The statement is the culmination of two months of ALA’s intensive review and research, and forms ALA’s official response to the FCC’s notice of proposed rulemaking that aims to overhaul the E-rate program, the most comprehensive proceeding since the program’s 1997 inception. The statement, the ALA notes, is in line with with President Obama’s ConnectED goal for access to high-speed broadband and wireless for all America’s students through libraries and schools within five years.

“The nation is facing a sea change in what robust technology infrastructure can enable, and libraries are perfectly positioned to light the way forward and ensure no one is excluded from digital opportunity,” says ALA President Barbara Stripling. “America’s libraries must move from basic connectivity to high-capacity broadband so our students and our communities can compete globally. The E-rate program is essential for fulfilling this digital promise.”

America’s 16,417 public libraries serve more than 77 million computer users each year, yet only half of these multi-user outlets offer Internet speeds above the FCC’s home broadband recommendation of 4 Mbps. Through these Internet connections, libraries support the education, employment and e-government resources and services all increasingly moving to “the cloud,” ALA notes.

The ALA calls for new E-rate funding to jumpstart and sustain high-capacity and high-speed Internet connections that support digital learning and economic development through libraries and schools. The current funding cap on the program consistently falls far short of meeting basic demand for Internet-enabled education and learning services, and technology trends clearly show needs and future capabilities only are growing, ALA notes.

To address this, ALA says it supports a two-pronged approach: 1) New temporary funding to support the build-out of high-capacity broadband networks and provide increased support for libraries with the lowest levels of broadband connectivity. 2) A permanent increase in funding.

“Current funding does not reflect the economic reality faced by libraries and schools as they try to upgrade their broadband services,” says Emily Sheketoff, director of ALA’s Washington office. “This FCC proceeding provides an important opportunity to add more funding to the program and increase the value of the program to libraries, schools and our communities.”

ALA also urges the FCC to provide additional E-rate discounts for remote rural libraries, streamline the E-rate’s application review process; replace E-rate procurement rules with those of the applicable locality or state; lower barriers to deployment of dark and lit fiber and ownership of wide area networks when they are the most cost-effective ways to deliver broadband; work with libraries and schools to develop “scalable” bandwidth targets and benchmarks for measuring progress against these targets; and allow applicants to file an “evergreen” form for multi-year contracts.

“We commend the FCC Commissioners on their thoughtful and thorough invitation to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the E-rate program,” adds Marijke Visser, assistant director of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy. “[ALA's] filing is clearly only the first step to an E-rate 2.0, and we look forward to engaging in the process over the coming months.”

East Marion Elementary School in Silver Springs, FL.

Starting this fall, all of the Marion County Public School’s remaining 15 certified media specialists support two schools each. Each school has their librarian on site for two days, with the third day handled as a flex day, meaning librarians can spend the time at either school. The arrangement has taken adjustment for librarians trying to juggle two separate spaces since classes started August 19—but also for students who now have considerably less library instruction.

“It has been very difficult because of sharing schools,” Miriam Needham, the district’s coordinator of library media services, tells School Library Journal.  “It’s not really possible to have an effective program when you’re not there five days a week.”

The new schedule started for some school librarians in the district three years ago, Needham says. As librarians retired or moved away, their positions were frozen, and other librarians were assigned their elementary school campuses. Seven school librarians had already been sharing 14 schools even before the start of this new fall term, Needham notes.

This latest shift in how school librarians were assigned schools started in May, when Superintendent George Tomyn announced that the district was facing a $29 million budget shortfall. That led to 261 layoffs across Marion County. School librarians kept their jobs in the middle and high schools, but lost their clerks and assistants—positions that still remain at the elementary school level, as they help to maintain the library by checking books in and out.

“But that’s really all she can do,” says Susan Dunn, a certified library media specialist at East Marion Elementary School and Anthony Elementary School, of her assistant.

Dunn, who was the full-time librarian at East Marion for 21 years, now spends Wednesday through Friday at that campus with its 700 students, and just Monday and Tuesday at Anthony Elementary with its 350 students. In her 22nd year as a school librarian, Dunn has now jettisoned story time, much of her research lessons, and collaboration time with teachers.

“What I really crave is to be able to have a closer relationship with the kids,” she says. Because when they don’t see me, they don’t know me, and I don’t really know them.”

Anthony Elementary is in its fourth year of having a shared librarian—a different media specialist each year. Dunn is the fourth, and says she is having a hard time getting to know the students and staff, as she’s not as integrated into the curriculum as she would like to be.

“They may be a little gun shy,” she says. “There is a whole group of students I haven’t been introduced to because I’m not there when they come to the library. There’s an assistant checking out books. They come for 20 minutes, and out they go.”

Needham says that the administration’s plan is to restore the cut positions, and not permanently leave the sharing as it is. But that all depends on funding, she says.

In the meantime, librarians like Dunn will continue to set forth twice a week to different school sites, trying to help students at both. Sometimes that means leaving emails unanswered—there were more than 1100 that were unanswered the last time she checked her account. And even as she forges back and forth she knows she and her students aren’t the only one adjusting.

“This is really difficult for the library assistants because they have to put up with another new person, a new personality,” says Dunn. “At Anthony I moved all books from one side to another, moved bulletin boards around, threw things out. The poor assistant is so stressed because the last three librarians did the same thing. I feel bad about it even though I keep moving things around and throwing things away. But that’s a phenomenon that’s happening all over the county.”

Medina’s visit to Cumberland Middle school in rural Virginia to speak at a bullying awareness event was canceled after the principal refused to allow her to reference her book Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass (Candlewick, 2013) or show its cover, NCAC reports. “Though the book portrays the lived experience of bullying in a way that brings it home for teens, district superintendent Amy Giffin said they decided Medina and her book weren’t ‘appropriate’” for the rural area, NCAC reports.

In her own blog about the incident, Medina says, “I make absolutely NO APOLOGIES for the title of my book. The title is bold and troubling, and it suggests exactly what’s inside. Besides, we can fret all we want about the word ass, but that word isn’t the real trouble, is it?

“What’s hurting our kids is the savagery on their phones, and Facebook pages and in their classrooms,” Medina says. “That, and the reluctance of those around them to step up and do the tough work of pulling the issue out into the open and talking about what bullying really looks and sounds like and about its radioactive impact that lasts for years into the future.”

Meanwhile, Rowell was set to speak to kids at the Anoka-Hennepin School District in Minnesota and at the Anoka County Public Libraries—but her invite there was rescinded after a parent’s complaint sparked a larger protest by a conservative action group who took their concerns to the county level, NCAC reports. The decision to cancel Rowell’s appearance was made over the objections of the county’s public and school librarians, who had been looking forward to an author visit ever since choosing Eleanor & Park (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2013) for its Rock the Read county-wide optional summer reading program. Many of the county’s teens had read the book during that program.

“These incidents go to show how far people are willing to go in expense of free speech to placate a vocal minority and keep them from being offended,” NCAC says. “At the heart of these cancellations lies the belief that we can clean up the world by erasing the parts some people dislike. The alternative is acknowledging those parts, dissecting their roots, asking how we can change them and facing them head on. That is what Medina and Rowell are interested in doing.

“To censor an author because she might use the word ‘ass’ (a banal swear) is to run away from the power of language. It is a missed opportunity for a lesson about how and why words affect us in different or greater ways….ignoring realities rather than confronting them, white-washing the world so it makes a prettier picture, is the antithesis of education.”

With the exception of the National School Library Program of the Year Award, the deadline for AASL awards and grants is February 1, 2014. The National School Library Program of the Year Award deadline is January 1, 2014.

Applications now open include the Innovative Reading Grant ($2,500), sponsored by Capstone, which is designed to fund literacy projects for grades K-9, and the Intellectual Freedom Award, which grants $2,000 to the winner and $1,000 to the school library of the winner’s choice, sponsored by ProQuest, and given for upholding the principles of intellectual freedom as set forth by AASL and the American Library Association (ALA).

With the exception of the National School Library Program of the Year Award, the deadline for AASL awards and grants is February 1, 2014. The National School Library Program of the Year Award deadline is January 1, 2014. All applications will close at 4:30 p.m. CST on the day of the deadline.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

This weekend, thousands of educators, parents, and kids of all ages will join the crowd of DIY enthusiasts flocking to New York City’s 4th annual World Maker Faire New York to see more than 650 makers present original projects celebrating such areas as technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, and sustainability. The family-friendly festival of invention and creativity—what its organizers at Maker Media call “the greatest show (and tell) on earth”—will also be offering a one-day  immersive “How to Make a Maker Space” workshop ahead of the main event.

“There’s a lot of magic and discovery and exploration to be found just walking around each corner, finding what’s there, and engaging in it,” Sherry Huss, vice present of Maker Media, tells School Library Journal ahead of the event. “We encourage people to come with an open mind and see as much as they can see.”

A production of Maker Media’s Make magazine, the NYC faire—September 21 and 22 at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Flushing Meadows, Queens—is modeled after the group’s original faire, now in its 15th year, the last eight of which were located in the Bay Area.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

NYC attendees this year will have their pick of three zones of activity offering seven different “stages” or presentation areas, both inside the Hall of Science and out, tailored for how-to demonstrations, discussions, hands-on learning workshops, interviews, and play from individual makers—adults, teens, and children—chosen by Maker Media for their creativity, invention, and resourcefulness.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

Activities range from tried and true “making” projects (soldering, model vehicle building, arts and crafts, and science play) for younger children to the exploration of emerging technologies and advanced projects in design, robotics, or sustainability for teens and adults. Attendees can learn the latest in electronics, 3-D printing, and science/engineering activities and their practical applications for sharing with kids and teens, or explore more creative angles with kinetic sculptures, LEDs, and projection art.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

For the first time ever this year, a stage devoted to 3-D printing will debut, featuring 34 sessions on the present and future of digital fabrication, materials, and making, while the stage devoted to electronics will showcase experts and innovators behind all leading micro-controller and robotics platforms. Another stage, devoted to innovation, will offer deeper research and high-level perspectives from best-selling authors, educators, designers, historians, and maker entrepreneurs.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

About 30 percent of exhibits are specifically designed for children, Maker Media’s marketing director, Bridgette Vanderlaan, estimates, including the Young Makers Pavilion, sponsored by information technology provider Cognizant. During the weekend, young makers who participate in Cognizant’s Making the Future after-school and summer programs will conduct workshops, with their instructors, for other children in the pavilion as part of the company’s continuing initiative to provide hands-on learning opportunities that inspire kids in science, technology, engineering, math (STEM), and the arts.

In addition to the two large NYC and Bay Area World Maker Faire events, there are 80 other smaller events—“mini Maker Faires”—being planned and organized for 2013–2013 around the world, Vanderlaan says.

Vanderlaan confirms that in May, about 120,000 people attended the World Maker Faire in the Bay Area (with more than 900 makers present and more than 60,000 projects either offered or completed by attendees), while at least 70,000 attendees are expected this weekend in NYC. Vanderlaan also notes that more than half of Maker Faire’s attendees typically participate in demos and hands-on projects.

2012 World Maker Faire NY. Andrew Kelly, Reuters.

Specifically for educators and other community leaders, Maker Media is offering the “How to Make a Makerspace Workshop” all day Friday, September 20. At press time, Vanderlaan says, there are still a few seats available for this unique, immersive event, which is being co-sponsored by Artisan’s Asylum. The takeaways include creating a business model, the permitting/insurance process, building community, and the challenges of incorporating education into one’s mission.

Tickets for World Maker Faire New York, which range in price from about $10 to $35, can be purchased at the event or online in advance. If you can’t attend in person, you can view the live stream, or follow the event and NYSCI on Twitter. You can tweet about the event via #MakerFaire.

I’m the manager of a small branch of a large library system. I don’t have a children’s librarian on staff, but the children’s librarians at the main library choose the books for the collection. A parent has filed a formal complaint that my staff allowed her nine-year-old daughter to check out Deenie by Judy Blume. How should I handle this?

It sounds as if there are two issues: (1) A problem with your staff (2) A complaint against the book. Make sure that the mother understands that it’s never the role of the librarian to monitor what children read. Then invite the mother to file a book reconsideration form, which I assume is part of your library system’s policy. Deenie is appropriate for most nine-year-olds. The mother needs to tell her daughter if she doesn’t want her to read it. I do think it wise to ask the children’s librarians at the main library to conduct a workshop in children’s services for your staff. They may need reassurance about their roles.

A seventh-grade student brought his mother’s ereader to class on the last day of school. He passed it around so that students could read passages from Fifty Shades of Grey. It created an uproar and the teacher came to the library to ask my help. I really didn’t know what to do.

This is no different from my generation passing around dog-eared copies of Peyton Place. Don’t make a big deal out of the situation. In the future, advise the teacher to simply ask the student to focus on class work and continue reading the book when he gets home.

My friend’s son (an advanced eighth-grade student in the middle school where I’m a librarian) may take ninth-grade English for credit. The summer reading selection for ninth-graders in the school district is The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. He is registered for freshman English in the fall, but she doesn’t want him to read the novel. I was her easiest target because she doesn’t know the English teacher. I didn’t know how to handle this.

Do you know for a fact that students weren’t given a reading choice? Many school districts allow students to make a summer reading selection from a list of books provided by English teachers. This accommodates various interests and maturity levels. If this isn’t the case, then the mother has a choice. She can elect to take her son out of the class and put him in regular eighth-grade English. If she insists that he stay in the class, then he needs to complete the requirement. It sounds as if she will listen to you.

I’m taking an online course in children’s services from a university that is located in another part of the country. I have an issue with some of the theories about public library services to children. In my public library system, children are welcome to use the entire library collection. The professor defines children as birth to 11 years old. This makes me feel that I have to defend the policy of my library system.

Children should have free and open access to books and materials. Most children will reject what they aren’t ready for, especially if they don’t feel the materials are forbidden. What about 12- and 14-year-olds who simply want to continue using the children’s room? Does this professor think that they should be banned because they grew up? Your library is on the right track.

Another elementary school in my district had several challenges last year. Since my school library has a number of parent volunteers, I thought it wise to provide them training in hopes of avoiding challenges in my school. What should I tell them?

Two main points: (1) Student privacy is a requirement (2) Leave reader guidance to you. I personally recommend that parent volunteers be used for more clerical types of jobs. If parents want to read aloud to students, then make the reading choice together. Never ask a parent to read aloud something they aren’t comfortable reading.

RAINFIELD, Cheryl. Stained. Houghton Harcourt. Oct. 2013. Tr $16.99. ISBN  9780547942087.

Gr 9 Up—Sarah is a pretty teenage girl who hides behind her birthmark, which covers half of her face. She tries to stay strong when facing bullies, but sometimes she just feels like curling up into a ball. She thinks that bullies are her worst fear, but she soon learns what true fear is. As she walks home from school one day, she is kidnapped by a deranged killer. Most girls would cry themselves to sleep, but not Sarah. She becomes determined to escape from her prison. However, as minutes blend into days, and days blend into months, she begins to lose hope. Will she ever see her parents, best friend, or school yard sweetheart ever again? And worse, could the killer’s words become reality? Will he kill her or her family if she does anything against his will?

Stained was an exciting, action-packed story that kept my heart racing the entire time. Every chance I had, I was reading this book. I felt drawn into the book, like I was actually in it. I felt like it was me clawing at the boards on the windows until my fingers bled. I became extremely close to all of the characters in this book. I was sad when they failed and happy when they succeeded. The author did an excellent job in creating this closeness. She made me long to know what happened next. This is a wonderful book that all teens will enjoy.—Michaela B., age 14

NESS, Patrick. More Than This. Candlewick. Sept. 2013.Tr $19.99. ISBN  9780763662585.

Gr 9 Up–Seth Wearing has woken up in what he assumes is his own personal hell. After his death, he did not expect to wake up in his childhood home in London—it brings back too many bad memories. This seemingly real world is abandoned and dust-covered. How did he get here? He clearly remembered the waves thrashing him beneath the surface, breaking his bones. So how is it that he is alive? And why does every moment of rest bring back vivid, agonizing memories from the past? Seth doesn’t know what’s going on but he hopes that the rest of his afterlife will be more than just this…

More Than This was a breathtaking read. I enjoyed the unknown setting and all there was for Seth to discover about his life. But behind the mystery, the book has a good moral message. I would recommend this book to any teen but especially a teen that feels like there isn’t anything more to life than what they’re currently experiencing.—Paris E., age 17

POLAK, Monique. So Much It Hurts. Orca. Sept. 2013. pap. $12.95. ISBN 9781459801363.

Gr 9 Up—Iris has caught the eye of acclaimed movie producer, Mick. As an aspiring actress, this is an amazing thing. So what if Mick is fourteen years older than her? He’s sophisticated and she’s happy to call him her boyfriend. Except she can’t quite call him that—Mick wants their relationship to be a secret. After lying about her affiliations with Mick, Iris doesn’t find it hard to keep quiet about Mick’s temper; she even lies about how she got a black eye. Mick loves her, it’s evident—Iris just causes him to get so angry sometimes. Relationships are all about getting used to each other, she just has to get used to Mick’s fits. Right?

So Much It Hurts is a realistic tale about the psyche of teenage girls in abusive relationships. Iris blames herself for Mick’s behavior and only hides the truth, from her best friend, from her mother, and from herself. This short novel can aid in bringing awareness to domestic violence in young adults and just how badly it can end.—Paris E. age 17

PFEFFER, Susan Beth. The Shade of the Moon. Houghton Harcourt. 2013. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780547813370.

Gr 7 Up—Jon Evans is a slip—simple as that. He can never claim the privileges of the elite enclave dwellers, those that are needed and deserve the best food and the best houses, but he also avoids the dirt-poor life of a grub, outsiders who work as servants or farmers and can be easily replaced. Instead, he can enjoy the benefits of living within the enclave but can never escape the fact that his family are still grubs. And in a postapocalyptic America, being of these two worlds will soon test Jon’s ability to choose between right and wrong.

The fourth in “The Life As We Knew It” series, The Shade of the Moon picks up the story of a family struggling to survive after the moon was knocked out of orbit, causing major changes to the Earth’s environment. Amid the chaos, a new kind of society formed, one where the spoiled kids of doctors and lawyers forget that those with lower paychecks are still human and deserve happiness as much as they do. Susan Beth Pfeffer does an excellent job of showing this moral struggle within Jon, although she falters in writing a more realistic display of Jon’s emotions. Overall, a good read.—Abrania M., age 16

The research was conducted by IOE researchers Dr. Alice Sullivan and Matt Brown, who analyzed the reading behavior of approximately 6,000 children being followed by the 1970 British Cohort Study, which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. They looked at how often the teenagers read during childhood and their test results in math, vocabulary, and spelling at ages 5, 10 and 16.

“It may seem surprising that reading for pleasure would help to improve children’s maths scores,” Sullivan says. “But it is likely that strong reading ability will enable children to absorb and understand new information and affect their attainment in all subjects.”

The researchers compared children from the same social backgrounds who had achieved the same test scores as each other at age 5 and at age 10. Their finding? Kids who read often at age 10 and more than once a week at age 16 gained higher results at age 16 than those who read less regularly.

The study also found that reading for pleasure was found to be more important for children’s cognitive development between ages 10 and 16 than their parents’ level of education. The combined effect on kids’ progress of reading books often, going to the library regularly, and reading newspapers at 16 was four times greater than the advantage kids gained from having a parent with a degree.

In addition, the study found that kids who were read to regularly by their parents at age 5 performed better in all three tests at age 16 than those who were not helped in this way.

According to the report, prosecutors allege that Long Beach book buyer Corey Frederick recruited two librarians—Veronica Clanton-Higgins, a librarian in the Lynwood Unified School District, and Shari Stewart, a librarian in the Inglewood Unified School District—plus a campus supervisor, a former warehouse manager, and nine others to allegedly steal textbooks in literature and language arts, economics, physics, anatomy and physiology from schools in Los Angeles, Inglewood, and Bellflower from 2008–2010. Prosecutors allege that the participants stole at least 7,000 textbooks from the Los Angeles Unified School District alone, although they could not confirm how many in total were stolen.

Prosecutors allege that ringleader Frederick sold both new and used books through intermediaries to various textbook distributors—including Amazon, Seattle book distributor Bookbyte, and Follett Educational Services—and, in some cases, even sold books back to the institutions from which they were originally stolen weeks before.

Prosecutors uncovered the scheme after Inglewood Unified School District police notified prosecutors of an alleged embezzlement in their district, according to the report, which notes that Frederick is charged with 12 counts of embezzlement and 13 counts of offering a bribe. The individual school employees face charges of embezzlement and accepting a bribe.

Though R. L. Stine and Christopher Pike may be our quickest associations with teen screams, horror encompasses a wide array of books. As Susan Chang, senior editor of the children’s and young adult division at Tom Doherty Associates (Tor), says, “I think what we define as ‘horror’ has changed since the heyday of the 1980s and 1990s. Boundaries are more blurred and fluid and so it is more difficult to define.” At the Horror Writers Association site, author Jonathan Maberry has developed a YA-specific blog, It’s Scary Out There, to show how horror isn’t just one type of story.

Maberry explains, “The blog is built around exploring the nature of horror and of fear, how that’s different for teens and adults, and why so many of today’s writers tackle that subject matter. The answers are always surprising. What we’re showing is that horror is different for each person.”

The blog offers interviews with authors Kendare Blake, Darren Shan, Barry Lyga, and Holly Black, with more to come.

Categorizing horror

What is horror if the boundaries are difficult to define? It’s any work where the emotions of fear, dread, and/or disgust drive the narrative. Readers either love or hate horror because it forces them to experience reading in a visceral way. Because it’s defined by how individual readers interpret a story, what one sees as horror may not resonate that way to another.

Horror isn’t comprised solely of monsters. It also consists of the everyday darkness YA readers experience. “Horror isn’t always necessarily supernatural,” Maberry notes. “[In a forthcoming blog interview] Ellen Hopkins will discuss peer pressure as horror.” Dark realistic fiction, serial killer stories, and psychological thrillers may not be “traditional” horror, but they can elicit equally strong responses of fear or dread.

Chang suggests that the decline of mass market publishing, common in the 1980s and 1990s, means readers see horror in a new way. “With the change in format to hardcover and trade paperback, horror now seems to be considered more ‘literary’ and ‘upscale,’ and perhaps taken more seriously.”

Defining the horror reader can be challenging. As Brian Farrey-Lutz, acquisitions editor at Flux, says, “I think the true horror fans can be hard to pin down. There are definitely hardcore horror fans who can’t get enough of it. But I think the people who enjoy horror occasionally and don’t seek it out on a regular basis are a larger group.”

Is there a horror trend?

Maybe because we’ve become used to trends and “the next big thing” in YA, we can overlook staples like horror that don’t fall neatly into one genre. Yet, it continues to command shelf space and endear readers.

“If we’re seeing a spike in horror, it’s because there’s a need for something different,” says Farrey-Lutz. “I think horror is sticking its toes in the YA waters to test the temperature and see if there’s enough interest to merit a wave.”

The surge of dystopian and postapocalyptic YA novels in recent years taps directly into the interest in horror, Mayberry says. “[Teens] don’t read it to indulge in downbeat nihilism. Rather the reverse. My generation thought we were going to fix the world and solve all of society’s problems. We tried, we did some good, but let’s face it: the world is a mess. We may have lost some of our optimism about the future, but the teens expect to live in the future. They’re taking the broken fall and they’re going to fix it and run with it.”

Horror captures the attention of teens of all reading abilities–advanced and reluctant readers find it compelling because it’s something to which they relate. Sure, they may not be fighting zombies or ending decades-long curses, but those stories serve as metaphors for the challenges they face every day. In many ways, the ability to slip into fictional horrors offers an escape from their own sometimes-scary realities.

Ripper tales and serial killers

Perhaps due in part to TV shows like Dexter—which stars a Miami Police Department employee who moonlights as a serial killer—there’s been a rise in stories about murder. Starting with The Name of the Star (Putnam, 2012), Maureen Johnson’s “Shades of London” trilogy follows Rory at her boarding school in modern-day London, where a rash of killings echoing those of Jack the Ripper throws everyone into panic.

Stefan Petrucha’s Ripper (Philomel, 2012) is set in New York City, 1895, during a series of Ripper-like murders. When the Pinkerton Agency gives 14-year-old Carver an apprenticeship, the cases multiply. Does Carver have a tie to the killer?

How about having a dad who kills for a living? That’s 17-year-old Jazz’s story in Barry Lyga’s trilogy, which begins with I Hunt Killers (Little, Brown, 2012). Jazz helps police hunt for a new killer in town in an effort to keep his own name clear.

Peter Adam Salomon’s Henry Franks (Flux, 2012)—a modernization of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein—begins when Henry questions the accident that took his mother’s life. Things become stranger when a serial killer emerges in town.

In Kate Brian’s Shadowlands (2012), even the Witness Protection Program can’t shield Rory Miller from a serial killer. In her old hometown, she barely escaped the hand of Steven Nell, and her new town may not be a safe haven, either. The story continues in Hereafter (2013, both Hyperion).

If murder wasn’t complicated enough, it becomes even murkier in two novels that explore the land between the living and the dead. Daniel Marks’s Velveteen (Delacorte, 2012) follows a 16-year-old slain by a serial killer named Bonesaw. Rather than landing in a happy afterlife, Velveteen’s stuck in a space more like purgatory. In Brenna Yovanoff’s Paper Valentine (Penguin, 2013), all Hannah wants to do is grieve best friend Lillian’s death. But then Lillian’s ghost begs Hannah to investigate a string of teen-girl murders in their small town.

Of sanity and spirits

Psychological horror leaves one question in the minds of both characters and readers: Was what happened real, or the work of something supernatural? At times it’s plausible (and even obvious) that there’s a ghost in charge; at others, it’s possible the horror may be internally constructed.

There’s not a question about the existence of ghosts in Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood (2011) and Girl of Nightmares (2012, both Tor). Cas hunts and kills ghosts. When the teen comes upon a ghost who has vanquished every hunter who dared set sights on her, Cas discovers that she has chosen to spare him.

Spirits and sanity rub against one another quite literally in Carly Anne West’s The Murmurings (S & S, 2013). Sophie’s sister, Nell, was institutionalized for hearing voices—the same voices Sophie finds herself hearing now. As she investigates further, she learns that there just might be something out to get them.

Nova Ren Suma delves into what it means to be haunted in two stirring novels. In Imaginary Girls (2011), Chloe admires her big sister, Ruby, who is beautiful and mysterious. But when a classmate’s body shows up in the reservoir, Chloe questions what parts of her relationship with Ruby are imagined. 17 & Gone (2013, both Dutton) is an even sharper exploration of madness. Lauren sees girls who have gone missing, and what ties them together is their age when they disappeared. But who are they to her? As her 17th birthday inches closer, Lauren worries she’s destined to disappear, too. Think Shirley Jackson, YA style.

The undead

What’s more horrifying than the thought of the dead rising and coming after those still alive? Maybe having to face undead loved ones and deliver the final blow. Chang notes that while the zombie trend may be over—having hit its peak between 2007 and 2009—it has become more “evergreen,” much like vampires. Maberry agrees, “They’re tidal. They may recede from popularity for a while but they always come back.” Zombies have also been kept fresh and fascinating in the media, with TV’s The Walking Dead and the recent film Warm Bodies.

Sloane Price is determined to kill herself, thanks to an abusive home life and a sister who abandoned her, but things fall apart with the appearance of the undead in Courtney Summers’s This Is Not a Test (St. Martin’s, 2012). She’s saved by five teens who bring her to the local high school to endure the outbreak. Will Sloane find any hope for a future?

It begins as any other game in T. Michael Martin’s The End Games (HarperCollins, 2013). Michael and little brother Patrick follow the rules from The Game Master in order to stay alive while the real world around them crumbles. But as rules are changed on them, the boys may be heading nowhere good. For readers who prefer their undead with laughter, there’s Sean Beaudoin’s The Infects (Candlewick, 2012), and those seeking a Gothic flair should try Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly (HarperCollins, 2012). For an epic-scale tome, suggest Alexander Gordon Smith’s The Fury (Farrar, 2013).

Readers who like their undead unending will enjoy multivolume works such as Jonathan Maberry’s “Benny Imura” series (S & S), Ilsa Bick’s “Ashes” trilogy (Egmont USA), and Darren Shan’s 12-book “Zom-B” series (Little, Brown).

Going Gothic

An interesting trend in recent Gothic horror is the use of visual “found artifacts” to enhance storytelling, which hit big with Ransom Riggs’s Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (Quirk, 2011). Cat Winters’s In the Shadow of Blackbirds (Abrams, 2013) melds a ghost tale with the occult, as Mary watches those around her panicking due to the 1918 influenza outbreak and war overseas. While fellow citizens seek comfort in spirit photographers and séances, Mary eschews them…until the day she is confronted with the ghost of her former boyfriend.

In Madeleine Roux’s Asylum (HarperCollins, 2013), which features eerie photographs, Dan discovers that his new summer dorm used to be a sanatorium for the criminally insane, and he and his new friends begin unlocking the asylum’s dark secrets.

Sarah Rees Brennan’s humorous Unspoken (2012) follows 17-year-old Kami as she falls in love with a boy who only exists in her head. And who is that murderer on the loose? The story continues in Untold (2013, both Random).

In Lindsey Barraclough’s Long Lankin (Candlewick, 2012), Cora and Mimi are sent to live with their aunt in a remote English town, but they’re not greeted with kindness. Besides Aunt Ida’s eccentricities, the girls find the town is full of eerie secrets, all connected to the last time Ida hosted two sisters.

The occult

A horror staple, stories about the occult fascinate not only because they’re taboo, but also because they’re often tied to history.

These two elements mingle effectively in Libba Bray’s The Diviners (Little, Brown, 2012). Evie’s confronted with a grisly killer in 1920s NYC, and her ability to tap into magical powers might be the key to catching the criminal. Readers taken with the spiritualism craze running through Bray’s novel will want to check out Sonia Gensler’s The Dark Between (Knopf, 2013).

The occult also seeps into modern-day tales. In Claudia Gray’s Spellcaster (HarperCollins, 2013), Nadia knows that something isn’t right after she and her family move to Captive’s Sound, and she detects dark spirits with her witch sensibilities. She and local boy Mateo will need to work together to unlock a curse threatening the entire town.

What happens when you start falling head over heels for the devil? Violet finds out in April Genevieve Tucholke’s Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (Dial, 2013) when the devil takes the form of a new guy in town. She knows she shouldn’t fall for him, but she can’t help herself.

For a solid occult-driven series, try Tessa Gratton’s Blood Magic (2011) and The Blood Keeper (2012, both Random), where practicing blood spells puts two teens in grave danger.

Frightening realities

Sometimes, the most horrific stories happen in the real world, where the monsters and demons reside in and beside us all.

Stephanie Kuehn tackles the beast within in Charm & Strange (St. Martin’s, 2013). When Win is sent to a remote boarding school because of a terrible incident, he comes to terms with his inevitable future: with the full moon, he will transform from boy to deranged wolf, just like his father. This dark contemporary novel explores the haunting effects of abuse and mental illness.

Few fathers are as terrifying as Ry Burke’s in Daniel Kraus’s Scowler (Delacorte, 2013). The maximum security prison inmates, including Marvin Burke, are on the loose, and he’s returning to the Iowa farm where once he reigned supreme—and where his brutal attack on Ry’s mom led to his lifetime sentence. Ry pulls from the power of his childhood toys to conjure enough anger to give his dad a true showdown.

Marianna Baer takes her horror in an unexpected direction with Frost (HarperCollins, 2011), wherein main character Leena falls from pulled-together, top-of-the-class girl to one who can’t get out of bed without serious medication. What could cause such a quick shift in someone who seemed to have it all?

Classics, remodeled

Remixed classics continue to serve YA horror readers well. They also offer possibilities for classroom connections to their original literary works.

Reimagining Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Gretchen McNeil sets her slasher Ten (2012) on a quiet island over a weekend meant to be a nonstop party, but it also includes a killer and a trail of blood. Megan Shepherd’s trilogy takes on H. G. Wells’s The Island of Dr. Moreau, beginning with The Madman’s Daughter (2013, both HarperCollins), a twisted story that focuses instead on Dr. Moreau’s progeny.

Dangerous Boy (Penguin, 2012) by Mandy Hubbard looks to Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde while Kenneth Oppel’s This Dark Endeavor (S & S, 2011) is the first in a series that revisits Frankenstein. Henry James’s The Turn of the Screw inspired both Adele Griffin’s Tighter (Knopf, 2011) and Francine Prose’s The Turning (HarperCollins, 2012). For readers seeking a weird tale à la Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, try Mary G. Thompson’s Wuftoom (Clarion, 2012).

Scares ahead

Want more tales of horror? It’s worth checking out Johan Harstad’s 172 Hours on the Moon (Little, Brown, 2012), which blends sci-fi with the supernatural; Gwenda Bond’s Blackwood (Angry Robot, 2012), about the lost colony of Roanoke; J. R. Johansson’s Insomnia (Flux, 2013), following a boy who can enter into other people’s dreams; and Katie Williams’s Absent (Chronicle, 2013), in which a ghost is sentenced to afterlife in the high school where she died.

Classic teen horror writers are publishing new thrills, too. R.L. Stine’s A Midsummer Night’s Scream (Feiwel & Friends, 2013) and Christopher Pike’s Witch World (S & S, 2012) are good introductions for new readers and solid additions for already-devoted fans.

Those eager for what’s to come through the end of the year should find scares courtesy of Gretchen McNeil’s 3:59 (HarperCollins), Jason Vanhee’s Engines of the Broken World (Holt), Barbara Stewart’s The In-Between (St. Martin’s Griffin), and Robin Wasserman’s The Waking Dark (Knopf) satisfying.

So why horror?

“I write about people confronting monsters or fear or darkness because I want to explore how those things can be defeated,” Maberry says. “Humans may be by nature a predatory species, but we are also a survivor species with aspirations toward genuine civility.”

Horror is a perennially popular shelf staple because its variety of shapes and styles make it a favorite for many readers, a gateway for reluctant readers, and a crossover sell to older and younger YA readers.

It isn’t “the next big thing,” but an essential. And not because of the scares—but because of how much these books reach teens on a frighteningly human level.

Kelly Jensen is a teen librarian at Beloit Public Library (WI). She blogs about YA books at Stacked (stackedbooks.org) and Book Riot (bookriot.com).

Scatena read Mercer Mayer’s There’s an Alligator Under My Bed to Wally, a 5-foot-plus female alligator, while hundreds of children looked on. Wally was handled by reptile trainer Erik Callendar. Callendar also taught the kids about how alligators live in the wild.

According to Queens Library, Scatena has a long history of motivating her young readers with wild challenges. She annually promises that if they meet their summer reading goals, she will perform an over-the-top stunt. Previous challenges have had her sitting in a tub of jello, dressing in a rabbit suit and kissing a bunny, and cuddling an enormous python.

Tens of thousands of children participate in Queens Library’s summer reading programs borough-wide.

A few months ago, Henkes joined School Library Journal as opening keynote speaker at our annual Day of Dialog (DoD), in which he told the children’s librarians, publishers, and children’s book authors and illustrators in attendance that he was a lifelong book lover and, in fact, “built by books.”

SLJ is happy to be sponsoring another event featuring the author, an exclusive webcast live from Bank Street College of Education in New York City next week, on September 17, 2013. As we look forward to hearing him speak and answer questions from kids, parents, and teachers, SLJ sat down with Henkes for an in-depth chat about his career so far, his creative process, and his next projects.

Can you tell us more about your lifelong relationship with books?
From the very beginning, I grew up in a house that didn’t have very many children’s books, but going to the library was very important to my mother, and we went to the library the same way you’d go to the grocery store or to school. So it was part of life. And I grew up loving books.

You’ve spoken before about the importance of sharing books with children. Can you tell us more about your experiences reading aloud to your kids?
I had a large collection of children’s books, and when I became a parent I was, I think, at the very beginning very stingy with my books because they were in perfect condition, and I knew what happened to the books my kids “read.” But the same person inside me knew that that’s what books are for. And I think it has been wonderful to watch my kids grow up with books. I’m sure I’ve made many mistakes as a parent but every day, [reading aloud to them] was one thing that I think was so right, and it exposed them to a lot. I think it broadened their horizons. I think it made them more empathetic.

How did you choose which books to read aloud to your kids?
Some were things that I wanted to read, that I remembered loving and I wanted to share it with them. They also read independently, but sometimes they would have something that they would want me to read aloud as well, and they would decide what they wanted. We chose them in different ways.

What were your favorite books growing up?
I loved Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry. I loved Beverly Cleary’s books. I went through a phrase where I really loved Garth Williams illustrations, so the head children’s librarian at the Racine [WI] public library would show me books that he had illustrated. Those books were favorites. What else did I love? I went through different phases as I suppose all kids do, but I loved Charlotte’s Web—how could one not? And I remember the Henry Reed books—they aren’t very much around now, but I remember loving those. I read them to my kids! They’re still loved.

What about books of your colleagues that you newly discovered as a parent?
You know I read Harry Potter aloud. It was fun! It was! My son was also a huge Redwall fan. One book that they both really loved was James Marshall’s Rats on the Roof. It was a huge, huge favorite. I read aloud Kate DiCamillio’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, that was fun. And I read Vera Williams’s Scooter aloud when they were a big younger, and that was a big hit.

How do you create your characters’ unique voices and personalities?
I think about my characters long before I begin writing, and I really try to get a very clear picture in my mind who they are—how old they are, what they like. I try to create that whole family. And then when I feel pretty confident about them, I will jot things down, not writing the story yet but really just writing down facts about the character so by the time that I do begin writing, I’m pretty certain who they are. And if I begin too soon for me, I’ll quickly find it out.

Do you make scrapbooks or storyboards?
I have notebooks and folders. I often will have a notebook and I’ll make little tabs for the characters and write down my facts about the different characters in their section, and add to it and refer to it. And sometimes I don’t use a  lot of it. It’s not in the book per se, but it’s still helps me know who they are. Sometimes I will write down what a character’s favorite color is or favorite food, and it won’t end up being in the book, but it helped me create him or her.

So, in a way, you are conducting research for your characters?
Someone once asked me about the way kids were taught to write in schools—prewriting, etc.—and at first I thought I don’t do any of that, but then I realized that I do all of it. I just do it differently. I don’t think of it as prewriting, my notebooks about characters.

[But ] with Billy Miller, in the third section, it was based on a restaurant my kids loved when they were little that I hadn’t been to in years, so I went one day by myself for lunch, with my notebook. So that was research! But when I hear the word research, I think of it differently.

Your notebooks sound like they would make a great kit lit exhibit!
I did an exhibit at the CCBC with my novel Protecting Marie, and I had the notebooks, and I even had a few handwritten paragraphs and how they morphed into the finished book. It was nice for me to go back and organize it. And again the thing that was most surprising to me was that there was so much of it. It was the first time I looked at it, I suppose, in a more academic way.

What inspired you to write The Year of Billy Miller?
 The last novel I had written was Junonia, and it was about a 10-year-old girl, and I really had spent a lot of time with her, and so I thought I wanted to spend time with a boy. I had just finished doing the three “Penny” books, beginning readers, and even though they were longer than picture books, there was a lot of art, [so]  I really wanted to do a novel or a chapter book. And because Junonia was set on an island and she was an only child, I wanted something different. I knew from the start there would be at least a sibling. That book was a away from home, so I wanted it to be a book at home—wherever, whatever home was—and so that’s sort of the way I began this book.

 So you wanted a more domestic, familiar book?
Yeah! And those are the kinds of books I’m drawn to anyway. All of my books—even one that took place on an island—I still think of them as pretty small, domestic stories. The one thing that is sort of funny to look at is the list, when I’m trying to come up with names. I had pages of names! I wanted him to have sort of a common name. I loved the internal rhyme. It just sounded right.

Is there a lot of you in the character?
I volunteered in my kids’ first- and second-grade classrooms once a week. I think all of the characters have a piece of me in them, but I was really trying to remember that and channel that experience, when my son was 7 and my daughter was 3. I really made an effort to stay in Billy’s head. It’s in the third person, limited, but I wanted to remember he’s a 7-year-old boy. I wanted the prose to reflect that.

He does have a great vocabulary.
Yeah! But I think reading to one’s kids allows him to have that. One thing I would love when I read aloud [was] when my kids would ask, ‘What does that mean?’ It would open the door to not only what a dictionary is, but [for them] to try to guess what it means. And that was wonderful.

But for Billy Miller, I tried really hard to not dwell on descriptions that Billy wouldn’t, and I love describing things, and I really had to hold back. I think I’m an artist first, and I love describing things, but I really had to watch myself. I had to cut as I went.

Do you think you will write a Billy  sequel?
I’m thinking about it…he’s still in my head. But I don’t know yet! I have a couple thoughts, but for me, one of the greatest joys about working on a novel is creating the characters, the family, the setting. And to have it already be done sort of takes away one of my greatest pleasures. There is something so satisfying about creating that whole new world.

Which is easier to do, a picture book or a novel? What’s your process like?
If I’m working on a novel and I’m getting towards the end, I sometimes think, ‘Oh I wish I was working on a picture book. They’re so much more fun and they’re easier!’ And then, if I’m working on a picture book and I have to redo a picture four times and I’m not loving it, I’ll think ‘Oh a novel is so much easier. It’s just words, and I can write in a coffee shop and I can go anywhere.’ [laughs]

I do like them both, but there are days when I think the other is easier or more fun. With a picture book, I always get to the point where I think the words are perfect before I do any kind of drawing. I don’t even let myself sketch anything until I have the words.

Do you have a favorite character or characters from your books?
I have to say that I do. I love Lilly, and I think she lends herself to story quite well. I’ve gone back to her a couple of times, and that’s been nice. Right now, [maybe] because it’s still really fresh, I do have a soft spot in my heart for Billy Miller. I do like him.

The book has been getting nice reviews so far.
Yeah, it’s been really nice! And I think it’s interesting because one never knows. I think some of the books of my own that I love most sell the least. It’s funny how that works. I don’t understand it.

I have a fondness for Junonia, I think in part it’s because it’s set on Sanibel Island, and we’ve gone there every year since my son was 6 months old, so it’s really become a part of what my family does. I wrote a lot of it during the winter, and it was really wonderful. Every day I could escape to this sunny blue warm world; I really remember that very vividly. I’d have to go out and shovel, but I could come back in and be on the beach. It was nice.

What can you tell us about your next project?
I have a picture book written called Waiting for Spring that my wife, Laura Dronzek, is going to illustrate. We’ve collaborated twice before, on my books Birds and Oh!
And I’ve just written the words for a picture book that I am illustrating myself.

How intense is the collaboration with Laura? Do you brainstorm together?
No! I try not to really say much of anything, to let it go. Laura can do with it what she wants. I really want it to be hers as much as its mine. It is [hard] at the very beginning, but once it’s gone—as long as I have something else to work on—then it’s great! I do like to just focus on one thing. And now that I have my thing to work on, it’s time.

You are known for your many animal characters, especially mice, but each one is its own unique person, its own mouse.
[laughs] Yes! I hope.

Can you tell us more about how those came about?
The first four books that I did had humans as the characters fairly realistically rendered, and the fifth was Bailey Goes Camping. My texts were starting to become more humorous, and I thought I could better tap the humor in the words by drawing more loosely and using animal characters. I tried rabbits for Bailey Goes Camping, and I liked it.

The next book I wrote was A Weekend with Wendell, and I wanted to try something else. And I sketched several different animals and I thought, ‘Oh! Mice would be fun!’ And I had such a good time with Wendell that the next book I wrote was Sheila Rae the Brave, and I wrote Wendell into the story. And Sheila Rae the Brave was really the first book of mine that had a bigger sales bump than the other ones, and I really had a good time doing it, so I kept doing it. But it wasn’t anything that I planned.

If someone would have told me some 30 years ago, ‘When you’re 52, that you’re going to have 13 books with mice,’ I would have [denied it]. It just happened, it did! [laughs]

My career just happened very slowly and steadily. I was young when I began, too, so I’ve had a lot of time to grow. But I think it would be really difficult to have the first book be a smashing success. I’m really grateful for the slow steady way things progressed.

Attend the Kevin Henkes LIVE webcast event on September 17 for a chance to win one of 25 signed copies of his new book The Year of Billy Miller, courtesy of HarperCollins.
It’s not too late to register! Click the link below to sign up:

This winter, I wrote about working with administrators (and becoming one) in “The Same Difference” (SLJ, Feb. 2013, p. 20–23). After a full year in my new role, I continue to reflect on the ways teacher librarians can better connect and work with building and district leaders. This theme will be part of the SLJ Leadership Summit in Austin, September 28–29. Call it convergence or detente, librarians and administrators will be engaged in some exciting conversations in the coming year. In preparation, here are two useful ways to think and work like an admin.

The pivot: an administrator’s view

I miss the relative simplicity of the library. While a library includes many moving parts, it is not always necessary to know how or why things work so long as they do work. Teacher librarians are often better connected to various school and district systems than classroom teachers, but their understanding may still be limited. They are likely to know which textbooks are used by different departments or grade levels and how to order them, and may have some responsibility for their management. But at the district level, a complex machinery of processes, policies, and departments must work together in order to ensure students and teachers get materials. Seeing things from that perspective can help improve library service and the library’s place in an institution.

The points

More moving parts. As an administrator, I have learned that almost nothing is simple, even in a well-aligned district such as ours. There are always more moving parts than meet the eye. Understanding those parts and what it takes to keep them moving has become essential to my work. Teacher librarians stand to benefit by developing similar institutional knowledge. By learning the complexity of their organizations, they can become better informed, connected, and placed to advocate for their programs. This learning can come from developing authentic relationships with administrators. And because principals often see things differently from administrators, teacher librarians should seek to develop relationships at both building and district levels, ideally with the curriculum and IT departments that often intersect with library programs.

It’s important not to start the relationship with an “ask.” Offer to sit on a committee or offer support of a building or district initiative. Build a trusting professional friendship over time. Eventually, you will better understand the complexity of your district, and your new administrative friends may gain a better knowledge of your library and program.

Leading as a team. Administrators rarely make decisions alone. Despite their job titles, few administrators act unilaterally, and the best rely on others to provide advice and guidance in forming policies and solutions. By contrast, as a teacher librarian, I made many—if not most—decisions with little input from others. Since few outsiders understand what happens in school libraries, many teacher librarians have more autonomy than principals. This opacity and insularity can be a problem. Connecting with other stakeholders adds valuable input, information, and ideas. Almost everything I did this year involved a team to help envision, plan, and implement projects and programs. Likewise, teacher librarians can benefit by forming teams with other stakeholders. While it will probably complicate and slow decision making, it will also expose their library programs to wider audiences.

Teacher librarians should also build professional learning communities with others in their districts and beyond. At the building level, consider forming a steering committee to better understand the needs of parents, teachers, and students. This can provide insight and inform decisions while building bridges with stakeholders.

Teacher librarians have much in common with administrators. Find ways to build relationships with them. Listen and learn how decisions are made. In doing so, you can better understand the complex machinery of educational organizations and what makes administrators tick.

Mark Ray (Mark.Ray@vansd.org), a former teacher librarian, is the director of instructional technology and library services for Vancouver (WA) Public Schools.

San Diego’s new 400,000-square-foot Central Library.

Imagine a school library bigger than the school it supports—with an auditorium, homework center, and a 6,000-square-foot teen room where hundreds of iPads and computers are at students’ disposal. That’s the reality for 9th and 10th graders at San Diego’s new e3 Civic High School, a public charter school literally inside the recently completed 400,000-square foot, $185-million Central Library downtown.

“Where could you possibly get a school where you can introduce bibliographic instruction in your curriculum and also decide how their information gathering will be,” says Marina Claudio-Perez, youth services coordinator for the San Diego Public Library’s new Central Library, which is set to open its doors on September 28. “We have a captive audience.”

Indeed, San Diego’s educational, library, and philanthropic power brokers designed the scenario for this result. San Diego approved a 40-year, $20 million lease for e3 Civic High’s use of the 6th and 7th floors in the new building, says Mel Katz, chair of the San Diego Public Library Foundation, executive officer for e3 Civic High Board of Directors, and owner of Manpower Staffing Services of San Diego.

Future students will also have a voice—giving input in how the library will be integrated into their studies, says Claudio-Perez. “The mapping of the service for them is going to be defined by the students,” she says. “We will sit down with them, my teen librarian and guidance from the teachers.”

The new library includes a 6,000-square-foot teen room.

While 9th and 10th grader make up the first year’s student body at e3 Civic High School, the campus will expand over the next two years, eventually reaching the 12th grade to include 530 students. All will have access to the library’s sculpture court, art gallery, and even a special events room that can handle 400 people, says Katz, larger than the entire student body to start. The library’s resources of more than 1,000,000 books, DVDs, and CDs will also be at their disposal—two-thirds of which had been stored in the former Central Library basement for lack of space, he adds.

“It’s unbelievable synergy to have the school there for the library people,” says Katz.

With e3 Civic High opening its doors on Sept 3—about four weeks before the library opens it doors— its 260 new students have already made use of some of the facilities, including a morning kick-off in the 350-seat standalone auditorium, with breakfast in the courtyard. Students will continue to be encouraged to not only use the library, among other downtown civic resources, but volunteer as well, acting as mentors to younger students.

The new library’s teen room overlooks downtown San Diego.

Although the school lacks a dedicated certified media specialist (students will have to share staff librarians with the rest of the library’s patrons) there is a dedicated teen librarian, a manager for the children’s space, plus staff for the homework center.

The library is also working with adult volunteers so staff can have more direct time with patrons, says Marion Hubbard, senior public information officer for the San Diego Public Library.

Teachers and librarians have already started collaborating about how they can build synergy between the two. Claudio-Perez note’s that the high school’s humanities teacher has just inquired how the game room could be tied into a writing lesson, and she expects other curriculum connections to happen naturally. She knows this will present both a challenge and an opportunity for both parties—and particularly students.

“For many years we have battled against how schools and libraries have tried to have a good relationship,” she says. “But I think this will be beneficial not just for the students and the school, but also the library.”

Illustration by Regan Dunnick

In his video “Tumblr: The Musical,” Youtube celebrity Hank Green mocks how Tumblr aficionados get lost in a loop of scrolling, liking, and reblogging to the point of neglecting everything else in their lives, including sleep. The addictive Tumblr scroll has indeed become the preferred Internet rabbit hole, as Green, brother of the author John Green, hilariously shows.

Should libraries and librarians use Tumblr? Is it wise to wade into this alluring sea of wacky photos, pop-culture commentary, and gifs—snippets of moving images—in order to virtually chat about best book lists, library events, title recommendations, and our favorite quotes?

Yes, and here’s why. The key to a useful social network is to strategically use communication tools, understand each network’s reach, and guarantee ease of use for all involved. Tumblr can be a successful way to connect to new and diverse audiences, provided you understand who you’ll be attracting to your site and how to use Tumblr to your advantage.

Why Tumblr works

In my job as a teen librarian, I’ve been running social networks since 2006. As anyone using social media knows, it’s vital to meet your patrons where they are, rather than try to get them to visit a new, unknown site. My colleagues in the reference section maintain lively accounts representing the library as a whole on both Facebook and Twitter. But the Twitter account I maintained for my teens fell dormant, since none of them seemed to be using that platform. So I decided to concentrate my efforts on where I thought my teens were: Facebook.

In the past year, though, it became clear that my teens were no longer on Facebook—or if they were, they weren’t using it to connect with the library. During that time, I searched for ways to invigorate the teen section of our library’s website—to post more content daily and engage more readers. I sought a streamlined, visually exciting site. But the traditional blogging options were hampered by clunky interfaces and an outdated look; I knew that the posts weren’t reaching many patrons, let alone teens.

Enter Tumblr. I had been using a personal Tumblr account for a few months and found its mix of art, photos, gifs, quotes, and videos to be far more engaging than my library’s traditional text-dominated website. Hank Green was on to something.

Tumblr’s interface is easy to use, and each post looks professional the instant it uploads. There’s no need to know code, wrangle with images, or get complicated with fonts. The site can easily take the place of a traditional website or blog.

Depending on the theme you choose for your Tumblr, you can include static information—like phone numbers or hours of operation—in a sidebar, while keeping the main part of your page fresh and visually exciting with an ever-changing stream of posts. Updating is incredibly easy, and you can save drafts and schedule posts to appear at future dates and times—useful for event reminders and time-sensitive content.

As with Twitter, your goals while using Tumblr are to engage with your public and gather followers. The more you post, the more users will find you through your content, especially by searching your tags. As on Facebook, people can “like” your posts. They can also reblog them on their own Tumblrs—similar to retweeting on Twitter or sharing on Facebook. Liking and reblogging are how your Tumblr audience shows its appreciation and where they may add their own notes. While the flow of information is mostly one-way, you can track your followers as well as the number of times an individual post has been liked and reblogged to gauge your impact.

Most important for youth librarians, though, is that young people are active on Tumblr. When I checked with my teens, many said they were Tumblr users and were excited by the idea of connecting to the library this way. That’s why I made the leap to Tumblr for our teen site.

Eight tips for successful tumbling

If you’re considering starting a Tumblr, either as a supplement to your established Web presence or as a replacement for a blog, it’s important to think through your needs and those of your patrons before making the switch. Below, some pointers.

1. Think visually. The most popular Tumblr posts tend to be images, photos, or gifs. In the past, there was no easy way to quote a TV show, film, or video game without posting a video. But with Tumblr’s magic combination of gifs and blogging, media quotes are now everywhere. Take advantage of this. If you’re recommending books, don’t just post a list: Include images of all of the covers. Promoting an event? “Tumbl” your poster and a selection of photos.

2. Tag your posts. Tagging is incredibly important on Tumblr because searching tags is how users discover content and people to follow. Remember, though, that only the first five tags on any post are searchable, so choose your tags wisely. After those five, people use tags to add commentary to their posts in the same way that savvy Twitter users deploy hashtags as asides or jokes. So these additional tags can be humorous reading.

3. Be professional but playful. Be mindful of what you post. It should be in keeping with what you would highlight on any part of your library website. At the same time, be aware that your Tumblr should be fun to follow. Share favorite quotes; topical, pop culture images; and favorite artists.

4. And…be mindful of mature language. One of the truths of Tumblr is that there is no oversight regarding mature content or language. When you first sign up, your Tumblr will be automatically set in safe mode, meaning that you will not see any content deemed “not safe for work” (NSFW) on your dashboard. The Tumblr community counts on users to flag their own blogs and posts as NSFW in order to keep safe mode working properly. There’s definitely 18+ material out there, and you won’t necessarily be forewarned by tagging or a user’s customary posting habits. Many Tumblr names are variations on the appreciative phrase f**kyeah___ (example: “f**kyeahbooks”). While you may be inclined to like or reblog those items, you should consider the profanity in the source site before doing so.

5. Schedule your posts. It’s especially enjoyable to schedule themed posts, perhaps once a week, that highlight a particular topic or service. For example, the New York Public Library celebrates “Caturday” every week on their Tumblr by posting cat-related images and items from their collections. School Library Journal runs a regular feature, “Where I Work?” with photos, sharing a glimpse or two of authors’ writing spaces. Who doesn’t want to see where their favorite novels are created?

6. Check your sources. A lot of unsourced images gets passed around Tumblr, especially when it comes to art and photography. If you’re not certain of a work’s provenance, use Google’s image source search by clicking on the camera icon that allows you to search via an image URL and see if you can locate the source reliably. Artists and image makers will thank you, and you’ll set a strong example of giving creators credit for their work.

7. Remember, it’s (basically) one-way. Tumblr is not the place to gather comments, start discussions, or debate favorite books. People can send in questions, or “asks,” through the Tumblr interface. You can also pose a question and invite your followers to answer it. That’s about it for the platform’s capacity for discussion.

Tumblr is built to be used through its dashboard, the main control panel where you scroll through posts and investigate whatever keyword searches you like. On your dashboard, there’s no easy way to comment. You can reblog a post and add a comment, but replying gets increasingly cumbersome. Unless Tumblr revamps its question system, at this point you’ll be announcing or sharing information, but only occasionally responding to a question.

8. Make it easy and fun to maintain. Check in daily and take advantage of Tumblr’s tools. Use the J, K, and L keys to navigate your dashboard quickly. Hitting the L key “likes” a post, and typing shift+R (on a PC) reblogs that post instantly. Remember the current limits: You can send 10 “asks” an hour and “friend” up to 250 people per day. For more Tumblr tricks and tips, check out this helpful list over at the Daily Dot: http://ow.ly/nVTvc.

Checking in on my Tumblr account has become the most relaxing and enjoyable part of my daily routine, keeping me abreast of new books, targeted book lists, library news, and the grand world of art and images from various media. One of my teens recently proclaimed how much she enjoyed my Tumblr—a gratifying signal that I’m heading in the right direction. As long as that enjoyment continues, and my own messages are getting out, I’ll keep on tumbling.

A few of my favorite Tumblrs:

General Tumblrs 

Book Riot
LIFE
National Public Radio
The New York Times’s The Lively Morgue 
PBS’s This Day in History
WYNC’s Radiolab

Library Tumblrs

Public Library of Brookline (MA) Teen Services (my Tumblr)
Cape May County (NJ) Library Teen Zone
Grand Rapids (MI) Public Library Tumblr for Teens
Library Advocates
Library Journal
The Lifeguard Librarian
Librarian Wardrobe
New York Public Library
School Library Journal
Teenlandia: Lewis & Clark (Helena, MT) Library Teen Services Department

Tumblarians list from

The Lifeguard Librarian
Young Adults and Teens at Oak Lawn (IL) Public Library

Teen Lit Tumblrs

Public Library of Brookline teen title recommendations (mine again)
Diversity in YA
The YA Cover
YA! Flash
YA Highway

Teen Authors who Tumble

Cassandra Clare
John Green
Shannon Hale
Karen Healey
Malinda Lo
Maureen Johnson
Rainbow Rowell

Robin Brenner is the reference and teen librarian at the Public Library of Brookline (MA). She is also the editor-in-chief of the graphic novel review website No Flying No Tights and know all too well the allure of the late-night Tumblr scroll.

I developed a series of statistics-based math problems that I post each month at school and online. Unlike other schools where teachers feature a math problem of the week, my library has full ownership of this program—and the students clamor for it.

Now each month when I post our library statistics—such as how many books were checked out, how many books were overdue, which of the various genres were checked out, and so on—students also have a related Math Stats Challenge to look forward to, with questions tailored to each grade level. The word problems specifically reflect the kind of math each grade is learning at the time they are learning it, using the same language, types of numbers, and word problem formats they are studying.

For example, a Kindergarten math problem—probably one of the most fun for me to create because they often have pictorial representations—might look like this: Over the break, Mrs. Lambert read 10 books. She only liked 6 of them. How many books did Mrs. Lambert not like? Kindergarten students can draw a picture or use a manipulative to help them solve the problem.

A third-grade word problem might look like this: Mrs. Lambert is organizing some new books for a display. She has 12 shelves on her bookcase. She wants to have 9 picture books and 11 fiction books on each shelf. How many fiction books will she need altogether?

My first step in creating the program involved going to our fifth-grade math teacher for advice. She suggested I consult our district’s curriculum documents for each grade level in crafting my questions, which I used to model. I also double-check that my problems are consistent with what students are learning by running them by teachers in each grade level at our school. The teachers solve the problems and share with me different strategies students can use to tackle them.

To kick off the program, I asked our administration for one of the unloved bulletin boards in the cafeteria. I printed my world problems on a poster maker so that they’d be big enough for kids to see while eating lunch, and my library aide put up the posters for our inaugural display.

I also take photos of the problems and post them on my school library website, both on the main page and under the “programs” category, so that students can access the questions anywhere. Students can enter the challenge each month via forms that are available in the library, from teachers, and on our library site. I designed the forms to reflect the format of the worksheets students use in the classroom. Students can submit their entries directly to the library, where I have a designated shelf for them.

Some teachers have also created Library Math Stats Challenge stations in their classrooms where the kids can solve the problems; the teachers then return the problems to me at the end of the month. I don’t allow students to submit their entries online, however, since I need to see their work written out.

On the last day of each month, I pull all the entries, grade them, and record the student names into a Google Spreadsheet. Kids who solve the challenges receive a coupon worth an extra checkout in the library. My aide preps the coupons for students and puts them in their teachers’ boxes.

At the end of the year, I recognize students whose entries from five or more months were correct as “Math Stats Champions.” My “Ultimate Math Stats Champions” have solved every month’s problems correctly. I give out recognition of achievement certificates and, thanks to a generous donation from our local Jack in the Box restaurant, certificates for a free combo meal and shake.

A year in, my monthly Math Stats Challenge is a beloved aspect of our school. Not only does it make math part of the library, it fosters math skills among the dozens of students who dig in each month to solve the problems. Why? They’re fun.

There’s no pressure or requirement to do the problems, and maybe that’s part of the appeal. I love that I’m helping to boost math skills while also bringing kids into my library orbit. The program is a great way to connect the library with the math that’s happening in the classrooms. It cost next to nothing to create. Who knew that library stats and math could be so much fun?

Students in grades three through eight can enter the Dare to Dream…Change the World Second Annual Writing Contest for Children by creating an original biographical poem and a paragraph about someone who not only dreamed, but took action and made the world a better place. The contest “aims to promote literacy, poetry writing, and nonfiction research while inspiring students to follow their own dreams.”

Entries can be submitted through April 30, 2014. Winners will be announced by June 1, 2014. Be sure to check out the rules and submission information. The grand prize winner will receive $1,500 worth of Kane Miller and Usborne books for a school or community library of their choice. The top 30 entries will be published as a free ebook by sponsor Kane Miller Books.

The contest, cosponsored by Educational Development Corporation, has been announced by Jill Corcoran, compiler and contributing poet to Dare to Dream … Change the World (Kane Miller, 2013), a collection of biographical and inspirational poems for children featuring a culturally diverse mix of subjects ranging from Jonas Salk to Steven Spielberg, and from Christa McAuliffe to Michelle Kwan. A free, downloadable curriculum guide is available on the contest and publisher websites.

Pin It to Win

Teachers have until September 27, 2013 to enter Raytheon’s “Pin It to Win It” sweepstakes on Pinterest “that encourages knowledge sharing and promotes science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education.” The contest is part of Raytheon’s MathMovesU initiative, which aims to inspire student interest in STEM subjects and support teachers by providing easy access to STEM education resources.

Educators must create a back-to-school Pinterest board, re-pin and share creative STEM education content, such as inventive experiments or lesson tips, to the MathMovesU “Back-to-School” Pinterest board. Twenty-five winners will be randomly selected to receive a MathMovesU bag filled with classroom supplies, such as calculators, rulers, protractors, and compasses.

Picture Book Art

From September 17, 2013 through March 24, 2014, the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, MA, will feature an exhibit of artwork from Eric Carle’s new picture book, Friends (Philomel). The title has a release date of November 19, 2013, and showcases Carle’s signature tissue-paper collage artwork. It tells the story of a little boy who braves harsh weather, tall mountains, and long distances to reunite with his best friend who moves away. Visit the Museum’s website for hours and admission fees.

“Friends was inspired by many of my own friendships,” says Carle. “One that I had as a three-year-old boy, another as a six-year-old when I was taken by my parents to Germany, and another as a young man when I arrived back in the United States with my portfolio in hand. I have always believed that friendship is very important. I know it was for me as a child. I can still remember my strong attachments and feelings for my friends when I was a boy.”

Canadian Children’s Lit Awards

The Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC) has announced the finalists for its seven major children’s book awards: TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award, Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse, Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-Fiction, Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People, John Spray Mystery Award, and Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The winners will be announced at the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and Prix TD de littérature canadienne pour l’enfance et la jeunesse in Toronto on October 22 and in Montreal on October 29.

The finalists for the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award ($30,000) are: Kids of Kabul (Groundwood; ages 11 Up) by Deborah Ellis; One Year in Coal Harbor (Groundwood; ages 9–13) by Polly Horvath; Susin Nielsen’s The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen (Tundra; ages 11 Up); The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside; ages 8 Up) written by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by Francois Thisdale; and Virginia Wolf (Kids Can, ages 5–10) written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

The Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award finalists are: Mr. King’s Things (Kids an; ages 3–7) written and illustrated by Genevieve Cote, Mr. Zinger’s Hat (Tundra; ages 4–8), The Stamp Collector (Fitzhenry & Whiteside; ages 8 Up) written by Jennifer Lanthier and illustrated by Francois Thisdale; Uncle Wally’s Old Brown Shoe (Orca; ages 4–8) written and illustrated by Wallace Edwards and Virginia Wolf (Kids Can, ages 5–10) written by Kyo Maclear and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault.

The Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People ($5,000) finalists are: A Call to Battle (Scholastic Canada; ages 10–14) by Gillian Chan, The Lynching of Louie Sam (Annick Press; ages 12 Up) by Elizabeth Stewart, Making Bombs for Hitler (Scholastic Canada; ages 9–14) by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch, Amy McAuley’s Violins of Autumn (Walker; ages 12 Up), and Yesterday’s Dead (Second Story Press; ages 10–14) by Pat Bourke.

The finalists for the John Spray Mystery Award ($5,000) include: Becoming Holmes (Tundra; ages 11–14) by Shane Peacock, Devil’s Pass (Orca; ages 12–14) by Sigmund Brouwer, Neil Flambe and the Tokyo Treasure (S & S; ages 8–13) written and illustrated by Kevin Sylvester.

A complete list of finalists in all the categories can be found on The Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s website.

For the first time, TD Bank Group is partnering with CBC Books to present the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Fan Choice Award. Young readers will be asked to pick their favorite book from the shortlisted TD Award titles in an online poll starting on Monday, September 9. The book with the most votes will win, and one entrant will win a trip to Toronto to present the award at the ceremony on October 22.

Morris was a long-time ALSC member and friend, the recipient of the first ALSC Distinguished Service Award as well as an advocate for children’s librarians and literature. Morris was former vice-president and director of library promotion at HarperCollins Children’s Books.

“The Morris Seminar offers an inspiring and invigorating opportunity to explore the dynamics of group discussion while engaging with experts in the field of book evaluation,” says ALSC President Starr LaTronica. “Participants make strong connections to peers and leaders and come away with a renewed confidence in book discussion. This is a unique and invaluable experience for all involved and it ensures ALSC maintains its legacy of distinguished award-winning books.”

The Morris Seminar will bring new ALSC members and members with limited evaluation experience together with those who have served on ALSC’s media evaluation committees in an environment to train and mentor them in the group process and in children’s media evaluation techniques. The seminar will result in new and emerging leaders for future ALSC evaluation committees.

The Morris Endowment, which was established in 2000 and activated in 2003 upon his death, supports those selected to attend the seminar by offering it at no charge, including materials and meals. The Endowment also provides a $200 stipend for each attendee to defray any additional expenses.

Information and the application form are available on the ALSC website. Applications must be received by September 20, 2013.  Attendees selected to attend will be notified during the last week in October.

From the SLJ and LJ archives, the varied list below includes recent feature articles, recommended book lists, and recommended digital resources on the history of September 11 for all ages (including books on helping young children explore hard topics), plus resources that explore the political landscape since that day for adults.

FOR CHILDREN

Not Fade Away: Ten years after 9/11
By Frances Harris. August 1, 2011. SLJ.
How do you teach kids about a tragedy they can’t remember?

Ten Years After: Interview with Don Brown
By Rocco Staino. September 7, 2011. SLJ.
SLJ talks to author-illustrator Don Brown about America Is Under Attack (Roaring Brook, 2011).

FOR ALL AGES

Straight to the Source
By Frances Harris. July 26, 2011. SLJ.
A collection of 9/11 resources for all ages, including official sites and archives.

FOR OLDER TEENS AND ADULTS

Pictures of 9/11
By Martha Cornog. August 17, 2011. LJ.
A dozen graphic novels exploring memories of the day, from a variety of viewpoints.

9/11 Resources
By Joyce Valenza. August 25, 2011. SLJ.
In this NeverEnding Search blog post, Valenza offers a host of digital resources.

Internet Archive Launches Site Dedicated to 9/11 TV News Coverage
By David Rapp. August 25, 2011. LJ.
“Understanding 9/11: A Television News Archive” offers television programming from that fateful day.

9/11 Ten Years On: 15 Titles
By Elizabeth R. Hayford. August 4, 2011. LJ.
This book list offers memoirs and other titles that look back on that fateful day and the years since.

For more, visit our September 11 resources page.

“The point of ‘Stories for All’ is to say to the publishing industry that there really is a strong market out there for books about and by people from every conceivable culture on the planet. There really is, and we represent a big segment of that,” Zimmer says.

“First Book serves the kids and families in the lowest 30 percent of the socioeconomic strata in the U.S. and Canada, and that’s about 45 percent of American kids,” Zimmer notes. “And what that means is that if we really build this market, we actually by volume will dwarf the regular retail market—and that changes everything. Then the publishers have a strong market that they can step into with content that addresses a much broader cultural array of kids. So that’s what this is about.”

The nonprofit group—which has provided more than 100 million new books and resources to schools and programs in under-served communities in the U.S. and Canada since 1992—in March purchased $1 million worth of titles from HarperCollins and Lee & Low Books featuring a diverse array of characters and cultures, the first phase of the project.

A complicated problem
“Part of the problem with the lack of diversity part of it is kids from those cultures don’t get to see themselves,” Zimmer explains. “The other part is that white kids who are growing up with lots of books in more affluent families are getting a very skewed version of the world. We’re doing them a disservice, because they’re stepping out without understanding the full spectrum of what the world looks like, and we are ill-preparing everybody. This market problem is a tragedy on both sides.”

First Book chose the two publishers—one major publisher and one smaller publisher—out of 26 bids, “a stunningly positive response” to the group’s mandate for “a high degree of diversity and a real deal—the lowest prices—to get as many books into kids’ hands as possible,” Zimmer says. “It showed me that the industry desperately wants to reach every kid who is waiting for books and they want to reach them in the most powerful way that they can, with books that are relevant and books that are as low a price point as they can possibly get to. Because they really, really stepped up on this.”

Zimmer adds, “There’s something unique about publishing and book people…[they] deeply love books and reading, and that’s a big deal, because it means that you’ve got people on both sides of the table who fundamentally want the same thing. If you called Detroit and you said to the auto makers, ‘We’re going to spend a half a million dollars and we want solar vehicles’—well, you probably wouldn’t even get a return phone call. But the publishers already so much want to be part of the solution, and I think we tapped a nerve. They were deliriously happy to find a solid opportunity to sell books that they love, that reflect the diversity that they know as well as everyone is part of the American culture. They stepped up, and they stepped up with enormous enthusiasm.”

As a result of that first phase, the group was able to purchase 255,350 culturally diverse books, adding more than 700 titles to the First Book Marketplace available to those serving kids in need.

“We’re delighted,” Zimmer says. “We’ve gotten responses from major partners like Reading is Fundamental—they made a big purchase through First Book because the diversity was so great—and small rural places that have Native American kids, and cultures that hardly ever get to see themselves in books. Suddenly it was available in a way that hit the two big blockages for books for kids. One is price, and the second one is relevancy, and with this we knocked them both out.”

An innovative solution
Indeed, the reaction from small nonprofit groups sourcing from First Book has been very positive.

“I love the books from First Book!” says Susan Jaye-Kaplan, president and co-founder of Link to Libraries, which distributes thousands of new books to needy kids in Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and New York through a variety of innovative programs.

“The Stories for All Project” is helping Link to Libraries meet a desperate need for more diverse stories, Jaye-Kaplan tells SLJ. “We have a melting pot society, especially here,” Jaye-Kaplan says of her community. “We give books in seven languages. We have a lot of Latino and Somali children, and that’s why we like this particular group of books. It’s very important for us that we give books that are about these boys and girls and their families and their experiences, and books that talk to them and not at them. We want very much to give them books that give them reasons to want to read.”

She adds, “This particular collection of books, the minute I saw it I knew it was something I had to have because it’s talking to every child that we’re involved with. It is so relevant to who we are here, and the books are beautiful, and the graphics are breathtaking. They are so engaging and so gorgeous.”

Those sentiments are shared by Julia Rogers of the Children’s Literacy Foundation, a non-profit that serves low-income and rural children in Vermont and New Hampshire. “’The Stories for All Project’ is allowing us to purchase books that speak directly to many of our families,” she tells SLJ. “I’m thrilled to be able to bring more multicultural titles to our events—especially ones that serve the growing refugee population in northern Vermont and southern New Hampshire. Children will react to a book differently when they identify with the main characters. It’s wonderful to see a child connect with a story on a deeper level. That’s exactly the kind of relationship we’re trying to build between children and books.”

Adds Amanda Wilkinson, senior program director at the YMCA of Greater Charlotte (NC), “We are excited about the initiative to get books that represent a greater diversity into our kids’ hands….Our goal is to get kids reading on grade level, and we need lots of books to accomplish this.”

Her group’s Y Readers program, a collaboration with three local school districts, serves K–3 students reading below grade level both after school and during a six-week summer camp. This past summer, the program served 492 students, of which 27 percent were English language learners, 41 percent were African American, and 42 percent were Latino.

“I think it is important that students are immersed in books and resources that represent who they are,” Wilkinson says. “It is powerful when a student reads books with characters that look like them or when the characters have similar experiences. We support the diversity initiative and would love to see even more books suitable for K–3 students in the collection.”

So what’s next for First Book? In June, the group unveiled at the Clinton Global Initiative America the planned next phase of the project, a “Commitment to Action” that includes outreach to 30,000 new schools and programs, special collections of diverse and multicultural titles, matching grants for educators, and an influential council of authors to help inspire new books and stories.

“This is a jump for us. We were thrilled to make that commitment and we take it very seriously,” Zimmer says. She also notes that the commitment is actually just the tip of the iceberg.

Advocacy in action
Though First Book hasn’t traditionally taken on an advocacy role, “what we’re realizing as we grow—we represent 65,000 classrooms and programs and we’re growing by more than 2,000 classrooms and programs a month—is we’re gaining this huge momentum,” Zimmer says.

“We can actually step into a role that will bridge the gap between the audience of kids that we represent and the traditional publishing audience that is out there that walks into bookstores. When we were smaller, we were not at the point where we swung a big enough stick and understood our own market as well as we do now. But we are in a much stronger position. We’ve almost doubled in size in just two year, and we’ve built in very strong feedback loops, so we’re talking to our constituents almost all the time, so that we can say to them ‘What do you want? What do you need?’”

However, Zimmer is quick to point out that the large numbers of programs that First Book serves is actually only about 4 percent of the population eligible to sign up for First Book’s free resources.

“All of those heroic librarians who are trying with resources that have been cut out from underneath them to meet the needs of the students that are coming in to their schools—tell them to sign up with us, because that will make it happen faster,” Zimmer says.

“This is about growing that network so they are talking to us and we know what they need—what languages, what cultures, age levels. That is critical. So help us spread the word: if you are a teacher or you are a librarian and you are working in a Title I or a Title I-eligible school or you have a special program that does outreach work with kids who are in need, sign up. Tell us what you need. Because I promise you, we will stand on our heads to make it happen.”

In the meantime, First Book will continue to push kid lit publishers to diversify their offerings. “There will be some creative, innovative strategies to say to the publishers ‘You know what? Go find some new authors. We know they’re out there,’” Zimmer says. “There are a lot of brilliant people from a lot of places all over the world, and they want to tell their stories, and we’re going to be…sending out the word to really inspire a whole group of new authors to start telling their wonderful stories.”

Zimmer also hints at some additional exciting developments coming down the pike, the details of which First Book is keeping under wraps for the moment. “There will be another announcement late this month,” she teases. “It’s an exciting move for us, and you’ll understand why it’s important to diversity.”