Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize five times between 1937 and 1948. Nobel Prizes are rarely given posthumously, and upon his death in 1948 Gandhi was no longer considered eligible to receive the Prize.  Over the past 120 years many remarkable people have been nominated for a Nobel Prize but never recognized as Nobel Laureates. Others have been forgotten or excluded when their partners received recognition. Celebrate Nobel Prize Day 2022 by reading about some of these outstanding individuals who didn’t receive a Nobel Prize (but perhaps should have). Read More

Five different Nobel prizes have been awarded almost every year since 1901 to individuals and organizations deemed to have made the most important contributions to world peace, physics, chemistry, medicine and literature. A sixth prize, for Economic Sciences, was added in 1968. Jazzy’s 2022 Nobel Prize Day Bookshelf celebrates a number of well-known Nobel Laureates, as well as Alfred Nobel -- the man who made the Nobel Prize possible. Read More

Scarecrows have been used by farmers to protect their crops for thousands of years. Europeans who emigrated to the US during the 18th century brought their custom of making scarecrows that resembled humans. They dressed their scarecrows in worn-out pants, shirts and coats, placed old hats on heads stuffed with straw, and tied red handkerchiefs around their necks. They called these scarecrows bootzamon or bogeyman. While today’s farmers no longer rely on scarecrows to protect their crops, the scarecrow has become a symbol of the fall harvest season. Celebrate the fall season in 2022 with some of these fun stories featuring scarecrows: Read More

Fall into reading with Jazzy’s Fall Bookshelf for 2022! Read More

Since 1938, the Caldecott Medal has been awarded every year by the American Library Association to the “artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.” Watercress, illustrated by Jason Chin and written by Andrea Wang, was the Caldecott winner in 2022. The Caldecott Medal is named for English illustrator Randolph Caldecott (1846-1886). Caldecott is credited with originating the modern picture book by using his colorful illustrations to help tell the story rather than simply reflect the written words. Created by Rene Paul Chambellan in 1937, the bronze medal’s design is based on one of Randolph Caldecott's illustrations for The Diverting History of John Gilpin. It features the image of a man riding a runaway horse surrounded by geese, dogs and children. To celebrate Picture Book Month in 2022, enjoy some of these gorgeous nonfiction picture books chosen by John Schu and Colby Sharp for their 2023 Mock Caldecott List, illustrated by Kate Berube, Sophie Blackall, Jason Chin, Christopher Denise, Chioma Ebinama, Eric Fan, Terry Fan, Deborah Freedman, Michaela Goade, Madelyn Goodnight, Edward Hemingway, Molly Idle, Yas Imamura, Rafael López, Deborah Marcero, Zahra Marwan, Meghan McCarthy, Daniel Minter, Frank Morrison, Christopher Silas Neal, Doug Salati, Erin E. Stead, Young Vo, and Gracey Zhang. And here we collected Jazzy’s 2022 Picture Book Month Bookshelf for you. Read More

In honor of Picture Book Month 2022, enjoy these beautiful picture books by illustrators Galia Bernstein, Matthew Cordell, Leo Espinosa, Veronica Miller Jamison, David Roberts, Isabel Roxas, Lorna Scobie, Benson Shum, Jessie Sima, Aimeé Sicuro, Grant Snider, Diana Toledano, Kaz Windness, Billy Yong, and Yuval Zommer. Read More

The Diné, or Navajo People, welcome a baby into their community by celebrating the baby’s first laugh. As part of the celebration, the baby often receives a special gift of turquoise, and the meal might include rock salt, symbolizing a connection with the earth. Who gets to host this celebration? The person who first made the baby laugh!  To celebrate 2022 Native American Heritage Month, you can read more about the Diné first laugh celebration and the traditions and experiences of other Indigenous Americans in the books below: Read More

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in 2022 by checking out the books on Jazzy’s new bookshelf! Read More