Netflix has brought back Carmen Sandiego and, with her, comes a series of books and series-related materials for educators. In addition, Jeff Kinney is spinning off "Wimpy Kid" and Bank Street College of Education takes a look at the best picture books in Spanish.

Carmen Sandiego Returns This Week

Carmen Sandiego returns to the small screen this week when Gina Rodriguez stars as the world traveler in the new animated Netflix series, Carmen Sandiego. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was a half-hour game show in the 1990s. In this reincarnation, Carmen is a master thief who uses her skills for good traveling the world to thwart evil plans with the help of some sidekicks.

In conjunction with the show, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt is publishing a series of books. Who in the World is Carmen Sandiego? will be released Jan. 22 in English and Spanish. With a foreword by Rodriguez, it is a novelization of the Netflix series. This summer, a graphic novel titled The Sticky Rice Caper and middle grade book Clue by Clue will be released. Four additional books in the series in different formats will be released later in the year.

Beyond the series, HMH is bringing Carmen to the classroom with teaching tools, resources, and lesson plans that focus on geography, history, and culture. Educators can visit the website for free resources, activities, and more.

There is also a movie scheduled to be released next year.

Fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid got an unexpected surprise when Abrams’s Amulet Books imprint announced that author Jeff Kinney will create a spinoff of the series with a new novel from the perspective of Greg Heffley’s best friend, Rowley Jefferson. Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson’s Journal will be released April 9.

Year’s Best Picture Books in Spanish

Tenth grader Julia Wang from Lynbrook High School in San Jose, CA, is the winner of the first-ever National Poetry Month Poster Contest for Students. The Academy of American Poets announced that Wang’s artwork was selected by Academy Chancellor Emeritus Naomi Shihab Nye and award-winning graphic designer Debbie Millman. She was one of 12 finalists and more than 450 student submissions. The Academy of American Poets will distribute 100,000 free copies of the 2019 National Poetry Month poster featuring Wang’s artwork to libraries, schools, bookstores, and community centers nationwide. The poster will also be available for download on Poets.org.

For winning, Wang receives $500, a $500 gift certificate to Blick Art Materials, art supplies from Sakura Color of America, and signed copies of books by this year’s judges. She will also be featured in the April 2019 issue of American Poets magazine.