Dolley Madison and intrepid traveler Marianne North are but two of the engaging heroines who appear in this month's list of books we found star-worthy. 

The RISE annual list is out; Jacqueline Woodson adds Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence to her many honors; K.C. Boyd named winner of the EMIERT Distinguished Librarian Award; and two new lines of books will bring "Chicken Soup for the Soul" to kids in this edition of News Bites.

For some students, remote learning will continue well beyond this year. What we have learned will impact our educational system for decades to come.

Research by the Becker Friedman Institute at the University of Chicago shows that characters in award-winning children's books still skew male and light-skinned.

The free, virtual event features author conversations between Christina Soontornvat and Steve Sheinkin, James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, and Malinda Lo and Daniel Nayeri, as well as creator panels and a closing keynote from Traci Sorell.

YA books with older characters appeal to teens looking ahead in life and adults drawn to themes of self-discovery and affirmation. 

Banned Books Week has its first Honorary Chair; two titles created from The 1619 Project will be released in November; free webinars on teaching Juneteenth and reopening institutions after COVID vaccines; and more in this edition of News Bites.

With protagonists who are 18 and older, more and more young adult books are examining early adulthood. These realistic, historical, fantasy, and thriller novels will appeal to teens, with characters navigating the messiness of life after adolescence.

Twenty-five libraries in Title I schools have been awarded the $700 grants, presented by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, in partnership with SLJ.