First time author William Alexander took home the National Book Award (NBA) for Young People last night for his book Goblin Secrets (S&S, 2012), about a boy who joins a theatrical group of goblins.
Debut Author William Alexander Nabs 2012 National Book Award for Young People
By on November 15, 2012 1 Comment
SLJ Summit 2012: Nonfiction Authors Address the Common Core
By on November 5, 2012 Leave a Comment
At the School Library Journal Summit held October 26-27, authors Deborah Hopkinson, Barbara Kerley, Steve Sheinkin, and Sally M. Walker came together to share their views on their work and how they can address Common Core principles as they conduct research for their books.
Second Annual Picture Book Month Kicks off in November
By on October 29, 2012 2 Comments
Librarians, authors and illustrators are gearing up for Picture Book Month in November. Events and activities include daily postings to the Picture Book Month site by authors and illustrators like Chris Raschka and Paul O. Zeinsky. School libraries will be featuring Mock Caldecotts and author visits.
Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards Honor Interned Japanese Americans
By on October 24, 2012 Leave a Comment
Two books with historical ties to the Japanese American internment during World War II won the 59th Jane Addams Children’s Book Award, recognizing books promoting peace, social justice, world community, and equality of the sexes and races. The winners gathered at the Jane Addams Peace Association’s headquarters in New York City for the October 19 ceremony.
SLJ Talks to Legendary Book Editor Frances Foster
By on October 17, 2012 6 Comments
School Library Journal sat down with renowned children’s book editor Frances Foster to discuss her long, illustrious career working with children’s book stars like Roald Dahl and Peter Sís, her experiences coming across the manuscripts of a fourteen-year-old Polly Horvath, and how it felt editing the Newbery-award winner Holes.
Librarians Flock to New York Comic Con
By on October 15, 2012 Leave a Comment
Digital comics, gaming, and, of course, costumes were among the draws for teachers and librarians who attended New York Comic Con’s (NYCC) Professional Day on Thursday, October 11, featuring panels by the American Library Association, among other organizations. Once again, as in past years, New Jersey librarians dominated as presenters at Professional Day, covering collection development, library programming, and the history of the science fiction and fantasy genres.
NY Districts Gain School Librarian Evaluation Tool
By on October 5, 2012 2 Comments
School librarians in New York State now have their own customized evaluation rubric, thanks to members of the New York Library Association (NYLA).
Irving Adler, Author of Kids’ Science, Math Books, Dies at 99
By on October 3, 2012 2 Comments
Irving Adler, a social activist and prolific author of math and science books for children, died September 22 in Bennington, VT, from complication of a stroke. He was 99.
Romney Doesn’t Support Fed Dollars for Common Core
By on September 27, 2012 7 Comments
What can we expect if Mitt Romney’s elected the next president? More school choice, absolutely no federal money devoted to helping implement the Common Core Standards, and an A to F grading system for all K-12 schools.
Fans Fete Kinney, Green at DC’s National Book Fest
By on September 25, 2012 Leave a Comment
More than 200,000 book lovers streamed onto the National Mall in Washington, DC, this weekend to attend the 12th annual National Book Festival, where children and YA authors from Jeff Kinney to John Green drew huge crowds of kids who lined up for autographs and brought gifts, letters, and cookies for some of their favorite writers.
Eric Carle Museum Hands Out 2012 Honors
By on September 25, 2012 Leave a Comment
The Eric Carle Museum last Thursday handed out its 2012 honors to illustrator Lane Smith, Kent Brown, co-founder of Boyds Mills Press, Frances Foster, a longtime editor with an imprint at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and Christopher Cerf, co-creator of the PBS program Between the Lions.
Children’s Sci-fi/Fantasy Writer Josepha Sherman Dies at 65
By on August 27, 2012 Leave a Comment
Science fiction and fantasy writer Josepha Sherman died on August 23 in New Haven, CT, after a long illness, in which she battled dementia. She was 65. Sherman’s works include Gleaming Bright (Walker, 1994), a story of a resourceful young princess who goes in search of a magic box to avoid marrying a cruel king, and an adult fantasy, The Shining Falcon (Avon, 1989), a tale of love, hate, and magic that’s filled with Slavic mythology.
PA State Legislators Hold Hearing on Status of School Libraries
By on August 25, 2012 1 Comment
Although 94 percent of Pennsylvania’s 3,303 K-12 schools have libraries, the bulk of schools without media centers are in Philadelphia, says a new study that was presented to state legislators on August 22.
Two Picture Books Celebrate the Life of Julia Child in Time for Her 100th Birthday
By on August 13, 2012 Leave a Comment
Julia Child, the noted chef, author, and TV personality, would have turned 100 on August 15—and two picture books are now on sale in time for the big day.
Interview: Coville, Levy on Co-Writing New “Amber Brown’
By on August 13, 2012 1 Comment
SLJ talks to writers Bruce Coville and Elizabeth Levy, coauthors of Amber Brown Is Tickled Pink (Putnam, 2012), a tribute to their dear friend and “Amber Brown” creator, Paula Danziger, who passed away in 2004.
Hasenyager Replaces Stripling as Head of NYC’s School Libraries
By on July 17, 2012 1 Comment
Richard Hasenyager, the former director for library services at Texas’sNorth East Independent School District, was recently appointed director of library services for New York City’s department of education.
He replaces Barbara Stripling, who left the position at the end of 2011 to become a professor of practice at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool). Stripling held the position since 2005.
Interview: SLJ Talks to Former NFLer Tim Green about His Latest Novel
By on July 3, 2012 Leave a Comment
Former NFL defensive end and practicing lawyer Tim Green discusses his latest novel, Unstoppable(HarperCollins, 2012), which was inspired by real-life cancer survivors, including Jeffrey Keith, who at 12 lost his leg to cancer but went on to play college sports.
SLJ Talks to S.E. Hinton On ‘The Outsiders’ Turning 45
By on June 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
SLJ spoke to Hinton about the 45th anniversary of her most popular novel, experience with writer’s block, and her most recent fascination with Twitter.
Collier, Frazee, Green Kick Off First SLJ/AAP Children’s Librarians’ Dinner
By on June 10, 2012 Leave a Comment
Bryan Collier, Marla Frazee, John Green, John Stephens, and Catherynne M. Valente spoke about their latest works, their love of libraries, and the importance of literacy in their lives during the first Children’s Librarians’ Dinner on June 4 at a New York City midtown hotel.
SLJ 2012 Day of Dialog: Keeping Middle Schoolers Engaged
By on June 4, 2012 Leave a Comment
Middle school students are a “hormonally charged” bunch who are “full of complex contradictions” and just “want a voice,” say authors who participated in SLJ’s 2012 Day of Dialog on June 4 at New York’s Jacob Javits Convention Center.
