A glaring lack of diversity in children's books has led Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers to launch an imprint centering on Muslim characters and stories, The New York Times reports. The brainchild of Zareen Jaffery — who recalls growing up as a Pakistani-American Muslim unable to relate to Beverly Cleary and Judy Blume — the new imprint will not emphasize theology or Islamic doctrine but instead the experience of being Muslim.
"I remember looking at books and trying to figure out, 'What does it mean to be American? Am I doing this right? The truth is, I didn't see myself reflected in books back then," Jaffery explained.
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