Blog
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HarperCollins Publishers Reveal Details On Veronica Roth’s New Book
New York, NY — HarperCollins Publishers announced today details on Veronica Roth’s next book with HarperCollins. The first in a two-book deal by international bestselling author Veronica Roth, author of the …
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National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang’s Reading Without Walls Podcast: Episode 3 with Michael Chabon
Through his platform, “Reading Without Walls,” Yang hopes to inspire readers of all ages to pick up a book outside their comfort zone. In episode three of his podcast, Yang talks …
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Judy Blume and Her Husband Open a Bookstore in Florida
Both Blume and Cooper have been devoting a great deal of their time to Books & Books Key West. They have enjoyed taking a hands-on approach with the operations of …
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Most Diverse? Verse! 5 Easy Steps for Promoting Diversity with Poetry
Contributed by by Janet Wong and Sylvia Vardell
Where do we find the most diversity in any genre in children’s literature? Poetry—but it might not always be easy to see, as much of the diversity is embedded in anthologies that aren’t necessarily categorized as diverse. In the 700+ poems that we have published so far in The Poetry Friday Anthology series, nearly a third reflect diverse experiences of culture, language, religion, and more, including poems that address underrepresented topics such as Diwali (by Uma Krishnaswami), Ramadan (by Ibtisam Barakat), Day of the Dead (by René Saldaña, Jr.), Dashain (by Margarita Engle), and Gay Pride Day (by Lesléa Newman).
You might never look to the National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry, edited by J. Patrick Lewis (National Geographic, 2016), for diverse poems, yet it contains poems by 20 diverse poets. Poems to Learn by Heart, compiled by Caroline Kennedy (Disney, 2013), contains poems by at least 17 diverse poets. And more than a quarter of the poets are diverse in The Death of the Hat: A Brief History of Poetry in 50 Objects by Paul B. Janeczko (Candlewick, 2015).
No other genre, however, goes out of print more quickly than poetry. Our challenge: How can we make sure that diverse poetry books find their audience? Here are things we’ve been trying:
1. Give Poetry a Media Boost. Remind media outlets that many children’s poems take only 20 seconds to read; send frequent suggestions of poems that can be read at the beginning or end of a television or radio segment. Poetry also lends itself to social media sharing since you can tweet a line or create a graphic to convey a lot in a compact package.
2. Make Poetry Swag. Use diverse poems in short format cards and handy giveaways. It’s easy and inexpensive to make effective poetry swag that you can distribute at conferences such as ILA, NCTE, TLA, ALA, and also BEA. Encourage independent booksellers to give freebies to budding poetry fans. We encourage booksellers and educators to visit our Pinterest board where hundreds of poems are downloadable and free.
3. Promote Poetry as Read-Alikes. Pair poetry books with other works of fiction or nonfiction for “read-alike” suggestions connected by theme or topic (like family, food, animals, school) in promotional materials. Get inspired by “Hamilton” and create visuals that cast classic poems with diverse characters.
4. Cultivate Talent. Publish more anthologies of stories, essays, and poems by diverse authors. Be open to new poetic formats from various traditions. Editors: before sending a rejection letter to an author of color for a picture book, poetry collection, or novel that doesn’t fit the needs of your publishing house, consider whether you can use that author’s talents in a future anthology or even add that author to a current work-in-progress.
5. Highlight Diverse Poets. Suggest teams of diverse poets from a single anthology for “Featured Author” sessions at festivals, conferences, and promotional videos. In January of this year, Pomelo Books worked with children’s literature professor Jeana Hrepich at Antioch University (Seattle) to create programs for MultiCultural Children’s Book Day with a team of poets: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand, Julie Larios, Charles Waters, and Janet Wong.
Poetry is the ideal vehicle for promoting diversity in children’s literature.I It can be read in just a few minutes, but holds great depth, beautiful language, and much feeling. And with very little effort, we can make sure that diverse poems reach many more children and grow a few more poets for the future.
Sylvia Vardell (left) is Professor in the School of Library and Information Studies at Texas Woman¹s University and the 2014 recipient of the ALA Scholastic Library Publishing Award. Her current work focuses on poetry for children, including a regular blog, PoetryforChildren and the poetry column for ALA’s Book Links magazine.
Janet Wong (right) is a graduate of Yale Law School and former lawyer who switched careers and became a children¹s poet. Her dramatic career change has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN¹s Paula Zahn Show, and Radical Sabbatical.
Together, Vardell and Wong are the creative forces behind Pomelo Books and The Poetry Friday Anthology series, launched in 2012 and adopted by thousands of school districts nationwide.
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Annotated Map of Middle-Earth Acquired by Bodleian Library
The map was discovered only last year, inside a book belonging to the late illustrator Pauline Baynes. It will be featured alongside other materials related to Tolkein’s writing, including manuscripts of The …
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“What’s the Ambassador Reading?” with Gene Luen Yang
Yang’s series launches just in time for Children’s Book Week. In keeping with his platform, “Reading Without Walls,” Yang enjoys a diverse range of stories across multiple formats: a novel in verse …
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Winners of 30th Annual Ezra Jack Keats Bookmaking Competition Announced By Ezra Jack Keats Foundation and New York City Department of Education
City-wide Winners Receive $500 Cash Prize; Winning Books and Honorable Mentions on Special Exhibit May 2-27 at Brooklyn Public Library NEW YORK—April 28, 2016—The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, in partnership …
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Scher Foord Named Vice President, Creative, for Scholastic.com
New York, NY – May 4, 2016 – Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education and media company, today announced the appointment of Scher Foord as Vice President, Creative, …
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#DrawingDiversity: ‘Mama’s Nightingale’ illustrated by Leslie Straub
Mama’s Nightingale: A Story of Immigration and Separation by Edwidge Danticat, illustrated by Leslie Straub (Dial Books/Penguin Young Readers Group, September 2015). All rights reserved
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Reading Rainbow Skybrary School
The Skybrary database currently features over 500 titles and virtual field trips suited for primary schoolers, with a diverse mix of fiction and nonfiction. The ease of use and visual …
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Día Founder Pat Mora Promotes Literacy for All
This year, Día celebrations took place in 38 states, including Alaska, with festivities held in 25 languages, and Mora shows no signs of slowing down. She is also committed to promoting a wider range …
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The Search Is On to Find the Nation’s Best High School Writers: Introducing Spark a Story
BOSTON, MA – Heading into national short story month, global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) today announced a new competition to find and encourage the nation’s best high school …
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2016 Teen Choice Book Awards Finalists on Their Favorite YA!
Teen Book of the Year and Teen Choice Debut Author finalists Victoria Aveyard, Kelly Loy Gilbert, Jenny Han, Marissa Meyer, and Tommy Wallach continue to draw inspiration from their favorite YA. Check out their recommendations …
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Q&A with National Ambassador Gene Luen Yang
A former teacher, Yang continues to connect with young readers through his graphic novels and mission as National Ambassador, inspiring students to “Read Without Walls” across cultures and forms. I’ve heard from …
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, KidLit.TV has shared ideas for celebrating the teachers who inspire us each and every day. Check out KidLit.TV’s Pinterest board for fabulous gift ideas! Teachers …
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2016 Hopkins Poetry Award Winner Announced
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State University Libraries and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book are pleased to announce the winner of the 2016 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award. This …
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ALA and The Harry Potter Alliance Launch ‘Spark’ Advocacy Video Series
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Library Association (ALA) joined the Harry Potter Alliance in launching “Spark,” an eight-part video series developed to support and guide first-time advocates who are interested …
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Children’s Book Week Comics Blog Tour: Gene Luen Yang
In the first post, Green chats with fellow graphic novelist Yang about his favorite books and the appeal of the comics medium for young readers: When it comes to education, the …
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#DrawingDiversity: ‘In a Village by the Sea’ by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu
In a Village by the Sea by Muon Van, illustrated by April Chu (Creston Books, May 2015). All rights reserved.
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Scholastic Brings Summer Reading to Communities Nationwide with First-Ever, 10,000-Mile “Summer Reading Road Trip”
25+ city tour brings free, “pop-up” reading festivals to kids and families with books, authors, giveaways and more to make summer reading fun NEW YORK – May 2, 2016 – …
