Amid a chorus of criticism from authors, librarians, educators, and freedom to read advocates, Scholastic this week said it would stop offering an optional collection of diverse books at its book fairs, and apologized for the loss of trust and “the pain caused” by the exclusionary policy.
“I want to apologize on behalf of Scholastic,” Scholastic Trade Publishing president Ellie Berger wrote in the letter addressed to authors and illustrators, which was shared on social media on October 24. “Even if the decision was made with good intention, we understand now that it was a mistake to segregate diverse books in an elective case.”
…Berger added that the company’s “commitment to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors and stories remains foundational” for the company.
