The Lerner Podcast

Mary Golda Ross designed classified airplanes and spacecraft as Lockheed Aircraft Corporation's first female engineer. Find out how her passion for math and the Cherokee values she was raised with shaped her life and work.

Cherokee author Traci Sorell and Métis illustrator Natasha Donovan trace Ross's journey from being the only girl in a high school math class to becoming a teacher to pursuing an engineering degree, joining the top-secret Skunk Works division of Lockheed, and being a mentor for Native Americans and young women interested in engineering. In addition, the narrative highlights Cherokee values including education, working cooperatively, remaining humble, and helping ensure equal opportunity and education for all.

Learn more, read an excerpt, and download a free teaching guide at www.lernerbooks.com.

Music credits
"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Some parents want their children to turn out just like them. Only a few secretly turn their kids into elite special operatives.

Josie Black can infiltrate any building, speak a dozen languages, and fight like a martial arts master. But no one told her that. After J.B. detects gaps in her memory, her mom reveals the truth: she works for a covert agency, and she's given J.B. the skills of a super spy. After J.B. freaks out, runs off, and tries to escape the weird world of espionage, she'll have to decide who she wants to be.

Learn more and read an excerpt at www.lernerbooks.com.

Music credits
"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

In this new series, examine hard topics facing our society—from gun violence to immigration. Learn how problems developed and hear from underrepresented persons involved in these struggles. Reflection questions help readers challenge their perspectives, while an activism toolkit and a Read Woke reading list empower readers to make a difference.

Read Woke™ Books are created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read Woke Books seek to challenge social norms, give voice to the silenced, provide information about groups that have been disenfranchised, disrupt the status quo, and share perspectives from underrepresented or oppressed groups.

Issues in Action includes:
- Gun Violence and the Fight for Public Safety: Among similar countries, the United States has a unique problem with gun violence. Gun-related deaths and injuries happen at high rates every year. Debates over how to reduce gun violence wrestle with defining Second Amendment rights, different ideas of freedom, and which reforms to enact. Learn how organizations and governments are working to stop gun violence; which laws, regulations, and technology could effect change; and how young activists are fighting for public safety.
- Immigration, Refugees, and the Fight for a Better Life: Throughout history and into the modern day, people have moved from place to place to flee danger and seek out better lives. But immigrants and refugees often meet harsh realities on their journeys. Learn about immigration and refugee resettlement within the United States and throughout the world. Follow both historical and recent large migrations, understand the challenges of life in a new country, and see how activists fight for immigrants' and refugees' rights.
- Income Inequality and the Fight over Wealth Distribution: In America, the amount of money people earn for doing the same job isn't always equal. The United States only recently made it illegal to pay men more than women for the same job, and the country's history of racism has created big wealth gaps between white and Black people that persist in the twenty-first century. Learn how income inequality originated, why it is a problem, and the ways people are fighting for an equal playing field.
- Mass Incarceration, Black Men, and the Fight for Justice: In the United States, Black men are almost six times more likely to be imprisoned than white men. This disproportionate impact can be traced back to slavery, Jim Crow laws, and the criminalization of Black people into the modern day. With growing awareness about unfair treatment in the justice system, more and more people are calling for change. Read more about the history and causes of mass incarceration and how activists are reforming and rethinking justice.
- The Opioid Epidemic and the Addiction Crisis: The US has seen an alarming rise in the numbers of people addicted to and overdosing on opioid drugs, including oxycodone, codeine, fentanyl, and heroin. Learn about history of the opioid crisis, the science behind addiction, and how people help those in danger.
- Use of Force and the Fight against Police Brutality: In the spring and summer of 2020, several high-profile cases put a renewed spotlight on law enforcement's use of force in the United States, especially against Black people. Activist groups such as Black Lives Matter demanded accountability for police and justice for victims of police violence. Read about the history of police brutality in the US, the role of technology in police accountability, and community movements calling for changes to police training, equipment, and funding.

Learn more at LernerBooks.com and ReadWoke.com.

Music credits
"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

Miranda Paul shares the inspiration for her new picture book, Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space.

Journey far beyond our solar system and explore the marvels of interstellar space. A wonder-filled poem and spectacular illustrations bring readers across the observable universe to encounter dwarf planets, black holes, brand-new stars, and other incredible phenomena. Award-winning author Miranda Paul and illustrator Sija Hong present a fresh and fascinating journey to the outer reaches of outer space.

Learn more, see a sneak peek, and download a free teaching guide at www.lernerbooks.com.

Music credits
"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ 

Illustrated and Photo Picture Books from Carolrhoda and Millbrook Press | Lerner Publishing Group
Join associate publisher Carol Hinz as she shares highlights from Lerner Publishing Group's Fall 2021 picture books and photo books published in the Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda Books imprints.
These titles will appeal to readers looking for science, nature, entertainment, and more. Robo-Motion highlights technology inspired by animals. In Night Becomes Day, readers learn about changes in nature, from waves washing away a footprint in the sand to the day-night cycle. In Tracking Tortoises, author Kate Messner visits the Galapagos Islands and brings back information on the endangered tortoises who live there. Animals to the Rescue features hero animals of all kinds, from elephants who help with tsunami clean up to the lamb who befriended a baby rhino. Author Kao Kalia Yang shares her story of living in a refugee camp in Thailand, and how parents can help their children see over the limitations of their own circumstances. Night Creatures covers the amazing nightlife of forest creatures. In A Peek at Beaks, veterinarian and best-selling author Sarah Levine uses a guessing game format to share details about the unusual beaks birds have. Author Chris Barton goes behind the scenes in How to Make a Book (about My Dog), taking a meta look at the process of publishing a children’s book. Everyone’s favorite Monkey with a Tool Belt is back with a Christmas caper that celebrates gift-giving from the heart, and NoNieqa Ramos tells a Hair Story of two little girls whose natural curls simply can’t be constrained.
Learn more about these and other forthcoming titles at www.lernerbooks.com.
Music credits
"Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/