NPR’s Resident Poet Kwame Alexander Creates Crowdsourced Poem Against Anti-Asian Hate
Last month, NPR’s Morning Edition collected poems in response to the increased violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans. Over 500 listeners shared their poems, and now, NPR’s resident poet Kwame Alexander has taken lines from the submissions to create a community poem, “Today, I Am A Witness To Change.” All contributors are credited at the end of the poem.
8-Year-Old Boy With Stutter Reads Book for Viral Video & Gets Surprise
On March 25, Bethany Pagel shared a video of her 8-year-old son Jordan discussing one of his favorite books, A New Day by Brad Meltzer. Pagel wrote in a separate tweet that she hoped the author would see the video: “Jordan has a special message for you! *Please be patient, he has a stutter*.” What happened next would be an exciting surprise for the young boy. Not only did author Brad Meltzer see Jordan’s video, but he also did a video chat with Jordan on NBC’s Nightly News. It was there that Meltzer announced he had another surprise for Jordan. Working with illustrator Christopher Eliopolous, Meltzer had a sketch of Jordan made in the same style as his books. Meltzer said he was inspired by Jordan’s video and was glad it had resonated with others as well. The author said, “People are amazing. We are fearful and brave and cowards and incredible and you see someone like Jordan and kindness will always win.”
Mysuru Library Torched, Donors Raise Money to Restore It
After daily wage earner Syed Issaq’s public library in Mysuru was burned down, donors have raised over Rs 7 lakh to restore it. Issaq had set up the library in Rajiv Nagar Second Stage near Ammar Masjid in the city. Residents of the area were given free access to the library’s 11,000 books. Using the crowdfunding platform Ketto, donors are aiming to raise Rs 10 lakh in 46 days. Issaq told The New Indian Express, “I was deprived of education and I want to ensure that others should not face my plight. I want people to learn, read and speak Kannada and will rebuild it again.”
These Were the 10 Most Challenged Books in 2020
What we talk about when we talk about the American Library Association’s challenged books. Take a look at the most challenged books in 2020.