We understand that removing words from the Author’s Note was silencing her voice. This has been hurtful to the author, illustrator, and publisher of Love in the Library, as well as the mentors of the upcoming Rising Voices collection: Amplifying Asian-American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) which, when completed, will be one of a series of K-5 classroom libraries celebrating the stories of the historically underrepresented. We do not want any action to diminish or in any way minimize the racism that tragically persists against Asian-Americans or other marginalized people and communities. 

 

We know we must regain that trust in us, which has been damaged, and we have already begun our path forward, including a full review of our current curation process. For Rising Voices, we are also resetting our goals and procedures with our mentors and will include the Scholastic AANHPI Employee Resource Group in these important discussions. We will review all titles previously and currently under consideration to ensure that all our decisions and actions are consistent with Scholastic’s long-standing Credo, which unequivocally states our belief in the value of every individual, as well as the importance of representation, accuracy, and diverse voices in the stories, information, and teaching materials we share with educators, families, and communities. 

 

At all levels of the company, we are resolute in continuing our mission to share untold stories, show unseen faces, and amplify unheard voices.  We are committed to doing the work to align all our actions and processes with that mission.