Today on the blog, we’re sharing a Q&A conducted with Jane Park, the author of Juna and Appa.
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Upcoming Fall 2021 Tea Time Talks: Meet our Editors and Authors
Curious about the ins-and-outs of the editorial process? Join us for our Fall 2021 Tea Time Talks between our authors and editors!
In these short, casual conversations, get a behind-the-scenes look at our publishing process as our Lee & Low editors share a (virtual) cup of tea with their authors. Hear them describe the initial inspiration and the development process, discuss questions that came up during the editing, and reflect on decisions they made.
Join us live, or register for a link to watch the recordings later!
An Interview with A.M. Dassu, author of Boy, Everywhere
Today is the release day for Boy, Everywhere by debut author A. M. Dassu! In this powerful middle-grade debut, Sami and his family embark on a harrowing journey to save themselves from the Syrian civil war.
Watch author A. M. Dassu talk about why she wrote Boy, Everywhere. And read on to learn more about what moved Dassu to write this story, her experience and work with refugees, and the feedback she’s received from Syrian readers.
The Importance of Black Joy in Children’s Books: A Conversation with Kelly J. Baptist and Darnell Johnson
A few years ago, conversations surrounding the importance of joyful books that feature Black characters finally started to pick up steam. Though BIPOC readers, specifically Black readers, have noticed the lack of joyful diverse books for some time, publishing is finally getting to a place of recognition that Black characters are more than just oppression and a teaching moment for outside readers. BIPOC are just like everyone else with varied lived experiences that aren’t always rooted in pain. In this guest blog post, we hear from author Kelly J. Baptist and illustrator Darnell Johnson to discuss the importance of Black joy in children’s books and how that translated into their newest title The Electric Slide and Kai.
Upcoming Spring 2021 Tea Time Talks: Meet Our Editors and Authors
Curious about the ins-and-outs of the editorial process? Join us for our Spring 2021 Tea Time Talks between our authors and editors!
In these short, casual conversations, get a behind-the-scenes look at our publishing process as our Lee & Low editors share a (virtual) cup of tea with their authors. Hear them describe the initial inspiration and the development process, discuss questions that came up during the editing, and reflect on decisions they made.
Join us live, or register for a link to watch the recordings later!
Defining Activism and Allyship: An Interview with Laleña Garcia and Caryn Davidson
What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Activity Book is a collaboration between Laleña Garcia, who identifies as Black, and Caryn Davidson, who identifies as white. After learning author Laleña Garcia’s story behind What We Believe, we asked the author and illustrator to share a bit about their partnership, and how they define the role of activist and ally.
How do you define activism?
Laleña Garcia: In my school, we talk about activists as people who work together with other people to make the world a better place. We emphasize the importance of collective action and solidarity, and that, even though we sometimes learn about one or two people — like Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Parks — they had to work together with lots of other people to make change.
There’s a part of me that thinks that individual actions — like turning off the lights, recycling, or choosing to buy from BIPOC-owned businesses — is part of being a good, decent, human, but is maybe a little bit different from being an activist, but it’s not something I’m willing to have a fight about. If you’re organizing other people to do those things, or writing letters to people in power to get them to make changes, then I think it’s more like activism, because of the collective nature.
The Story Behind What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book
Laleña Garcia has taught in New York City early childhood education programs for more than twenty years. What We Believe: A Black Lives Matter Principles Activity Book grew out of her work with Black Lives Matter in Schools, a teachers’ organization striving for racial equity in education. In this post, she shares more about how and why she developed this special project.
Free Upcoming Webinar: Black Lives Matter in the Classroom
Learn about how to bring the Black Lives Matter movement into your school, classroom, library or home in this powerful discussion on Wednesday, January 20th at 4:00 PM ET.
Upcoming September Tea Time Talks: Meet Our Editors and Authors
Curious about the ins-and-outs of the editorial process? Join us for our September Tea Time Talks between our authors and editors!
In these short, casual conversations, get a behind-the-scenes look at our publishing process as our Lee & Low editors share a (virtual) cup of tea with their authors. Hear them describe the initial inspiration and the development process, discuss questions that came up during the editing, and reflect on decisions they made.
Join us live, or register for a link to watch the recordings later!
Interview: New Visions Award Winner Tracy Occomy Crowder
Recently, we announced that Tracy Occomy Crowder has won the seventh annual New Visions Award for her manuscript, Montgomery and the Case of the Golden Key. In this blog post, we ask Tracy about her inspiration behind her winning manuscript and her writing experience.