89: The Importance of Disability Representation in Books For Kids - Author Interview Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka

When Diane Debrovner decided to write a middle grade book about a character with blind parents she decided that she would like a coauthor and so she approached her friend Stacy Cervenka. Stacy adds her unique perspective with her blindness and the experiences she knows about many other individuals. Diane also brings us an animal's point of view as many chapters in the book are told from the persective of a guide dog. While we sometimes get disability representation in the main character in middle grade books, Roxie in Color brings us disability representation in the parents of the main character.Find authors Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenkahttps://stacycervenka.com/https://www.dianedebrovner.com/https://www.instagram.com/diane.debrovner/https://www.instagram.com/stacycervenka/Roxie in Color by Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenkahttps://www.amazon.com/Roxie-Color-Diane-Debrovner/dp/1536246603/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0Chapters00:00 Meet authors Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka03:46 What is Roxie in Color about?04:47 How Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka become writing partners to coauthor Roxie in Color?06:56 How Stacy and Diane decided to share their words through story?12:13 What do the authors hope that sighted people will get from reading Roxie in Color?13:59 What do the authors hope that a blind person will get from reading Roxie in Color?18:18 What benefits do the authors hope that mixed families, where some members are sighted and some are blind, will get from reading Roxie in Color?20:39 Is it appropriate to ask a blind person about their blindness? And how to go about these conversations?30:28 Where can you get information about blind people?32:25 How to help blind kids with their expectations for themselves? And how to help adults have high expectations for blind people as well?35:12 A dog’s point of view in Roxie in color. Blind people and guide dogs.42:55 Diane and Stacy’s book recommendations.