Happy Thursday, dear readers! I hope your summer’s been going wonderfully so far–I’m about to head out for a quick vacation myself, and it’ll definitely involve books. But before we soak up the sunshine, let’s take a moment to remember Elie Wiesel, author of the powerful classic Night. Wiesel passed away last Saturday at the age of 88, having written 57 books that have helped to shape our world today. Night is a book that changes you upon reading it, and Wiesel’s testament of the Holocaust and the endless cruelty and hope of the human spirit is indomitable. We will remember.
While we honour Wiesel in his passing, we also look forward to the world around us and taking his words to heart. Black Girls Rock! founder Beverley Bond is certainly working to make the world a better place for young black girls, and her newest announcement is going to be a great step forward. BGR! will be publishing a book next fall all about black girls and their lives and experiences! Black Girls Rock!: Celebrating the Power, Beauty and Brilliance of Black Women will be a display of creativity and accomplishments alike by black women, reminding black girls of all they can do. I’m excited to read this book cover to cover and learn all about these amazing black women who are kicking ass!
Speaking of what young girls can accomplish, nine-year-old Hilde Kate Lysiak has just scored a book deal thanks to the journalism work she’s done. Hilde Cracks the Case is Lysiak’s first foray into book publishing, as her experiences have been limited so far to running the Orange Street News, her small town’s only newspaper. As a kid who loved books like the Encyclopedia Brown series and Carmen Sandiego growing up, I must admit I’m looking forward to checking out Lysiak’s first book, and gifting it to my nieces and nephews.
Other news:
- Sarah Kuhn talks about the importance of stories where Asian girls get to have fun and be themselves
- NYC libraries are breathing new life into their communities
- World Intellectual Property Organization establishes treaty to ease visually impaired readers’ access to books