Children’s Books: A Stepping Stone toward Inclusivity

Two children, no more than 8 years of age, ran up to a table covered in Halloween stickers and bookmarks. They were drawn to the colorfully illustrated snails holding flags. Without skipping a beat, the older child said, “That one’s a bi-snail. There’s a pan-snail and a trans-snail, too.” At another table, the pair grabbed a graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier, whose previous book was banned and challenged in Oregon for including LGBTQ+ characters. Within children’s books, there are many diverse creators and stories. Yet, many bookstores and schools don’t expose children to the opportunity for inclusion and depth in children’s books.

Books with Pictures Eugene in downtown Eugene carries a large collection of graphic novels and comic books for children. Many of their most popular sold-out graphic novels include LGBTQ+ and BIPOC representation. These are books that are being challenged in school districts across America.

“When most people think of comics, they think of Marvel and DC,” said Andréa Gilroy, the owner of Books with Pictures Eugene. However, within the comic book industry, children's and young adult (YA) comic books have been best-sellers more often than any other comics.

With the pandemic having kept most Americans indoors, people turned toward media, books and movies. According to comic sales databases, Comichron and ICv2, comic book sales in 2020 had a six percent increase over 2019.

Books with Pictures Eugene noticed a 60% growth in revenue during the pandemic. “The world of people reading comics is really wide and really varied,” said Gilroy.

“Getting into comic books is very, very easy now,” said Levi Sager, the assistant regional manager at Books with Picture Eugene. Compared to the 90s, the array of comics available in the children and YA categories today has become far more diverse.

“There is a comic book specifically for you out there now,” said Sager. Many parents bring their children to Books with Pictures Eugene and are exposed to graphic novels as a form of entertainment.

Books with Pictures Eugene is one of many places that offer families a chance to explore books that are often banned in school districts for including LGBTQ+ characters. Children’s books are only getting more inclusive and diverse, mirroring the reality of an ever-changing world.