#worldbookday - this week saw visits over 5 days to 7 schools and 2 libraries. Here are some interesting things that happened or that I observed... - ThreadSky

ashleythorpe.bsky.social • 84 days ago

#worldbookday - this week saw visits over 5 days to 7 schools and 2 libraries.
Here are some interesting things that happened or that I observed...

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gillow.bsky.social•84 days ago

Yes. Wouldn't it be great to get to a point where we don't think - brilliant, a minority character! - because they're just the norm.

gillow.bsky.social•84 days ago

So important that all children have the opportunity to read about characters that look like themselves in books. And that they see that they can be written by people who look like the adults in their lives.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

Absolutely! And also that we continue to normalise minoritised main characters for children of any majority to see.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

1st school I went to on WBD hadn't briefed the students on who I was or what I wrote until that morning 😅 Needless to say, no pre-sales. However, it just so happened that one boy in Y5 had finished my book that very week AND had his copy with him. He was so happy to get it signed. That was amazing.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

Another boy in my last session of that day came pretty far just for my library talk. He'd finished the book in one sitting at a Waterstones and insisted his mum buy it so that he could read it again! He knew so much about baobab trees and myths including the orishas. That is everything I hoped for.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

In my Q&A sections, more than once across the 5 days I had kids ask if I wrote the book alone, or had any help. I don't think it's a wild leap to think they asked this based on my appearance. I didn't fit their expectation of an author. BUT that's also important because it opened their minds.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

I had SO many compliments on the book cover. This industry silently acknowledges that minority characters (especially black) on covers are a harder sell - here and abroad. But kids really don't care! So it begs the questions harder to sell to whom? It's the adults who need to question their biases.

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

Booksellers and librarians are magic. We love you, and I want to give a shoutout to @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social Simply Books and the wonderful Leeds School Library Services for making this week the success that it was.

dawnwoods.bsky.social•83 days ago

Wonderful thread. Thanks for acknowledging that reaching even one child per visit is so valuable.

wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social•84 days ago

You're magic. Thank you ❤️ x

afharrold.com•84 days ago

Who's the illustrator?

(From one Ashley to another, it's great to hear you had a good WBD week! (I'm going to order the book.))

#PicturesMeanBusiness

ashleythorpe.bsky.social•84 days ago

👋🏾 Loyiso Mkize an incredibly talented comic artist from South Africa. Thank you for supporting!

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