scholarly journals Books for People Who Don’t Read

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Desmarais

Dear Readers,When I spotted Alexandra Alter’s article “James Patterson Has a Big Plan for Small Books” in The New York Times on March 21, 2016, I immediately thought the story was about a new innovation that Patterson had introduced for small format children’s books. Instead, the article describes Patterson’s new line of short novels aptly named BookShots that will include thrillers, mysteries, romances, science fiction, and (eventually) nonfiction. While most people recognize Patterson’s name for his prodigious output of thrillers, he is also known for publishing nearly 50 children’s books, which have sold more than 36 million copies worldwide. He has also written popular mysteries, romances, and young adult novels, but he now has plans to write for adult readers who don’t normally make time for reading. Indeed, the BookShots home page advises prospective customers that “Life moves fast—books should too”.While I have no objection to Patterson’s new line of short, cheaply produced books that may eventually be stocked next to magazines and candies in grocery stores, I do hope that publishers of children's books will embrace an opposite trend by publishing longer books for young readers who do have time to read. Let’s not assume that all children are abandoning reading for movies, television, video games, and social networking.The strengths of Patterson’s new books are their lively, incisive writing, and of course, engaging plots that pack a great deal into few words. Brevity will certainly lend Patterson’s new books a narrative crispness that will appeal to readers who may already enjoy reading digital content on their mobile devices. There is nothing wrong with having an appetite for short fiction, but young readers will surely benefit from having access to books that encourage deeper, slow reading.Our summer issue is filled with recommended books that can be read deeply and re-read, so let’s encourage young readers to take time to more fully comprehend and appreciate words, ideas, and stories.Happy reading!Robert Desmarais Managing Editor

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Pearce

Michael Bond, Paddington creator passesIt is with sadness that we note the passing of Michael Bond, British author and creator of the Paddington Bear children’s books. Bond’s first book A Bear Called Paddington was first published in 1958 and told the story of a bear found at Paddington Station in London, that is then adopted by the Brown family. Paddington Brown, as he is later named, loves marmalade sandwiches, and always manages to get into some type of trouble despite best intentions. Paddington’s adventures continue to delight children around the world, and are representative of middle class life in London.Bond’s first book was followed by over twenty Paddington books, which have sold 35 million copies worldwide, and are translated into 41 languages. In 1972 a lady by the name of Shirley Clarkson made her children a stuffed Paddington toy that was soon in demand by other children. Clarkson eventually obtained a license to manufacture the toys and Paddington stuffed bears became the must-have souvenir when returning home from London. A number of television programs were produced over the decades, the first in 1975. In 2014 StudioCanal produced a film called Paddington, and another film about the lovable bear is being planned for late 2017. Bond’s Bear Called Paddington, with his little suitcase, button-down coat, hat, and Wellington boots has become a British icon known the world around. Bond, who wrote over 150 books in his lifetime, received the OBE in 1997 and the CBE in 2015. He passed away at the age of 91 on June 27, 2017.For further reading, both the New York TImes and The Guardian have obituary columns for Michael Bond. The paddington.com website also has a great resource of historical and biographical information on the Paddington books and Michael Bond.Canadian Children’s Book Centre Best Books for Kids Submissions The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) is now accepting submissions for the spring 2018 edition of Best Books for Kids & Teens (BBKT), the CCBC’s semi-annual selection guide to the best Canadian children’s books, magazines, audio and video, which will be released in May 2018. SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 6, 2017 For more information visit the CCBC website.


2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Africa Hands

The year 2014 was a watershed one for bringing awareness to the issue of diversity in children’s literature. The late author Walter Dean Myers wrote a stirring opinion piece for the New York Times about the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s (CCBC) report revealing that of the thirty-two-hundred children’s books published in 2013, only ninety-three were about black people.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanne Pearce

Greetings Everyone,The news for this new year’s issue consists mainly of a list of a major children’s literature awards that have been announced, as well as a few upcoming conferences.AWARDS2017 ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children) Book and Media Award WinnersJohn Newberry MedalThe Girl Who Drank the Moon Written by Kelly Barnhill and published by Algonquin Young Readers, an imprint of Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, a division of Workman PublishingNewberry Honour BooksFreedom Over Me: Eleven Slaves, Their Lives and Dreams Brought to Life by Ashley Bryan written and illustrated by Ashley Bryan and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing DivisionThe Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, The Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog written by Adam Gidwitz, illustrated by Hatem Aly and published by Dutton Children's Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLCWolf Hollow written by Lauren Wolk and published by Dutton Children's Books, Penguin Young Readers Group, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLCRandolph Caldecott MedalRadiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat illustrated by Javaka Steptoe, written by Javaka Steptoe and published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.Caldecot Honour BooksDu Iz Tak? illustrated and written by Carson Ellis, and published by Candlewick PressFreedom in Congo Square illustrated by R. Gregory Christie, written by Carole Boston Weatherford and published by Little Bee Books, an imprint of Bonnier Publishing GroupLeave Me Alone! illustrated and written by Vera Brosgol and published by Roaring Brook Press, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited PartnershipThey All Saw a Cat illustrated and written by Brendan Wenzel and published by Chronicle Books LLCLaura Ingalls Wilder AwardNikki Grimes -- Her award-winning works include “Bronx Masquerade,” recipient of the Coretta Scott King Author Award in 2003, and “Words with Wings,” the recipient of a Coretta Scott King Author Honor in 2014. Grimes is also the recipient of the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award in 2016 and the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children in 2006.2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor AwardNaomi Shihab Nye will deliver the 2018 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.Mildred L. Batchelder AwardCry, Heart, But Never Break - Originally published in Danish in 2001 as “Græd blot hjerte,” the book was written by Glenn Ringtved, illustrated by Charolotte Pardi, translated by Robert Moulthrop and published by Enchanted Lion Books.Batchelder Honour BooksAs Time Went By published by NorthSouth Books, Inc., written and illustrated by José Sanabria and translated from the German by Audrey HallOver the Ocean published by Chronicle Books LLC, written and illustrated by Taro Gomi and translated from the Japanese by Taylor NormanPura Belpre (Author) AwardJuana & Lucas written by Juana Medina, is the Pura Belpré Author Award winner. The book is illustrated by Juana Medina and published by Candlewick PressPura Belpre (Illustrator) AwardLowriders to the Center of the Earth illustrated by Raúl Gonzalez, written by Cathy Camper and published by Chronicle Books LLCAndrew Carnegie MedalRyan Swenar Dreamscape Media, LLC, producer of “Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music”Theodor Seuss Geisel AwardWe Are Growing: A Mo Willems’ Elephant & Piggie Like Reading! Book written by Laurie Keller. The book is published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book GroupRobert F. Sibert Informational Book MedalMarch: Book Three written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin and illustrated by Nate Powell, published by Top Shelf Productions, an imprint of IDW Publishing, a division of Idea and Design Works LLC  Stonewall Book Awards - ALA Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table (GLBTRT)Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature AwardIf I Was Your Girl written by Meredith Russo and published by Flatiron BooksMagnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Hammer of Thor written by Rick Riordan and published by Disney Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book GroupHonor BooksPride: Celebrating Diversity & Community written by Robin Stevenson and published by Orca Book PublishersUnbecoming written by Jenny Downham and published by Scholastic Inc. by arrangement with David Fickling BooksWhen the Moon Was Ours written by Anna-Marie McLemore and published by Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Press2017 Children’s Literature Association Phoenix AwardsPhoenix Award  2017Wish Me Luck by James Heneghan Farrar Straus Giroux, 1997Phoenix Honor Books 2017Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman HarperCollins, 1997Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye Simon & Schuster, 19972017 Phoenix Picture Book AwardTell Me a Season by Mary McKenna Siddals & Petra Mathers Clarion Books, 1997One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Tale by Demi Scholastic, 1997 CONFERENCESMarchSerendipity 2017: From Beginning to End (Life, Death, and Everything In Between) The Vancouver Children’s Literature Roundtable Mar. 4, 2017 | 8am to 3:30 pm | UBC Ike Barber LibraryJuneChildren’s Literature Association ConferenceHosted by the University of South Florida June 22-24, 2017 Tampa, FL  Hilton Tampa Downtown Hotel Conference Theme: Imagined FuturesJulyInternational Research Society for Children’s Literature (IRSCL) Congress 2017 – Toronto July 29 - August 2, 2017  Keele Campus, York University  The Congress theme is “Possible & Impossible Children: Intersections of Children’s Literature & Childhood Studies." That is all for this issue. Best wishes!Hanne Pearce, Communication Editor 


2021 ◽  
pp. 277-288
Author(s):  
Elzbieta Barbara Zybert

The paper consists of three parts: Parts one and two analyze and describe the communicative and therapeutic functions that concern children and adolescents in multicultural settings in Poland. Publishing activities of/for ethnic minority groups are presented: books and periodicals specialty addressed to young readers; libraries (both public and those created by national associations) collecting publications and serving ethnic users. The role and situation of ethnic schools and their libraries are also discussed. Part three presents a picture of ethnic and national minorities in Polish literature for children and the youth. Special attention is paid to Gypsies, Germans, and Jews.


Author(s):  
C. S. Nicholls

This chapter considers the structure of the Press as revealed by the investigations of the Committee on the University Press and published in the ‘Waldock Report’ of 1970. The operations of OUP included two manufacturing divisions (printing and papermaking) and three publishing divisions located in Oxford, London, and New York. The Press in Oxford operated as the Clarendon Press and specialized in academic publishing; the London Business concentrated on general trade publishing, including children’s books, bibles, and prayer books, and managed the network of overseas branches. The chapter then assesses the reforms suggested by the Waldock Report, the extent to which the Press implemented them, and their effectiveness in modernizing the business. The finances and leadership of the Press are also investigated and analysed in the context of the economic difficulties of the 1970s.


Author(s):  
Derek C. Maus

Over the course of a career now in its third decade, Colson Whitehead has produced a nine-book oeuvre that has made him one of the foremost 21st-century American literary authors. Born Arch Colson Chipp Whitehead in New York on November 6, 1969, he spent his childhood and adolescence devouring pop culture—in particular, science fiction and horror films. His early years were generally divided between Manhattan and his family’s summer home in Sag Harbor on Long Island. In 1987, he began studying literature at Harvard University, where he befriended poet and editor Kevin Young and other members of the influential Dark Room Collective. After graduation, he spent several years in New York writing for the Village Voice. During this time, he also started working on what eventually became his debut novel, The Intuitionist (New York: Doubleday, 1999). Although his initial readership remained relatively small, Whitehead’s critical reputation grew quickly, with each of his first two books earning rave reviews and literary prizes. The Intuitionist was a finalist for the Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award for debut fiction and his second novel, John Henry Days (New York: Doubleday, 2001), won the Anisfield-Wolf Award, a prize given to exemplary American literary works dealing with racism and diversity. John Henry Days was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 2000, he received the Whiting Award, which supports promising new writers, and then followed that up with a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship (colloquially known as a “Genius Grant”) in 2002 and a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013. Although his third novel, Apex Hides the Hurt (New York: Doubleday, 2006), was less critically lauded, it nevertheless won the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, which recognizes outstanding multicultural literature. Over the next decade, Whitehead’s readership began to catch up with his critical acclaim and each of his subsequent five novels has landed on the New York Times bestseller list. The Underground Railroad (New York: Doubleday, 2016) has been his most noteworthy book to date, reaching the top of the New York Times bestseller list, as well as earning him the Pulitzer Prize, the Carnegie Medal, the National Book Award, and public endorsements from Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama, among others. He followed this success up with a short historical novel, The Nickel Boys (New York: Doubleday, 2019), whose release was accompanied both by considerable fanfare (including Whitehead’s appearance on the cover of Time magazine) and continued critical praise. Although he has gravitated away from the comic-satirical tenor of his earlier work, Whitehead remains both a masterful prose stylist and a pointed social critic.


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