September 18, 2013

Subscribe to SLJ

YALSA’s Books for Teens Grant Winners Announced

Teens Reading

Teens at the Ypsilanti (MI) District Library’s Michigan Avenue Branch and the Jasper County (MO) Juvenile Detention Center will soon reap the benefits of YALSA’s Books for Teens grant awards, thanks to local dedicated young adult and teen librarians.

Seek the Unknown: Start Planning for Teen Read Week Now

Teen Read Week Seek the Unknown

Don’t procrastinate: get your plans in place now for Teen Read Week, October 13-19, brought to you by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). This year’s theme, Seek the Unknown, has a world of possibilities for libraries and teens to explore.

YALSA Updates Teen Book Finder App with 2013 Titles

Teen Book Finder App

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has just launched an updated version of its free Teen Book Finder app—which debuted in June, 2012—to include all of the books the association honored in 2013. The first of its kind, Teen Book Finder gives teens, librarians, parents, and young adult literature aficionados access to YALSA’s recommended reading and award-winning titles from the past three years.

Printz and the Power of Story: Honorees Get Personal at Awards Reception | ALA 2013

Nick Lake

For many young adult literature aficionados, the highlight of the American Library Association’s annual summer conference is the ticketed reception for the Printz Awards. A central theme emerged at this year’s celebration: the power of storytelling and its ability to connect kids to larger truths about the world.

Youth Librarians Inspired in Chicago | ALA 2013

IMG_1353TB

There was a spirit of optimism among attendees at the 2013 annual American Library Association (ALA) conference held recently in Chicago, especially among school media specialists and youth services librarians. Members of ALA’s three youth divisions were particularly energized and motivated by the dynamic programming and renewed advocacy efforts, they say.

Tamora Pierce Wows YALSA at Edwards Celebration | ALA 2013

Cover_SLJ1306_web

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Margaret A. Edwards Award, given by the Young Adult Library Services Association in honor of work that makes a “significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature.” The award, which is sponsored by SLJ, was presented Saturday to Tamora Pierce for her “Song of the Lioness” and “The Protector of the Small” series. As the featured speaker at the event, the feisty and mischievous Pierce did not disappoint.

Convention Blues | Consider the Source

Convention blues

The author argues that nonfiction remains marginal–so marginal that neither ALSC nor YALSA seems to notice their bias. The question is, why?

Using Social Media to Engage Teens in the Library

Using Social Media to Engage Teens in the Library

Ideas about social media, teens, and the future of libraries were shared in a dynamic online exchange sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) and Connected Learning.

World Builder: Edwards Winner Tamora Pierce

Photo by Michael J. Okoniewski /Getty Images for SLJ.

The creator of elaborate, fiery fantasies with“kick-butt” female protagonists talks with SLJ about her award-winning work.

YALSA Town Hall: Building Stronger Partnerships

townhall_small

When it comes to reaching out to teen library patrons, partnerships between public and school libraries are absolutely key—but how to make them successful is an ongoing challenge, agreed those library staff and stakeholders who gathered in a virtual town hall yesterday hosted by YALSA.

2013 ALSC & YALSA Book Picks: The year’s best titles for children and teens

LH1303w_Notables_A

Check out School Library Journal’s comprehensive guide to the 2013 Association for Library Service to Children’s (ALSC) Notable Children’ Books and the Young Adult Library Services Association’s (YALSA) Best Fiction for Young Adults and Great Graphic Novels for Teens.

YALSA Teen Summer Reading Website Up and Running

Teens Reading

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has launched its 2013 Teen Summer Reading Teens ReadingPrograms website, featuring lots of great resources that will make your teen programming a raging success. Funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the site also has information on grants that can help support your summer reading programs. Join now and you’ll get complete access to all the online resources, which will continue to be updated as the summer reading season approaches.

The YALSA Hub Reading Challenge, Shiny and New

The Hub Reading Challenge logo

Have you heard about “The Hub Reading Challenge,” sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)? As reported in SLJ’s Good Comics for Kids blog, YALSA is hosting an expanded, new and improved The Hub Reading Challenge for 2013. This is how it works: you have until June 22 to read as many titles as you can from YALSA’s official challenge list. Once you hit the 25 book mark, you’re eligible to submit a reader’s response for any of the titles you’ve read. Sure, there’s a prize, and you can earn a badge too!

YALSA Reveals Five Nonfiction Award Finalists

Titanic

The five finalists for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults were recently announced.

YALSA Names Five William C. Morris Award Finalists

Aftersnow

Finalists for the William C. Morris Award, an honor given to a book for young adults written by a debut author, were announced today.

YALSA’s YA Lit Symposium Considers Fandom, Contemporary Fiction and Transmedia

Scott Westerfeld, Photo by Samantha Jones

What are the next big trends for teenage readers? Fandom, contemporary fiction, Australian lit, and transmedia, according to experts leading panels on these subjects at the third biennial YALSA Young Adult Literature Symposium in St. Louis, MO, held November 4-6.

The YALSA Young Adult Literature Symposium Hones in on Social Reading and Classics vs. Contemporary

YALitSymposium

About 500 librarians gathered in St. Louis for YALSA’s Young Adult Literature Symposium to discuss social reading within Ereaders, apps such as Inkling, Kno, and Subtext, and which contemporary books teens will be reading in the 2057.

National Forum to Focus on Libraries & Teens

11712nationalforum

The National Forum on Libraries & Teens is a year-long grant funded effort that brings together key stakeholders from the areas of libraries, education, technology, adolescent development and the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to explore the world of young adults and library services to this population, and ultimately produce a white paper which will provide direction on how libraries need to adapt and potentially change to better meet the needs of 21st century teens.

Wanted: 365 YA Programming Ideas

2013 calendar

Find yourself looking for inspiration when it comes to creating awesome programming for your teens? The 365 Days of YA Task Force wants to help, but first, you have to be willing to share your successes and creativity! The 365 Days of YA is a Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) task
force charged with creating a calendar of easy to implement plans for programs, services, and activities for teens. These are simple ideas that can be used by anyone working with youth in libraries.

SLJ’s Printz Blog Has Returned

Frog Prince sitting on pile of books

Once upon a time, a new blog discussing possible contenders for the annual Michael L. Printz Award for exemplary teen titles was born on SLJ.com. Now in its second year, Someday My Printz Will Come is back and ready to take on the challenge of speculating which literary gem will wear this year’s crown.