Shana Corey’s picture-book biographies feature little-known women with buckets of gumption.
Old-time Gals with Gumption | The Picture Books of Shana Corey
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The Man Behind Clifford: An interview with the Big Red Dog’s creator, Norman Bridwell
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This month marks the 50th anniversary of the first Clifford book, Clifford the Big Red Dog. How big is he? Very big. More than 126 million Clifford books are in print in 13 languages. And an animated Clifford TV series is in its 12th season on PBS Kids. Earlier this year, I spoke to Norman Bridwell about his remarkable career.
Pick of the Day: We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart (Audiobook)
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We Are America: A Tribute from the Heart. By Walter Dean Myers. CD. 33:51 min. with hardcover book. Live Oak Media. 2012. ISBN 978-1-4301-1112-2. $29.95.
Gr 3 Up–The sweeping scope of Myers’s free verse poems (HarperCollins, 2011) is captured beautifully and interpreted dramatically on this CD by a diverse cast of narrators. This eminently patriotic book celebrates free expression and attempts to paint with word pictures the depth and breadth of the varied American experience. Rarely are all ethnicities given voice [...]
The Literary Equation: USBBY’s Outstanding International Books connect kids worldwide
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Stories connect people who live in different places, during different times, or who have different interests. Books tell stories in words, pictures, or both all the world over.
Kid Lit Authors, Illustrators Gather in New York for SCBWI Conference
By on February 4, 2013 1 Comment
The ballroom of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City was glittering with the stars of the world of children’s literature this weekend as they gathered for the 14th Annual Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference.
Storyteller and author Diane Wolkstein dies at 70
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Acclaimed storyteller, folklorist, and author Diane Wolkstein died on January 31 following emergency heart surgery while traveling in Taiwan. She was 70. Wolkstein’s talent as a storyteller and teacher of storytelling won her international fame; she also wrote more than 20 books, taught mythology at NYU, and hosted a storytelling show on NYC public radio.
On Common Core | Talking about Nonfiction
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“Talking takes time” note the authors, but allowing students time for conversations about the texts they are reading is essential.
Nick’s Picks | The 2013 American Library Association Award Winners
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Listen to the recent winners of the 2013 ALA book awards share the stories behind their work.
Author Julie Kagawa Signs Major Multibook Deal for Harlequin Teen
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Harlequin has announced the signing of New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Julie Kagawa to a major multibook deal for a new series (her third for Harlequin Teen), which will feature mythical creatures in a contemporary setting. Natashya Wilson, Harlequin Teen’s executive editor, secured world rights and will edit the series. Laurie McLean, a senior agent at Larsen Pomada Literary Agents, brokered the deal.
On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: K-8 Books on African Americans Who Inspire
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Since 1976, every U.S. president has designated February as Black History Month. From slavery to civil rights, and science to music, the following books for young readers honor the accomplishments of African Americans.
Pick of the Day: A Trip to the Bottom of the World
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VIVA, Frank. A Trip to the Bottom of the World with Mouse. illus. by author. 40p. Toon Bks. 2012. RTE $12.95. ISBN 978-1-935179-19-1. LC 2011049499.
PreS-Gr 2–From the endpapers, Mouse asks the timeless question of many young travelers, “Are we there yet?” Inspired by Viva’s experiences traveling to Antarctica aboard a Russian research ship, the oblong picture book offers basic facts about the region (it is cold and penguins live there, for instance), while Mouse tries to figure out when it [...]
An Alternative Search Tool for Your Tablet
By on February 4, 2013
A new app for the iPad and Android devices uses a highly visual format to provide a different search experience for the tablet user. More than just a pretty interface, Izik—which debuted last month as the top reference app in iTunes—is based on Blekko, the search engine that boasts higher quality results based on human curation.
Weekly Reviews: New Look Snow White
By on February 4, 2013
Today we have two brief books, each a “fractured fairy tale” version of Snow White. First up, Catherynne Valente’s Six-Gun Snow White shares connections with a couple of recent posts on this site. As the first half of the title should make clear, it shares with Six-Gun Tarot a Western setting, but also partakes of the same intense genre-blending [...]
YMA Medalists Applegate, Klassen Say Librarians Are Marketing Mavens
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As School Library Journal caught up with Newbery and Caldecott Medalists Katherine Applegate and Jon Klassen this week, a common theme emerged in our talks. In what surely comes as no surprise to SLJ’s readers, both authors credited the library community for helping to champion their books to a wide circle of readers.
Adult Books 4 Teens: February 2013
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FICTION
BLOCK, Francesca Lia. The Elementals. 320p. St. Martin’s. 2012. Tr $24.99. ISBN 978-1-250-00549-6. LC 2012028277.
Adult/High School–Block’s latest is a perfect example of the “new adult” trend. While she is best known for Weetzie Bat (Harper, 1989) and its sequels, which won her the Margaret A. Edwards award, she has also written adult novels throughout her career, and this book straddles both age groups. Ariel and her friend Jeni had planed on attending UC Berkeley together, but when Ariel can’t [...]
Pick of the Day: Show Way (DVD)
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Show Way. DVD. 12 min. Weston Woods. 2012. ISBN 978-0-545-47811-3. 59.95. CD, ISBN 978-0-545-47810-6: $12.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 978-0545-47827-4: $29.95.
Gr 2-5–A Show Way was a quilt that had messages stitched into it showing the family’s journey North to freedom, offering hope and a guide for slaves in the South. That theme of “leading the way” is a thread running through Jacqueline Woodson’s carefully woven story (Putnam, 2005). Soonie’s great-grandma was only a child when she was sold away [...]
Reference Book Reviews | February 2013
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Check out SLJ’s latest reference reviews.
Book Review: Grades 5 & Up | February 2013
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Check out SLJ’s more than 100 reviews for grades 5 and up.
Book Review: Professional Reading | February 2013
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Book Review: Preschool to Grade 4 | February 2013
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Check out SLJ’s more than 100 reviews for preschool through grade 4.
