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You are here: Home / Archives for protest

Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

February 15, 2022 By achuka Leave a Comment

ACHUKA Book of the Day 15 Feb 2022

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What a great opening this book has:

Bitter had no interest in the revolution.

She was seventeen, and she thought it was ridiculous that adults wanted young people to be the ones saving the world, as if her generation was the one that had broken everything in the first place. It wasn’t her business. She was supposed to have had a childhood, a whole world waiting for her when she grew up, but instead kids her age were the ones on the front lines, the ones turned into martyrs and symbols that the adults praised publicly but never listened to because their greed was always louder and it was easier to perform solidarity than to actually do the things needed for change. It didn’t matter. None of it fucking mattered.

Set in the fictional city of Lucille — also the setting for Emezi’s earlier YA novel, Pet — the book needs to be read in the context of the George Floyd Black Lives Matter protests that have shaken American cities since 2020 and often been marked by police brutality.

It’s a YA read very much for a teenage audience, just as Malorie Blackman’s books are squarely pitched at a teenage rather than crossover or adult readership. Anyone who enjoyed Emezi’s adult novel The Death Of Vivek Oji will perhaps be somewhat disappointed by the relative sparseness of style in Bitter. This is not to say that the narrative is not spirited and enlivened with page turning momentum. It most certainly is. I read it in one and a half sittings. Language is largely given over to narrative and dialogue — all delivered in a conventional past tense (cause for celebration in itself). Colourful description is reserved in the main for characters’ clothing. “Her grey hair flared out wild and curly from her scalp, and she was wearing a purple suit the color of smashed berries.” That is Miss Virtue, an emblematic character in charge at Eucalyptus, a school and refuge (also emblematic) for young artists. [American spelling is retained throughout the book.] On the rare occasion when figurative language is applied to the narrative, it can come across as too showy. “Bitter took a gasping step away from Miss Virtue, betrayal flowering in her chest like a wildfire.” I think an editor should have advised a full-stop after Miss Virtue.  Fortunately, the very next sentence pulls it back: “She felt Aloe grab her hand, his palm cool and textured against hers, a new anchor as she span adrift.” Here the figurative language is spot on, the metaphor working with much more precision than the flowering/flowery simile. This was a rare point in the book (very near the end) where I noted a hiccup in the writing. For the most part, as I have implied, it speeds along with the reader not being made aware of style.

As the story reaches its climactic confrontation between the protesters from the Assata movement and Lucille’s corrupt leaders, the novel begins to read like high fantasy, and not necessarily in a bad way. A work of art begets an angel of vengeance. Violence erupts. There is death and injury (an eye shot out by a rubber bullet). Bitter, the main character, is aghast at what her art has unleashed.

Emezi is an enthralling writer and teenagers are lucky that she has chosen to write for them.

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[from Faber’s publicity]
Bitter is thrilled to have been chosen to attend Eucalyptus, a special school where she can focus on her painting surrounded by other creative teens. But outside this haven, the streets are filled with protests against the deep injustices that grip the town of Lucille. Bitter’s instinct is to stay safe within the walls of Eucalyptus… but her friends aren’t willing to settle for a world that the adults say is ‘just the way things are.’ Pulled between old friendships, her creative passion, and a new romance, Bitter isn’t sure where she belongs – in the art studio or on the streets.

Filed Under: BookOfTheDay, YA Tagged With: art, brutality, creativity, protest, refuge, revolution

Scholastic Biography Of President Trump Protest #StepUpScholastic

June 15, 2018 By achuka Leave a Comment

Scholastic is being taken to task by a growing army of educators, librarians, and parents not for what [a biography recently published] says about Donald Trump, but for what it omits.This past weekend, Teaching for Change, a nonprofit that builds social justice around education, posted a critical review of the book and invited others to join in sending a message to Scholastic. The social media campaign, #StepUpScholastic, urges the publishing company to pull the book and issue a version that tells the truth about the president… … So far, #StepUpScholastic has generated about 530 letters of protest to Scholastic from teachers, parents, librarians, and others across the country.

via Scholastic Under Fire for Children’s Book Portrayal of Trump by Lornet Turnbull — YES! Magazine.

Filed Under: Blog, Books Tagged With: biography, protest

Inspiration for CS Lewis’s Narnia ‘threatened’ by development

November 16, 2016 By achuka Leave a Comment

For fans of CS Lewis the patch of unspoilt woodland on the edge of Oxford is sacred ground.

It did, after all, inspired the author’s vision of Narnia, the setting of his popular children’s books, starting with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

But there are now fears that development plans could threaten the idyllic nature reserve next to Lewis’s former home at Wychwood Lane, Risinghurst.

The road that is planned will no doubt spoil this amazing place of magic and beauty.
Cara Langford, petition organiser
Admirers of Lewis have joined forces with local residents to save the nature reserve after plans were submitted to build nine apartments for vulnerable adults in a 2.5-storey block, including 22 car parking spaces, next to the site. 

via Inspiration for CS Lewis's Narnia 'threatened' by development, say fans.

Filed Under: Blog, Books Tagged With: development, Narnia, protest

Pullman joins calls to scrap baseline tests

April 1, 2015 By achuka Leave a Comment

guardiansmall

Children’s author Philip Pullman has joined leading educationalists, early years specialists and psychologists in calling for plans to introduce tests for four- and five-year-olds in their first weeks at primary schools to be scrapped.

The tests, known as baseline assessment, are due to be trialled in a number of schools from September and will be used to measure basic skills including children’s ability to count and recognise letters and numbers immediately when they start in reception class. They will be introduced nationally in 2016.

Pullman is one of 80 signatories to a letter to the Guardian which argues that the tests should be stopped because they are “statistically invalid, will formalise a testing culture from the age of four, will be used to judge teachers and schools and, most importantly, will be dangerous for children”.

via Philip Pullman joins calls to scrap baseline tests for four and five-year-olds | Education | The Guardian.

Filed Under: Blog, Books, Education Tagged With: baseline, education, protest, schools, testing

Twitter Berates The Times For Sacking Of Amanda Craig

November 21, 2013 By achuka Leave a Comment

The Times has dispensed with the services of its regular children’s books reviewer, Amanda Craig.
When Craig reported this fact on Twitter yesterday afternoon there was a flood of protest against the decision.
According to Craig, it was an economising measure and the reviewing of children’s books will now be done ‘in-house’. The Times, as far as I am aware, has not confirmed the reason for Craig’s dismissal, or given any public indication of what its arrangements will be henceforth for the coverage of children’s and young adult publishing.

Here is a small selection from the Twitter Protest:

Very angry to hear about The Times's treatment of Amanda Craig. What folly.What ignorance. What contempt for children's reading.

— Philip Pullman (@PhilipPullman) November 20, 2013

Amanda Craig told to leave The Times. This is a seriously bad day for YA fiction (and literacy) in the UK.

— Anthony Horowitz (@AnthonyHorowitz) November 20, 2013

RT @rhi_lassiter: Have you heard @thetimes has sacked Amanda Craig to save money? RT to #stoptheAmandapocalypse

— Mary Hoffman (@MARYMHOFFMAN) November 20, 2013

Stunned to hear @TheTimesBooks are dropping their one and only children's book reviewer Amanda Craig for – 'in-house reviews' – WHAT?

— Katherine Langrish (@KathLangrish) November 20, 2013

Just heard Amanda Craig has been dropped by the Times. Very, very bad day for children's books and book reviewing in general

— Chris Priestley (@crispriestley) November 20, 2013

Very sad to hear the news that reviewer @AmandaPCraig has been dropped from @thetimes. So – children's books no longer worth covering?!!!

— MG Harris (@RealMGHarris) November 20, 2013

Oh, ffs! @TheTimesBooks has sacked brilliant, eagle-eyed children's book reviewer @AmandaPCraig. Have unsubscribed from @thetimes paywall.

— Katherine Rundell (@kdbrundell) November 20, 2013

Sad that @thetimes has sacked @AmandaPCraig. Surely they know that future readers have to start somewhere?

— Sarah Dyer (@iamsarahdyer) November 20, 2013

@KathLangrish @thetimes @AmandaPCraig Idiots. SUCH idiots.

— Margo Lanagan (@margolanagan) November 20, 2013

@AmandaPCraig Just seen your news. And after @EricaWgnr, too. What are @TheTimesBooks thinking with? So bad for the book world. Grim news.

— Sarah Churchwell (@sarahchurchwell) November 20, 2013

@AmandaPCraig @TheTimesBooks Very sorry to hear this. Your reviews, championing kids books and wealth of experience will be greatly missed.

— Helen Boyle (@InklingPress) November 20, 2013

Wait….@TheTimesBooks has sacked their children's book reviewer? WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? @AmandaPCraig

— Meg Rosoff (@megrosoff) November 20, 2013

V sad to hear that the great champion of children's (and adult's) literature @AmandaPCraig has been sacked by The Times. Bad day for books.

— Matt Haig (@matthaig1) November 20, 2013

@AmandaPCraig What on earth? Surely not Amanda! Terrible news….

— Ian Beck (@ianarchiebeck) November 20, 2013

@AmandaPCraig @TheTimesBooks A dark day for young readers when a good, serious-minded reviewer of children's book goes. Terrible decision.

— Terence Blacker (@TerenceBlacker) November 20, 2013

@AmandaPCraig absolutely can't believe this news, I am so very sorry. And cross. Kids books deserve great book reviewers!

— Clare Hall-Craggs (@loveswimming) November 20, 2013

A false economy, @TheTimesBooks, and a very unfortunate message to give out to younger readers… @AmandaPCraig

— Joanne Harris (@Joannechocolat) November 20, 2013

Filed Under: Blog, Books Tagged With: Amanda Craig, protest, reviewer, reviews, sacking, The Times, tweets, Twitter

Independent booksellers deliver Amazon taxation petition to No 10 | Books | The Guardian

April 25, 2013 By achuka Leave a Comment

Supported by Stephen Fry, Margaret Hodge and Charlie Higson, independent booksellers Frances and Keith Smith delivered a petition calling on David Cameron to take "decisive action [to] make Amazon pay its fair share of UK corporation tax" to Downing Street on 24 April.

Over 150,000 people have joined the Smiths’ campaign, which they launched last December, saying that "we pay our taxes and so should [Amazon] – please take a stand with us and tell Amazon to pay their fair share".

via (Saving…) Independent booksellers deliver Amazon taxation petition to No 10 | Books | The Guardian.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Amazon, booksellers, independent, petition, protest

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