Five lucky college students are making their way to paid publishing internships this summer, courtesy of We Need Diverse Books (WNDB). The winners will work with leading children’s literature imprints, and each will receive a $2,500 grant and access to a mentor from WNDB, along with invitations to industry events throughout their internship. The grassroots group of self-described “book lovers,” WNDB started in 2014, advocating for change in the publishing industry to produce and promote literature that mirrors the lives of all young people. WNDB launched the inaugural publishing internship program last fall. Newbery-award winning author Linda Sue Park was tapped to lead a group of volunteers who combed through more than 100 applications and essays from college students of diverse backgrounds (people of color, with disabilities, from the LGBTQ community, and other underrepresented groups) eager to pursue a career in publishing. The five scholarship winners are: Julie Jarema of Bard College, set to work with Simon and Schuster; Feather Flores of Pomona College, who will intern with HarperCollins; Kandace Coston of Barnard College and Columbia University, heading to Lee & Low Books; Esther Cajahuaringa of Teachers College and Columbia University, set to join Hachette Book Group; and Yananisai Makuwa of Cornell University who accepted her internship with Macmillan. “Through this program, WNDB hopes to allow for greater networking and opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds seeking to enter children’s publishing,” stated aWNDB release. “They are ecstatic to begin the program with such a promising group of young professionals.”