Malinda Lo’s Four-Part post of “Perceptions of Diversity in Book Reviews”
Take some time to read and think about the things Malinda
Lo has to say to us all. You will have to scroll down to read the posts in order since the web page has them lined up with the fourth post first and so on. While she is specifically addressing phrasing in book reviews, her message is well worth consideration. I intend to reread this often as I write my blurbs for presentations on recent books I recommend to Nebraska librarians. I am certain that in the past I have made similar assumptions and I hope to stop it completely. If you are interested in following Malinda Lo and Cindy Pon on their
blog, it is located here.
Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla by Katherine Applegate is a nonfiction picture book that tells the story of Ivan, who was the main character in the author’s Newbery Medal winning title,
The One and Only Ivan. Here she tells of his capture in Africa and travel in a crate with another baby gorilla named Burma. The man who owned a shopping mall in Tacoma, Washington had paid for their capture in 1962. He eventually put him on display at the mall and Ivan was there for 27 years until a protest by the people of the area convinced the owner to send Ivan to Zoo Atlanta. There he once again walked on green grass and met other gorillas. A two-page spread at the back of the book tells older children and adults more about Ivan and has a couple of photographs. This book is great for kindergarten through third grade children.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free, via the Regional Library Systems, to Nebraska school and public libraries.)
