Tag Archives: book lists

Lee & Low’s 2021 Holiday Gift Guide

Orange background with shiny, red bow; in white text "Lee & Low Books Holiday Gift Guide 2021"

We’re so excited to present our holiday gift guide for this year! If you are in the position to give gifts this year, this list has everything you could possibly be looking for.

By supporting diverse books, independent publishers and local booksellers, you’re helping to champion equity and inclusion while putting a smile on young readers’ faces!

Without further ado, here is Lee & Low’s holiday gift guide for 2021:

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The Whiteness of PBS’s Great American Read

The Great American Read

Last night, PBS announced the winner of their Great American Read, a poll to determine “America’s Favorite Novel.” The winner was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a story about racial tolerance that received 242,275 votes from a total of nearly 4.3 million cast.

According to PBS, the top 100 books were chosen by using the public opinion polling service “YouGov” to conduct “a demographically and statistically representative survey asking Americans to name their most-loved novel.” Once the Top 100 list was established, voting was opened to everyone to determine the winner and rankings of all 100 titles.

Given our focus on diversity and inclusion, we wondered how representative the list looked when compared to America’s demographics. Were authors of color represented? How did their books fare in the poll? Continue reading

Book List: 5 Favorite Bilingual Poetry Books

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

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for Fourth Grade

Reading books with children at the elementary age not only helps them better prepare 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 fourth graders. 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 3-6 classroom collections to see what we offer, and check out our other book lists by grade:

While we have hundreds of titles to choose from, here are 10 of our absolute favorite diverse books for fourth grade! 

Favorite Multicultural Books for Fourth Grade Continue reading

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for Third Grade

Reading books with children at a young age not only helps them better prepare 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 third graders. 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 3-6 classroom collections to see what we offer, and check out our other book lists by grade:

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for Preschool

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for Kindergarten

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for First Grade

Our 10 Favorite Multicultural Books for Second Grade 

While we have hundreds of titles to choose from, here are 10 of our absolute favorite diverse books for third grade! Favorite Multicultural Books for Third Grade

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2016 Diverse Summer Reading Lists Grades PreK-8

Memorial Day Weekend has come and gone, which can only mean one thing. The end of June is right around the corner (hang in there teachers!). Continue reading

Celebrate Black History Month with Five Collections from LEE & LOW BOOKS

February is Black History Month. The origins of Black History Month began with historian Carter G. Woodson launching Negro History Week in 1926. Woodson felt that teaching African American history was essential for the survival of the African American race.

In 1969, students at Kent State University proposed expanding Black History Week to Black History Month. The first Black History Month was celebrated a year later. In 1976, Black History Month was recognized by the federal government and has been celebrated ever since.

Today, heritage months can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, relegating culturally diverse books to specific months of the year can mean these books are overlooked the rest of the year. It can also separate Black history from American history, when in fact black history is American history. Continue reading

8 Books to Celebrate International Friendship Day

August 2nd – also known as International Friendship Day– is almost here. (I know, summer is going by WAY too fast).

InternationalIn honor of International Friendship Day, break out your half of your friendship heart necklace and take some time to remind others how much they mean to you.  If you’re unable to make plans to enjoy each other’s company, a simple gesture, such as a card or hand-written letter, will certainly make them feel loved. Continue reading