All posts by leeandlowbooks

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

25 Books from 25 Years: Tankborn

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25 Year Anniversary posterLEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year! To recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today and hear from the authors and illustrators.

Today, we are celebrating Tankborn by Karen Sandler. First published in 2011, Tankborn was one of the original launch books for our Tu Books Imprint, which publishes diverse middle grade and young adult literature. Since its launch, Tu has published nearly 20 titles for older readers featuring diverse characters, stories, and worlds. Tu Books also established the New Visions Award, an annual writing contest for unpublished authors of color (and today is the deadline for submitting your manuscript!). Continue reading →

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

Interview: Recognizing Mexican Contributions to WWII History

school the aztec eagles builtThe School the Aztec Eagles Built: A Tribute to Mexico’s World War II Air Fighters, which comes out in November, is the story of Mexico’s Air Fighter Squadron 201, also known as the Aztec Eagles. After two Mexican oil tankers were torpedoed by German U-boats, Mexican president Ávila Camacho sent the Aztec Eagles to the United States to help fight. One of the last requests of Squadron 201 crew member and former schoolteacher Ángel Bocanegra was to have a school built in his small hometown. Continue reading →

Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, General

What Diversity Means to Me: Lee & Low Staff Share Their Thoughts

Thanks to movements such as We Need Diverse Books, #1000BlackGirlBooks, and vocal authors, writers, and readers, the conversation regarding diversity in children’s books has gained more traction. Studies such as the Cooperative Children’s Book Center’s Publishing Statistics on Children’s Books and our Diversity Baseline Survey have helped to supplement these conversations, highlighting the need for more representation in children’s literature. We’re starting to see more stories that represent people from different backgrounds and different ways of life, and stories with protagonists and heroes that finally look like us. Here at LEE & LOW BOOKS, our mission is to publish children’s books about everyone and for everyone. So today, LEE & LOW staff share the impact and importance of diversity and what diversity truly means to them.

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Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources

Celebrating 25 Books Over 25 Years: Yummy

Lee and Low 25th anniversaryLEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and to recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today. Today, we are featuring our award-winning graphic novel, Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty. Continue reading →

Diversity, Race, and Representation

When Politics Goes Low, Children’s Books Go High

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Well, we have finally reached the day after the last presidential debate. It’s a slow crawl to the finish line after the longest election cycle in the history of election cycles. Just a few more weeks, friends! No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, you probably feel a little (or a lot) disappointed with how our sacred democratic process has devolved into one long reality TV episode (and this one ain’t winning no Emmys!). Continue reading →

Awards, Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, General

The Carle Honors Recognizes LEE & LOW BOOKS

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Photo Credit: Johnny Wolf Photography
Photo Credit: Johnny Wolf Photography

On September 28th, The Carle Museum hosted The Carle Honors Annual Benefit Gala  in New York City. The Carle Honors is “the Museum’s annual benefit gala. At the heart of the Honors are four awards celebrating individuals whose creative vision and dedication are an inspiration to everyone who values picture books and their role in arts education and literacy.” This year, Lee & Low Books, represented by publisher Jason Low, was one of the four honorees recognized at The Carle Honors. Below are author Gregory Maguire’s remarks on the work and legacy of Lee & Low Books.
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Book News, Educator Resources

Celebrating 25 Books Over 25 Years: Seeds of Change

Lee and Low 25th anniversaryLEE & LOW BOOKS celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and to recognize how far the company has come, we are featuring one title a week to see how it is being used in classrooms today. Today, we are featuring one of our most popular titles of all time, Seeds of Change: Planting a Path to Peace.  Continue reading →

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

An Alternative History Book List

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This week, in acknowledgement of Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we are offering a series of blog posts that look at pieces of history that have been hidden, silenced, altered, or swept under the rug. Today we would like to share eight of our alternative history titles. Continue reading →

Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, Guest Blogger Post, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Guadalupe García McCall: The History That’s Not in Textbooks

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This week, in acknowledgement of Columbus Day/Indigenous Guest BloggerPeoples’ Day, we are offering a series of blog posts that look at pieces of history that have been hidden, silenced, altered, or swept under the rug. Today we share author Guadalupe García McCall’s reflections on her discovery of a startling piece of Texas history. This piece was originally published as the Author’s Note in her new novel, Shame the Stars. Continue reading →

Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, General, Holidays and Celebrations, Interviews with Authors and Illustrators

Interview: Shana Mlawski on the History Surrounding Christopher Columbus

Hammer of Witches cover imageIn Hammer of Witches fourteen-year-old bookmaker’s apprentice Baltasar, pursued by a secret witch-hunting arm of the Inquisition, joins Columbus’s expedition to escape and discovers secrets about his own past that his family had tried to keep hidden. In this BookTalk, Shana Mlawski shares her views on Christopher Columbus, working with students and what she’d wish for if she had three wishes.

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