by DONNA GEPHART, author of Lily and Dunkin (Delacorte Press, May 2016)   I’m not going to sugarcoat this. The statistic is grim and the stories behind it heartbreaking. Forty-three percent of transgender young people try to kill themselves. Why? Here’s one story: Because her parents isolated her from supportive friends and adults, refused to accept

It has been 13  years since Betty Birney began writing about the sensitive, talkative, and perceptive hamster who makes his home in Mrs. Brisbane’s Room 26. Since then, she has visited schools across the country and around the world, and the love for our furry friend is palpable. When Betty set out to write The

With hate rhetoric and hate crimes blasting their way across social media, an all-school or community reads can serve as a powerful antidote to these polarizing fearful times. Books slow us down. Books let us find the humanity of those on the other side of any sort of human-made divide. Teachers know this. Librarians know

Dion Graham has become a familiar voice to both adults and children for his riveting reads of important and beloved books. Hear why he loves “falling into a story” and listen to clips from his recent recordings including RUSA Listen List and Carnegie Medal Winner, EVICTED by Matthew Desmond.

Did you know that more than 85% of learning derives from listening? Chelsea Clinton, author and narrator of IT’S YOUR WORLD, shares some fascinating literacy facts that support why audiobooks are an important addition to any classroom or library.

On February 1st, New York City’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment and BuzzFeed announced the launch of “One Book, One New York,” the first ever community reading program for New York City. “

Many times, when communities consider books for a common reading experience, they are taking into account the entire makeup of their group or groups of people. This undoubtedly includes families with young children and/or teenagers, and what better way to bring this collective group together than to appeal to all age groups? When a book

Welcome to the new Common Reads website!  Featuring a highly-curated list of titles from across all publishing divisions of Penguin Random House, this site was created and designed to help you find the right book and the right resources for your school reading program. Whether you are an educator or a librarian looking for an