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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.

"I'm proud that we dealt with the darkness of the Depression head-on in this book; I just wish it felt less timely." A frank discussion of Passover, a beautiful children's book, and the state of the world today.

The post Interrogating the Passover Guest: A Susan Kusel and Sean Rubin Interview appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

"At the risk of sounding basic, I don’t think it’s possible to overrate the mango." I interview Mara Rockliff about her latest picture book biography and we end up talking fruit!

The post Just Try It: An Interview with Mara Rockliff appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today we talk with Harold Hayes, Craig S. Phillips, and Theo Gangi about street magic, historical figures, and their upcoming fantasy novel for kids Kingston and the Magician's Lost and Found.

The post Kingston and the Magician’s Lost and Found: An Interview with Three Authors at Once! appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Last year I just didn't read enough fantasy novels to my liking. This year? I'm making up for lost time. And what better way to kick everything off than with a debut that really gets you thinking?

The post Root Magic Interview with Eden Royce appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today it is my honor and privilege to present to you an interview with Ann Clare LeZotte, as well as a cover reveal for the sequel to Show Me a Sign . . . Set Me Free.

The post Cover Reveal of Ann Clare LeZotte’s Sequel to Show Me a Sign: Set Me Free appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today we are thrilled to have Nikki Grimes join us for an interview about her wonderful new book LEGACY: WOMEN POETS OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.

The post Rescuing and Celebrating Black Women’s Voices, an interview with Nikki Grimes appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

"I do not think that young readers are too tender for tough topics." I talk with Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper about their nonfiction picture book on the Tulsa Race Massacre.

The post An Unspeakable Interview: Talking with Carole Boston Weatherford About the Tulsa Race Massacre appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Some educators abandon teaching the Bard's work, while others update and enhance Shakespeare curricula.

Each year we look back not just as what was accomplished in the previous year but also who died. Here are the creators and promoters of children's literature that we remember.

The post In Memorium: Remembering Those Lost in 2020 appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

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.

The debut author spoke with SLJ about releasing her first book during a pandemic, writing novels as a tween, and the key to balancing stories of loss with plenty of love.

I ask my old buddy Cheryl Klein a slew of questions about her latest picture books and the state of things today.

The post A Year of Everyday Wonders and a Talk With Cheryl Klein appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today I interview author/illustrator Abi Cushman. Hope you like process! If ever you have found yourself curious about the process of integrating die-cuts into your art, wonder no longer . . .

The post Animals Go Vroom! Cover Reveal and Interview with Ms. Abi Cushman appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

I have the infinite pleasure of interviewing Ms. LeUyen Pham about her latest authored/illustrated picture book Outside, Inside, as well as premiering its trailer.

The post Outside, Inside: The LeUyen Pham Interview and Trailer Reveal appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

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.

Nikola Tesla! Inventor. Genius. Pigeon Lover? I talk with Azadeh Westergaard about her upcoming biography of the man and his dual love of alternating currents and city birds.

The post Cover Reveal and Interview with Azadeh Westergaard – The Life Electric: The Story of Nikola Tesla appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

I speak with author Jane Kurtz and Ellenore Angelidis about their nonprofit Open Hearts Big Dreams.

The post Worldwide Literacy Efforts: A Talk With Jane Kurtz and Ellenore Angelidis appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today, author Leslie Brody and I discuss Louise Fitzhugh, the times in which she lived, her genius life (and too soon death), and the coded, comforting messages she left in her books for the LGBTQIA+ kids out there.

The post Sometimes You Have to Lie (but not in this interview): A Talk With Author Leslie Brody appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Matthew Cordell stops by to talk about his latest picture book BEAR ISLAND and to discuss the grief and hope that went into its creation.

The post We’re Going on a Bear Island Hunt: Matthew Cordell Talks Grief and Hope and Bears appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

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.

Recently it occurred to me that when it comes to bilingual picture books, there is a kind of art to their design. Today I speak to editor-at-large Louise May about her approach to the form.

The post Working in Translation: An Interview with Editor-at-Large Louise May appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

If you wanna talk picky eating, "texture violations" and parents attempting to bend their children to their "foodie will", today's interview and cover reveal with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic is for you!

The post Interview and Cover Reveal of The League of Picky Eaters by Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

My book is about a Jewish-Polish girl named Esther—the eldest in her family—who begs her father to let her be the first of the children to go to Cuba and help him get the rest of the family to the island as conditions are worsening for the Jews on the eve of WWII.

If we cannot get to the sunshine, the sunshine shall come to us! Author Margarita Engle debuts her latest picture book and speaks frankly about how the pandemic has affected every part of her work.

The post Exclusive Cover Reveal & Interview with Margarita Engle: A SONG OF FRUTAS appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Today, it is my infinite pleasure to not only display for you the PREQUEL to that book, but to speak to Ms. Dusti Bowling herself about Aven, writing mysteries, early chapter books, and spin-offs, spin-offs, spin-offs!

The post Aven Green, Sleuthing Machine: A Dusti Bowling Interview and Cover Reveal appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

When Catherine Gilbert Murdock won a Newbery Honor for her title The Book of Boy it was the surprise win I needed. Since its publication she's been quiet, working on a new book. A book set in the past. A book illustrated by Caldecott Award winner Paul O. Zelinsky. A book . . . with cats.

The post Cover Reveal and Interview: What’s Catherine Gilbert Murdock Up To These Days? appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

The authors offer different takes on the literary canon in their keynote addresses. Read about that and other Summit highlights. 

Is there such a thing as international Ramona fan art? How do Ramona's themes apply to 2020? And why put together a book of Ramona illustrations? I sit down with author Anna Katz and pepper her with questions just like these.

The post Ramona and Her Art: An Interview with Anna Katz on A Compendium of Quimby Illustrations appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Is a lyrical, heart-lifting love letter to Black and brown children everywhere, reminding them of how much they matter, that they have always mattered, and they always will.

The 2020 SLJ Summit finished with a  personal, thought-provoking conversation between Cullors and Tennessee school librarian Erika Long.

Who illustrated her first book? What does her new puppy look like? What's she working on now?And how will she spend her MacArthur grant money? (Spoiler Alert: It's an incredible answer) I talk to Jacqueline Woodson about all manner of things.

The post In Which the Blogger Conducts an Interview with a MacArthur Fellow (Hint: It’s Jackie Woodson!) appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Two yuksters yuk it up. If you're a fan of hijinks, the Marx Brothers, and general silliness, you're probably not going to want to miss this illustrated interview between the creators of Shark & Hippo.

The post Andreao and Elliotto Present Sharko and Hippo: A Comic Interview appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Two yuksters yuk it up. If you're a fan of hijinks, the Marx Brothers, and general silliness, you're probably not going to want to miss this illustrated interview between the creators of Shark & Hippo.

The post Andreao and Elliotto Presento Sharko and Hippo: A Comic Interview appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

"I never remember him sitting around in his pajamas with no plans for the day." I interview Barbara Bemelmans, daughter of Ludwig Bemelmans (creator of Madeline), about the republication of a near forgotten classic.

The post Spread a Little Sunshine: A Classic Returns and an Interview with Barbara Bemelmans appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

My greatest hope is that kids who read my book develop empathy for people who may not look, sound, or worship the way they do. I hope it causes kids to question the world around them, to research issues they may not understand, and to grow into informed citizens, the kind our country desperately needs.

The Simon & Schuster editor, who passed away October 9, was a passionate ally for emerging voices, particularly in the LGBTQ community.

"Grownups are delicate and easily upset." Annie Barrows comes to the blog and her words are like a breath of fresh air. We talk about her Iggy books and why kids that would lick a goldfish on a dare if you ask them to, are a delight. Funniest interview you'll read all day.

The post Writing for the Least Boring People She Knows: Annie Barrows Talks Iggy appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

"I want my children and their friends to be able to read stories set in a big city like Lagos, Nigeria, a small-town high school in Norton, Zimbabwe, a suburban playground in Cairo, Egypt, a beach town or even a rural town anywhere." A talk with Christine Mapondera-Talley, founder of the publisher Global Kidz House.

The post Meeting a Need: An Interview with Christine Mapondera-Talley, Founder of Global Kidz House appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

At a time when athletes take a stand by sitting or kneeling down, this biography of Elgin Baylor, the first NBA to boycott games, has rarely been so timely. I talk with its creators about the quiet man that effectively changed the sport of basketball.

The post Above the Rim: An Interview with Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

I know I can't go back and tell my 17-year-old self to be nicer to us. I can’t tell him to only try to change the way he looks if it comes from a place of love. I can't change the way I treated myself for years. But I've written a little story that has helped me forgive myself. And, hopefully, it will help other young readers as well.

The Saucy author spoke with SLJ about perfect pets, seeking magical moments, and the capacity for growth at any age.

She writes for children. She writes for adults. She writes and she writes and she writes. Now she has a new book out and a new trailer. I talk to Sy Montgomery about what it really takes to be a "good creature" in 2020.

The post Trailer Premiere & Interview: Becoming a Good Creature by Sy Montgomery appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

In a publishing market where I can count all the Latinx comic creators for kids on one hand, artists like Yehudi Mercado are more needed than ever. Now he has two books out in 2020 with more on the way, and I just gotta ask the guy one thing: Star Wars or Star Trek?

The post Space Operas and Feline Martial Arts: An Interview with Yehudi Mercado appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

A frank Q&A with First Second publisher Mark Siegel on the desire to look beneath the surface and ask difficult questions, as well as his quest to build a better world through comics.

When the school year began I was often the only Black child in my classes and that's where I began to hear the other kind of stories. Sad, bad stories about people who looked like me. I was struck by how feverishly my new teachers and classmates believed in these narratives. It was then that I understood how words and stories could be used to wound.

Submissions for School Librarian of the Year are now being accepted. Let us know what you, or an outstanding colleague, are doing.

I hope this story will expose Betita’s humanity, because her yearnings for happiness and love are universal, but further still, I hope it teaches children how one child was able to use her voice, her art and poetry, to not only endure but to rise above and change a horrific and harmful circumstance.

“They’re not arguing. They’re writing.” Two classics by Don and Audrey Woods are out this year, remastered entirely. An unflinchingly honest look at publishing in the past, republishing today, and the logistics of remastering a beloved classic or two.

The post Return of the Classics: An Interview with Don and Audrey Wood appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Early Renaissance feminism? Evan Turk delves deep in a talk about that precise topic, as well as informational fiction, Venice, glassblowing, and the art of using oil pastels and colored pencils on top of vivid watercolors.

The post A Thousand Glass Flowers Is Never Enough: An Interview with Evan Turk appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

The middle grade author reflects on loneliness and survival in her latest novel, My Life in the Fish Tank, and its unintentional ties to the COVID-19 pandemic.

He's been blogging about LGBTQIA+ kid and teen books for 13 years. His latest middle grade work of nonfiction reexamines the history so many kids haven't been taught, shining a light on some of the amazing stuff he's discovered.

The post Dual Cover Reveal & Interview: NO WAY, THEY WERE GAY? Hidden Lives and Secret Loves by Lee Wind appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Think pink. Peter Brown premieres his latest picture book's cover and talks at length with me about his process.

The post Peter Brown Cover Reveal & Interview: Fred Gets Dressed appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

Black kids deserve to see themselves as the stars of the story, and it’s just as important for other readers to see Black kids as the stars of the story as well.

Unlike most artists, Adam Rex alternates between writing & illustrating his own books and having others illustrate for him. After I saw two different 2020 titles, both equal in brilliance, I knew I had to ask the man a few questions.

The post Deadpan, Page Turns, Storytelling & Digestion: An Interview with Adam Rex appeared first on A Fuse #8 Production.

When I decided to write my newest novel The Bridge, I was opening a door that I hadn’t opened yet. Instead of coming out as gay, which I had done in my first young adult books, this time I was coming out about my mental health issues. In some ways, this was actually harder for me.

Shelley Diaz returns to SLJ to become reviews editor.

Seven months of learning loss. That’s the impact wrought by the pandemic, and low-income, Black, and Latinx children stand to suffer the most. Some cities are adapting the pod concept, working with community partners to serve at-risk students.

A PBS documentary, a picture book about his boyhood aspirations to become a preacher, and his own graphic memoir trilogy invite young readers into the life and battles of the late, beloved John Lewis.

Concerns about challenged summer reading during quarantine; Most Challenged Books & LGBTQIA+ topics; banned books that will engage students. 

With her new graphic novel series “The Weirn Books,” creator Svetlana Chmakova steps away from the sunny classrooms of Berrybrook Middle School to another school in a darker realm.

The bestselling author counters those accusing her of being transphobic, while actor Daniel Radcliffe urges "Harry Potter" lovers to hold on to their individual, "sacred" connections to the story.

Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog. Here is the entire keynote conversation.

Kwame Alexander, Jason Reynolds, and Jacqueline Woodson have organized a Kid Lit Rally for Black Lives on Facebook Live on Thursday. It will include other children and teen literature authors and a conversation for young people and as well as a second one for parents, librarians, and educators.

The multi-talented 2020 Edwards Award winner is interviewed by legendary comic artist Stan Mack. 

In a new series of articles and virtual sessions, the authors will guide a conversation about the future of public libraries, culminating in a practical plan to reenvision youth services.

Here are the most popular blog posts of the week.

The winners of the 2020 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards are Saturday by Oge Mora, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, and Infinite Hope: A Black Artist’s Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan.

The Ickabog, a standalone title, will be released chapter by chapter into July and published traditionally in November. The bestselling author has created an international competition for children to illustrate it.

With news of Tom Low's death this week, people in the publishing world mourned the loss of the man who co-founded Lee & Low Books to combat the lack of diverse literature for children and opened a new world of possibilities for authors, educators, and readers.

The UK-based author/illustrator spoke with SLJ about the anticipated sequel to his delightfully eccentric fantasy Malamander. 

Book access inequities existed in our communities long before COVID-19. What can we learn now that will improve access for children and teens in the future?

In her newest middle grade offering, Erin Entrada Kelly explores the 1986 Challenger launch and subsequent tragedy through the eyes of three siblings navigating their own difficult journeys. SLJ spoke with the author about her research process and keeping history alive for future generations.

Taking pride in a job well done is a professional triumph—and when the hard work is honored with an award nominated by one’s esteemed peers, the gratification is that much sweeter. Here’s what three past winners have to say about the award and their dedication to their work.

Employees with disabilities and chronic illnesses have long fought for basic accommodations now granted to millions of workers from home. Here's what else is needed.