Searching for high-quality diverse children’s books? Guest Blog from OurShelves’ Alli Harper
Searching for high-quality diverse children’s books?
Guest Blog from OurShelves’ Alli Harper
I’m Alli, the Founder and Owner of OurShelves! New York Times and Parents Magazine-recommended, OurShelves is a diverse children's book subscription and expert curation service that connects families, teachers, and other partners (including children’s museums!!) to expert-curated diverse children’s books for ages 0-8.
I founded OurShelves because my kids have two moms, and it can be much too hard to find high-quality kids’ books that feature the many kids and families out there, including our LGBTQ+ family and many others who go under-represented. We especially love to find and share diverse stories that kids will want to read again and again, including fun and silly stories that make us laugh together as a family!
When you visit the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine (CMTM)’s Melissa’s Seaside Cottage on the second floor, you’ll notice that many of the diverse books there are from OurShelves! We are so grateful to partner with CMTM during Pride Month and beyond to bring a wide range of stories to their shelves. CMTM and OurShelves share the core value of belonging, and we both work to create environments where all kids and families belong on OurShelves and all kids and families know they belong in our communities.
This month we have curated a wonderful collection of stories for all families to enjoy. If your kids crave funny stories, they may love The Girl Who Loves Bugs. This story features a girl named Evie who secretly brings all of her bug friends inside before a big family gathering. If your children love super-silly stories that make them laugh out loud and sing “Shooby-doo,” they may like meeting one of the chickens, Agnes, in Mr. Watson’s Chickens. Or, if your kids feel anxiety when going into large gatherings, they may like Marley’s Pride. You are bound to find stories your children will want to read again and again – and that also feature LGBTQ+ kids and families in the book nook in Melissa’s Seaside Cottage!
Who is OurShelves?
OurShelves has a two-part mission:
First, OurShelves makes finding high-quality diverse books easier! Our Curation Team of experts reviews and selects books that children will request to read again and again – and also that feature racially and ethnically diverse, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse, disabled, and other under-represented kids and families. OurShelves then delivers these books to your doorstep through a quarterly subscription book box service and other products, services, and partnerships.
Second, OurShelves advocates for the many diverse books still needed. Check out our advocacy hub to share who and what kinds of stories you’re seeking but having trouble finding! Chances are that if you can’t find the book you’re seeking, it either doesn’t yet exist or it’s too hard to find – both problems that OurShelves seeks to address! Also, when youwe purchase from OurShelves, youwe’re being counted as we collectively prove to publishers, through our bulk purchasing, just how many people are seeking diverse books, an audience currently underestimated.
