By the time he was twenty-seven, Kwame Onwuachi had competed on Top Chef, cooked at the White House, and opened and closed one of the most talked about restaurants in America. Despite his young age, his success wasn’t won overnight: working in Manhattan, he was forced to grapple with just how unwelcoming the world of

In July 2019, the reddit community r/books selected the acclaimed novel There There as their book of the month. Tommy Orange joined the group for an AMA (Ask Me Anything), answering an array of questions covering everything from his book to his writing process to his favorite flavors of ice cream. Read a selection of

Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson explores the themes of loneliness and trauma as a young Native American boy named Sequoyah experiences life in the foster care system. This 2018 National Book Award Finalist is about a broken teenager’s search for his identity and the hardships of being displaced. Sequoyah lives his life always keeping his feelings buried, until he is placed with the Troutt family. There he meets Rosemary, a friend and confidant who, like him, is a Native American child living in the foster care system.

Kindred by Octavia Butler has been chosen by the University of Iowa’s General Education Literature program to be their feature title for a second year. The program focuses on helping students become comfortable reading different kinds of texts with historical, social, political and cultural contexts. It is geared towards non English majors to improve their reading and writing skills as well as generate interest in an English major. The overall goal is to create a perpetual habit of reading for students.

      This brochure highlights titles that have editions for both adults and young readers. Choosing a title for a common read that has both editions allows for a true common read experience where all readers, from kids to adults, can read the same book and share in the experience.        

By Kayla, 7th-grade student, City Springs Elementary/Middle School What happens when a community decides to tackle some of the most complex issues of our time? What happens when we decide to stare racism and police brutality in the face and seek to find ways to overcome it? We came together as a city to try

Introduced to American movies and pop music while growing up in Somalia, Abdi Nor Iftin fell in love with the idea of America long before he could find the country on a map. As the Somali Civil War broke out, Abdi grew desensitized to the violence around him: avoiding gunfire during his daily trip to

We’re pleased to share videos from the First-Year Experience® Conference held in Las Vegas, NV this past February. If you weren’t able to join us for our author events at the conference, or would simply like to hear the talks again, please take a moment to view the clips below.   Penguin Random House Author

On April 11, Mayor Michael B. Hancock announced The Cardboard Kingdom as the selection for the Youth One Book, One Denver program. The YOBOD summer reading program offers children ages 9–12 a chance to read along with peers and enjoy fun, educational programming, with activities tied to the book’s themes. A goal of the program

On February 15, 2019, the Penguin Random House First-Year Reading Advisory Board convened for their annual summit the day before The First-Year Experience® Conference exhibit and sessions commenced. The Board members, representing a variety of public and private higher education institutions of varying sizes, came together to exchange ideas, and provide feedback and guidance. Our five attending board members, along with

“I have a strong urge to write something that will change people. I want to create a piece so moving that people are in disbelief. And I want it to be like handing people a pair of glasses, giving them a way of seeing something they didn’t even realize they weren’t seeing.” —Mallory Smith   Salt

The Iowa Center for the Book Chooses Land of Permanent Goodbyes as the 2019 All Iowa Reads for ages 12-18. The novel, set in Syria, tells the story of a refugee escaping his war-torn country in search of survival. Author Atia Abawi, a journalist and refugee herself, captures the hope that spurs people forward against