#WeNeedDiverseBooks

I don't know if you've heard, but the Book Expo of America has renamed "Power Reader's Day" to "Book Con." I'm super excited for this event because my favorite authors are going to be there!!!

But why all of the controversy about Book Con on Twitter? All 31 of the guests are white. Most are male. Now, that has angered lots of people.

I am an adopted Chinese girl who can speak French in a white male dominated society. But I love John Green, Rick Riordan, Lemony Snicket, and Cassandra Clare. Am I a bigot? No!

The invited guests are talented and hugely successful, so why are we blaming Book Con for bringing people we want to see? The people that chose these authors can't change that these successful authors have white skin. They're just trying to bring in the largest crowd by hosting the most popular authors.

But, there's a reason for why all of these successful authors are white.

Maybe it's because minorities don't have the same opportunities. I'd like to think that if you have the talent to be an author, you will have success, but there are people that don't get recognized for their work when they deserve it. Maybe it's because readers are still biased, and when they pick up a book written by someone with an ethnic name, they put it right back down.  I don't know.

There is neither much diversity in books that I read nor in their authors.

That is the real problem.

The way to fix it is for the audience to demand that the publishers produce what it wants. We have to tell them that we want a "Mexican Katniss", as Matt De la Pena said.  Then we'll see new faces at Book Con, but in the meantime stop blaming Book Con for their chosen guests when you know you love their books too.  Don't discredit authors because they're white. Talent is talent.