SLJ.com sports a new feature: 100 Scope Notes. The popular blog by Travis Jonker on all things kid lit debuted today as part of SLJ’s blog network.
Wimpy Kid Author Jeff Kinney Talks About his Inspirations, the Road to Fame, and the Quest for the Perfect Shade of Brown
By on November 19, 2012 1 Comment
In a live SLJ webcast on November 12, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” author Jeff Kinney spoke about the evolution of his career and some of the inspirations that went into his popular series, including the seventh book, “The Third Wheel,” which released last week.
In Sandy’s Aftermath, School Librarians Support Patrons, Communities, and One Another
By on November 5, 2012 2 Comments
Despite the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Sandy, librarians are doing all that they can to serve their communities, from reaching out to offer donations to those affected by the crisis, to librarians compiling resources to give emotional support to their students.
Fiction Series Update: November 2012
By on November 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
The books listed below are the latest installments in ongoing fiction series that are well-known to most of our readers. We assume that purchase will be based on the popularity of previous titles. This month’s titles include paranormal romances, fast-paced mysteries, laugh-out-loud middle grade books, and more.
Native American Heritage Month: Teaching Tips and a Call for Responsible Student Research
By on October 31, 2012 2 Comments
November marks National Native American Heritage Month, and librarians aiming to help students become well-versed in the culture and history of Native people have plenty of options to engage kids of all ages, from ways to visually make the library a welcoming place to books and encyclopedias to use with students.
“Oddities and Prodigies” | A Day at the Renaissance Fair
By on October 31, 2012 Leave a Comment
Author Karen Cushman is no stranger to the medieval and Renaissance world. Her first novel, the Newbery Honor book “Catherine Called Birdy,” examined the period from the perspective of a noble-born girl waiting to be married off. The author’s latest work, “Will Sparrow’s Road,” is set during 16th-century England and its title character lives a life that Birdy could only “[fantasize] about as she sat inside embroidering.”
NYPL Panel Offers Advice for Bullied Kids—and Bullies
By on October 24, 2012 1 Comment
In a New York Public Library Children’s Literary Salon on October 20 that coincided with National Bullying Prevention Month, authors Paul Griffin, Madeleine George and others came together to talk about bullying: strategies for ending it, their own personal experiences, and the positive effect their books have on their readers.
SLJ Summit 2012 | Tweet Chat Provokes Insight into the Future of Libraries
By on October 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
Where are libraries heading in the future? English teachers, librarians, and other educators voiced their opinions on issues ranging from technology to budget concerns in a Twitter chat hosted by Pam Moran and Ira Socol, “unkeynote” speakers at SLJ’s upcoming Leadership Summit.
Interview: Lesléa Newman Discusses her Novel in Verse About the Death of Matthew Shepard, ‘October Mourning’
By on October 18, 2012 1 Comment
Author Lesléa Newman has always felt an obligation to help the world remember Matthew Shepard, a gay student at the University of Wyoming who was brutally beaten and left to die in October 1998. Shepard’s death brought national attention to the issue of homophobic bullying and helped galvanize anti-bullying awareness nationwide. With October Mourning, a novel in verse, Newman explores Shepard’s death in 68 poems. SLJ talked with Newman about how she came to write October Mourning, her use of poetic forms, and the challenges of writing about this painful topic.
Taking it to Twitter: Librarians Debate the Demise of Dewey
By on October 15, 2012 9 Comments
Is the Dewey Decimal System making it too difficult for young users to find what they’re looking for? At a virtual Twitter gathering Thursday October 11, librarians from the Ethical Culture Fieldston School, who have re-organized their library with a new system that they call Metis, responded to questions about Dewey’s flaws, its relevance in today’s world, and the best ways to encourage library usage among patrons.
Lois Lowry Talks About Her Latest Novel, ‘Son’
By on October 5, 2012 1 Comment
Lois Lowry recently gave fans some insight into her latest novel, Son (2012)—it came about because the ending of her Newbery-winning, The Giver (1993, both Houghton), left too many unanswered questions.
KidLitCon 2012: Expanding the World of KidLit Blogs
By on October 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
Kid lit blogs are huge with librarians, but can they reach fans beyond our world? Greg Pincus, whose blog GottaBook features poetry and perspectives on children’s literature, shared his advice on using social media to find new audiences during KidLitCon 2012 at the New York Public Library on September 29.
KidLitCon 2012: The Changing Relationship Between Reader and Writer
By on October 1, 2012 1 Comment
Alyssa Sheinmel, Adele Griffin, and other young adult authors came together September 29 at the sixth annual KidLitCon in New York City to discuss social media, the obligations authors have to their fans, and the challenges of interacting with an audience.
KidLitCon 2012: Critical Reviewing in the Age of Twitter
By on October 1, 2012 3 Comments
Facebook, Twitter, and blogs have made authors and book reviewers more visible—but have they also suppressed genuine literary criticism? Several book bloggers gathered at the New York Public Library September 29 for a KidLitCon 2012 panel discussion entitled “How Nice is Too Nice?: Critical Book Reviewing in the Age of Twitter” to explore the impact of social media on the book industry.
Education Summit Questions Value of High-Stakes Testing
By on September 23, 2012 2 Comments
A group of educational leaders and innovative thinkers gathered in New York September 19 to discuss the value of high-stakes testing, trends in education, and the role of technology in learning. John Merrow, an education reporter for PBS’s NewsHour and president of Learning Matters, a nonprofit production company focused on education, moderated the symposium, “Education: The Next 25 Years, The Next 25 Minutes,” which was sponsored by the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education.
Editor Patti Lee Gauch Talks About the State of the Picture Book
By on September 19, 2012 2 Comments
What’s the secret behind a successful picture book? Although the best ones are often informational, they’re also mischievous, subversive, and exhilarating, says Patti Lee Gauch, a former editorial director at Philomel Books who has edited three Caldecott-winning books.
Award-winning Author Nina Bawden Dead at 87
By on August 24, 2012
Nina Bawden, one of the rare authors who could write equally well for both children and adults, died August 22 in London. She was 87.
Award-winning YA Author Mollie Hunter Dead at 90
By on August 20, 2012
Mollie Hunter, whose novels for young readers won accolades on both sides of the ocean, died on July 31 in Inverness, Scotland. She was 90.
Author/Illustrator Jose Aruego Dies at 80
By on August 17, 2012
Jose Aruego, best known for illustrating Robert Kraus’s Leo the Late Bloomer (Windmill, 1971), died August 9 in New York City on his 80th birthday.
Author, Illustrator Remy Charlip Dies at 83
By on August 17, 2012
Remy Charlip, dancer, actor, and an award-winning author and illustrator of more than 30 children’s books including I Love You (Scholastic, 1999) and Mother Mother I Feel Sick (Parents’ Magazine Press, 1966), died August 14. He was 83.
