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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.

A librarian and intellectual freedom advocate on Dr. Seuss, library policies, and cancel culture.

Questions about the ethics of fines, a public library crowded with kids during the pandemic, and a librarian who doesn't want kindergarteners to borrow books.

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.

Parrish Turner, a transgender sensitivity reader, is tired of the tropes surrounding animal stories, particularly those involving the wish to be a different animal. For Parrish, the longing to be a more authentic version of oneself is all too human.

Having two books released during the pandemic wasn't a disaster for the author, as Nye found the "positive contagion" of books and poetry was not only still there, it was connecting more young readers and writers from different places around the world.

In the summer of 2020, a time of tragedy and activism throughout the country, Black teens were still falling in love and discovering their relationships to the world...and Renée Watson was working on a book about radical self-love and a Black girl saving herself. Here she writes about finding joy amid pain and how love can be a personal revolution.

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

Our editor-in-chief responds to comments regarding our February cover.

Author Phil Bildner shares a meaningful moment with a young reader during a school visit early last year.

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.

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.

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

In a time of such fear and division, author Deborah Wiles believes that part of the solution to the anger and worry is to activiely listen to others.

Pinguicha urges readers to question history, ask who wrote the stories, and present and amplify the narratives that have been ignored, hidden, and distorted.

The post Questioning Your History Lessons, a guest post by Diana Pinguicha appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Our most viewed stories reflect a significant, collective journey. 

What impact will charges of rampant corruption and voter fraud have on our most vulnerable youth moving forward?

The post Sunday Reflections: We Promised Them Democracy appeared first on Teen Librarian Toolbox.

Nidhi Chanani, illustrator of Binny's Diwali, reflects on the Hindu festival of lights that is celebrated in different ways globally.

Identifying students’ reading preferences (or lack of them) provides insight into their experiences and how best to help them grow and remain engaged.

Pat Scales offers advice and opinion on student privacy, tween advisory boards, labeling, and serving students during the pandemic.

Miles McKenna, actor and author of Out!: How To Be Your Authentic Self (Abrams/Amulet; Gr 8 Up) reflects on his childhood love of reading and J.K. Rowling's recent anti-transgender social media posts.

Serving on the front lines, engaging with the public, libraries can be a critical asset to mental health.   

The author of Other Words for Home wants her books to be springboards for childen to have important discussions.

Reading a series can increase students' understanding of storytelling, text structures, and the author’s craft, as well as offering a connection with peers.

As more Native writers make inroads into childrens' publishing, educators and readers must set aside internalized misconceptions about Native life, people, and nations.

Betsy Bird considers reading during a pandemic and how children's books are meeting the crisis.

Here we are. Well into a new school year—sort of. The fall has brought no relief from uncertainty, and we have a ways to go. So we asked, and Jarrett Krosoczka and Jerry Craft were on board to illustrate our October 2020 issue.

Ensuring that all students have access to reading material during remote learning; adjusting expectations for student research; fielding questions about Little Free Libraries.

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.

"Now is an especially critical time to inform readers," writes Kathy Ishizuka, SLJ editor in chief. "That means publishing stories centered on the people who power libraries and schools. We are here for it, and we hope you are, too."

In quarantine, read-alouds remain a powerful way to engage young readers and support their long-term reading growth.

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

Make equity about people, not stuff. Rethink library policy. More than 120 library staff have signed on to advance next steps in the COVID-19 Reimagining Youth Librarianship project, a crowdsourcing effort to create a framework for youth services during times of crisis.

While we're rethinking everything, how would you better serve youth in your community? SLJ is supporting a project to devise a new, crowdsourced vision for libraries. 

Meg Medina, Jason Chin, Nikki Grimes, and other creators discuss how quarantine life has impacted their imaginations and work.

Learning to read is a constitutional right, but functional literacy has never been equitably attained by Americans, says Miller. Here she offers tools of empowerment that enhance information and civic literacy.

The viral hashtag #PublishingPaidMe has revealed the glaring disparities in author advances. It's not enough to publish books created by authors of color; change needs to happen on all levels. 

From curriculum to policing, two former public high school students discuss changes toward education equity.

Dear students: Listen deeply. Tell your truth. Ask questions. Hear what else this middle school media specialist has to say in her open letter.

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.

Here are the most popular blog posts of the week.

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?

Facilitating research, public librarians question if school assignments are age-appropriate. 

For educators, a lot has changed amid a global pandemic—and at the same time, much hasn’t. 
 

Teachers don't usually ask their students what they should teach. A middle school English teacher gained important insights when she spoke with her students about the kinds of books they want to read in class.

Enliven lessons by discussing Supreme Court cases and challenged books.

Myers’s 145th Street: Short Stories, celebrating its 20th anniversary, highlights the beauty of Harlem and the people and stories that make the neighborhood unique.

What are the books that call to readers homebound by coronavirus? See the results of our poll. And let us know what you're reading in the comments.

The articles are just the beginning. Don’t miss the ongoing Facebook and Twitter discussion about SLJ's stories.

When it comes to understanding racism, kids are ready for the conversation, says Jason Reynolds, co-author with Ibram X. Kendi of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You. And us?

Nikole Hannah-Jones, founder of the 1619 Project, spoke to Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi about their collaboration on Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You.

SLJ Editor-in-Chief Kathy Ishizuka on libraries and literacy.

Increasing book access for young people boosts their chances for both personal and academic success. Donalyn Miller identifies common obstacles in schools and libraries, along with advice on how to reduce the negative impact on young readers.

A principal’s effort to limit student speech comes every January.

Advice from the "Book Whisperer," along with recommended titles to sustain the enthusiasm of young readers.

Author Kate Messner argues that "shining a light on science, on history, on injustice, and representation is work we all should have been doing all along. And it’s work that will need to continue long after someone else is leading the nation."

Best wishes to SLJ's reviews managing editor in her next chapter.