What's with the Twibbon?

People have been asking about the Twibbon on our Twitter account. That multicolored ball shows that Leap Books is a partner on the Children's Book Council (CBC) Diversity Committee. The committee is "dedicated to increasing the diversity of voices and experiences contributing to children’s and young adult literature." Leap Books believes diversity enriches everyone's life experiences, so we strive to publish books that feature a variety of voices in our novels for teens and tweens. We think all children and teens should see themselves and their lives depicted in books.

We are always open to agented submissions portraying multicultural characters and diverse life experiences, so we are actively looking for authors and illustrators who can share their culture through words or art. For more about what Leap Books is looking for, watch for the article on multiculturalism by Sue Ford in WRITER'S GUIDE TO 2013 (The Writer's Institute) for an interview with our publisher.

Here are a few Leap Books with a diversity connection:

Island Sting and Stakeout by Bonnie J. Doerr both have a Cuban American hero.

 Under My Skin and Second Skin, set in Canada, have a First Nations hero.

For the Love Strangers stars teenager Darya, who along with her brother, was adopted from Russia.