Category Archives: Book News

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

Press Release: Rachel Yung-Hsin Wang Receives 2017 Lee & Low and Friends Scholarship from Simmons College

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Lee & Low and Friends Scholarship at Simmons College

Simmons College Graduate Programs in Children’s Literature announced that Amherst resident Rachel Yung-Hsin Wang is the 2017 recipient of the LEE & LOW….and Friends Scholarship that provides opportunities for students from diverse backgrounds to participate in Simmons’ prestigious children’s literature graduate program.

The scholarship fund was created in 2015 through a partnership between LEE & LOW BOOKS and Simmons College as a pathway for underrepresented students to enter the field of children’s literature. 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. Continue reading →

Diversity, Educator Resources, New Releases

Using the Rafi and Rosi Series in the Classroom

Last year, we brought back the beloved chapter book Rafi and Rosi series, which follows two Puerto Rican tree frog siblings as they explore their surroundings and learn about the traditions, animals, and environment of Puerto Rico. The series is available in both English and Spanish, and is a great way to introduce early readers to chapter books!  Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Book News, Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, Holidays and Celebrations, New Releases

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month + Poster Giveaway

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November is Native American Heritage Month! Native American Heritage Month evolved from the efforts of various individuals at the turn of the 20th century who tried to get a day of recognition for Native Americans. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush approved a resolution that appointed November as Native American Heritage Month. Continue reading →

Book News, Diversity, Diversity, Race, and Representation, Educator Resources, New Releases

Read Bryan Stevenson’s Foreword for I AM ALFONSO JONES

I AM ALFONSO JONES cover imageToday, we are proud to release I Am Alfonso Jones, a heartbreaking exploration of the Black Lives Matter movement and the impact that police brutality has on families, young people, and communities. Written by Tony Medina and illustrated by Stacey Robinson and John Jennings, this title offers a powerful entry to discussion as well as essential historical context to today’s discussions on police brutality. Below is the powerful foreword by Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and author of Just Mercy.

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Interviews with Authors and Illustrators, New Releases

Did Gandhi Really Say ‘Be the Change’?: Editing Historical Fiction

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In today’s guest post, author Supriya Kelkar shares a behind-the-scenes look at the research required to write her new novel, Ahimsa—and a few neat things she learned along the way! Ahimsa was released this week and has received starred reviews from School Library Journal and Booklist, which called it a “heartbreakingly charming debut about the universal struggle of overcoming fears and biases in order to make the world a better place.” 

Take it away, Supriya!

Did Gandhi Really Say That

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

Book List: 5 Favorite Bilingual Poetry Books

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According to the Center for Immigration Studies, 1 in 5 US residents speaks a foreign language at home with Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic growing the most. This statistic just goes to show that it doesn’t make sense to “other” people whose first language is not English. Today we’re highlighting five of our bilingual poetry books that focus on everything from the immigrant experience to the beauty of our Earth. 

family poems for every day of the week

Family Poems for Every Day of the Week/Poemas Familiares para cada día de la semana by Francisco X. Alarcón, illus. by Maya Christina Gonzalez Continue reading →

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

Illustrator Keith Mallett Takes Us Behind the Art of Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee!

Released this month from LEE & LOW BOOKS, Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee! is a picture book biograpy of James VanDerZee, a groundbreaking photographer who chronicled an important era in Harlem and showed the beauty and pride of its people. He took photographs of legendary figures of the Harlem Renaissance—politicians such as Marcus Garvey, performers including Florence Mills, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, and Mamie Smith—and ordinary folks in the neighborhood too.

We asked illustrator Keith Mallett to take us behind the scenes of his art process bringing Take a Picture of Me, James VanDerZee to life: Continue reading →

Book Lists by Topic, Educator Resources, New Releases

Activism in Children’s Books: 5 Revolutionary Biographies

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This week marks the release of Martí’s Song for Freedom/ Martí y sus versos por la libertad, our new bilingual picture book biography of the Cuban revolutionary and poet José Martí. In celebration, we’ve pulled together a list of five of our favorite picture book biographies about revolutionary figures who started movements. Use these award-winning books to teach about social activism, core values like perseverance and grit, and the importance of art and science in our society!

5 Revolutionary Picture Book Biographies Continue reading →

Diversity, Race, and Representation, New Releases

Celebrating Pride Month with Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman!

Today we are excited to celebrate the release Sparkle Boyof Sparkle Boy by Lesléa Newman! In this sweet and refreshing story, a young boy wants to wear a sparkly skirt like his older sister – but can boys wear sparkles? Sparkle Boy speaks to us all about acceptance, respect, and the simple freedom to be yourself!  Continue reading →