Recently, I had the honor and privilege of serving on a panel talking about socioeconomic diversity in children's literature at the inaugural Maine Literary Festival in Portland, hosted my the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance (MWPA). My dear friend Jennifer Jacobson led a lively discussion that also included panelists George Jreije, Jo Knowles, & Maria Padian. (Sadly, Gillian French was unable to attend due to illness.)

I had a wonderful time talking about authentic portrayals of poverty and class in kids lit, as well as the systemic lack of socioeconomic diversity within the publishing industry itself. Having grown up a poor kid in a rich town, these issues are close to my heart and a central part of my identity as a writer and human being. I hope the industry engages in more of these kinds of conversations, to ensure that we are accurately portraying the lived experience of all kinds of kids, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.