Collection Development

The observance of Black History Month presents an opportunity to highlight some recent audiobooks, both fiction and non-fiction, that focus on the African American experience.

Good books and the love of reading can help young people grow in their knowledge and understanding of the world in which they live. Top-notch titles can also help kids from around the globe share More...

Through countless generations, in cultures across the globe, poetry has provided parents and caregivers with a natural means to calm fussing babies and tots and (perhaps unintentionally) to interest them in language. Singing lullabies and More...

Barbara Genco taps noted reviewers, publishers, and librarians for the best adult books in 2011 that SLJ readers should add to their "to-read" pile.
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In this Article Biographies & Nonfiction Fiction Graphic Novels A Christmas Carol On the Web As we mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’s birth, there can be no doubt that the celebrated author is More...

We are pleased to present this year’s 65 choices for the Best Books of 2011, chosen from the more than 6000 books reviewed this year. Novels were a standout, particularly those for teens, with themes of leadership, coming-of-age, and facing tough situations presented in powerful narratives with memorable characters. Fantasy and science fiction genres made a strong showing for middle grades and YA, featuring taut page-turners and selections laced with humor.

In this Article On the Web Media Picks July 2010, I attended “Empires of the Wind: Exploration of the United States Pacific West Coast,” one of the National Endowment for the Humanities Landmarks of American More...

In any given year there are a dozen titles that could win the Printz Award, given by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) for a book that exemplifies literary excellence in young adult literature. More...

SLJ talks to Rick Riordan about his latest bestseller 'The Red Pyramid,' book one of the Kane Chronicles. More...

Travis Jonker, Pine Street Elementary School, Wayland, MI:Fifth- and sixth-grade students here are reading a mix of fiction and nonfiction, with an emphasis on series. John Flanagan's 'The Ranger's Apprentice'; (Philomel), 'The 39 Clues'; (Scholastic), More...

Liz Deskins, JW Reason Elementary, Hilliard, OH: I am constantly amazed at the wide variety of books my students select to read andam lucky to work in a school that encourages student choice for reading. More...

Illustration by Joyce Hesselberth. Also in this article:Count on MeOther terrific titles Searching for something to get kids excited about math? Scrambling for a great resource to share with your colleagues or use in the More...

Photograph by Matt Peyton. It's 1968, and 11-year-old Delphine and her sisters are flying to Oakland to visit their mother, Cecile, who abandoned them seven years ago. They soon discover that she's involved with the More...

Julie Shatterly, W.A. Bess Elementary, Gastonia, NC: Thanks to my love of all tales from North Carolina, our students check out Charles Harry Whedbee's Outer Banks Mysteries & Seaside Stories (1978) and Nancy Roberts's Blackbeard More...

Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL:The latest trend has been survival humor. Max Brooks's The Zombie Survival Guide (Three Rivers Pr., 2003), Seth Grahame-Smith's How to Survive a Horror Movie (Quirk Bks., 2007), More...

Illustration by Wesley Bedrosian.Also in this article:Poetry Is a Blast It was last October, and I was feeling self-congratulatory. I had already booked the 11 participants for the next 'Poetry Blast,'; the reading by children's More...

Photograph by Steve Niedorf. Ubiquitous features poems about some of nature's most successful survivors, including bacteria (which are almost four billion years old), sharks, and squirrels. I was stunned to learn that 99 percent of More...

Also in this article:Looking for Eco-friendly Titles?Illustration by Robert Neubecker. One of the most remarkable experiences I've had in a quarter century of journalism was my journey with a rugged crew of climate and Arctic More...

Ragan O'Malley, Denise Rinaldo, Maria Falgoust, & Eva Zasloff, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn, NY: At Saint Ann's, a progressive independent school, Robert Muchamore's 'CHERUB'; series (Hodder Children's Books) remains incredibly popular with middle schoolers, especially More...

Deborah Vose, East Middle School and South Middle School, Braintree, MA: Students are exploring alternatives to Lisi Harrison's 'The Clique'; (Little, Brown), including Heather Vogel Frederick's 'Mother-Daughter Book Club'; (S & S), Doug Wilhelm's The More...

Richard Snyder, Inglewood Junior High School, Sammamish, WA: Students in our affluent community change their reading interests as often as they do the playlists on their iPods or Zunes. Readers of Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight'; series(Little, More...

Photograph by Wendy McEahern When Vaunda Micheaux Nelson donned a black Stetson to become the biographer of Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves, she had no idea that her square-shooting book about an unsung African-American hero More...

Photograph by Rebecca Lupton Cosmic is about a 12-year-old who looks like an adult and wangles his way into a secret space program. What sparked the story?One of my son's friends had one of those More...

Also in this article:GroovesharkLalaLast.fmMySpace MusicPandoraPlaylist.comYouTubeTuning InIt's not always easy to get teens talking. But when I became a young adult specialist at the Wilbraham (MA) Public Library four years ago, that's exactly what I had More...

Did any of you have a chance to check out last week's SLJTeen Spring 2010 Book Buzz webcast? Now available on-demand, it features previews of more than 80 new and upcoming YA titles from sponsoring More...

Given the movie tie-ins, they're into Nicholas Sparks, Alice Sebold, and Rick Riordan.Nora G. Murphy, Los Angeles Academy Middle School: Thanks to some recent movie releases, we have looooong waiting lists for Alice Sebold's The More...

Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX: In our city of 'cowboys and culture,'; upper-school students at TVS have diverse reading interests, lately centered around realistic fiction such as L.K. Madigan's Flash Burnout (Houghton, More...

Photograph by Matt Peyton/Getty Images for SLJ.You started out as a singer-songwriter, right?Yeah. I studied songwriting and composition at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA. Then I came to New York, figuring if I was going More...

Also in this article:Grades K–2Grades 3–5Grades 6–8Grades 9–12Members of the 2010 USBBY Outstanding International Books Committee2010 marks the fifth year the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) has selected an honor list More...

In Canada,White Pine Award NomineesLisa Marie Williams, East Gwillimbury Public Library, Ontario, Canada: Teens living in the loosely knit group of villages that make up the town of East Gwillimbury (population 24,000) on the edge More...

Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA: Livingston High School serves a low-income, rural population. More than three fourths of the students are of Mexican descent, and 11 percent are East Indian (Punjabi). Most of More...

Jem has a disturbing secret: whenever she looks into people's eyes, she sees the exact date of their death. Moments before a terrorist attack, she realizes that many of the bystanders are about to die. More...

With so many choices and so many terrific nonfiction titles in the pipeline, picking the 'right'; read can be daunting. This year we offer a variety of choices: the future of books, the life of More...

The desire to be with people who laugh or make us laugh must be universal. In our office, we're fortunate to have our own resident giggle bug. At 16 months old, our colleague Martha's little More...

Hayden Bass, Seattle Public Library, WA: The Central Library Teen Center in downtown Seattle serves a diverse population of kids from throughout the city.'Twilight'; (Little, Brown) mania is ebbing, and science fiction is heavily in More...

Photograph by David Paul Morris/Getty Images for SLJ. Your latest book opens with Tyrone Hayes, a biologist at UC Berkeley, and some of his grad students trying to catch frogs in Wyoming. What was it More...

Over the next few months, you'll be awash in lists of books: best books, recommended books, top-10 books, notable books, and more. Creating book lists would seem to be innate to librarianship. On the one More...

Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA: Hatfield has a population of fewer than 3500 people and a strong independent tradition. Although other area towns regionalized their school systems, Hatfield remained independent and now has the More...

Tracy Weiskind, Chicago Public Library: The Vodak-East Sidebranch serves a diverse population, largely ofHispanic heritage. Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight'; (Little, Brown) is, of course, a major hit with our teens, as is anything vampire. Weplace several More...

Photograph by Jodi Hilton/Getty Images for SLJ. Popeye lives with his grandmother, Velma, who recites the names of the kings and queens of England in chronological order so she won't go crazy. What else should More...

Photographby Tsar Fedorsky/Getty Images for SLJ. From Grace Lin's blog:June 19, 2007Relief Even though I have been quiet about it, the last two weeks have been really brutal. Robert has suffered viciously, yet still soldiered More...

Also in this article:Ten Blogs You Can't Live WithoutA magazine article changed my life.Admittedly, that sounds like a bit of hyperbole, but it's true. There I was in New York City, with my shiny new More...

Tom Spicer, Arlington Heights Memorial Library, IL: For those teenagers who need more romance-y type fantasy, well–here in our suburban Chicago library they've been devouring L.J. Smith's 'The Vampire Diaries'; series (HarperTeen) and burning through More...

Books about demons, real and imaginedWendy Scalfaro, G. Ray Bodley High School, Fulton, NY: Fulton is a small city about 30 miles north of Syracuse. Even before Stephenie Meyer's 'Twilight'; series (Little, Brown) sank its More...

John Russell Young, the Librarian of Congress from 1897 to 1899, is finally having his dream come true-an area of the Library of Congress is being set aside for kids.The Young Readers Center will officially More...

Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL:Located a bit south of Birmingham, Pelham has a diverse population of just over 20,000. Kids have 'settled'; back into another school year of assignments, sports, and clubs, but they More...

You've won five Caldecott Honors and five Coretta Scott King Awards. But a lot of folks are saying this is your best book yet.You often hear authors and artists say, 'I respond to and I'm More...

School librarians searching for a better way to broaden their science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) resources for K–12 students may soon have some innovative help.Marcia Mardis, an assistant professor at Florida State University, is More...

Just a couple of years ago, it was tough to find good graphic novels for the K–4 crowd. Sure, there were some standout selections, such as Andy Runton's Owly, Jimmy Gownley's Amelia Rules!, and Jennifer More...

The Children's Literature Association (ChLA)has decided to house its archive at the University of Southern Mississippi's de Grummond Children's Literature Collection.The ChLA, an association of children's literature scholars that encourages high standards of criticism, Ellen More...

Photo by Patrick Henaghan Your latest novel is about a 14-year-old punk who steals cars, does drugs, and gets into fights. When Bobby's family moves from Dublin to the country to start over, they soon More...

Twelve-year-old Miranda is receiving mysterious notes, one of which says, 'I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own.'; To make matters worse, the sender seems to know exactly what's going to happen More...

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about the differences between book reviews by bloggers and those found in the established media (like us). Panelists speaking at SLJ's Day of Dialog ('The Blogger, the Book, More...

In the elementary grades, longtime favorite seriesSarah Provence, Churchill Road Elementary School, McLean, VA:Our library serves approximately 740 students in grades K–6. Some series are always checked out: Rick Riordan's 'Percy Jackson'; (Hyperion) and D. More...

When the Whistle Blows follows the adventures of Jimmy Cannon, a boy growing up in a rural West Virginia railroading town. Jimmy's family has worked on the railroad for generations, and that's what he dreams More...

Libraries are taking advantage of the phenomenon around "The 39 Clues" series (Scholastic) to attract a new crew of young patrons through their doors to meet, share, and sleuth to solve the fantasy adventure as More...

Photo by Tsar Fedorsky Getty Images for RBI After all these years, Chicken Little is the first book you've published together. What most surprised you about the project?Ed: Here we are, father and daughter, and More...

Illustration by Tom Richmond In a world of instant messages, Twitter, and Facebook, what do magazines have to offer teens? Well, as it turns out, plenty. For starters, they feature celebrity gossip, humor, beauty tips, More...

Also in this article:The meta-level of gamingGaming is the answerThe alignment processDeveloping a collectionTools to helpMore Great Games…Josh and his colleagues are huddled around a table studying their map. Based on the fear in their More...

Novels about immigrant life, manga, and a book of poetry.Pam Gardow, Memorial High School, Eau Claire, WI: Our graphic novels collection gets tons of use. Some favorites right now are Tito Kubo's 'Bleach,'; Tsugumi Ohba's More...

Magazines and romance novels, and they're listening to Playaways.Suanne Roush, Osceola High School, Seminole, FL: Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why (Penguin, 2007) has maintained its popularity for two years, fueled by teacher read-alouds and word More...

Stories of love and romance, a spate of nonfiction, and a bit of poetry.Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School Library, NH:Like practically every other library, we have had a lot of interest in Twilight and related More...

Also in this article:1. Are the nonwhite characters too good to be true?2. How and why does the author define race?3. Is the cover art true to the story?4. Who are the change agents?5. How More...

The words 'starving'; and 'artist'; are a too-familiar pair. Some creators are willing to suffer whatever it takes. But the grit and sweat that challenge artists also make them fascinating, compelling, and unforgettable. Children in More...

Mysteries, manga, fantasy, and war stories.Nora Murphy, Los Angeles Academy Middle School, CA:More than 2000 students attend our South Los Angeles school, and in the past few years their love of reading has really taken More...

Lots of fiction, of course, and enhancing the pleasure with audiobooksEllen R. Spring, Rockland District Middle School, ME: Our school on the coast has 310 students. Lisi Harrison's "Clique" series (Little, Brown) and Ellen Hopkins's More...

Chick-Lit, Mythology, and Hip-HopMargaret E. Auguste, Franklin Middle School, Somerset, NJ: I am always amazed by the varied reading levels and interests of 12- and 13-year-olds. Some students are obsessively reading the grossest and scariest More...

Movie tie-ins, series, and books about ObamaColleen D. Bocka, Nathaniel Rochester Community School, Rochester, NY:Our urban school serves students through the ninth grade.Graphic novels are wildly popular, especially Jeff Smith's 'Bone'; (Scholastic) and Masashi Kishimoto's More...

Many people think that Sandy Koufax is the greatest left-handed pitcher of all time. But I recently heard some callers on a talk radio program question whether he deserved to be in the Baseball Hall More...

Also in this article:Best Extended Foreplay and Most Likely to Get MarriedMost Likely to Melt Your Fingers While Reading Because It's So HotBest Declaration of LoveBest Budding RelationshipHeadiest Falling in (and Out of) Love ScenesMost More...

Also in this article:Members of the 2009 USBBY Outstanding International Books List CommitteeTalk about an international effort. Some of the world's best children's book artists got together to help Amnesty International celebrate the Universal Declaration More...

Kids Agree-Ingrid Law's Savvy is an Honor Book.Nancy Baumann, Indian Paintbrush Elementary School, Laramie, WY:Last Thursday was an exciting time for the Mock Newbery participants at Laramie Junior High. The vote revealed Helen Frost's Diamond More...

Today's inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States is being celebrated by libraries across the country.The Newton North High School library in Newton, MA, for example, joins other school and More...

Vampires, in and out of love. Jeffrey Meyer, Slater Public Library, IA: Our small-town library in central Iowa serves roughly 2000 municipal and rural residents, and the user population reflects the wide economic demographic found More...

During Darwin's lifetime, his best-selling book was The Formation of Vegetable Mold through the Actions of Worms with Observations on Their Habits. Did you actually read the entire book?No, I did not read the whole More...

You have a lot to do. For public librarians that can mean conducting class visits; creating, promoting, and executing programs; working on public service desks; and, of course, developing your collection. School librarians might spend More...

At a recent statewide workshop, Laurie Danahy, a Head Start prekindergarten specialist for the Oregon Department of Education, urged librarians to 'mathematize'; their next storytime. Before you shriek, 'I won't add any more instruction to More...

'Fantasy, vampires, monsters, and the paranormal continue to be the order of the day in Merrimack.';Jennifer L. Hartshorn, Merrimack Public Library, Merrimack, NH: Teens in our southern New Hampshire town are caught up in the More...

Librarians, technology leaders, publishers, authors, and editors gathered on November 14 and 15 for School Library Journal's fourth annual leadership summit to explore where content is headed and how librarians can take advantage of its More...

Vampire stories? Sure. Gritty adult titles? Yes. Manga? Yes and no.Karyn Storts-Brinks, Fulton High School, Knoxville, TN: If it's a series, a trilogy, about vampires, or some combination of these, we can't keep it on More...

Urban fiction, a bit of humor, and Alex Sanchez.Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School, Loveland, CO: The students in our school represent all socioeconomic backgrounds and interest cliques. We have students who live in their More...

Edgy biographies, autobigraphies, and, of course, fantasy fiction.Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL: Urban fiction for teens is in high demand at the Douglass Branch. Teens enjoy the work of Sharon Flake, especially Money Hungry More...

For recreational reading, some teens are deep into fantasy–and brushing up on their Shakespeare, too.Catherine Ensley, Latah County Library District, ID:Moscow, ID, is the home of the University of Idaho, with Washington State University only More...

Goth this and that, skateboard art, and a few historical novels…Chris Shoemaker, New York Public Library:Teens at the Bronx Library Center have a dark twist to their reading, devouring Gothic graphic novel series such as More...

Also in this article:JUST THE FACTSMAINLY FACT, SOME FANCYMAINLY FANCY, SOME FACTMedia PicksOn the WebOh, those mysterious ancient Egyptians! Rising out of the mists of prehistory, leaving rich troves of gold, distinctively styled art, memorable More...

In this semimonthly column we asklibrarians and teachers-and maybe even kids-to tell us which titles are hot in their library. Here are some of the first responses.Herman Sutter, St. Agnes Academy, Houston: Reading for pleasure More...

Everything we've reviewed, by year.SLJ's 2008 Cumulative Title IndexSLJ's 2008 CumulativeAuthor IndexSLJ's 2007 Cumulative Title IndexSLJ's 2007 CumulativeAuthor IndexSLJ's 2006 Cumulative Title IndexSLJ's 2006 CumulativeAuthor Index2005 Cumulative Title Index January-December2005 Cumulative Title Index January-December cont.2005 More...

Highlight Hispanic Heritage month with these glimpses into the history, culture, and daily life of our neighbor to the south.ANDREWS-GOEBEL, Nancy. The Pot That Juan Built. Lee & Low. 2002. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-1-58430-038-0.K-Gr 5–Juan More...

Summer vacation is just around the corner, and for many kids, that means a trip to the beach. These titles bring to life all the sounds, smells, and sights of the seashore, and will have More...

Who hasn't dreamed of soaring through the clouds, or fantasized about the destinations of planes flying overhead? Invite a pilot or flight attendant to come and speak to your class, or to be part of More...

We might not want to live with them, but everyone loves to read about them! Here's a mixed bag, for early readers on up.GOSCINNY, René. Nicholas. tr. from French by Anthea Bell. illus. by Jean-Jacques More...

LOVE, D. Anne. Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia. illus. by Pam Paparone. Holiday House. 2006. RTE $16.95. ISBN 978-0-8234-1621-9. MCCULLY, Emily Arnold. Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor. illus. More...

Knowing that you are loved is wonderful, but even that cannot always help young ones get over feeling different. Janell Cannon's now-classic picture book, Stellaluna (Harcourt, 1993), tells the story of a baby bat who More...

One of the reasons that women have been invisible participants in history for so long is that those who did dare to assert themselves often got it in the neck. Happily, that's happening less and More...

How can you guarantee that "one of a kind" fashion look? Why, sew it yourself, of course! Low on cash but in need of something new? Try taking some scissors to a well-loved but out-of-style More...

In the arts, as in most other fields, even women with stunning amounts of talent and vision have often had to struggle for the chance to show what they could do. Here are a few More...

There is something magical about taking a road trip with family. Maybe it is the sense of adventure and the unknown, or being able to see the landscape shift just beyond the car window, or More...

To celebrate the long, proud story of women in flight, here is a sampling of top-drawer biographies and general surveys that will take young readers from the airplane's early days to Sally Ride's historic mission More...

To celebrate the long, proud story of women in flight, here is a sampling of top-drawer biographies and general surveys that will take young readers from the airplane’s early days to Sally Ride’s historic mission More...

The old saw about the longest journeys beginning with a single step doesn't take into account the pleasures of armchair travel—or, for that matter, the "urge for going" that has to come first anyway. So, More...

Let us know your suggestions for more read-alikes like this. The classic fairy tales are timeless, but it’s always fun to shake things up a bit. With clever twists, attention to detail, and laugh-out-loud comedy, More...

Suspense and intrigue aren't reserved for adults. Kids love the same kind of plot twists and turns that made Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code so popular. These mysteries allow young readers to get completely immersed More...

MELLING, O. R. The Hunter’s Moon. 284p. (The Chronicles of Faerie Series, Bk. #1). map. Abrams/Amulet. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 0-8109-5857-0. LC number unavailable. Gr 8 Up–Idealistic Findabhair and her cautious cousin Gwen have always More...

RUSSO, Marisabina. Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II. illus. by author. unpaged. reprods. CIP. S & S/Atheneum/An Anne Schwartz Bk. Apr. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-689-86920-7. LC 2004004228. Gr 2-4–The experiences More...

POOLE, Amy Lowry, retel. The Pea Blossom. illus. by retel. unpaged. CIP. Holiday House. Mar. 2005. RTE $16.95. ISBN 0-8234-1864-2. LC 2003067544. Gr 1-3–Poole has taken Hans Christian Andersen’s “Five Peas from One Pod” and More...

JANECZKO, Paul B., sel. A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Forms. illus. by Chris Raschka. 61p. Candlewick. Apr. 2005. RTE $17.99. ISBN 0-7636-0662-6. LC 2004048508. Gr 3-9–Following on the heels of More...

JENKINS, Emily. That New Animal. illus. by Pierre Pratt. unpaged. CIP. Farrar/Frances Foster Bks. Mar. 2005. Tr $16. ISBN 0-374-37443-0. LC 2003044058. PreS-Gr 1–This delightful twist on the frequently explored topic of pets displaced by More...

ROSEN, Michael. Michael Rosen's Sad Book. illus. by Quentin Blake. unpaged. CIP. Candlewick. Mar. 2005. RTE $16.99. ISBN 0-7636-2597-3. LC 2004045787. Gr 3 Up-This is a personal and moving account of the author's experiences with More...