Fresh off his appearance on ABC’s Good Morning America as the February Book Club selection, Brendan Slocumb recently returned to his childhood home of rural North Carolina to discuss his debut novel The Violin Conspiracy, which tells the story of Ray McMillian, who is determined to become a world-class professional violinist. When his great-great-grandfather’s priceless

By: Michele Borba, Ed.D.   “Why do some kids thrive while others strive?” My quest to find that answer began as a college student when I first learned of my own father’s childhood struggles. His parents were illiterate and destitute. His father died when he was two, and Dad was placed in an orphanage. Yet,

March is Women’s History Month, which recognizes the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. Beginning as “Women’s History Week,” a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California in 1978, the movement spread across the country as other communities initiated their own Women’s History Week celebrations the following year.

Dr. Paul Farmer, medical anthropologist, physician, and professor at Harvard Medical School, passed away on February 21, 2022, in Butaro, Rwanda. Dr. Farmer was the subject of Tracy Kidder’s 2003 book Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. The book is an account of the difference

February 11th is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. On this day, we recognize the achievements of women and girls in science and advocate for their full access and participation in working toward scientific goals.   Here is a list of books that recognizes and celebrates women in the fields of Science, Technology,

The American Library Association (ALA) announced their 2022 literary award winners and honorees during LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience. Below you can find a selection of Penguin Random House titles that were among the winners.   To see which Elementary School titles were honored, click here.   Alex Award The Witch’s Heart Lore Olympus: Volume

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

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

Join Penguin Random House in celebrating the contributions of Black Authors, Creators and Educators all year long.  In honor of Black History Month, we are highlighting stories about the history of Black America, being Black today, and essential novels by Black writers. Penguin Random House remains committed to supporting the next generation of Black authors, creators

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

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

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