If you’ve ever become so fixated on the narrative of a great book, whereby you can actually imagine yourself as the protagonist, then you’re already well aware of the magic that reading can bring. However, for 11-year-old, New Jersey resident Marley Dias, and, no doubt, countless other people, finding that literary rabbit hole to fall down was proving a little more difficult.

Frustrated by the lack of diversity within the books she was reading, and, therefore, an inability to find relatable experiences and parallels between herself and the characters in the stories, Dias recently kickstarted the book drive #1000BlackGirlBooks. Currently pulling together 1,000 books where black girls are the lead character, as opposed to minorities or background faces, she revealed to PhillyVoice a week ago that she had already met almost half of her target.

No rookie to altruism, Dias has previously received a Disney Friends for Change grant to teach girls at a youth empowerment camp, helped feed orphan children in Ghana, and she’s a co-founder of not-for-profit group BAM. Her current efforts will culminate on 11 February when Dias will travel to her mother Janice’s hometown, St. Mary in Jamaica, to host a book festival, where she’ll also donate the collected books to schools and libraries there, with the aid of her mother’s foundation, GrassROOTS’.

“I didn’t need identification, or I didn’t desire it because I grew up in an all-black country," Janice told PhillyVoice. "She’s not growing up in an all-black country; she’s growing up in a fairly white suburb, in a country that only has 12.6 per cent of blacks. For her, identification is a bigger deal. ... For young black girls in the U.S., context is really important for them – to see themselves and have stories that reflect experiences that are closer to what they have or their friends have.”

Below, we asked Dias to share some of her favourites so far – four titles that deal with issues of self-acceptance, bravery and racism – and tell us why they were important to her, and other young girls.

BROWN GIRL DREAMING BY JACQUELINE WOODSON

“Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is girl who lives in the 60s and 70s. She discusses living under Jim Crow laws. It is all written in poetry. I chose this book because I felt it taught me a lot of things and I thought it would teach other girls something, and I think it would make them happy. Other girls need to read the book, there are many different ways to interpret it, but any way you interpret it will teach you something about yourself.

I wanted to read it for a long time because my Titi Eva gave it to me for my 10th birthday and I started to read it and stopped. I thought it was really confusing at first, but later I started to learn about similes and metaphors and then it made more sense.

I learned that what may be different for you doesn’t make you weird or peculiar in any way. From the character I learned that being persistent is not bad. She would keep asking and trying different ways.”

THE STORY OF RUBY BRIDGES BY ROBERT COLES

“The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles is a book about a black girl who is integrated into an all white elementary school. When I first read this book, I thought it was sad. The illustrations depict people really hating her to the point of screaming and yelling when she is walking into the school – they were harassing her.

I chose this book because it can teach you a lot about bravery. It’s not a boring way to learn a good lesson about bravery. (It’s important to include) Because we are not taught about her when we learn black history. We don’t get enough stories about children and women who do brave things.”

NO MIRRORS IN MY NANA’S HOUSE BY YSAYE M. BARNWELL

“No Mirrors in My Nana’s House by Ysaye M. Barnwell is a story about the love of a grandma for her grandchildren. I loved the book and I loved the CD that came with it. I still remember it. I love my two grandmothers and I love the way they look at me. When I look at them I see how much they love me.

I chose this book because I think every child, but especially little black girls, need to feel beautiful. I think you learn how beautiful you are from your family. If your family thinks you are beautiful then you feel that way when you leave the house, and no one can tell you differently. (I included it because) It is important that all children feel loved.”

PLEASE, PUPPY PLEASE BY SPIKE LEE AND TONYA LEWIS LEE

“Please, Puppy Please by Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee. A book about a puppy being a little troublemaker. I read this book when I was in preschool, and I like it a lot because my mommy always affectionately calls me ‘little troublemaker’! I chose this book because I thought for little kids it would help them understand rules in a fun way – the book is also playful and fun.”

Dias is currently taking both cash and book donations – books can be sent to: GrassROOTS Community Foundation, 59 Main Street, Suite 323, West Orange, NJ 07052