Join us in celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week with Thank You, Teacher! by Supriya Kelkar. Enter for a chance to win this heartfelt picture book, a delightful tribute to the incredible efforts of teachers everywhere, along with a beautiful poster to brighten up any classroom. The sweeps will take place between May 5th to May 9th. It’s the perfect way to show your gratitude to the educators who inspire us every day!
We’re celebrating our LGBTQIA+ authors, illustrators, and creators this month (and every month)! Keep reading to discover new books and revisit your favorites!
Plus, author María Dolores Águila introduced her middle grade debut novel in verse, A Sea of Lemon Trees: The Corrido of Roberto Alvarez, based on the true story of one child’s courage to stand against segregation. You’ll also hear from the Newbery Medalist and bestselling author Rebecca Stead! She was in conversation discussing her new fast-paced coming-of-age novel (with aliens!), The Experiment, which asks universal questions about how we figure out who we want to be, and whether it’s ever too late to change.
And, don’t miss our exclusive cover reveal of a new book by Newbery Honoree and #1 New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Warga!
A stunning picture book from acclaimed author Katherine Applegate, adapted from the #1 bestselling middle-grade novel that spent over 52 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list!
Odder spends her days playing underwater and learning life lessons from her mother. But when Odder’s life takes a dramatic turn, she is rescued by humans. The people are kind, and introduce Odder to other rescues. Soon, it’s clear that Odder has a talent for teaching other pups how to otter. Adapted from Katherine Applegate’s bestselling novel of the same name (with over 80 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list!), and inspired by the true story of a program that pairs orphaned otter pups.
This month’s Author Spotlight features The Secret Life of a Sea Turtle author Maddalena Bearzi and illustrator Alex Boersma—a dazzling nonfiction picture book that explores one sea turtle’s extraordinary life from hatchling to adulthood.
In May, we celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month by reading and sharing stories by Jewish American authors and illustrators. Celebrate in your school or library by uplifting these voices all year round! Enter a sweepestakes below for the chance to win an advance reading copy of Caldecott Medalist Uri Shulevitz’s final work, The Sky Was My Blanket. Find more resources on the Jewish American Heritage Month website.
THE SKY WAS MY BLANKET SWEEPSTAKES
Enter for a chance to win a galley of Caldecott Medalist Uri Shulevitz’s final work, The Sky Was My Blanket: A Young Man’s Journey Across Wartime Europe. From celebrated Caldecott Award-winning illustrator Uri Shulevitz comes the gripping and revealing true story of a young Polish exile fighting to survive in war-torn Europe. Inspired by the true story of Uri’s uncle and stunningly illustrated by the author, this is a unique and riveting account of one man’s courage and resilience amidst one of the darkest periods in global history.
Watch our MacKids School & Library Spring 2025 Preview Event where we previewed upcoming picture books, middle grade, young adult, and adult titles! You’ll hear from talented creators Marzieh Abbas (The Camel Library); Askel Aden (Love, Misha); and Kasia Babis (Breadcrumbs)!
Plus author Kristen Mei Chase was in conversation discussing her picture book debut, We Are American, Too, an exquisitely illustrated exploration of Asian American history, identity, and pride. Also, we were thrilled to have the #1 New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed historian Ibram X. Kendi with us! Dr. Kendi was in conversation talking about Malcolm Lives!: The Official Biography of Malcolm X for Young Readers, a powerful biography about the life of Malcolm X!
In April we celebrate Arab American Heritage Month by reading and sharing stories by Arab American authors and illustrators. Celebrate in your school or library by uplifting these voices in April and all year round! Find more resources on the Arab America Foundation and Smithsonian websites.
We’ve put together a roundup of titles to celebrate National Poetry Month, including new 2025 titles coming soon such as The Five Wolves, While We Wait, and Spark! Explore our poetry titles, and discover more about each book below by clicking the book jacket!
XThe accessibility of our website is taken very seriously. We strive to meet WCAG 2.1 AA Web Accessibility standards by routinely evaluating our website using automated evaluation tools and manual testing when required. As content changes we review and correct issues and are responsive to our users needs. If you encounter issues with our website, please report them so they may be corrected in a timely manner.