Florence Simmons

2 months ago | slj.com | Florence Simmons |Ellen Williams |Alice Levine

Authors kyle Lukoff (seated) and Gavin Grimm (on screen) visit a New York City school library. The Lambda Literary LGBTQ Writers in Schools (WIS) program in New York City is holding strong—even as book bans in schools surge nationwide and anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation expands. Now in its ninth year, the LGBTQ WIS program will offer subsidized LGBTQ author visits, free books, and teacher training to 173 schools across New York City between February and June of 2025.

Jun 10, 2024 | slj.com | Florence Simmons |Shelley Diaz

Flashlight Press’s core team may be small, but their work has scored big, delighting children ages 4-8 in the U.S. and around the world. Since 2004, Flashlight Press has published picture books that explore and illuminate different social and family situations. The Brooklyn-based publisher’s in-demand books are available in hardcover, eBook, and paperback, and have appeared 73 times on 33 state award lists and been translated into 19 languages.

Jun 10, 2024 | slj.com | Florence Simmons |Rachel S Mulligan

Ash Takes the Cake (Pokémon). adapt. by ­Maria S. Barbo. 32p. (Scholastic ­Reader, Level 2). Scholastic. Apr. 2024. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781339028033. Gr 2-3–A fun adventure adapted from the Pokémon TV show. Ash and his friends are having a snack before going to the gym to Battle Gym Leader Opal, when Goh captures a new Pokémon. Before too long, Goh’s new Pokémon evolves, and they are ready for a surprise baking competition at the gym with the Pokémon Alcremie as their partners.

May 14, 2024 | slj.com | Kara Yorio |Shelley Diaz |Florence Simmons |Ashleigh Williams

From left: Veeda Bybee and Yamile Saied Méndez at the launch event for Calling the Moon at the Orem (UT) Public Library; Saadia Faruqi; Aida Salazar. Courtesy of Veeda Bybee; Photo courtesy of the authors In Louise Fitzhugh’s 1965 novel The Long Secret, a scared Beth Ellen asks her friends Harriet and Janie, “Aren’t there little rocks that come down and make you bleed and hurt you?” Their multipage conversation about menstruation was unusual for the time.

Mar 25, 2024 | slj.com | Kekla Magoon |Cynthia Smith |Florence Simmons

Whether it’s the flow of the art working in concert with the text, the illustration building up the page-turn, or just simply exquisite artistry, the art behind a picture book is always wondrous and stunning to see come to life. There are so many beautiful picture books published, but once a year, the illustrator of one is selected as the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children for the Caldecott Medal.