Blog
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March 27, 2024
Celebrate National Women’s History Month with a few recommendations from our esteemed editorial team!
JLG’s Winter 2023 Span
Lion on the Inside: How One Girl Change Basketball
By Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir & Judith Henderson, illustrated by Katherine Ahmed
JLG Category: ...
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February 29, 2024
Take ten minutes out of your day to learn more about how Boston Weatherford and her artistically talented son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, collaborate and co-author projects, the advice she has for Black students experiencing erasure in their histories, and how critical fabulation can help strengthen librarian’s curation efforts. Ultimately, you’ll learn of Boston Weatherford’s dedication to the African American experience and her anti-racist writing that explores a balance of empathy and activism:
“I don’t think there needs to be that dichotomy or tension between writing about Black trauma or joy—they are both very real and we don’t have to choose one or the other. The tension is real; we carry it within us. We have a right to joy, but we also need justice, which means being true to our pasts and exposing injustices.” ...
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January 08, 2024
As a middle school teacher who has taught in inner-city Brookyln for almost 30 years, Torrey Maldonado’s wellspring of source material comes from his professional career and learned experiences growing up in a Brooklyn, New York project. Like every middle school student, Maldonado came to many crossroads in his young life, and had to decide which way he would turn— “End up like Luke Skywalker? End up like Darth Vader?” And with a mother like Yoda—very short, but full with The Force—Torrey had all kinds of unique influences who helped him learn how to use his hands for good...
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November 27, 2023
Middle school can be tough, especially when you’re living out of a car, fighting to keep your Native American Heritage alive, and dealing with your mean brother, Emjay. James Bird, author of the JLG selection No Place Like Home, takes readers on a bumpy road trip through the ups and downs of experiencing homelessness at a young age. Told through the lens of an optimistic, twelve-year-old protagonist—perhaps based on a young James? —this middle school novel will encourage readers to practice resiliency, form their own identities, and preserve their heritage and culture— even in the most destitute of times...
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November 10, 2023
Sometimes, when we think of bravery, we think of superheroes who can fly, read minds, or use their incredible strength to lift a car. Lisa McMann, author of Clarice the Brave and thirty-four other novels, believes we all have the capacity to be brave in our own ways, and through her caring and mindful storytelling, she reminds readers that their actions matter:
“…We must remember that acts of bravery occur every day. There are always people who need help, and being brave can look like stretching outside your comfort zone to help someone, whether it puts you in danger or not.”
In this author interview with Lisa McMann, we’ll learn more about Lisa’s love for animals (and mutiny!), the difference between loss and absence, and how bravery, cleverness, and the will to live come in all different shapes and sizes...
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October 16, 2023
Learn more about how our Editorial Team selects the best books for our Spanish categories, why representation in literature is so important for young readers, and the titles you can read to make Hispanic literature a part of your everyday life!
Aprende más sobre como nuestro equipo editorial selecciona los mejores libros para nuestras categorías en español, porque la representación en la literatura juvenil es tan importante para los lectores y los títulos que puedes leer para hacer la literatura hispana parte de tu vida diaria. ...
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October 04, 2023
Banned Book Week, which originated in 1982, emphasizes the value of free access to information and helps unify all readers in the “shared support of the freedom to seek and express ideas”. Throughout the week, teachers, educators, librarians, and other supporters of literature help expose the dangers of censorship and restrictions to books. When we observe Banned Book Week, it’s important that we think critically about the motivations behind banning ...