The Thursday Book Beat: I'll Take a Short Story with My Chicken Burrito

Chipotle signs on 11 new authors for “Cultivating Thought” line

Lois Lowry, Tom Perotta, and Sue Monk Kidd are just some of the authors who’ll be writing for Chipotle’s bags and cups, though Jonathan Franzen’s piece may not exactly be what the chain restaurant was expecting. Chipotle will also be running a “book report” contest to encourage customer engagement with the stories and illustrations.

I came back from my August vacation with a newfound appreciation for Chipotle burritos, and I had noticed Amy Tan’s short story about ghosts on the paper bags, so I’m definitely looking forward to reading some new stories.

Captain Underpants author reveals one protagonist to be gay

Protagonists George and Harold meet their future selves in Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot, and fans will be happy to find that old!Harold’s marriage to another man is presented as simple fact, without posturing or preaching.

Racist children’s books called out for offensive stereotypes

Is it any surprise that children’s books that portray Native Americans as primitive and feature a character from Africa named Lazy Lucy have been condemned? The Minnesota public school board has asked publisher Reading Horizons for an apology and refund, having paid $1.2 million for the texts. It’s a disappointing development for a school district that is actively working to close the gap in academic performance between white and POC students in its schools.

Longlist of authors announced for the 2015 National Book Awards’ Young People’s Literature category

Noelle Stevenson’s Nimona might be the first graphic novel to be included in the category, but there is a great variety of stories and experiences among the nominees. Becky Albertalli’s novel Simon and the Homo Sapiens Agenda joins titles such as Bone Gap by Laura Ruby, and nonfiction books like Symphony for the City of the Dead: Dmitri Shostakovich and the Siege of Leningrad by M.T. Anderson.