PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT: Lerner

Read Woke™ Books

Lerner Publishing Group is excited to introduce Read Woke™ Books, created in partnership with Cicely Lewis, the Read Woke librarian. Inspired by a belief that knowledge is power, Read Woke Books help readers challenge their perspectives and motivate them to make a difference.

Cicely Lewis —

Librarian & Creator of Read Woke™ Books

Cicely, what is a Read Woke book?

I started Read Woke in 2017 for my high school students. Our school is 80 percent Latinx. My students wanted to do something about the things they were seeing on the news, but they didn’t know how to organize or have the information they needed. I wanted to channel their social activism by getting them to read and talk about books, so I started the Read Woke reading challenge. A Read Woke book challenges the social norm, gives voice to the silenced, provides information about groups that have been disenfranchised, disrupts the status quo, and shares perspectives from underrepresented or oppressed groups. I use [these standards] in my curation, and even in my programming, because it’s important to not just have these books, but to make sure your program is reflective of the standards as well.

Your reading program led to the opportunity to develop books with Lerner. The first set—Issues in Action—addresses heavy issues like gun violence, mass incarceration, and immigration. What inspired you to tackle these topics for kids in grades 4-8?

These topics do seem heavy, but kids are watching all of this on the news—they're hearing information that may or may not be correct. They have family members that may not be documented. They've lived through things we have no idea about. I feel the best way to [help] them is through knowledge with facts and statistics and data.

The only way to combat racism, sexism, homophobia, all of that—is through education. That’s why I wanted [a broad] age range. Read Woke is rated “E” for everyone. These young readers are going to be leading our country one day. Having them know about legislation and how it affects people of color and disenfranchised groups is so relevant. My hope is that these books can get our kids energized, mobilized, and ready to take action in their communities, making change and “good trouble,” as John Lewis said.

Tell us about some of the book features.

Another six-book series is coming in January 2022, American Slavery and the Fight for Freedom. So much information has been left out of history books. We hear about Harriet Tubman, Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks—and that's it. This series introduces students to other amazing people who have led the fight for our freedom.

Cicely Lewis is a school librarian with a passion for creating lovers of reading. She was named the 2020 National Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic. In 2017, she started the Read Woke challenge in response to the shootings of young unarmed black people, the repeal of DACA, and the lack of diversity in young adult literature.