September 18, 2013

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Shelley Diaz

About Shelley Diaz

Shelley M. Diaz (sdiaz@mediasourceinc.com) is Associate Editor of School Library Journal. She is currently pursuing her MLIS in Public Librarianship with a Certificate in Children’s & YA Services at Queens College.

Embracing Diversity in YA Lit

By on September 12, 2013 2 Comments
diversityinya-TB

From social media to publishing industry-led initiatives, the call for diversity in children’s and young adult literature has steadily grown into a loud roar in the past months. As part of School Library Journal’s SummerTeen virtual conference, the “Embracing Diversity” panel featuring Karen Arthurton, Jonathan Friesen, James Klise, and Amanda Sun, led to a lively and ongoing conversation about the importance of not only publishing books for kids by and about diverse people, but also getting them in the hands of readers. SLJ spoke to industry professionals who are raising awareness on the need for different perspectives in young adult books, and compiled a list of resources to find these titles.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Publishing, Resources, Teens & YA Tagged With: , , , , ,

Page to Screen: From YA Bestsellers to Big-Screen Blockbusters

By on August 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
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While the jury is still out on the big screen adaptation of Cassandra Clare’s City of Bones, reviewers are raving about the surprise indie hit The Spectacular Now, based on Tim Tharp’s young adult novel. Children’s books continue to be Hollywood’s go-to source for inspiration, and librarians couldn’t be happier. As readers and movie fans await the book-to-film entries coming this fall, such as Suzanne Collins’s Catching Fire and Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game, SLJ looks ahead to future releases in this latest installment of Page to Screen.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Featured, Multimedia, Read- & Watch-Alikes, Transliteracy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Alexie’s ‘True Diary’ Removed from NYC School’s Summer Reading List

By on August 6, 2013 3 Comments
PartTimeIndian JacketPB

The inclusion of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian—winner of the 2007 National Book Award—on a required summer reading list for sixth graders has raised the ire of a group of parents in Belle Harbor, NY, who have successfully called for its removal, the Daily News has reported.

Filed Under: censorship, Featured, Industry News Tagged With: , , , , ,

Early Learning Grants for Public Libraries | Resources

By on July 23, 2013 Leave a Comment
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Libraries are in prime positions to take advantage of President Obama’s recent call for an increase of funding and attention to for early childhood education. Early learning has been an integral part of public libraries’ services to children for decades, and the recent increase of grant-funded programs can further extend children’s librarians’ reach into their communities. Wondering where to start? SLJ has compiled a list of grants for libraries seeking new ways to finance early learning initiatives, big and small.

Filed Under: Early Learning, Featured, Resources

Marc Simont, Beloved Caldecott Medalist, Dies at 97

By on July 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
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Acclaimed children’s book creator Marc Simont, who illustrated nearly 100 children’s books, died on Saturday, July 13. He was 97. His many honors include a Caldecott Medal for the art in Janice May Udry’s A Tree is Nice, and Caldecott Honors for illustrating Ruth Krauss’s The Happy Day, and his own The Stray Dog.

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, Awards & Contests, Books & Media, Featured, Publishing Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Learning Together: New Council to Study Latino Families’ Digital Media Use

By on July 11, 2013
Learning Together: New Council to Study Latino Families’ Digital Media Use

The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Street Workshop have created the Aprendiendo Juntos (“Learning Together) Council (AJC) to identify models and practical strategies to improve digital literacy for Hispanic-Latino families. AJC plans to use the findings to influence public and private sector investments in effective programs for the community on a regional and national scale.

Filed Under: Digital Divide, Featured, Technology Tagged With: , , , , ,

Libraries Changed My Life | A Platform for Patron Advocates

By on July 8, 2013 2 Comments
I love libraries heart

Ingrid Abrams, children’s and teen librarian at Brooklyn Public Library in NYC and Natalie V. Binder, a systems librarian at the Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library in Monticello, FL, teamed up virtually to create Libraries Changed My Life (LCML), a patron-driven Tumblr initiative, in direct response to Michael Rosenblum’s article “What’s a Library?”, which was published in the Huffington Post this past May.

Filed Under: Budgets & Funding, Featured, Future of Libraries Tagged With: , , , , ,

Marching to Freedom | New Titles on India’s Struggle for Independence

By on July 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
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As we prepare to celebrate Independence Day, two noteworthy titles focus on another nation and its struggle for freedom from British rule: India. Whether drawing comparisons to our country’s fight for independence, learning about Mohandas Gandhi or India for the first time, these books will open readers’ eyes to an important period in this nation’s history.

Filed Under: Collection Development, Curriculum Connections, Featured, YA reviews Tagged With: , , ,

Librarian, Blogger, Author: Betsy Bird Talks About ‘Giant Dance Party’

By on June 24, 2013 Leave a Comment
Photo by Sonya Sones

Longtime School Library Journal blogger Elizabeth Bird, the New York Public Library’s youth materials collections specialist, can add published author to her name this year. Her festive debut picture book, Giant Dance Party, is about a girl who overcomes her stage fright by teaching blue fuzzy giants how to dance. SLJ caught up with Bird recently to discuss her unique path to publication, how her work as a children’s librarian informed her experience as a first-time author, and whether Lexy and the giants will be making a repeat performance.

Filed Under: Author Interview, Books & Media, Featured, Picture Books Tagged With: , ,

Masters of Informational Picture Books | SLJ Day of Dialog 2013

By on June 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
Info Picture Books panel SLJDOD 13

Attendees of SLJ’s annual Day of Dialog received an information boost from the pre-BEA event’s first panel of authors and illustrators. Moderated by Kathleen T. Isaacs, author of Picturing the World: Informational Picture Books for Children, the lively discussion offered Jim Arnosky, Jennifer Berne, Elisha Cooper, Thomas Gonzalez, and Jonah Winter the chance to share with librarians more about their creative processes, who they write for, and why they choose to create nonfiction for young readers.

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, BookExpo America, Nonfiction Tagged With: , , , , ,

Masters of Real-World Horror | SLJ Day of Dialog 2013

By on June 5, 2013 Leave a Comment
Real World Horror panel SLJDOD13

A panel of YA authors shared with nearly 250 children’s librarians what inspired them to write about “tough stuff” at SLJ’s annual pre-BEA Day of Dialog event. Moderated by Karyn Silverman—SLJ blogger and librarian and educational technology department chair of the Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School—the panel’s discussion flowed from dark to light, touching on topics such as school shootings and Nazi Germany.

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, BookExpo America, Teens & YA Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Picture Book About Islam Ignites Twitter Battle

By on May 23, 2013 5 Comments
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Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s Golden Domes and Silver Lanternsto her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after the original message, someone who does not follow her on Twitter replied with the below, continuing an intense multiday exchange with her about what he believes to be “the real Islam.”

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, Picture Books, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , ,

Amped Up Readers’ Theater: A 21st-Century Spin on ‘Miss Nelson’

By on May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
miss nelson book

They may be young, but teacher Arturo Avina’s talented kindergarteners are already celebrities in their own right. Students at the Los Angeles Unified School District Olympic Primary Center are the stars of a short-film adaptation of Harry G. Allard Jr.’s beloved children’s classic Miss Nelson Is Missing. Over the course of two months, Avina directed the youngsters, filmed the scenes, and, with the help of the budding actors, edited the movie with technology available in most classrooms.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Librarians & Media Specialists, Transliteracy Tagged With: , , ,

Page to Screen: Summer Reading Blockbusters, Dystopian Teen Lit, and Childhood Classics

By on May 8, 2013 Leave a Comment
gatsby movie poster

As reviews for Baz Lurhmann’s whirlwind adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby come roaring in, take a look at the latest installment of SLJ’s Page to Screen, where you’ll find updates on already much-touted future movies, and news of recent options on film rights. This roundup of releases will have your students and patrons heading to the theater—and, hopefully, to bookshelves as well.

Filed Under: Collection Development, Featured, Multimedia, Read- & Watch-Alikes Tagged With: , , ,

Dark Horse ‘No Crystal Stair’ Takes Battle of the Kids’ Books Top Prize

By on April 2, 2013 Leave a Comment
Bob winner

Our fifth annual Battle of the Kids’ Books—an online elimination contest between 16 of 2012’s best children’s and teens’ fiction and nonfiction books—has crowned a winner: Vaunda Micheaux Nelson’s No Crystal Stair (Lerner/Carolrhoda). The final match was decided on April 1 by last year’s victor and the 2013 Big Kahuna, Frank Cottrell Boyce.

Filed Under: Awards & Contests, Books & Media Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Sesame Street’s “Maria” Opens Girls Write Now’s Reading Series

By on March 26, 2013 Leave a Comment
Sonia Manzano with teen fan

Girls Write Now, a nonprofit organization that mentors budding female writers, opened its CHAPTERS Reading series with Sesame Street’s ‘Maria’ and YA author Sonia Manzano as the first guest speaker. The ongoing 4-part event will showcase the works of teen girls from all over NYC, and will feature female authors like Gayle Forman, Adele Griffin, and Marcia Ann Gillespie.

Filed Under: Authors & Illustrators, Events, Featured, Teens & YA Tagged With: , , , ,

Twelve Libraries Apply & Win Día Mini-Grants: Here’s How

By on March 19, 2013 1 Comment
dia poster image

As dwindling funds and looming budget cuts reach many of the nation’s public libraries, 12 institutions received $5,000 mini-grants to support programming in their diverse communities. ALSC recently gifted these Día Family Book Club Program awards to expand El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día) into an ongoing yearlong celebration. The winning libraries give SLJ some insights into how they garnered the much-needed funds.

Filed Under: Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), Awards & Contests, Featured, Librarians & Media Specialists Tagged With: , , , , ,

SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books Starts Today

By on March 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
Round 1, Match 1: Bomb vs. Wonder

SLJ’s Battle of the Kids’ Books kicks off March 12. In Round 1, YA author Kenneth Oppel decides which book advances to the next round: Wonder or Bomb.

Filed Under: Awards & Contests, Books & Media Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Ptacek, Voice of Dora, Reads Across America

By on March 4, 2013 Leave a Comment
Fatima Ptaceck for Read Across America. Photo by Luke Fontana.

A lucky kindergarten class in midtown Manhattan’s PS/IS 111 received a real treat on March 2, otherwise known as Read Across America Day, when Fátima Ptacek, voice of Dora the Explorer, served as a storytime special guest.

Filed Under: Books & Media, Events, Featured Tagged With: , ,

Page to Screen: Upcoming Kids’ Books Set for Film Adaptations

By on February 27, 2013 2 Comments
Scene from Oz the Powerful movie

The search for the next big film franchise usually begins with a beloved book or series, and film producers are continually eyeing the publishing world for inspiration. In fact, 2013 already promises a packed calendar of book-related film projects based on popular kid and young adult titles. Check out this roundup of releases that will have your students and patrons heading to the theater—and, hopefully, to bookshelves as well.

Filed Under: Featured, Industry News, Multimedia, Read- & Watch-Alikes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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