Read On!

This November, honor Native American Heritage Month by reading the following JLG Selections that pay tribute to Indigenous stories and voices. These lists have been curated by editorial experts for your library.

Current/Upcoming JLG Titles 

Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills    
Sports Elementary: November 2024  
“The pursuit of a dream will heal you. Do this and you could have wings of an eagle.” After Billy Mills lost his mother as a child, he followed his father’s advice, finding “strength when I move.” Coauthor Donna Janell Bowan and Mills, a member of the Oglala Lakota Tribe, share the story of Mills’s childhood and his perseverance as a runner, eventually competing—and winning a gold medal—at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.  

American Indians’ Right to Vote  
Instructional Nonfiction History Grades 3-5: November 2024  
With voting rights and access commonly featured in today’s news, this book provides a timely, focused look at past and current issues facing...

Happy PRIDE, everyone! This June, we were able to chat with K. Ancrum, author of the JLG Selection Icarus, featured in our Mystery High Plus category—perfect for readers grades 9 and up. In this author feature, you’ll learn about K.’s art background, the support she offers to her communities, and why she writes for her YA queer audience:

Young students are facing a national mental health crisis, and to help combat these struggles, social and emotional learning (SEL) standards are being implemented in schools. Helping students develop these lifelong skills is a momentous task, but don’t fear—JLG is here to support you and your library! In this blog post, we’ll explore how libraries can cultivate SEL skills by encouraging readers’ self-discovery, creating a safe space for communication, and stocking your collection with titles that have positive messages and spark thoughtful discussions around topics like ethics, kindness, and relationships. 

Celebrate National Women’s History Month with a few recommendations from our esteemed editorial team!

Take ten minutes out of your day to learn more about how Boston Weatherford and her artistically talented son, Jeffery Boston Weatherford, collaborate and co-author projects, the advice she has for Black students experiencing erasure in their histories, and how critical fabulation can help strengthen librarian’s curation efforts. Ultimately, you’ll learn of Boston Weatherford’s dedication to the African American experience and her anti-racist writing that explores a balance of empathy and activism: 

“I don’t think there needs to be that dichotomy or tension between writing about Black trauma or joy—they are both very real and we don’t have to choose one or the other. The tension is real; we carry it within us. We have a right to joy, but we also need justice, which means being true to our pasts and exposing injustices.”