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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How much money is a book really worth? Is it the $25 to $30 publishers typically ask for the hardcover edition? Is it the discounted price plus shipping that an online retailer charges? What if there’s only a Kindle edition you can buy, for 99 cents? Is that same book worth nothing on days when... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The tagline “It’s not TV. It’s HBO” is something many will remember from the late 1990s, back when the cable network was in the vanguard for airing critically acclaimed series like The Sopranos and Sex and the City. Today there’s hardly a cable network in the game that isn’t trying to capture... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In a time when digital and print-on-demand technology are streamlining how books are created and delivered, Paravion Press believes there still is a market for well-crafted, hand-made books. “Paravion hopes to keep hold of a patch of turf for the old guard of the printed book—the realm of the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones has brought its 3 for 2 offer back for one week, but only on children’s books... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Cult of the Leader (Wiley), written by Christopher Bones, has been named as the CMI... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Conley, a publishing vet whose experience runs the gamut from b-to-b to consumer financial journalism, is now editorial director with MyBankTracker.com. In this role, Conley will oversee the news and analysis operations of the site. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2012-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canadian bookselling chain Indigo Books and Music and Books-a-Million have joined ranks with... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Imagine buying a car that locks you into one brand of fuel. That new BMW only runs on BMW gas. There are plenty of BMW gas stations around, so convenience isn't an issue. But if a different brand of gas station offers a discount, a membership program, or some other marketing campaign, you can't... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As traditional revenue channels for newspapers collapse, publishers are seeking new and innovative ways to make a profit without expending a lot of resources. Finding the appropriate niche is the key to survival, and newspapers that recognize this ar ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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France is claiming a world first with its imminent adoption of a new law that lays down the rules... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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W H Smith has launched its new Richard & Judy Children’s Book Club promotion with a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC Books has signed a two-year publishing deal with the BBC's upcoming talent show "The... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed book sales fell 12% year on year in January, with spending falling to its lowest point... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Can’t wait for high school calculus iBooks where kids have to triangulate Kindle sales with rubbish percentage data –Dan Frommer, via Twitter Continue reading at AllThingsD
[ AllThingsD | 2012-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google Books is a gigantic and ever-expanding online library of books and magazines that can be used to read classic titles free of charge as well as to purchase new releases in all manner of categories. But you may be one of the many people who have found that the interface for the website and... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2012-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comic book fans gather in the French city of Angouleme to celebrate the 39th international festival of comic books. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2012-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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ProPublica and Open Road Integrated Media will release several ebooks based on ProPublica's investigative journalism, beginning in February. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse (Egmont) was once again the bestselling book in the UK last... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hachette Ireland has promoted commissioning editor Ciara Doorley to the position of editorial... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-01-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Want to replace your traditional library with ebooks? Here are some sites and tools that can help you make your physical books disappear. Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2012-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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