February 17, 2013

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: Barry Lyga

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Having spent his teen years immersed in comic books, Barry Lyga worked for a decade as marketing manager at Diamond Comic Distributors before publishing his first novel, The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl (Houghton Mifflin) in 2006.

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: Johan Harstad

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Harstad, who lives in Oslo, is a guest speaker atSLJ’s August 9 online event, SummerTeen: A Celebration of Young Adult Books. If you’ve signed up for SummerTeen, make sure to gather your teens to hear Harstad speak on the “The Science in Science Fiction” panel from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Registration is still open.

‘Encyclopedia Brown’ Author Donald J. Sobol Dies at 87

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A staple in school and public libraries across the country, the chapter books followed the adventures of 10-year-old amateur sleuth Leroy Brown (nicknamed “Encyclopedia” for his range of knowledge) as he solved the mysteries that took place in the fictional town of Idaville, FL. Ahead of his times, Sobol made his boy-wonder-protagonist part of a crime-solving team, along with his partner, the spunky and assertive Sally Kimble, who was never afraid to defend her friend from bullies.

More Good Gaiman News: Sandman Returns

Photo: Kimberly Butler

In a recorded video message at Comic-Con in San Diego last week, the Newbery-winning author says he plans to return to comic books with a “Sandman” miniseries, drawn byBatwoman artist J. H. Williams III and published by DC Comics’ Vertigo imprint.

Watch and Read—Spotlight on Media Tie-ins: Those Wimpy Days of Summer

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Greg Heffley, the socially beleaguered but much-beloved star of Jeff Kinney’s reader-favorite book series (Amulet), returns to the big screen in a third live-action motion picture from 20th Century Fox. Perfectly timed to stave off those summer time doldrums, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (PG) premieres in theaters on August 3.

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: A.S. King

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It took A.S. King (the A.S. stands for Amy Sarig) 15 years and more than seven novels to finally get published. Now, the YA writer can’t seem to get enough praise for her work—Everybody Sees the Ants, about what it means to want to take one’s life, but rising above it so that living becomes the better option, has received six starred reviews, was a 2012 American Library Association Top 10 Book for Young Adults, and an Andre Norton Award nominee. King also wrote the Edgar Award nominated, 2011 Michael L. Printz Honor Book, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, and ALA Best Books for Young Adults and Cybils Award finalist, The Dust of 100 Dogs.

“Little Bear” Author Else Homelund Minarik Dies at 91

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Else Homelund Minarik, the Danish-born author of the hugely popular “Little Bear” (HarperCollins) series for beginning readers, died July 12 at her home in Sunset Beach, NC, of complications following a heart attack. She was 91.

The Debut: Jeff Strand, Bad Day for Voodoo

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I seem to have been on a run with YA titles that border on, no, dive deep into the macabre and violence. At the top of the pile, published just last month, is A Bad Day for Voodoo by Jeff Strand, an established adult author who has also dabbled in screenwriting, comedy, and Pizza Hut placemat poetry. School Library Journal’s reviewer called Strand’s new novel “a delightfully ludicrous read.” I couldn’t agree more. His story of voodoo-doll obsession gone extreme is hilarious and runs at a breakneck pace (inside joke, you’ll have to read it) that will keep readers turning the pages. The three teens at the center, Tyler; his girlfriend, Kelley; and his friend Adam, are ultimately responsible for saving Tyler from certain painful death. Car chases, kidnappings, gangsters, and a zombie teacher all figure in the fun. I talked to Strand about what makes his twisted mind tick.

A Visit from Carissa Phelps

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First time author Carissa Phelps was 12 when her mother dropped her off at Fresno’s Juvenile Hall and drove away. Since Phelps hadn’t committed a crime, the authorities couldn’t formally book her, so she slept in the lobby for three consecutive nights. She was soon placed in a group home, and promptly ran away—beginning a cycle of incarceration, living on the streets, and human sexual trafficking that’s familiar to many of the young women I work with. Indeed, statistics show that more than one-third of them are approached by pimps within 48 hours of being on the streets.

A Guide to SummerTeen

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I’m often jealous when I read reports from our contributors about the amazing book events they attend that feature a dazzling array of young adult authors. In fact, part of my motivation in putting together the author-palooza called SummerTeen was to give my fellow teen-lit junkies a chance to indulge themselves in an all-authors, all-the-time experience without having to leave the comfort of their own homes or libraries. I just counted—between our keynote speaker and six panels, SummerTeen will feature 21 authors, speaking about their work, the various genres they write in, and why young adult literature is so important to them. And there might be a few more surprises to come…

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: Earl Sewell

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Earl Sewell is just one of the many blockbuster authors scheduled to speak at SLJ’s August 9 online event, SummerTeen: A Celebration of Young Adult Books. We caught up with Sewell, whose novels and “Keysha and Friends” series have made him a huge hit with librarians and teens, to talk about his work and writing for a YA audience.

SLJ’s SummerTeen Speaker: Gareth Hinds

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SLJ’s online event, SummerTeen: A Celebration of Young Adult Books, is just one month away, and we’ve asked some of your favorite participating authors a few questions in advance of the August 9 show. First up is Gareth Hinds, whose graphic novels include Beowulf, a retelling of the oldest extant poem in English, and an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.

Sign Up to Get Betsy Bird’s Best of the Best in PDF

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Let’s put our hands together for SLJ blogger Betsy Bird who spent the last six weeks sorting through 200 titles to bring you the Top 100 Picture Books and Chapter Books of all time.

Dying to know who topped the lists? Maurice Sendak’s classic Where the Wild Things Are made best picture book, while E. B. White’s Charlotte’s Web ranked the best chapter book.

We know you and your students will find the lists so useful that we’re creating two colorful PDFs for you to print and share with teachers, parents, and of course, kids. Coming soon!

Sign up to have the Top 100 Picture Books List emailed to you.

Interview: SLJ Talks to Former NFLer Tim Green about His Latest Novel

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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.

Straighten Up and Fly Right: Elizabeth Wein’s new spy thriller will break your heart | Under Cover

Photograph by David Ho

Does your novel have a message for readers?

The message is that if you are a girl, you can do anything. I really didn’t want my female characters to feel stopped by the fact that they were female. I wanted them to be able to control their lives, to do what they were good at, and what they wanted to do regardless of what society’s expectations were. I think that’s a good message for modern girls, as well, and that they need reminding about.

SLJ Talks to S.E. Hinton On ‘The Outsiders’ Turning 45

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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.

Raschka and Gantos Deliver Moving Caldecott, Newbery Speeches| ALA Annual 2012

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Chris Raschka (right), winner of the 2012 Caldecott Medal for A Ball for Daisy (Random), delivered a thoughtful acceptance speech Sunday night, while Jack Gantos, this year’s Newbery Medal winner for Dead End in Norvelt (Farrar), had the room howling with laughter as he recounted his own experiences—and the sordid pasts of former Newbery winners.

Friends, Fans Bid Sendak Farewell at NYC Memorial Service

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More than 500 people gathered in New York City yesterday for a morning of stories, music, and video clips to celebrate the life of artist and children’s book author Maurice Sendak, who died May 7 in Danbury, CT, following complications from a recent stroke.

Interview: Second Lady Jill Biden Talks About Her New Picture Book

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Inspired by real family events, and told through the eyes of her granddaughter Natalie, Second Lady Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops (S & S, 2012) tells the story of what life was like when her son Beau was deployed to Iraq for a year.

Utah District Restricts Polacco’s ‘Our Mothers’ House’ in Elementary School Libraries

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The removal of Patricia Polacco’s picture book about lesbian moms has created a stir after a Utah school district recently pulled the title from general circulation in elementary school libraries.