Gerald McDermott, award-winning author and illustrator best known for his original take on folktales, died on December 26. He was 71.
‘Anansi the Spider’ Author/Illustrator Gerald McDermott Dies at 71
By on January 11, 2013 2 Comments
Getting it Right, Making it Fun: NYPL Panelists Talk Writing Nonfiction
By on January 7, 2013 4 Comments
At a recent New York Public Library panel on Ethics and Nonfiction, four popular juvenile nonfiction authors discussed the challenges of writing entertaining and enlightening works for kids while adhering to the facts.
Mischief Maker: National Book Award–winner William Alexander has created a world of fun, fury, and astonishing possibilities
By on January 3, 2013 2 Comments
Author Gary D. Schmidt interviews 2012 National Book Award–winner William Alexander.
In Memoriam 2012
By on January 2, 2013 2 Comments
Jean Craighead George, Maurice Sendak, and Jan Berenstain were among the many wonderful authors and illustrators who passed way last year.
A Visit from Sarah Beth Durst
By on December 17, 2012 1 Comment
Donna Rosenblum, librarian, Floral Park (NY) Memorial High School, does everything she can to get her teens engaged in reading and writing, and author visits are always on her mind. Local YA author Sarah Beth Durst was already scheduled for a visit when Superstorm Sandy came whipping in. Undaunted, Rosenblum bumped the date forward to early December. That’s when Durst spoke at the Floral Park Memorial High School (FPM) library. The appearance was the sixth installment of the FPM’s READS program, which Rosenblum initiated to bring students, staff and parents together for author visits.
Pictures of the Week: BookUp Program Participants Visit NYPL; Author Shirley Glubok Attends Ezra Jack Keats’s Celebration
By on December 14, 2012 Leave a Comment
Participants in the National Book Foundation’s BookUp Program took a field trip to the New York Public Library, and author Shirley Glubok attended a 50th Anniversary Celebration for Ezra Jack Keats’s “A Snowy Day.”
Authors and Illustrators Share Their Holiday Memories with SLJ, Part I
By on December 10, 2012 5 Comments
Authors Liz Levy, Julie Andrews, and Emma Walton Hamilton share their stories of holiday memories and traditions.
Pictures of the Week: The Dedication of St. John the Divine as Literary Landmark; Holiday House’s Spring Preview
By on December 7, 2012 Leave a Comment
Hope Larson and Leonard S. Marcus autograph books at the dedication of Saint John the Divine as a Literary Landmark in honor of Madeleine L’Engle, and SLJ Book Review editor Trev Jones at the Holiday House Spring preview.
Author Madeleine L’Engle Remembered as the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine is Named a Literary Landmark
By on December 3, 2012 2 Comments
Madeleine L’Engle (1918–2007) is best known as the famed author of the Newbery Medal-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time (FSG, 1962). But she served another important role during her lifetime: as the librarian at New York’s Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine, a post she held for over 40 years.
Pictures of the Week: Libba Bray Performs at Soho Teen Launch Party; Jerry Spinelli Discusses his Latest Novel
By on November 30, 2012 Leave a Comment
Author Libba Bray performed with her band Tiger Beat at the Soho Teen launch party, and Newbery award winner Jerry Spinelli discussed his newest book, Hokey Pokey, with librarians.
Sandra McLeod Humphrey, Children’s Book Author, Killed in House Fire
By on November 27, 2012 9 Comments
Sandra McLeod Humphrey, 76, an award-winning author of children’s books on character development, was killed in a house fire on November 23.
At Memorial, Friends, Family, and a Wolf Recognize Jean Craighead George
By on November 26, 2012 Leave a Comment
Friends, admirers, and a white wolf gathered earlier this month to pay tribute to Newbery-winning author and naturalist Jean Craighead George, who died on May 15 at the age of 92.
Humorist Bruce Coville Wins Empire State Award, Emphasizes the “Ripple Effect” of Reading
By on November 26, 2012 5 Comments
Bruce Coville recently became the twenty-third recipient of the Empire State Award for Excellence in Literature for Young People. The author of many humorous middle-grade novels, Coville was celebrated at the New York Library Association annual conference earlier this month.
Pictures of the Week: Chris Crutcher and Cat Patrick at the National Council of Teachers of English Convention
By on November 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
Several authors autographed books at the National Council of Teachers of English Convention, held in Las Vegas, Nevada November 15-18.
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 Leave a 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.
‘Goblin Secrets’ Joins a Select List of Fantasy Winners of the National Book Award
By on November 16, 2012 1 Comment
Debut author William Alexander, whose novel ‘Goblin Secrets’ is a middle-grade fantasy about a boy who joins a theatrical group of goblins, took home the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature Wednesday, November 14.
Interview: Caldecott Medal and Honor winner Paul O. Zelinsky talks with SLJ
By on November 15, 2012 1 Comment
School Library Journal speaks with Caldecott award-winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky as the 75th anniversary of the Medal approaches. Zelinsky discusses his working process, the awards ceremony, and “the call.”
Debut Author William Alexander Nabs 2012 National Book Award for Young People
By on November 15, 2012 1 Comment
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.
Lois Lowry Speaks: How Readers’ Concern for Characters in “The Giver” Turned One Book into a Series of Four
By on November 13, 2012 1 Comment
In a live School Library Journal webcast, author Lois Lowry discussed her dystopian classic “The Giver” and how she came to write its recent released follow-up, “Son.”
News Bites: Frank Cottrell Boyce Wins the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize for ‘The Unforgotten Coat’
By on November 5, 2012 1 Comment
Frank Cottrell Boyce has won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize of £1,500 for his novel, The Unforgotten Coat (Candlewick, 2011), published in the UK by Walker Books. Established in 1967, the prize is unique because it is judged by writers. This year’s panel included children’s authors Tony Bradman, Cressida Cowell, and Kevin Crossley-Holland, and was chaired by Guardian Children’s Books editor Julia Eccleshare. The novel is the story of refugee brothers from Mongolia who live in Liverpool and examines the hard-hitting effects that immigration has on children.
