From the Tops of the Trees: An Interview with Author Kao Kalia Yang

Even in the most difficult circumstances there is joy and love. From the Tops of the Trees is a powerful true story of a young girl who has never known life outside the Ban Vinai Refugee Camp. For Kalia and her cousins, life isn’t always easy, but they still find ways to play, racing with chickens and riding a beloved pet dog. When she asks her father if all of the world is a refugee camp, he climbs with her to the top of a tree so she can see the world beyond the fences that confine them. With sensitive prose and evocative illustrations, this beautiful picture book encourages young readers of all ages and circumstances to believe in their dreams.

Award-winning author Kao Kalia Yang joins us today to discuss her inspiration for this story, the special relationship between fathers and daughters, and much more.

As the new school year kicks off in person and virtually, we are releasing new Lerner Digital products that are sure to fit your needs at home, school, and in-between. The latest additions to our Audisee and Audiobook programs cover a wide range of curricular and high-interest topics, with a special offering of author-narrated books to add authenticity to the reading and listening experience.

The new celebratory picture book, Hair Story, follows Preciosa and Rudine as they play hair salon and take inspiration from their moms, their neighbors, their ancestors, and cultural icons. They soon discover that their hair holds roots of the past and threads of the future. With rhythmic, rhyming verse and vibrant collage art, author NoNieqa Ramos and illustrator Keisha Morris taken an intersectional look at natural hair.

Read on to hear author NoNieqa Ramos describe her inspiration for the story, the significance of the characters’ names, and more. Download a free teaching guide for Hair Story at the end!

By Megan Ciskowski, Assistant Publicist

For almost seventy-five years the history behind the Tulsa Race Massacre was undocumented and omitted. Now with the 100th anniversary approaching on May 31st and June 1st, it’s crucial we take time to remember the victims and share their stories with readers of all ages.

The picture book Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre traces the history of African Americans in Tulsa’s Greenwood district and chronicles the devastation that occurred in 1921 when a white mob attacked the Black community. Celebrated author Carole Boston Weatherford and acclaimed illustrator Floyd Cooper provide a sensitive and powerful introduction to one of the worst incidents of racial violence in our nation’s history.

Continue reading to find numerous resources and articles associated with Unspeakable that you can use to begin discussing the anniversary with your readers. Visit the Unspeakable page on the Lerner website for more information.

History has often ignored men who loved men, women who loved women, and people who lived outside gender boundaries. In No Way, They Were Gay?: Hidden Lives and Secret Loves, author Lee Wind examines primary source letters, poems, and more to rethink the lives and loves of historical figures.

Today Lee joins us to give readers insight into the inspiration and purpose of this fascinating YA nonfiction!