Page 3 - Blog

Happy PRIDE, everyone! This June, we were able to chat with K. Ancrum, author of the JLG Selection Icarus, featured in our Mystery High Plus category—perfect for readers grades 9 and up. In this author feature, you’ll learn about K.’s art background, the support she offers to her communities, and why she writes for her YA queer audience:

Young students are facing a national mental health crisis, and to help combat these struggles, social and emotional learning (SEL) standards are being implemented in schools. Helping students develop these lifelong skills is a momentous task, but don’t fear—JLG is here to support you and your library! In this blog post, we’ll explore how libraries can cultivate SEL skills by encouraging readers’ self-discovery, creating a safe space for communication, and stocking your collection with titles that have positive messages and spark thoughtful discussions around topics like ethics, kindness, and relationships. 

Curation specialists and book selectors—great news! Third party book reviews from trusted literary sources like Kirkus Reviews, and our sister companies School Library Journal, Library Journal, and The Horn Book are now available on our website. Read on to learn more about how professional book reviews can help your library thrive and make sure to check out JLG’s newest membership benefit!

Maggie Smith: Poet. Loving mother. NYT Bestselling author. Past copy editor at JLG—wait, what?! In our newest blog post, you’ll learn more about why Maggie keeps receiving Harry Potter fan mail, her advice for aspiring authors, and how she keeps life poetic. You’ll even get a sneak peek at her newest projects and learn the heartwarming inspiration behind her upcoming JLG Gold Standard Selection, My Thoughts Have Wings. 

Celebrate National Women’s History Month with a few recommendations from our esteemed editorial team!

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.” 

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.