As A Diverse Species With Variants Rivalling That Of Aquatic Life, Mermaids Are Naturally Accepting Of

As a diverse species with variants rivalling that of aquatic life, mermaids are naturally accepting of all features. 12ft tall mermom with 8 arms and 3 sets of teeth: Say bye-bye to the tiny mermaid with two lovely tails…! :) Baby mermaid: [waves goodbye] Scuba diver:

Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Black Authors Celebrating Black Joy

In 1990, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop published a seminal essay entitled ‘Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors’ which brought about an examination of trends in children’s literature, especially with regard to featuring diverse characters. 31 years later, the Children’s and YA publishing world has made some progress, but there is still much more work to be done with actively promoting diversity in this field.

Fiction and Graphic Novel Recommendations

Parker Looks Up | Curry, Parker & Jessica Recommended for ages 3-6 When Parker Curry visited the National Portrait Gallery, she became mesmerized by Amy Sherald’s portrait of Michelle Obama, thinking she was a queen.

Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut | Barnes, Derrick & James, Gordon C. Recommended for ages 3-7 Garnering Caldecott, Newbery, and Coretta Scott King honors, this book celebrates the magnificent feeling that comes from leaving a barber shop with a new ‘do.

Sulwe| Nyong'o, Lupita & Harrison, Vashti Recommended for ages 3-7 When Sulwe’s classmates make fun of her dark skin, a shooting star’s tale of the sisters Night and Day helps her understand there is beauty and worth in every shade.

I Am Every Good Thing | Barnes, Derrick & James, Gordon C. Recommended for ages 3-8 The confident Black narrator of this book is proud of everything that makes him who he is. He’s got big plans, and no doubt he’ll see them through.

Magnificent Homespun Brown | Doyon, Samara Cole & Juanita, Kaylani Recommended for ages 3-8 Told by a succession of exuberant young narrators, this is a story as well as a song, a poem, and a celebration about feeling at home in one’s own beloved skin.

Hands Up! | McDaniel, Breanna J. & Evans, Shane W. Recommended for ages 3-8 A young girl lifts her hands up in a series of everyday moments before finally raising her hands in resistance at a protest march.

Your Name is a Song | Thompkins-Bigelow, Jamilah Recommended for age 3-8 After the frustrating experience of having her name continually mispronounced, a child learns to celebrate the beauty, history, and magic behind names of diverse origins.

Bedtime Bonnet| Redd, Nancy & Myers, Nneka Recommended for ages 3-9 As family members braid, brush, twirl, roll, and tighten their hair before bedtime, putting on kerchiefs, wave caps, and other protective items, the little sister cannot find her bonnet.

Rocket Says Look Up | Bryon, Nathan & Adeola, Dapo Recommended for ages 4-7 Aspiring astronaut Rocket draws her community together to see a rare appearance of the Phoenix Meteor Showers, hoping especially that her big brother, Jamal, will look up from his phone.

All Because You Matter | Charles, Tami & Collier, Bryan Recommended for ages 4-8 A lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and Brown children everywhere reminds them how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.

A Place Inside of Me | Elliott, Zetta & Denmon, Noa Recommended for ages 4-8 In this powerful, affirming poem by an award-winning author, a Black child explores his shifting emotions throughout the year: fear grows into anger, then pride and peace.

See the full list here.

25 notes View Post

learned-something-new-today

3 years ago

Character Development : A Collection of Resources

Patreon || Ko-Fi || Masterlist || Work In Progress

–

Resources

Resources For Creating Characters

Resources For Describing Characters

Resources For Writing The Mafia

Resources For Writing Royalty

Commentary on Social Issues In Writing

General Tips

Guide to Character Development

How To Fit Character Development Into Your Story

Tips on Character Consistency

Designing A Character From Scratch

Making characters for your world

Characters First, Story Second Method

Understanding Your Character

Tips on Character Motivations

31 Days of Character Development : May 2018 Writing Challenge

How To Analyze A Character

Alternative Method of Character Creation

Connecting To Your Own Characters

Interview As Your Characters

Flipping Character Traits On Their Head

Character Driven vs. Plot Driven Stories

Traits

Tips On Writing About Mental Illness

Giving Your Protagonists Negative Traits

Giving Characters Distinct Voices in Dialogue

Giving Characters Flaws

Making Characters More Unique

Keeping Characters Realistic

Archetypes

Writing Good Villains

Creating Villains

Guide to Writing The Hero

Positive Character Development Without Romanticizing Toxic Behavior

Tips on Writing Cold & Distant Characters

Balancing Multiple Main Characters

Creating Diverse Otherworld Characters

Foreshadowing The Villain

–

Masterlist | WIP Blog

If you enjoy my blog and wish for it to continue being updated frequently and for me to continue putting my energy toward answering your questions, please consider Buying Me A Coffee, or pledging your support on Patreon, where I offer early access and exclusive benefits for only $5/month.

Shoutout to my $15+ patron, Douglas S.!