It seems like the media is talking nonstop this week about multiracial identity and what it means in America today. As a multiracial person myself, I've been talking about this stuff for years-- but when I was a kid, not a single children's book spoke to my experience as a biracial kid.
I'm delighted that the situation has changed. My kids (and yours!) have a number of options for books featuring multiracial kids.
One outstanding example: the Amy Hodgepodge series by husband-and-wife team Kim Wayans and Kevin Knotts. Our heroine, Amy Hodges, is part Asian, Caucasian, and African American. She gets the nickname "Amy Hodgepodge" on her first day of school since she's a mix of so many ethnicities. Oh, and her first day of school is the first day of fourth grade-- she was homeschooled through third grade, so she's a tabula rasa when it comes to elementary school politics. Amy's adventures provide an easy opportunity to talk with elementary school kids about race and social differences in a positive, nonjudgemental manner. And they're funny: co-author Wayans comes from the Wayans family comedy dynasty.
Amy Hodgepodge: All Mixed Up! is the first book in the series. Buy it for $4.99 at Amazon.com or get more info on the series and its authors at the Amy Hodgepodge website.
