere in the world. It’s important to expose children to different languages, cultures, and places.

5. Dispels misconceptions and stereotypes – Unfortunately, society has a tendency to stereotype. Reading books by diverse authors featuring diverse characters is a way to counteract these biases. They highlight the similarities and common feelings between us all, and help promote acceptance and tolerance.

Help children discover themselves and the world around them through books. Be sure to check out Goodreads.com and theguardian.com for some great and diverse recommendations.

Do you have a good book to add? If so, comment below.