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On the heels of being named the recipient of the Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award yet again, this time for I , Too, Am America, prolific illustrator/author Bryan Collier invited us into his home and studio in Hudson Valley, NY, for a tour and interview about his life and art.
In the fifth and final installment of our series celebrating National Poetry Month, Jack Prelutsky, America’s first children’s poet laureate, offers us five of his top poetry collections for kids.
Minnesota author David LaRochelle signs copies of his It’s a Tiger! which has been nominated for the first-ever Star of the North Picture Book Award.
Lovers of children’s picture books and early literacy advocates gathered earlier this month at Bank Street College for “Literature for Early Childhood: What Do You Need to Know?” an inaugural mini conference sponsored by the Bank Street Writers Lab. The event brought together child development experts, educators, and creators of children’s literature.
In our next installment celebrating National Poetry Month, acclaimed and versatile author Marilyn Singer highlights five of her top poetry anthologies for kids.
Newbery Medalist Elaine Lobl Konigsburg, author of From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and 18 other books for children, died Friday in Falls Church, VA. She was 83. The author, better known as E.L. Konigsburg, will be remembered fondly for her creativity, her humor, and her intricate storytelling that celebrated each kid’s uniqueness, her friends, colleagues, and fans say.
Winners and honorees of the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer and New Illustrator Award were celebrated at a ceremony earlier this month; Hervé Tullet signs books at a reception for his newest picture book I Am Blop!
In honor of National Poetry Month, acclaimed poet and artist Douglas Florian shares his favorite poetry books for children.
The Hans Christian Andersen Award shortlist has been revealed; the Christopher Awards names six winners in the Books for Young People category; and Shmoop, a publisher of digital curriculum and test prep, is offering a new SAT math practice tool—Math Shack. All of this and more in this week’s News Bites column.
In honor of National Poetry Month, acclaimed poet Naomi Shihab Nye—whose anthology This Same Sky (Simon & Schuster, 1993) continues to be used in both college and fifth grade classrooms—offers us five of her “very favorite lovingly-used poetry collections.”
A grassroots coalition of 70 writers and illustrators of kids’ literature, Authors for Earth Day, is committed to raising funds and eco-awareness; during the entire month of April, they pledge to donate at least 30% of their school speakers’ fees to a non-profit conservation organization voted on by students.
As a self-described nonreader, Matt de la Peña could never have imagined as a kid that books would play an important role in his life. But key encounters with libraries and, more importantly, librarians, who actively sought to engage him, helped open a new world to de la Peña. The author of novels for young adults, including Ball Don’t Lie and Mexican Whiteboy, de la Peña recounted his “path to books” in the closing keynote of SLJ’s Public Library Leadership Think Tank, held April 5 at the New York Public Library.
Lemony Snicket (also known as Daniel Handler) and Jon Klassen at a Book Launch Party for their new picture book, The Dark.
In honor of National Poetry Month, children’s poet laureate J. Patrick Lewis picks his favorite collections for kids.
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.
Nearly fifty authors gathered last week for the fifth annual NYC Teen Author Festival. The brainchild of author and Scholastic editor David Levithan, the festival includes author appearances and discussion panels at libraries, schools, and bookstores all around the city.
Author and illustrator Tomie dePaola’s exuberance and unrestrained creativity were evident this week as he joined Pratt Institute for an evening modeled after Inside the Actors Studio to discuss with moderator Pat Cummings his artistic process, his childhood, and his most notable works.
Get ready for a busy April with National Bookmobile Day, author/illustrator Patricia Polacco discussing bullying via Skype, and the deadline for submission for the Library of Congress’s new Literacy Awards. Check out these stories and more in News Bites.
Picture book author Jon Klassen, Little, Brown editor Susan Rich, and Little, Brown Art Director Patti Ann Harris at the Little, Brown picture book celebration.
Award-winning poet, author, and photographer Nancy Wood, who devoted her career to exploring the culture and lives of the Native American people of the Southwest, died this week in Santa Fe, NM.
