All posts by leeandlowbooks

Interview: Pat Mora and Raul Colón On Bookjoy and Wordjoy

As a children’s book publisher, we know how powerful and influential words are, which is why we’re so excited to have announced the release of our new title, Bookjoy, Wordjoy this month! Whether we are collecting words, reading favorite books in the library, celebrating holidays, writing poems, sharing secrets, or singing a jazzy duet, words and books can take us on wonderful adventures and bring us joy. Poet Pat Mora and illustrator Raul Colón, two of the biggest names in the Latinx children’s book world, have teamed up to bring bookjoy, the fun of reading, and wordjoy, the fun of listening to words, combining words, and playing with words, to readers everywhere. In a starred review from Booklist, this title was called a “joyous invitation to put pen (or paintbrush) to paper.”

We interviewed Pat Mora and Raul Colón on their favorite words, poetry, and their upcoming projects.bookjoy wordjoy Continue reading

Más Piñata and the Story Behind Culturally Authentic Leveled Reading

In the first post of our new blog series, Dr. Barbara Flores shares the history and philosophy behind the beloved dual language leveled reading series, Más Piñata.

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Ten Questions to Ask Yourself Before Submitting to the New Voices Writing Contest

With the New Voices submission deadline quickly approaching, aspiring picture book writers preparing to submit to the contest may be asking themselves “Am I ready to send off my story?”. If you are a writer grappling with this question, you’re in luck! We’ve assembled a checklist of ten questions you should ask yourself before submitting to the 2018 New Voices Award writing contest:

New Voices Award banner

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7 Children’s Books that Talk About Race

It can be difficult to talk to children about tough topics. From bullying and prejudice, to discrimination and racism, children’s books have helped to facilitate these difficult conversations in an accessible and meaningful way. Below we’ve compiled  seven of our many books that will help children come away with a better understanding of these complex issues and the world around them.

Don’t forget to round out your collection with our list of 10 diverse picture books that are not about oppression!

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Upcoming Webinar: Teaching Tough Topics with Children’s Literature

Teaching Tough Topics with Children's Literature

The start of the school year is a critical time to establish classroom community and shared values of respect, honesty and trust.

With the one-year anniversary of the violence in Charlottesville coming up and other traumatic news constantly making headlines, many educators are left wondering how to discuss difficult current events with their students and to navigate meaningful, age-appropriate discussions on topics like hate, racism, and prejudice.

Join Lee & Low Books in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for the timely webinar: “Teaching Tough Topics with Children’s Literature” that aims to help address these concerns through worthy books, activities, and resources. Continue reading

EVERY MONTH IS A NEW YEAR Teacher’s Guide

Every Month Is a New YearHere at Lee & Low, we are incredibly excited about the release of Every Month is a New Year, an amazing picture book from beloved author, Marilyn Singer, and illustrator, Susan L. Roth. This book has a wealth of curricular opportunities, and offers chances for students, teachers, librarians, and families alike to learn all about new year celebrations around the world and share their own cultural and familial celebrations. All of the celebrations have deep-rooted traditions and treasured customs. The collection of sixteen lively poems introduce readers to some of the most fascinating festivities, some well-known and less familiar (depending on the reader!) Continue reading

Guest Book Review: AHIMSA, reviewed by Padma Venkatraman

Guest BloggerToday we are thrilled to welcome author Padma Venkatraman to the Lee & Low Books blog for a guest review of the novel Ahimsa, by Supriya Kelkar. Welcome, Padma!

Ahimsa, Supriya Kelkar’s New Visions Award-winning debut, is set in India in the 1940’s – a time in our shared human history about which enough can never be written. Continue reading

Using Children’s Books to Talk About Family Separation and Immigration

As the United States continues to feel the ripple effects of its family separation policy, caretakers are tasked with the difficult job of helping young people make sense of what’s happening—a tall order when we often struggle to understand ourselves. Adults may feel an initial impulse to shield children from today’s news, but we know that this is not a solution, and may instead contribute to more confusion and fear.

So, how can we address this topic in a respectful, honest, and age-appropriate way? Here are a few tips:

books to talk about immigration Continue reading