Diversity, Educator Resources, ELL/ESL and Bilingual Books, Guest Blogger Post, Special Education

Guided Reading with English Language Learners in Kindergarten

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Jen Serravallo #5Do you work with English Language Learners or have English Language Learners in your classroom? Whether your classroom has only a few ELLs or a majority, it’s critical to think about different strategies and skills that ELLs need to engage with books as they’re starting to read in kindergarten.

It’s also essential that your classroom library has authentic and culturally relevant texts in both English and Spanish so that all readers can have texts that fit their needs and interests. To get started, we recommend evaluating your classroom library. Our Classroom Library Questionnaire is a tool that can help you analyze the books in your library and determine where there are strengths and gaps in diversity.

Read on to find out different skills that you can teach ELLs when they’re reading at levels A, B, and C. Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, Uncategorized

Free Upcoming Webinar: Teaching Social Activism through Children’s Books

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Join us for our free webinar about our Social Activism Diverse Reading List and different methods of teaching social activism in the classroom while highlighting relevant books and engaging activities on Wednesday, January 23rd at 4PM EST.

Katie Potter, Literacy Specialist at Lee & Low, and Ina Pannell-St. Surin, NYC-based special education teacher and Responsive Classroom teacher consultant, will lead a dynamic conversation about how to use books to discuss and inspire social activism in students with both historical and present-day contexts.

Date: Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Time: 4:00 PM EST
Duration: 1 hour
How to Join: Register here.

Registration is free, but space is limited so register today! If you can’t join live, you can still register to receive a link to the recording after the webinar takes place.

Hope to see you there!

Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Educator Resources, Lee & Low Likes

10 Great Diverse Books for Preschoolers

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Reading books with preschool-age children not only helps them be better prepared for school, but it also opens their minds to new cultures and experiences. Exposing children early to both “mirror” and “window” books – that is, books in which they can see themselves, and books in which they can learn about others- is the best way to create engaged readers and support social and emotional growth.

Lee & Low Books offers hundreds of great books for preschoolers. Our books include English, Spanish, and bilingual titles; books about many different cultures; books that span a wide range of subjects and themes; and both fiction and nonfiction. Browse our preschool collections to see what we offer.

10 Diverse Books for Preschoolers

While we have hundreds of titles to choose from, here are 10 of our absolute favorite diverse books for preschoolers! Continue reading →

Diversity 102, Educator Resources, How We Did It

How to Build a More Diverse Classroom Library

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More Diverse Classroom Library

New year, new goals! If one of your professional goals this year is to add more diversity to your school or classroom library, we’re here with some inspiration to get you started. In the following blog post, originally posted at the Center for the Collaborative Classroom and cross-posted with permission, our Director of Curriculum and Literacy Strategy Jill Eisenberg shares tips and suggestions for how to move forward without becoming overwhelmed: Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, New Releases, Tu Books

Sneak Peek: Lee & Low’s Spring 2019 Titles

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It’s the new year, and what better way to bring in the new year than to check out new and exciting books coming out in 2019! Here’s a sneak peek of our Winter and Spring 2019 titles ranging from delightful picture books to heart-pounding middle grade.

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Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Holidays and Celebrations

Diverse Children’s Books to Give as Gifts, Ages 12 and Up

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Looking for the best books to gift teen readers? Check out our suggestions below for intriguing, electrifying, diverse books for the teens in your life!

And if you missed our gift guide for younger children, you can find our gift recommendations for children ages 0-5 here and our recommendations for children ages 6-12 here. 

Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Holidays and Celebrations

Diverse Children’s Books to Give as Gifts, Ages 6-12

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Still searching for the best books to gift to young readers? We’ve got you covered!

Last week we shared our gift recommendations for children ages 0-5. If you’re looking for colorful, striking, authentically diverse books for the children in your life ages 6-12, check out our suggestions below! Continue reading →

Diversity 102, Diversity Baseline Survey, Diversity, Race, and Representation

Calling All Publishers, Agents, and Review Journals: Join Us for Diversity Baseline Survey 2.0

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Five years ago, Lee & Low Books launched the first Diversity Baseline Survey to examine four aspects of diversity among publishing industry staff: race, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability. Administered to over 13,000 publishing employees at thirty-five different publishing companies and eight major review journals, the Diversity Baseline Survey inspired many conversations and initiatives to help build a more inclusive book industry.

Five years later, it is time for us to redo the survey to see what has changed. We have big plans this time, including a Kickstarter (launching early 2019) to raise money to hire a professional survey/evaluation company and an initiative to include literary agents, who play an important role in gatekeeping.

We are putting an open call out to publishing houses and literary agencies of all sizes: will you participate in 2019?

Diversity in Publishing 2015 Continue reading →

Awards, Book News, Diversity 102, Diversity, Race, and Representation

Genielysse Reyes Receives 2018 Lee & Low and Friends Scholarship from Simmons College

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We’re excited to announce that Simmons College Graduate Programs in Children’s Literature has awarded Genielysse Reyes as the 2018 recipient of the Lee & Low and Friends Scholarship.

A partnership between the Simmons College Center for the Study of Children’s Literature and children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, the scholarship provides opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to participate in Simmons’ prestigious children’s literature graduate program. Lee & Low Books is the largest multicultural book publisher in the country and a leader in the effort to diversify the publishing industry. Simmons shares this goal and is committed to creating opportunities for all students so that a multiplicity of voices can be heard in the publishing industry and in books published for children and young adults.

This year, we interviewed Genielysse Reyes about her love of children’s literature, her thoughts on providing equitable access for people of color in publishing, and her goals as a part of the Simmons program.

Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Diversity, Holidays and Celebrations

Diverse Children’s Books to Give as Gifts, Ages 0-5

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Holiday Guide 0-5

Books make the best gifts! With the holiday season in full swing, we get a lot of questions about the best books to gift to young readers. If you’re looking for vibrant, beautiful, authentically diverse books for the children in your life, keep reading for our suggestions for ages 0-5 and stay tuned for the other entries in this series when we’ll cover additional age ranges! Continue reading →

Exploring Children's Books Through the Lens of Diversity