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35 Board Books To Charm the Very Young Into 'Reading' Not 'Screening' |Board Book Roundup

35 Board Books To Charm the Very Young Into 'Reading' Not 'Screening' |Board Book Roundup
Incorporating interactive features, engaging text, and delightful rhymes, these board books encourage the magic of a shared reading experience that no screen, app, or video can replicate.
BOOKS & REVIEWS
2 Buzzworthy Picture Books About the Afikomen, In Time for Passover

2 Buzzworthy Picture Books About the Afikomen, In Time for Passover
35 Board Books To Charm the Very Young Into 'Reading' Not 'Screening' |Board Book Roundup

35 Board Books To Charm the Very Young Into 'Reading' Not 'Screening' |Board Book Roundup
10 Fiction and Nonfiction Titles, Including Elizabeth Acevedo's Adult Debut, with YA Appeal | Adult Books for Teens

10 Fiction and Nonfiction Titles, Including Elizabeth Acevedo's Adult Debut, with YA Appeal | Adult Books for Teens
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BOOKS & REVIEWS
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INDUSTRY NEWS

'Gender Queer' Tops List of Most Challenged Books for Third Year in a Row
SLJ Staff, Apr 08, 2024
The Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2023 has seven repeat titles from the 2022 list, including Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe at No. 1 and All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson at No. 2.

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PROGRAMS & PROGRAMMING

Reasons to Love Libraries
Mar 08, 2024
Got a reason to love libraries? Download your choice of “Reasons to Love ­Libraries” social assets to tell your own library story. 

 

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AWARDS

22 Works of Prized Poetry: NCTE's 2024 Notable Books of Poetry and Verse Novels for Kids
NCTE Excellence in Children’s Poetry Award Committee, Apr 05, 2024
Fifteen outstanding books of poetry and seven novels in verse have been recognized as 2024 Notable Books. Selections include a range of formats—lively nonfiction, fantasy, and moving verse novels—written by familiar poets and debut authors.

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BLOGS

Mock Newbery Titles So Far: 21 possible Medal contenders
Steven Engelfried, Apr 08, 2024
Our Heavy Medal list of Mock Newbery suggestions now includes 21 recommended kids' books, with characters ranging from ghosts and spies to time travelers and typewriters.
More Editors' Picks
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INDUSTRY NEWS

From a Young Age, Children Tune in to Audiobooks | Survey
Marlaina Cockcroft, Jan 04, 2024
Children are eager listeners—of audiobooks, according to a new Library Journal / School Library Journal survey. Libraries are keeping up with the demand as formats evolve.

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CENSORSHIP

Fewer Book Challenges, but a Sharp Rise in Titles Removed from School Libraries | SLJ Censorship Survey
Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 01, 2023
The incidence of books removed from school library shelves due to a book challenge has risen to 30 percent, up from 19 percent in 2022. The rise in book removals occurred across school levels: elementary, middle, and high schools.

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OPINION

Turning a Page: SLJ will turn 70. How can we best serve readers? | From the Editor
Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023
The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

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CENSORSHIP

What Subject Matter Has Led You to Pass on Purchasing a Book? | SLJ Survey
Kathy Ishizuka, Sep 30, 2023
School librarians in 2023 are more likely to decline purchasing certain titles based on the content of those books, according to SLJ's survey. The number of high school librarians naming sexual content has increased significantly, from 60% in 2022 to 75% in 2023.

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CENSORSHIP

Nearly a Quarter of School Librarians Have Experienced Harassment Over Books | SLJ Censorship Survey
Kathy Ishizuka, Sep 30, 2023
Twenty-four percent of school librarians have been harassed this past year over books or displays in their library. That’s according to a recent SLJ survey, which found the rate even higher among high school librarians, 30 percent of whom have experienced harassment.

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CENSORSHIP

First Book Studies Add Key Data to Book Ban Conversation
Kara Yorio, Oct 05, 2023
With the release of two educator surveys, the organization provides facts and figures on the detrimental impact of book bans on reading and literacy. 

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INDUSTRY NEWS

SLJ, NCTE Launch Survey to Remake Summer Reading Lists
SLJ staff, Jan 19, 2022
Those dreaded summer reading lists. For eons, teachers have been handing out assigned reading, mostly comprised of old “classics.” With this survey, SLJ and NCTE invite teachers and librarians to choose the titles you’d like culled from required reading and those books you would urge students to read instead.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

Time to Refresh the Canon: Here Are Our Picks
Shelley Diaz, May 10, 2022
SLJ and NCTE collaborated to create 18 booklists of titles to replace, or use as a companion to, canon "classics." 

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Under Pressure: Survey Provides Insight into Librarians' Job Satisfaction
Marlaina Cockcroft, Feb 21, 2023
More librarians find their work challenging, but most still love what they do, the latest LJ/SLJ Survey shows.

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CENSORSHIP

Censorship Attempts Will Have a Long-lasting Impact on School Library Collections, SLJ Survey Shows
Kara Yorio, Sep 08, 2022
In the past year, school librarians have faced coordinated, hate-filled censorship campaigns that impact available books and collection development decisions. Here, they share their stories.

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BOOKLISTS

10 Recommended Feminist Books for Young Readers
2024 Rise Feminist Book Project Committee, Feb 27, 2024
Illustrated titles about strong women and self-empowerment for girls from the 2024 Rise Booklist. 

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BOOKLISTS

Best Middle Grade Books 2023 | SLJ Best Books
Emily Beasley, Monisha Blair, Kristin Brynsvold, Kristyn Dorfman, Ashleigh Williams, Nov 21, 2023
This year's best in middle grade includes fierce folklore-inspired adventures, powerful explorations of identity, and tender ruminations on loss and grief. Tweens of all reading levels and interests will find a novel that speaks to them in this curated collection.

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DIVERSE BOOKS

20 Picture Books to Celebrate Black Artists This Black History Month and Year Round
SLJ Reviews, Feb 05, 2024
The theme for Black History Month 2024 is "African Americans and the Arts." In these titles, young readers can learn about people who loved to express themselves through visual art, dance, song, and other forms of artistic creation.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

SLJ's Reviews of the Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2022
SLJ Reviews, Oct 04, 2023
ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) puts out an annual list of Top 10 Most Challenged Books for the year. Here are SLJ 's reviews of titles on the 2022 list.  

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BOOKS & MEDIA

How to Choose High-Quality Women’s History Titles
Chelsey Philpot, Feb 27, 2024
As Women's History Month kicks off, use these tips to find the best books for your students.

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AWARDS

USBBY Announces the 2024 Outstanding International Books List
The Outstanding International Books Committee, with introduction by Committee Chair Sara Kersten-Parrish, Jan 29, 2024
In each of the 41 titles on this year’s United States Board on Books for Young People’s (USBBY) Outstanding International Books list, the authors and ­illustrators empower readers to make sense of themselves and the world at large. Download the full list.

 

 

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BOOKS & MEDIA

9 YA Novels (and a Picture Book) That Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Stories
Alec Chunn, Jan 03, 2024
Mostly realistic fiction, these recent YA novels (and one picture book) cover first love, found family, and living authentically. Each shines a light on queer & trans stories in both past and present settings, proving that LGBTQIA+ youth have always been here—and are not going anywhere. 

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CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

15 Coming-of-Age Middle Grade Novels and High-Interest Nonfiction for Tweens | We Are Kid Lit Collective
Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vázquez, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Jun 08, 2023
There’s something for every middle grader in this roundup curated by the We Are Kid Lit Collective. Up-and-coming chefs, family and friendship drama, and propulsive informational texts will keep tweens engaged beyond the summer months. 

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CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

21 Fun Picture Books to Delight Young Readers | We Are Kid Lit Collective
Sam Bloom, Edith Campbell, Sujei Lugo Vázquez, and Lyn Miller-Lachmann, Jun 20, 2023
From traditional Indigenous stories to the truth behind the Mexican jumping bean, these picture books, selected by the We Are Kid Lit Collective, offer entertaining and memorable reading experiences for kids over the summer break.

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BOOKLISTS

15 Joy-Filled Latinx Books for Emerging and Independent Readers
Sujei Lugo Vázquez, Aug 31, 2023
From board books to middle grade graphic novels, these illustrated narratives celebrate Latinx children and their communities.

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BOOKLISTS

7 Multimodal Picks for Exploring Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' | Refreshing the Canon
NCTE & SLJ Reviews, May 04, 2023
'Romeo and Juliet' is ubiquitous in English lit classes and in modern society. As you consider ways to bring Shakespeare's verse to life for students, here are multimedia works that can serve as both supplements and mirrors to the original text.

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BACK TO SCHOOL

Nine Funny Graphic Novels About Talking Animals | Stellar Panels
Brigid Alverson, Sep 19, 2023
In these works, silly creatures impart wise messages.

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AWARDS

BCALA and SLJ Announce 2023 Children and YA Literary Award Winners
SLJ Staff, Mar 27, 2023
Star Child by Ibi Zoboi and Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas are among the winners of the annual awards that honor outstanding children's and YA books by African American authors.

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AWARDS

'When You Can Swim,' 'Warrior Girl Unearthed' and 'Sunshine' Win 2023 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards
SLJ Staff, Jun 21, 2023
The titles by Jack Wong, Angeline Boulley, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka earned the annual award in the picture book, fiction and poetry, and nonfiction categories, respectively.

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BOOKLISTS

30 Picture Books to Celebrate the Diversity of Latinx Heritage
SLJ Reviews, Sep 14, 2023
Read one book a day for Latinx Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15, and every month after that. From migration and history to food and family, these works capture the many complexities and joys of the Latinx culture.

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CLASSROOM & CURRICULA

How to Read Wordless Picture Books with Children
Sarah Pousty, Sep 06, 2023
Tips for engaging young kids with these works, which can build visual literacy and foster social-emotional skills, plus a video demonstration. 

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BOOKS & MEDIA

8 Picture Books About Animals to Help Ease Back-to-School Jitters
SLJ Reviews, Aug 24, 2023
Reading about animals who have the same fears and other feelings about going back to school can help young readers face their own.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

Graphic Novels, Manga Explode in Popularity Among Students | SLJ Survey
Marlaina Cockcroft, Oct 03, 2023
If graphic novels are flying off the shelves at your library, that reflects a remarkable trend: The format’s popularity has shot up at over 90 percent of school libraries in the last few years, according to a new SLJ survey.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Winning Manga for Grades 1-8
​​​​​​​Brigid Alverson, Mar 05, 2024
Nine popular series for elementary and middle grade readers.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

There’s Not Enough Middle Grade Manga. U.S. Publishers Are Changing That.
​​​​​​​Brigid Alverson, Mar 05, 2024
U.S. publishers step up to provide age-appropriate new releases for 8- to 12-year-olds. 

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BLOGS

Review | Takio
Esther Keller, Feb 29, 2024
Two girls get unexpected superpowers in this graphic novel by the co-creator of Miles Morales.
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BOOKLISTS

Best Graphic Novels 2023 | SLJ Best Books
Jasmine Amiri, Jenny Arch, Shelley M. Diaz, Andrea Lipinski, Carla Riemer, Nov 21, 2023

From stunning memoirs to sustainability guides, this year’s Best Graphic Novels list features 25 unforgettable works that take comics to new heights.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

Fighting for Libraries, On and Off the Page: A Conversation Between the Co-Authors of the "Blue Stars" Series
Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith, Feb 29, 2024
Co-authors Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith in conversation about the inspiration behind The Blue Stars Series: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: "When we set out to write a middle grade graphic novel series about cousins who became superheroes to save their school library, we couldn't have imagined how timely our story would become."

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BLOGS

Curlfriends: New in Town | Review
Johanna, Feb 15, 2024
Curlfriends: New in Town demonstrates that honesty is the true key to making friends.
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NEWS & FEATURES

Sammy Savos on Making a Graphic Memoir with Holocaust Survivor, the late Estelle Nadel | Guest Post
Sammy Savos, Jan 26, 2024
In this guest post, artist Sammy Savos details her creative process and discusses her collaboration with Holocaust survivor Estelle Nadel to create the graphic memoir The Girl Who Sang. "I’m very grateful that she was able to see the finished book, hold it in her hands, and tell me how happy she was with it."

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BOOKS & MEDIA

20 Graphic Novels and Comics Inspired by Webtoons
​​​​​​​Brigid Alverson, Oct 30, 2023
Witches, orphans, gods, and some ordinary folks populate these compelling stories for grades 5 and up.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

Witches Take Center Stage in These Manga for Tweens and Teens
Brigid Alverson, Oct 04, 2023
In these seven manga works for grades five and up, affable characters cast gentle spells.

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BLOGS

Recent Graphic Novel Deals, Late October and November 2023 | News
Johanna, Dec 21, 2023
Here's a look at some recently signed graphic novel deals—and what we can expect coming up!
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BLOGS

Oshi no Ko, vol. 1-4 | Review
Renee Scott, Dec 20, 2023
An OBGYN and an idol pop star find their lives intertwined in a bizarre way in this hit series.
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BOOKS & MEDIA

15 Visual Books to Help Students Grapple with Big Feelings
Jess DeCourcy Hinds, Sep 12, 2023
These picture books and graphic novels for elementary students through high schoolers show the power of illustration to convey complex emotions.

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OPINION

Turning a Page: SLJ will turn 70. How can we best serve readers? | From the Editor
Kathy Ishizuka, Oct 15, 2023
The editors are planning for 2024, SLJ's 70th anniversary year.

More Graphic Novels
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DIVERSE BOOKS

Jewish Joy and the 'Little Women' of the Lower East Side | Opinion
Kimberly Olson Fakih, Mar 01, 2024
When they were first published, Sydney Taylor’s books not only planted a flag for Jewish identity but also for Jewish joy, and today remind readers that Alcott's March sisters haven't cornered the market on getting by on love and little else. For Women's History Month, we remind readers of Sydney Taylor's origin story.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Announcing a New Project: “Reasons to Love Libraries”
Kathy Ishizuka, Mar 11, 2024
“Reasons to Love ­Libraries” is a yearlong editorial project and campaign to engage the public in reflecting on libraries to reveal their impact on people and communities.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

In the Fight Against Book Bans, Retired Librarians Are Making a Difference | From the Editor
Kathy Ishizuka, Jan 07, 2024
They care deeply and can't be fired. Retired librarians are bringing experience and passion to the cause of intellectual freedom. With advocacy skills training and opportunities to mentor, retirees could become even more powerful assets.

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BOOKS & MEDIA

Fighting for Libraries, On and Off the Page: A Conversation Between the Co-Authors of the "Blue Stars" Series
Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith, Feb 29, 2024
Co-authors Kekla Magoon & Cynthia Leitich Smith in conversation about the inspiration behind The Blue Stars Series: Mission One: The Vice Principal Problem: "When we set out to write a middle grade graphic novel series about cousins who became superheroes to save their school library, we couldn't have imagined how timely our story would become."

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ED TECH

What Will It Take to Fix AI's Bias Problem? | Opinion
Jean Darnell, Oct 18, 2023
School librarian Jean Darnell prompted ChatGPT to write a paper on Black history, and the result had glaring omissions. That's just one part of the problem, she says.

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CENSORSHIP

Is There a Looming 'Dog-Man' Crisis? | Soapbox
​​​​​​​Chris Barton, Jan 04, 2024
Censorship is delaying the delivery of books to school library shelves. Cue the civics lesson.

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NEWS & FEATURES

Sammy Savos on Making a Graphic Memoir with Holocaust Survivor, the late Estelle Nadel | Guest Post
Sammy Savos, Jan 26, 2024
In this guest post, artist Sammy Savos details her creative process and discusses her collaboration with Holocaust survivor Estelle Nadel to create the graphic memoir The Girl Who Sang. "I’m very grateful that she was able to see the finished book, hold it in her hands, and tell me how happy she was with it."

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INDUSTRY NEWS

There’s Not Enough Middle Grade Manga. U.S. Publishers Are Changing That.
​​​​​​​Brigid Alverson, Mar 05, 2024
U.S. publishers step up to provide age-appropriate new releases for 8- to 12-year-olds. 

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BLOGS

From Smoke to a Force: An Interview with Henry L. Herz About I AM GRAVITY
Betsy Bird, Mar 05, 2024
These days great swaths of books fill our shelves, full of scintillating facts and jaw-dropping images. The book we're talking about today, I Am Gravity? Case in point.
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BOOKS & MEDIA

Q&A: Kacen Callender Talks About 'Chosen Ones' and Reflecting Their Identity in 'Infinity Alchemist'
Florence Simmons, Feb 07, 2024
Just ahead of the release of their YA fantasy novel Infinity Alchemist, author Kacen Callender talked with SLJ about the idea of "chosen ones," reflecting their community and identity in their writing, and more.

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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EVENTS

SLJ Summit 2024

, Dec 06, Dec 07 & Dec 08, 2024

School Library Journal Day of Dialog Fall 2024

, Oct 10, 2024

LJ & SLJ Public Library Youth Services Leadership Summit

Nashville Public Library, Sep 19 & Sep 20, 2024

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ONLINE COURSES

Youth Services: How to Build Relationships, Programs, and Engagement

May 02 to May 16, 2024

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VIRTUAL EVENTS

PRH Spring Book & Author Festival 2024

Apr 25, 2024

SPECIAL PROJECTS
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AWARDS

School Librarian of the Year
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PROGRAMS & PROGRAMMING

Reasons to Love Libraries
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COLLECTIONS

Refreshing the Canon Booklist
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