The Guardian view on children’s books: a restricted view of a wide world | Editorial

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 ]
News tagged with: #bame characters #titles featured #bame protagonists #white boys

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Guardian view on children’s books: a restricted view of a wide world | Editorial'


Murdoch Books signs Olivia Newton-John cookbook

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 21/07/2011 - 09:00 Murdoch Books has bought a healthy living cookbook from "Grease" star Olivia Newton-John. Managing director Christine Jones bought US, UK, Australian and New Zealand rights from Louise Georgeson. LivWise will be published in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #zealand rights #absolutely delighted


Borders is Toast, But Don't Blame E-Books

A physical bookstore closes, but it's not the fault of ebooks. Presented By: Get Ready for Tomorrow Today with Cisco The way the world consumes and shares data will dramatically change in the next five years. Is your network ready to handle the load? Friend and follow Cisco across the web as... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Main to join Picador as editorial director

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Tue, 19/07/2011 - 10:17 Simon & Schuster senior commissioning editor Francesca Main is leaving the publisher to become editorial director at Picador. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Summer Reading scheme "critical" for children's literacy

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Mon, 18/07/2011 - 15:00 The Reading Agency director Miranda McKearney has called for the annual Summer Reading Challenge, which launches its 2011 run today (18th July), to be on every head teacher's school improvement plan. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


E-Book Revolution Upends a Course

TRANSFORMEDFor some new releases, digital sales outpace print sales. The Columbia Publishing Course teaches the old and the new of the business. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Children's publishing "haemorrhaging talent"

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 08:46 The industry is "haemorrhaging talent" as authors and illustrators are finding it increasingly difficult to make a living in the children's sector. Agent Caroline Sheldon said that she estimated that fewer than half of the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #increasingly difficult #big things


Vintage bring Hill into digital world

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Fri, 15/07/2011 - 14:31 Vintage has made 12 titles by The Woman in Black author Susan Hill available to buy as ebooks for the first time across the UK and Commonwealth. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital world


Orla Kiely to create range of baby and toddler books

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Wed, 13/07/2011 - 07:47 Designer Orla Kiely, best known for creating handbags and hats, will launch a new range of baby and toddler books in September with Colours and Numbers, inspired by her own trademark designs. The books will be published by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #egmont press


Fathers Day fails to boost June book sales - BRC

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 12/07/2011 - 09:37 Widespread offers and Fathers Day failed to affect book sales falling in June compared to 2010, according to the British Retail Consortium. Figures out today show total sales in the UK were up 1.5% last month in comparison to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #june compared #year-earlier level #fathers day #e-book readers


Media Decoder: Sheila Bair to Write Book on Financial Crisis

Sheila C. Bair, who ended a tumultuous five-year term as chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation this month, has landed a book deal to give her inside account of the financial crisis. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2011-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #media decoder #write book #financial crisis #book deal #inside account


Print book sales decline in first half of 2011

Written By: Charlotte Williams and Philip Stone Publication Date: Fri, 08/07/2011 - 09:55 Print sales across the book market have dropped by 3% in the first six months of 2011, compared to the same period last year, with Jamie Oliver the bestselling author over the period, ahead of Julia... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #charlotte williams #book market #jamie oliver #bestselling author #julia donaldson #james patterson #simon schuster #sales growth


BA and PA set to oppose Amazon-Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, with the BA saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". Meanwhile, the PA is actively considering... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


British Newspaper News of the World Folds

After the latest controversy broke in a string of revelations concerning phone hacking conducted by editorial staff, British newspaper News of the World is folding. News International’s chairman deputy COO of News Corp. James Murdoch says that Sunday will be the last edition of the newspaper. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #editorial staff #james murdoch


Automating the Editorial Workflow

Many publishers are moving to leaner editorial staffs while relying on more contributors (some paid, many not) to generate digital content. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


BA opposes Amazon and Book Depository merger

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Thu, 07/07/2011 - 09:06 The Booksellers Association has announced it will formally oppose the merger of Amazon and The Book Depository, saying that Amazon already had a "de facto monopoly". read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #booksellers association #formally oppose #book depository


Claudia Mody leaves Waterstone's for The Book People

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Wed, 06/07/2011 - 08:01 Waterstone’s children’s range buyer Claudia Mody is to join The Book People as a buyer for Red House it's children's consumer-facing book club. Mody will start on 1st August at The Book People. Seni Glaister, chief executive... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book people #1st august #seni glaister


OFT set to probe Book Depository deal

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Tue, 05/07/2011 - 11:26 The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has announced it is to investigate Amazon’s acquisition of The Book Depository. The official body has issued an “invitation to comment” notice asking for written representations about “any... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #announced yesterday #book depository


Amazon to Acquire U.K. Online Book Seller and Publisher

Amazon.com has acquired The Book Depository International, a seven-year old online bookseller based in the UK, which also republishes titles that are no longer in print or poorly available. Continue reading at AllThingsD

[ AllThingsD | 2011-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon to acquire The Book Depository

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 12:29 Amazon.com has reached an agreement to acquire The Book Depository, the fast-growing online retailer founded by Andrew Crawford in 2004. Greg Greeley, Amazon's vice president of European Retail, said: "Customers in more... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book depository #vice president #free shipping


Book Depository to "operate independently" of Amazon

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Mon, 04/07/2011 - 16:00 The Book Depository has said it will continue to operate independently of Amazon, as the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) said it was "too early" to say if today's takeover of the online bookseller would trigger an investigation.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book depository #operate independently #online bookseller #continuing growth