Copland

A Story About America

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Viking Books for Young Readers

(Penguin Random House)

(pub. 2.24.2026)

40 pages

Ages 4-8

Author and Illustrator: Veronica Mang

Character: Aaron Copland

Overview:

" Aaron Copland was born in Brooklyn in 1900 at the dawn of a new generation. In a community of immigrants, he had a front-row seat to the many ways that the United States was growing and changing. During this electrifying time, Aaron began making music as dynamic and innovative as the people and progress around him. While some didn't understand his style or appreciate his desire to break the rules in his compositions, he endeavored to create a sound that reflected the America he knew and loved."

Tantalizing taste:

"Aaron finds an extraordinary teacher. In 1921, it is unthinkable for a woman to teach a man how to compose. But the world is changing. Mademoiselle teaches Aaron how to grow a seed of an idea into a symphony.

His dream begins to bloom."

And something more: Veronica Mang shared in the Author's Note: "Aaron's music, in all its tenderness and strength and joy, asks us: What does it mean to be American, and who can we be at our best? That is the question that inspired me to write this book."

"Composers don't write music to console their audiences as though they were composing lullabies. They write music to stir people up, to make them think about the varieties of human experience depicted in their work." - Aaron Copland.

Otherwise Known as Judy the Great

A Poetic Ode to Judy Blume

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Christy Ottaviano Books

(Little Brown Young Readers)

(pub. 2.17.2026)

48 pages

Ages 6 -1o

Author and Illustrator: Selina Alko

Character: Judy Blume

Overview:

" Judy Blume is known for fearlessly discussing topics that were once considered taboo.

As a young girl, Judy was not encouraged to share her feelings, so instead she invented stories as a way to understand the world around her. Growing up Jewish, during and in the aftermath of WWII, dramatically shaped Judy’s childhood. Her younger years were full of fear. Judy processed her conflicted emotions by making up stories where she could control the conflict as she worked through challenging life scenarios.

These stories became the subjects of the books she later published for children, tweens, teens, and adults including Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, Freckle Juice, and the Fudge series.

This inspiring collection of poems celebrates the childhood years of Judy Blume, one of the most beloved American writers of all time."

Tantalizing taste:

"Judy wanted to dig up the truth

of being a young person.

She wished to write stories for kids,

to help them navigate their lives,

to help them grow up...

One day,

Judy sat down at her desk,

pressing letters into words,

then words into sentences.

And not right away,

but soon,

Judy's stories

one by one

would break out and

BLOOM.

And something more: Selina Alko shared in the Author's Note: "Over the years, Judy Blume's most powerful and revealing books have been banned...Judy Blume has worked tirelessly throughout her career to fight censorship. She has been a pioneer of advocacy for young readers at the onset of a growing movement to suppress expression in young people's literature, which sadly continues today.

I hope that this book will motivate a new generation of young readers and writers to get to know the trailblazing author Judy Blume. Maybe they will see themselves in young Judy's childhood. Or maybe they will be inspired in other ways by the one and only Judy Blume, otherwise known as Judy the Great!"

Next Year in the White House

Barack Obama's First Presidential Seder

A TRUE TALE WITH

A CHERRY ON TOP

Crown Books for Young Readers

(pub. 3.4.2025)

40 pages

Ages 4 - 8

Author: Richard Michelson

   Illustrator: E.B. Lewis

Characters: President Barack Obama and Seder guests

Overview:

" In 1800, President John Adams held the first formal Christmas dinner at the newly built White House. In 1878, President Rutherford B. Hayes observed Easter with a public “Egg Roll." But it wasn’t until 2009 that a US president officially celebrated Passover.

A year earlier, on the campaign trail, three staffers had to get creative in order to host a Seder dinner. They gathered in a hotel basement, joined by candidate Barack Obama. They made the most of their surroundings and modest dinner, shared the stories and rituals of the holiday, and found connections between their communities. They made a toast and a promise to a future, grander celebration: next year in the White House.

Tantalizing taste:

Senator Barack Obama said, "'The odds were against the Israelites, but patience and hope kept them going when nobody thought they would survive. They believed in hard work and miracles."

It was almost midnight. Everyone was tired, but no one was lonely hungry, or sad. 'We have a family,' Barack said...

Malia and Sasha listen to their father talk about last year's Seder in a basement. Their mother says it is a miracle that the descendants of two enslaved peoples are now free to share a meal together in the White House, at the invitation of America's first black president."

And something more: A Note from Herbie Ziskend, Eric Lesser, and Arun Chanudhary: "The purpose of Passover is to tell the story of freedom in your own way and in your time, and so to be included in a book like this is a tremendous honor...At its heart, it's about the family you have and the family you make."