Q & A with Maura Jortner

When the JLG Editorial Team first shared their excitement over this middle school novel—a category that I wasn’t too familiar with—, you could tell there was something special about this story. Naturally, I wanted to learn more because I kept thinking to myself, “Can a novel meant for a middle school audience really be this powerful?”

The JLG Editorial Team was right—I couldn’t put this book down. It spoke to me in the ways that great literature speaks to all of us; I was united by its universal themes of love, suffering, grieving, and healing. No matter your age, every reader will find solace (and creative swearing) in Maura Jortner’s 102 Days of Lying About Lauren.

Help Foster a Love of Reading this Summer!

In recently released data from NAEP, students who read for fun daily are at an all-time low; only 14% of students reported reading for fun almost every day. This statistic is alarming, especially when there are so many great summer reads to go around! If your students are having a difficult time picking up a book, and they need a little convincing that reading for pleasure is important for their overall growth and success, this is the blog post for YOU!

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!

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! 

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.

JLG Titles Dominate Excellence in Graphic Literature Awards

The 2019 Excellence in Graphic Literature (EGL) Award winners were recently announced at the Denver Pop Culture Con, and the competition was stiff.JLG's Graphic Novel categories are among our most popular—and we are thrilled to see so many JLG selections honored in this year's EGL Awards!

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!

Countdown to summer reading

It’s time to get ready for your summer reading program! With this year’s theme celebrating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the moon landing, we’ve got lots of ideas for you to make this the best summer yet. Launch into a summer of space with great books, STEM activities and display ideas.

Webcast Recap: Enrich Your Summer Reading Program: Tips and Resources K-12

In our webcast today, my guest Nick Glass, Founder and Executive Director of TeachingBooks.net, and I talked about creative ways to promote summer reading programs, from supporting student choices using recommended booklists to modeling booktalks after Meet-the-Author book readings...and much more. Read More