Book TV, "After Words," Tuesday, June 12th, 2:30-3:30 p.m., taped in studio with guest interviewer Roger Wilkins, air date to come
To the Contrary / PBS, interview to air week of 6/10, check local listings
Without a
Map, Meredith Hall, cloth, April 2007, $24.95, 978-0-8070-7273-8
The Carrboro Citizen (NC), review in the June 7th issue
American Furies, Sasha Abramsky, cloth, May 2007, $25.95, 978-0-8070-4222-9
The American Prospect, online edition, review posted June 12th: "It is with an exemplary and multifaceted grasp of the history and modern-day reality of incarceration that Abramsky is able to grasp the full context of why callous negligence and brutality so abound in the American prison system...American Furies is a brilliantly crafted piece of creative non-fiction replete with non-dogmatic, accessible, and lyrical prose...In the difficult realm of prison reporting, Abramsky is unquestionably among the best and brightest, and American Furies is clear evidence of such."
The Boston Italians,
Stephen Puleo, cloth, May 2007, $26.95, 978-0-8070-5036-11
Providence Journal, review in the June 17th issue
Queer Action Series Launch Events for Come Out and Win, Sue Hyde, paperback original, June 2007, $13.00, 978-0-8070-7972-0 and Out Law, Lisa Keen, paperback original, June
2007, $13.00, 978-0-8070-7966-9
Harvard Coop Bookstore, Thursday, June 14th at 7 p.m. (reading and signing
with Sue Hyde and Lisa Keen)
Boston Public Library, Tuesday, June 19th at 6 p.m. (with Hyde, Keen, and
panelists)
The Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center (NY), Tuesday,
June 12th, 6:30 p.m. reception, 7 p.m. talk (with Hyde)
Beacon author Theresa Perry (Young, Gifted, and Black and The
Real Ebonics Debate) and forthcoming Beacon author James Anderson on WGBH's
Basic Black program on Monday, June 11th to discuss how educators can engage
black students in the learning process.
Just Released
Acts of Faith,
Eboo Patel, cloth, July 2007, $22.95, 978-0-8070-7726-9
Print
Library Journal, starred review in the May 15th issue: "Highly
recommended for all libraries as one of the best first-person stories of
youth activism, interfaith cooperation, and how to be both authentically
American and Muslim."
Publishers Weekly, review in the April 23rd issue: "This autobiography
of a youngactivist captures how an angry youth can be transformed—by
faith, by the community and, most of all, by himself—into a profound
leader for the cause of peace."
Kirkus Reviews, review in the April 15th issue: "Intriguing
memoir . . . an entertaining page-turner that juxtaposes youthful mistakes
with remarkable moments of insight. Offers a worthwhile look into the burgeoning
interfaith youth movement."
Chicago Tribune, Bill Clinton talks about Eboo Patel in an interview
published in the April 27th issue
Tavis Smiley Show/PBS, taping via remote from Chicago, Wednesday, June 20th, 3:30 p.m. Central (1:30 p.m. PST)
Brian Lehrer Show/WNYC Radio, Thursday, July 19th, 10:40-11:00 a.m., live in studio
Diane Rehm Show/WAMU Radio, Thursday, July 26th, 11:00-12:00 p.m., live in studio
PBS’s Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, a story about Eboo Patel and his organization, the Interfaith Youth Core to ran weekend of 4/14
Eight Forty Eight/Chicago Public Radio, air date and details tk
Advertising
Advertising in Islamica Magazine, UU World, and in an AAR/SBL conference ad
Blurbs
“Acts of Faith chronicles Dr. Eboo Patel’s struggle
to forge his identity as a Muslim, an Indian, and an American. In the process,
he developed a deep reverence for what all faiths have in common, and
founded an interfaith movement to help young people to embrace their common
humanity through their faith. This young social entrepreneur offers us a powerful
way to deal with one of the most important issues of our time.”
—President Bill Clinton
“Eboo Patel is an exciting new voice of a new America. Diverse but
not divisive, hopeful but not utopian. He is an American Indian whose roots
are not in South Dakota but in South Asia, and he speaks for all of us from
a rising generation of bright, brown and bold Americans who have much to offer
a country embarking on a new millennium and in need of new blood.”
—Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, executive director of the Zaytuna
Institute
“Eboo Patel has crafted an elegantly written and brilliantly argued
manifesto—a call to arms, really—about the importance, not of
interfaith dialogue, but of interfaith cooperation. His thesis is simple:
children are not born to hate; hatred is taught to them. And in a time when
religion is used increasingly to justify bigotry and violence, it is up to
people of faith everywhere who believe in peace, and tolerance, and pluralism,
to stand up to those who preach hatred in the name of God. Acts of Faith
is more than a book, it is an awakening of the mind. It should be required
reading for all Americans.”
—Reza Aslan, author of No god but God: The Origins,
Evolution, and Future of Islam
Religious pluralism is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today.
Acts of Faith is the inspiring story of Eboo Patel’s own life
journey and his vision in creating an interfaith youth movement. He shows
how educating a new generation to reject religious intolerance and work for
the common good is the only way the world can avoid growing fanaticism and
violence. This hopeful book shows the power that is waiting to be engaged
for a better future. I highly commend it.”
—Jim Wallis, author of God’s Politics: Why
the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It
“A remarkable book by a young Muslim and a Rhodes Scholar with a vast
spiritual vision: a future in which young people join hands in service across
the lines of religion. Refreshing, honest, and hopeful, it will speak to the
soul of a generation yearning for a new way ahead. Give it to every young
person in your life—and to yourself.”
—Diana Eck, author of A New Religious America:
How a ‘Christian Country’ Has Become the World’s Most Religious
Diverse Nation
AAUP announces book recommendations:
The AAUP has announced its 2007 University Press Books Selected for Public and Secondary School Libraries. Committee members of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Public Library Association (PLA) rate titles using the scales below.
Ratings scale:
outstanding (O)
general audience (G)
special interest (S)
regional general (RG)
regional special interest (RS)
Books rated carry an audience designation listed as:
EM (Elementary School, K-5)
MS (Middle School, 6-8)
HS (High School, 9-12)
P (Professional Use)
“Best of the Best” from Beacon Press:
Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son and Epic Journeys of Freedom received Outstanding ratings from both the AASL and PLS and will be part of the “Best of the Best” Program at the 2007 ALA Annual Conference (where book covers and interiors will be used in PowerPoint presentations, in announcements on several attendee list serves and mailings, and in the ALA conference program). The conference takes place in Washington, D.C. and the “Best of the Best” will be presented on June 24th, 2007 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. at the Washington Convention Center.
Mama’s Boy, Preacher’s Son
AASL: O/HS
PLA: O, G
"This is a memoir by Kevin Jennings, the founder of GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network), a national educational organization which works to make schools places where all students are safe from harassment and are respected for their individual talents. Jennings writes of growing up poor and gay in the South during the 1970's and early 1980's. He tells of his experiences when coming out while at Harvard in the mid-1980's and of forming GSLEN, which focuses on people accepting who they are and also fights for the rights of others to claim their own identity. Not graphic or preachy, this book belongs in any high school that has students struggling with issues of identity and gender!"
—Terri Lent (AASL)
"Jennings, founder of GLSEN, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Educational Network, recounts his experiences with bigotry, fear, strength and inspiration within his immediate family, among school peers and in society in general. This work is an engaging account of a boy conflicted who goes on to lend vital support to other young people across the country."
—Carla Bauman-Franks (PLA)
Epic Journeys of Freedom
AASL: O/HS
PLA: O
"Through her meticulous research and an engaging narrative, Pybus provides a superb collective biography of those slaves during the American Revolution who dared to pursue their dreams of freedom. This book would be an appropriate addition to either African-American History or Revolutionary War collections."
—Clark E. Heath (AASL)
"This book shines because of Ms. Cassandra Pybus's stellar research. Her description of the upheaval surrounding the American Revolution is sound. Following leads on four different continents, Ms. Pybus pieces together the lives of several slaves who escaped from their colonial masters, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, to British forces in hopes of freedom. The story continues after the end of the American Revolution when the retreating British withdrew from the American Continent and took the slaves back to Britain. From there, many were sent to various parts of the world such as Australia and the African country of Liberia. Cassandra Pybus's book adds much needed historical documentation to a group of people who have largely been forgotten by history. Every school and public library should own a copy of this book."
—Christina Maria Beaird (PLA)
"Outstanding" Titles
Man’s Search for Meaning
AASL: G/HS
PLA: O
"An accessible edition of the enduring classic. The spiritual account of the Holocaust and the description of logotherapy meets generations' need for hope."
—Donna O. Dziedzic (PLA)
Global Values 101
AASL: S/HS
PLA: O, G
"A compilation of interviews from a popular, top ranked Harvard class. The guests, such as Robert Reich and Lani Guinier, provide thoughtful and thought provoking concepts and insides on today's world. The insights serve to open the reader's mind and encourage thoughtful reflection."
—Donna O. Dziedzic (PLA)
My Sister, Guard Your Veil; My Brother, Guard Your Eyes
AASL: G/HS
PLA: O
"If you asked fifty people on the street in America to describe Iran, many would come up with a similar version of an Arab country led by a shah; they would be wrong. This small book offers a large view of Iran through the eyes of fifteen different Iranians who range from poets to writers to philosophers to film directors. The essays are intensely personal and readable--a good starting point for those who want to learn more about Iran beyond the Western perception."
—Trisha Burns (PLA)
The Earth Knows My Name
AASL: G/P
PLA: O, G
"A wonderful set of real life stories with broad appeal to gardeners, foodies, environmentalists, and those with an interest in their own experience as descendants of immigrants. The issue of cultural assimilation is handled sensitively and the prose is evocative of the people and places visited."
—Donna O. Dziedzic (PLA)
Recommendations
Current Events:
Not in Our Classrooms: Why Intelligent Design is Wrong for Our Schools
AASL: G/HS, P
PLA: G
When the Rivers Run Dry: Water—The Defining Crisis of the Twenty-First Century
AASL: S/HS
PLA: G
Big-Box Swindle: The True Cost of Mega-Retailers and the Fight for America's Independent Businesses
AASL: G/HS
PLA: G
Poetry:
Poems to Live By in Troubling Times
PLA: G
Thirst: Poems
AASL: G/HS
PLA: G
At Blackwater Pond: Mary Oliver Reads Mary Oliver
AASL: G/MS-HS
PLA: G
General
People's Movements, People's Press: The Journalism of Social Justice Movements
AASL: G/HS, P
PLA: G
Making Art Together: How Collaborative Art-Making Can Transform Kids, Classrooms, and Communities
AASL: G/P
PLA: G, S
Beacon Press is a department of the