Author: Michelle Leonard

Michelle is a We Need Diverse Books advocate and volunteer, a member of SCBWI Carolinas, and a Masters of Library and Information Studies student on her way to becoming an academic STEM librarian. She blogs about libraries and information studies at michelletleonard.com (More Than Stacks). You can also find her on Twitter @mleonardwrites.
Book Recommendations, Nonfiction, STEM

Dear Citizen Scientists– 7 Books to Inspire!

We hear about yet another animal whose population is in danger in the news every day. The recent reports about the significant decline in our bird population came out just as I was finishing BUGS IN DANGER, an upcoming nonfiction book by Mark Kurlansky (releases 11/12/19). Yes, bugs, an importance food source for birds, are in trouble too. We’re probably all aware that our monarchs and bees are … Continue reading Dear Citizen Scientists– 7 Books to Inspire!

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Book Recommendations, Picture Books, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. This week we are featuring ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks and illustrated by Simone Agoussoye. The title is a great description of this new fascinating picture book biography. Ona was an enslaved girl who lived with her … Continue reading Featured: ONA JUDGE OUTWITS THE WASHINGTONS by Gwendolyn Hooks

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: OTHER WORDS FOR HOME

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring OTHER WORDS FOR HOME by Jasmine Warga. When life at home begins to get too dangerous for Jude and her expectant mom, they leave her papa and beloved, but rebellious brother behind in Syria and … Continue reading Featured: OTHER WORDS FOR HOME

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS by Renée Watson

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS by Renée Watson. With a new baby sister due to arrive in a few weeks and a mom who is still trying to force her to wear dresses, almost twelve-year-old … Continue reading Featured: SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS by Renée Watson

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS by Jehan Jones-Radgowski

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS: A DARING VOYAGE OUT OF SLAVERY written by Jehan Jones-Radgowski and illustrated by Poppy Kang. I had never heard about Robert Smalls, but after reading THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS: A DARING VOYAGE OUT OF … Continue reading Featured: THE ESCAPE OF ROBERT SMALLS by Jehan Jones-Radgowski

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Michelle Leonard3 Comments
Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN by Alicia D. Williams. Thirteen-year-old Genesis has a list of 96 things she doesn’t like about herself––the texture of her hair, the darkness of her skin, the fact that her family keeps … Continue reading Featured: GENESIS BEGINS AGAIN

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Book Recommendations, Windows & Mirrors, Young Adult

Featured: I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT co-written by debut author Gilly Segal and former bookstore owner/director/screenwriter Kimberly Jones. Campbell and Lena have very little in common other than that they’re both at their high school’s football game. Campbell, … Continue reading Featured: I’M NOT DYING WITH YOU TONIGHT

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME by Mariama J. Lockington. Eleven-year-old Makeda is black. The family that adopted her is white. When people see Makeda with her white sister or parents, they look back and forth between … Continue reading Featured: FOR BLACK GIRLS LIKE ME

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY by debut author Gail D. Villanueva.  When a giant black butterfly lands on her, Sab knows her life is over. Black butterflies are an omen of death according to … Continue reading Featured: MY FATE ACCORDING TO THE BUTTERFLY

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Book Recommendations, Middle Grade, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: JUST SOUTH OF HOME by Karen Strong

Welcome to Windows & Mirrors, where we feature books that provide us windows to lives outside our own and mirrors to our shared common human experiences. Today we are featuring JUST SOUTH OF HOME by Karen Strong. Due to a change in plans, Sarah’s cousin Janie must stay with her family instead of going to Paris with her mom. Janie’s understandably miserable, so when she … Continue reading Featured: JUST SOUTH OF HOME by Karen Strong

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Book Recommendations, Graphic Novel, Windows & Mirrors

Featured: Graphic Novel Anthology THIS PLACE- 150 YEARS RETOLD

I recently had the great honor of reading THIS PLACE: 150 YEARS RETOLD by Kateri Akiwenzi-Damm, Sonny Assu, and Brandon Mitchell. The graphic novel anthology is a collection of ten different stories spanning from 1867 to present day told by Indigenous authors/illustrators. What makes this collection unique is its stories tell the history of when Europeans settled in North American (specifically Canada) through the perspective … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel Anthology THIS PLACE- 150 YEARS RETOLD

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Book Recommendations, Graphic Novel, Middle Grade

Featured: Graphic Novel series 5 WORLDS

It’s the end of the semester for my MLIS program and my eyes are weary from reading so much dense text. Graphic novels are the perfect way for me to wind down in the evenings, and I recently hit on a series that is not to be missed. The 5 Worlds face extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit. It’s up to three … Continue reading Featured: Graphic Novel series 5 WORLDS

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