For Black History Month, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite resources for readers and educators alike. Though this month is dedicated to uplifting Black history, culture, movements, and gamechangers, we must remember that Black history IS American history and should be celebrated all year round.
Tag Archives: educator resources
Anti-Racism Diverse Books for Grades PreK-2
Are you looking to add anti-racist books to your library but don’t know where to start? Have you been thinking about how to have meaningful conversations with young people about race, but lack confidence in how to begin? The books in our Anti-Racism Reading List will help you take the first steps or continue the critical discussions about anti-racism work relevant to your setting.
In this blog post, we’ve rounded up books from our anti-racism reading list for grades PreK-2. You can find more of our anti-racism titles in our Anti-Racism Diverse Reading List and the corresponding book collection.
Watch the Webinar: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Bookshelf
Thank you for joining us for our webinar, “Representation Matters: Strategies for Building an Inclusive Bookshelf.” If you missed it live (or just want to watch again), you can access the webinar here. Keep reading for links to the resources and books that were shared during the webinar.
Lee & Low Books Classroom Library Questionnaire:
Classroom Library Questionnaire- English (Interactive version here)
Classroom Library Questionnaire- Spanish (Interactive version here) Continue reading
Watch our Webinar with EmbraceRace: Finding and Reading Great Stories with Kids
In this webinar, Literacy Specialist Katie Potter joins EmbraceRace in conversation about how to find and share books that develop kids’ racial and social justice sensibilities and help them become the community members our increasingly multiracial democracy needs. You can watch the recording of the webinar here.
Not sure where to begin your search? Start with these booklists featured in the webinar:
Books that inspire resilience in kids of color
Books that encourage kids of all colors to be inclusive and empathetic
Books that support kids to think critically about racial inequity
Books that animate kids (and adults!) to be racial justice advocates for all kids
About EmbraceRace: EmbraceRace is a multiracial community of parents, teachers, experts, and other caring adults who support each other to meet the challenges that race poses to our children, families, and communities.
Have additional questions or comments? Please leave them below in the comments!
Actor Jaime Camil reads ZOMBIES DON’T EAT VEGGIES! and ¡LOS ZOMBIS NO COMEN VERDURAS! for Storyline Online
Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies! and ¡Los zombis no comen verduras! was selected by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation for the first ever bilingual read aloud on Storyline Online, an interactive literacy website where world-renowned actors and celebrities read popular, award-winning children’s books to help students fall in love with reading.
Actor Jaime Camil reads Zombies Don’t Eat Veggies! and ¡Los Zombis no comen verduras! created by Megan and Jorge Lacera on Emmy-nominated Storyline Online.
Planning a Virtual Author Visit with Lee and Low Authors
As school and event cancellations continue due to the spread of COVID-19, educators, caregivers, and parents are looking for ways to facilitate learning at home. Breaking up the day with online activities and virtual events can be challenging, but we’re here to offer support in any way we can.
Many of our authors and illustrators do virtual visits and can present to your classroom or library via Zoom, Skype, or another platform. Click here to browse our list of available creators.
Grant Assistance from Lee & Low Books
Did you recently win a grant for diverse, culturally responsive books?
Are you currently in the process of applying for a grant and would like to use Lee & Low Books as a resource or vendor for multicultural literature?
Literacy funding is one of the biggest barriers to getting books to students in need. Whether you are looking to jump-start your library or sustain your school’s literacy initiatives and move forward into an equitable, culturally responsive classroom, we are here to help!
Diverse Books and Mentors are a Powerful Combination for Developing Young Readers
In this guest blog post, educator Lindsay Barrett discusses the power and importance in having diverse books and mentors. Jill Eisenberg, director of curriculum and literacy strategy at Lee & Low Books, also discusses the role of diverse books in mentoring programs for developing readers. This blog post first appeared on Reading Partners.
Diverse Summer Reading Recommendations for Grades 3-5
As we continue our “For Fans Of” Summer Reading blog series, we’ll spotlight books for children in grades 3 through 5 in this post. In order to keep kids thinking critically about the books they’re reading during the summer months, it’s great to pose a few questions to engage in a conversation about books in a low-stakes discussion:
- How were the main characters similar? How were they different?
- What kinds of problems did the characters face in both of the books? Were any of their problems similar? Why or why not?
- Would you recommend this book to a friend? What would you tell them about it? Why did you enjoy it?
See our Diverse Summer Reading List for the full list of titles from grades PreK to grade 8.
Social Activism Books for Third Grade
Books can encourage kids of all ages to enact change in their communities. Because it’s never too early to make a difference, we’ll be sharing a list of social activism books for each grade level. Check out our social activism book roundup for third grade below and for more social activism titles, check out our full printable Social Activism Diverse Reading List!