We examine or read all of the shorter books (picture-book length) that come into the library and base our analysis of these books on this. We read some longer books, and spend time examining them when needed, but primarily rely on Kirkus and other review journals to document the content of longer books. (See our media kit for a visual summary of what and how we count.)
BIPOC Content and Creators
Books About
We count a book as “about” if the main character/subject* or a significant secondary character is Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Color (BIPOC). If we are able to determine that a BIPOC character or real person is featured significantly in the book, we also count it as “about,” even if the main character is white. Multiracial characters/subjects are counted as “About” in each BIPOC race/ethnicity category with which their identity aligns (e.g., an Afro-Japanese character is counted as “About” for both Black/African and Asian). We do not count a book if the principal character is white and there are a range of secondary characters, including characters of color, but none of the characters of color seem to play a significant role. This is, of course, somewhat subjective; as a staff we discuss books that we can’t easily discern. We do not want to misrepresent a book as having multicultural content; likewise, we make every effort not to miss those that do.
We also count a book as “about” if it contains significant cultural content or topics related to a specific culture. For example, an informational book about Día de los Muertos would be counted in the Latine category; an informational book about the country of Nigeria would be counted in the Black/African category; a novel set in India would be counted in the Asian category.
Books By
We count a book as “By” if at least one of the primary creators (author, illustrator) is Black, Indigenous and/or a Person of Color. Multiracial individuals are counted in each BIPOC race/ethnicity category with which their identity aligns, with the exception of “white,” so we don’t mistakenly count a BIPOC individua as white (e.g., an Afro-Cuban individual would be counted in both the Black/African and Latine categories).
For both “By” and “About” we capture specifics of ethnic and cultural identity in our notes (e.g., African American, Japanese, Mexican, Ojibwe, etc).
We use many methods for determining an author or illustrator’s identity, including author/illustrator bios; publisher and author/illustrator websites; interviews. Sometimes we consult with committee chairs regarding a book’s eligibility for awards such as Coretta Scott King, Pura Belpré, American Indian Library Association (AILA), and Asian/Pacific American Library Association (APALA). We also sometimes ask publishers, or the authors or illustrators themselves how they identify.
More on the Numbers
It’s important to note that the number of books “By” do not represent the number of individual BIPOC book creators, as some authors and artists publish multiple books in any given year. Similarly, not every book written or illustrated by a BIPOC creator has BIPOC content. Additionally, a book may have a BIPOC author and white illustrator, or vice versa.
Disabled Content and Creators
Our documentation of disability includes physical, cognitive, and psychiatric disabilities/conditions. We count a book as “About” if the main character/subject* or a significant secondary character is disabled or the subject of the book is about disabilities or the disability experiences. We capture the specific disability in our notes.
We only research whether a creator is disabled if the content of the book includes disabled characters/subjects or speaks to the disability experiences.
LGBTQ Content and Creators
We count a book as “About” if the main character/subject* or a significant secondary character is LGBTQ or the subject of the book is about LGBTQ lives and experiences.
We only research whether a creator is LGBTQ if the content of the book includes LGBTQ characters/subjects or speaks to the LGBTQ experiences.
Religious Content and Creators
We count a book as “About” if the main character/subject* or a significant secondary character identifies as a member of a specific religion or a specific religion is the focus of the book.
For non-Christian religions, we consider both cultural and religious content (e.g., a book with either a culturally or religiously Jewish primary character would be counted as “About” Jewish). For Christianity, we consider only religious representation, not cultural (e.g., a book with a primary character who goes to church would be counted as “About” Christian, but a book in which a family celebrates Christmas–but does not attend church, engage in other religious practices, or express religious beliefs–would not be counted as “About” Christianity). Books about Christmas, however (including “fantasy” stories about Santa Claus, etc.), are counted as “About” Christianity, since the focus of the book is a Christian holiday.
We only research whether a creator identifies as a member of a specific religion if the content of the book includes characters/subjects who belong to that religion, or if religion is the focus of the book.
Capturing Intersectionality Within and Across Our Data
Today more than ever before, the content of books for children and teens reflects the multiracial, multifaceted identities of children and families in the real world. This means that a single book, or a single creator, may be reflected in multiple data points. For example, a book with an Afro-Latine main character is counted in both Black/African and Latine for “About.” If that Afro-Latine character lives in Japan, it will also be counted as “Asian” in the “About” category. If that Afro-Latine character is Jewish, or disabled, or queer, the book will also be counted under “Jewish” for “About,” or “Disability” for “About,” or “LGBTQ” for “About.”
The same is true for creators, with the caveat that we only document an author or illustrator’s religion, or if they are disabled or LGBTQ, if the content of the book aligns to those identities.
Quantity, not Quality
Finally, it’s important to note that the CCBC Diversity Statistics are only documenting quantity, not the quality of a book or a creator’s work. Our annual best-of-the-year list, CCBC Choices, is our take on excellence each publishing year.
*”subject” here refers to non-fiction books with real people as their subject, or setting, topic, etc. (e.g., Civil Rights Movement)