Parenting in Challenging Times: How You Can Make a Difference by Ann Marie G. Halstead

Parents who are struggling right now with how to talk to your kids about the divide in our country, about racism and hatred, about privilege and perspective: I'm right there with you. One thing that always helps me in such challenging times is to focus on how I'm trying to raise my kids, on what I can do to raise kind, loving, accepting, compassionate human beings. As someone who has always turned to books and who ultimately became a children's author, I believe books can help us to do this. I'd like to share two resources with you:

• One is a fantastic Ted Talk by author Grace Lin called "The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child's Bookshelf." 
• The other is WeNeedDiverseBooks.org (#WeNeedDiverseBooks). The mission of the movement is to, “[put] more books featuring diverse characters into the hands of all children.” 

I truly believe that if we expose our kids to diverse literature, it will make a difference. All children deserve to see themselves reflected in the books they read, and all children can learn from the richness of diversity and culture. It may not seem like much now, but it will have an impact. I challenge my fellow authors to make their own #WNDB cue cards and share them in the comments section below and on social media.

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