31 Articles
Behind the Scenes with Henry the VIII's Wives: "Fatal Throne”
Erudite scholarship. Conspicuous consumption. Music. Bawdy revels. The reign of Henry VIII is known for many contradictions. But it is likely most known for the monarch’s treatment of his wives, who tell their stories in the recently released Fatal Throne.
Teaching Ideas for 'The Night Diary'
From the SLJ blog "The Classroom Bookshelf," a lesson plan for The Night Diary written by Veera Hiranandani (Dial Books; Grades 4- 8). Includes teaching ideas, text sets, and recommended resources.
Escape from Aleppo
Escape from Aleppo Written by N.H. Senzai Published by Paula Wiseman Books, Simon and Schuster, 2018 ISBN: 978-1-4814-7217-3 Grades 5-8 Book Review In the midst of the Syrian Civil War in fall of 2013, protagonist Nadia must find her way back to her family, from whom she was separated when a bomb hit their apartment […]
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art
World Make Way: New Poems Inspired by Art from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins Published by Abrams Books for Young Readers with The Metropolitan Museum of Art ISBN: 978-1-4197-2845-7 Grades 4 and Up Book Review “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is […]
Islandborn
Islandborn/Lola: Edicion en espanol de ISLANDBORN Written by Junot Díaz, illustrated by Leo Espinosa Published by Dial Books ISBN: 978-0735229860 (English)/ ISBN: 978-0525552819 (Spanish) All Ages Book Review “Every kid in Lola’s school was from somewhere else. Hers was the school of faraway places.” But when her teacher asks her class to draw a picture of […]
Orbis Pictus Honor Book – Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect Us Today
Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Framers, Their Fights, and the Flaws That Affect us Today By Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson Published by Peachtree Publishers, 2017, ISBN 978-1-56145-945-2 Grades 6-Up Book Review On this President’s Day, it is important to note that “not one of our first eight presidents had any real power” (p. […]
The Creation of Mary's Monster | A Conversation with Lita Judge
A multimedia exploration of the extraordinary new novel by Lita Judge.
Orbis Pictus Honor Book: Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix
Chef Roy Choi and the Street Food Remix Written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and June Jo Lee Illustrated by Man One Published by Readers to Eaters, 2016 ISBN: 978-0-9836615-9-7 Grades 2 and Up Book Review On the very first page of this innovative and immensely relevant picture book biography, readers are presented with a “Ramen […]
The Best of 2017
It has been a hard year. In the United States and around the world, there is important work to be done to advance social justice. We realize now more than ever how much words matter. Words can inflict harm. But words can also transform lives. Words can shape the future and can give us a […]