Press Room
On Artist Shortlists and The Floating Field
Making a list of possible artists for picture books is standard procedure here. We make shortlist through searching for style, through thought, through discussion, through sharing top picks with the author, through Ooohs and Aaaahs and “Wouldn’t it be great if (insert famous illustrator name) could work on this book?” We — in this case designer Viet, editor Carol, and Art Director me — spend time carefully finding and talking through the many possibilities and narrow to shortlist of artists, whom I then start reaching out to with the illustration proposal. View →
Earth-Shaking News: Ten Years After the Fukushima Disaster
Today marks the tenth anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Fukushima, Japan. Dr. Fred Bortz, author of Meltdown: The Nuclear Disaster in Japan and Our Energy Future, returns to share his thoughts regarding the event’s impact on sustainable energy resources. To learn more about the disaster and subsequent clean up, find resources and articles at the end of the post! View →
Active Nonfiction Hotlist
Active nonfiction teaches skills that readers can use to engage in an activity. Craft books, cookbooks, books of scientific experiments all fall into this category. Here’s an overview of Active Nonfiction and a look at some of our best-selling active nonfiction titles! View →
Librarian Prep Post for April
We’ve put together our reader’s advisory and booklists for April! Again focused on bringing you as many solutions as possible to the dilemma of providing online book displays for your children, we hope that you can find something that inspires you to inspire them! View →
Resource Roundup: The Secret Life of Kitty Granger
Make your own invisible ink or learn Morse code! Read on to find amazing free resources for the classroom, and your students can become super spies just like Kitty Granger! View →
Classified: an Interview with Author Traci Sorell
In Classified: The Secret Career of Mary Golda Ross, Cherokee Aerospace Engineer, Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross’s journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher. Ross continued onward to earn an engineering degree, join the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and become a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. Find out how Ross’s passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work. View →
Rissy No Kissies: An Interview with Author Katey Howes
A lovebird who doesn’t like kisses? Rissy’s friends and family wonder if she’s sick, confused, or rude. But kisses make Rissy uncomfortable. Can one little lovebird show everyone that there’s no one right way to show you care? View →
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY: NEW PICTURE BOOKS, GRAPHIC NOVELS, YA, AND NONFICTION
Check out March new releases from Lerner Publishing Group! View →
Narrative Nonfiction Hotlist
Narrative nonfiction reads like a novel, but the stories are true. It’s a great way for kids to learn about the world, and appeals to to lovers of fiction and whatever topic a given book covers. Here’s an overview of Narrative Nonfiction and a look at some of our best-selling narrative nonfiction titles! View →
Wait…Pigeons were Spies? Enter the Secret World of Spying
You’re moving through a dense crowd as counterintelligence agents follow you. If you cannot escape, you will be arrested. So what do you do?
In Lerner’s new nonfiction series Spy Secrets, readers will get a glimpse into the world of spying, uncovering true fascinating stories of spies, the people they worked for, and the methods they used to complete their missions. View →
The Secret Life of Kitty Granger: An Interview with Author G. D. Falksen
The Secret Life of Kitty Granger is a suspenseful thriller and a nuanced portrayal of neurodivergence set in 1967 London. Sixteen-year-old Kitty Granger hates noise and crowds, tends to fixate on patterns, and often feels acutely aware of her surroundings even as she struggles to interpret the behavior of people around her. When Kitty’s keen observation and quick thinking help her survive a dangerous encounter, two secret agents working for Her Majesty’s government offer her a job in their espionage operation. On her very first mission, she must foil a fascist plot and save the country! Today author G.D. Falksen discusses his writing process, research strategies, and creative life. View →
Creating the Perfect Reading Nook for Kids
Editor’s Note: We shared some tips from How to Do It Now Because It’s Not Going Away about how to create great reading spaces with Redfin, the real estate website. They’ve allowed us to republish the post on our site, and we hope you’ll share these great ideas with your patrons! View →
Lerner Publishing Group and Avivo Establish Avivo Village for Twin Cities Homeless Population
Lerner Publishing Group is pleased to announce an agreement with Avivo to lease warehouse space at 1251 Washington Ave North in Minneapolis for the purposes of building an indoor village tiny house community for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the Twin Cities. This project, called Avivo Village, will be the first of its kind in the area and will provide transitional housing to 300-400 people per year, with priority going to local tribal members. View →
Read for a Better World Summer Reading Program Aims to Help Children Grow as Readers and as People
The Read for a Better World Summer Reading Collection is a tool families and educators can use as part of a remediation plan for both literacy and diversity awareness. These books and activities encourage readers to reflect on their own identity, the world they live in, and how they can act for a more just world. These take-home packs of award-winning and highly recommended books are curated by a collaborative team of educational experts including principals, superintendents, librarians, and master teachers and will be available just in time to stop the summer reading slide. View →
A Closer Look: What’s the Deal with Back Matter?
Last summer as we were making the final tweaks to our Spring 2021 picture books before they went off to the printer, I was struck by the fascinating range of back matter found in these six books. But what exactly is back matter and why does it, well, matter? View →
Paired Fiction and Nonfiction for Literacy
Paired fiction and nonfiction can help students learn to think critically while comparing text types – and enjoying fun stories! View →
Join Lerner and Zoobean for a Nonfiction Reading Challenge in March!
For the month of March we’re partnering with Beanstack to bring you the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction Reading Challenge! This challenge is designed to encourage PreK-12 readers to explore their favorite nonfiction topics and themes all month long. All U.S. libraries and schools are eligible to join the challenge with their communities and read to win some amazing prizes, including a selection of Lerner books. View →
Mission to Mars: Books for the Landing of NASA’s Perseverance
NASA’s Perseverance rover is scheduled to land on Mars in one week. Get your readers ready for this momentous occasion with our Mars booklist! View →
Hack Your Kitchen with Science Buddies: Free Activity!
Earlier this month, we released our latest book in partnership with Science Buddies, Hack Your Kitchen: Discover a World of Food Fun with Science Buddies. Young scientists will learn all about many different scientific principles and properties using everyday tools and ingredients from their own kitchens – and today you can get a sneak peek at one of the projects right here! View →
Updating Into the Streets
Lerner Publishing Group is based out of downtown Minneapolis, in the North Loop neighborhood. The murder of George Floyd just a few miles from our headquarters hit very close to home, and to our hearts, last summer. We immediately moved up the publication date of Into the Streets: A Young Person’s Visual History of Protest in the United States. We also began planning an addition for the next printing that would cover the protests that broke out across the country in response. That addition is now available in print copies, as well as for download here for those who bought the first edition. View →
Books to Know for March
Below is our reader’s advisory and collection of booklists for March, complete with quick descriptions of how our titles can work in your library and how you might be able to get those kids invested in reading again (along with some additional resources)! View →
#MeToo and You: An Interview with Author Halley Bondy
The #MeToo movement has changed the way many people view the world, but how well do tweens understand it? #MeToo and You: Everything You Need to Know about Consent, Boundaries, and More explores the nuances of emotions, comfort, and discomfort in sexually charged and emotionally abusive situations. Tween readers will learn about consent, harassment, abuse, and healthy boundaries in all types of relationships. View →
Happy Book Birthday: New Picture Books, Middle-Grade, Graphic Novels, and Nonfiction
Check out February new releases from Lerner Publishing Group! View →
Biographies for a New Year
Give readers crucial context for current events with must-have biographies. Dive into the stories behind important leaders and the experiences that defined them, from politicians making headlines today to under-celebrated historical figures. View →