Home from my school site. Beyond this incident, I've noticed that children's literature has a huge problem with critics who don't cheerlead.
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Just because children's literature critics do advocacy work and trumpet excellent books doesn't mean we aren't qualified critics.
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There is a larger issue here that many of us have mentioned. Think about critics whose expertise is respected on a broad range of topics.
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Now think about critics who constantly have their expertise and critical ability questioned, and why that might be the case.
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This is logic, not emotion. Even a cursory observation reveals that some critics are always already perceived as "objective" while others...
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If you're paying attention, I shouldn't even have to finish that sentence.
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For me, this has gone far beyond this specific book, the offended parties, and the lack of concern about the development of Black children.
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What this incident has said to me is that the children's lit world cannot take Black, Latin@ & Native critiques unless we're cheerleading.
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Not even exaggerating. I've been around a long time. I've done lots of observation. The diversity gap isn't just in publishing, good people.
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The diversity gap in children's literature criticism is absolutely something that I plan to address and help close. This makes no sense.
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What has been characterized as a "lynch mob," "toxic Twitter," "Twitter anger," etc. is simply kidlit's singular inability to take critique.
Every single POC critic who has spoken up has graduate degrees in the field. Combined, we've got at least a century of experience -- easily.
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We're the parents and grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins, neighbors, cousins & family friends of kids of color. We *were* kids of color.
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