Diverse Books Opinion

Proud families applauded, took pictures, and cried during the graduation ceremony for their children, who completed Queens Library’s pre-K program, the first library-run pre-Kindergarten in the nation.

Jairo Buitrago’s spare picture book presents a gentle portrayal of a family’s struggles with immigration. Alex Gino’s middle grade novel sensitively depicts George’s desire to identify as a girl even though her family and friends see her as a boy. Check out these advance reviews and more in this sneak peek of titles reviewed in SLJ’s July 2015 issue.

A new study on the historic impact of the series also shows that watching "Sesame Street" may still be one of the most cost-effective ways to help kids, particularly those who start out economically disadvantaged, succeed later in school.

Being a maker is about independence and empowerment, says MakerBridge Project founder Sharona Ginsberg. Focused on making in libraries and schools, the site features tech tips, tool reviews, and variety of resources and profiles.

SLJ caught up with Older and discussed the topics of race, mythologies, and community, as well as the borough of Brooklyn, in his first novel for young people.

Five lucky college students are making their way to paid publishing internships this summer, courtesy of We Need Diverse Books.

The Skokie (IL) Public Library's involvement in a four-month community program, Voices of Race, included events for children and adults, a participatory exhibit, talking points for meaningful dialogue, and more.

No matter the age or sentence, the incarcerated teens that Amy Cheney serves enjoy being read to. She shares several offerings that would make excellent and diverse read-alouds and storytime picks for disenfranchised young adults.

While King & King will be allowed in the school, it is not currently in the media center, says Omar Currie, a third-grade teacher in Efland, NC, who read the picture book to his class. Any book a teacher wishes to read to students or use in the classroom that is not in the school’s media center will need to be submitted to parents in advance, starting in the 2015-2016 school year, adds Curie, who says a personal grievance has been filed against him with the district.