Writing about humor is a good way to suck all the fun out of it, so please—feel free to skip straight to the booklist.
Pick of the Day: Pieces
By on May 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
This sequel to Lynch’s Iceman (1994) is a sophisticated look at a teen’s maturation through a series of dynamic life changes.
College Readiness: Librarians Can Help the Transition | On Common Core
By on May 21, 2013 1 Comment
Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?
Pick of the Day: Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend (DVD)
By on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
Scaredy Squirrel finds an almost perfect friend in a slightly germy, drooling dog in this animated film from Weston Woods based on Melanie Watts’s picture book, Scaredy Squirrel Makes a Friend.
Juvenile Fiction Nominees at the Edgar Awards Ceremony on May 2
By on May 21, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Mystery Writers of America celebrated Edgar Allan Poe’s 204th birthday with the announcement of the Edgar Awards. Pictured here are the nominees for the Juvenile Fiction category, including winner Jack Ferraiolo for The Quick Fix .
AEP, AAP to Merge; AAP to Create Pre-K Division
By on May 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Association of Educational Publishers and the Association of American Publishers have agreed to merge. The two professional groups will combine their programming, professional development, and public policy advocacy operations serving the preK–12 educational publishing industry. Once the merger is complete, AAP will create a new pre-K division.
Author/Illustrator Bernard Waber, Lyle the Crocodile Creator, Dies at 91
By on May 20, 2013 2 Comments
Author/illustrator Bernard Waber, creator of the iconic character Lyle the crocodile and more than two dozen picture books for children, died on May 16 after a long illness. He was 88.
Pick of the Day: Zebra Forest
By on May 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
A novel about two siblings and their presumed-dear father that captures the nuances of family dynamics in spare prose
Moonbird, Delaware Shore Bird that Inspired Phillip Hoose Book, Still Flies
By on May 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
A rare shore bird, who Phillip Hoose profiled in his award-winning book Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with Great Survivor B95 (Farrar, 2012), was spotted flying over Delaware Bay this week, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports in its blog today.
SLJ’s Kid-Lit Guide to Manhattan | BEA 2013
By on May 17, 2013 1 Comment
Looking for some places to hang out at during downtime at Book Expo America (BEA)? We’ve compiled some of our favorite spots in Gotham—literary and otherwise—all within a few miles of the Javits Convention Center. We’ve thrown in some recommendations for good eats along the way. So lace up some sneakers or make like a New Yorker and hail a cab.
Pick of the Day: Yellow Star
By on May 17, 2013 Leave a Comment
Tavia Gilbert’s spot-on narration brings all of the characters to life in Jennifer Roy’s Yellow Star, a story-in-verse offering a glimpse of the experiences of her aunt in the Lodz Ghetto during World War II. Be sure to read the starred audiobook review of the personal account of a young girl.
Abby M. O’Neill Gives $11 Million to Teachers College for Scholarships
By on May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
Teachers College, Columbia University, has received an $11 million commitment from longtime Trustee Abby M. O’Neill to establish a scholarship fund, beginning with an outright $1 million gift. The fund will be used to establish the Abby M. O’Neill Fellowship Program for outstanding individuals with a strong commitment to teaching.
Librarians Speak Out: #lovemylibraryjob
By on May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
You posted. You tweeted. You “tumbled.” And we are grateful for it! For more than a week, our readers and staffers alike have been enjoying the feedback to our #lovemylibraryjob crowdsourcing project on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, which we launched in honor of our 2013 Job Satisfaction Survey. Here are some of our favorite comments.
Pick of the Day: What’s on MyPlate (DVD)
By on May 16, 2013 Leave a Comment
Teach your students how to use the MyPlate concept to develop healthy eating habits with Learning ZoneXpress’s What’s on MyPlate, an excellent DVD for middle and high school students.
Summer Reads | Libro por libro
By on May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Summer is the time when you can read what you want to read, not what you have to read.” With that in mind, here is some middle-grade fiction and poetry that is perfect to suggest to young bilingual readers who are looking for something to read for pleasure.
Pick of the Day: Shimmer & Splash
By on May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
An overview of sea life from coral reefs to sailfish, sea jellies to fiddler crabs.
Teens Review ‘Kindness for Weakness’, ‘Solstice’, ‘Prep School Confidential’ | Book Reviews
By on May 15, 2013 Leave a Comment
There’s something for everybody in this roundup of reviews from the teen book group, Bookmarked. Shawn Goodman’s Kindness for Weakness is a contemporary coming-of-age story, much of which takes place in a juvenile detention center. Global warming meets mythological monsters and gods in Solstice, by P. J. Hoover. Kara Taylor’s whodunit, Prep School Confidential, explores the obstacles a teen encounters as she tries to track down her roommate’s murderer. Put these on your summer reading list!
Kinney, Glasser Win Children’s Choice Book Awards
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
“Wimpy Kid” author/illustrator Jeff Kinney and “Fancy Nancy” illustrator Robin Preiss Glasser scored the top prizes last night at the sixth annual Children’s & Teen Choice Book Awards (CCBAs) gala, a charity event organized by the Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader. The honorees were selected by young readers across the country, who cast ballots at bookstores, school libraries, and on bookweekonline.com for their favorite books, author, and illustrator. The gala heralds the official start of the yearly Children’s Book Week celebration. The CCBAs is the only national book awards program in which the winning titles are chosen by kids and teens.
What Are You Afraid Of? We Can’t Afford to Hesitate | Project Advocacy
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Educators “must be fearless in advocating for our students’ needs,” says Carolyn Foote. In this debut of her SLJ column, “Project Advocacy,” Foote provides school librarians and media specialists with a “seed kit” of inspiration for stepping out and building a professional network and leveraging the autonomy of your library program.
Pick of the Day: What Came from the Stars (AUDIO)
By on May 14, 2013 Leave a Comment
Graham Winton’s narration brings to life Gary Schmidt’s beautiful fantasy, What Came form the Stars, about healing and forgiveness. Check out the starred review of this must-have audiobook for middle school students.
