I often find myself looking for any excitement in this new normal. Whether it’s a new recipe, a new book, or a new pair of shoes…I’m into it. Currently, I am really excited about a brand new show on Netflix called Bookmarks. 
Do you remember a teen activist named Marley Dias? Marley is famous for her #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, which has a goal to find 1,000 books featuring Black girls as main characters. Marley’s campaign recognizes that it is incredibly hard to find books featuring Black girls (and boys). We know that stories are powerful. We know that it is so important for all children to see themselves represented in picture books. Despite the challenge, Marley has surpassed her goal and found a total of 11,000 books!
Marley Dias is the host of Bookmarks! Bookmarks is a new read-aloud show that celebrates Black experiences. Stars include Karamo Brown, Tiffany Haddish, Lupita Nyong’o, Misty Copeland, and Common! My favorite element of this show is that some of these authors are reading books that they created. It is always a special experience to watch an author read their own book aloud. I’m particularly excited to watch Karamo Brown read his story I Am Perfectly Designed.
The show is being toted as a mini book club or virtual book corner. Netflix describes it as “a toolset to start meaningful conversations with kids about difficult topics through short-form book-based content.” Books were selected to be conversation starters about race, representation, and self-love. So many of us have turned to books and literature to better understand social justice and racism. I’m hoping Bookmarks will inspire more families to do the same.
Bookmarks aired on Sept. 1 on Netflix, so it’s available now. Here’s the trailer! You can even view their book lineup and let us know if you’d like to place any titles on hold.