New Thematic Educator Guides: Teaching Poetry

Poetic voice, according to former U.S. Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, is an “artistic choice,” and in her 2019 TED-Ed Talk, she compelled students to “speak up.” The immense popularity of poetry slams, open mic nights, and other spoken word poetry events attests to the power of poetry to provide a platform for social commentary,

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Celebrating 20 Years of Funny in Farsi: A Special Message from Author Firoozeh Dumas to Educators

Contributed by Firoozeh Dumas, author of Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America. 2023 marks the 20-year anniversary of the groundbreaking memoir, which has remained a classroom favorite for two decades.  When I was in high school, a major news outlet took a poll to find out the most unpopular country

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Don’t miss these great English Language Arts titles!

Are you teaching English Language Arts? Here are some popular and recent titles from our extensive selection of books for the classroom that are available through the subject lists on our website, which cover American Literature, British and Commonwealth Literature, Comparative & World Literature, Communication, Writing & Composition, and ESL/ELL.   American Literature British and

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The New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2022

The New York Public Library has announced its Best Books of 2022. Curated by NYPL librarians and staff, these are their top annual recommendations for kids, teens, and adults, including nonfiction, fiction, graphic novels, poetry, and books in Spanish. All of the books are available in the Library’s catalog. Below is a selection of Penguin

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2022 National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention

Join Penguin Random House Education at the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Annual Convention in Anaheim, CA (November 17th – November 20th). Visit us in Booth #825 to browse books by grade level and subject area, pick up free teacher resources, enter daily sweepstakes, and learn more about our classroom collections. Don’t miss our General

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Spark Imagination by Bringing D&D to the Classroom

By Kade Wells, Advance Middle School English Teacher and Founder of BuildingHeroez.com As Dungeons & Dragons approaches its fifth decade, its influence remains larger than ever. With more than 50 million fans worldwide, D&D continues to inspire fans of all ages with the power of collective imagination. “[In my time running games for students, I’ve

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This Story Matters: An Intellectual Freedom Discussion with NCTE Affiliates

As the school year begins, teachers and students are facing challenges to their intellectual freedom like never before. From state legislation to executive orders to school district policies to administrator actions, book bans are at an all-time high, and teacher shortages are affecting every corner of the nation. But as a K-12 educator, you do

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DK’s Banned Books Profiles the Most Controversial Texts Throughout History

While censorship of one form or another has always plagued society as the definitions of what is “acceptable” in published works have shifted over time and all over the world, book bans and challenges in the US have doubled between 2020 and 2021, according to the American Library Association. This surge in challenged books is

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Finding Your Place in the World: Lessons for Reading and Writing

As educators, we know how important it is to give students access and opportunity to books that provide “windows, mirrors, and sliding glass doors” (Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop). It’s vital that we support every student and help them address issues they confront both in and out of the classroom. Finding those books and creating lessons

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Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, Publishing November 15, 2022

We’re delighted to announce that Penguin Random House will publish former First Lady Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times, available November 15, 2022. In an inspiring follow-up to her critically acclaimed, #1 bestselling memoir Becoming, Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly

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2022 Secondary Education Collections

The Penguin Random House Education Middle School and High School Digital Collections feature outstanding fiction and non-fiction from across Penguin Random House’s publishing divisions and distribution clients. Peruse online or download these valuable resources to discover great books in specific topic areas such as: English Language Arts, Social Studies, STEM, and Professional Learning. These new

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