How to stay in charge in a world populated by algorithms that beat us in chess, find us romantic partners, and tell us to “turn right in 500 yards.”   Technological solutionism is the belief that every societal problem is a “bug” that needs a “fix” through an algorithm. Technological paternalism is its natural consequence,

As we approach August, school and community leaders are looking for ways to set the tone for a new school year. Each community will have its own expectations to set, academic priorities to spotlight, or values to align on, but no matter what the focus or growth area, a community read or all school read

Featured in New York Public Library’s “Books for All” nation-wide community reading program, The Magic Fish is “a lyrical masterpiece” (BuzzFeed) from “a gifted storyteller” (The New York Times) that has received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. In this award-winning graphic novel, one

Contributed by Prachi Gupta, author of They Called Us Exceptional: And Other Lies That Raised Us, in which she articulates the dissonance, shame, and isolation of being upheld as an American success story while privately navigating traumas invisible to the outside world.  By chronicling the specific experiences of my Indian American family, They Called Us

On March 31, 2025, the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Advisory Board convened for their annual summit. The Board Members, representing a variety of public and private higher education institutions of varying sizes and geographic regions, came together to exchange ideas, discuss the complexity of the current common reading landscape, and provide feedback. The Advisory

Contributed by Ferris Jabr, author of Becoming Earth: A Journey Through the Hidden Wonders that Bring Our Planet to Life, an exhilarating guide to the workings of our planetary symphony—its players, its instruments, and the music of life that emerges—and an invitation to reexamine our place in it.  For more than two centuries, Western science

By Deborah Van Duinen Now in its 11th year, Hope College’s Big Read Lakeshore, an annual month-long community-wide reading program, continues to foster a culture where reading matters in West Michigan’s Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan counties. In collaboration with many libraries, nonprofit organizations, and schools, this annual reading initiative invites thousands of people of all

The following message was sent by PRH CEO Nihar Malaviya to all employees on the second day of Banned Books Week 2024:   September 23, 2024 Hi everyone, Welcome to Banned Books Week! At a time when the freedom to read is under attack, it is more important than ever to celebrate the books that

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a series of resources designed to deepen student and faculty learning and engagement with Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier to support first-year reading and orientation programs, as well as other campus reading programs. As a supplement to bulk orders of Build

Red at the Bone has become one of the most banned books in the country with teachers, librarians, and community leaders fighting to keep this seminal book on shelves. Riverhead Books has created a special “Defense Kit” to aid those seeking to defend Red at the Bone and freedom of expression itself. The Kit features a letter from Jacqueline, discussion questions from

In a world of often confusing and terrifying global problems, how should we make choices in our everyday lives? Does anything on the individual level really make a difference? In Catastrophe Ethics, Travis Rieder tackles the moral philosophy puzzles that bedevil us. He explores vital ethical concepts from history and today and offers new ways

Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) has announced the theme for its 2024-2025 Common Reading List: “One Book… at a Time,” which includes three Penguin Random House titles: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold by Daniel James Brown, I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys, and The Wishing Game: