June is Pride Month, a time to celebrate LGBTQ+ identity and raise awareness of issues faced by the community. In honor of Pride Month, we’ve picked some of our favorite middle grade books that highlight the diverse experiences within the LGBTQ+ community, written by authors who identify as LGBTQ+. 

Get to know these amazing stories about inclusivity and being your truest self. Happy Pride!

For my debut novel, Pippa Park Raises Her Game, I followed a pretty unconventional path. Instead of writing my book and then querying literary agents, Fabled Films Press put out a call for submissions for stories inspired by Great Expectations as part of a broader initiative to reimagine classic literature from different perspectives. Immediately, ideas churned in my mind, and I thought about almost nothing but how to update the iconic Dickens novel into a modern middle-grade book. 
 

April 6th is National Student-Athlete Day! In Pippa Park Raises Her Game, twelve-year-old Pippa Park is obsessed with basketball. Because of this, people often ask me if I played basketball in middle school, too. The answer is yes.... but I wasn’t nearly as good as Pippa is! Nowadays, the only sport I can handle is typing really fast. In honor of past times, I wanted to share my own experience on the court as well as explain why I chose basketball for Pippa’s passion.  
 

April is National Poetry Month! These inspiring middle-grade books are written in verse, meaning that, unlike traditional novels, these stories are written in the form of poetry. This month, try something different and pick up one of these excellent reads!

March is Women's History Month! This month (and every month), empower your child and celebrate the contributions of women throughout history with these children's books for young readers of all ages.

Black History Month is celebrated every February to honor the history and achievements of generations of African Americans. Uplift and appreciate Black voices by spending this month (and beyond!) with children's books by Black authors. We've picked out some of our favorites to get you started.

Korean American Day is celebrated every year on January 13. It commemorates the arrival of the first Korean immigrants to the United States in 1903 and celebrates the many contributions of Korean Americans. Today, we’d like to recognize Korean American authors (including our very own Erin Yun) by highlighting their new and upcoming middle-grade releases. These reads will surely delight middle-grade readers—not just today, but all year round!
 

Looking for a fun hands-on summer reading activity? 
The Pippa Park Escape Pippa’s Bedroom Activity helps gamify summer reading and transform your library or bookstore into a fun and immersive experience that promotes collaboration and teamwork among tweens.

Whether you’re staying home or traveling this spring break, banish boredom from your vacation with these 5 fun activities! 

Looking for something new to share with your child during Women’s History Month? Check out these unique female role models who were groundbreakers in art, sports, and politics. 

February 7th is Charles Dickens’ birthday! This year he'd be 210 years old. His classic book Great Expectations is the inspiration behind Pippa Park Raises Her Game by Erin Yun.

I haven’t read many books this winter. Maybe it’s because I’ve been busy writing or spending time with family. Maybe it’s because winter is hibernation season for me. Whatever the reason, as soon as I started reading Kacen Callender’s King and the Dragonflies, all my excuses flew out the window. I finished the book in one sitting.

Are you obsessed with Netflix comedy specials? Do you salivate at the mere thought of Korean barbecue? Are you, or have you ever been, a middle schooler? If you answered yes to any of these questions, do me a favor and grab a copy of Jessica Kim’s Stand Up, Yumi Chung!—a delightfully warm, deliciously funny middle-grade novel that is sure to get you smiling.  

Here is my take on a classic Korean stew from my childhood—kimchi-jjigae!

Enjoy a book club with your friends outside for a socially distant summer activity!

The Summer 2020 Reading Theme is  ”Imagine Your Story”, which celebrates mythology, fairy tales, and folktales and encourages young readers to create their own stories.