NCTE 2020 Virtual Booth

NCTE 2020 Virtual Booth

NCTE 2020 Virtual Booth

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Each November thousands of literacy educators from across the country make the journey to the NCTE Annual Convention, a conference that inspires their practice and rejuvenates their profession. They leave with strong strategies and best practices for teaching literacy, language, and composition. They learn new ideas for delivering instruction that engages students and addresses the most pressing needs within the school and district. This year, attendees will have these dynamic experiences via our first ever virtual Convention.

Find all our NCTE resources here, including e-galleys, new and noteworthy books, teacher’s guides, giveaways, and more!


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Click to expand: Learn more about NCTE author programming.
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ON-DEMAND SESSION: The Power of Verse: Successful and Practical Approaches to Using Novels in Verse with All Readers
ON-DEMAND SESSION: The Writer in the Composition Classroom

CHRIS BARON is a professor of English at San Diego City College. His first novel, All of Me, was a Southern California Independent Booksellers Association bestseller; A BookRiot Best Children’s Book About Kindness; and an NCTE Notable Book. Newbery Medalist Matt de la Pena called it, “Beautifully written, brilliant, and necessary.” Chris Baron lives in San Diego with his family. His next book is The Magical Imperfect.


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ON-DEMAND SESSION: The Nerdy Book Club: A Confluence of Readers and Writers

MAHOGANY L. BROWN is a California-born, Brooklyn-based writer, organizer, mentor, and curator. She has published several books of poetry and facilitates performance poetry and writing workshops throughout the country. She is an Agnes Gund, Cave Canem, AIR Serenbe, Poets House, Rauschenberg fellow, and the current artistic director of Urban Word NYC. Her previous books for young readers include Woke Baby and Black Girl Magic. Her most recent work is Woke.


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ALAN WORKSHOP LIVE SESSION: Responding to Trauma
Monday, November 23rd

2:00-2:25PM MST / 4:00-4:25PM EST

ROCKY CALLEN, the daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant, has long lived a life of service ever since she was a 13-year-old advocating for the undocumented immigrants in her community. She interned at NASA at 12 years old, started lobbying congress at 13, and wrote and produced student radio stories at NPR at 14.

A behavioral therapist for over ten years, she received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives outside of Washington, DC with her husband, daughter, and baby boy. Rocky founded the Bleed Ink Foundation, a creative hub and resource center for writers, and the HoldOn2Hope Project, which unites creatives in suicide prevention and mental health awareness. A Breath Too Late is her debut novel.


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LIVE SESSION: Affirming Identities and Building Empathy through MG and PB Latinx Literature
Sunday, November 22

8:30-9:45AM MST / 10:30-11:45AM EST

ADRIANNA CUEVAS is the author of The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez. She is a first-generation Cuban-American originally from Miami, Florida. After teaching Spanish and ESOL for sixteen years, she decided to pursue her passion for storytelling. Adrianna currently resides outside of Austin, TX with her husband and son where they enjoy hiking, traveling, and cooking lots of Cuban food.


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ON-DEMAND SESSION: A Confluence of Chapter Books: Empowering Young Readers by Celebrating Our Differences

ANGELA DOMINGUEZ is the author and illustrator of several books for children including Maria Had a Little Llama, which received the American Library Association Pura Belpré Illustration Honor. When Angela is not in her studio, she teaches at the Academy of Art University, which honored her with their Distinguished Alumni Award in 2013. She also enjoys presenting at different schools and libraries to all sorts of ages. Angela is a proud member of SCBWI, PEN America, and represented by Wernick and Pratt Literary Agency. As a child, she loved reading books and making a mess creating pictures. She’s delighted to still be doing both. Her most recent work is Stella Diaz Never Gives Up.


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LIVE SESSION: Expanding the Argument for Diverse Literature: Equity, Comprehension, and Social Learning in Classrooms and Communities
Sunday, November 22nd

11:45-1:00PM MST / 1:45-3:00PM EST

ZETTA ELLIOTT is a black feminist writer of poetry, plays, essays, novels, and stories for children. Her poetry has been published in We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices, and her picture book, Bird, won the Honor Award in Lee & Low Books’ New Voices Contest and the Paterson Prize for Books for Young Readers. Her most recent work is A Place Inside of Me. She lives in West Philadelphia.


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ON-DEMAND SESSION: The Nerdy Book Club: A Confluence of Readers and Writers

MOLLY IDLE is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Honor Book Flora and the Flamingo and the Flora series, the Rex series, and Pearl. Molly lives in sunny Arizona with her marvelous, multigenerational family which includes: her brilliant husband, two mercurial sons, two remarkable parents, and a pair of snugly cats. Her most recent book is We Believe in You.


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ALAN WORKSHOP LIVE SESSION: Writing Our Own Stories
Tuesday, November 24th

9:25-9:45AM MST / 11:25-11:45AM EST

GEORGE M. JOHNSON is a writer and activist based in New York. They have written on race, gender, sex, and culture for Essence, the Advocate, BuzzFeed News, Teen Vogue, and more than forty other national publications. George has appeared on BuzzFeed’s AM2DM as well as on MSNBC. All Boys Aren’t Blue is their debut, and was an Amazon Best Book of the Year, an Indie Bestseller, a People Magazine Best Book of the Year, and optioned for television by Gabrielle Union. The New York Times called it “an exuberant, unapologetic memoir infused with a deep but cleareyed love for its subjects.” At the time of publication, George used he/him pronouns. Speak with them on Twitter: @IamGMJohnson.


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PRE-RECORDED SESSION WITH LIVE Q&A: Native Voices Telling Their Stories: Indigenous #ownvoices Authors
Friday, November 20th

2:30-3:45PM MST / 4:30-5:45PM EST

CAROL LINDSTROM is Anishinabe/Métis and is a proud member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe Indians. She was born and raised in Nebraska and currently makes her home in Maryland. She is the author of Girls Dance, Boys Fiddle and We Are Water Protectors.


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PRE-RECORDED SESSION WITH LIVE Q&A: Beyond the Binary: The Growth of Transgender and Nonbinary Representation in MG and YA
Thursday, November 19th

12:30-1:45PM MST / 2:30-3:45PM EST

ALAN WORKSHOP LIVE SESSION: The Subversive Power of Fairy Tales
Tuesday, November 24
11:10-11:30AM MST / 1:10-1:30PM EST

ANNA-MARIE MCLEMORE was born in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains and taught by their family to hear la llorona in the Santa Ana winds. They are the author of The Weight of Feathers, a finalist for the 2016 William C. Morris Debut Award; 2017 Stonewall Honor Book When the Moon Was Ours, which was longlisted for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature and was the winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award; Wild Beauty, Blanca & Roja, and Dark and Deepest Red.


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ALAN WORKSHOP LIVE SESSION: Unique Abilities
Tuesday, November 24th

1:20-1:40PM MST / 3:20-3:40PM EST

MARISSA MEYER is the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of the Renegades Trilogy, The Lunar Chronicles series, the Wires and Nerve graphic novels, and The Lunar Chronicles Coloring Book. Her first standalone novel, Heartless, was also a #1 New York Times bestseller. Marissa created and hosts a podcast called The Happy Writer. She lives in Tacoma, Washington, with her husband and their two daughters. Her latest book is Instant Karma.


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LIVE SESSION: Children’s Book Award Luncheon
2020 Charlotte Huck Honor Recipient

Saturday, November 21
10:30-12:00PM MST / 12:30-2:00PM EST

MITALI PERKINS has written novels for young readers, including You Bring the Distant Near (a National Book Award Nominee, a Walter Honor Book, A South Asia Book Award Winner, A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Shelf Awareness 2017 Best Book of the Year), Rickshaw Girl (a NYPL Top 100 Book), Bamboo People (an ALA Top 10 YA novel), Between Us and Abuela (A Charlotte Huck Honor Book). Mitali was born in India and currently resides in Northern California.


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PRE-RECORDED SESSION WITH LIVE Q&A: Beyond the Binary: The Growth of Transgender and Nonbinary Representation in MG and YA
Thursday, November 19th

12:30-1:45PM MST / 2:30-3:45PM EST

AIDEN THOMAS, author of Cemetery Boys, received their MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Born in Oakland, California, Aiden often haunted Mountain View Cemetery like a second home during their misspent youth. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden is notorious among their friends for always being surprised by twist endings to books/movies and organizing their bookshelves by color. When not writing, Aiden enjoys exploring the outdoors with their dog, Ronan. Their cat, Figaro, prefers to support their indoor hobbies, like reading and drinking too much coffee.


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ON-DEMAND SESSION: The Nerdy Book Club: A Confluence of Readers and Writers

DASHKA SLATER has written several books, including her non-fiction title for young adults, The 57 Bus, which received the Stonewall Book Award and was a YALSA Nonfiction finalist, among many other honors. She also wrote the picture book Escargot, which won the Wanda Gag Book Award, and its follow-up, A Book for Escargot. Her most recent book is The Book of Fatal Errors.


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Get to know our authors!


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Click on the image above to enter to win a set of finished books from our featured NCTE authors including Mahogany L. Browne, Karen Blumenthal, Rocky Callen, Angela Dominguez, Hafsah Faisal, John Patrick Green, Molly Idle, George M. Johnson, Daniel Kraus, Cynthia Levinson, Carol Lindstrom, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Katy Rose Pool, Dan Santat, Karen Schneemann, Dashka Slater, Aiden Thomas, and Lily Williams.
While supplies last.

Click to expand: Learn more about all the titles included in the giveaway.

Little Fox and the Wild Imagination
by Jorma Taccone

illustrated by Dan Santat
Ages 3-6

This is a collaboration beyond your wildest imagination! Jorma Taccone, from the hit comedy trio The Lonely Island, has paired up with New York Times–bestselling, Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Dan Santat to create a picture book about time, space, and giant-robot-squids.


We Are Water Protectors
by Carol Lindstrom
illustrated by Michaela Goade
Ages 3-6

Inspired by the many Indigenous-led movements across North America, We Are Water Protectors issues an urgent rallying cry to safeguard the Earth’s water from harm and corruption—a bold and lyrical picture book written by Carole Lindstrom and vibrantly illustrated by Michaela Goade.


We Believe In You by Beth Ferry; illustrated by Molly Idle
Ages 3-6

New York Times-bestselling author Beth Ferry and Caldecott honoree Molly Idle join forces in this stunning new picture book about the power and joy of believing in yourself and in one another.




Stella Diaz Has Something to Say by Angela Dominguez
Ages 6-9

Stella Diaz loves marine animals, especially her betta fish, Pancho. But Stella Diaz is not a betta fish. Betta fish like to be alone, while Stella loves spending time with her mom and brother and her best friend Jenny. Trouble is, Jenny is in another class this year, and Stella feels very lonely.

When a new boy arrives in Stella’s class, she really wants to be his friend, but sometimes Stella accidentally speaks Spanish instead of English and pronounces words wrong, which makes her turn roja. Plus, she has to speak in front of her whole class for a big presentation at school! But she better get over her fears soon, because Stella Díaz has something to say!


Investigators by John Patrick Green
Ages 7-10

MANGO and BRASH are the INVESTIGATORS:
sewer-loving agents of S.U.I.T. and scourge of supervillains everywhere! John Patrick Green’s goofy graphic novel series follows the super spy alligator duo as they travel through the sewers and fight the forces of evil.




The Book of Fatal Errors by Dashka Slater
Ages 8-12

Rufus doesn’t just make mistakes – he makes fatal errors. Clumsy and awkward, he feels entrapped by his teasing classmates and their constant laughter. But now it is summer. Rufus is free. He roams the wildlands of his grandfather’s mysterious homestead, blissfully unaware of the danger up ahead.

And there is much danger. Rufus and his snooty cousin Abigail soon become entangled in the tantalizing world of the feylings, mischievous fairly-like creatures desperate to find their way home. In helping the feylings, Rufus tumbles down a dark path rich with age-old secrets and difficult truths. Any move he makes might be his final fatal error.


Woke edited by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood; illustrated by Theodore Taylor III
Ages 8-12

Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.


Go with the Flow by Lily Williams & Karen Schneemann
Ages 10-14

Sophomores Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha are fed up. Hazelton High never has enough tampons. Or pads. Or adults who will listen.

Sick of an administration that puts football before female health, the girls confront a world that shrugs—or worse, squirms—at the thought of a menstruation revolution. They band together to make a change. It’s no easy task, especially while grappling with everything from crushes to trig to JV track but they have each other’s backs. That is, until one of the girls goes rogue, testing the limits of their friendship and pushing the friends to question the power of their own voices.


They Threw Us Away by Daniel Kraus
Ages 10-14

Buddy wakes up in the middle of a garbage dump, filled with a certain awareness: he’s a teddy bear; he spent time at a Store waiting for his future to begin; and he is meant for the loving arms of a child. Now he knows one more thing: Something has gone terribly wrong.

Soon he finds other discarded teddies—Horace, Sugar, Sunny, and Reginald. Though they aren’t sure how their luck soured, they all agree that they need to get back to the Store if they’re ever to fulfill their destinies. So, they embark on a perilous trek across the dump and into the outer world. With ravenous rats, screeching gulls, and a menacing world in front of them, the teddies will need to overcome insurmountable challenges to find their way home.


All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson
Ages 14-18

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys.


A Breath Too Late by Rocky Callen
Ages 14-18

Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds herself in the midst of an out-of-body experience. She is a spectator, swaying between past and present, retracing the events that unfolded prior to her death.

But there are gaps in her memory, fractured pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There’s her mother, a songbird who wanted to break free from her oppressive cage. The boy made of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought color into a gray world. Her brooding father, with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists. And Ellie’s determined to find out why a piece of her was left behind.


Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Ages 13-18

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie off some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.


Dark and Deepest Red by Anna-Marie McLemore
Ages 13-18

Summer, 1518. A strange sickness sweeps through Strasbourg: women dance in the streets, some until they fall down dead. As rumors of witchcraft spread, suspicion turns toward Lavinia and her family, and Lavinia may have to do the unimaginable to save herself and everyone she loves.

Five centuries later, a pair of red shoes seal to Rosella Oliva’s feet, making her dance uncontrollably. They draw her toward a boy who knows the dancing fever’s history better than anyone: Emil, whose family was blamed for the fever five hundred years ago. But there’s more to what happened in 1518 than even Emil knows, and discovering the truth may decide whether Rosella survives the red shoes.


Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
Ages 12-18

Chronic overachiever Prudence Daniels is always quick to cast judgment on the lazy, rude, and arrogant residents of her coastal town. Her dreams of karmic justice are fulfilled when, after a night out with her friends, she wakes up with the sudden ability to cast instant karma on those around her.

Pru giddily makes use of the power, punishing everyone from public vandals to mean gossips, but there is one person on whom her powers consistently backfire: Quint Erickson, her slacker of a lab partner. Quint is annoyingly cute and impressively noble, especially when it comes to his work with the rescue center for local sea animals.

When Pru resigns herself to working at the rescue center for extra credit, she begins to uncover truths about baby otters, environmental upheaval, and romantic crossed signals—not necessarily in that order. Her newfound karmic insights reveal how thin the line is between virtue and vanity, generosity and greed . . . love and hate… and fate.


Jane Against the World by Karen Blumenthal
Ages 12-18

Tracing the path to the landmark decision in Roe v. Wade and the continuing battle for women’s rights, Blumenthal examines, in a straightforward tone, the root causes of the current debate around abortion and repercussions that have affected generations of American women.




There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
Ages 14-18

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations—until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.

All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. With chaos on the horizon, five souls are set on a collision course.

One of them—or all of them—could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer?


We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal
Ages 14-18

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.


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Fault Lines in the Constitution by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson; illustrated by Ally Shwed
Adult

In 1787, after 116 days of heated debates and bitter arguments, the United States Constitution was created. This imperfect document set forth America’s guiding principles, but it would also introduce some of today’s most contentious political issues—from gerrymandering, to the Electoral College, to presidential impeachment.

With colorful art, compelling discourse, and true stories from America’s past and present, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel sheds light on how today’s political struggles have their origins in the decisions of our Founding Fathers.


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Bear Island by Matthew Cordell
Ages 2-5

Louise and her family are sad over the loss of their beloved dog, Charlie. “Life will not be the same,” Louise says, as she visits a little island that Charlie loved.

But on a visit to the island after Charlie’s death, something strange happens: She meets a bear. At first, she’s afraid, but soon she realizes that the bear is sad, too. As Louise visits more often, she realizes that getting over loss takes time. And just when she starts to feel better, it’s time for Bear to bed down for the winter.

Once again, Louise believes that life will not be the same. But sometimes, things can change for the better, and on the first warm day of spring, her family welcomes a new member. Here is a lovely, poignant story about loss and healing that will bring comfort to even the youngest readers.


I Dream of Popo by Livia Blackburne; Illustrated by Julia Kuo
Ages 3-6

From New York Times bestselling author Livia Blackburne and illustrator Julia Kuo, here is I Dream of Popo. This delicate, emotionally rich picture book celebrates a special connection that crosses time zones and oceans as Popo and her granddaughter hold each other in their hearts forever.


I Want to Ride the Tap Tap
by Danielle Joseph; illustrated by Olivier Ganthier
Ages 2-6

Writer Danielle Joseph and illustrator Olivier Ganthier’s I Want to Ride the Tap Tap is a day-of-the-week picture book about a Black family who ride the taxi-bus service—called a tap tap—in Haiti, and the fascinating people they meet along the way, illustrated by a Haitian artist known for his vibrant street art.


Stella’s Stellar Hair
by Yesenia Moises
Ages 4-8

Stella’s Stellar Hair celebrates the joy of self-empowerment, shows off our solar system, and beautifully illustrates a variety of hairstyles from the African diaspora. Backmatter provides more information about each style and each planet.


Yes & No by Elisha Cooper
Ages 2-6

Join a cat and puppy pair through their day—the ups of being fed and romping through grass, and the downs of days that are too short and things that don’t go as planned—as they realize that sometimes the very best thing that can happen is just being together.


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The Comeback by E.L. Shen
Ages 8-12

Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen is just trying to nail that perfect landing: on the ice, in middle school, and at home, where her parents worry that competitive skating is too much pressure for a budding tween. Maxine isn’t concerned, however—she’s determined to glide to victory. But then a bully at school starts teasing Maxine for her Chinese heritage, leaving her stunned and speechless. And at the rink, she finds herself up against a stellar new skater named Hollie, whose grace and skill threaten to edge Maxine out of the competition. With everything she knows on uneven ice, will Maxine crash under the pressure? Or can she power her way to a comeback?


Halfway to Harmony by Barbara O’Connor
Ages 8-12

Walter Tipple is looking for adventure. He keeps having a dream that his big brother, Tank, appears before him and says, “Let’s you and me go see my world, little man.” But Tank went to the army and never came home, and Walter doesn’t know how to see the world without him.

Then he meets Posey, the brash new girl from next door, and an eccentric man named Banjo, who’s off on a bodacious adventure of his own. What follows is a summer of taking chances, becoming braver, and making friends—and maybe Walter can learn who he wants to be without the brother he always wanted to be like.


Ghosts of Weirdwood
by Christian McKay Heidicker
Ages 8-12

Fresh off of heroically saving their city from nightmarish monsters, 12-year-old reformed thieves Arthur and Wally are determined to join the Wardens of Weirdwood—defenders of the border between the Real and Imaginary worlds.

Their mission: defeat the Order of Eldar, a shadowy group that exploits the creatures of the Fae for their own gain. When the Order opens what seems to be a Rift between the worlds of the living and the dead, they set up a menagerie of ghosts to make money off those grieving for their lost loved ones.

As spirits begin to cross over into Kingsport, Arthur, Wally, and their ghost companion, Breeth, will have to return a fleet of dead souls to the other side of the Veil.


All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero
Ages 8-12

Twelve-year-old Alba doesn’t want to live with her estranged grandmother in Barcelona. She wants to stay with her mom, even if that means enduring her dad’s cutting comments to them both.

But in her new home, Alba forms a close relationship with her grandmother, gains a supportive father figure and new friends, and even discovers a passion and talent for baking. And through getting to know the city her mother used to call home, Alba starts to understand her mother better—and may just be able to make their family whole again


The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman
Ages 8-12

Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic is the best kindling school in New York City—and wealthy twelve-year-old Emma Harris is accustomed to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma is reduced to working off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a daring servant girl who refuses to let her magic be snuffed out, even if society dictates she must. Emma and Izzy reluctantly form a pact: If Izzy teaches Emma how to survive as a servant, Emma will reveal to Izzy what she knows about magic.

Along the way, they encounter quizzes that literally pop, shy libraries, and talking cats (that is, house dragons). But when another student’s kindling goes horribly wrong, revealing the fiery dangers of magic, Emma and Izzy must set aside their differences or risk their magic being snuffed out forever.


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Angel of Greenwood by Randi Pink
Ages 12-17

Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Wilson is, on the surface, a town troublemaker, but is hiding that he is an avid reader and secret poet, never leaving home without his journal. A passionate follower of W.E.B. Du Bois, he believes that black people should rise up to claim their place as equals.

Sixteen-year-old Angel Hill is a loner, mostly disregarded by her peers as a goody-goody. Her father is dying, and her family’s financial situation is in turmoil. Also, as a loyal follower of Booker T. Washington, she believes, through education and tolerance, that black people should rise slowly and without forced conflict.

Though they’ve attended the same schools, Isaiah never noticed Angel as anything but a dorky, Bible toting church girl. Then their English teacher offers them a job on her mobile library, a three-wheel, two-seater bike. Angel can’t turn down the money and Isaiah is soon eager to be in such close quarters with Angel every afternoon.

But life changes on May 31, 1921 when a vicious white mob storms the community of Greenwood, leaving the town destroyed and thousands of residents displaced. Only then, Isaiah, Angel, and their peers realize who their real enemies are.


What Big Teeth by Rose Szabo
Ages 14-18

Eleanor Zarrin has been estranged from her wild family for years. When she flees boarding school after a horrifying incident, she goes to the only place she thinks is safe: the home she left behind. But when she gets there, she struggles to fit in with her monstrous relatives, who prowl the woods around the family estate and read fortunes in the guts of birds.

Eleanor finds herself desperately trying to hold the family together — in order to save them all, Eleanor must learn to embrace her family of monsters and tame the darkness inside her.


The Awakening of Malcolm X
by Ilyasah Shabazz and Tiffany D. Jackson
Ages 12-18

In Charlestown Prison, Malcolm Little struggles with the weight of his past. Plagued by nightmares, Malcolm drifts through days, unsure of his future. Slowly, he befriends other prisoners and writes to his family. He reads all the books in the prison library, joins the debate team and the Nation of Islam. Malcolm grapples with race, politics, religion, and justice in the 1940s. And as his time in jail comes to an end, he begins to awaken — emerging from prison more than just Malcolm Little: Now, he is Malcolm X.

Here is an intimate look at Malcolm X’s young adult years. While this book chronologically follows X: A Novel, it can be read as a stand-alone historical novel that invites larger discussions on black power, prison reform, and civil rights.


Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Ages 14-18

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother.

The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, certain details don’t add up and she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into the heart of a criminal investigation.

Reluctantly, Daunis agrees to go undercover, but secretly pursues her own investigation, tracking down the criminals with her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home.

Now, Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she’ll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.


The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore
Ages 13-18

When two teens discover that they were both sexually assaulted at the same party, they develop a cautious friendship through her family’s possibly-magical pastelería, his secret forest of otherworldly trees, and the swallows returning to their hometown, in Anna-Marie McLemore’s The Mirror Season…

Graciela Cristales’ whole world changes after she and a boy she barely knows are assaulted at the same party. She loses her gift for making enchanted pan dulce. Neighborhood trees vanish overnight, while mirrored glass appears, bringing reckless magic with it. And Ciela is haunted by what happened to her, and what happened to the boy whose name she never learned.

But when the boy, Lock, shows up at Ciela’s school, he has no memory of that night, and no clue that a single piece of mirrored glass is taking his life apart. Ciela decides to help him, which means hiding the truth about that night. Because Ciela knows who assaulted her, and him. And she knows that her survival, and his, depend on no one finding out what really happened.


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2020 Charlotte Huck Honor Book

Between Us and Abuela
by Mitali Perkins
illustrated by Sara Palacios
Ages 3-6

It’s almost time for Christmas, and Maria is traveling with her mother and younger brother, Juan, to visit their grandmother on the border of California and Mexico.

For the few minutes they can share together along the fence, Maria and her brother plan to exchange stories and Christmas gifts with the grandmother they haven’t seen in years. But when Juan’s gift is too big to fit through the slats in the fence, Maria has a brilliant idea. She makes it into a kite that soars over the top of the iron bars.


2020 Charlotte Huck
Recommended Book

Fry Bread by Kevin Noble Maillard; illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal
Ages 3-6

Told in lively and powerful verse by debut author Kevin Noble Maillard, Fry Bread is an evocative depiction of a modern Native American family, vibrantly illustrated by Pura Belpre Award winner and Caldecott Honoree Juana Martinez-Neal.


2020 Charlotte Huck
Recommended Book

For Black Girls Like Me
by Mariama J. Lockington
Ages 9-11

Makeda June Kirkland is eleven years old, adopted, and black. Her parents and big sister are white, and even though she loves her family very much, Makeda often feels left out. When Makeda’s family moves from Maryland to New Mexico, she leaves behind her best friend, Lena— the only other adopted black girl she knows— for a new life. In New Mexico, everything is different. At home, Makeda’s sister is too cool to hang out with her anymore and at school, she can’t seem to find one real friend.

Through it all, Makeda can’t help but wonder: What would it feel like to grow up with a family that looks like me?

Through singing, dreaming, and writing secret messages back and forth with Lena, Makeda might just carve a small place for herself in the world.


2020 Orbis Pictus Recommended Book

Crossing Time by David Macaulay
Ages 10-14

Prior to the 1800s, ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean relied on the wind in their sails to make their journeys. But invention of steam power ushered in a new era of transportation that would change ocean travel forever: the steamship.

Award-winning author-illustrator David Macaulay guides readers through the fascinating history that culminated in the building of the most advanced—and last—of these steamships: the SS United States. This book artfully explores the design and construction of the ship and the life of its designer and engineer, William Francis Gibbs.

Framed around the author’s own experience steaming across the Atlantic on the very same SS United States, Crossing on Time is a tour de force of the art of explanation and a touching and surprising childhood story.


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Browse our top-reviewed books of the year!


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Explore our Staff Picks for all ages here.


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Explore our most popular series
for kids and teens here.

Plus, download our 2021-2021 School Year Calendar
featuring popular middle grade series!


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Explore these and more diverse books here.


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Click to expand: Learn more about these books.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee (10th Anniversary Edition) by Phillip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead
Ages 2-6

Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this Caldecott Medal winner with this special anniversary edition of a beloved story!

Friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. In Amos McGee’s case, all sorts of species, too! Every day he spends a little bit of time with each of his friends at the zoo, running races with the tortoise, keeping the shy penguin company, and even reading bedtime stories to the owl. But when Amos is too sick to make it to the zoo, his animal friends decide it’s time they returned the favor.

Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
Ages 8-12

The New York Times-bestselling story of kindness, friendship, and hope from the author of The One and Only Ivan!

Red is an oak tree who is many rings old. Red is the neighborhood “wishtree”—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Along with a crow named Bongo and other animals who seek refuge in Red’s hollows, this wishtree watches over the neighborhood.

You might say Red has seen it all. Until a new family moves in. Not everyone is welcoming, and Red’s experience as a wishtree is more important than ever. Funny, deep, warm, and nuanced, this is Katherine Applegate at her very best—writing from the heart, and from a completely unexpected point of view.

The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Ages 12-18

A New York Times Bestseller
Stonewall Book Award Winner
YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults Finalist

If it weren’t for the 57 bus, Sasha and Richard never would have met. Both were high school students from Oakland, California, one of the most diverse cities in the country, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a small private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes. But one afternoon on the bus ride home from school, a single reckless act left Sasha severely burned, and Richard charged with two hate crimes and facing life imprisonment. The case garnered international attention, thrusting both teenagers into the spotlight.

Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood by Gary Paulsen
Ages 8-12
On Sale January 12, 2021!

A middle grade memoir from a living literary legend, giving readers a new perspective on the origins of Gary Paulsen’s famed survival stories.

His name is synonymous with high-stakes wilderness survival stories. Now, beloved author Gary Paulsen portrays a series of life-altering moments from his turbulent childhood as his own original survival story. If not for his summer escape from a shockingly neglectful Chicago upbringing to a North Woods homestead at age five, there never would have been a Hatchet. Without the encouragement of the librarian who handed him his first book at age thirteen, he may never have become a reader. And without his desperate teenage enlistment in the Army, he would not have discovered his true calling as a storyteller.

A moving and enthralling story of grit and growing up, Gone to the Woods is perfect for newcomers to the voice and lifelong fans alike, from the acclaimed author at his rawest and realest.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town (Collector’s Edition) by Kimberly Willis Holt
Ages 10-14
On Sale January 12, 2021

A new collector’s edition of the 1999 National Book Award Winner!

Toby Wilson is having the toughest summer of his life. It’s the summer his mother leaves for good; the summer his best friend’s brother returns from Vietnam in a coffin. And the summer that Zachary Beaver, the fattest boy in the world, arrives in their sleepy Texas town. While it’s a summer filled with heartache of every kind, it’s also a summer of new friendships gained and old friendships renewed. And it’s Zachary Beaver who turns the town of Antler upside down and leaves everyone, especially Toby, changed forever.

With understated elegance, Kimberly Willis Holt tells a compelling coming-of-age story about a thirteen-year-old boy struggling to find himself in an imperfect world. At turns passionate and humorous, this extraordinary novel deals sensitively and candidly with obesity, war, and the true power of friendship.

The Ambassador of Nowhere Texas by Kimberly Willis Holt
Ages 10-14
On Sale January 12, 2021

A stunning post-9/11 standalone companion to When Zachary Beaver Came to Town.

Decades after the Vietnam War and Toby’s life-changing summer with Zachary Beaver, Toby’s daughter Rylee is at a crossroads—her best friend Twig has started pushing her away just as Joe, a new kid from New York, settles into their small town of Antler. Rylee befriends Joe and learns that Joe’s father was a first responder on 9/11. The two unlikely friends soon embark on a project to find Zachary Beaver and hopefully reconnect him with Rylee’s father almost thirty years later.

This beautiful middle grade novel is a tribute to friendships—old and new—and explores the challenges of rebuilding what may seem lost or destroyed.


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With World Citizen Comics, First Second launches a bold, new line of civics graphic novels to inform, uplift, and empower.

Click to expand: Learn more about these books.
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Unrig: How to Fix Our Broken Democracy
by Daniel G. Newman; illustrated by George O’Connor

Despite our immense political divisions, Americans are nearly united in our belief that something is wrong with our government: It works for the wealthy and powerful, but not for anyone else. Unrig exposes the twisted roots of our broken democracy and highlights the heroic efforts of those unrigging the system to return power to We the People.



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Fault Lines in the Constitution
by Cynthia Levinson and Sanford Levinson; illustrated by Ally Shwed

In 1787, after 116 days of heated debates and bitter arguments, the United States Constitution was created. This imperfect document set forth America’s guiding principles, but it would also introduce some of today’s most contentious political issues—from gerrymandering, to the Electoral College, to presidential impeachment.

With colorful art, compelling discourse, and true stories from America’s past and present, Fault Lines in the Constitution: The Graphic Novel sheds light on how today’s political struggles have their origins in the decisions of our Founding Fathers.


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Coming Winter 2021!
What Unites Us
by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner;
illustrated by Tim Foley

Brought to life in stunning color by artist Tim Foley, What Unites Us: The Graphic Novel takes apart the building blocks of this country, from the freedoms that define us, to the values that have transformed us, to the institutions that sustain us. Rather’s vast experience and his unique perspective as one of America’s most renowned newscasters shed light on who we were and who we are today, allowing us to see a possible future, where we are one country; united.


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Coming Spring 2021!
RE: Constitutions
Connecting Citizens with the Rules of the Game
by Beka Feathers; illustrated by Kasia Babis

From Beka Feathers, an expert in post-conflict institution building, and Kasia Babis, an accomplished political cartoonist, comes a graphic novel that gives context to the modern issues that arise from constitutions. With historical examples from all over the world, Re: Constitutions examines how this essential document defines a nation’s identity and the rights of its citizens.


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Aligned to CCSS, including discussion questions, and activity ideas.

Find all our Teacher’s Guides here.

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Fart Quest
by Aaron Reynolds; illustrated by Cam Kendell
Ages 8-12

★”Stay tuned for further gassy exploits.” – Booklist, starred review

After their masters are vaporized in a goblin battle gone bad, Fart, Pan, and Moxie—three lowly apprentices—decide to impersonate their mentors and pick up the mantle as heroes of the realm. But they need more than a fancy robe, magic staff, and book of magical beasts to be real heroes. They need a quest!

So when The Great and Powerful Kevin puts out a call for help, seeking the coveted Golden Llama and its magical golden fart, young Fart and his friends jump at the chance and embark on a journey they were destined for.


True or False by Cindy Otis
Ages 13-18

School Library Journal
Publishers Weekly

In True or False, former CIA analyst Cindy Otis will take readers through the history and impact of misinformation over the centuries, sharing stories from the past and insights that readers today can gain from them. Then, she shares lessons learned in over a decade working for the CIA, including actionable tips on how to spot fake news, how to make sense of the information we receive each day, and, perhaps most importantly, how to understand and see past our own information biases, so that we can think critically about important issues and put events happening around us into context.


Traitor by Amanda McCrina
Ages 12-18

Seventeen-year-old Tolya Korolenko is half Ukrainian, half Polish, and he joined the Soviet Red Army to keep himself alive and fed. When he not-quite-accidentally shoots his unit’s political officer in the street, he’s rescued by a squad of Ukrainian freedom fighters. They might have saved him, but Tolya doesn’t trust them. He especially doesn’t trust Solovey, the squad’s war-scarred young leader, who has plenty of secrets of his own.

Then a betrayal sends them both on the run. And in a city where loyalty comes second to self-preservation, a traitor can be an enemy or a savior—or sometimes both.


Welcome to the New World
by Jake Halpern & Michael Sloan

Welcome to the New World tells the Aldabaans’ story. Resettled in Connecticut with little English, few friends, and even less money, the family of seven strive to create something like home. As a blur of language classes, job-training programs, and the fearsome first days of high school (with hijab) give way to normalcy, the Aldabaans are lulled into a sense of security. A white van cruising slowly past the house prompts some unease, which erupts into full terror when the family receives a death threat and is forced to flee and start all over yet again. The America in which the Aldabaans must make their way is by turns kind and ignorant, generous and cruel, uplifting and heartbreaking.


Looking for resources to share with your colleagues or students? Check out our recommend title lists, activity kits, downloadable posters and more below! Don’t see what you’re looking for? Visit our School & Library  resources tab here.

Click to expand: Download our NCTE resources.

Download the NCTE 2020 Highlights catalog to learn more about a selection of notable books published by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group in 2020 that are availble for your classroom collection now!


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This fall, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group invites you to embrace difference! From our favorite foods and activities to how our families look and the stories that we know, everyone is different. These differences, from the small and simple to the large and complicated are important. Check out some of our favorite books to start the conversation!


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Download the activity kit for more ideas on how you can help protect the water and environment.

To take the pledge, download the Protectors Pledge sheet. Then let everyone know that you took the pledge by sharing the “I Took the Pledge!” graphic with the tag #WeAreWaterProtectors!


Woke by by Mahogany L. Browne with Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood; illustrated by Theodore Taylor III; foreword by Jason Reynolds
Ages 8-12

Historically poets have been on the forefront of social movements. Woke is a collection of poems by women that reflects the joy and passion in the fight for social justice, tackling topics from discrimination to empathy, and acceptance to speaking out.

With Theodore Taylor’s bright, emotional art, and writing from Mahogany L. Browne, Elizabeth Acevedo and Olivia Gatwood, kids will be inspired to create their own art and poems to express how they see justice and injustice.

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Do you miss talking about books with us in our booth as much as we do? Join Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for a special NCTE event on Thursday, November 19th at 6:30 PM EST where we’ll share some of our favorite titles from 2020, highlight some upcoming titles, and take your questions! RSVP here.


 

Watch the Fall 2020 S&L Preview

The S&L team shares our new and noteworthy fall books.


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