Bette Green, the author of one of my favorite young adult novels of all time, Summer of My German Soldier, has passed away. Summer of My German Soldier was based on the true story of a young Arkansas Jewish girl who helped a German Prisoner of War escape. The story was fully autobiographical, something Bette Greene took years to admit. Publishers Weekly quoted Beverly Horowitz, senior v-p and publisher of Delacorte Press, who edited Greene’s book The Drowning of Stephan Jones: “Bette Greene’s novels have a common thread: her characters showed empathy for those treated unjustly. During the years her books were published, so many decades ago, she depicted horrific bully behavior and readers felt how wrong those actions were. This was courageous writing especially at that time. When Bantam published her books in paperback editions, they were constantly censored, but were also embraced for classroom discussion that made kids think. I bet that many adults today remember the impact of reading Summer of My German Soldier in school. Bette’s hard-hitting exploration of prejudice still rings true.”
Kirkus Reviews interviewed one of the co-founders of Black Lives Matter and memoirist Patrisse Khan-Cullors. In the interview, Khan-Cullors discusses her education and upbringing and the major influences on her thinking, as well as mental health, the deliberate inclusiveness of Black Lives Matter, ageism, and much more. Check it out!
My 10-year-old has been greatly enjoying Becoming Muhammad Ali, a novel in verse co-written by Kwame Alexander and James Patterson. Kirkus also interviewed the duo about their book, their collaboration, Muhammad Ali, and why this is an important book for kids. Another great one to check out!
Publishers Weekly reports that despite big dips due to the pandemic, book sales have been up 6.4% in 2020 so far. Let’s hope this bodes well for us all! They attribute this to “big summer bestsellers, a surge in interest in books on social justice, and ongoing demand by parents for children’s books that both educate and entertain.”
Last but not least, the Ford and Andrew F. Mellon Foundations have joined together to offer grants to artists with disabilities. “‘Institutional structures have not served disabled artists in the past,’ said Emil Kang, program director for Arts and Culture at the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. ‘Disability Futures is the result of listening, collaboration, and humble engagement and we at Mellon are pleased to recognize and support these outstanding artists directly.'”
