Do you remember the excitement of getting the Scholastic catalog?

Did the catalogs reflect the diversity in your community?

More than half of the children enrolled in public schools are people of color or Native American, but only 34% of children’s books published in 2021 were about people of color or Native Americans. Unfortunately, Scholastic's catalog is no exception.

We need books that are mirrors in which children can see themselves to affirm their own identities. We also need books that are windows that help children build understanding and empathy for people different than themselves. When books only reflect one image, all children are harmed.

The time is now for Scholastic to make a change and step up as a leader in the publishing industry. #StepUpScholastic for ALL children.

We need children, teachers, and parents to tell Scholastic to publish and distribute children's books that reflect and affirm the identity, history, and lives of ALL children in our schools. Tell Scholastic to increase the representation of people of color and Native Americans to match their audiences.

Recently Scholastic, one of the largest and most trusted distributors of children's books, pulled a book off shelves nationwide after grassroots pressure, stating they “have an important responsibility to ensure that our history—both the good and the bad—is portrayed accurately in a way children can understand.” We agree. We are glad that Scholastic recalled the #SlaveryWithaSmile book, and has published a few new middle school titles by and about people of color and Native Americans, but there is much more to be done.

We urge you to critique the Scholastic catalog and then send a message to Scholastic. Enter your contact information on this page and type your message on the next page. You can also send us an email or upload photos and videos here.

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Organized by
American Indians in Children's Literature
Ferguson Response Network
Teaching for Change