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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 Freidman 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.

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

Undeterred by pandemic limitations, the staff at Evanston (IL) Public Library and its partner organizations turned the second annual Cardboard Carnival into a remote program with an online showcase to spotlight young patrons' marble runs.

In 2020, school and public libraries pivoted and innovated to meet the needs of students and patrons during the concurrent pandemic, social justice uprising, and volatile political divide, according to ALA's report.

From Charlie Parker and Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison and Ada Lovelace, remarkable individuals get the graphic treatment in these titles recommended for grades 3 and up.

Students can learn about the environment and conservation and celebrate Earth Week 2021 with these resources and educational opportunities.

Fold-out screens, video games, and dressed-up designs are just some ways that libraries safely updated their mobile services while preparing for summer 2021. 

While LGBTQIA+ content remains the top reason for book challenges overall, the Top 10 Most Challenged titles in 2020 were also cited for Black Lives Matter and antiracist content, as well as the use of racial slurs and having a negative impact on students.

The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators has partnered with author Meg Medina to provide a grant for Latinx writers and teamed up with the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation for a new prize for BIPOC illustrators.

Find ways to celebrate and advocate for your libraries.

Scholastic will no longer publish or distribute Dav Pilkey's The Adventures of Ook and Gluk; Comic-Con is coming back in-person; plus an Alice Walker picture book and more in this edition of News Bites.

Inspired by her young library patrons, Beverly Cleary wrote the stories of regular kids and created generations of readers.

The pandemic has significantly impacted school library budgets and spending this year. Here's what has changed.

Cicely Lewis partners with Lerner Books to develop Read Woke Books.

Kate Messner was one of many children's authors who took on pandemic-related projects—including a picture book biography of Dr. Anthony Fauci—over the past year.

A steadfast advocate for cultural values and new perspectives, this Hawaii librarian enriches the lives of her high school students and her community.

Throughout the pandemic, Amanda Jones brought the world to her students. In person or virtually, her library is a hub of exploration.

Jones and Mokuau, librarians in Denham Springs, LA, and Molokai, HI, are exemplars of the profession, overcoming challenges of a uniquely difficult year to serve their students and communities.

The furor over Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to stop publishing certain books may be over, but the conversation about evaluating titles for children's collections is ongoing. School librarians must lead the way.

With the help of adjustments from Follett and Scholastic, school librarians have managed to continue the tradition of hosting book fairs that are often a favorite event for students during a typical school year. 

A read-aloud of Kyle Lukoff's book about a transgender boy in elementary school led to parental complaints and the school calling in counselors for the students who listened to the story. 

Nearly 3,800 firsthand accounts of anti-Asian hate have been reported since the start of the pandemic. Activists want to shift attention from news coverage of incidents to education measures to counter bigotry.

Young adolescents face racism and gender bias from educators. Fortunately, schools are starting to acknowledge and dismantle this harmful pattern. 

Educators and library advocates celebrated the signing of a bill that will bring record funding to support their needs.

Tricia Elam Walker was named the winner of the writer award for Nana Akua Goes to School. Heidi Woodward Sheffield won the award for illustrator for Brick by Brick.

The pandemic presents unique challenges for the nearly 23 million nine- to twelve-year-olds in the United States. Here are ways to support them. 

The pandemic shuttered schools one year ago this week. SLJ checked in with school librarians around the country to ask what they have learned, how their priorities have changed, and what they see in the future.

Friends and fans gathered on Twitter this week, after learning of the death of Norton Juster, at 91, author of the beloved 60-year-old fantasy, The Phantom Tollbooth. 

Ibram X. Kendi's Center Antiracist Research at Boston University is hosting its second Antiracist Book Festival, Kwame Alexander will create a poem with help from submissions; the NAACP Image Awards literary nominees were announced; and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is ready to reopen to the public in this edition of News Bites.

Dr. Seuss Enterprises has announced it will cease publishing and selling six Dr. Seuss books, including And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.

This Women's History Month may feel like 2020 all over again. As the pandemic interrupted many plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th amendment, the National Women's History Museum and National Women's History Alliance have extended their resources, events, and celebration into 2021.

Young people make their voices heard on issues from the election to climate change, one click at a time.

Proper ventilation is an important mitigation strategy for opening school buildings safely; the CDC has issued more detailed ventilation guidance.

Faltering federal investment in after-school, coupled with the high cost of participation, puts millions of children at risk. Nonprofit partners offer advice to libraries looking to serve their communities.

The children's publishing world is coming together to raise money to fight anti-Asian racism, NCTE is accepting applications for the Early Career Educator of Color Leadership Award, Amazon and Code.org team up to create equity-minded AP computer science course, and more in this edition of News Bites.

Presenting the average book prices for 2020–2021 to date, produced annually by SLJ in partnership with Follett and Baker & Taylor. 

More publishers are loosening copyright restrictions given the ongoing state of remote learning. Abrams, HarperCollins, and Peachtree join Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster in extending permissions for online story time and classroom read-aloud videos to June 30, 2021. 

The CDC’s Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation lists five strategies that must be “strictly implemented” for safe in-person school.

For the first time in its history, the SCWBI has announced a list of Golden Kite Award finalists.

To our readers: I hear you, and I am deeply sorry.

The Pulitzer Center is starting an education network around the 1619 Project, Teaching Tolerance changed its name, Sonja Cherry-Paul created an educator's guide to Carole Boston Weatherford’s Unspeakable and more in this edition of News Bites.

NewsLit Nation, NLP's national educator network, provides teachers with a platform to learn from each other, establish best practices, and help work news literacy into all subjects areas.

It's Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Resources and a starter kits are available, along with the new contest-winning logo from a South Carolina high schooler.

Finding accurate information is more important than ever, and school librarians are here (as they always have been) to give students the "gift" of truth, according to AASL president Kathy Carroll.

Presented by the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI), in partnership with SLJ, the Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards offers grants to Title I schools to purchase literary fiction and nonfiction books that inspire a love of math. The application period opens today.

Ask your students about book preferences, access, and more to create personal goals, plan spring lessons, and motivate for summer reading.

The ALA and AASL sent a letter to the Biden transition team in an effort to put school librarians front and center in the new education department agenda, as EveryLibrary works for congressional support.

Educators can teach Amanda Gorman's inauguration poem "The Hill We Climb" and share Gorman's story with students.

The children's literature world was shocked by the unexpected death of author Kathleen Krull, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer. Also in this edition of News Bites, Ibram X. Kendi makes a deal with Netflix; opportunities for funding; and more.

Flash Facts is a new collection of short comics about science and technology featuring DC superheroes. Here's an exclusive preview of "Home Sweet Space" with Supergirl, written by Cecil Castellucci.

The second annual News Literacy Week comes amid calls to make teaching these skills a priority. 

More time, less social pressure, and more flexible scheduling has helped some kids flourish.

We checked in with four school librarians to see what role they played for their students and staff during the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2020, and in the days that followed.

Ever wonder about the closed-door workings of the Newbery committee? Now's your chance. Join the mock Newbery committee of “Heavy Medal” on January 22 and weigh in on the big decision.

These lizards can be excellent ambassadors for school libraries.

As the terrorist attack on the Capitol unfolded yesterday, educators took to Twitter, considering how to talk to students about the event and the importance of news literacy and civics education.

From a choose-your-own-path Romeo and Juliet to a Macbeth retelling that channels #MeToo, there's something here for all teen readers and fans of the Bard. 

Join the fun on January 13, as Betsy Bird and Travis Jonker face off in this friendly (mostly) and entertaining live competition, inspired by their SLJ feature story. 

Who is the kid lit nerdiest of them all? Putting their knowledge to the test, Betsy and Travis square off in this romp through Newbery/Caldecott history.

From the pandemic and a presidential election, to school boards and systemic racism, SLJ's cover design and illustration helped tell the tale that was 2020.

High school students transformed children's books into 3-D printed creations that could help visually impaired youth experience the stories.

It's been quite a year. And we have lists.

Start 2021 by sharing conversations about music, from orchestral movie scores to “kindie” releases, with students and families.

COVID has changed the way publishers promote books—and how libraries buy them.

Connecticut school librarians applaud the nomination of Cardona, a former public school teacher, principal, and assistant superintendent and the current state commissioner of education.

Give us a snapshot of your 2020 and your hopes for 2021. Happy New Year!

The CDC recommends teachers and support staff get the coronavirus vaccine in the next round of distribution; the Black Caucus of ALA has put out its Best of the Best 2020 booklist; applications are being accepted for the Library of Congress Librarian in Residence program; and more in this edition of News Bites.

The National Education Association and National PTA released results of a national poll of middle and high school student experiences during the pandemic and made recommendations based on the information.

Caitlin Gooch, founder of Saddle Up and Read, gets kids excited about reading, riding, and Black equestrians at her family horse farm. 

Curricular bazaar Teachers Pay Teachers has never been more popular. But questions about quality, cultural insensitivity, and plagiarism beg expert guidance. Consider your librarian.  

It was a tough year, but there is always an author, educator, or young person to remind even the most cynical among us that there are reasons to believe better days are coming.

Author Fan Face-off pits a middle grade superfan against the author of one of their favorite books to see who knows more about the title.

Typically, generic worksheets, book report templates, and cookie-cutter projects are assigned to prove that students read. Here are ways for them to truly share their responses to the text. 

Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez started a volunteer tutoring program for her district's families who needed help during remote learning. Her campaign office is now expanding on the program, as discussions continue about the possibility of a National Tutoring Corps to combat the academic and economic impact of the pandemic.

The author and illustrator are the U.S. candidates for the international honor given biennially to book creators for children.

Amid the upheaval this year, there were bright spots: Audiobook sales surged, more kids tuned into podcasts, and children’s book sales continued to grow.

Reassigned to a new high school with no library, Toni Winsett is embracing the challenge at Bard High School Early College in Washington, DC, and finding joy in being a school librarian this year.

Our most viewed stories reflect a significant, collective journey. 

In an unprecedented year, managing the pandemic dominated attention. SLJ covered the gamut, from publisher policies adjusted to accommodate remote learning, to tips on running a virtual book club for middle schoolers. Despite all, fostering literacy and celebrating great books persisted as key topics of interest for our readers.

The large publishing events with big-name speakers are not coming back when the pandemic ends.

One in four kids tuned in to a podcast in 2020, drawn to stories and discussions about the coronavirus, money, activism, racial justice, and other topics.

An early breaking announcement on November 25 stated that there is an agreement for Penguin Random House to acquire Simon & Schuster in a $2.2 billion deal.

Companies continue to respond to the pandemic's impact on educators and students; NCTE is taking proposals for next year's convention; the Educator Jobs Fund Act of 2020 is proposed in the senate; and Simon & Schuster plans new graphic novels for young readers.

Micro mentoring connects people in order to focus short-term on specific areas of professional development. 

When students get books from the school library these days, it looks less like regular checkout and more like holiday package delivery.

The annual awards go to I Am Every Good Thing and Above the Rim.

The wait is over. See what titles made SLJ's Best Books lists this year.

On January 20, Jill Biden will be the latest educator to become First Lady. How much of an impact can she have on the national conversation and policy?

The illustrator of Best Books 2020 selection All Because You Matter by Tami Charles expanded on that picture book's theme of youthful wonder for the cover of the December issue.

Kacen Callender spoke about a year that has been both devastating and empowering as they accepted the prestigious award during the livestreamed virtual ceremony.

Authors Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon have collaborated on a YA novel celebrating Black love during a New York City blackout.

As SLJ welcomes submissions for the 2021 School Librarian of the Year, we spoke with the 2020 winner about what she has been up to, including a student "Vote Woke" program.

With standardized test largely cancelled, extracurriculars wiped out, and family finances stretched thin, students face a new process.

President-elect Joe Biden's plans include tripling Title I funding, getting mental health professionals into all schools, and helping teachers pay off college loans.

Innovative ways to use technology to keep students engaged and on track during the pandemic.

Fans of Nathan Hale can cross the country alongside the best-selling author this month. With stops from Boston to Honolulu, the virtual tour celebrates Blades of Freedom, book 10 in Hale’s "Hazardous Tales" series of graphic novels.