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It’s the first of September, so that means we’re unleashing some fabulous Fall 2015 books on the world! Here are our picture books and YA titles to look for in your local bookstore:

Since we’re off for the holiday next Thursday, I wanted to take this opportunity to wish each and every one of our blog readers a very Happy Thanksgiving.

May you take in the big parade,

enjoy a scrumptious meal,

maybe watch some football,

and be surrounded by the love of family and friends.

Are you as shocked as I am that today is Earth Day? I suppose it depends on where you live. Here in Minnesota, we still have SNOW ON THE GROUND. And the forecast for tonight? Why, it’s another 3-5 inches of the white stuff! But I have heard rumors that spring might actually be headed our way late this week or early the following week.

All that being said, the point of this blog post is not to garner pity from you, our dear readers. Rather, I was looking back at some of our books and seeing that we have some nice offerings for Earth Day—and for any other day of the year in which you’re feeling ecologically inclined!

Our Cloverleaf Books Planet Protectors 7-book set is a nice introduction to environmental topics for grades PreK-2. The books feature an engaging picture book format, spunky narrators, and great illustrations.

If you’re ready to get your hands dirty (literally!), check out Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: A Compost Story. This wonderful book by Linda Glaser follows a family as they create a compost pile and then use the compost in their own garden the following spring.

The Cloverleaf titles would actually pair well with this book, and I think it would be fun for kids to see two different approaches to how they can do their part in helping to make our planet a cleaner place!

Happy New Year to each and every one of you from the Lerner imprint! Call me crazy, but January may be one of my favorite times in Minnesota. Why? It’s inevitably chilly here this time of year, and giant, fluffy snowbanks often line your house on every side. It’s not unusual to find yourself snowed in—or at least reluctant to travel far—as sparkly flakes pile up. What better time to curl up with a blanket and some hot tea and read a great book?

Below are a handful of the cold-weather reads that I recommend from Lerner. May this January find you with a great book in hand…and perhaps with a cozy blanket and some hot tea too!

In honor of tomorrow’s big day, I thought I’d share a little bit about our latest Christmas book, Carter’s Christmas. This book is part of our Cloverleaf Books Fall and Winter Holidays set.

For me, part of the fun of Carter’s Christmas book is learning about the origins of some of our Christmas traditions. For instance, did you know that long ago, before the advent of Christianity, Europeans decorated their homes with evergreens at this time of year? As time passed and Christianity spread, evergreen trees in homes became popular at Christmastime in Germany. German immigrants helped bring the tradition to the United States. You can find out much more about the fascinating history of Christmas trees here.

Whether you celebrate Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or some combination thereof, I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season and a very happy new year!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Lerner Publishing Group. Eat tasty food, visit family, give thanks, and relax with a great book. You could even try one of our Thanksgiving books!

The Dangerous Duo are all dressed up today for Halloween! That’s Patricia Stockland (left) of Lerner Publications and Domenica Di Piazza (right) of TFCB. We went for the ninja/flamenco look, in case you were wondering. Hope you’re having just as much fun at work today as we are!

Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, begins later this week. We have a new book about Ramadan as is part of our Cloverleaf Books Holidays and Special Days series.

Rashad’s Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr focuses on a young boy in a Muslim family. (A Somali family living in the U.S., to be precise.) While he is too young to fast during daylight hours throughout the month, he does fast for one day. The book touches on when Ramadan happens (and why it starts on a different day every year), what Muslims do during Ramadan, and how people celebrate the end of Ramadan: gathering and feasting on Eid al-Fitr!

The end of the book includes a fun, simple craft called a moon can. This is something that all kids can make and use, regardless of their faith. During Ramadan, it’s customary to give food or money to the poor. The moon can is a decorated can (such as an empty soup can) that can be used to save money that will be donated to help people in need.

As it happens, this year Ramadan coincides with the Olympic Games. Did you know that there will be approximately 3,500 Muslim athletes competing? Check out this article for more about how these athletes will be observing Ramadan while at the Olympics.