New Thematic Educator Guides: Teaching with Graphic Fiction and Nonfiction

Comics hold a special place in the literary landscape of schools, but as a form or medium, comics don’t often get a lot of teacher approval. In fact, some research has found that teachers are afraid they won’t be taken seriously if they use comics in their classes. But, here’s the thing: teachers who have

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Tara Westover’s Special Message to Students (Educated, Now Available in Paperback)

Educated, now available in paperback, is an unforgettable memoir about a young woman who, kept out of school, leaves her survivalist family and goes on to earn a PhD from Cambridge University. One of the most acclaimed books of our time, it has been taught in classrooms across the country and been selected for common

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New Thematic Educator Guides: Teaching About Anxiety and Mindfulness

A 2019 publication from the National Education Association calls anxiety “the mental health tsunami” of the teenage years. That same year, a Pew survey revealed over seventy percent of teens believe anxiety and depression to be a “major problem” among friends and classmates. Possible causes are numerous, including social media, standardized testing, and the pressure

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New Thematic Educator Guides: Teaching About Climate Change

Educating our students about climate change can literally change the future. According to a 2020 article in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, educating young people about climate change could result in them making choices to decrease greenhouse gases, reduce pollution, and increase Green programs. While science class is a natural place to address

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Salt in My Soul: Watch the Documentary Based on the Book, Available to Stream January 25

Salt in My Soul is Mallory Smith’s posthumously published memoir, the collected diaries of a remarkable young woman who was determined to live a meaningful and happy life despite her struggle with cystic fibrosis and a rare superbug—from age 15 to her death at the age of 25. Mallory’s story of resilience has resonated in classrooms across

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Now on Netflix: The Film Adaptation of Jennifer Clement’s Prayers for the Stolen

Inspired by Jennifer Clement’s novel of the same name, Prayers for the Stolen is a new film available on Netflix and is Mexico’s official submission for International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards. Watch the official trailer:   An illuminating and affecting portrait of women in rural Mexico, and a stunning exploration of the

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NOW AVAILABLE: Books from The 1619 Project

The 1619 Project is The New York Times Magazine’s award-winning reframing of American history that placed slavery and its continuing legacy at the center of our national narrative. The project, which was initially launched in August of 2019, offered a revealing new origin story for the United States, one that helped explain not only the persistence of

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Penguin Random House Education Announces #DisruptTexts and Penguin Classics Partnership

(November 2, 2021)—In honor of their 75th anniversary, Penguin Classics has partnered with #DisruptTexts, a renowned education organization that works to create a more inclusive, representative and equitable language arts curriculum for K-12 students. Facilitated by Penguin Random House (PRH) Education, this partnership includes a number of new initiatives focused on connecting with, and supporting,

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PRH Partners with Amanda Gorman to Launch The Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry

Penguin Random House has partnered with Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history, to launch The Amanda Gorman Award for Poetry, a new creative writing award for poetry for public high school students. The award will recognize a student for an original literary composition in English for poetry with a first-place prize of

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Educator’s Guide: Teaching the Impact of 9/11

This Saturday marks the 20th anniversary of 9/11, a moment to reckon with our past and reimagine our future. To help educators engage with the complex impacts of 9/11 in the classroom, Valarie Kaur—Sikh activist and author of See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love—has created a guide for teaching and learning

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A Journal for Jordan: Soon to Be a Major Motion Picture Directed by Denzel Washington

  First published in 2008, A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor is Dana Canedy’s memoir and a true story of a soldier deployed to Iraq who keeps a journal of love and advice for his infant son. It is soon to be a major motion picture directed by Denzel Washington and

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Thematic Educator Guide: Teaching About the Holocaust & Global Genocides

According to a recent study commissioned by the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) and reported by The Guardian, nearly 25% of young adults in America either believe the Holocaust is a myth, think it has been exaggerated, or are not sure. These findings are particularly alarming given that the number of

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