In 1979 President Jimmy Carter created Black Music Appreciation Month. June is set aside to appreciate the contributions of African-American musicians, composers, singers, and songwriters in American culture. Celebrate Black Music Appreciation Month with us by checking out these amazing titles filled with outstanding artists!
President George W. Bush proclaimed June as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month, making it a national holiday in 2006. However, this holiday was founded by Dr. Claire Nelson and celebrated by the Institute of Caribbean Studies in 2000. Find a list of books about celebrating the history, contributions, and culture of Caribbean-American people below!
While summer break is fast approaching (or, for some, already here!), we created a list of exciting new and coming soon books perfect for pleasure reading. Browse below by publication date to find out when you can snag these books for your preteens and teens!
Discover THIS SUMMER SELECTION OF books →
Now is the perfect time to dive into a new series or revisit an old favorite. Find a full list of series recommendations for readers of all ages here!
Browse popular series →On June 19, 1865 in Galveston, TX, enslaved African Americans were finally informed of their freedom, despite the passing of the Emancipation Proclamation two years prior. Juneteenth is also referred to as “Freedom Day”, “Emancipation Day”, and “Juneteenth Independence Day.” The first celebrations of Juneteenth were about honoring former enslaved people. Today celebrations of Juneteenth consist of gathering with family, BBQs, parades, festivals, beauty contests, and other celebratory events to remember the lives of their enslaved ancestors.
For those who would like to learn more, we recommend reading “Juneteenth: The Growth of an African-American Holiday” and “So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?”
There are many benefits to encouraging kids and teens to enjoy a chaotic game of Dungeons & Dragons. Those kids rolling critical hits in the corner of your library or after school club are actually improving their math, reading comprehension, mental health, and social behaviors.
Dungeons & Dragons, the famed role playing game that took over the 80s, has made a recent boom in popular culture. Eddie Munson in Stranger Things, the well waxed Adventure Zone podcast, #DnD Tiktok, and celebrities playing with Critical Role are giving the next generation a new love for a game where kids and teens can free themselves from social anxiety and explore their own identities, including trying out pronouns for the first time. In this game, they can grow those skills to understand not only themselves, but also how to strengthen storytelling abilities, character creation, role playing, and mathematics.
Dungeons & Dragons is particularly popular amongst neurodiverse and queer gamers as a safe place where diversity and friendship is more powerful in a world of social challenges. Libraries hosting D&D events + after school clubs are becoming more and more frequent. Below, you’ll find books for the kids and teens who want to read more books like Dungeons & Dragons.
Find resources here from the International Literacy Association (ILA) on Dungeons & Dragons instructions and webinars, including how D&D can build important skills. You can find classroom resources here. Download a PDF of books included in this list and more resources here.
Our Graphic Novel Preview series invites readers to look inside graphic novels. This month, we’re highlighting the highly anticipated middle-grade graphic novel Squire & Knight by Scott Chantler.
Look inside Ghost Book→
Shelf Essentials is a backlist publishing initiative presented by Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group to highlight picture books from beloved BIPOC Creators. With this program we lift up critically acclaimed stories, authors, and illustrators, and will encourage readers everywhere to celebrate different cultures and make storytime more inclusive. From tender family stories to important conversation starters, no bookshelf is complete without these essentials reads. Each season we will showcase five backlist picture books, all available in paperback, some for the first time.
To learn more about Shelf Essentials, check out our sales sheet here
and keep reading to preview our Spring 2023 Shelf Essentials selections!
Our Graphic Novel Preview series invites readers to look inside graphic novels. This month, we’re highlighting the highly anticipated middle grade graphic novel Ghost Book by Remy Lai.
Look inside Ghost Book→
