Honoring Disability Pride Month: How to Keep Your Library Accessible and Inclusive for Everyone

July is known as Disability Pride Month because it marks the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This law is meant to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities and discourage discrimination, however, people are still marginalized for their abilities or limitations. To help combat ableism and injustice, librarians across the nation strive to make a safe space where all people and communities can see themselves embodied in literature.

Q & A with Sacha Lamb

Sacha Lamb, an archivist, librarian, and author of When the Angels Left the Old Country, writes a queer, Jewish fantasy that transcends the concepts of identity, gender, and explores how both good and evil are necessary in our lives. When writing this story, they intended to combine all the literary elements that they love into one—and this ingenuity is what won the book a Stonewall, Sydney Taylor, and Printz Book Award!

Picking a Pulitzer

Stay True by Hua Hsu was the first JLG selection to win a Pulitzer Prize, and we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to learn more about how our editorial staff deemed it a JLG Gold Standard Selection. So, what exactly goes into picking a Pulitzer Prize? Dan, a member of our editorial staff, shares his journey… 

Q & A with Martin Lemelman

We spoke with Martin Lemelman, certified Florida Master Gardener, and—importantly—the author of the The Miracle Seed, for Jewish American Heritage Month. 

Do not miss this special blog where we learn more about Martin’s graphic novel, his thoughts on miracles, and how his parents taught him resilience by surviving the Holocaust.  

Q&A with Janice Chiang

To honor literature that is representative of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we chatted with Digital Artist, Janice Chiang about her recent project, Tokyo Rose: Zero Hour.

During our interview, Janice compares herself to the main character in the story, Iva, saying, "Just like Iva, I too have felt divided in half. When I started to search for my identity in this country, I realized I was in a position of strength—not weakness—to have two perspectives in life."

Read on to learn more about Janice Chiang and the different AAPI Month activities that you can get involved in! 

Q & A with Andrew Aydin

To honor the anniversary of Selma’s Bloody Sunday, a nonviolent march during the Civil Rights Movement, we sat down and spoke with JLG author, Andrew Aydin. We first met Aydin at ALA in 2022; he was gregarious, genuine, and found a way to connect with each attendee on a personal and professional level. He spoke openly and humbly, sharing his experiences with Congressman John Lewis, a champion for human rights and one of the “Big Six” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.

Honoring Women Authors on International Women’s Day!

To celebrate women authors and their allies, we interviewed members of JLG team to learn more about their favorite women authors and characters—expect some wild Q and A from these book worms!

Celebrating Black History Month: The Power of Literacy and the Price for Freedom

Did you know that the abolition of slavery and importance of literacy education go hand in hand? Enslaved Africans and African Americans used their reading and writing skills to win and defend their freedom. Read on to learn more about the ways in which literacy helped to end slavery in the United States and how we can continue to empower diverse voices in our book collections.  

New voices, new talent: Debut authors coming from JLG this fall

At JLG, our editors keep their ears to the ground and listen for the whispers gradually building about new authors. These debut selections coming this fall earned the JLG Gold Standard seal of approval.

BLOGtalk BOOKtalk - Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place

Jackson Bird’s book Sorted: Growing Up, Coming Out, and Finding My Place is a welcome addition from a trans man to this literary history that is fresh, modern, thoroughly millennial, and relatable to younger readers. 

JLG Selections Take Home 63 ALA Awards & Honors

We are thrilled to announce that 63 of the 112 winners/honorees were JLG selections. We are so proud of our amazing authors and illustrators, as well as our talented editorial team and their history of picking winners.

Congrats to the 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Awards finalists!

JLG is proud to announce that 4 out of the 5 2020 YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Awards finalists are JLG selections. The Nonfiction genre is revolutionizing thanks to the talent and commitment of these authors, and our editors know outstanding work when they see it!

JLG Selections Shine in the New York Times Best Children's Books of 2019!

JLG selects Caldecott & Newbery winners for 20 years

Our renowned Editorial team has long been on the forefront of selecting books that go on to earn starred reviews, industry awards, honors and prestigious acclaim. Case in point: They've selected the Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners nearly every year for the last 20 years (before they were even published!). 

JLG Back-to-School Book Bundle Giveaway!

Check out the five back-to-school author-autographed book bundles that were part of our giveaway. It's too late to enter—but find out how you can catch the next one!

Teen spirit: How to get teens back to the library

What can libraries do to make sure their young-adult readers stop by for a visit—and then keep coming back? Get tips from School Library Journal’s Karen Jensen.

ALA 2019: The week I became a library

I asked myself, “If you had to sum up your ALA experience in three words, what would they be?” Easy, I thought: Inspiration, innovation and interaction.

JLG selections shine in 2019 Boston Globe-Horn Book awards

The 52nd-annual Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (BGHB) were announced at the end of May, showcasing nine outstanding books—seven of which are JLG Gold Standard Selections!

Webcast Recap: The Buzz about New Teen Books

In our webcast today, Kayleigh and talked about some of our favorite upcoming books for teens. From angry bananas to stories of teens behind bars and witchcraft, these new books for grades 6-12 are sure to circulate! Read More

Webcast Recap: 4 Ways to Strengthen Diversity in Your Library Program

In our webcast today, I shared four ways to strengthen diversity in your library program. As I said, every effort you make towards inclusion and diversity matters to someone. By being aware, keeping up with the literature, shaking up your programming and bringing in outside resources, the impact you can make is so valuable. Read More

Webcast Recap: Falling for New Teen Books 2016

On today's webcast Leslie Bermel and I talked about the some of the fall forthcoming books for teen readers. From three magical children and their holy dog to a laugh out loud retelling of the story of Jane Grey, you'll find the new releases to be worth the wait. Read More

Webcast Recap: A Hat, a Pig and Panda Pants August 2016: From the JLG Webinar Series

On today's webcast Leslie Bermel and I talked about the some of the fall forthcoming books for elementary readers. From two turtles that discover a hat in the desert to a much-anticipated biography of E.B. White, you’ll find the new releases to be worth the wait. With the addition of new categories, Character Building Elementary, Fantasy/Science Fiction Elementary and Multicultural Elementary, you'll have even more wonderful books for your young readers. And remember to add some Plus categories to get even more books in the fall—just when you need them most! Read More

Recap: Dallas ISD Librarian Summit

If you didn't get to attend the Dallas ISD Librarian Summit last Friday, I'm sorry you missed it. More than 200 librarians got a good dose of inspiration, affirmation, and information. Lester L. Laminack kicked us off with a hilarious and insightful chat. Read More

PPP Irving ISD: Ensuring Diversity in Your School Library Program

What is diversity? Is it race, gender, ethnicity, ability, or culture? Is it all of the above and more? If we work with diverse students and patrons, shouldn't our teaching strategies, programs, and literature collection be a reflection of our community and beyond? Librarians are faced with the challenge of linking these students and arming them with tools for life beyond academia. Read More