We need literature that wrestles with the evils of slavery while confronting its complexity – especially when it’s written for childrenA book called George Washington’s Birthday Cake has caused controversy for depicting a smiling black cook, in this case chef Hercules and his daughter, preparing cake in the kitchen for the president, who held in bondage hundreds of enslaved workers. It is unclear what kind of moment we are witnessing on the cover. Is it familial love, servile obedience, or, perhaps, a smile to hide the pain of being enslaved? Improving our understanding of the lives of slaves is key to answering those uncomfortable questions. The rationale which the illustrator, Vanessa Brantley-Newton, gave for the “happy slaves” imagery was that these enslaved folk, identified as “servants”, were proud and felt privileged to serve a man of such a great “stature”. In her plea for a middle ground, the author, Ramin Ganeshram, argued that not every enslaved person was in the middle of hell every single second, and therefore, smiling isn’t an unreasonable thing to suggest. I know Ganeshram, as do many in the black culinary scene. I have not dialogued with her about the book, nor have I had the opportunity to read it. Both the author and illustrator, are of color. On the surface, they are right on both counts. But why are we still uncomfortable, opposed and furious – even after the book has been pulled? Related: Scholastic pulls George Washington book over slave cake... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2016-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Testing first, remaining flexible, and hanging out on Twitter are all best practices for to online book marketing today, says Derrick Schultz of Atavist. The post 5 Tips for Online Book Marketing Today appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British Sports Book Awards will have a headline sponsor for the first time this year, following a deal with luxury pen-maker Cross. Held on 3rd June at Lord's Cricket Ground, this year's awards will give out prizes for categories including autobiography of the year, biography of the year,... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Writing translated from other languages makes you see things differently,' says UK translator Daniel Hahn who will mine the Bologna Book Fair for gems. The post Why Reading Translated Kids’ Books Makes a Difference appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gallic Books has acquired a new novel by French writer Muriel Barbery, author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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World Book Day titles continue to dominate the Official UK Top 50 with nine of the 10 titles published as part of the annual charity celebrations claiming positions within the Top 10 this week. The 10 ￡1 titles sold 224,433 combined copies in the seven days ending 14th March. This was down 34%... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Japan's Rakuten, parent company of ebookseller Kobo, has purchased US ebook distributor OverDrive, likely blocking Kindle's further expansion into libraries. The post Rakuten Buys E-book Distributor OverDrive for $410 Million appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has signed a book about an aspiring actress from mother and daughter writing duo Perdita and Honor Cargill. Waiting for Callback, aimed at readers aged 11+, is about Elektra, a young girl who is discovered by an acting agent. She dreams of Oscar glory but... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The upcoming book by Pratchett, who died recently, will reportedly be titled 'The Shepherd's Crown' and center on a familiar character. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Joseph has pulled a recipe book by health blogger and author Belle Gibson after she failed to give sufficient information in response to a series of claims levelled at her. Gibson’s The Whole Pantry, based on an app she created following a diagnosis of terminal brain cancer, was due to... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books are being included in the Sainsbury’s Nectar Rewards Double Up promotion for the first time. The popular promotion sees customers able to double points on their Nectar reward cards at the same time as get “massive” discounts on ebooks from Wednesday (18th March) for a period of two... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Veteran comics creators including Paul Tobi and Steve Niles are on board for the debut of the new American Gothic Press line of comics this summer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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With the abundance of comic book movies being made there’s bound to be backlash, but will it be Marvel or DC that pushes us over the edge? The post Who Will Make You Sick of Comic Book Movies, DC or Marvel? appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bloomsbury Children’s UK and US divisions will simultaneously publish a new YA novel from Len Vlahos in winter 2017. In House of Stone, fifteen-year-old Jackie's dad is dying of a brain tumour so decides to auction off his life on eBay to a reality TV show producer. Disgusted by the farce the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It's a fact: even though printed books are not yet dead, there's an increasing number of people who are turning to ebooks to read their favorite book. Trajectory, a Marblehead-based company launched three years ago by two technology veterans, seeks to not only help publishers distribute their... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal
[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2015-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Livres Canada Books facilitates networking and connections to help the international publishing community to discover the latest from the vibrant Canadian publishing market. The post Livres Canada Books: Your Convenient Connection to Canadian Publishing appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new Scholastic report found that a whopping 91 percent of children ages 6 to 17 said, 'My favorite books are the ones that I have picked out myself.' The books children liked the most were those that made them laugh, that let them use their imagination, and that tell made-up stories. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Irish Arts Center in New York City will be handing out thousands of books by Irish writers to NYC residents on the holiday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This week: Ayn Rand's connection to the 2008 financial collapse, America's youngest serial killer, and a modern retelling of "Madame Bovary." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins Children’s Books and Bloomsbury Children’s both have two books shortlisted for this year’s Children’s Books Ireland (CBI) Book of the Year awards [see full list below]. Bloomsbury’s Apple and Rain by Sarah Crossan and When Mr Dog Bites by Brian Conaghan are on the shortlist, as... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Reader’s Guild has signed a long-term licensing agreement to market and publish Reader’s Digest's Condensed Book series as Reader’s Digest Classic Editions. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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