The Thursday Book Beat: Sarah Shahi Cast as Nancy Drew

Hello readers! Much like the snow that blanketed Toronto last night and delighted my puppy, there’s been a rather interesting wave of bookish news this week. Let’s get started!

HarperCollins UK broke the sad news of Louise Rennison’s death on Monday. Rennison was only in her sixties and was known for The Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series. She based Georgia’s adventures on her own life and was, by all accounts, a delightful author and person.

I only ever read the first book, Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, but I can’t recall laughing so much during a novel or a movie adaptation for that matter. The Guardian shared some of that humour in a listing of their favourite quotes from the series, though I’m sure Rennison’s readers have many more in their minds this week.

Speaking of childhood reads, Briana Shemroske over at Booklist conducted a sampling of children’s books over the last 40 years, focusing on their lengths. She found that the average length of a children’s book has jumped 173% from 1986 to 2016, and it seems a certain boy wizard played a part in that shift. Both Shemroske’s fellow Booklist colleagues, Ilene Cooper and librarian Carolyn Phelan, attribute this change to Harry Potter. You don’t have to be a fan to know that each new installment in the series was longer than the previous book, and that kids devoured them anyway, intimidating length notwithstanding.

Having grown up in the 1990s, I do remember that many of the chapter books we were given to read or could find in libraries were on average 100+ pages long, maybe even 150 if we were really stretching it. Harry Potter was one of the first kids’ series that expanded in page length as it went on, and it seems to have convinced authors and publishers alike that children’s literature can be long, challenging, and still engaging.

In that vein, Scholastic’s new initiative continues to be a welcome one, especially for kids of diverse backgrounds. I know I’m not the only reader who remembers fondly the Scholastic Book Club flyers that would make their way into our classrooms, and Scholastic has partnered with We Need Diverse Books to offer and elevate diverse literature in these flyers. Anne Marie Wong, Scholastic Reading Club’s Editorial Director, explains:

At Scholastic Reading Club, we want every child to find that just right book. We believe that our collaboration with We Need Diverse Books™ helps more kids do just that as they discover the joy and power of reading.

This might not seem like much, but the Scholastic flyers do wonders as a platform for kids’ books. WNDB’s contribution will hopefully deliver much-needed titles into the hands of the kids that need them.

Taking a step back from purely book news, I’m happy to share that CBS has found their Nancy Drew, and as promised, she’s a woman of colour! Sarah Shahi will probably be familiar to viewers as Sameen Shaw on Person of Interest, but she’ll be stepping into Nancy’s shoes this fall. In the show, Nancy won’t be a blonde teen detective, but a 30-something NYPD investigator, breathing new life into a beloved character. I’m delighted by this news and am looking forward to seeing where Sarah takes one of my childhood favourites!

credit: greatmastercami @tumblr
credit: greatmastercami @tumblr

Finally, we’ve learned that the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie won’t just be one film, but three. Three!

I’m as bemused as you, dear reader. See you next week!

Advertisements
Angel Cruz

Angel Cruz

Angel Cruz is a writer and boy band scholar. You can also find her at Book Riot for endless discussion and flailing over all things literature. Ice cream, Broadway musicals, and Arashi are her lifeblood.

One thought on “The Thursday Book Beat: Sarah Shahi Cast as Nancy Drew

  1. I have a shelf dedicated to YA, past and present, and it is interesting to see how most of my older ones are like you said 100-150 pages, thin little paperbacks and newer ones (from when I wasn’t really YA) are much thicker!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Close
Menu
WP Twitter Auto Publish Powered By : XYZScripts.com