I quote the movie Mean Girls a lot… and I have a reminder on my phone that tells me every Wednesday to “wear pink”. So I couldn’t help but notice how many books with pink covers were recognized at ALA's Youth Media Awards! Though the color has its detractors, there is no question that it also has its fans.
It is true that books with pink covers are often associated with storylines about romance or are aimed at female readers, but that isn’t always the case, and many books on the shelves challenge that stereotype. Join us every other Wednesday for a bit as we peruse the library and archive shelves for pink covers from the past, present, and future!
Prejudice: The Invisible Wall (1968)
Prepared by the editors of Scholastic Scope, including our current CEO – who was Scope’s editorial director at the time – this was a serious book for use in the classroom. In the opening pages the reader is challenged to consider questions such as:
- Are you born with prejudice – or do you learn it?
- What can you do to fight prejudice?
- How far are we from achieving the American ideal of freedom and equality for all?
Claudia and Mean Janine (1987/2008/2016)
I am cheating a little bit with this one. Only half of the cover is pink, but, this childhood favorite of mine represents the past, the present and the future - since there will be a Netflix show! The story arc is one of the most meaningful and touching entries in to Ann M. Martin’s original Baby-Sitters Club series for me. Being the oldest of five girls, I can relate to how the two sisters fuss with each other. And Raina Telgemeier really got to me emotionally years later in 2008 when she adapted Claudia and Mean Janine in to a graphic novel. I nearly spilled a few tears looking back on page 35 while preparing this post!
Nat Enough (2020)
Due out in the world in April, our employee book club has this debut graphic novel by Maria Scrivan on our calendar for 2020. Described by Publishers Weekly as “gentle and timeless” and as “heartfelt” by Kirkus, our book club is looking forward to discussing both sequential art and the pressure kids feel to be ‘cool’ in middle school.
Until next time...
