The Lerner Podcast

Today on The Lerner Podcast, we talk with Nina Crews, illustrator of A Girl Like Me. Nina is a critically acclaimed children's book author and illustrator. She uses photographs and photocollages to create energetic stories about young children. In this book, she uses her signature style to illustrate Angela Brown's empowering poem, "A Girl Like Me". “Once I dreamed I swam / the ocean / and saw everything deep, cool / and was part of the waves. / I swam on by the people / onshore / hollering, / ‘A girl like you needs to / stay out of the water / and be dry / like everyone else.’”Empower young readers to embrace their individuality, reject societal limitations, and follow their dreams. This inspiring picture book celebrates girls of color.Nina discusses how the book came to be, her hopes for young readers to continue making the world a better place, and artists whose children's books she loves. Show notesNina's Recommended ArtistsCharles R. Smith Jr.’s My People: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/My-People/Langston-Hughes/9781416935407April Pulley Sayre: http://www.aprilsayre.com/Walter Wick: http://www.walterwick.com/Outtakes and an in-progress sketch can be viewed on the Lerner Blog. Read a transcript of the interview here. Visit Nina Crews' website. Music credits:"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Join us to learn about our forthcoming young adult nonfiction titles from Lerner Publishing Group!Beyond Sex Ed: Understanding Sexually Transmitted Infections Young people account for almost half of the 26 million new sexually transmitted infections reported in the US each year. This timely and informative book outlines symptoms, treatment, and risk reduction practices for common STIs. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22953Reimagining Police: The Future of Public Safety Readers will learn about the history of law enforcement, approaches to public safety, and strategies for building a more just and inclusive society in this survey of policing and reform in the United States. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23033Smashing Stigma: Dismantling Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination Stigma is everywhere, from mistrust of unhoused people to discrimination based on weight. Discover how to identify and confront stigma and stop the spread of stereotypes, prejudice, and discrimination. Informational text is paired with personal stories.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23051Breakthrough: Katalin Karikó and the mRNA Vaccine Breakthrough chronicles the life, hard work, and accomplishments of Katalin Karikó, one of the pioneering mRNA researchers whose work led to COVID-19 vaccines, depicting her as an inspirational figure for readers interested in science. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22944The Beasts in Your Brain: Understanding and Living with Anxiety and Depression A clever, approachable, and empathetic read that reminds readers they are not alone in their feelings, teaches them the science of mental illness, and empowers them to quell the brain beasts of depression and anxiety. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23050Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas Culture writer Caitlin Donohue uses interviews with medical researchers, educators, activists, artists, business leaders, and other experts to craft an inclusive and comprehensive overview of cannabis in the Western Hemisphere for young adults. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23086The Denim Diaries: A Memoir From relationships and makeup to divorce and disordered eating, Laurie Boyle Crompton recounts the humor and heartbreak of her coming of age in rural Pennsylvania and New York City during the 1970s and 1980s. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23069Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join us to learn about our forthcoming picture books from Lerner Publishing Group!Small Shoes, Great Strides: How Three Brave Girls Opened Doors to School Equality A powerful true story about three Black girls—Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost—who courageously integrated a New Orleans school on November 14, 1960. Award-winning author Vaunda Micheaux Nelson brings this little-known event in the Civil Rights Movement to light. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22795Sensitive A young girl hears messages that she's too sensitive and needs to change. The messages travel into her body, and she ultimately changes the negative comments into an affirmation that being sensitive is her strength. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22839The Knight of Little Import Charlie is a young knight who can't find a single beast to slay. Until . . . she discovers there are monsters all around, and only she knows what to do to help her town of Little Import! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22893Dino-Hanukkah Light the menorah! Enjoy the eight days of Hanukkah in this dino-sized celebration from Lisa Wheeler and Barry Gott. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22968Dino Board BooksThere's tons of dino-fun for everyone in this high-energy board book series. Dinosaurs face off on the field, battle on the court, and rally in the rink.https://lernerbooks.com/series/11027-dino-board-booksFrom the Tops of the Trees, Spanish and HmongA powerful true story of a young girl who has never known life outside a refugee camp and a father determined to help her dream beyond the fences that confine them, now in Spanish and Hmong.https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22881https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22887Piece by Piece: Ernestine's Gift for President Roosevelt During the Great Depression, Ernestine Guerrero's family didn't have much. This is the true story of a resourceful Mexican American teen who made a remarkable gift to thank President Roosevelt for the food aid that helped them survive! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23019The Power of Snow Experience a snowstorm through playful verse and the power of exponential growth! Clever rhymes and dynamic illustrations combine in a fun winter readaloud that introduces the key math concept, starting with two and ending with an astonishing 16,384! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23064I Ship: A Container Ship's Colossal Journey Engines ahead! Come aboard a container ship and voyage across oceans to deliver goods to people who need them. Highly engaging text and delightfully detailed illustrations will appeal to a wide range of readers! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22990El campo flotante (The Floating Field): Cómo un grupo de niños tailandeses construyó su propio campo de fútbol (How a Group of Thai Boys Built Their Own Soccer Field) On a tiny Thai island without room for a soccer field, a group of resourceful teen boys works together to build a floating field so they can play the game they love. Now in Spanish! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22711Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join us to learn about our forthcoming photographic nonfiction from Lerner Publishing Group!Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In Scientists often organize animals into categories based on similar traits and behaviors. But what if an animal doesn't fit in? Author Jessica Fries-Gaither introduces eight common categories and the animals that break those rules. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23017Nature Is a Sculptor: Weathering and Erosion With wind and water, nature shapes our planet in amazing ways. Stunning photos of the world's geological marvels accompany lyrical verse in this exploration of the forces of weathering and erosion. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23023On a Flake-Flying Day: Watching Winter's Wonders With winter's arrival, plants and animals hunker down for the cold season. Eye-catching photos and rhyming text sparkle in this exploration of how creatures survive the snow. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23026Wild Inventions: Ideas Inspired by Animals Where do inventors find inspiration? Sometimes they look to animals! Author Sandra Markle presents twelve animal adaptations and the amazing inventions they've inspired. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23091Mysterious Glowing Mammals: An Unexpected Discovery Sparks a Scientific Investigation One night a scientist discovered something surprising in his backyard: a flying squirrel that glowed bright pink! Follow this exciting investigation into mammals that glow when exposed to ultraviolet light, and see it in action by scanning a QR code. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23016Nature's Ninja: Animals with Spectacular Skills Discover a stealthy lizard that can hang upside down by its toes, a sea urchin that defends itself with throwing star-type weapons, and more! Science meets martial arts in this fast-paced look at ninja-like animals. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/17952Little Monsters of the Ocean: Metamorphosis under the Waves Everyone knows that butterflies and frogs go through metamorphosis. But a number of sea creatures do too! Explore wacky details in the life cycles of some of the world's most bizarre and fascinating ocean animals. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/17591Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation Can understanding how forest elephants communicate help scientists find ways to protect them? Come behind the scenes of Cornell University's Elephant Listening Project to see what's being done to keep these majestic animals safe, with QR codes linking to audio of the elephant sounds.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/16464Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join us to learn about our forthcoming middle grade and YA fiction from Lerner Publishing Group!Forsooth Thirteen-year-old Eddie needs to do a community service project in preparation for his bar mitzvah. He ends up volunteering at a retirement home, where intrigues and hijinks upend all his assumptions about the elderly. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22979A Pocketful of Stars When Safiya's mother falls into a coma, Safiya comes to terms with their complicated relationship and discovers more about herself through dreams that transport her to her mother's childhood in Kuwait. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22929Eighth Grade vs. the Machines  The entire population of Earth's solar system has been kidnapped by aliens. It's up to Jack and his classmates and teachers aboard the PSS 118 to rescue the rest of humanity. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/21079Last Summer in Outer Space As eighth grade aboard PSS 118 comes to an end, Jack and his friends must rally their teachers, classmates, robot allies, and a pet hamster in order to rescue the rest of the human race from a sinister alien plot. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22829Fly Back, Agnes Twelve-year-old Agnes hates everything about her life: her name, her parents' divorce, her best friend's abandonment, and her changing body. So while staying with her dad over the summer, she decides to become someone else. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/19674How to Live on the Edge Cayenne learns that her aunt, who raised her, has the same gene mutation that caused her mom's fatal cancer—and discovers the challenges of living life to the fullest when death is in your DNA. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/19634All the Things We Never Said Three girls with overwhelming depression meet through a website that binds them in a suicide pact. As they become friends, they realize their struggles aren't insurmountable with the right support. But breaking the pact won't be simple. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22941Gallows Hill In 1692 Salem, Puritan Patience and Quaker Thomas are caught up in a community panic over witchcraft. As the list of accusers and accused grows, they question their faiths and fight to protect their families. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22981Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join us to learn about our forthcoming children's books from Kar-Ben!Zhen Yu and the Snake A fortune teller warns a man that his daughter will be bitten by a snake on her wedding day. But fate intervenes when a stranger appears at the young bride’s door, and she performs a mitzvah. Based on the Talmudic tale of Rabbi Akiva’s daughter and a snake. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23094The Mexican Dreidel Danielito loves Janucá, especially playing dreidel. When his dreidel leads his new friends’ Mexican tops called trompos on a spinning adventure through the neighborhood, Danielito makes some new friends, nuevos amigos. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23074A Wild, Wild Hanukkah On the first night of Hanukkah, a polar bear comes to the party. Every night, more wild animals join the party—singing, making latkes, and spinning dreidels—before Hanukkah comes to an end and it’s time for bed. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22930Mrs. Maccabee's Miracle The five Maccabee sons are always losing things. A spear. A traveling cloak. A scroll. Good thing their mom is always there to remind them where to look. After defeating the Greek army, they can’t find oil to light the Temple menorah, until they remember their mom’s words.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23009Three Jumps to Sorry: A Yom Kippur Story The day before Yom Kippur, Hannah kicks a soccer ball in the living room and breaks her mother’s glass apple. Will she learn to apologize and promise to never kick her ball in the house again?  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23082Counting on Shabbat Shabbat brings 1 table, 2 candles, 3 braids in the challah, and more. Count from 1 to 10 as you get ready for Shabbat. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22967Ruth First Never Backed Down Ruth First was born in South Africa, where her Jewish family fled from danger in Europe in the early 1900s. Committed to speaking out against apartheid, she did so all her life, never backing down.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23034Doña Gracia Saved Worlds In 16th-century Portugal, to be Jewish was to live in secret. Doña Gracia used her wealth and power to escape, helping many other Jews to do the same. She built synagogues, hospitals, and schools to help her people. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22969Dream by Dream: The Story of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise Isaac Mayer Wise always dreamed of becoming a rabbi, but sometimes people didn’t like it when he questioned old customs. He inspired a new kind of Judaism, dream by dream.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22962A Book about Bupkes This is a book about bupkes: nothing, zero, zilch. An empty garden, an empty bench at the playground, an empty soup bowl all seem like nothing—bupkes! The funny thing is that bupkes may mean nothing - but it can feel like everything. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/22939The Promise In a Moroccan village, a Jewish boy, Jacob, and a Muslim boy, Hassan, are best friends who care for a beautiful garden. When war comes, and it’s time for Jacob’s family to leave, his friend promises to care for their garden.  https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23063Find more books for Jewish families at http://www.karben.com.Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join us to learn about our forthcoming educational books from Lerner Publishing Group! Learn about these and all new releases at lernerbooks.com. Pull Ahead Readers - Let's Look at Fall Learn all about fall in this paired fiction/nonfiction series about our most colorful season. Early Bird Stories™Early Bird Readers — YellowDiscover silly, fun, and simple stories perfect for building reading skills for guided reading levels C-F. Early Bird Readers — GreenEmergent readers at guided reading levels G–J will delight in these books that blend charming, leveled text and illustrations.Read for a Better World™Read about DinosaursGo back millions of years in time to meet the dinosaurs that used to walk the Earth.Read about the PastGive young readers a peek at life in the past, comparing and contrasting how things were for previous generations with how they are now. Read about VehiclesFrom emergency trucks to race cars, kids will love this close up look at all types of vehicles. Sesame Street® Character GuidesGabrielle, Ji-Young, the Count, and Grover offer a positive introduction to key social-emotional concepts. hSesame Street® Directional WordsThis series is a fun, interactive way to explore spatial language. Each book features the Sesame Street friends in a fun guessing-game format that invites readers to test their knowledge about the words that describe where things are.My Friend JuliaMeet Julia! Julia is an autistic girl who loves art and her family. Join Elmo, Abby, and the rest of the Sesame Street crew as they introduce Julia and all the things that make her special.Lightning Bolt Books®Baby North American AnimalsPrimary grades readers meet a variety of young—and, of course, adorable!—animals that live in North America. That's Scary!Treat young readers to this delightfully scary yet fun and kid-friendly series about ghosts, haunted places, mummies, and more. Searchlight Books™Exploring RoboticsExplore the high-interest and evolving topic of robots.Hunting and FishingExplore the great outdoors and examine popular hunting and fishing practices. World TravelerTravel around the world to discover the peoples, cultures, histories, and landscapes of different countries. Lerner™ SportsAll-Star Smackdown Read about the world's greatest athletes and compare their careers in a fun and exciting head-to-head format. Esports Zone Discover some of the most thrilling aspects of esports, including the industry's biggest stars, its greatest events, and the technology that makes it all possible.Sports VIPs Explore the lives of the world's best and hottest sports superstars.Super Sports Teams Learn about the history, greatest players, and most iconic moments of the world's most popular sports teams.Military Machines (UpDog Books™)Learn more about the high-tech military equipment that supports US troops in this high/low series.Alternator Books®Destination Mars Readers learn what it would take to get humans to Mars—from how long the space flight would be (about seven months!) to what life would be like once we got there.Wonderfully Weird Celebrate all things weird! This series centers on unusual and eye-catching places, animals, sports, and more.Black Excellence Project (Read Woke™ Books)Celebrate notable contributions and accomplishments of Black Americans—many of whom have been left out of history books. Animal Scavengers in ActionScavengers come alive through amazing photographs and thrilling narrative text! Countries on the World StageExplore the world's most influential countries and how they became economic, military, and political powers.<

Join us to learn about our forthcoming graphic novels from Lerner Publishing Group!Strikers: A Graphic Novel Flint, Michigan. 1986. Evan just wants to win a game. Bobby would rather fight than win. Hockey—and life—keep handing them losses, but together, they’ll find their reasons to keep taking the ice. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23054The First Invasion: Book 1 Truly's parents are arguing all the time. Kaz isn't the best at making friends. And Maximo Skulldigg gets bullied by his older brother—plus, he has to conquer Kaz and Truly's home planet of Earth! https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23061The Robot MakersWhen soccer fanatic La Ion transfers to a new school, he discovers a different kind of competition: robotics! Learn about robotics history, building blocks of a robot, coding basics, and more in these high-energy manhwa graphic novels.https://lernerbooks.com/series/11171-the-robot-makersThe Wolf in Underpants Gets Some Pants When the Wolf's signature striped briefs become a trend across the forest, he feels like he has lost his identity. But when he abandons his favorite outfit, he'll have to learn who he is without it. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23077Timothy Dinoman and the Attack of the Dancing Machines: Book 2 When Timothy learns crooks have used robot parts from tech celebrity Ellis Heron, he's excited to stop whoever stole from the famous inventor. But what if Heron’s robot dance squad hides another sinister secret? https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23087Night and Dana When special-effects obsessives Dana and Lily begin work on an eco-horror movie, tempers flare. But as everything starts going up in flames, Dana begins to forge her voice as a climate activist. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23028The Bodyguard Unit: Edith Garrud, Women's Suffrage, and Jujitsu In the early 20th century, the English suffragist group the Women's Social and Political Union formed an all-women security unit. Trained by Edith Garrud, these "jujitsuffragettes" fought against abuse and arrest while pursuing long overdue rights. https://lernerbooks.com/shop/show/23047Graphic MythologySee classic stories in a bold new light with Graphic Mythology. Each title in this series draws from world storytelling traditions and includes two legends—an illustrated double feature full of adventure and intrigue.https://lernerbooks.com/series/11172-graphic-mythologyMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Today, we’re delighted to share with you the first episode of a new podcast, Queer as a Five-Dollar Bill. In response to legislation and other attempts to prevent young people from accessing uplifting LGBTQIA2+ content, author Lee Wind has turned the audiobook of his YA novel Queer as a Five Dollar Bill into a podcast. Listen to the first episode in our feed, then find Queer as a Five Dollar Bill wherever you get your podcasts. Bonus episodes of Lee’s podcast will include the author interviewed by legendary children’s and YA author and poet Lesléa Newman, a new audio recording of the Lincoln chapter from the Lerner YA nonfiction book No Way, They Were Gay?, and a sneak peek at the introduction from the author’s upcoming nonfiction title The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie, coming from Zest Books at Lerner next spring. Enjoy!Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Get an up-close look at new and already beloved picture books from a few of Lerner Publisher Services' exceptional publishing partners. During this free webinar, you'll hear from both US-based and international publishers about their most exciting picture books this spring.Explore inclusive picture books about activism and changemaking, as well as a book of mindful haiku poems exploring twenty-four flower species. Learn about an astute and sensitive picture book about the process of grief and new hope, which the Wall Street Journal called “a tender story,” and Kirkus starred, saying “Quietly contemplative, mingling hope and healing, this is a book that will offer comfort to many." Find the perfect present in Perfect Presents!, a happy little hardcover book about gifts and giving, and discover a joyful, energetic picture book perfect for reading aloud that will spark imaginative play for preschoolers. Meet Justice, aka Miss Freedom Fighter, Esquire—a young girl discovering that she can make a difference in the world, inspired by men and women throughout history who change the world. Explore Amazing Africa in an abecedarium celebrating this diverse continent, and count to ten while celebrating the history, heritage, and ingredients of gumbo. Glimpse the heart of a compassionate child who asks questions about a refugee that grownups aren’t always brave enough to ask, and discover the magic of books in The Bookshop Mice.Our passionate presenters will share their delight in these joyful reads, and you’ll come away with new inspiration for perfect spring picture books. Click here to find the book list. You can also download the slides. Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Are you pigeonholing your picture books, limiting them to just primary grades? Gain insights from librarians and literacy luminaries Betsy Bird, Cicely Lewis, and Susannah Richards as they discuss the benefits of and strategies for using picture books with older students—including middle grade and high schoolers. Listen to our webinar, moderated by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher, Millbrook Press & Carolrhoda Picture Books.You can find the resources referenced in the webinar at our website. 

Get the behind-the-scenes story of Notes from a Sickbed, a collection of memoir comics from artist Tessa Brunton.  In 2009, Tessa Brunton experienced the first symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome). She spent much of the next eight years unwell, in a medical holding pattern, housebound and often alone. In 2017, she found a strategy that helped reduce her symptoms, and soon began creating the first installments of a graphic memoir. Notes from a Sickbed collects previously released and brand-new, unseen comics that recall her experiences with honesty, a pointed wit, and a lively visual imagination.Learn more about Notes from a Sickbed at lernerbooks.com. Find Tessa online at:Tessa's websiteFacebookInstagramTwitterMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

Celebrate the pub date of Yuck, You Suck! Poems about Animals That Sip, Slurp, Suck by Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple with some spectacular samplings of the poems from the book.Warning: this book sucks! It bites, slurps, and sticks too.Dare to open these pages and you’ll find ticks, mosquitos, stingrays, elephants, jellyfish, and the particularly sucky lamprey. Sixteen slurpy poems from Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple introduce a suction-filled selection of animals, and spectacularly sticky illustrations from Eugenia Nobati spotlight these stupendous suckers.Ready to find out more? Prepare to get sucked in and read on . . .Learn more about Yuck, You Suck! at lernerbooks.com. Find the authors online at:Jane's websiteJane's FacebookJane's TwitterHeidi's websiteHeidi's FacebookHeidi's InstagramHeidi's TwitterMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Listen to Tameka Fryer Brown discuss her first nonfiction picture book, written in narrative free verse, about the amazing Shirley Chisolm. Shirley Chisholm was a natural-born fighter. She didn’t like to be bossed and she wanted things to be fair.Brooklyn-born Shirley Chisholm was smart and ambitious. She poured her energy into whatever she did—from teaching young children to becoming Brooklyn’s first Black assemblywoman. Not afraid to blaze a trail, she became the first Black woman elected to Congress and the first woman to seriously run for US president. With a vision of liberty and justice for all, she worked for equal rights, for the environment, for children, and for health care. Even now, her legacy lives on and inspires others to continue her work . . . which is not done yet.Stirring free verse by Tameka Fryer Brown and evocative illustrations by Nina Crews provide an inspirational look at changemaker Shirley Chisholm.Learn more about Not Done Yet at LernerBooks.com. Find Tameka Fryer Brown online at:Tameka's websiteInstagramTwitterFacebookMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Learn about the unexpected inventor of the aquarium, who studied and experimented on animals in the early 19th century. Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell.In an era when most research focused on dead specimens, Jeanne was determined to experiment on living animals. And to keep sea creatures alive for her studies, she had to invent a contraption to hold them—the aquarium. Her remarkable life story is told by author, marine biologist, and octopus enthusiast Danna Staaf.Learn more about The Lady and the Octopus at LernerBooks.com. Find Danna online at:Danna's websiteYouTubeFacebookInstagramTwitterMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/  

Author Sandra Nickel shares the story of Big Bear and Little Fish – the most precious picture book this year. At the carnival, Bear wants a teddy bear. And not just any teddy bear—she wants the biggest one of all.But instead she gets a fish. A very small fish. Bear is so very big and Fish is so very small that Bear worries they have nothing in common. Can they possibly be friends?Gentle, accessible prose by Sandra Nickel is paired with richly textured illustrations by Il Sung Na in this sweet story of unexpected friendship.Learn more about Big Bear and Little Fish at LernerBooks.com. Find Sandra online at:Sandra's websiteTwitterFacebookInstagramMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Debut author Emma K. Ohland shares the story of Funeral Girl, what inspired the book, and what she hopes readers take away from it.  Sixteen-year-old Georgia Richter feels conflicted about the funeral home her parents run—especially because she has the ability to summon ghosts.With one touch of any body that passes through Richter Funeral Home, she can awaken the spirit of the departed. With one more touch, she makes the spirit disappear, to a fate that remains mysterious to Georgia. To cope with her deep anxiety about death, she does her best to fulfill the final wishes of the deceased whose ghosts she briefly revives.Then her classmate Milo’s body arrives at Richter—and his spirit wants help with unfinished business, forcing Georgia to reckon with her relationship to grief and mortality.Learn more about Funeral Girl at Lernerbooks.com. Find Emma online at:Emma's websiteTikTokGoodreadsTwitterInstagramMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Meet author Kerry O’Malley Cerra as she describes Hear Me, and shares her own story of progressive hearing loss. One year after being diagnosed with hearing loss, Rayne’s hearing keeps getting worse, even with aids. It’s a struggle to maintain friendships and keep up in school, surfing is now a wipeout, and she can’t understand her favorite singer’s lyrics. But worst of all, Rayne’s parents are pushing for her to get cochlear implants, a surgery Rayne’s not convinced is worth the risks and challenges.Rayne begs her parents to consider other options, but they’re not budging. With the surgery looming, Rayne sets off on a bus journey that forces her to face her own assumptions about what her hearing loss means and what kind of life she could have. With the help of some new friends, Rayne realizes that even though her ears may be broken, she is not.Learn more about Hear Me at Lernerbooks.com. Find Kerry online:Kerry's WebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagramMusic credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Join author Carole Boston Weatherford and illustrator (and son!) Jeffrey Boston Weatherford as they discuss their new picture book Call Me Miss Hamilton, the book's protagonist Mary Hamilton, and the lasting impact of her activism. Call Me Miss HamiltonDiscover the true story of the woman Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. nicknamed “Red” because of her fiery spirit!Mary Hamilton grew up knowing right from wrong. She was proud to be Black, and when the chance came along to join the Civil Rights Movement and become a Freedom Rider, she was eager to fight for what she believed in. Mary was arrested again and again—and she did not back down when faced with insults or disrespect. In an Alabama court, a white prosecutor called her by her first name, but she refused to answer unless he called her “Miss Hamilton.” The judge charged her with contempt of court, but that wasn’t the end of it. Miss Mary Hamilton fought the contempt charge all the way to the Supreme Court.Powerful free verse from Carole Boston Weatherford and striking scratchboard illustrations by Jeffery Boston Weatherford, accompanied by archival photographs, honor this unsung heroine who took a stand for respect—and won.Learn more about Carole's books with Lerner, including the Caldcott-Honoree Unspeakable and find out how you can invite her to speak to your students at LernerBooks.com. Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Listen in as author Lee Wind discusses his YA nonfiction title No Way, They Were Gay?, discusses research and primary sources, and talks about what he's working on next, live from the ALA exhibit floor in Washington DC. No Way, They Were Gay? “History” sounds really official. Like it’s all fact. Like it’s definitely what happened. But that’s not necessarily true. History was crafted by the people who recorded it. And sometimes, those historians were biased against, didn’t see, or couldn’t even imagine anyone different from themselves.  That means that history has often left out the stories of LGBTQIA+ people: men who loved men, women who loved women, people who loved without regard to gender, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. Historians have even censored the lives and loves of some of the world’s most famous people, from William Shakespeare and Pharaoh Hatshepsut to Cary Grant and Eleanor Roosevelt.  Join author Lee Wind for this fascinating journey through primary sources—poetry, memoir, news clippings, and images of ancient artwork—to explore the hidden (and often surprising) Queer lives and loves of two dozen historical figures. Learn more about Lee and how to book him for school visits at LernerBooks.com. Music credits: "Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/