From: Philip Lee <philiplee>
Date: Thu, 28 Feb 2002 08:24:32 -0700

I would like to jump into this discussion and address some of the issues raised the last few days. Since Lee & Low Books focuses on publishing multicultural books for children, we are very interested in Latino literature, as well as African American, Asian American, and Native American literature. As a way to add to the body of children?s books for these audiences, we feel it is important to broaden the field of children's books to include more new talent. We have launched the careers of several writers and artists who are now well-known in children? books, and to further our efforts in this area, we created our annual New Voices Award in 2000, given to a writer of color for his or her first picture book. The first winning title, THE BLUE ROSES, by Native American Linda Boyden, will be published this March. In 2001, the honor was given to a Mexican American writer, Denise Vega.

Despite our efforts, we still do not see as many submissions from writers of color as we would like. This is especially true in the case of Latino writers. I can only speculate that a significant portion of the Latino population are first or second generation Americans and they did not grow up reading the kinds of books we publish, which makes it harder for them to relate to the format. I would guess a similar situation exists for Asian Americans, from whom we see considerably fewer submissions than we see from African American writers.

Perhaps another reason why more Latino stories are not published is that we don?t see a range of subject matter relating to the Latino experience in the United States. We see many submissions about migrant workers and immigrant families, and have happily published them. Yet despite encouragement, we don't see enough stories that feature middle-class Latino families or Latino children integrated into the fabric of American life.

I agree with Rosemary Brosnan that there is not a "reluctance on the part of publishers to acquire these books." However, I believe there is a reluctance to publish books that don't sell well within a given period of time, and multicultural books are often included in that category. Multicultural books often require a different distribution system, and bookstores not located in communities of color may be reluctant to stock them. Therefore, initial sales are often smaller, for it takes longer for multicultural books to reach their intended audiences. Publishers of multicultural literature need to be more willing to take chances and be patient in not seeing a quick return on their investment.

Since publishing Latino and other multicultural books is considered risky, awards such as the Pura Belpr?, Coretta Scott King, and the recently-created (yet still unnamed) Asian American Book Award are all the more important. These awards not only give recognition to the talented winners, but the awards celebrate a vital category of literature that is often overlooked by other awards.

In response to Katy Horning's question, I feel some books would suffer from a lack of excitement if awards are given every other year. Books published in the first year may be at a disadvantage for losing their
"buzz" going into the judging in their second year of publication. It is also possible that a slow-selling title is put out of print during this time. Here I want to make a distinction between books that are
"out-of-stock" and books that are "out-of-print," as Jean Hatfield alluded. The former means a lack of inventory and the book can easily be reprinted. The latter often means the rights for the book have reverted back to the author and artist, and it is unlikely a publisher would go through the legal process of reacquiring and republishing the book.

I would like to see the Pura Belpr? Award be evaluated on an annual basis. If the committee feels the submissions of a particular year are not strong enough to warrant a winner or an honoree, the committee can refrain from giving the award. But if an author or artist is deserving of the award, it seems a pity to make her or him wait up to two years to receive it. For many young talents, the award can shape their careers. An annual Pura Belpr? can also assure that the books are still in print and acknowledge the vitality of Latino children's literature in a timely way.






Philip Lee Publisher Lee & Low Books 95 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016
(212) 779D00 ext. 22 Fax:(212) 68394 e-mail: Philiplee at leeandlow.com

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Received on Thu 28 Feb 2002 09:24:32 AM CST