ABOUT
Little Aiden Press (LAP) is a children’s book publisher dedicated to inspiring young African American readers with stories that will engage, empower, educate, and entertain. LAP provides opportunities for children to explore the world through creative storytelling and to see characters that look like them.
Our Mission is to foster a love of reading, create literate communities, engage children with stories rooted in diverse perspectives and build literacy skills for all. Little Aiden Press is a resource of educational and cultural books that creates equal access to educational opportunities.
WHY DIVERSE BOOKS ARE NEEDED
“When you see yourself reflected in the pages of a book, you’re part of the conversation, part of the story. You’re not ignored. It gives you a sense of ownership to the world that you’re in,” Nina Crews said. “Every child deserves that.”
“When kids grow up not seeing themselves in books, they grow up feeling like they don't matter.” Eric Smith
“Once children see themselves represented in books, their existence is validated, and they feel that they are part of the world.” Eric Velasquez
From 2018-2020, CCBC received 11,016 books from U.S. publishers, with some that featured diverse characters as part of the narrative or whose backgrounds provided evidence of diversity.
Inspire Kids to Read and Write
Why is reading important?
Reading helps you escape your own reality and takes you on a journey of adventure, life lessons, laughter, and more. Reading is also good to help relieve stress and keep your brain healthy. Most importantly, reading is the roadmap to navigating your future.
What if your child wants to be an author?
Reading fuels the mind of writers, no matter what they read or want to write. Do they like to explore? Do they enjoy reading fashion magazines? How about short stories? Let them read anything age-appropriate to help them with writing. Reading different book formats will help them in deciding what type of author they want to be. If your child wants to become a writer, they’ll find even more joy laying across the bed reading a good age-appropriate book.
How can a parent help a child with their writing?
If your child expresses an interest in writing, creating a writing space for them. Get a binder and fill it with paper, add dividers to make sections like story ideas, journal pages, and a bucket list. Make sure space has writing utensils such as pens and pencils, so when the time to write, everything that is needed is already there. Add a bookshelf with books and notepads, and just let them be creative. Encourage them through the process, sign them up for writing contests and help them with the creative side by asking questions like, what if your stuff animals all turned into magical characters whom all had one special power?
