Jon Batiste to Make Feature Acting Debut in The Color Purple
Fresh off winning the top prize at this year’s Grammys, Jon Batiste is now set to make his feature acting debut in The Color Purple. Joining a cast including Taraji P. Henson, Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., among others, Batiste will play sweet-talking piano man Grady, the husband of Shug Avery (played by Taraji P. Henson).The Color Purple is Warner Bros.’ film adaptation of the Tony-winning Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel of the same name by Alice Walker. The film is set to release in December 2023.
Florida Rejects 54 Math Textbooks Over “Prohibited Topics,” Including Critical Race Theory
Florida’s education department has rejected 54 mathematics textbooks from next year’s school curriculum, citing alleged discussion of “prohibited topics,” including references to critical race theory. In a statement, Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, applauded the education department’s decision, and accused some textbook publishers of “indoctrinating” children with “concepts like race essentialism, especially, bizarrely, for elementary school students.” Meanwhile, Democratic state representative Carlos G. Smith wrote on Twitter that DeSantis had “turned our classrooms into political battlefields and this is just the beginning.”
Roshani Chokshi’s Adult Debut Novel is Coming in Winter 2023
Roshani Chokshi, author of the YA book series The Gilded Wolves, has sold her adult debut at auction to William Morrow’s Jessica Williams in a six-figure, two-book deal. The first book in this new deal is entitled The Last Tale of the Flower Bride. In a statement, Morrow described the novel as “a fairy-tale-laden gothic novel about a marriage that slowly unravels as a husband picks at the threads of a dangerous secret his wife is keeping.” Publication is planned for winter 2023.
School Library Programming Ideas for National Poetry Month
Here are some ideas to implement in your library to get folks excited about National Poetry Month, from letter writing to poetry crafts.