Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Includes Scene Created by 14-Year-Old
After Preston Mutanga recreated the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer with Legos, the 14-year-old was invited to work on the actual film! According to a new story in the New York Times, the film’s team reached out to Mutanga and invited him to help them work on a Lego scene for the movie, something writer-producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller had already planned for the movie. Mutanga’s parents agreed he could work on the project, but only after finishing his homework on school nights.
Despite Book Bans, LGBTQ+ Fiction Sales Soar
Book bans in the United States are at an all-time high, but so are LGBTQ+ book sales, according to a new study. Earlier this week, a report from Circana, a market research company that analyzes consumer behavior, reported that 6.1 million LGBTQ+ fiction books had been sold between May 2022 and May 2023. This is an 11% from the previous 12-month period and a 173% increase since 2019. “It is important to note that the growth in LGBTQ fiction has outpaced the overall market for fiction sales, including adult, kids’, and young adult fiction combined, which remained relatively flat,” Kristen McLean, books industry analyst at Circana, announced in a press release. “This growth comes at a critical time when reports of book bans have surged, predominantly targeting books written by or about the LGBTQ community and people of color.”
Used Bookstore in St. Petersburg, FL Sparks New Movement for More Access to Banned Books Nationwide
The Book Rescuer, a used bookstore based out of St. Petersburg, FL, is making it their mission to provide access to banned books. The Book Rescuer co-owner George Brooks explained, “We actually take the approach of any book that’s ever been challenged or banned, tried to remove from people’s access, and we want to highlight those books and get them into more people’s hands.” After he and he wife, Sarah, posted their bookshelf for banned books on Facebook, the co-owners received a large amount of support from readers nationwide. The couple told ABC News they actually sold out of several of their books after posting them online.
8 of Libro.fm’s Most Pre-ordered Books of Summer 2023
These are Libro.fm’s most pre-ordered books of summer 2023. What are you eager to listen to?