Whitehots Blog

As I met with the publishing representatives for the Fall 2019 season, these were the trends that were highlighted again and again. I believe that we need these themes more than ever.

I highlight Unicorns not to be flippant, but with the idea that Unicorns feed the imagination and we need that as much as the other concepts. With screen time increasing, it is more important than ever for children to develop a love of books and reading, especially reading fiction for fun.

Neil Gaiman wrote in his essay “Why Our Future Depends on Libraries, Reading and Daydreaming”, that when we read fiction we develop empathy. I keep thinking about that essay even though I read it years ago. It resonates because we are becoming disconnected from each other.

It has become vital to have librarians who are on the front lines, fostering a love of books and nurturing our sense of wonder, to believe that things can be different, better—with all the magic and wonder that Unicorns can muster.

Children's & Young Adult Selector