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Speaking for myself, part of my nearly non-existent self-esteem as a preteen and teen definitely had something to do with feeling “other.” Don’t get me wrong, there were a few picture books I had a kid and some books with Asian protagonists, but finding a book with one (or gasp two!) person of Asian descent given the main real estate was sadly not something I experienced often. That’s why making these round-ups just make my heart absolutely sing....

Marc’s original framework of a poetry slam is still followed, with little tweaks. The art form is getting increasingly popular across the USA, Europe, Canada and Japan. Today, you can experience the rich celebration of poetry through slams from the comfort of your home. You can watch both live or recorded performances online or be lifted by sheer eloquence when experiencing slam poetry events in person. Slam poetry is democratic....

Unsurprisingly then, poetry about the ocean takes many shapes. From a simple contemplation of the sea to a reflection of our own lives. Here’s a list of some of these brilliant ocean poems starring the sea. 1. The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge 2. Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold Excerpt: The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand, Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay....

Books by the Bidens Books About the Bidens Books for the Kids or Kids-at-Heart Biden Books for a Little Fun… And as a little bonus, here is a roundup I did previously of books written by and about Barack and Michelle Obama. You will notice that there is a dearth of books about Joe Biden and his family by women and authors of color. However, as Axios noted in a November 18, 2020 article, we’re about to see a deluge of Biden books about the 46th President being published going into his first term....

From delightfully geeky earrings that celebrate the fandom to sleek ones that you could totally rock with a fancy outfit to beautiful jewelry with just a hint of LOTR inspiration, there are a lot to chose from. Get ready: here are 15 Lord of the Rings earrings guaranteed to please all tastes. If you like the idea of wearing mini books in your ears, check out these sweet Hobbit and Lord of the Rings book earrings....

Sometimes the best book for a middle school reader is a book about middle school itself — watching other students navigate the ups and downs can give kiddos tips, or at the very least let them commiserate with the characters. Other times, a fantasy world can be a fabulous getaway to let the reader live somewhere else for awhile, at least in their minds. No matter what the middle school reader in your life needs, there is definitely a book series to fill that void....

Is it just that the times were different and nobody was out there writing think pieces about how moms and grandmothers needed to flaunt their sexuality? Is it because I’m getting closer to my grandmother in age, and when I was a wee, tween, and teen I just lumped “older” into one category? Or is this due to advances in healthcare and quality of living? I mean, my father-in-law is 72 and he’s perfectly capable of climbing a mountain if he wanted to (he doesn’t want to)....

While compiling this list of books to celebrate Down Syndrome Awareness Month, I came across so many incredible points of view from a variety of people, from a Manager of Grassroots Advocacy at the National Down Syndrome Society to a writer and champion of Down syndrome representation in fiction, and more personally, from my friend, Sherri Krekeler, who is mother to a son with Down syndrome. Krekeler says her relationship with him is all about “learning, growing, evolving together at just the right pace in just the right moments....

Customized Pressed Flower Bookmarks: Select which real flowers you’d like in your bookmark and have it custom pressed for you by Kaylie Reads. Botanical Journal: Write down your thoughts, ideas, and dreams in this botanical-inspired journal made entirely from recycled material. Frog and Toad Cardigan Print: This is a delightfully minimalist print of a cardigan that either Frog or Toad would wear (and there are more in the series!) Anne of Green Gables Inspired Candle: Bring home the scent of Avonlea in autumn with this soy candle....

via GIPHY Ahem. I mean, these witchy comics for Halloween are sure to be just the things for a cool autumn night full of tricks or treats. Spell on Wheels by Kate Leth, Megan Levens, Marissa Louise, Jen Bartel, and Nate Piekos Stealing from witches? Always a bad idea. And when Claire’s nonmagical ex breaks in to steal an important artifact from the home she shares with two other witches, well, it’s pretty much on....

Yanushkevich Publishing House recently opened a bookstore in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. They were visited by pro-government journalists, and later police, who confiscated 200 books (including from their apartment) and detained the publishers, Andrei Yanushkevich and Nasta Karnatskaya. The publishing company had previously had equipment confiscated by the government and had also had their bank account blocked. It is currently unknown whether they are facing charges or what those charges are....

Now, as a grown up and a mother, I realize that in order to live our truth…we must follow our curiosity. We must embrace our curiosity. We must be allowed to explore. To get things wrong. To find out how we individually interpret the world around us. That will help us make the world a better place. Thankfully, the way has been paved before us by millions of amazing people who refused to internalize the negative messages about their dreams....

Friends and family are important to our wellbeing. However, there are a plethora of poems about family members so I decided to focus on the harder task: poems about friendship. I’ve compiled a list of 20 friendship poems in honor of those people who keep the loneliness away. These poems come from a variety of eras and viewpoints and include themes of friends lost, friends to the world, and also bad friends....

I love that apps like Libby and Scribd have specific LGBTQ categories so it’s easier to find books with those themes/characters, but when you’re looking for a specific identity within the rainbow it can be a bit harder. And especially if you’re looking on Goodreads where even books that only feature queer side characters are often labeled LGBTQ, it can be difficult to know exactly what you’re getting. But these 20 books are certified fully bi+, guaranteed....

I’ve included the full list of winners below, but I want to pause and talk about a new category that Goodreads included this year. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Goodreads Choice Awards, they introduced the Best of the Best category, where readers were asked to vote on the ultimate best book from the 170 past winners in the competition. The winner is Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give....

The winners in each of the five categories—Young People’s Literature, Translated Literature, Poetry, Nonfiction, and Fiction—will be announced November 20, 2019, at the 70th National Book Awards Ceremony. Edmund White will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award. Acclaimed actor, producer, and television veteran LeVar Burton will host the ceremony. A post shared by National Book Foundation (@nationalbookfoundation) on Oct 8, 2019 at 7:31am PDT Young People’s Literature Pet by Akwaeke Emezi Make Me a World / Penguin Random House Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay Kokila / Penguin Random House Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby 1919 The Year That Changed America by Martin W....

Many Book Riot favorites appear on the final ballot, narrowed down from 27,033 nominations from 1,584 people. A selection of the finalists is below. Best Novel The City in the Middle of the Night by Charlie Jane Anders Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine Middlegame by Seanan McGuire The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E....

This year’s longlist — which includes books from 11 languages and 12 countries—is dominated by writers and translators new to the prize, with only translator Megan McDowell and author Can Xue having been longlisted in previous years. And for the first time, the longlist includes a book translated by its author, The Perfect Nine: The Epic Gikuyu and Mumbi by Ngugi wa Thiong’o. This year the judges considered 125 books....

I adore books about different types of dance and performance, plus the relationships and the passion that comes with it. With that in mind, I wanted to share three young adult dance-inspired novels that have either been recently released, or are about to be released, that you will truly enjoy. So step to the beat and take a moment to dig into these books. You might just be inspired to dance in your own bedroom after these fun reads....

Pride by Ibi Zoboi In this modern retelling of Pride & Prejudice, Zuri Benitiz and her sisters live in Bushwick, a neighborhood that’s quickly morphing into a place hard to recognize due to gentrification. When Darius Darcy and his family move into a newly renovated house across the street, Zuri can’t stand them on sight. But her sister Janae begins to fall for Darius’s older brother and despite her best efforts, Zuri finds herself drawing closer to the Darcy family, and her perspectives expanding and shifting....