Unretouchable: An Interview with Author Sofia Szamosi

In the new YA graphic novel by debut author Sofia Szamosi, readers follow Olive as she spends the summer before art school at a coveted internship helping one of the fashion industry’s elite digital-imaging specialists. After a glamourous New York photoshoot, she learns that taking pictures is only the first step andis thrown into the world of image retouching software. Soon she is fixating on her own appearance and pondering the ethics of her work behind the scenes. Unretouchable is a window into a hugely influential world of fashion photography and a tribute to self-acceptance.

Today we welcome author and illustrator Sofia Szamosi as she shares her greatest influences, the themes of the book, and what she thinks of the current fashion industry.

In the new History in Pictures series, readers will take a close look at the past. These books go beyond the basics and inform readers how historical events relate to social justice issues today. As part of the Read Woke™ Books collection, these titles were created in partnership with the Read Woke librarian, Cicely Lewis. Lewis created a Read Woke challenge at her school to engage students with what was happening in the world around them. Read Woke Books challenge social norms, give voice to the silenced, and share the perspective from underrepresented groups. Learn more and find free teaching guides here and get an inside look at the History in Pictures series below.

Did you know that a sloth baby will stay with its mother for up to 12 months? Discover the mysterious lives of sloths with scientist Dr. Rebecca Cliffe and photographer Suzi Eszterhas in the new middle grade nonfiction The Adventures of Dr. Sloth: Rebecca Cliffe and Her Quest to Protect Sloths.

Today author and photographer Suzi Eszterhas joins us to talk about her love of sloths, her greatest sloth adventure, and her hopes for the book. And read on to catch up on some special sloth news!

By Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist

Check out April new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

Plastic products are everywhere, from bottles to sandwich bags. The new photo picture book Washed Ashore: Making Art from Ocean Plastic combines biology and art to show young readers how so many of these plastic products end up in the ocean after use. Each spread features a sculpture created completely from ocean trash by artist and Washed Ashore founder Angela Haseltine Pozzi.

Both colorful and fun, author and photographer Kelly Crull has written an informative and powerful call to action for young readers to be active participants in saving the ocean. Read on to discover his inspiration, research process, and more. Don’t forget to download the free educator resource!