Blog Feed: The Open Book

Rainbow Stew, by award-winning author/illustrator Cathryn Falwell is out today from Lee and Low Books. To celebrate, we're sharing a recipe for Rainbow Stew.

The Gift of Hope: Guadalupe Garcia McCall on first books

Published on 2013-05-08 08:00:28

Author/poet Guadalupe Garcia McCall reveals how the mission of First Book, to get low-income children their very first book, is a reality that many children face, including herself when she was growing up.

Book Review: Under the Mesquite

Published on 2013-05-07 15:16:37

Reblogged from Vamos a Leer: Under the Mesquite Written by Guadalupe Garcia McCall Published by Lee & Low Books, 2011 ISBN: 9781600604294 Age Level: Grades 4 and Up Description (From GoodReads): Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Me

Shana Mlawski’s Blog Tour: Being a writer/reviewer, writing about rape, & more

Published on 2013-05-07 11:02:30

Author Shana Mlawski is participating in a blog tour from May 6-May 16. This is her schedule.

Unpacking the Common Core Standards, Part 2: Thinking Horizontally

Published on 2013-05-06 10:05:02

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge unpacks one of the new Common Core standards horizontally.

8 Helpful Links for Aspiring Picture Book Authors

Published on 2013-05-03 11:28:31

Happy NaPiBoWriWee! Here are a few hand-picked resources for aspiring picture book authors.

Book-Hungry Hands: A guest post by Pat Mora

Published on 2013-05-01 08:00:42

Author/poet Pat Mora talks about witnessing the special connection Spanish-speaking children make with books that include their culture and language.

Books for children with autism: Jay and Ben

Published on 2013-04-30 06:31:31

Special education teacher Katharine Swanson explains how the book JAY AND BEN can be used to help children with autism.

Unpacking the Common Core Standards, Part 1: Thinking Horizontally

Published on 2013-04-29 06:30:15

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge unpacks one of the new Common Core standards horizontally.

Poetry Friday: Tony Medina on Pablo Neruda’s “To Wash a Child”

Published on 2013-04-26 11:33:06

Poet and Howard University Professor Tony Medina shares thoughts on his favorite poem, Pablo Neruda's "To Wash a Child"

Children’s Book Press Titles Back In Print

Published on 2013-04-25 11:43:20

Check out the new 2013 Children's Book Press catalog to see which of your favorite multicultural and bilingual titles are now back in print.

Growing Up without Books: Discovering DeShawn

Published on 2013-04-24 08:00:42

Guest blogger, author/poet Tony Medina talks about growing up in the projects without books and later as an author witnessing the true power of connecting multicultural books with children of color.

Just Who Will You Be? Reading Biographies to Reflect on Core Principles and Create Belonging

Published on 2013-04-22 08:00:39

Guest blogger Katie Cunningham, from Manhattanville College, discusses how reading biographies help to reflect on core principles and create belonging.

Poetry Friday: Marilyn Singer’s Favorite Poems

Published on 2013-04-19 08:30:08

Poet Marilyn Singer shares a few of her favorite poems for National Poetry Month.

The Only Book in the House

Published on 2013-04-17 08:00:23

Guest blogger, author Joseph Bruchac talks about the influence books have had on his life and the continued importance of books in the lives of children today.

Why use thematic text sets?

Published on 2013-04-15 06:00:13

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses the benefits of utilizing thematic text sets in the classroom.

Poetry Friday: Lee Bennett Hopkins’ favorite poem

Published on 2013-04-12 12:21:13

Lee Bennett Hopkins, poet and anthologist, shares his favorite poem with us for National Poetry Month (April).

Tu Books Announces Winner of First Annual New Visions Contest for Writers of Color

Published on 2013-04-11 12:26:09

[from the press release] New York, NY—April 11, 2013—Tu Books, the science fiction, fantasy, and mystery imprint of respected multicultural children’s publisher LEE & LOW BOOKS, is thrilled to announce that author Valynne Maetani has won its fi

Out TODAY: Awakening and Hammer of Witches!

Published on 2013-04-09 11:37:35

Tu Books is excited to announce the release of our two new spring titles: AWAKENING by Karen Sandler, and HAMMER OF WITCHES, by Shana Mlawski.

Holocaust Picture Books: An Annotated List

Published on 2013-04-08 10:38:00

An annotated list of recommended picture books about the Holocaust by Keith Schoch of http://teachwithpicturebooks.blogspot.com.

Poetry Friday: What is a haiku?

Published on 2013-04-05 12:09:53

What are haiku? Author Matthew Gollub explains what defines the haiku poetry form.

Introducing the Holocaust to Children Through Books

Published on 2013-04-04 11:29:01

Marcia Vaughan, author of IRENA'S JARS OF SECRETS, shares her thoughts on how to talk to children about the Holocaust using books.

Compiling Rigorous Thematic Text Sets: Books About Immigration

Published on 2013-04-03 06:30:38

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge compiles a set of thematically related texts for classroom instruction.

Anna May Wong and Women of Color in Hollywood Today

Published on 2013-03-27 11:56:47

Author and TV writer/producer Paula Yoo reflects on how Anna May Wong paved the way for women of color in Hollywood today.

What does Passover celebrate?

Published on 2013-03-25 11:53:28

An explanation of what Passover celebrates, and some recommended resources for teaching young people about slavery and freedom.

Women in Professional Baseball: “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend”

Published on 2013-03-21 10:31:09

Should women be allowed to play professional baseball? Author Crystal Hubbard argues YES.

Spring into Multicultural Children’s Books!

Published on 2013-03-20 10:02:04

A poem and image from the book "Laughing Tomatoes and Other Spring Poems" to celebrate the first day of spring.

How to Plot a Trilogy: Five Tips for Writing Trilogies

Published on 2013-03-19 09:15:46

Karen Sandler, author of the YA science fiction trilogy TANKBORN, shares five tips for how to write a trilogy.

Compiling Rigorous Thematic Text Sets: Books About Kenya

Published on 2013-03-18 09:42:54

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge compiles a list of texts from numerous genres about Kenya.

How to Plot a Trilogy Part I: The Trouble With Trilogies

Published on 2013-03-14 11:16:02

Author Karen Sandler shares advice for authors on how to plot a science fiction trilogy.

First Book, Stories for All Project Chooses LEE & LOW

Published on 2013-03-13 10:15:21

In a groundbreaking announcement, First Book, a non-profit social enterprise launched the Stories for All project. The project’s aim is to introduce a significant number of multicultural books into the hands of low-income children. LEE & LOW was ch

Meet Our New Visions Finalists, Part V: Diversity in Genre Fiction

Published on 2013-03-12 11:54:13

New Visions Award writing contest finalists share their thoughts on diversity in science fiction and fantasy for young readers.

“Board” of Women? Our roundup of Women’s History Month books

Published on 2013-03-08 11:29:33

Recommendations of great books for Women's History Month, with a focus on women of color

How to Plan a Successful Book Launch: Storytelling and Activity Ideas

Published on 2013-03-07 13:10:19

Tips for authors and illustrators on how to plan storytelling and activities for bookstore appearances from author/illustrator Christy Hale.

Meet Our New Visions Finalists, Part IV

Published on 2013-03-05 11:14:46

In January we announced the finalists of our first New Visions Award, a new writing award for a debut author of color for a middle grade or young adult science fiction, fantasy, or mystery novel. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting t

Compiling Rigorous Thematic Text Sets

Published on 2013-03-04 09:32:57

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge compiles a set of thematically related texts for classroom instruction.

Black History Month: Why Remember Bill Traylor?

Published on 2013-02-28 09:12:27

Who was Bill Traylor, and why should we remember him? Author Don Tate shares his thoughts on one of America's most important outsider artists.

Cover Design 101: Hammer Of Witches, and the Pros of Illustrated Covers

Published on 2013-02-27 12:23:54

We’re so excited about the upcoming release of our new YA historical fantasy Hammer of Witches! In this post, Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman discusses how she and the designer came up with the final cover: Historical fantasy can

Meet Our New Visions Finalists, Part III

Published on 2013-02-26 09:00:59

New Visions Award writing contest finalists answer the question: What has been your experience writing from a different cultural background that may be unfamiliar to most young readers?

The Origins of the Coretta Scott King Award

Published on 2013-02-25 09:56:04

Dr. Henrietta M. Smith, Professor Emerita and the first African-American professor at the University of South Florida, School of Information shares her memories of how the Coretta Scott King Award began.

Black History Month: Why Remember Florence “Baby Flo” Mills?

Published on 2013-02-21 08:49:03

Everyone knows Frederick Douglass and Martin Luther King, Jr., but there are many other African Americans who have contributed to the rich fabric of our country but whose names have fallen through the cracks of history. We’ve asked some of our auth

Meet Our New Visions Finalists, Part II

Published on 2013-02-20 15:41:49

Last month we announced the finalists of our first New Visions Award, a new writing award for a debut author of color for a middle grade or young adult science fiction, fantasy, or mystery novel. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlightin

Meet Our New Visions Finalists

Published on 2013-02-19 12:05:22

Black History Month: Why Remember Arthur Ashe?

Published on 2013-02-15 06:30:04

Black History Month: Why Remember Toni Stone?

Published on 2013-02-14 09:39:43

Cover Design 101: The cover of Awakening

Published on 2013-02-12 12:40:52

We’re getting close to the release of Awakening, the upcoming sequel to the YA science fiction dystopia Tankborn from our Tu Books imprint! Awakening continues the story of Kayla and Mishalla, two teen GENs (genetically engineered nonhumans) f

UPDATE: A More Multicultural Appendix B

Published on 2013-02-11 05:00:55

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge shares a REVISED and UPDATED multicultural supplement to the Common Core Standard's Appendix B list of exemplar texts.

Mapo Tofu: A Lo Family Recipe

Published on 2013-02-10 09:00:16

Today is Chinese New Year! Traditionally, the night before Chinese New Year, Chinese families will gather around and eat dinner together, much like this plate from the LEE & LOW title, Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic: Auntie Yang’s Great S

Jai recipe for Chinese New Year

Published on 2013-02-09 08:30:41

On Thanksgiving, everyone looks forward to the turkey. Valentine’s Day is the time for chocolate. During Chinese New Year, one of the most popular dish is one called jai, or Buddha’s Delight. Jai is a vegetarian dish and is eaten on the first

What is Chinese New Year?

Published on 2013-02-07 11:08:55

This Sunday is Chinese New Year and that means firecrackers, food, and family! You can greet someone by saying Gong Xi Fa Cai (Mandarin) or Gung hay fat choy (Cantonese), which means “wishing you prosperity in the coming year.” Chinese New Year i

Black History Month: Why Remember Robert Smalls?

Published on 2013-02-06 08:30:53

“What does this book have to do with me?” Why Mirror and Window Books Are Important for All Readers

Published on 2013-02-04 11:43:15

Guest blogger Katie Cunningham is an Assistant Professor at Manhattanville College. Her teaching and scholarship centers around children’s literature, critical literacy, and supporting teachers to make their classrooms joyful and purposeful. Kati

Where Are All the People of Color In Downton Abbey?

Published on 2013-02-03 18:00:26

My wife is a serious Downton Abbey fan, so as a result I have been following the show too. Downton packs a lot into forty-five minutes. I enjoy the period touches and the constant habit the English have of not being physically capable of communicatin

Black History Month Book Giveaway 2013

Published on 2013-02-01 16:25:20

It’s Black History Month, and that means it’s time for our annual giveaway from Lee & Low Books! We’re giving away three sets of three books featuring African Americans, and the contest will run through February 28, 2013. To enter, follow in th

A More Diverse Appendix B

Published on 2013-01-28 05:00:12

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge shares a multicultural supplement to the Common Core's Appendix B list.

Announcing our New Visions writing contest finalists

Published on 2013-01-24 11:09:20

This year our Tu Books imprint established the New Visions Award, an annual writing contest for a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. The award was started to encourage new voices of color in g

How was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day established?

Published on 2013-01-21 05:30:06

The strides that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. made during the Civil Rights Movement continues to be remembered and honored today, but did you know it actually took 15 years for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to be created? In 1968, Congressman John Conye

What does close reading look like in fifth grade?

Published on 2013-01-14 10:30:30

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to do a close reading of a fifth grade level text.

What’s in your classroom library? Rethinking Common Core Recommended Texts

Published on 2013-01-07 05:30:57

Turning to Story after the Sandy Hook Shooting

Published on 2012-12-19 11:14:37

As we unravel the tragic events that took place in Newtown, CT, I am reminded of the dedication Jan Spivey Gilchrest wrote in When The Horses Ride By: Children in the Time of War: For the beautiful, powerful and courageous children of the world, y

What does close reading look like in Fourth Grade?

Published on 2012-12-10 05:00:04

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to do a close reading of a fourth grade level text.

Guadalupe Garcia McCall gets a visitor from beyond

Published on 2012-12-07 15:20:33

A guest post by Summer of the Mariposas author Guadalupe Garcia McCall. I’ve been travelling to the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas a lot these days, visiting with some wonderful librarians, sharing my story with some amazing students, and jus

How to make a woodblock print

Published on 2012-12-05 13:41:34

Author and artist Andrea Cheng demonstrates how to make woodblock prints.

What does close reading look like in Third Grade?

Published on 2012-12-03 05:00:48

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to do a close reading of a third grade level text.

Welcome to December!

Published on 2012-12-01 12:30:04

Filed under: Holidays, Musings & Ponderings

What is dystopia? A chat with Diverse Energies authors

Published on 2012-11-30 08:15:45

Before Thanksgiving we had a great chat on Twitter with some of the contributing authors from our new dystopian anthology, Diverse Energies. Authors Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, Ken Liu, Rahul Kanakia, Rajan Khanna, and K. Tempest Bradford joined us to an

Who was Bruce Lee?

Published on 2012-11-27 12:19:38

Our marketing intern, Keilin Huang, remembers Bruce Lee: “In every passionate pursuit, the pursuit counts more than the object pursued.” —Bruce Lee For all you martial arts enthusiasts out there, today is Bruce Lee’s birthday. He was born on

Our favorite Thanksgiving food traditions

Published on 2012-11-20 11:40:55

Thanksgiving is the best holiday, ’cause it’s all about food. I mean, it’s also about being thankful, and about our country’s complicated history, but: turkey! stuffing! PUMPKIN PIE! Here are some favorite food-related traditi

Close Reading in the Lower Elementary Classroom: compelling or counterproductive?

Published on 2012-11-19 08:30:10

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge addresses the comments regarding close reading as generated by the post "What Does Close Reading Look Like in Second Grade?"

Seven Inspirational Speeches and Why They Matter

Published on 2012-11-14 05:00:15

I was watching President Barack Obama’s re-election speech last week and it got me thinking about speeches—how historically, great speeches really matter. Speeches are like placeholders to mark significant milestones in history.

What is Diwali?

Published on 2012-11-13 11:32:16

Today is Diwali, a holiday otherwise known as the ‘Festival of Lights.’ In addition, it marks the beginning of the Hindu new year. Though primarily celebrated by Hindus throughout the world, Jainist and Sikh communities also observe this day. Diw

What does close reading look like in Second Grade?

Published on 2012-11-12 05:00:21

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to do a close reading of a second grade level text.

Why is Veterans Day important?

Published on 2012-11-09 12:09:24

This Sunday is Veterans Day, a national holiday to honor veterans, servicemen and servicewomen who fought or are currently fighting in armed services. Originally named ‘Armistice Day’ on its creation in 1919 by President Wilson, the day w

How to deal with negative criticism, the Maurice Sendak way

Published on 2012-11-08 10:46:33

Came across a link today to a terrific interview with the late, great Maurice Sendak. Authors and illustrators often wonder what the best way is to deal with negative criticism of their books, so I thought I’d share Mr. Sendak’s first-rat

“A man without a vote is a man without protection.”

Published on 2012-11-06 10:46:24

Don’t forget to vote! The lines may be long, the community centers may be crowded, the ballots may be old fashioned, but it’s a small price to pay for a right many gave their lives for. In the words of Lyndon B. Johnson, “A man with

Hurricane Sandy Update: We’re Here

Published on 2012-11-05 14:53:51

Hi all, just a quick note to let you know everything’s back up and running here at the Lee & Low offices following last week’s blackout. We were very lucky: not only is our office building okay, but no one on the Lee & Low staff suffered

Hurricane update: New Visions Award deadline extension

Published on 2012-10-31 10:55:22

If you’ve been stuck at home from the hurricane and spending your time polishing your young adult novel, good news: due to Hurricane Sandy, we will be extending the deadline for our first annual New Visions Award. Entries should now be postmark

Hurricane crafts: how to make a paper mask

Published on 2012-10-30 09:59:31

The Lee & Low office is closed today because of the storm, and our thoughts are with everyone affected by Sandy and the rain, wind, and flooding that she brought with her. Drummer Boy of John John illustrator Frané Lessac has shared instructions on how to make masks for Halloween and Carnival, but they work [...]

How to Paint a Ceramic Plate

Published on 2012-10-25 11:53:57

Tonight is the Opening Reception for the Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit and we are proud to announce that two of our illustrators, Beth Lo and R. Gregory Christie, will have art from their Spring 2012 titles on display in the show. Below, Beth Lo shares a few shots of how her unique illustrations [...]

What will the world look like in 100 years?

Published on 2012-10-23 13:08:18

In Diverse Energies, 11 speculative fiction authors share their dystopian worlds with readers. But dystopia is only one of many ways to imagine the future. How do you think the world will really look 100 years from today? Ken Liu, author of the Diverse Energies story “Pattern Recognition”: “If the past is any kind of guide, there [...]

What does close reading look like in First Grade?

Published on 2012-10-22 06:00:50

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to do a close reading of a first grade level text.

Out today: DIVERSE ENERGIES

Published on 2012-10-18 11:42:16

Today marks the release of Diverse Energies, our new YA dystopian anthology! It features stories from some of today’s best speculative fiction authors, including Ursula K. Le Guin, Paolo Bacigalupi, Cindy Pon, Malinda Lo, and many more. “This sophisticated science-fiction anthology is diverse in nearly every sense of the word. . . . Careful, curious [...]

The changing meaning of “Indie Publisher”

Published on 2012-10-18 09:00:09

When we first created Lee & Low’s twitter account about three years ago, I had to write up a short description of who we are. I wrote: “Hannah talks about the goings-on of an indie children’s book publisher specializing in diversity.” But if you visit our twitter account today, you’ll notice that the word “indie” [...]

What does close reading look like in Kindergarten?

Published on 2012-10-15 06:00:25

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge shares how to do a close reading with a Kindergarten level text.

Cultural Travels in Cambodia and Vietnam

Published on 2012-10-10 10:17:16

This past summer I took a trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Trips that take in a different culture firsthand are a great way to broaden one’s perspective as a citizen of the world. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I hope these photos give you a glimpse of what my trip was like.

What is Close Reading?

Published on 2012-10-09 06:00:10

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge explains the elements of close reading in the elementary school classroom.

Rethinking Columbus Day

Published on 2012-10-08 12:06:50

In this post, our publicity intern Gina Chung offers some thoughts on reframing the Columbus Day holiday: Have you ever stopped to think about the implications of celebrating Columbus Day? While most of us probably grew up associating the holiday with classroom rhymes and pneumatic devices (“In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” etc.), days [...]

Roti Around the World

Published on 2012-10-05 15:22:21

In this post, our marketing intern Keilin Huang dishes on rotis around the world: In one of our new LEE & LOW books released this October, Drummer Boy of John John, a young Trinidadian boy named Winston dreams of being in the best band in the Carnival parade, so he can get some of the [...]

KidLitCon 2012: What I learned as a publisher

Published on 2012-10-03 12:15:59

Since KidLitCon, an annual conference for children’s book bloggers, took place right here in New York City this year, I had the happy chance to attend for the very first time, and I also spotted several other publishing people in attendance. I don’t know how the bloggers felt about us publishing folk dropping in on [...]

Lee & Low Celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month!

Published on 2012-09-27 13:10:54

National Hispanic Heritage month occurs each year, from September 15 to October 15. It is a time to celebrate the history and culture of Hispanics and Latinos in the United States along with the contributions they have made to American society. This specific time of the year was chosen because the U.S government wanted to [...]

leeandlow.com site down

Published on 2012-09-26 17:09:53

Our main site is down. Sorry for the inconvenience. Hopefully we’ll be back up soon. Filed under: Curriculum Corner

Brooklyn Book Festival

Published on 2012-09-25 14:20:54

A few of us made it out for the Brooklyn Book Festival this weekend, so I thought I’d share a few shots of the event. It was a bright, beautiful fall day, and it was great to see so many people come out to celebrate reading (a record 40,000, according to this article). Joseph Bruchac, [...]

The Common Core and Teaching Tolerance

Published on 2012-09-24 06:00:40

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge shares a powerful resource for teaching tolerance in the literacy block.

Happy Friday, Happy Developments

Published on 2012-09-21 12:47:38

A lot of the time, discussions about diversity, racial equality, and pop culture can be disheartening. A quick look at Racebending or Racialicious is a good reminder of how far we still have to go when it comes to respecting all cultures, especially in the media. But sometimes, good things happen. People and companies take [...]

Fabulous Follow-Up Questions

Published on 2012-09-19 06:00:18

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses three powerful follow-up questions to ask after every student response during the literacy block.

What do Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur Celebrate?

Published on 2012-09-14 09:00:36

Over the summer, our former intern Mitul shared her take on what Ramadan celebrates. Continuing in that tradition, since I’m Jewish I thought I’d share a bit about Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. If you’re not Jewish, you may have seen these holidays on the calendar – or, if you’re lucky, even gotten off from [...]

The Steelpan: A Sound of Trinidad and Tobago

Published on 2012-09-07 06:30:14

In preparation for the release of our fall title Drummer Boy of John John, we wanted to share the sounds of the Caribbean with our readers. Drummer Boy of John John tells the story of young Winston and his dream to have a band at Carnival so he can win the prize of free rotis from [...]

Happy birthday, Richard Wright

Published on 2012-09-04 15:47:14

Author Richard Wright was born on September 4, 1908 on a plantation in rural Mississippi. He attended school through the first few weeks of high school before he dropped out to work, but always maintained a deep love of reading. As a black man in the South at that time, he was not allowed to [...]

Diverse Dystopias: A Book List

Published on 2012-08-30 12:50:48

In honor of the upcoming release of our new YA anthology, Diverse Energies, we thought we’d put together a list of dystopias with diversity. For the purposes of this list, our definition of diversity is: 1.) A book with a main character of color (not just secondary characters), or 2.) A book written by an [...]

Giveaway: win a copy of PUFFLING PATROL in our puffling scavenger hunt!

Published on 2012-08-28 12:28:51

Want to win a signed copy of Puffling Patrol by Ted and Betsy Lewin? Join us for our puffling scavenger hunt! Puffling Patrol takes place in the Westman Islands off the coast of Iceland, where hundreds of thousands of puffins gather every spring. These small black-and-white seabirds spend their time caring for their newly hatched chicks, [...]

Happy Birthday, Duke Kahanamoku!

Published on 2012-08-24 16:01:48

Today is the birthday of Duke Kahanamoku, the first Hawaiian ever to swim in the Olympics. He was born on August 24, 1890 in Honolulu and was an incredible swimmer with a passion for surfboarding. By the end of his twenty-year Olympic career, he was a six-time medal winner! He also introduced the art of surfing to Australia [...]

Three Books for the First Weeks of School

Published on 2012-08-20 10:00:23

Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge suggests three books for the first weeks of school that get students thinking about education while fitting common core standards.

When did the word “Dummy” become derogatory?

Published on 2012-08-16 10:54:54

Our marketing intern, Maryann Yin, explores the origins of the word “Dummy”: When we first read Silent Star, William “Dummy” Hoy’s nickname perplexed many Lee & Low staff members. We found it strange that the celebrated baseball player embraced the nickname “Dummy.” Shouldn’t he feel hurt by it? I went on a fact-finding mission to [...]

Where can you see Bill Traylor’s artwork?

Published on 2012-08-15 11:50:24

Bill Traylor’s story is the stuff of legend: he was born into slavery in Alabama, lived most of his life as a sharecropper, and started drawing at the age of eighty-five, while living homeless in Montgomery, Alabama. His drawings once decorated a street corner; now he’s known as one of America’s most important folk artists. [...]

Goal Setting for Reading Success Part 4:

Published on 2012-08-13 06:00:17

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge models how to generate and deliver individualized next steps post-running record conference.

International Day of Indigeneous Peoples

Published on 2012-08-09 14:19:31

Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples! According to the United Nations, the theme this year is “Indigenous Media, Empowering Indigenous Voices.” It’s nice to see indigenous groups being recognized not as ancient civilizations or oppressed minorities, but as powerful, modern communities actively working to shape their futures. To that end, I came [...]

Bryce Moore’s Guide to Slovakia, Part II

Published on 2012-08-08 12:30:25

In this guest post by Vodník author Bryce Moore, Bryce continues to share his favorite things to see, do, and eat when visiting Slovakia. What to See In my last post, I gave a rundown of some of Slovakia’s best castles. But Slovakia’s more than just castles: Bratislava is the capital of the country. It’s [...]

Bryce Moore’s Guide to Slovakia, Part I: Castles

Published on 2012-08-07 15:37:35

In this guest post by Vodník author Bryce Moore, Bryce shares his favorite things to see, do, and eat when visiting Slovakia. When I was asked to write a brief guest blog post about traveling to Slovakia, the first question that popped into my head was, “How do I keep it brief?” I’ve been to [...]

Goal Setting for Reading Success, Part 3

Published on 2012-08-06 06:30:09

Resident Literacy Expert Jaclyn DeForge discusses how to create a post-running-record-assessment conference that empowers students.

Three Great Books to Celebrate the Olympics

Published on 2012-08-02 10:13:23

It’s Olympics time! Have you all been glued to your televisions and various electronic devices for the last 5 days? Or, conversely, have you been dodging your televisions and electronic devices, trying to avoid spoilers? Either way, the Olympics are one of my favorite things. And while it’s tons of fun rooting for all the [...]

Clybourne Park Review

Published on 2012-07-31 12:08:36

Ever since Clybourne Park won the Tony Award for Best Play for 2012 I placed it on my “must see” list. With Broadway neck deep in celebrity driven projects it is rare to see a play containing racial underpinnings win the top award.

Goal Setting for Reading Success Part 2: Regular Assessment & Student Motivational Strategies

Published on 2012-07-30 06:30:18

Jaclyn DeForge, our Resident Literacy Expert began her career teaching first and second grade in the South Bronx, and went on to become a literacy coach and earn her Masters of Science in Teaching. In this series for teachers, educators, and literacy coaches, Jaclyn discusses different strategies for ensuring students hit end-of-year benchmarks in reading. Last week, [...]

Announcing the New Visions Award!

Published on 2012-07-26 12:20:31

Calling all aspiring authors! We are thrilled to announce the establishment of the New Visions Award, which will be given to a middle grade or young adult fantasy, science fiction, or mystery novel by a writer of color. Established by Lee & Low’s fantasy, science fiction and mystery imprint, Tu Books, the award is a [...]

Guadalupe Garcia McCall on how writing heals

Published on 2012-07-25 11:28:40

In this excerpt from her 2012 Pura Belpré acceptance speech, Under the Mesquite author Guadalupe Garcia McCall shares how writing the book helped her heal and brought her closer to her father: My life with my mother was full of love and acceptance. I was blessed to be her daughter, even if for a little [...]

Goal Setting for Reading Success Part 1: Setting a reachable, standards aligned reading goal

Published on 2012-07-23 06:30:17

What does Ramadan celebrate?

Published on 2012-07-20 06:30:39

Today marks the first day of Ramadan, a month-long celebration for Muslims around the world. Ramadan occurs during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, and is a time for prayer, fasting, and self-reflection. According to Islamic tradition, Ramadan is when Allah, God, revealed the first verses of the Qu’ran, the holy book, to the [...]

Cover reveal: DIVERSE ENERGIES

Published on 2012-07-17 11:00:13

For a long time we’ve been talking about our upcoming anthology, Diverse Energies, and I am thrilled to be able to share the cover with all of you at last! Diverse Energies is a YA anthology of dystopian stories with a focus on diversity, and features stories by several award-winning speculative fiction writers including Ursula [...]

One More Sensational Summer Read Aloud!

Published on 2012-07-16 06:30:02

For the last installment in our series on Sensational Summer Read Alouds, literacy expert Jaclyn DeForge shares one final title that has a high student-interest level, can be used to hit multiple Common Core learning standards, and is super rich in terms of content, just like A Full Moon is Rising and Silent Star. Today’s [...]

Read the first three chapters of Summer of the Mariposas!

Published on 2012-07-13 11:15:45

Loved Under the Mesquite? For a limited time, we’re sharing the first three chapters of Belpré winner Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s next book, Summer of the Mariposas, out in October! Summer of the Mariposas is a YA retelling of The Odyssey about five sisters who embark on a road trip through Mexico to return a dead [...]

Why Do You Love Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?

Published on 2012-07-10 13:30:07

For those of you who didn’t know, Cat Girl’s Day Off takes place on the set of a remake of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Since its release in 1986, this movie has achieved the status of cult classic and become the source of countless pop culture references and movie quotes (Bueller? Bueller?) For me, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off [...]

Another Sensational Summer Read Aloud!

Published on 2012-07-09 06:30:29

For the next installment in our series on Sensational Summer Read Alouds, here’s another title that has a high student-interest level, can be used to hit multiple Common Core learning standards, and is super rich in terms of content. Today’s Pick: A Full Moon is Rising Written and Illustrated by: Marilyn Singer Genre: poetry & [...]

ALA 2012: What I learned & a recap in photos

Published on 2012-07-06 11:23:01

We had a great time this year at the American Library Association in Anaheim! It’s been a while since we were out on the West Coast, and it was fun to be able to see old friends who we haven’t seen in a while and make some new ones, too. Attendance was high, enthusiasm was [...]

What Are Your Top 3 Beach Reads?

Published on 2012-06-29 11:44:33

In celebration of July 4th and all of summer’s fun activities, I asked a few Lee & Low authors and staff members what their favorite beach reads are. I’m sure it was difficult to pick just three, but here’s what they came up with: Don Tate, author of It Jes’ Happened, says: “Reading here has been [...]

(Summer) School is in Session!

Published on 2012-06-25 06:00:21

In the first in our new series, resident literacy expert Jaclyn DeForge shares her tips for educators on reading comprehension, the Common Core, and much more! Prior to joining Lee & Low, Jaclyn taught first and second grade in the South Bronx, worked in teacher support and development, and wrote English Language Arts curriculum as [...]

Happy First Day of Summer!

Published on 2012-06-20 11:04:45

What perfect weather to enjoy an ice cream cone in the sunshine! Filed under: Holidays, Musings & Ponderings, Summer

Happy LGBT Pride Month!

Published on 2012-06-19 16:13:51

June is LGBT Pride Month, and throughout this month people everywhere (including President Obama) have been celebrating the positive impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people have had in the world. The fight for LGBT rights has always been a matter of civil rights and equality, as our publisher noted in a recent post, [...]

ALA 2012: California-Bound

Published on 2012-06-08 13:31:36

Wasn’t it *just* March? Hard to believe we’re already getting ready for ALA Annual in just a few short weeks. The best part of ALA is always meeting people face to face, and we hope many of you will come find us at Booth #2436 to say hello in person. We’ll be giving out ARCs [...]

Angelo Sosa’s Chilled Edamame and Spring Pea Soup

Published on 2012-06-07 16:00:05

Congratulations to our picture book Auntie Yang’s Great Soybean Picnic, which just received its THIRD starred review! School Library Journal calls it “a stellar title that will rest comfortably next to acclaimed picture-book memoirs by Allen Say, Peter Sís, and Uri Shulevitz.” We asked celebrity chef and Top Chef finalist Angelo Sosa if he’d be [...]

Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Equality . . . For All

Published on 2012-06-01 11:13:26

Throughout the history of the United States, equality for all people has been fought for and won time and time again. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence ”that all men are created equal,” and over time equal rights have been gradually extended to different groups of people. However, equality has never been achieved without heated debate, despite our country’s founding principle that all people are created equal in the first place.

Cover Reveal: Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Published on 2012-05-23 16:27:27

Like dating, designing the right cover for a book can be a long, arduous process. Sometimes a cover gives off the wrong impression. Sometimes it’s too showy, sometimes it’s too dull. Sometimes a cover says all the right things, but lacks sincerity. But sometimes, you find The One. And you just know. That was the [...]

Betsy Lewin Shares: How to Draw a Puffin

Published on 2012-05-17 10:30:10

Ever been working on something – a report, a shopping list, a letter to your pen-pal – and thought to yourself, there’s just something missing here? The answer is: a puffin! Since the first day we began working on Puffling Patrol, everyone in the office has been crazy for these endearingly strange-looking birds (new office [...]

Writing a Life: How to Write a Biography for Children

Published on 2012-05-09 09:26:50

In this guest post we welcome Alan Schroeder, author of In Her Hands: The Story of Sculptor Augusta Savage and Baby Flo: Florence Mills Lights Up the Stage to discuss what it takes to write a biography for children. Writing someone’s biography can be a tricky business. First—and this is important—you’ve got to be enthusiastic [...]

The biggest full moon of the year

Published on 2012-05-04 16:18:52

In our busy day-to-day life, certain things often slip by unnoticed. When is the last time you stepped outside to admire a full moon? If you can’t remember the last time you admired the moon, tomorrow night is the night to do it. Thanks to the fact that our lunar neighbor will be especially close [...]

Race in Advertising

Published on 2012-05-03 14:25:08

From time to time, race issues pop up in advertising. Race is a tricky subject in advertising because common approaches tend to reinforce racial stereotypes and rub people the wrong way if not handled with care.

What your cat is really thinking: the CAT GIRL blog tour roundup

Published on 2012-04-27 14:21:02

A few weeks ago we did a giveaway to celebrate the release of Cat Girl’s Day Off and asked readers what they’ve always wanted to ask their cats. We pulled a few of their questions and asked our resident cat translator, Natalie Ng (a.k.a. Cat Girl), to get us some answers. Straight from the cat’s [...]

Earth Day 2012: Saving the Pufflings

Published on 2012-04-20 12:35:24

This is a guest post from our marketing intern, Maryann Yin: Everyone at the Lee & Low office has become quite enamored with pufflings since the release of our spring title, Puffling Patrol. Without this book, we probably never would have learned about these adorable baby birds because they don’t really appear alongside the pigeons [...]

Come See Our Authors at TLA!

Published on 2012-04-17 17:03:06

We won’t be at the Texas Library Association annual conference this week, but if you’ll be there you can still connect with two fantastic Lee & Low authors! Don Tate, author of It Jes’ Happened and illustrator of books like Summer Sun Risin’, will be a keynote speaker at the Black Caucus Roundtable (April 19, [...]

And meanwhile, over at Pinterest…

Published on 2012-04-13 17:29:35

In case you missed it, on Pinterest this week we created a booklist of books with Passover themes: Including, of course, Where on Earth is My Bagel? Head on over and check it out. Even though Passover’s almost over, themes like freedom and gratitude deserve to be contemplated year-round. Filed under: Holidays, Musings & Ponderings [...]

First Look: an excerpt from Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s ‘Summer of the Mariposas’

Published on 2012-04-10 16:27:39

Today is National Siblings Day, so we thought it would be the perfect time to share a sneak peek of one of our most highly anticipated upcoming books: Morris finalist and Belpré winner Guadalupe Garcia McCall’s Summer of the Mariposas! Out in fall 2012 from our Tu Books imprint, Summer of the Mariposas is a [...]

Play Ball! Baseball Stats for William “Dummy” Hoy

Published on 2012-04-05 16:49:03

Happy Baseball Season, readers! As Major League Baseball is gearing up for another rousing year, Lee & Low is releasing a picture book biography about a little talked about baseball legend who made a powerful impact. William “Dummy” Hoy was a talented player with a standout record who made an immense impact on the way [...]

Should I be offended? Race-based comedy

Published on 2012-04-04 11:16:36

I especially enjoy comedy that makes you think. Comedy can broach taboo topics like racism and stereotypes and make them fair game for open commentary. If done well these comedic monologues on race can reveal the absurdity of people’s belief systems.

Easton West takes over the blog…and there’s a giveaway

Published on 2012-03-30 15:26:56

Just one week until the release of Kimberly Pauley’s Cat Girl’s Day Off! In celebration, Cat Girl’s star celebrity blogger Easton West has commandeered the Lee & Low Blog kindly volunteered to share her thoughts on the book, her cat, Ty McKenzie’s underwear, and what it’s like being kidnapped by a crazy, psycopathic—well, let’s not [...]

California’s new poet laureate!

Published on 2012-03-22 16:29:18

Congratulations to Juan Felipe Herrera, who has just been appointed California poet laureate! Herrera is the author of 28 volumes of poetry and other works, including several award-winning children’s books. In honor of Juan Felipe Herrera, here’s a poem from his book The Upside Down Boy: After a week of reading a new poem aloud [...]

Happy Spring from Lee & Low!

Published on 2012-03-20 12:47:15

Plant some flowers, hop on a bike, or get comfy outside with a good book. Filed under: Holidays, Musings & Ponderings Tagged: outdoors

DiYA March: New Diverse Middle Grade and YA Novels

Published on 2012-03-16 13:57:51

Last month we announced that we’d be taking over Diversity in YA‘s roundups of new diverse middle grade and young adult books coming out each month, started by authors Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo. Using the DiYA definition, we define diversity for the purpose of this roundup as: (1) main characters or major secondary characters [...]

Design 101: How a Book Cover Gets Made, Part II

Published on 2012-03-14 09:27:43

In the first part of our guest blog, Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman and designer Isaac Stewart discussed how they came up with the cover concept for the novel Vodník. In part II, they share covers they considered and explain how they came up with the final design. Isaac: By the time we chose [...]

Celebrating International Women’s Day

Published on 2012-03-08 14:20:44

As you may know, today is International Women’s Day. Although it has become a bit of a Valentine’s Day sequel in some communities, many countries are still recognizing the holiday for it’s original purpose. The United Nations created this day to recognize women who have impacted our world, as well as a way to focus [...]

Design 101: How a book cover gets made

Published on 2012-03-07 12:57:16

In this two-part guest blog post, designer Isaac Stewart and Tu Books Editorial Director Stacy Whitman discuss how they came up with the final cover for our new YA fantasy, Vodník: Isaac: Before brainstorming ideas for a book design, I usually get a few pieces of key information from the editor: 1. What age-range and [...]

The Meaning of Diversity Becomes More Diverse

Published on 2012-03-01 08:42:42

Since the company was founded in 1991, diversity at LEE & LOW has been defined by ethnicity. Our focus has always been on multicultural stories that explore racial and cultural diversity, from remembering the experiences of past generations to reflecting on the world in which we live today. For the first time in twenty-five years, [...]

New classroom guides, discussion questions, and more

Published on 2012-02-28 16:21:17

We’ve created lots of new content this February to help you extend the experience of reading our books long after the last page has been turned. Here are some of our newest resources to go with our titles: Free Classroom Guides for: -First Come the Zebra -John Lewis in the Lead -Honda: The Boy Who [...]

Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie Recipe

Published on 2012-02-23 11:19:18

In addition to being Black History Month, February also happens to be National Sweet Potato Month! To celebrate, here’s Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie recipe from our book Sweet Potato Pie by Kathleen D. Lindsey: Mama’s Sweet Potato Pie *Children will need adult help 1 Extra-flaky Pie Crust (see below) 1-1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (approximately 3 [...]

Diversity in the news, February 2012

Published on 2012-02-22 10:52:58

We hope everyone had a great President’s Day! The month of February has been filled with some fascinating diversity-related stories. Here are just a few that we’ve been following; if you’ve got more February news stories, feel free to share them in the comments below! In a matter of weeks, Knicks player Jeremy Lin has [...]

Why the Lee & Low staff walked 12 miles

Published on 2012-02-17 11:09:20

Last fall, some of the staff at Lee & Low wanted to find out what it was like to walk twelve miles. Why? We were inspired by the feat that Frederick Douglass’ mother accomplishes in Love Twelve Miles Long by Glenda Armand and Colin Bootman: she walks twelve miles by night to visit her son. [...]

Happy Valentine’s Day

Published on 2012-02-14 15:56:20

Happy Valentine’s Day from Lee & Low! *Image from Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illustrated by Chris Soentpiet Filed under: Holidays Tagged: books, Valentine

Announcing Our first DiYA Monthly Book Roundup!

Published on 2012-02-10 09:32:51

Some of you may be familiar with Diversity in YA (DiYA), a lovely project started last year by authors Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo to bring more attention to diversity in children’s literature. During the year-long DiYA project, Cindy and Malinda were kind enough to do a roundup each month of new titles coming out [...]

Black History Month Giveaway 2012

Published on 2012-02-07 09:02:06

It’s Black History Month, and that means another giveaway from Lee & Low Books! We’re giving away three sets of three books featuring African Americans, and the contest will run through February 29, 2012. You may have noticed that the winners won’t get their books until after Black History Month. We think Black History Month [...]

Guadalupe Garcia McCall thanks the committee…

Published on 2012-02-03 12:36:18

Under the Mesquite author Guadalupe Garcia McCall thanks the William C. Morris and Pura Belpre award committees that honored her book, along with readers: Here’s one of my very favorite parts of Guadalupe’s Morris Ceremony speech at the American Library Association Midwinter Conference: I realized that I had to write not to be published, but [...]

BIG news: We’ve acquired Children’s Book Press

Published on 2012-01-26 15:07:45

We’ve got some exciting news to share: LEE & LOW BOOKS has acquired multicultural children’s book publisher Children’s Book Press. From the press release: January 26, 2012—Continuing to expand despite a difficult economy, LEE & LOW BOOKS, an independent publisher of high quality books for children that focuses on diversity, announced today that it has [...]

Diversity in 2011: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Published on 2011-12-08 14:49:10

In our December e-news, we took a look at how 2011 has played out in terms of diversity with a few events of note: Good: We started Tu Books! Which means more diversity in science fiction, fantasy, and mystery. Authors Cindy Pon and Malinda Lo organized the Diversity in YA tour and website to highlight [...]

Cover Reveal, Part II: Cat Girl’s Day Off

Published on 2011-12-08 09:32:52

Never listen to a cat. You don’t have the luxury of eight more lives when the kitty litter hits the fan. Today we’re excited to share the cover of Cat Girl’s Day Off by the oh-so-hilarious Kimberly Pauley (author of Sucks to Be Me), out this April from our Tu Books imprint: Natalie “Cat Girl” Ng [...]

Keeper of Quotes

Published on 2011-12-05 08:56:33

Quotes are inspirational because they usually come from people who have done great things. The operative word here is done, since words hold more weight if they reflect actual accomplishments. Quotes often represent the principles people stand for or stood for.

Things I’ve learned from book bloggers today

Published on 2011-12-01 15:58:20

There’s been quite a firestorm on twitter today after a certain publisher sent a letter with a new set of requirements to book bloggers about how to request and review books. Many book bloggers felt that the letter did not respect them or what they do, and were pretty angry about it. I’m not going [...]

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