YA nonfiction – The Lerner Blog

Lullabies for the Insomniacs: An Interview with Author Ella Grace Foutz

In Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse, Ella Grace Foutz weaves an intimate and gripping chronicle of her experience with mental illness. Amidst the turbulence of manic and depressive episodes, often accompanied by insomnia, she relentlessly pursues stability and self-understanding. Balancing poignancy with moments of levity, Foutz invites the reader along for her […]Read more

Author Interviews

Arm in Arm: An Interview with Author Angelica Shirley Carpenter

As historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” and the Grimké sisters were anything but well-behaved. Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some of the first women to speak out about abolition and women’s rights. Arm in Arm: The Grimké Sisters’ Fight […]Read more

Author Interviews

Speaking Out Loud: The Voices Behind the New YA Nonfiction Ban This!

What would you do if your school removed books from the library—books that reflected your identity, your history, your reality? In Ban This!: How One School Fought Two Book Bans and Won (and How You Can Too), a powerful group of students and educators from Central York High School in Pennsylvania show exactly how they […]Read more

Collections

YA Nonfiction Roundup: Real Stories. Big Ideas.

The YA nonfiction genre can offer powerful ways for teens to connect with the world around them. These titles bring real voices, real stories, and real issues to the forefront—ideal for sparking critical thinking, empathy, and meaningful discussion.Read more

Author Interviews

Speaking on Climate: An Interview with Author Rune Kier Nielsen

The climate crisis won’t wait—are you eager to speak up and inspire change? Speaking on Climate is a rousing guide that breaks down the common pitfalls of climate rhetoric and how you can avoid them through creating effective speeches that will motivate audiences to make meaningful change. Today author Rune Kier Nielson joins us to […]Read more

Author Interviews

A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: An Interview with Author Rebecca E. Hirsch

For the fans of science, history, and gothic horror, A Deathly Compendium of Poisonous Plants: Wicked Weeds and Sinister Seeds entertains and informs with profiles on nature’s deadliest plants. The gorgeously intricate illustrations by Eugenia Nobati set the tone for a wild journey into the fascinating histories of these plants as implements of medicine, warfare, […]Read more

Author Interviews

The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Author Interview with Lee Wind

Undertake a journey to examine gender identity and representation throughout history in The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World by Lee Wind. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. Historical evidence and primary […]Read more

Author Interviews

Wildfire: An Interview with Authors Ferin Davis Anderson and Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Wildfire is a natural process that takes place in forests and grasslands all over the world. Although commonly seen as destructive and deadly, fire is a necessary part of ecosystems; they refresh the land and allow for new plant growth. Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire examines how Indigenous people, farmers, and forestry departments […]Read more

Author Interviews

Pigeons at War: An Interview with Author Connie Goldsmith

Pigeons were the unsung heroes of both world wars. In Pigeons at War: How Avian Heroes Changed History by Connie Goldsmith, readers discover how these unassuming birds were crucial to communications between Allied troops. When phone, radio, and telegraph lines were cut or officers needed to send top secret messages, pigeons delivered information from the […]Read more

Best of the blog