Susan Faust January 12, 2021Updated: January 26, 2021, 7:06 am
Mainstream children’s publishers have mostly shied away from books about the 45th president. Standing almost alone is a highly critical young adult biography from last year, “Unpresidented: A Biography of Donald Trump” by Martha Brockenbrough (Feiwel & Friends and reviewed in September 2019).
Yes, there are Trump parodies and coloring books for kids, but editor Jill Santopolo from Philomel, a division of Penguin Random House, sheds some light on the near vacuum of more serious-minded works.
“Our goal is to publish books that inspire and empower and teach children about kindness, compassion and inclusivity,” she explained in a recent interview. “Donald Trump didn’t feel like the right subject matter match for our list.”
January 11, 2021
By Liz Fields
To many fans, the “Little House” book series, based on Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life on the western frontier, captures the spirit of America. The stories tell a tale of adventure, of quiet resilience in the face of extremes, the excitement of the unknown, and of re-settling and making something of oneself wherever one might land. These stories, of course, were written from one particular perspective. The other perspective is from those Native Americans whose land was stolen and populations decimated to accommodate the so-called “settlers,” but that version is too often ignored. It’s little wonder then that for some authors of color, the books spark both memories of warmth for their literary genius, and also sadness and anger for their troubling depictions of Native and Black Americans.
Minnesota plays significant role in PBS documentary about Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder s Minnesota roots show in a new American Masters. December 29, 2020 7:25am Text size Copy shortlink:
Just about every Midwestern state wants to claim Laura Ingalls Wilder, the renowned author who moved a dozen times during her childhood. But a new PBS documentary gives Minnesota the strongest bragging rights. Laura Ingalls Wilder: From Prairie to Page, which premieres Tuesday, emphasizes her time here so much that Twin Cities Public Television was recruited as producing partner for a film that is part of American Masters, the long-running series that has earned 28 Emmy awards.