To celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month, we're highlighting a story from our Hidden Voices series about Bernice Sandler, the first Chair of the National Advisory Council on Women’s Educational Programs and champion of the groundbreaking Title IX law that transformed student athletics and gender equity in the United States.
Learn more about how Bernice Sandler became known as the "Godmother of Title IX" on Hidden Voices
During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we're highlighting the stories of individuals who have often been left out of traditional historical records, like Anna May Wong, the first-ever Chinese American movie star, who captivated audiences, earned critical acclaim for her performances, and dared to break free of Hollywood’s early to mid-twentieth century typecasting practices for nonwhite actors.
Learn more about how Wong made Hollywood history on Hidden Voices
April is Earth Month, and this week, we also celebrated our third Climate Action Day of the year! As we come together to take action against climate change, we’re also sharing some of our favorite books that explore this month's theme of “Health, Wellness, and Green Space.”
These fiction and nonfiction titles will help readers of all ages learn about ways they can make our planet a greener, more sustainable place. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Early Readers (3-K–Grade 2)
- Hike, by Pete Oswald
- In the Garden with Dr. Carver, by Susan Grigsby; illustrated by Nicole Tadgell
- Our Green City, by Tanya Lloyd Kyi; Illustrated by Colleen Larmour
- Our Planet! There’s No Place Like Earth, by Stacy McNulty; illustrated by David Litchfield
- Zonia's Rainforest, by Juana Martinez-Neal
Elementary (Grades 3–5)
- Elsie Mae Has Something to Say, by Nancy J. Cavanaugh
- A Green Place to Be: The Creating of Central Park, by Ashley Benham Yazdani
- The Last Beekeeper, by Pablo Cartaya
- Rachel Carson and Her Book That Changed the World, by Laurie Lawlor; illustrated by Laura Beingessner
- Summer of the Tree Army: A Civilian Conservation Corps Story, by Gloria Whelan; illustrated by Kirbi Fagan
Middle School (Grades 6–8)
- How to Change Everything: The Young Human’s Guide to Protecting the Planet and Each Other, by Naomi Klein
- Me and Marvin Gardens, by Amy Sarig King
- Paradise on Fire, by Jewell Parker Rhodes
- Primates: The Fearless Science of Jane Goodall, Dian Fossey, and Biruté Galdikas, by Jim Ottaviani and Maris Wicks
- The Story of Seeds, by Nancy F. Castaldo
Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)
- The Carbon Diaries 2015, by Saci Lloyd
- Green Rising, by Lauren James
- If Not Us, by Mark Smith
- The Line Tender, by Kate Allen
- We Are the Weather Makers: The History of Climate Change, by Sally M. Walker
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 recommendations in the Climate Action Days Collection, the Climate Change Collection, and the Nature and the Outdoors Collection on Sora for even more great recommendations.
Missed our previous book recommendations?
Check them out in the "What We're Reading" Archive!
SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS
Last month, NYC Public Schools and Mikva Challenge partnered up to host SoapboxNYC, our annual celebration of youth voice and public speaking for students in grades K–12. Held at the iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, the event featured outstanding student finalists who courageously stepped on stage to answer the question, "What is the biggest issue facing your community, and what should be done about it?"
Judging from these photos, it's clear that this year's SoapboxNYC will be remembered for years to come! We thank Mikva Challenge for their partnership and ongoing support for our Civics for All initiative!
Make Your Own Self-Watering Plastic Bottle Planter
Join in on the fun and learning happening during our next Climate Action Day on April 22! Learn how to make your very own greenspace at home, with this step-by-step guide to create a self-watering planter out of recycled water bottles—an easy, low-maintenance home garden that helps conserve water by keeping the soil moist all on it's own!
