In September, Yancey County Schools, in rural North Carolina, were hard hit by Hurricane Helene. One small elementary school with two classes per grade was destroyed. After seven long weeks, students and teachers recently returned to another building while their school is being rebuilt. Now you can help rebuild their… Read More

Ribbon skirts are worn today not only as a symbol of cultural significance, but also as a beautiful fashion statement. While they mean different things to different Indigenous communities, ribbon skirts are broadly considered to symbolize culture and kinship, identity and resilience. In 2021, Deb Haaland wore a ribbon skirt when she was sworn in as the first Native American cabinet secretary of the Department of the Interior. In What Your Ribbon Skirt Means to Me: Deb Haaland’s Historic Inauguration written by Alexis Bunten (Aleut/Yup’ik) and illustrated by Nicole Neidhardt (Diné (Navajo) of the Kiiyaa'áanii Clan), we learn that the colors of the ribbons adorning Secretary Haaland’s skirt each had a special meaning – the red ribbon represented strawberries, the orange represented fire, yellow was for the sun, green was for grass, blue was for water and violet was for shells. To celebrate Native American Heritage Month in 2024, you can learn more about ribbon skirts, and other traditions and experiences of Indigenous Americans, through the books below: Read More

Celebrate Native American Heritage Month in 2024 by checking out the books on Jazzy’s new bookshelf! Read More

Each year, lots of families carve jack-o’-lanterns to celebrate Halloween. But did you know that the first jack-o’-lanterns were carved from turnips, not pumpkins? In Ireland and Scotland people hollowed out turnips and gave them creepy faces to celebrate the feast of All Hallows’ Eve. While getting ready to trick-or-treat, enjoy these books that explore other wonderful fall holidays: Read More

Get into the Halloween spirit by checking out Jazzy’s latest bookshelf for 2024! Interested in more books about holidays and celebrations? Check them out here. Read More

Celebrate World Inclusion Day 2024 with these wonderful stories about honoring and embracing the things that make us different, and help create a kinder, more inclusive world! Read More

The world’s population includes 2 billion children aged 0-14. These children live in 195 different countries, speak more than 7,000 languages, and represent hundreds of different ethnicities. In celebration of World Inclusion Day 2024, enjoy these stories about children whose race, gender, abilities or experiences might differ from yours! Read More

In honor of National Hispanic & Latín Heritage Month 2024, learn more about Frida Kahlo, the brilliant Mexican artist who painted at Casa Azul in Who Was Her Own Work of Art?: Frida Kahlo, and explore other wonderful books that celebrate Hispanic and Latín heritage. Read More

Here are some great books to help celebrate National Hispanic & Latín Heritage Month in 2024! Read More

Pirates may not have buried much treasure on deserted islands, cried “argh” when displeased, or forced their captives to walk the plank. (Argh!) But some pirate lore seems to be based on fact. Pirates actually had parrots for pets, wore eye patches, and flew the Jolly Roger. (Blimey!) To celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day 2024, read a pirate book or three. Discover interesting facts and popular pirate myths, and find out more about the seadogs, swashbucklers and scallywags who roamed the briny deep. Read More