Month: October 2015
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Cultural Boundaries and the Role of Experts
By Audrey Maynard, Children’s Editor at Tilbury House Books
Confucius is credited with saying, “True wisdom is knowing what you don’t know.” As a white editor who values working on books with authors and illustrators from different regions, religions, and cultures, it’s always been important to acknowledge my limitations. One lesson I’ve learned over time is the value of hiring independent cultural consultants to help spot issues in manuscripts. It is an unfair burden on authors or illustrators to presume that any one person can act as spokesperson for an entire religion, tribe, or ethnic group. Too often those of us from majority culture perspectives look for the “single story” or the single perspective. Unfortunately, as others have observed, this can lead to simplistic representations and stereotypes in books that otherwise might have a lot to offer. Having a third-party cultural expert can facilitate conversations that go beyond the specifics of a manuscript and that can be vital to the success of the book.
In 2010, I began editing a picture book with Lee Francis, a member of the Penobscot tribe. Her manuscript was a tribute to a special uncle, a man renowned for his basket-making skills. Lee wanted to honor his work and write a contemporary depiction of life on Indian Island. As Lee and I talked about different illustration and design styles for the story, Jan Brett’s images for The Mitten came up. Lee was enthusiastic about its design and layout. Thinking I had Lee’s approval, I conferred with the illustrator Susan Drucker. Although Susan is not Native, she was very committed to the project and to getting as many of the cultural details of the story right as possible. Susan and I discussed the idea of using the sidebars to show kids how to make a basket. We traveled together to the Penobscot Reservation on Indian Island. With Lee as our guide, we took photos of the houses, the trees, and the workshops. For the next five months, Susan researched native basket-making techniques as part of her quest to make a beautifully detailed book.
On a gray November day, Susan and I returned to Indian Island and met with Lee and Theresa Secord, the Director of the Maine Indian Basket Association. Theresa was the perfect cultural consultant for the book. We gathered in the tribal offices and Lee and Theresa carefully looked through Susan’s dummy of Kunu’s Basket. Susan and I eagerly awaited their reaction. We both hoped to see big smiles as payoff for Susan’s hard work. Theresa began the critique by asking Lee some questions about her uncle, and it quickly became clear that there were problems that needed attention. Theresa explained to us that although the drawings were well executed, and although she was appreciative of the efforts being made for cultural accuracy, the sidebar illustrations needed revision. Theresa’s mission is to preserve cultural integrity – and privacy. She explained that crafts people are vulnerable to imitators, and she worried that unscrupulous people might use Susan’s step-by-step illustrations to “rip off” their Native Culture. Lee was clearly in agreement with Theresa’s perspective. Susan and I were astonished and confused. Our original goal – to produce a culturally authentic story – had been met, but in the end, it appeared, a higher value needed to be followed. The story of Kunu’s basket could remain a story about a basket-making apprenticeship, but the details of how a traditional Penobscot Pack basket was built could not be featured in the sidebars or the end notes.
As an illustrator, Susan was dismayed that her research and art would not be used. However, we both understood that the knowledge of basket-making was not ours to share. It was a twist we never could have anticipated, but the request was one that needed to be honored. Kunu’s Basket was published in 2012, and it was selected as part of the Reading Is Fundamental’s 2012/2013 STEAM Multicultural Collection and the Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices in 2013.
Audrey Maynard has been Children’s Book Editor at Tilbury House for
14 years. Before working as an editor, she taught young children in Oakland, New York City and in rural Maine. -
The Lullaby Project
The Lullaby Project for Carnegie Hall’s Musical Connections, an outreach program that brings music to mothers in need, — in hospitals, shelters, prisons, and more — provides new and expectant mothers with the chance to …
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Dean Robbins and Lucy Knisley to Create Margaret and the Moon
This book will profile a female software engineer named Margaret Hamilton, who developed code for the Apollo missions. Julia Maguire, an editor at Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, handled the acquisition. The …
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Finalists Announced for the 2015 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature
2015 Finalists: Ali Benjamin, The Thing About Jellyfish (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) Laura Ruby, Bone Gap (Balzer + Bray, a division of HarperCollins Children’s Books) Steve Sheinkin, Most Dangerous: …
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#DrawingDiversity: 'My Two Blankets' by Irena Kobald, illustrations by Freya Blackwood
My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald. Illustrations by Freya Blackwood. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, September 2015). All rights reserved. @hmhkids
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Submit for the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children's Book Award
Books are eligible in the following categories: Works for Younger Children (ages 0-12) and Works for Older Children (ages 13-18). All submissions must have a publication date of 2015. The deadline for submissions is …
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The Launch of Read Quarterly
With support from Neil Gaiman and other children’s book pioneers, TRQ has launched a Kickstarter campaign to help fund the first issue. The Read Quarterly will be a forum in which global …
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James Patterson to Give Away Holiday Bonuses to Booksellers
Patterson has partnered with the American Booksellers Association (ABA) on this undertaking. All employees who work at an ABA member bookshop will be considered eligible for a bonus. The organization …
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Disney Publishing Worldwide to Launch a New Imprint Called Freeform
The launch of this new venture will “coincide with the January 2016 re-branding of the Disney-owned cable TV channel, ABC Family.” The Freeform imprint list will feature “original book properties as …
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'Twilight Reimagined' and the YA Rewrite
As sequels, companion novels, and retellings gain popularity, the line between literary and commercial works, fiction and fanfiction continues to blur. But with every rewrite and reimagining comes the risk …
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#DrawingDiversity: 'Firebird' by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers
Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers (G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers/Penguin, September 2014). All rights reserved @penguinrandomhouse
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Graphic Novel Sales on the Rise
2014 marked the biggest year yet for graphic novels, with approximately $460 million in sales. Children’s comics are also gaining in popularity. A more diverse readership has also had an impact, …
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Title and Release Date Announced For New Kiera Cass Novel
Does this mean Eadlyn is going to become Queen sooner rather than later? But wait, does that mean things end badly for you know who? And is Eadlyn going to …
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Library Services for Tweens
In addition to creating book clubs, activities, and programs for this age group, many librarians are also designing spaces for tween patrons to come together. Youth services librarians are well …
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Humble Indie Bundle 15
The promotion will run until Tuesday, October 13 at 11 AM Pacific. Pay as you wish for the following games: Goodbye Deponia Q.U.B.E.: Director’s Cut Sir, You Are Being Hunted And a …
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White House Committee Names Five Teen Poets for Prestigious National Student Poets Program
Washington, D.C. – October 8, 2015 – The fourth annual class of the National Student Poets Program (NSPP)—the nation’s highest honor for youth poets—has been announced by the President’s Committee …
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Sandra Cisneros on the Writing Life
In a recent interview, Cisneros opened up about her experience as a young Chicana woman in Chicago; learning to embrace feminism and her own sexuality; and writing as a sacred …
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Harry Potter-Themed Café Launched in the Philippines
Back to the butterbeers, though, they tasted exactly like I imagined they would: super sweet and super delectable. If you’ve ever tasted Werther’s candy, think of that, but in liquid …
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Happy Birthday, Strega Nona!
DePaola has over 250 books to his name, and shows no signs of slowing down. To commemorate the anniversary of Strega Nona, the magical Italian grandmother, Simon & Schuster will publish …
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Hear Me Roar – My Favorite Ladies in YA Lit (A Diverse Line-Up)
Contributed by Ann Dye
I watched Mad Max: Fury Road this past weekend, and it was awesome. And not just because it’s a completely over-the-top, action-packed, ABSOLUTELY insane movie. It also features six diverse, unique, strong, and compelling female characters along the ride, each one more interesting to me than the male lead. (I still love Tom Hardy though.)
Watching this movie reminded me of what a gift a truly GREAT female character can be and of the importance of celebrating strong, diverse, and powerful females in any entertainment medium when we’re offered such opportunity.
So I wanted to use this forum to express appreciation for some of my favorite diverse leading ladies in YA lit, specifically because I don’t think we take enough time to give them props!
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (character: Karana)
I will confess that not every book I was assigned to read in school resonated with me (Sorry, Old Man and the Sea). But this book has had a permanent place in my heart since the 4th grade. Karana is a badass. Abandoned by her people and left to fend for herself and her little brother following a series of tragedies, Karana displays an astonishing and relentless strength and courage of character, while retaining a very true and heartbreaking relatability throughout. My suburban, Midwestern upbringing did not stop me from finding one of my early role models in this fantastic Native American character.
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin (characters: Jin and Mei Yee)
I read this while working at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, and could not put it down. It’s so, so fantastic, thanks in large part to Graudin’s flawless characterization of sister protagonists Jin (a girl disguised as a boy, on the run in the most dangerous city in the world) and Mei Yee (the sister Jin is desperate to save). Jin displays a toughness and ruthless strength from the start, while Mei Yee has a quieter, more refined sense of endurance. This is a compelling YA novel that displays female strength in two very different (but equally compelling) forms. Read it now.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (character: Rue)
Potentially unpopular opinion: Katniss Everdeen, the lead of The Hunger Games, isn’t the most impactful character in this novel. Rather, the true gem in Suzanne Collins’ novel is Rue, the 12-year-old tribute from District 11 who is thrust into the titular games alongside Katniss. Rue is incredibly brave despite her size, while retaining an endearing sweetness and goodness that makes her story all the more tragic. Though her role is brief, her legacy looms large over Katniss throughout the series for a reason.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (character: Karou)
I love this book because Taylor is one of those amazing YA writers who pulls no punches: just running with a complex and layered plot, and respecting her readers to keep up the pace and hang on tight. The protagonist of this novel, Karou, is one for the ages. As a human with a fantastical genetic pedigree that even she doesn’t understand, Karou is compelling because she’s very human despite her uniqueness. A typical teen in many ways, Karou is instantly relatable but has an underlying strength that becomes clear when she’s thrust into a world that demands more sacrifice and bravery than anyone deserves. And she has killer hair.
All of these women (and I am just scratching the surface of my personal faves!) represent a variety of cultures, backgrounds, challenges, and types of strength. In a world where so many women are often sidelined and pigeonholed in set roles in society (though we have made progress), aren’t these gems something to celebrate?
Ann Dye is associate director of marketing at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. Before HMH, she was associate director of marketing at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and worked as marketing manager at Disney-Hyperion. She lives with her two awesome cats in New York City.
