During a recent visit to The School at Columbia, an inquisitive 4th grader asked an excellent question about the editing process and was interested to learn that it sometimes continues even AFTER the book prints.
For instance, I included the Idaho-born author of the book CADDIE WOODLAWN in the Idaho spread of THE 50 STATES. I had never read it, but since it won the 1936 Newbery Medal assumed it was a good book to recommend. Neither my editor, the copyeditor, the fact checker, or our Idaho librarian thought anything of it. After all--it's a Newbery winner!
Nearly a year after going to press, I came across a description of CADDIE WOODLAWN on Deebie Reese's American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) site, a blog I follow with great interest. In it she describes how upset her daughter was to read the book (with her class) and come across hateful and derogatory content about Native Americans. You can find her experience here: http://bit.ly/CaddieWoodlawn .
I immediately wrote to my publisher to request we replace the book with another Idaho author in our next reprint. She immediately agreed.
So, in the first printing of THE 50 STATES you will find reference to CADDIE WOODLAWN. For books printed after June 2016 or so, you will find reference to CABIN CREEK MYSTERIES by Kristiana Gregory instead. I've read this and many of Kristiana Gregory's books, and am fond of them all.
You can find other books and authors mentioned in THE 50 STATES on this pinterest board.
