Around The Web: Bodies in Literature, English Language and Books for Anxious Kids

It’s time for another web content roundup! This week, I’ve got a visual essay on gender and physical descriptions in literature, a list of words with different meaning in the US and the UK, a book club announcement, and some books to help kids deal with anxiety.

Gendered Physical Traits In Books

Inspired by an eye-roll-inducing book club experience, Erin Davis wanted to see how widespread stereotyped descriptions of bodies are in literature. After analyzing 2000 books for mentions of men’s and women’s body parts and the adjectives used to describe them, she found that there’s a definite trend in how men and women tend to be described. Check out the full essay for the full breakdown and for some great data visualization.

Different Definitions

Jumper, biscuit, table—these words might not mean what you think if you take a trip across the pond. If you’re as fascinated by language differences as I am, you’ll get a kick out of this look at words with different meanings in the US and the UK.

Young Readers Book Club

FOLD Kids, the young reader edition of the Festival of Literary Diversity, has announced that they’ll be hosting a quarterly book club to encourage kids to read diverse books. The first book is The Candle in the Flame by Nafiza Azad, and the next will be announced during the FOLD Kids festival in October.

Picture Books for Anxious Kids

While we’re talking about kids, let’s talk about anxiety. This year has been hard for many, kids included, and with the start of the school year coming up, we want healthy ways for young folks to process emotions. Book Riot’s Jean Kuo Lee has compiled a list of picture books that might help kids “name and understand fear,” provide “an emotional release,” or manage anxieties.