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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Debut author Kelly McCaughrain has won a trio of prizes at the Children’s Books Ireland awards—a first in the 29 year history of the prize. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-22 12:44:25 UTC ]
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May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, and it’s the perfect time to discover some new stories about Asian people, places, food and culture. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2019-05-20 09:45:24 UTC ]
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Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) celebrated the start of its year as UNESCO World Book Capital last night (23rd April) with a spectacular theatrical sequel to One Thousand and One Nights held in the city’s open-air Al Majaz amphitheatre. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In its newly commissioned stage production, the emirate Sharjah has opened its year as UNESCO's World Book Capital with a new tale for the ancient canon of the Arabian Nights. The post Sharjah Becomes UNESCO’s World Book Capital With a ‘Scheherazade’ Stage Premiere appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-04-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In this year's promotion for World Book Day, Amazon Crossing is giving away titles from Spanish, Dutch, German, Hebrew, Swedish, Japanese, and Norwegian. The post Amazon Crossing Rolls Out Its 2019 World Book Day Translation Offer appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-04-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The children's novelist inspiring BAME readers to see themselves positively in the stories they read. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2019-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Not many writers can say they’ve transitioned from love poems to children’s novels about anthropormorphic jazz musicians like “Duck Ellington.” Poet, educator, New York Times bestselling author Kwamé Alexander has done it all. His newest work, “The Undefeated,” is his “love letter to black... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Audio Publishers Association, Bookrepublic, and Bologna Children's Book Fair have begun surveying various audiobook markets. The post Books Heard ‘Round the World: A New Survey of International Audiobook Markets appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beach libraries and celebrating reading through cricket will form part of the year-long programme in Sharjah when it becomes the 19th UNESCO World Book Capital. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh will leave office at midnight over a scandal caused by her self-published Healthy Holly books. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2019-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hollywood A-lister Angelina Jolie and Amnesty International have announced at Bologna Children’s Book Fair that they will collaborate on a children’s book, with themes based around the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Wanting to see more African characters in children's books—both in Africa and internationally—publishers Sarah Odedina and Deborah Ahenkorah have formed a new partnership. The post Reflecting a Diverse Reality in Children’s Books: New African Literature Partnership appeared first on Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As the 2019 Bologna Children's Book Fair opens, we bring you a selection of rights deals to children's and YA titles from Slovenia, Finland, Germany, and the USA. The post As Bologna Children’s Book Fair Opens: Rights Roundup of Titles appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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"Ladies Who Punch" details some of the never-reported scandals that plagued the hit TV talk show. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2019-03-28 01:55:17 UTC ]
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In a working session in Paris, final programming plans have been introduced for the coming UNESCO World Book Capital events, after Sharjah's Sheikh Al Qasimi launches English translations in London. The post UNESCO Goes Over Sharjah World Book Capital Plans; 2021 Applications Deadline is May 2... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Boy at the Back of the Class by Onjali Q. Raúf (Hachette Children’s Books) is the winner of this year’s overall £5,000 Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, beating off competition from other category winners Tomi Adeyemi, Lauren Ace and Jenny Løvlie. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Boy at the Back of the Class is "a future classic", Waterstones Children's Book Prize judges say. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fashion designer Paul Smith is teaming up with illustrator Sam Usher to publish his first children’s book with Pavilion Children’s Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Number of books featuring African Americans has more than doubled in the past decade, with Asian Americans triplingCampaigners have hailed a “seismic shift” in US children’s publishing after statistics showed that the number of kids’ books featuring African-American characters has more than... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2019-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This year's recipients of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, as announced to date, come from Morocco, Kuwait, Algeria, Lebanon, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates. The post Sheikh Zayed Book Award 2019 Winners: ‘World-Class Thinkers and Authors’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-03-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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