Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month Highlight: Eugenie Clarke
May is AAPI Heritage Month! In celebration, we’re highlighting our profile of Eugenie Clarke, a fish scientist from New York City who earned herself the nickname, "Shark Lady," thanks to her trailblazing research on fish and shark species around the world as well as her personal dedication to protecting sharks and their ocean habitats from extinction.
Jewish American Heritage Month Highlight: Edie Windsor
In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month in May, we’re highlighting our profile of Edie Windsor a computer programmer and pioneering LGBTQ+ activist best known for her role in the landmark Supreme Court case, United States v. Windsor, that helped lead towards the eventual legalization of gay marriage in the United States.
What We're Reading
May is Jewish American Heritage Month! These suggestions include works of fiction and non-fiction for every grade level, with titles that feature characters and perspectives that are often not reflected in other popular works. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)
- Amazing Abe: How Abraham Cahan’s Newspaper Gave a Voice to Jewish Immigrants, by Norman H. Finkelstein; illustrated by Vesper Stamper
- Bubbie and Rivka’s Best-Ever Challah (So Far!), by Sarah Lynne Ruel
- Hannah’s Way, by Linda Glaser; illustrated by Adam Gustavson
- The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs,
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- The Book Rescuer: How a Mensch from Massachusetts Saved Yiddish Literature for Generations to Come, by Sue Macy; illustrated by Stacy Innerst
- Dear Mr. Dickens, by Nancy Churnin; illustrated by Bethany Stancliffe
- Hedy’s Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust, by Michelle Bisson; illustrated by El Primo Ramon
- Shira and Esther's Double Dream Debut, by Anna E. Jordan
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- Almost Flying, by Jake Maia Arlow
- Hereville: How Mirka Got Her Sword, by Barry Deutsch
- Linked, by Gordon Korman
- Music Was IT: Young Leonard Bernstein, by Susan Goldman Rubin
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- 28 Days: A Novel of Resistance in the Warsaw Ghetto, by David Safier
- The City Beautiful, by Aden Polydoros
- It’s A Whole Spiel: Love, Latkes, and Other Jewish Stories, edited by Katherine Locke and Laura Silverman
- The Judgement of Yoyo Gold, by Isaac Blum
You can find these books and many more great reads on Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students. You can also find even more great recommendations in the Jewish American Heritage Month Collection on Sora! You can also visit our Jewish American Heritage Month webpage for more book suggestions, as well as other resources to learn more about Jewish Americans and Jewish history throughout the month of May.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
April 9 was Climate Action Day in NYC Public Schools! Students participated in lessons and activities that promoted sustainability, encouraged community building, and celebrated this month’s theme of “Health, Wellness, and Greenspace.” Check out what our schools were up to, and get inspired to take climate action in your own way this Earth Month.
