I just learned something interesting: 48.6% of Los Angeles’ population is Latino. The most recent survey of books for young people (conducted every year by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin – Madison) says that 2014, less than 2% of books featured Latino characters (66 of 3500). So you can imagine that the LA Public Library is always on the lookout for books that help their patrons see their experiences reflected and give them a glimpse into the lives of so many of their neighbors.
In this article, L.A. librarians talk about the need for more diversity in teen books and share a list of their recent favorites. You may spy a certain title I have perhaps mentioned once or twice to you before. Click here for the full list.