Many bookish things to share today!
- Have you read my favorite 2014 pub The Winner’s Curse yet? Because you should. Especially since you can now play the game Bite & Sting on the Winner’s Trilogy site. (You didn’t hear it from me but a victory might also lead you to a special video of Marie reading something. FYI.)
- Speaking of my favorite 2014 pub: Did you know there is a short story about Arin up on Tor.com? Check it out: http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/01/bridge-of-snow-marie-rutkoski
- “Where Are the People of Color in Children’s Books?” by Walter Dean Myers over at the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/where-are-the-people-of-color-in-childrens-books.html
- “The Apartheid of Children’s Literature” by Christopher Myers also at the NYT: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/16/opinion/sunday/the-apartheid-of-childrens-literature.html?ref=opinion&_r=0 (I’m not sure how recently but I have seen suggestions that writers of color are pushed into the “niche” for POC awards like the Pura Belpre or the Coretta Scott King. That isn’t the entire story because as these articles show it’s a rampant and constant problem. But I have always wondered if an award cast a wider net–for all authors instead of focusing in African American authors or hispanic authors, just all authors, if perhaps that might be a good step. Who knows? Let’s all go and promote diverse children’s book right now.)
- “Gender-specific books demean all our children. So the Independent on Sunday will no longer review anything marketed to exclude either sex” by Katy Guest over at the Independent: Yes. So much yes. The biggest frustration (after the other ones that aren’t relevant) of working at a bookstore was having to practically argue with parents that their kids will love X book with a protagonist of the opposite gender. The worst was picture books. It drove me nuts doing reader advisory and other sellers would say well “boy or girl” but I hated the pigeon holing so I would just skip that question. Anyway, I love this. Obviously.
- See also: Let Books be Books
- (None of this is to say that kids can’t read books about girls or boys or have gendered toys. I just think, like everyone, there should be options. And those options should be equal.)
- Liz B has a review of the Veronica Mars Movie up on her blog. Nicole and I went to see this for her birthday and we both enjoyed it. A lot. Go see it guys!
Miss Print 