Greetings from Columbus, Ohio, where it was 70 degrees today and should drop down to 33 degrees sometime tomorrow night. I’m here for my very first AASL conference, and I’m enjoying the sight of so many school librarians exploring the city. I’ve made a quick sweep of the trade show floor, and it’s exciting to see all the fantastic books publishers have been making recently. Seeing so much competition definitely helps to inspire me as I come up with new ideas for our nonfiction books.

Are you here in Columbus too? Stop by the Lerner booth to check out books from all of our imprints and to ask any questions you might have of our intrepid sales and marketing team. In the meantime, I’ll be meeting as many librarians as I can and finding out what they (you?) are looking for in our upcoming books.

I traveled to Columbus by airplane today, which reminds me that I haven’t yet told you about our awesome new STEM-focused series Engineering Keeps Us Safe, which includes the title What Makes Vehicles Safer? (Yes, that was a stretch of a transition. I know.) Any young reader who might have fears or concerns about flying, traveling by car, or traveling by boat will learn some of the fascinating technology in those vehicles aimed at keeping people safe.

   

The four titles in this set explain how scientists and engineers in four different fields have created and updated technology to make our lives easier and safer. For instance, have you heard about computer glasses? This medical tool allows surgeons to look at a patient’s X-rays during surgery! That means the surgeon doesn’t need to turn away from the patient for even a second. And did you know that in an avalanche, smaller bits of rock, ice, or people can wind up at the bottom of the pile? An inflatable pack worn by a hiker can keep that hiker above a pile of rubble, and keep him or her safe. Read more about these and other modern technological marvels that keep people safe.