Waterstones prize winner Elle McNicoll: ‘I never saw autistic girls in books’

The author was repeatedly told that no one wanted to read fun books with disabled heroes. Now she has won the £5,000 Waterstones children’s book prize for her debut, A Kind of SparkWhen Scottish author Elle McNicoll was first trying to enter the publishing world, she was repeatedly told that people didn’t want to read about an autistic heroine. “In job interviews, I was saying that I wanted to see more books with disabled characters in them that were not traumatic, boring or educational, but fun and full of life. A lot of the reactions were, ‘Waterstones don’t like books like that’,” she says.Now McNicoll’s debut novel A Kind of Spark has won the Waterstones children’s book prize. Published by tiny independent Knights Of, it follows Addie, an 11-year-old autistic girl, as she campaigns for a memorial to the witch trials that took place in her Scottish village. The novel has been praised by Waterstones’ booksellers as “eye opening, heart-wrenching, sad [and] inspiring”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-07-01 05:01:05 UTC ]

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Two for Bodley Head on Royal Society Science Book Prize shortlist

The six-strong shortlist for the £25,000 Royal Society Insight Investment Science Book Prize has been revealed, including two titles from PRH imprint The Bodley Head. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-28 22:52:51 UTC ]
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‘I have these stories to tell’: the authors trying to diversify children’s books

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Listen to the musical stylings of Shel Silverstein and Johnny Cash.

This is a Shel Silverstein appreciation post. He has given us so much over the years! Most famously, we have The Giving Tree, a twisted children’s book about a benevolent tree that gives up its whole self for an unappreciative little boy. By extension, we can also thank Shel Silverstein for Ryan... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

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Children’s Book Publishers Wrestle with Picturing God

As faith-based children’s book publishers strive for greater inclusivity and diverse representations of all people within stories, decisions do not always come easily about which pronouns to use for God or what skin color to use in illustrations of Jesus. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Rosie Jones | 'I wanted to write the book I needed as a child'

Comedian Rosie Jones has added another string to her bow by authoring a children’s book series—the sort of titles she says she needed as a child Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Religion Book Deals: Sept. 22, 2021

Broadleaf signs former Miss Canada Tara Teng, W takes on ‘Godly Dating 101,’ a new children’s book from Beaming will celebrate Diwali, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Non-fiction and TikTok-boosted YA help children’s book market surge

​The children’s book market has increased by more than 11% this year, boosted by picture books, non-fiction and a remarkable 61% growth in YA sales.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Live Your Home Library Dream With These Ex Libris Stamps

Margaret and the Mystery of the Missing Body reimagines nineties adolescence—mashing up girl group series, choose-your-own-adventures, and chronicles of anorexia—in a queer and trans coming-of-age tale like no other. An interrogation of girlhood and nostalgia, dysmorphia and dysphoria, this... Continue reading at Book Riot

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Hannah Gold | 'You can’t change the world, but you can try to influence your little corner'

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How the First Children’s Book About Copywriting Came About

There is a job in which smart people are paid to think, create and dream but it's not taught in schools where children are told to follow rules and do what they're told to the extreme. The world of advertising is perhaps still a mystery to most of the planet as it rarely makes an... Continue reading at AdWeek

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In Tokyo, a Bored Wife Seeks Excitement

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Moving to New York With Little Cash but Charm to Spare

“Happy Hour,” a debut novel by Marlowe Granados, follows a pair of thrifty, stylish and nimble young women navigating the big city. Continue reading at The New York Times

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British Academy Book Prize Announces Its 2021 Shortlist

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William Collins scores two on £25k British Academy Book Prize shortlist

The shortlist for the £25,000 British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding has been revealed with William Collins titles making up half the nominated books.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-09-06 23:47:10 UTC ]
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Check out some of the amazing  children’s book releases hitting shelves in September, including My Two Border Towns by David Bowles & Erika Meza. Continue reading at Book Riot

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In Literary Organizations, Diversity Disputes Keep Coming

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German Book Prize Names Its 2021 Longlist: ‘A Broad Bouquet’

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Review: A symphonic new story collection plays variations on New Orleans in all its masquerades

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