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This Week in Literary News, Week of May 24

Our weekly round-up of literary news here at Catalyst and beyond, is brought to you by our intern Naomi Valenzuela. Naomi is from Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas, and is majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English & American Literature at the University of Texas, El Paso, with plans of working in the publishing business after graduation

Libraries usually have summer reading programs once the summer vacation season starts. However, these are unusual times. Book Riot explores what libraries are doing to continue these programs safely.

May 25 was Africa Day! And Brittle Paper has a list of 13 African, under-the-radar books from the 1960s.

Over at Read It Forward, author Laura McHugh writes about why realistic heroines are the ones we empathize the most.

In Catalyst news, two of our books have great new reviews: Here Comes Lolo by Niki Daly, which Publishers Weekly calls “a winsome pick for early readers,” and Cat Among the Pigeons by David Muirhead, which the Midwest Book Review praises as “an inherently fascinating, impressively informative, and thoroughly entertaining read from first page to last.” Both books are out now!

Electric Lit has nine books exploring societal beauty standards and how they become obstacles to women.

Brightly has another list to diversify children’s reading lists. They recommend these 11 books that celebrate Muslim culture.

The National Book Festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year but will be moving to a virtual setting due to the pandemic. Read more about it at The Washington Post.

LitHub has an article about the podcast “Keen On” where speakers discuss how our reading of some books may change after the pandemic.

This Week in Literary News, Week of May 10

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, a good opportunity to diversify children’s reading (and parents’, too!). Brightly has a list of 10 Children’s & YA Books by Asian Authors.

Bring some fun into your quarantine reading with Brittle Paper‘s list of African Romance Fiction. All the books on the list come from Love Africa Press, an indie, digital-first publisher focusing on this genre

Over at The Guardian, read about the movement that’s taking place by Francophone African authors to make their books available in Africa.

The New York Times gives some book recommendations and how to do your summer reading even with summer limitations.

At Electric Lit, there’s an essay discussing Albert Camus’s The Plague and what we can learn about it beyond the epidemic.

If you’re a bookworm tired of all these different reading lists, don’t worry. The Washington Post has an article discussing why any type of book is helpful.

Also in The Washington Post, we have 12 of the novels that changed history. With different genres, from The Cat in the Hat to 1984, these books continue to impact society.

The BBC has an article about why we find comfort in the dystopian genre, whether it be in literature or even gaming, during a crisis.

Finally, in Catalyst Press news, check out the Q&A we did with Niki Daly. Daly is the author and illustrator of our May releases, Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo.

Q&A with Niki Daly

This Q&A was done by our intern Naomi Valenzuela. Naomi is from Phoenix, Arizona and El Paso, Texas, and is majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in English & American Literature at the University of Texas, El Paso, with plans of working in the publishing business after graduation. You can find other author Q&As here.

This month, we have not one but two marvelous releases from award-winning author Niki Daly: Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo. The Lolo series introduces us to Lolo, a generous and artistic South African girl. Lolo always finds adventures, even in the most mundane situations. With her mother and grandmother by her side, Lolo is ready to take on anything. Children will love these stories as Booklist mentions in their review, “With a simply written, graceful text and gray-scale pictures on nearly every page, these appealing stories are just right for children moving from beginning readers to chapter books.”

Niki Daly is not only the author, but also the illustrator of these two books. Daly is a South African, author-illustrator, well-known throughout the world with a great number of children’s books written, and several awards won. Some of these books include Not So Fast Songololo, with awards in South Africa and the U.S., and Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky.

In this author Q&A, we talked to Niki about his inspirations when creating Lolo, how his childhood influenced his writing, and his advice for future writers.

Continue reading “Q&A with Niki Daly”

This Week in Literary News, Week of April 5

The Guardian has a continuously updating list for bookworms of all ages to enjoy diverse activities from home, from author live streams to online book lending.

As mentioned last week, our authors and editors are going digital, too, with a remote reading series. This week we have David Muirhead reading from one of our recent releases Cat Among the Pigeons. Check out the video here.

There’s a new children’s book, made by a collaborative effort of more than 50 organizations, that’s aiming to help children understand the current pandemic. Read more about it at the World Health Organization.

The editors at Brightly have compiled lists of books and activities for children of all ages, from babies to teenagers, to keep them learning and engaged.

Publishers Weekly also has a list of digital resources by authors and publishers for children to keep their minds active, which includes our own resources— three coloring pages and author read-alouds from Niki Daly and Bridget Krone.

Electric Lit has another reading list for us, this week seven books with surreal stories for these surreal times.

As many people look toward books with diversity, Book Riot has an article examining whether the high popularity of white male authors among readers still prevails.

Due to the pandemic, celebrations for National Poetry Month, such as workshops, open mics, and readings, have taken the technological route. The New York Times gives the many different online events going on this month.

An article on LitHub explores how current events will affect the literature to come, and when it will become the appropriate time for these novels.

The Remote Reading Series: Niki Daly

Since many literary events have been cancelled recently, and since sharing art is always important, we here at Catalyst HQ have decided to put on a remote reading series. Over the next days/weeks, we’ll be releasing videos of our authors/editors. These are tough times, and we hope that our books (and all arts) are playing a part in helping you through them. See the other installments here.

Next up: Niki Daly! Niki is the award-winning author/illustrator of several books for children. We are so excited to be able to bring his Lolo series to US readers. The Lolo series— Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo— each feature four easy-to-read stories for the beginning reader. In this installment of our Remote Reading Series, Niki reads his story “A Gold Star and a Kiss for Lolo” from Here Comes Lolo. Both books are out in May, and pre-orders are available now.

This Week in Literary News: Week of March 29

The New York Times has an article on the different women authors running for the Booker International Prize, an award for literature translated into English.

There is a library in Abidjan centered on women’s writing from Africa and Brittle Paper has an interview with Edwige-Renee Dro, the woman who started this project.

The Internet Archive gave access to millions of digital works with its “National Emergency Library” due to the pandemic. An article on NPR informs that many books are being shared here without authors’ permission.

Also on NPR, read about how The Plague (1947) by Albert Camus has skyrocketed in sales in Europe and what literature can show us about situations like ours.

Electric Lit has a list of free or cheap resources for writers trying to get published for the first time and don’t know where to start.

Read It Forward has a list that shares eight books about loneliness and solitude in these times of isolation.

On The Guardian, learn about the charities which celebrities are taking a part in by live-streaming themselves reading children’s stories.

Finally, in Catalyst Press news, our authors are also participating with our remote reading series! In this series, we’ll have videos from our authors/editors sharing from some of their books. Find them here at our site, or on our YouTube channel.

This Week in Literary News, Week of February 23

Global Lit in Libraries co-founder and translator Rachel Hildebrandt Reynolds (L) and Jessica Powers

Our own Jessica Powers attended the PubWest conference this year where representation in publishing was one of the biggest subjects discussed. Read more about the conference and what Jessica had to say on these topics at Publishers Weekly.

Last week, we shared an article on giving books to local prisons. This week, NPR has an article discussing censorship implemented in prisons on certain types of literature, many having themes around race and criminal justice.

In global news, the Coronavirus has been affecting many different industries. LitHub takes a look at its effects on the publishing industry, more specifically the Italian publishing industry.

To all the book-loving introverts, Book Riot has some tips on joining book clubs, stepping out of your comfort zone, and surviving these get-togethers.

Looking for different ways to get kids more involved with reading? Brightly has a fun reading challenge for children for the upcoming month of March that will keep them engaged!

Electric Lit has an interview with Anastacia-Renée, JP Howard, t’ai freedom ford, and Safiya Sinclair, four black women poets discuss a range of topics, from political writing to their inspirations.

The Guardian has an interesting book list: from Alice in Wonderland to The Haunting of Hill House, a perspective on what happens when imaginary friends follow you past your childhood.

At Kirkus Reviews, they reviewed our upcoming releases by Niki Daly, Here Comes Lolo and Hooray for Lolo, and had many great things to say about Lolo and her adventures!

Meet Lolo!

The Lolo Series

Meet Lolo. She’s kind-hearted, creative, full of fun, and she’s sure to become your best friend! This series for new readers follows Lolo as she navigates her way from adventure to adventure. Lolo skips through life, leaving a trail of laughter and a few frowns in these books, each featuring four easy-to-read stories.

All four Lolo books have been chosen as Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections.

Books in the series:
Here Comes Lolo
Hooray for Lolo
You’re a Star, Lolo
Fly High, Lolo

See a preview of the Lolo series here!
Hear author Niki Daly read a story from Here Comes Lolo
Download a Lolo activity sheet (PDF)
Download Lolo Teaching Guides Here Comes Lolo | Hooray for Lolo

Reviews

“With a simply written, graceful text and gray-scale pictures on nearly every page, these appealing stories are just right for children moving from beginning readers to chapter books.” —Booklist

“Bright and cheerful Lolo is the star of the show in this new chapter-book series from South Africa. […} Young readers will find much to enjoy in this tale of a winning little girl and her family—hooray indeed!” Kirkus Reviews

“Daly’s lessons are relatable and resonant, sowing seeds of compassion and connection between the reader and Lolo. […] The expressive black-and-white digital illustrations, which resemble classic line art à la Amelia Bedelia, lovingly depict Lolo and her community. An endearing protagonist and clear thematic messages make this first in a series a winsome pick for early readers.” —Publishers Weekly (Review of Here Comes Lolo)

“[T]he books in the series thus far are charming, touching, and captivating. I loved reading these books, and I cannot wait to pass both titles on to my 8 year old niece. I hope that she enjoys this window into a South African girl’s life, and sees herself in Lolo’s own experiences.” — Klem-Marí Cajigas, Global Literature in Libraries

“The outstanding feature of this series of books is that very few books for children of this age (say 5 to 8 years) combine a highly readable tone and a feisty young character of colour.” — International Board on Books for Young People, UK

“Lolo is thoughtful and caring and she is very good at considering the feelings of others. Each book would be wonderful picks for a learning setting, encouraging conversations about emotions and friendships. The books would be great for young readers 5 and upwards, who are becoming more independent at reading and would like to make the transition from picture books to chapter books. Great reads.” — Mamma Filz Book Blog

“Lolo is a fun-loving, likeable character, whose experiences and dilemmas are typical of children her age. She considers the impact her actions have on others, making this a great book to promote discussion about emotions, empathy, kindness and friendship. Ideal for newly independent readers to increase their confidence, each page is illustrated with characterful black-and-white illustrations that bring the stories to life.” — Book Trust (UK)

“Sparkly stories all, with lots of gentle humour that will win Lolo lots of friends among young readers who are sure to enjoy making the acquaintance of this enormously engaging girl.”—Red Reading Hub

The Author

Niki Daly’s groundbreaking Not So Fast Songololo, winner of a US Parent’s Choice Award, paved the way for post-apartheid South African children’s books. Among his many books, Niki Daly’s Jamela’s Dress was chosen by the ALA as a Notable Children’s Book and by Booklist as one of the Top 10 African American Picture Books of 2000. It also won both the Children’s Literature Choice Award and the Parents’ Choice Silver Award. Niki lives with his wife, the author and illustrator Jude Daly, in South Africa.

From the Editor’s Desk…

A few months ago, we introduced a semi-regular feature in our newsletter called From the Editor’s Desk, in which our intrepid founder/editor/publisher/almost everything else-r, Jessica, gives our subscribers an update on all of the Catalyst Press goings-on. Since we’d like as many people as possible to stay up-to-date on our new and upcoming releases, we’ve decided to repost them here beginning with the installment that appeared in our July newsletter. These will be posted after they appear in the newsletter, so if you want to find out what’s going on before they make their way here, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter!

This summer has felt a bit like getting hit by a truck. (This actually happened to me 13 years ago, so it’s not entirely a specious comment.) My husband took the position of Dean of Language Arts at the college where I teach, which meant my 10 year teaching career at that particular college was now over. (The college has certain rules against professors sleeping with the dean.) (And no, it didn’t matter that I had taught there for 10 years prior to his becoming a dean.) (Do I sound bitter? It’s OK. I’ll miss teaching but I love my job at Catalyst.) (Aaannnd….that’s probably enough parentheses….) This led to our putting our house up for sale. We got it ready in a month and sold it in one day, all of which has left us exhausted. We are now moving and will be doing the apartment thing for awhile. It’s a whole new life in foggy California, right beside the ocean, right along the San Andreas fault.

Continue reading “From the Editor’s Desk…”