The Beat of Heartdrum Hesci, dear friends. What a year it has been for celebrating the literary and page-turning appeal of Native children’s stories! At Heartdrum, we are deeply honored by the overwhelming show of support and enthusiasm from our...
My Past My Present Promoting respectful Native American representation in literature is where my fire lies now; yet this flame was nearly extinguished by the deluge of the wave of my first encounter with this literature when I was a...
Though there are many things that could be said about 2021, one fact is undeniable: it's been a phenomenal year for children's and young adult books. We've gathered some of our most beloved, well-reviewed, and highly acclaimed titles from the...
2022 is swiftly approaching, and with it, a slew of phenomenal new books for readers of all ages. Whether you're searching for a picture book biography, middle grade fantasy, YA contemporary, or anything in between, look no further - we...
One of the most acclaimed YA novels of the year is coming soon in paperback! * We Need Diverse Books Walter Award Winner * Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Honor Book * BCALA Best of the Best * Bank Street Best...
#ShakeUpYourShelves this Hispanic Heritage Month with books for all ages by and about members of the Latinx community. Latinx students make up more than 25% of students in schools across the United States. We believe that they - like all readers -...
From the moment children are born, their home, family, and community become their world. Children’s earliest feelings, impressions, experiences, and dreams come from these interactions, and set the stage for how they will engage with the broader world around them....
I’m a Muslim American immigrant, and my children are Americans who were born in the U.S. and raised through the lens of the worst terrorist attack on the U.S. Yet for the longest time, it never occurred to me that...
About the Book Shadi is named for joy yet is feeling anything but. It’s 2003. The United States has officially declared war on Iraq and the local Muslim community is being harassed and targeted more than ever before. Her community...
About the Book Release your inner Drag Queen and get ready for Pumpkin! Growing up in a small town isn’t easy especially when you’re fat AND openly gay like Waylon Brewer. Luckily, Waylon has a plan. After graduation, he and...
ABOUT THE BOOK Told from multiple points of view, A Sitting in St. James intertwines the story of a white slaveholding family as their position in society begins to slip with the lives of the enslaved at Le Petit Cottage....
The Accursed Vampire is on sale 7/27/21 When I write and draw comics intended for a middle grade reader, I can’t help but think about my experiences as a book-loving kid. I think about what I would’ve found fun and...
This piece was originally published on SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox on May 27, 2021. I get asked a lot what I’d like to see more of in the YA space, and my answer is always, “More frankness around the topic...
Download the FREE poster! Hop aboard the Peace Train in this picture book adaptation of Cat Stevens’s legendary anthem of unity and harmony in time for the song’s 50th anniversary! With illustrations by New York Times bestselling illustrator Peter H....
The town I grew up in didn’t have a library. In fact, it still doesn’t to this day. But for a while it had instead what we called the "lending library." It was housed in the old bank, and then...
View the archived webinar here! By sharing and celebrating diverse books, teachers and librarians have an opportunity to help young people better understand themselves and others. We encourage you to look critically at the books you’re sharing with your students...
Take a read on the wild side this summer with some of our favorite books about animals! The Collaborative Summer Library Program’s theme for 2021 is “Tails and Tales,” so here are some great titles for middle grade to keep...
Author Kekla Magoon and The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's Life, Leadership, and Legacy - available now! I’ve always thought of Thurgood Marshall as a hero. He was a famous attorney who battled for civil rights in courts all over the...
The Highest Tribute: Thurgood Marshall's Life, Leadership, and Legacy is on sale now I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had the opportunity to illustrate so many wonderful books about amazing, inspiring people. I love the challenge illustrating a biography for children...
Brian Pinkney's newest picture book, Time for Kenny, is on sale now! Time for Kenny is the story of a busy kid whose days are filled with things that bring him joy. He loves dressing in Granddaddy’s hat, learning to...
“If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated.” - Carter G. Woodson, historian and founder of the Association...
