Scholastic announced that it has withdrawn publication of the picture book A Birthday Cake for George Washington by Ramin Ganeshram and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, which was published on January 5. The book had been criticized sharply for its upbeat depiction of slaves, with School Library Journal calling it “highly problematic” while Kirkus Reviews deemed it “an incomplete, even dishonest treatment of slavery.” There are more than 100 one-star reviews of the book on Amazon so far. The publisher said in a statement Sunday night: “While we have great respect for the integrity and scholarship of the author, illustrator, and editor, we […]