My Little Free Library is Open! Read in Color: Diverse Picture Books & More
In November, I submitted an application to get a no-cost Little Free Library through the Impact Library Program. I was notified in December that I would not be getting an Impact Library but would instead be receiving a special Read in Color library. The goal of Read in Color is to bring diverse, inclusive texts to every community, with a focus on stories representing BIPOC and LGBTQ voices. Keep reading to learn how to set up a Little Free Library!
A few days ago, I was able to install, fill, and open my Read in Color library up to the community! It took a bit of thought to figure out how to get the post into the frozen Minnesota ground. I am incredibly grateful to Continental Post Services in Ramsey, MN for offering to install the library post FREE OF COST. They did such a great job!
We made the installation process a family effort. My husband worked on drilling the library to the post, while Louisa watched from the sidelines and made her first snow angel! I brought out the first box of books and eagerly waited to start filling the library!
Filling the library for the first time was such a joy! Of course, I was most enthusiastic about the children’s titles, especially the picture book The Most Beautiful Thing. I was also excited to share Stage Dreams, a YA graphic novel that takes place in the Wild West, featuring a Latinx outlaw and trans runaway as the main characters.
Here are some of the other titles in the library. Note that these are not affiliate links.
Children’s Books:
The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World
YA Books:
Queer: The Ultimate LGBTQ Guide for Teens
Adult Books:
I'm Still Here: Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness
Our Read in Color Little Free Library will be focused primarily on culturally diverse books for kids, LGBTQ books for kids and BIPOC picture books. Did you know that less than 25% of children’s books include non-white characters?
Little Free Library will be sending a total of 150 books throughout the year in order to keep the library well stocked with inclusive titles for the community. I will continue to share highlights here on the blog. It is my hope that this library will play a small role in helping create a more empathetic, inclusive, and actively anti-racist community.
Would you consider opening a Little Free Library in your neighborhood?
