Happy Book Birthday: New Graphic Novels, Fiction, and Nonfiction

By Megan Ciskowski, Associate Publicist

Check out January new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

By Jon Fishman, Executive Editor, Lerner Sports

From baby animals and blooming flowers to rainstorms and galoshes, signs of spring have finally arrived after a typically long Minnesota winter. For many sports fans, spring also signals the start of Major League Baseball (MLB).

For me, spring was more special than usual this year because MLB’s Opening Day coincided with the appearance on bookstore shelves of award-winning sports author Matt Doeden’s It’s Outta Here! The Might a nd Majesty of the Home Run. The action-packed text covers every aspect of baseball’s biggest hits, from the longest and strangest home runs to the physics of hitting the ball out of the park.

With baseball on my mind, I asked Doeden a few questions about the book and what he thinks about the current state of MLB.

Graphic novels are some of the most popular stories for young readers, and graphic nonfiction is no exception. Today we visit the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction with author Blake Hoena. His most recent graphic novel series, Athletes Who Made a Difference, follows four legendary sports heroes from their early years to pro careers. Through grit, leadership, and resistance these individuals were able to change the world around them. Read on to discover how the graphic novel format is perfect for these athletes’ stories and to learn more about Narrative Nonfiction.