As part of our ongoing commitment to community, Loisa donates 2% of online sales each month to a community organization. This month, we are supporting the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival, an organization aimed at creating more diverse representation in children’s books with themes of inclusion, community, and connection.

According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Latinx children account for 27% of students enrolled in U.S. public schools, yet only 9% of children’s books feature Latinx characters.

It’s a gap that must be addressed. Books are critical for child development. Books are the key to the literacy, vocabulary, and critical thinking skills that are directly linked to success in school and life. Books expand a child’s awareness of the world, and help build empathy and understanding. And books allow young people to see themselves as the heroes of their own stories, to validate their own experiences and identities.

Yet books today do not reflect our vibrant, multicultural society. This underrepresentation is exacerbated by the rising tide of book bans, which, according to PEN America, disproportionately target works written by and featuring people of color. It is no exaggeration to say that these titles are under attack.

The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival

The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival (LKBF), a nonprofit organization created in 2020 by a group of Latinx authors in response to the pandemic and lockdown, aims to address this problem of underrepresentation in children’s books—because diverse books are important for all kids, not just those who identify with the author or the characters in the story. Reading about different cultures provides students everywhere with windows onto the rich and varied traditions and histories that come from across Latin America. These stories dispel stereotypes, foster connection, and acknowledge that humans share similar experiences of pain, joy, and hope, irrespective of family origin and identity.

These themes of inclusion, community, and connection are supported throughout the programming created by the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival. Content is geared toward all schools, educators, students, and book lovers, not just those identifying as Latinx.

The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival Events

The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival includes three days of LIVE virtual programming during National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 20, September 27, and October 11!) From conversations between literary icons Meg Medina (National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature) and Sonia Manzano (Sesame Street), to interactive games for kids and teens to Illustrator Draw-Offs!

The festival is packed with family fun for all ages: from the youngest of readers to young adults. 

In the evenings, the festival streams professional development sessions geared toward educators and writers in partnership with organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of English, the Authors Guild, and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Explore the events here!

Educator Resources 

Of course, schools and libraries are where most kids access books. Educators play a crucial role in bringing diverse literary representation into the classroom. Knowing this, the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival has created tools to help librarians and teachers find and incorporate these books into the curriculum. The festival’s book database catalogs children’s books created by Latinx authors and illustrators, and is searchable by genre, theme, and representation. Guides for educators are freely available for download on the website. The LKBF also gives away free books, more than 8,000 to date, in addition to supporting free author and illustrator school visits. 

School Visit Program

In 2022 the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival in collaboration with Penguin Random House, SCBWI and private donors launched a fund to connect Latinx authors and illustrators with students everywhere. The program brings reading to life, increases representation and builds empathy, while also offering Latinx students the opportunity to see their identity reflected in the books they read, and offering non-Latinx students insight into the beauty and complexity of Latinx culture.

The school visit program is now in its third cycle with more that 45 visits completed and 1,500 students reached as of today!

The Latinx Kidlit Book Festival firmly believes that the world is a better place when young people have access to an endless bookshelf of stories featuring a multitude of identities and experiences. As every parent and educator knows, no book will speak to every reader—which is why we need more books, not fewer. We need more voices to be heard and more stories to be read.

Tune In:

Tune into the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival on their Youtube channel and check out the schedule of events here.

Participate & Support:

Get involved with the Latinx Kidlit Book Festival as an author, illustrator, sponsor, donor, or volunteer! Get more information on their website.