Not Done Yet: An Interview with Author Tameka Fryer Brown and Illustrator Nina Crews

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!

We are so pleased to share that we have added a new series nonfiction publisher, Cheriton Children’s Books, to the Lerner Publisher Services roster. Cheriton believes that education begins by sparking an interest and then fanning that flame. Keep reading to learn more about their engaging series such as Disaster Zone, Energy Evolutions, Help! Study Hacks, and It Happened to Me.

June 20 is World Refugee Day, observed to acknowledge the right of anyone, anywhere, to seek safety. Below, discover nonfiction books that recount true stories of refugees around the world and discuss refugee rights, along with fiction picks that reflect refugee experiences.

Learn more about World Refugee Day here.

Students have no shortage of information at their fingertips. How can educators and librarians instill in readers the capability to discern fact from fiction, interpret data, and navigate and evaluate the information they receive?

Information literacy encompasses the set of skills that allow readers discover information, process and evaluate it, and use it to inform their decisions. Younger readers might begin developing these skills by being introduced to concepts like bias, hoaxes, and parody, while older readers can empower themselves by understanding exactly how and why misinformation spreads.

We’ve rounded up several books that tackle topics readers have likely seen mentioned in the headlines: the spread of disinformation, conspiracy theories, and fake news. These titles also explore ways that disinformation can be combatted – both by media professionals and by readers themselves.

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech at the March on Washington, he did not stand alone. He was joined by Rabbi Joachim Prinz, a refugee from Nazi Germany, who also addressed the crowd. Though Rabbi Prinz and Dr. King came from very different backgrounds, they were united by a shared belief in justice. And they knew that remaining silent in the face of injustice was wrong. The new picture book The Rabbi and the Reverend: Joachim Prinz, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Their Fight Against Silence tells the story of how these two figures spoke up and fought for a better future.

Audrey Ades, author of The Rabbi and the Reverend, joined us to talk about their own literary inspirations and reveal the inspiration they had for this impactful title.

The Lerner Blog