Tips from a Bookseller

Check out this post, "True or False? Multicultural Books Don't Sell," on Lee and Low's blog, "The Open Book," by guest blogger and bookseller (also Publishers Weekly columnist and children's book author) Elizabeth Bluemle.

Her tips for booksellers on selling racially and culturally diverse books can be applied to anyone who works with children and books (see post for explanations, examples and links):

1. Examine our own assumptions and unspoken biases.
2. Be aware that color-blindness isn’t the goal, but color-inclusiveness is.
3. Booktalk a range of books to your customers, remembering that it’s always story that hooks them in.
4. If race isn’t an issue in the book, don’t make it an issue in your booktalk. 
5. Become familiar with a wider array of books, especially from small presses specializing in multicultural books.
6. Let your customers know that you carry a strong selection of multicultural books.
7. If you are looking for resources, there are many great blogs that review multicultural books.
8. Books are books.
9. Finally, let publishers know BY YOUR SALES that you welcome and want and need diverse children’s books.

Also check out the latest updates to Elizabeth's searchable diversity books database on Library Thing, "which lists almost 900 children’s books featuring main characters of color where race is NOT the driving issue of the story."