From civil rights, magic, naughty cats and bunnies, below are the top stories this week in the world of children’s books:

Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit is the first children’s literature character to appear on a British coin: bit.ly/1LQ971n

American Girl adds a new character to its book lineup, focusing on the civil rights movement: bit.ly/1U2JxZB

On her website Tuesday, J.K. Rowling released the first of four essays chronicling the history of magic in North America: https://www.pottermore.com/collection-episodic/history-of-magic-in-north-america-en 

Children’s book author-illustrator Nick Bruel’s Bad Kitty series is adapted for children’s theater in Oregon: http://www.orartswatch.org/bad-is-good-the-cats-meow/