Tag: YA nonfiction

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 have used fire to manage resources and how climate change is impacting the future of fire.

Today authors Ferin David Anderson and Stephanie Sammartino McPherson join us on the Lerner blog to discuss the initial inspiration behind the book, the collaboration process, and more. Read on to find a free downloadable discussion guide!

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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 front.

Today author Connie Goldsmith joins us to describe her writing process, hopes for young readers, her favorite pigeon from history, and more!

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Weed: An Interview with Author Caitlin Donohue

Weed: Cannabis Culture in the Americas is a wide-reaching and inclusive collection of interviews which will satisfy young adult readers curious in the unique plant’s history and future.

Culture writer and journalist Caitlin Donohue joins us today to discuss why a book like this is so important and what she hopes young readers will find in the text.

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Nearer My Freedom Cover Design Historic Topic, Contemporary Cover

By Athena Currier, Senior Designer

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!

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Men of the 65th: An Interview with Author Talia Aikens-Nuñez

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!

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