Book Lists!

Juneteenth is upon us, and in honor of this day, we are recommending some beautiful Black-authored MG titles to read. June 19th marks a Federal day of Independence in American history, an important day commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. And what better way to celebrate this day than to educate children about history, inform them of the importance of striving for freedom and justice, and recognize the harm that was perpetuated on African Americans, both during slavery, and afterwards, through Jim Crow laws and years of systemic racism (that impacts Black Americans to this day). The following books would make perfect additions to classrooms and libraries, as well as informative and important summer reads. Check them out, get them at your library, make an order- each title is linked below! FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson: (this one is one of my favorite reads ever) Winner of the John Newbery Medal Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author...

Memorial Day roots were grown in the aftermath of the Civil War, in the late 1860’s. As the war claimed more lives than any other conflict in American history, it was necessary to establish national cemeteries. Many communities began honoring our fallen soldiers by decorating their graves with flowers on...

Summer is a magical time. As the weather warms up and the days grow longer, there’s nothing quite like diving into a great book that captures the good vibes of summer. Whether it’s the thrill of swimming, the magic of summer friendships, or the adventure of summer camp, middle grade...

In commemoration of Jewish American Heritage Month–and recognizing the importance of diversity in middle-grade literature–please enjoy this carefully curated collection of 26 middle-grade books that feature Jewish themes and characters, including contemporary and historical fiction, fantasy and magic realism, graphic novels, and anthologies. Plus… A GIVEAWAY! Don’t miss a chance...

Hope you’re feeling lucky this St. Patrick’s Day week. In case you’re looking for good fortune, check out some of these middle-grade books with the work “luck” in the title. Hard Luck Written and illustrated by Jeff Kinney Book #8 in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series Greg Heffley’s...

My friend Nicole—a fellow only child—recently sent me an article from The Atlantic entitled, “Why Are People Weird About Only Children?” Not surprisingly, the piece included the usual tropes associated with onlies: We’re spoiled, selfish, maladjusted weirdos who can’t get along with others or share our toys. We’re also bad...

Last fall was a particularly hectic time for me. I had deadlines for both a novel and a picture book. I missed a few diverse titles that I think are very worthy of attention. Those are the first three titles in this post.  But first of all I’m going to...