Get Ready for Shark Week!

Sharks have captivated our imaginations for centuries. These awe-inspiring creatures of the deep sea continue to be a subject of fascination and intrigue, and these shark books offer a range of perspectives and insights into their captivating world that will be perfect reading for Shark Week.

Deep dive into the remarkable lives of sharks with our book recommendations. Perfect reading for the beach right?

With the sun shining brighter and the days growing longer, there’s no better time to dive into a collection of thrilling books that will take you to far-away destinations and extraordinary experiences. To enhance your summer reading experience, we have a special surprise in store for you! We’ve created a checklist of topics to guide your reading adventures.

Simply check off each topic as you delve into a book that aligns with it, and let the checklist inspire you to delve into new titles. So, grab your summer gear, find a cozy spot, and get ready to explore with our handpicked selection of adventurous summer reads!

Reluctant readers sometimes think of historical nonfiction as “vitamins”—more obligation than entertainment. But YA nonfiction can be so much more than that! Good books make history come alive.

Yet frequently those books come packaged within covers that feel a little too historic. How can a book’s cover design be both appropriate to its topic, while also fresh and exciting? How can a designer give a book the best chance of grabbing potential readers’ attention without misleading them as to its genre? Read on to find out the answers to these questions!

by Carol Hinz, Associate Publisher of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

I love picture book biographies, both because of the fascinating range of people featured and because of the wide range of approaches authors use in writing them. Would I have known about Isatou Ceesay’s efforts to clean up her community in the Gambia if it weren’t for One Plastic Bag? Would I have had any idea how Cherokee values shaped Mary Golda Ross’s career as an aerospace engineer without Classified? Would I have been aware that a Mexican American teen girl with a passion for woodworking made a gift for President Roosevelt during the Great Depression if not for the forthcoming Piece by Piece?

Picture book bios are a mainstay of children’s nonfiction, but there are a lot of them, which can make it hard to stand out from the crowd. What elements does a picture book bio need to be successful?

The new YA novel The Weight of Everything strikes the perfect balance between grief, romance, and self-exploration through the eyes of one girl’s personal experience. Six months ago, Sarah’s beloved mother died in a car accident. Her dad fell apart, and Sarah had to leave her fine arts boarding school to take care of him and her little brother. She’s sure she doesn’t have the time or emotional energy for a relationship with her sweet, handsome classmate, David Garza. But when a school project leads her to delve into her mother’s Mexican and Guatemalan roots and rediscover her love of art, her perspective shifts.

Today award-winning author Marcia Argueta Mickelson joins us to discuss how she relates to Sarah’s story, her inspiration, and her creative process. Read on to download two free educator resources!