Poetry for the Hearth

By Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist

Snow keeps falling here in Minneapolis, and if I had a fireplace, I’d be lounging in front of it. Personally, I think poetry is perfect for days like today. When blizzards swirl the snow into a frenzy, I seek shelter in fuzzy socks and beautiful verse. Poetry occupies the mind and makes the world a playful place. Luckily, Lerner has published an abundance of poetry picture books this fall! Find a new favorite from the list below and read until the temperatures rise above zero again.

Today is election day and no one believed more in the power of voting than activist and politician Shirley Chisholm. Not Done Yet: Shirley Chisholm’s Fight for Change chronicles Shirley’s journey from teaching to entering politics, eventually becoming the first Black woman ever elected to Congress—and, in 1972, the first woman of any race to seriously run for president. Through poetry and digital illustration, author Tameka Fryer Brown and artist Nina Crews celebrate Chisholm’s determination and her commitment to working for rights for all. Although Chisholm is gone, her legacy lives on, continuing to inspire those who fight for fairness and change.

Today Tameka Fryer Brown and Nina Crews join us to discuss this stunning picture book biography. Read on to find a video from the author and information about how you can go vote!

by Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist

Check out the November new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

by Libby Stille, Publicist

Check out February new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

By Carol Hinz, Editorial Director of Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books

While working on the books Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship and Seeing into Tomorrow: Poems by Richard Wright, I couldn’t help noticing commonalities between the two.

Both are volumes of poetry and both explore race and identity. Yet the books differ as well—Can I Touch Your Hair? is primarily for kids in grades 4 and above and has multiple contributors—it’s co-written by Irene Latham and Charles Waters and co-illustrated by Sean Qualls and Selina Alko—and Seeing into Tomorrow could easily be shared with preschoolers on up and was compiled and illustrated by Nina Crews. Read More