Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, Holidays and Celebrations, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Honoring Memorial Day with LEE & LOW BOOKS

Memorial Day weekend is upon us and we can’t think of a better way to remember and celebrate than with some of our award-winning books!

Teachers- Looking for a way to talk to your students about war this Memorial Day?

Parents- Trying to make your kids understand the importance of remembering those who gave their lives for our country?

We have some great titles that will get your kids interested and help them understand the great sacrifices made by our men and women at arms, what really makes someone a hero, and the impact of war on a level they can relate to. Continue reading →

Educator Resources, Guest Blogger Post

Author Rosanne Parry on the Benefits of Reading Levels

1 Comment

The topic of reading levels is always contentious foGuest Bloggerr librarians, educators, booksellers, and authors. A recent article by author Sergio Ruzzier argued against the merits of using reading levels to determine which book is right for a child. In this guest post, author and bookseller Rosanne Parry offers her thoughts on why reading levels can be valuable, despite some of the drawbacks. Welcome, Rosanne! Continue reading →

Book News, Diversity, New Releases

New May Releases from LEE & LOW and TU BOOKS

We can hardly believe how fast the year is flying by! Memorial Day weekend is just around the corner, which means summer is officially here. We’re looking forward to nice weather, beaches, and of course, our new titles out this month!

We’re very excited to introduce our new May releases – there’s sure to be something for everyone! Continue reading →

New Voices/New Visions Award

Announcing the Winner of Our New Visions Writing Contest

6 Comments

New Visions Award sealTu Books, the middle grade and young adult imprint of respected multicultural children’s publisher LEE & LOW BOOKS, is thrilled to announce that author Supriya Kelkar has won its third annual New Visions Award for her middle grade historical fiction novel, Ahimsa.

The award honors a middle grade or young adult novel for young readers by an author of color who has not previously published a novel for that age group. It was established to encourage new talent and to offer authors of color a chance to break into a tough and predominantly white market. Continue reading →

Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Interview: Kimberly Reid, author of PERFECT LIARS

2 Comments

kimberly reidSometimes to save the day, a good girl’s gotta be bad.

White Collar meets Oceans 11 in our new YA novel, Perfect Liars. We interviewed author Kimberly Reid on how to craft the perfect heist novel, her writing tips, and breaking stereotypes. Continue reading →

Diversity, Race, and Representation, Guest Blogger Post

Empowering Parents to Increase Literacy in the Home: The PCHP Approach

1 Comment

Since 1965, The Parent Child-Home Program (PCHP) has been providing Guest Bloggerunder-resourced families the necessary skills and tools to help their children thrive in school and life. PCHP’s nationwide network of program sites works with low-income families to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills, and resources to achieve their greatest potential in school and in life. 

Today, we are excited to have Sarah Walzer, CEO of The Parent-Child Home Program. 2015 marked 50 years of service for the PCHP. Continue reading →

Educator Resources, General

How to Use Family Diversity and Family Structures to Teach Empathy

3 Comments

Guest BloggerIn this interview with The Open Book, guest blogger Dr. Becki Cohn-Vargas, Director of Not in Our School, shares the organization’s latest video release about families and family structures. Not in Our School is part of the larger organization of Not in Our Town and focuses on empowering students to create safe, inclusive, and empathetic communities. 

“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.” —from “Human Family” by Maya Angelou (listen to Maya Angelou read the poem here) Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic

International Jazz Day: Seven Books that Celebrate Jazz

1 Comment

Music transcends language and culture, letting its listeners be united by something beyond words. That is why UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated April 30th to be International Jazz Day. This day serves to highlight jazz’s “diplomatic role in uniting people in all corners of the globe.”

Celebrate International Jazz Day with these seven books about Jazz from LEE & LOW BOOKS:  Continue reading →

Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Illustrator Jessica Lanan Takes Us Behind the Art of The Story I’ll Tell

Released last fall from LEE & LOW BOOKS, The Story I’ll Tell is the story i'll tella gentle and moving story of adoption and parental love that is sure to touch the hearts of readers everywhere, no matter how they came to be a family. It has received starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly, which called it “an unabashed love letter, one that many families will treasure.” 

We asked illustrator Jessica Lanan to take us behind the scenes of her art process bringing The Story I’ll Tell to life: Continue reading →