Pacific Publisher Ben Bess on Guam to Promote Books Like 5th Edition of Pacific Nations & Territories & Island Readers
Guam – Pacific book publisher Benjamin Bess is on island meeting with various teachers, educators, librarians, book sellers and authors about the various books he publishes about Guam Micronesia and the Pacific.
Bess has been publishing books about the Pacific for the last 20 years through his publishing company Bess Press. The first book he published from a Guam author was “Pacific Nations and Territories” written by Reilly Ridgell. It’s a first of it’s kind textbook that teaches about the geography, history, political, social and cultural make up of the islands of the Pacific. “That really opened our eyes to the need and the regional need here on Guam but that book is actually sold throughout the Pacific from elementary right up to community college levels,” said Bess.
“Pacific Nations and Territories” will be coming out with a brand new fifth edition in January. Bess says it was “Pacific Nations and Territories” that opened him up to the markets of Guam and Micronesia. He is now expanding into publishing books about language, arts, and reading with a series called “Island Readers” coming out in January. It’s a phonics based level reader for pre-k through second grade. The idea is to produce a book that students on islands like Guam can relate to. “So many of the readers and the textbooks from the large publishers that are sold into schools in Hawaii through Guam, American Samoa etc are based on more of a winter spring summer fall background and that is a lot of the content,” said Bess. The publisher who is based in Hawaii says the book series “Island Readers” will be based on tropical island living and he says he hopes to come out with a version written in chamorro as well.
