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Debut novelists and former We Need Diverse Books mentees Diana Ma and Angeline Boulley discuss their writing challenges, their families’ reactions to their novels, and using the YA genre to discuss identity and culture.

Three YA authors tell SLJ about their favorite childhood books and take a deep dive into the main characters in their debut novels.

The children's publishing world is coming together to raise money to fight anti-Asian racism, NCTE is accepting applications for the Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award, Amazon and Code.org team up to create equity-minded AP computer science course, and more in this edition of News Bites.

The Tulsa Massacre, the "unstoppable" storyteller Zora Neale Hurston, and tales from around the world, including China and Korea, all shine in the books SLJ starred this month.

With so many schools still immersed in ­distance learning, the ability to stream films has become more important than ever. Educators will appreciate this resource from Swank, a ­streaming library.

With the growing cultural footprint of superhero stories and other forms of fantasy and science fiction, academics have begun to examine the impact of these genres on young readers. These ten titles are an excellent introduction to the rich possibilities of early speculative fiction.

Parrish Turner, a transgender sensitivity reader, is tired of the tropes surrounding animal stories, particularly those involving the wish to be a different animal. For Parrish, the longing to be a more authentic version of oneself is all too human.

Presenting the average book prices for 2020–2021 to date, produced annually by SLJ in partnership with Follett and Baker & Taylor. 

From the depths of the oceans to black holes in space, and from the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, to one of the smallest organisms, a virus, publishers have left no stone unturned in the pursuit of bringing kids into the STEM fold.