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

  Chicago Public Library’s latest selection for its One Book, One Chicago program is Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?  by Philip K. Dick. First published in 1968, Dick’s novel introduces readers to Rick Deckard, a bounty hunter commissioned to find rogue androids during the 2021 World War. A prescient rendering of a dark future, Do

Read Brave Saint Paul has officially launched its citywide, intergenerational reading program. This year’s theme focuses on housing, a critical topic in Saint Paul where thousands of people struggle to find affordable living spaces. “We have brave decisions to make about housing in our community and that starts with deep conversations among our residents,” said

  NEA Announces New Additions to the Big Read Library   The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and Arts Midwest have announced six new additions to the 2019 NEA Big Read, a nationwide community reading initiative. With programs centered around a single book, communities come together to share the experience of reading and deepen

 Penguin Random House Author Events at the 38th Annual First-Year Experience® Conference Las Vegas, NV, February 16-19, 2019 Click Here to RSVP Interested in hosting one of these authors at your school? Click their name below to learn more! Clemantine Wamariya Casey Gerald Abdi Nor Iftin Scott Harrison Zachary Wood

By Beth Orsini, 7th Grade ELA Teacher, Melican Middle School The challenge in finding an All School, One Read selection for middle school is that it must resonate with students from grades six to eight, as well as with adults. The book must have compelling characters, those whom students will want to read about in the

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2018 to Denis Mukwege and Nadia Murad “for their efforts to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict.” Physician Denis Mukwege has dedicated his life to helping victims of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Held from September 23 – 29, Banned Books Week is an annual event that brings together the entire book community—readers, librarians, publishers, booksellers, educators, and journalists –in shared support of the freedom to read. Launched in 1982 in response to a tide of challenges to books in schools and libraries, Banned Books Week highlights the

A story across countries, generations, and time, Dream Country follows one single African-and-American family pursuing an elusive dream of freedom from Liberia to America and back. Told in five different sections, Shannon Gibney spins a riveting tale of the nightmarish spiral of death and exile connecting America and Africa, and of how one determined young

Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy has a powerful message and is a frequent choice for first year and community-wide reading programs. In his book, the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative delves deep into the broken U.S. justice system, detailing his many challenges and efforts as a lawyer and social advocate, especially on behalf of America’s

Character units are a part of many lesson plans across schools. Kids are often looking for heroes and character units are a great way to introduce young readers to not just heroes, but how important character is and that it can help everyday people turn into heroes. Welles Crowther did not see himself as hero.

Debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and soon to be a major motion picture, SMALL GREAT THINGS was chosen for the 2017 National Teachers of the Year social justice booklist for high school – adult readers, a resource for educators, parents, community members, and policy makers interested in reaching young people on issues of social justice.