After reading the article, Here I Am, by Brian Pinkney, it is brought to my attention once again that nowadays melting pot is continuing to expand in the classrooms. However, according to Pinkney and Lisa G. Kropp who wrotethe article, Preschool and the Income Gap: Libraries Must Step Up to Serve Children of Color | First Steps, clearly state that libraries, schools, and the government are not keeping up with diverse books for children.
When children are introduced into the wonderful and magical world of reading at an early age, they will grow up loving to read and actually getting lost in the reading world. However, it is very unfortunate that not all children are exposed to books, especially those of color and low income. As a color author and illustrator, Pinkney writes books hoping to get diverse races interested in his books, not just black kids. This is exactly what happened with his book, Max Found Two Sticks. “There’s still an assumption that picture books with black kids (especially black boys) as their central characters, can only appeal to a limited segment of the population.” says Pinkney. I guess it is very important not to judge a books by its cover. Through this book, Pinkney allows his readers to see beyond the color of skin of a person. He shows how a young boy is able to overcome many obstacles in his life and is able to communicate with the world as he discovers his power through his own unique form of self-expression.
In the second article, Kropp brings to our attention the lack of support from schools, the government and libraries towards those children who fall under the poor category. It is very important for them to search out the non-traditional users and target outreach to groups that aren’t utilizing these services. The article also talks about how many hispanic children do not get the same “privileges” as white children do. Sometimes it could be because of the language barrier, lack of knowledge and education, or simply because many do not know this and many other services exists to them.
I have personally been through a similar situation. When my family and I moved to the United States back in 1999, none of us knew how to speak English, we did not even know how to say hello. Although I attended class just like the other students, I was secluded from many actives, including reading because I was lacking the language. I clearly remember getting a para to help me with my reading. I started reading books for infants and toddlers which only had a few words and many pictures. I can definitely identify myself with many of these students! As a future teacher, I am planning on including a wider diversity of books for my students.
Mayra Pelayo 
It’s so great that you are devoted to make a change in your future classroom by adding diverse books.
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