On Diverse Voices/Voces Diversas Student Anthologies
By Linzi Garcia, Director of Diverse Voices Literacy Program
Hi, Radio Readers! Linzi Garcia from Emporia, Kansas, here. I work as poetry editor and publicist for Meadowlark Press, a small, regional press specializing in Midwest voices. I also serve as the director of the Diverse Voices Literacy Program through House of Morrow, a local arts organization. House of Morrow and Meadowlark Press combined forces to bring you a really special project.
We all know kids say the darndest things. Well, now here it is in writing. The Diverse Voices/Voces Diversas anthologies written by Emporia fifth graders are two of the most fun reads of the summer. During the 2026 spring semester, eighty students between two elementary schools practiced reading, writing, and public speaking as part of the third-annual Diverse Voices Literacy Program. At the end of the program, the students picked their favorite original stories and poems to include in their anthologies. Meadowlark published an anthology for each school.
Something special about children’s writing is how uninhibited they are in sharing their emotions, talking about the people and things they love, or thinking up the most imaginative narratives. Many of them also made illustrations for their pieces, which is really the cherry on top. For each book, a student illustration was selected as the front cover image, too. Some of the students are bilingual and included pieces in Spanish or other languages they’re using or learning. This inspired the addition of complete Spanish translations for both anthologies.
While this book is advertised as a book “by kids for kids,” it’s also extremely delightful to read as a grownup. It’s an unconventional way to reconnect with your inner child and the children in your life, and it offers a chance to look at the world with a fresh perspective.
Here is one of the poems that really struck me. This is “Once upon a time I was everything” by Clarence Maltbie.
Once upon a time I was Pink, I was Purple, I was Blue, I was Everything.
Once upon a time I was Nice, I was Kind, I was Mean, I was Sad, I was Everything.
Once upon a time I was Small, I was Tall, I was Medium, I was Everything.
Once upon a time I was Smart, I was Dumb, I was Average, I was Everything.
Once upon a time I was Me.
What a beautiful reminder that we, as Walt Whitman wrote, “contain multitudes.”
Children have a level of wisdom that we sometimes lose sight of as we grow up.
These books contain multitudes, too. Some of the pieces are serious reflections, such as cherishing memories with family members who have passed or describing complicated relationships with friends and siblings, and there are also ridiculously silly pieces on subjects such as a potato cat, friendships between squirrels and frogs, a teacher the kids like to tease, TV show characters, and more. To help the children fall in love with writing, they wrote about what they wanted to write about—what matters most to them and what they feel they have to say. Their ideas and their voices matter, and these books solidify that value.
Not only are the stories and poems beautiful, but my personal favorite part of the book is the authors’ bios that the students wrote themselves. Each and every one of these kids is unique and interesting.
Another neat feature of the book is the inclusion of writing prompts the kids used, as well as the lesson plans for the program. For parents and educators out there, these books are a good resource to teach creative writing in a fun and meaningful way.
As the director of this program, I hope we can inspire other communities to adopt this or similar literacy programs. It is vital that our kids can read, write, and speak confidently, so they can become adults who read, write, and speak confidently.
The Diverse Voices/Voces Diversas anthologies are available at https://www.meadowlarkbookstore.com/ . All proceeds support the Diverse Voices Literacy Program.
Thanks for listening. This is Linzi Garcia for High Plains Public Radio Reader’s Book Club’s Summer Reading List.
