February 16, 2013

New Bites: American Indian Youth Lit, Gryphon, & CBC Awards Announced

Picture book of Native American girl and Christmas Tree

Following 2013 ALA Midwinter, many awards for children’s literature were announced, including the American Indian Youth Lit, Gryphon, and the Children’s Book Committee Awards.

Interview: Jen Wang

Interview: Jen Wang

On Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, while attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, exhibit halls are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there [...]

The Art of the Caldecott: At 75, the powerful award keeps proving the value of librarians’ expertise | Editorial

Draft Drawing from Mei Li.

There’s nothing quite like the run-up to the announcement of the Youth Media Awards at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Midwinter Meeting.

Interview: MK Reed

Interview: MK Reed

On Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, while attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, exhibit halls are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there [...]

ALA Midwinter 2013: In Pictures

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Scenes from this year’s Midwinter meeting, from the Youth Media Awards to the National Forum on Libraries & Teens.

New Bites: Cast Your Vote for Free Expression in NCAC’s Teen Film Contest

Youth Free Expression Project

Check out the latest News Bites for information on the National Coalition Against Censorship’s FIlm Contest, books for GLBTQ Youth, and the latest ebook news.

SLJ Reviews for Top Youth Media Award Winners

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Katherine Applegate’s The One and Only Ivan and Jon Klassen’s This Is Not My Hat may have won the Newbery and Caldecott on Monday, January 28, but they were already stellar titles for School Library Journal’s Book Review editors. Both books made SLJ’s Best Books of 2012 list, as well as many of the other ALA’s Youth Media Award-winners. Check out SLJ’s reviews for the top prizes.

*UPDATED* Applegate, Klassen Win Newbery, Caldecott Medals

Newbery and Caldecott 2013 winners

The audience erupted in cheers Monday after Katherine Applegate was named the winner of the Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins), and Jon Klassen was awarded the Caldecott Medal for This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick) at the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards for 2012, which were announced during its annual Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA.

San Antonio Public Library’s Teen Services Awarded $50,000 for News Know-How Program

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The American Library Association’s News Know-How initiative has selected the teen services department of the San Antonio Public Library to receive more than $50,000 to train and support kids in grades 10–12 in learning how to distinguish fact from opinion, check news and information sources, and distinguish between propaganda and news, the library announced this week.

Librarians Sound Off: Not a Lack of Latino Lit for Kids, but a Lack of Awareness

Spanish-language books by Latin American publishers

Librarians who serve children in predominantly Latino communities were shocked this past December to read a New York Times article claiming that there is a dearth of Latino characters in books written for young readers—a notion that is at odds with their own experiences. In fact, they tell School Library Journal, there is actually a wealth of resources currently available to these kids, and librarians have the power (and the responsibility) to make those meaningful connections.

On the Radar: Top Picks from the Editors at Junior Library Guild: Star-Worthy Choices for Possible Award Contenders

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With the ALA Youth Media Awards just around the corner, Junior Library Guild takes a look at some star-studded titles.

Interview: Jason Shiga

Interview: Jason Shiga

On Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, while attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, exhibit halls are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there [...]

Interview: Jerzy Drozd

Interview: Jerzy Drozd

On Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, while attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, exhibit halls are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there [...]

O Come All Ye Faithful?

Don’t miss Leonard Marcus’s latest column about picture book covers, and speaking of that, SLJ stalwart Rocco Staino reports on a gallery of ‘em that would make Judy Blume blush. Or would they? The pictures were created by several well-known picture book artists in service of raising money for the National Coalition Against Censorship. They [...]

The post O Come All Ye Faithful? appeared first on The Horn Book.

Interview: Faith Erin Hicks

On Saturday, June 23, and Sunday, June 24, while attending the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, exhibit halls are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there [...]

Interview: Caldecott Medal and Honor winner Paul O. Zelinsky talks with SLJ

The golden bow tie that Paul O. Zelinsky created from gold Caldecott stickers.

School Library Journal speaks with Caldecott award-winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky as the 75th anniversary of the Medal approaches. Zelinsky discusses his working process, the awards ceremony, and “the call.”

News Bites: Free Video Series from NBC Learn: “Writers Speak to Kids”

writers speak to kids

Watch a series of 17 interviews with children’s author’s for free, apply for book donation and literacy grants, get free writing rubrics, and much more—just check out this week’s News Bites for lots of great information for librarians, teachers, and everyone involved in education.

News Bites: Win Big with Verizon’s App Challenge

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Verizon’s App Challenge is designed to increase student interest in STEM while offering a project-based experience that develops teamwork among students. Groups of 5-10 students are encouraged to develop an app that addresses a need or problem in their school or community.

Librarians Flock to New York Comic Con

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Digital comics, gaming, and, of course, costumes were among the draws for teachers and librarians who attended New York Comic Con’s (NYCC) Professional Day on Thursday, October 11, featuring panels by the American Library Association, among other organizations. Once again, as in past years, New Jersey librarians dominated as presenters at Professional Day, covering collection development, library programming, and the history of the science fiction and fantasy genres.

“Big ALA” and the new School Library Resolution

“Big ALA” will be focused on school librarians even more after the 2012 Annual Conference recently held in Anaheim. We need it. So many school librarians want to join AASL or other divisions without paying dues that include the parent organization,  “Big ALA.”  I personally joined ALA and AASL as a new school librarian because [...]