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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TV hosts Ant & Dec, a.k.a. Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly, are releasing their debut children's book next year to raise money for the NSPCC. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-09 13:59:39 UTC ]
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The Shanghai International Children's Book Fair (CCBF) has been postponed from this month to March 2022 because of the situation with Covid-19 in China and will now coincide with the Bologna Children's Book Fair (BCBF). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-09 00:00:04 UTC ]
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The Centre for Literacy in Primary Education welcomes steep increase in representation, but warns there are ‘no quick fixes’The proportion of children’s books featuring a minority ethnic character has almost quadrupled in the last four years, according to a new survey – but researchers say “we... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-11-04 14:36:37 UTC ]
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Claire Tomalin’s ‘The Young H.G. Wells’ is a fascinating look at the prolific writer’s rocky beginnings and complicated personal life. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-03 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Just because a kids' book focuses on gender identity doesn't mean it's a GOOD children's book about gender. Here's how to find the best ones. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-03 10:32:00 UTC ]
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From new books by Jason Reynolds and Andrea Beaty to powerful books about Black history, November children's book releases have lots of gems! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-02 10:35:00 UTC ]
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A children's book shortlisted for a 2021 Governor General's Literary Award was written by a University of Guelph associate professor who specializes in the history of Indigenous Peoples and illustrated by an Ojibway multidisciplinary artist. ... Continue reading at CBC
[ CBC | 2021-11-02 08:00:00 UTC ]
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A spate of new books wrestle with complex questions about what humans seek from nature and what we should give back. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-01 10:00:00 UTC ]
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Sylvia Plath was born 89 years ago today. A published writer from age at, she left behind a vast catalogue of poetry and prose, especially given her short life. One of her most charming works was a rhyming children’s book written in 1959 (before either of her children were born) and published in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2021-10-27 17:44:35 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children's Books has signed a new four-book deal with picture book creator Emma Chichester Clark. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-26 17:42:17 UTC ]
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The New York Times takes a look at lesser-known children’s books written by literary titans such as Langston Hughes, Gertrude Stein, William Faulkner, and more. Though these writers did not stay long in this genre, their efforts were lauded, as in the case of James Thurber and Many Moons. “When... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2021-10-25 20:30:32 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s Books has acquired Here Are the Words, the first YA and crossover poetry collection from bestselling poet and social media star Nikita Gill. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-23 04:50:57 UTC ]
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Mr. Pinkney brought new life to old fairy tales — and to children’s literature as a whole — with his radiant illustrations in more than 100 picture books. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-22 13:28:42 UTC ]
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Adept at reimagining classic tales, he often made sure that his books included Black characters and themes. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-10-21 22:46:10 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has announced promotions for Eve Wersocki Morris, Olivia Horrox and Danielle Wilson in its sales, marketing and publicity teams. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-19 18:19:02 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s Books has pounced for Five Bears, a new picture book written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-19 14:57:35 UTC ]
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Book Reviews Photo by andy lapham / Flickr Whether he is recounting his nighttime drive with a late colleague and poet around the beltway of the pulsing and vibrant São Paulo—a city so full of people and culture that it seems to have its own... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2021-10-11 20:56:08 UTC ]
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Women in espionage take center stage in “Red Widow,” “The Targeter,” “Life Undercover” and more. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-10-06 14:00:00 UTC ]
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October children’s book releases include picture books like Interrupting Chicken: Cookies for Breakfast by David Ezra Stein, middle grade books like Living With Viola by Rosena Fung, and so much more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-10-04 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Schemes provide mentors and funding to help aspiring writers on low incomes enter market dominated by white celebritiesA programme that aims to tackle the lack of diversity in children’s books has been launched after its founder said the practice of richer authors paying for support to get... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2021-09-26 06:15:04 UTC ]
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