Thank you to everyone who joined us this week for our webinar, “Teaching Tough Topics with Children’s Literature”! If you missed it live (or just want to watch again), here is a recording of the webinar:
Category Archives: Diversity, Race, and Representation
Conversation about diversity, multiculturalism, race, and inclusion.
Cover Reveal: Cat Girl’s Day Off
Released in 2012, Cat Girl’s Day Off introduces readers to Natalie (Nat) Ng, a typical teenager…except for the fact that she can talk to cats, which she tries very hard to hide. When one of her best friends, Oscar, shows her a viral Internet video featuring a famous blogger being attacked by her own cat, Nat realizes what’s really going on. Soon her and her friends are caught in the middle of a celebrity kidnapping mystery that takes them through Ferris Bueller’s Chicago and on and off movie sets.
Now we’re excited to release a new paperback version of Cat Girl’s Day Off. Check out the new cover below! Continue reading
Interview: New Voices Award Winner Rita Lorraine Hubbard on Writing a Picture Book Biography
At Lee & Low Books we are always interested in biographies of unsung heroes. Stories of lesser-known individuals who used their talents and overcame obstacles to achieve their dreams and serve their society fill our shelves of published titles. Each year our New Voices Award judges consider dozens of biographical submissions on the lookout for a winning combination of compelling characters and well-researched storytelling. In this blog post, we interviewed Rita Lorraine Hubbard, the 2012 New Voices Award winner, about her biography Hammering for Freedom: The William Lewis Story, which tells the story of William “Bill” Lewis, an enslaved man who earned enough money being a blacksmith and set a daring plan in motion: to free his family. Continue reading
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Books About Puerto Rico
Hispanic Heritage Month runs from September 15 to October 15, and it honors the dynamic U.S. Latino stories that have shaped our national experience and identity.In light of Puerto Rico’s ongoing rebuilding efforts after last year’s devastating hurricane, we wanted to highlight our titles that celebrate the Puerto Rican people and their culture. Continue reading
New September Releases
We can hardly believe that Labor Day weekend has come and gone, but as we gear up for the fall season (crisp weather, changing leaves, and apple cider!), we’re also excited to share our new September releases. From the unique Galápagos Islands to a graphic novel that addresses the humane treatment of race horses, there’s sure to be something for everyone!
Interview: Pat Mora and Raul Colón On Bookjoy and Wordjoy
As a children’s book publisher, we know how powerful and influential words are, which is why we’re so excited to have announced the release of our new title, Bookjoy, Wordjoy this month! Whether we are collecting words, reading favorite books in the library, celebrating holidays, writing poems, sharing secrets, or singing a jazzy duet, words and books can take us on wonderful adventures and bring us joy. Poet Pat Mora and illustrator Raul Colón, two of the biggest names in the Latinx children’s book world, have teamed up to bring bookjoy, the fun of reading, and wordjoy, the fun of listening to words, combining words, and playing with words, to readers everywhere. In a starred review from Booklist, this title was called a “joyous invitation to put pen (or paintbrush) to paper.”
We interviewed Pat Mora and Raul Colón on their favorite words, poetry, and their upcoming projects.
Continue reading
Más Piñata and the Story Behind Culturally Authentic Leveled Reading
In the first post of our new blog series, Dr. Barbara Flores shares the history and philosophy behind the beloved dual language leveled reading series, Más Piñata.
7 Children’s Books that Talk About Race
It can be difficult to talk to children about tough topics. From bullying and prejudice, to discrimination and racism, children’s books have helped to facilitate these difficult conversations in an accessible and meaningful way. Below we’ve compiled seven of our many books that will help children come away with a better understanding of these complex issues and the world around them.
Don’t forget to round out your collection with our list of 10 diverse picture books that are not about oppression!
Upcoming Webinar: Teaching Tough Topics with Children’s Literature
The start of the school year is a critical time to establish classroom community and shared values of respect, honesty and trust.
With the one-year anniversary of the violence in Charlottesville coming up and other traumatic news constantly making headlines, many educators are left wondering how to discuss difficult current events with their students and to navigate meaningful, age-appropriate discussions on topics like hate, racism, and prejudice.
Join Lee & Low Books in collaboration with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for the timely webinar: “Teaching Tough Topics with Children’s Literature” that aims to help address these concerns through worthy books, activities, and resources. Continue reading
EVERY MONTH IS A NEW YEAR Teacher’s Guide
Here at Lee & Low, we are incredibly excited about the release of Every Month is a New Year, an amazing picture book from beloved author, Marilyn Singer, and illustrator, Susan L. Roth. This book has a wealth of curricular opportunities, and offers chances for students, teachers, librarians, and families alike to learn all about new year celebrations around the world and share their own cultural and familial celebrations. All of the celebrations have deep-rooted traditions and treasured customs. The collection of sixteen lively poems introduce readers to some of the most fascinating festivities, some well-known and less familiar (depending on the reader!) Continue reading