Hi, and welcome to my page of Resources for Writing Marginalized Perspectives! Representation is awesome, but is it awesome if done poorly? The answer may surprise you! (The answer is no. Did that surprise you? Lord, I hope not.) Before I kick off with this ever-evolving page, I want to point out that We Need Diverse Books has a page of Resources for Writers. Check that out; I won’t repeat those sites here.
Please note that this page is a work in progress, as resource pages should be! It’s also focused primarily on YA and NA, with a toe dipped into MG, as per everything else I do. Book lists are not meant to be remotely all-encompassing; please feel free to leave recs in the comments.
Before we get to specifics, a few posts on actually writing diverse characters, period:
- 12 Fundamentals of Writing “The Other” (and the Self), by Daniel José Older
- The Key to Moving Beyond Checklisting is Not LESS Diversity, by the bloggers of Writing With Color, via Shira Glassman
- Writing, Tonto & the Wise-Cracking Minority Sidekick Who is the First to Die, by Cynthia Leitich Smith (h/t Deb Reese)
Also, none of the below research listed is to the exclusion of basics like “Find betas from the group you’re writing about*” and “consume media created by that group for that group” just to be clear!
*Some betas/editors you can hire to do expertise reads on certain backgrounds (read pages for details):
- S.E. Smith
- Writing in the Margins Sensitivity Reader Database (compiled by Justina Ireland)
And a collection of important tweets by Kayla Whaley to keep in mind re: having sensitivity readers, Storified here.
And now…
Racial/Cultural/Ethnic Diversity
There is no better research than listening to the perspectives of people around you who walk in the skin and experiences you’re trying to represent. No author is (or should be) representing an entire race or culture with one or two characters, but they are presenting valid experiences based on living them, to which it is incredibly important to give voice. It’s impossible to make a rec list here that isn’t a billion books long, and truth be told, there are far better places to get them; there’s a huge list of resources for racially diverse booklists here. A few of my personal favorite books written by people of color with main characters of their same background include:
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera
- Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed
- Pointe by Brandy Colbert
- If You Could Be Mine and Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel by Sara Farizan
- Under a Painted Sky and Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
- Fake ID by Lamar Giles
- Since You Asked by Maurene Goo
- To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han
- This Side of Home by Renee Watson
- The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds
- The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
- Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
- Gabi, Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quinteiro
The Brown Bookshelf is a great site with kidlit recs of books by Black authors, and Latinx in Kidlit is a great site for books by Latinx authors and/or featuring Latinx characters.
Curly Nikki is another great resource for writing Black characters’ hair. (h/t Megan Erickson and Candice Montgomery).
“Dear Non-Asian Writer” is a great post by YA author Stacey Lee (that also quotes a number of other Asian American authors) on things to keep in mind when writing Asian characters
Mitali Perkins has a great Writing Race checklist (h/t We Need Diverse Books)
Really key for historical fiction: Medieval PoC
For all things Native American, see Deb Reese‘s site, devoted to Native kid lit and representation.
This tweet contains great Tumblr posts on writing bilingual characters: https://twitter.com/shsIIuck/status/868899506850373632
Book lists:
- Since racial diversity is still massively lacking in New Adult, here’s a Goodreads list of NA with main characters of color. (Please note that I cannot control the titles added to a list of my creation. I can only speak for the books for which I have “voted.”)
- I also have a Goodreads shelf called Interracial Romance, with varying degrees of that aspect being relevant.
- Author Ava Jae compiled an excellent collection of diverse book lists here.
One thing I think we don’t talk about a lot is diversity of location, and having other cultures represented in YA/NA even if the main character is not of that culture. So, here‘s a list of 20 of my favorite YAs set outside the US.
LGTBQIAP
In case you’re not already familiar, I run a site called LGBTQReads that I highly recommend checking out.
As with books featuring racial diversity, there’s no substitute for reading queer books by openly queer people. While authors aren’t necessarily writing their own experiences, no one can be more intimately familiar with the feelings and issues behind being a queer kid/teen as someone who is/was a queer kid/teen. A few great ones that very strongly focus on the experience here:
- George by Alex Gino (MG – T)
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (YA – G)
- The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily Danforth (YA – L)
- Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown (YA – L)
- Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz (YA – B)
- Far From You by Tess Sharpe (YA – B)
- *None of the Above by I.W. Gregorio (YA – I)
- If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo (YA – T)
- Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz (YA – NB)
*Author is not Intersex, but the book is heavily endorsed by many people who are. To the best of my knowledge, there’s no traditionally published MG, YA, or NA with an Intersex MC by an Intersex author.
Plus a fuller list of LGBTQIAP+ books by authors who identify as such here.
Writing a queer character? Check these posts out:
Gay/Lesbian:
- Love this post by Kelly J. Ford via Dead Darlings – Beyond the Closet: Writing Gay Characters
Bisexual:
- One of my favorite diversity sites is DiversifYA, and I especially love this interview about bisexuality with Tristina Wright
Transgender:
- Vee of Gay YA put together a fantastic Compendium of Posts on Trans Representation
- Two great posts regarding trans characters: How to Talk About GEORGE, by Alex Gino, and Why We Need Trans Romance, by EE Ottoman
- This thread by Corey Alexander has a whole bunch of great resources in it.
- This Storify by Meredith Russo, Trans Info for Cis Writers, is a a super honest collection of tweets focused on sexuality, the effects of hormones, and other stuff that is super informative for cis writers writing trans characters, particularly MTF
- A hugely important resource on the internet is Corey Alexander’s database of reviews of trans/NB books by trans/NB reviewers. I highly advocate using it to see what books make for good representation, what doesn’t, and why.
Intersex:
- Similarly, author/editor Bogi Takács has a page on eir blog where e reviews intersex books.
Asexual:
- h/t to Vee of Gay YA for directing me to this piece in Vitality – How to Write an Asexual Character
- For more great tips on writing an Asexual character, check out The Writing Cafe and this list of character-development questions by Anignori
- Be aware of microaggressions etc. with The Aphobia Masterpost created by Live Blogging My Descent Into Madness
- For research, Claudie Arseneault has created an incredible database of aromantic and/or asexual rep in books
Two-Spirit:
- Why Non-Natives Appropriating “Two-Spirit” Hurts by Kai Minosh, via Black Girl Dangerous
YA Pride did a really excellent Blogathon featuring people in different walks of publishing on the subject of LGBTQ YA. I highly recommend reading basically all their posts from May 2015, but if you only read one before writing your book, make it No Dumbledores Need Apply, by T.S. Ferguson. I’d also recommend Friendships are Hard, by John Hansen, on focusing on friendships in LGBTQ YA and not just the romance, because this is pretty damn underdone in YA. (And, FWIW, I contributed this post on “Making Choices in LGBTQ YA,” which is pretty specifically geared toward writers.)
Amanda MacGregor and Karen Jensen do a great series on sexual violence in YA Lit (#SVYALit), and focused on those issues specifically within LGBTQ YA in the month of August 2015. I highly recommend checking out that series for more on consent, microaggressions, same-sex assault/rape, and more. (My contribution was “Why Heteronormativity in YA Hurts More Than You Think.”)
For my favorite thorough and articulate resource on Asexuality, make your life all about Julie Sondra Decker, especially her book, The Invisible Orientation.
H/t to author Brigid Kemmerer for this Savage Love article called “Father Figures,” which advises a dad on how to broach his suspicion that his son is gay, she said helped her write a gay character by showing a parent’s perspective.
Religion
#FSYALit is a really interesting series on Teen Librarian Toolbox that I strongly encourage people to check out. Some highlights:
- Muslim Representation in YA Lit by Kaye M.
- Hinduism in YA Lit by Shveta Thakrar
- Jewish LGBTQ Books by Jill Ratzan
- A roundtable featuring five YA authors talking about faith, teens, and YA
Minority Religion in America: a chat transcribed to my blog featuring writers who practice Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, and Santeria
Books I Rec with Jewish Main Characters
- Playing with Matches by Suri Rosen (YA)
- You’ll Miss Me When I’m Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon (YA)
- Kissing in America by Margo Rabb (YA)
- Echo After Echo by Amy Rose Capetta (YA)
- Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert (YA)
- Hold Me Down by Sara Taylor Woods (NA)
Family Structure
- WRITING REFERENCE: What to look for and check off when Writing a PoC Adopted person/Adoption via Writing Diversity
- The Toast has an excellent series on adoption, helmed by Nicole Chung
- The anthology Welcome Home, edited by Eric Smith, is a great collection of stories relating to adoption
Books with adopted MCs
- Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi (YA)
- Dirty Wings by Sarah McCarry (YA)*
- See No Color by Shannon Gibney (YA)*
- Second Position by Katherine Locke (NA)
*indicates transracial adoption
Kidlit with Foster Kids
- Forever, or For a Long, Long Time by Caela Carter (MG)
- Olivia Twisted by Vivi Barnes (YA)
YA with Non-Evil Stepparents/Stepparent Figures
- The Wrong Side of Right by Jenn Marie Thorne
- Then You Were Gone by Lauren Strasnick
- All the Rage by Courtney Summers
- Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes
YA with Queer Parents
- Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen (G)
- Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally (L)
- Anything Could Happen by Will Walton (G)
- Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (G)
- Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (G)
- The New Guy by Amy Spalding (L)
- Dead Little Mean Girl by Hillary Monahan (L)
- My Life After Now by Jessica Verdi (G)
- And She Was by Jessica Verdi (T)
YA with Incarcerated Parents
- Tyrell by Coe Booth
- Conviction by Kelly Loy Gilbert
- The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner
Disability/Mental Health Issues
There’s no greater resource on the subject of disability in kid lit than – you guessed it – Disability in Kidlit! So, check that out. You can search by condition, which includes both physical disabilities and mental health issues and is enormously helpful. I’ll only list a few specific ones below, because I know others are well covered on their site and I encourage you to use it. Also definitely check out their Introduction to Disability Terminology and this other great resource for being mindful of ableist slurs to keep out of your work, via Autistic Hoya (h/t S.E. Sinkhorn).
For books DiKL has vetted and found to be solid depictions of disability, see their Honor Roll.
One of the DiKL editors, Kayla Whaley, also wrote phenomenal posts on disability for The Toast.
Teen Librarian Toolbox has a great series on this, called #MHYALit, with a whole bunch of posts to check out.
And, of course, disabled authors writing about their own disabilities is, as with other marginalizations, always a great place to learn. You can check out a list here.
A few select helpful posts on disability:
- The Spoon Theory by Christine Miserandino, via But You Don’t Look Sick
- When Every Culture Is a Foreign Culture: Writing on the Autism Spectrum by Lyn Miller-Lachman, via Rich in Color
- I’m Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Creature–Debunking Bipolar Stereotypes by S. Jae-Jones, via Disability in Kidlit
Posts on Disability and Sexuality/
- You Mean You Want it Too? Perpetuating Violence Through the Erasure of Disability in Discussions of Sexuality by Holly of Catch These Words
- Nobody Catcalls the Woman in the Wheelchair by Kayla Whaley, via The Establishment
Books with Focus on Therapy
- OCD Love Story by Corey Ann Haydu (YA)
- The Ruby Oliver Series by E. Lockhart (YA)
- Underwater by Marisa Reichardt (YA)
- Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes (YA)
- Second Position by Katherine Locke (NA)
Main Characters with Eating Disorders
- Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson (YA)
- Paperweight by Meg Haston (YA)
- How it Feels to Fly by Kathryn Holmes (YA)
- Not Otherwise Specified by Hannah Moskowitz (YA)
- The Art of Starving by Sam J. Miller
- Second Position by Katherine Locke (NA)
Books with Amputee POV Characters
- I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios (YA)
- A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatariman (YA)
- Second Position by Katherine Locke (NA)
Wheelchair-Using Main Characters
- Push Girl by Chelsie Hill and Jessica Love (YA)
- Pinned by Sharon G. Flake (YA)
- The Season of You and Me by Robin Constantine (YA)
- The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah (Fox) Benwell (YA)
- The Year We Fell Down by Sarina Bowen (NA)
Main Characters with Chronic Pain
- Far From You by Tess Sharpe (YA)
- As I Descended by Robin Talley (YA)
Main Characters with Learning Disabilities
- Pinned by Sharon G. Flake (YA)
- Make it Count by Megan Erickson (NA)
Reading Lists by Me
- NA with Neurodiversity (please note that although I created this Goodreads list, I do not control the titles added; I can only stand by the ones I’ve “voted” for)
- 8 Great YAs About Mental Health Issues on the B&N Blog
Socioeconomic Diversity/Poverty
- Writing Poverty in YA by Kate Brauning via Pub Hub
- Poverty in YA Literature by Tara via The Librarian Who Doesn’t Say Shhh
- Not to be a total broken record, but once again, I’m gonna rec More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera. Sorry, not sorry. I also really highly recommend This Side of Home by Renee Watson on the subject of gentrification, and I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios, Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy, and Being Fishkill by Ruth Lehrer.
- One of my favorite articles ever on the Internet is this one by John Cheese, about growing up poor, on Cracked
Intersectionality
- For books featuring characters of color who are also queer (aka QPoC), look for anything highlighted in purple on LGBTQReads, and/or check out this Goodreads list. (please note that although I created the list, I cannot speak to the representation and do not control the titles added)
- What about Intersectionality and Female Friendships? by Brandy Colbert via Stacked
Personal rec list: Ten Books that Celebrate Intersectional Diversity
“Reliqueer” Main Characters
- How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis (YA, Gay, Christian)
- Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown (YA, Lesbian, Christian)
- Autoboyography by Christina Lauren (YA, Bi, Gay Mormon LI)
- The Second Mango by Shira Glassman (NA/Adult, Lesbian, Jewish)
Characters of Color with Mental Illness/Health Issues:
- Ballet books Pointe, Tiny Pretty Things, and Not Otherwise Specified all feature girls of color with eating disorders (YA)
- When Reason Breaks by Cindy L. Rodriguez (YA)
- Vanished by E.E. Cooper (YA)
- More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera (YA)
- On the Edge of Gone by Corinne Duyvis (YA)
- Fans of the Impossible Life by Kate Scelsa (YA)
- One Last Song by S.K. Falls (NA)
Characters of Color with Physical Disabilities:
- The Last Leaves Falling by Sarah (Fox) Benwell (YA)
- A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatariman (YA)
- Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis (YA)
- Pinned by Sharon G. Flake (YA)
- Cam Girl by Leah Raeder (NA)
Queer Characters with Physical Disabilities:
- Because You’ll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas (YA – G)
- Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis (YA – B)
- Far From You by Tess Sharpe (YA – B)
- As I Descended by Robin Talley (YA – L)
Queer Characters with Mental Illness/Health Issues:
- Vanished by E.E. Cooper (YA – B)
- Scars by Cheryl Rainfield (YA – L)
- 10 Things I Can See From Here by Carrie Mac (YA – L)
- Top Ten by Katie Cotugno (YA — B)
- History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera (YA – G)
- Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
- Black Iris by Leah Raeder (NA – Q)
- Social Skills by Sara Alva (NA – G)
- Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassel (NA – G)
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