Year: 2015
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We Need Diverse Books Announces Winner of Short Story Contest
In memory of the late author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Walter Dean Myers, the contest was open to unpublished writers of non-majority backgrounds. First place winner Kelly …
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Happy 75th Anniversary, 'Caps for Sale'!
To commemorate the anniversary, HarperCollins will publish a sequel, More Caps for Sale: Another Tale of Mischievous Monkeys, by Ann Marie Mulhearn Sayer, with original art by Slobodkina. The publisher …
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Ron Mirr, Tonya Leslie and Dr. Rhonda Neal Waltman Join Scholastic to Lead Learning Supports and Family Engagement Initiatives
New York, NY – Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced three key appointments to leadership within Scholastic Education as the Company moves to …
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International Approaches to Fostering Literacy
South Korea, for example, encourages bilingualism at an early age, while Finland provides universal (and affordable) preschool. Reading, in particular, can’t be rushed. It has been around for only about …
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Educator Helps Kids with Bikes and Books
Ertl convinced his principal to install a bike in a classroom and allow students to read a book while riding. The experiment proved so successful that Ertl filled an entire …
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Industry Q&A with editor Liz Szabla
Interview by Mark von Bargen
Please tell us about the most recent diverse book you published.
Mixed Me! by Taye Diggs, illustrated by Shane W. Evans is coming out this fall. It’s the story of a mixed-race boy— a subject both Taye and Shane know well. I like Mixed Me! as a companion to Taye and Shane’s first book together, Chocolate Me! (which we just published in paperback on the Square Fish list), but the two books are meant to stand alone.
Coming in November is the long-awaited conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles series, Winter, which features the mixed-race Lunar princess. Winter’s parents’ relationship is explored in Fairest, which we published earlier this year.
I’m happy to say that we have several books featuring diverse characters due out in 2016, including Gifted by H.A. Swain, a futuristic YA novel about talent and commerce that features several characters of color; and Last Seen Leaving, a YA debut by Caleb Roehrig that is a thriller with LGBT themes. I’m comparing it to Gone Girl and Thirteen Reasons Why.
What is one factor holding you back from publishing more diverse titles?
I don’t feel “held back” at all. The same criteria apply to all of the books we publish: We’re looking for great stories, terrific voices (both new and established), and books that are broadly commercial. Many of the submissions I receive that are touted as diverse are too message-driven, didactic, or inauthentic— qualities I also see in a lot of “issue” books that come across my desk. I try to read widely online, in print, and off the beaten path to find new talent, and sometimes writers’ conferences help too.Who would you consider to be a diversity pioneer in children’s and/or young adult literature?
I had the honor of working with Walter Dean Myers on several projects. His books were game changers, needless to say, and though he could certainly be called a “diversity pioneer” in our industry, he was also an all-around literary powerhouse who brought a sharp, brilliant point of view to every one of his books, fiction and nonfiction alike. I admire that about his work – it’s easier said than done, and I believe he inspired many authors to discard filters and write from the heart.
When I was with Lee and Low Books, I worked on debuts by artists Javaka Steptoe and R. Gregory Christie – two wonderful talents whose books continue to prove they are visionaries. I also worked with Pat Mora around the time she created El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Her poetry for children and adults is exquisite, and her arts activism is definitely pioneering.
Tell us about your editing process. When you edit cross-culturally, how do you ensure that the book authentically portrays a culture with which you might not be as familiar?
I ask a lot of questions. I listen. I’d rather ask honest questions than assume I understand something that I’m not familiar with. I don’t want to push my sensibility on any author or any character. It’s an intuitive, creative process that is difficult to explain. And it’s different for every book – one size does not fit all. This is true for every book I work on.
If you could receive a manuscript about one culture or subculture that you don’t normally see, what would it be?
I’d love to find a contemporary story featuring Asian American characters. A few years ago we published Lewis Buzbee’s Bridge Of Time, a time-travel middle-grade novel that takes place in contemporary San Francisco, and in the San Francisco of Mark Twain’s time. The two main characters are good friends, and one is Asian American. It’s a great book,but I’d like to see more.
Liz Szabla is editor-in-chief of Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group. She started her career as a bookseller in the San Francisco Bay Area, and has been at F&F since 2006. -
Book Activities that Bring Reading to Life
Suggestions for bringing books to life include cooking dishes inspired by your child’s favorite stories; crafting characters and settings out of clay or other materials; and encouraging kids to pick …
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Jon Scieszka to Appear at the National Book Festival
Known for his delightfully zany children’s books, including The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, Scieszka is also the …
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Dav Pilkey is on a Mission to Make Young Readers Laugh
Pilkey wants kids to read and have fun in the process. That is one of the reasons why he plans to continue the Captain Underpants series and spin-off projects such as …
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Sonia Manzano of 'Sesame Street' Shares her Childhood Story
It may come as no surprise that reading played an important role in the life of the ‘Sesame Street’ star: Her childhood provides plenty of material. In the book, there …
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Random House U.S. and Penguin Random House U.K. Children's Divisions Acquire Self-Published #1 International Bestseller, The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep
New York and London —The Random House U.S. and Penguin Random House U.K. children’s divisions of Penguin Random House have jointly acquired THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP, the …
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The Seattle Public Library Serves Books on Bikes to its Patrons
Seattle Public Library has three different bike trailers that librarians bring to community events, curating reading material based on the event’s focus. One trailer has a children’s theme…The trailers are …
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Neil Gaiman on Writing About Controversial Issues
For me, when there are controversial scenes, they’re always intrinsic to the book and I hope always done tastefully. The Graveyard Book opens with a serial killer walking round a …
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Become an Official Banned Books Week Author Spokesperson!
A Banned Books Week Author Spokesperson may be asked to participate in a press interview, create a guest blog post for the BBW site, and/or help get the word out …
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Use Those Business Cards
Contributed to CBC Diversity by Audrey Maynard
I was a non-traditional hire when I began my editing career in 2001. My job qualifications included 12 years working with children and families in urban and rural classrooms. This meant I had a deep understanding of the transformative power of picture books. It also meant I understood the huge need for more diverse books for America’s children. But the third thing I learned from my teaching career was that most people have a story to tell, and some of those stories are pretty amazing. This knowledge has proved very valuable in my work as an acquiring editor. From day one on my job, I decided to cultivate an inclusive attitude towards submissions. My goal has been to find not only the right story, but the right story-teller. Happily, this approach is one that has worked well for our company over the years. As an editor, you never know who will author the next best-selling children’s book. More to the point, that “next book” you are hoping for may not even arrive as a written submission!
In 2004, I opened a small, square package containing a CD. I remember having distinct feelings of excitement and doubt as I shoved the disc in my ancient cd player. The sender was a Passamaquoddy Tribal member named Allen Sockabasin. The CD featured a collection of his stories and songs recorded in both Passamaquoddy and English. Because there weren’t lyrics in the package, I played the music over and over. Ultimately I “got” the submission, and transcribed one special story. After several meetings with Allen, and his family, a contract was signed. That story then found a new life as one of our best selling picture books known as Thanks to the Animals. Thinking creatively about submissions was part of the backstory that brought this book to life.
Given the pressing needs we have to see more diverse books published, it’s important to be proactive. I’m not in favor of “sitting back and waiting” for award-winning submissions to come over the transom. I’ve developed another approach that I believe has merit because it is simple and inclusive. As I go about my daily life, I have taken to suggesting to people I meet that they might explore the picture book world. To emphasize that I am serious, I give out my business card. Over the years, I have handed out my contact information to waitresses, dog walkers, janitors, taxi drivers, teachers, librarians, and medical professionals. It always gives me great joy to suggest to these “non-writers” that they might have a story to tell that would interest a young child. In addition to generating manuscripts, I hope that my business card distribution may build aspirations. Too many people are intimidated by the world of publishing. As a white, female editor, I embody the demographic (and limitations) of the profession. Given that fact, I believe I need to go the extra mile to empower diverse story tellers.
All editors have considerable power. My goal has been to use mine as creatively and equitably as possible. Change is already coming to the world of children’s literature. Modifications in manufacturing options and distribution systems, social media and demographics make this inevitable. But in the end it is always worth remembering that it is the children who read our books who will thank us for taking the time to address the present inequities, and make the necessary changes.
Audrey Maynard has edited children’s books at Tilbury House Publishers for 14 years. She travels frequently and always carries her business card!
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2015 School Library of the Year Award Winners Announced by School Library Journal and Scholastic
NEW YORK, NY – Today, school librarian Kristina Holzweiss of Bay Shore Middle School in Bay Shore, NY was named as the 2015 recipient of the School Library Journal (SLJ) …
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Happy Birthday, Allen Say!
Born in Yokohama, Japan in 1937, Say was raised under the shadow of World War II. He dreamed of becoming an artist from a young age. When Say’s parents divorced, …
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Harry Potter Alliance Uniting 5,000 Fan Creators to Fight For Fair Use and Copyright
The Harry Potter Alliance is gathering a community of fans to protect the fan creations that we know and love. The Fan Works Are Fair Use campaign aims to build …
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Save the Children Promotes Literacy at Home
The organization creates learning opportunities for children from pre-birth to age 8, particularly in homes with limited resources. Through home-visit programs, Save the Children works with parents to raise awareness …
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Penguin Young Readers and Looney Labs Announce Mad Libs: The Game
New York, NY – Penguin Young Readers is pleased to announce it has entered into an agreement with Looney Labs to create Mad Libs: The Game, a card game based …
