Almost a third of school-age children are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. But they will still struggle to find characters who resemble themselvesBooks can show us the world both as it is, and as it could be – “mirrors and windows”, as the author Malorie Blackman notes. For children, they are currently falling short on both counts. In the pages of a picture or chapter book, readers have their experience affirmed or glimpse exciting new possibilities: mastering a fear of the dark, or travelling through space. Yet a young black or Asian child picking up a book today is more likely to encounter a rabbit than a protagonist who looks like them, says the expert who has led a new review of representation, Reflecting Realities. This is astonishing in an age when 32% of school-age children are from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds; and is bad news not only for them but for all young readers. Publishers are offering a dated, narrow and skewed picture of the complex, diverse, interconnected world around them.Don’t blame Beatrix Potter. This is not a historic, cumulative problem; the new research covers only books published in 2017. The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education asked publishers to submit titles with BAME characters and received fewer than 400, set against the roughly 9,000 books published for children aged three to 11. Quality and sheer variety are as important as quantity. Only 1% of titles featured a BAME lead character; in a quarter of... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2018-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Broadway actor Kristin Chenoweth explores the joys of adoption, showing kindness, and sharing love in her debut book for kids, 'What Will I Do With My Love Today?' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Winners of an array of children’s literature awards reflect a diversity of perspectives and topics. “The Last Cuentista,” a tale of a young girl who must preserve the memory of Earth’s history, won the John Newbery Medal for the year’s best children’s book. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2022-01-25 18:02:43 UTC ]
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Authors and illustrators including Cressida Cowell, Dapo Adeola and Nathan Bryon are among those taking part in World Book Day, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-24 18:22:37 UTC ]
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For the first time on record, picture books outsold fiction for young readers through the TCM, after clawing back a huge deficit. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-22 08:33:40 UTC ]
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The giraffe or elephant main character in your children's book is probably male. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-01-20 14:26:39 UTC ]
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On January 14, 1963, poet Sylvia Plath published her first novel in England under the pseudonym “Victoria Lucas.” The book had a positive but relatively quiet reception; only a few weeks after its publication, on February 11, Plath would die by suicide. It wasn’t published in the US until 1971,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-14 09:50:32 UTC ]
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Three days before its anticipated physical opening, the big New Delhi World Book Fair has been postponed, new dates to be announced. The post New Delhi World Book Fair Announces Postponement appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-01-05 21:40:06 UTC ]
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The Blair Partnership has appointed Macmillan Children's Books (MCB) editorial director Rachel Petty as agent, heading up its children’s and YA list. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-04 08:08:25 UTC ]
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Independent bookshop Kibworth Books has raised more than £2,000, to gift books to children being treated in Leicester Royal Infirmary over Christmas. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-24 11:27:47 UTC ]
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Unless an author is a household name or has a celebrity endorsement, the hardcover fiction list can be elusive for first-timers. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-23 10:00:01 UTC ]
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Welbeck Flame has acquired The Asparagus Bunch, a "fresh, irreverent" children’s novel by debut author Jessica Scott Whyte, secured in a two-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-12 18:19:43 UTC ]
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Here's what it's really like to judge a children's book award, including the surprising best part of the process (it's not the free books!) Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-08 11:33:00 UTC ]
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A journalist went to Scotland to investigate the world of oil riggers and slept with her first source. "Sea State" is her raw memoir of the aftermath Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-12-07 14:00:53 UTC ]
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The crisp weather makes it the perfect time to snuggle up with a little one and read these 11 December children's book releases. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-06 11:39:00 UTC ]
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Critic Michael Dirda picks illustrated books that won’t just sit on your coffee table. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-01 13:00:00 UTC ]
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A children's publisher has launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to create personalised books for terminally ill children. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-28 04:17:10 UTC ]
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At the upcoming Guadalajara International Book Fair, the Bologna Children's Book Fair stages programming aimed at illustrators. The post At Guadalajara: Bologna Children’s Book Fair Makes Its Next Stop appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-11-24 19:08:50 UTC ]
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Delegates from 16 of UNESCO's World Book Capitals convened in Sharjah to explore the WBC network and what it can offer. The post At Sharjah: A UNESCO World Book Capital Network Meeting appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-11-22 19:44:51 UTC ]
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The author of The Upstairs House on postpartum depression, hauntings, and the legacy of Margaret Wise Brown. Continue reading at Guernica
[ Guernica | 2021-11-18 03:45:32 UTC ]
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Based in Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Book Award releases the first two of its eight longlists showcasing Arabic literature, scholarship, and writing. The post Sheikh Zayed Book Award Longlists: Young Author and Children’s Literature appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2021-11-18 01:57:08 UTC ]
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