I missed the controversy regarding the cover of LIAR. Publishers wanting to believe Black faces won’t sell books reminds me so much of wealthy politicians and business leaders who think America doesn’t need health care reform. These people need to spend a day or two in the real world, talking to real people. Talk to public librarians who tell you they cannot keep books by authors of color on their shelves because they keep disappearing. Literally. Visit some of the blogs by authors of color (over there in the blogroll ——->) read the comments and see the demand for books for, by and about young people of color.
Is there any excuse for this?
There are better written posts on this, I’m too much in the emotion of this issue. If you are as new to this controversy as I am or if you really don’t get it you need to read on. Educate yourself. Then, find a good book by an author of color with a person of color on the cover. Read, enjoy and pass it on!
Cotton Quilts Edi 
Edi,
It was a hot mess and you know Doret, Zetta and I were all quite vocal.
I loved Laura’s letter and her blog posts. I’m sure her sharing about her conference paper was something Bloomsbury didn’t take likely.
They didn’t completely fess up but it’s a start and we will continue to demand publishers do a better job at providing and marketing products that celebrate people of color.
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The Liar controversy made me sad, and I felt a bit naive. As a Afro-Latina teenager, I see too few books out there with people who look like me on the cover and then to learn that it’s intentional that books with black people on the cover ‘don’t sell’! Grrrr.
You have a great list of books, most are on my tbr pile! I’m having a giveaway for A Wish After Midnight, check it out if you’re interested 😀 http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/2009/08/first-contest.html
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Thanks for the shout out Edi! You’re not naive, Miss A–or if you are, then so are a LOT of grown folks in this country who continue to implicitly trust a publishing industry that has consistently shown it’s not that interested in POC…Susan, I’m so glad you linked to Laura’s blog–you, too, Edi!
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