Let's talk about the Confederate Flag, y'all. It's time. As I write these thoughts, I'm sitting at the exact location where Confederate soldiers met the "Federal Front Line" of the Union Army during the Battle of Franklin in the Civil Wa…
We have spent more time listening than talking this difficult weekend. But I woke up this morning knowing I want to make it perfectly 100% clear where Kristen and I stand: Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter. This …
We've honored Black History Month in various ways here over the years, and in particular, we've shared lots of children's and YA books -- even the tough ones -- that help us teach our kids, and inspire important conversations at home. Bu…
We all fell in love with artist Karen Hallion's "She Series" empowered heroines poster last year, which featured some of our favorite fictional badass ladies (plus Eliza Hamilton). This week, she announced a brand new limited-edition pos…
The passing of Toni Morrison today at the age of 88 is a serious gut punch to me. I think a lot of writers -- and readers -- are feeling it in a very personal way. I was first introduced to the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize-winning auth…
With July 4th coming, up, this is a time my family often discusses what it means to be American, how we can make the country better, safer, and more equitable for other Americans, and what we can do to help live up to our nation's promis…
Artist Dano Wall is blowing up the internet with his 3-D printed Harriet Tubman $20 bill stamp . It's designed to fit perfectly where her portrait was slated to replace Andrew Jackson's portrait in 2020 , as decided in part by popular vo…
Okay, ladies, let's get in formation -- because it's time to celebrate Women's History Month. While there are lots of things we can do, one is to read up on those incredible women, who have paved the way for so many of us. So we've put t…
I believe if Women's History Month gives you an opportunity to learn even even one single new story about important women in history who you didn't know before -- and then share that story with your kids -- then that would be fantastic. …
Last night's 2019's Best Picture award at the Oscars went to Green Book , a film based (ever so loosely) on a real relationship between prominent Black jazz pianist and classically trained musician Dr. Don Shirley, and his hired driver, …
Whether we're taking the time to celebrate our own heritage or exploring those different cultures and backgrounds of our friends and neighbors that help make America what it is, books are always a favorite way for me to learn with my kid…
Children's books that deal with slavery and other dark aspects of America's history often wrap stories up neatly, with messages of hope and freedom and and liberty and justice for all. But of course, that's not the way things often go. A…
While our 2018 Holiday Gift Guide is up and running with hundreds of gift ideas, there are still a few very specific types of people on our lists that you might be shopping for. In my case, I'm thinking of all the incredible, engaged, ac…
I first discovered artist TL Duryea's daily portrait project at the beginning of the year. It was through her portrait of Judge Rosemary Aquilina who presided over the Larry Nassar - US Gymnastics hearings. I was just floored at how beau…
Today is the 55th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom , which mean it's also the anniversary of his incomparable I Have A Dream speech. We can't think of a better way to honor the day…
I love a good novel, but there's just something special about memoirs. Seeing how other people use the raw material of their lives -- whether chaotic or painful or just unusual -- to create a story fascinates me completely. And for those…
This week, we're coming up on the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth. As he prepares to head to Kenya and South Africa, in part to honor the occasion, Barack Obama shared a recommended reading list on his Facebook page, and it's…
This year, I've rounded up 7 amazing beach reads from women of color that I think make the perfect escape. Because as parents, we know that our lying-by-the-pool time is sorely limited, and it's important to choose something we'll love. …
This year, a lot of readers and Facebook fans and even some of our own team have mentioned that they feel different about July 4th this year. You too? You're not alone. In 2018, Gallup released a poll stating that fewer people feel proud…
When I left our sold-out Black Panther theater on opening night, I wanted to run out and start shouting on the street, SEE THIS MOVIE NOW! In brief: It was just spectacular: The casting is stellar, the special effects are killer, the pro…
After attending the NY Toy Fair each year, there's always one product I'm really excited about having discovered, making me want to run back to my laptop and share it with you all immediately. While there were actually quite a few great …
It's Black History Month and hopefully you and your children are spending time learning and celebrating our nation's Black inventors and innovators , activists and leaders . There are just so many wonderful children's books about African…
Today is World Read Aloud Day (or for those of us on social media, #WorldReadAloudDay) and there are so many great ways to celebrate with your kids. And not just today, either! When you consider how essential a love of reading is to a ch…
As avid advocates of diverse books of all kinds, but especially diverse children's books, we work hard to share carefully curated lists of children's books. Our amazing writers have shared impressive lists of wonderful books about divers…