Though the issue of minority representation in children? books has garnered attention for decades, the disparity has increased during the recent recession, according to the Cooperative Children?s Book Center at UW-Madison?s School of Education, which tracks how many children?s books published each year feature minority authors and characters. The center found 3.6 percent of children?s literature published last year featured black authors, main characters or themes and 1.7 percent featured Hispanics, both the lowest proportions over the past decade.
Quoted: UW-Madison librarian Megan Schliesman