Nearer My Freedom Cover Design Historic Topic, Contemporary Cover

Reluctant readers sometimes think of historical nonfiction as “vitamins”—more obligation than entertainment. But YA nonfiction can be so much more than that! Good books make history come alive.

Yet frequently those books come packaged within covers that feel a little too historic. How can a book’s cover design be both appropriate to its topic, while also fresh and exciting? How can a designer give a book the best chance of grabbing potential readers’ attention without misleading them as to its genre? Read on to find out the answers to these questions!

Honor and Fidelity. That is the motto of the 65th Infantry Regiment, the only Puerto Rican unit in the United States Army. Discover their story in the new YA nonfiction Men of the 65th: The Borinqueneers of the Korean War.

Today author Talia Aikens-Nuñez joins us on the Lerner blog to share her inspiration, a surprising research discovery, and her hopes for the young adults learning about the Borinqueneers for the first time. Read on to download the free discussion guide!

Check out March new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

Check out February new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

Today’s guest post comes to us from Lee Wind, author of No Way, They Were Gay? His book, a fascinating look at the hidden lives and secret loves of twelve well-known historical figures, came out in April 2021. Since then, it has been challenged or banned in a number of school districts despite meeting Social Studies curriculum standards and receiving critical recognition and praise. Read on to learn about Lee’s first-hand experience, and find out more about how you can fight censorship.