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Will this be one of the year's Travis looks psychic or one he'd rather forget? We'll have to wait and see.
Betsy Bird says this is the book that will finally, rightfully, but Morales on the map for everyone and get appropriate award attention.
Research shows that from infancy, children categorize visual attributes and assign meaning to them. If we don’t talk about race from a young age, we miss a critical window.
I’m Your Neighbor Project has a mission to “Welcoming immigrants, refugees, and migrants as neighbors through the sharing of children’s literature and other stories.”
Listen to Travis Jonker chat with 2018 Pura Belpré award winners Ruth Behar, Pablo Cartaya, Celia C. Pérez, and Juana Martinez-Neal.
Marsh, author of the newly released Nowhere Boy, describes her experiences as an immigrant abroad and how children's literature can break down the proverbial walls
Damon, library support specialist at Denver Public Schools (DPS), and Torres, teacher librarian at DPS’s Montbello Campus, on Angie Thomas’s blockbuster YA novel and the upcoming film.
UK school librarian Lucas Maxwell's students at Glenthorne High School in London booktalk their favorite challenged titles.
Tone policing happens during conversations or debates when one person, typically of greater privilege, thwarts a speaker's thoughts or opinions by reacting to their emotional tone.
The author of So You Want to Talk About Race spoke with SLJ about what educators, and specifically librarians, can do to better serve students of color and change institutional bias and patterns of systemic racism in U.S. education.
SLJ reviews the blockbuster Netflix adaptation of Jenny Han's YA series opener—epistolary style.
Cassy Lee ignites diversity awareness at the Chinese American International School in San Francisco.
Publisher’s description Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Awkward, and All’s Faire in Middle School, this graphic novel follows a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary cardboard into fantastical homemade costumes as they explore conflicts with friends, family, and their own identity. Welcome to a neighborhood of kids who transform ordinary boxes into colorful costumes, and their ordinary […]
Inspired by Jacqueline Woodson's "Brown Girl Dreaming," three middle schoolers and their classmates created a project to impact the lives of younger students and literacy rates in Cleveland.
With help from community partners, the Mitchell Park Library in Palo Alto (CA) created a culturally inclusive, family friendly event of color, music, and community.
Librarians and literature lovers join march in protesting the separation of migrant children from their parents.
The creators of A Quick & Easy Guide to They/Them Pronouns, a hip, matter-of-fact primer, talk about the emotional impact of being misgendered and more.
The renamed award has been recast to honor authors of “books that demonstrate integrity and respect for all children's lives and experiences."
Gr 9 Up –This collaboration with We Need Diverse Books features 13 standalone stories from award-winning and best-selling authors including Melissa de la Cruz, Sara Farizan, Eric Gansworth, Malinda Lo, Daniel José Older, Jason Reynolds, Aminah Mae Safi, Gene Luen Yang, and Nicola Yoon.
NYPL has hosted an alternative prom for teens in New York City for ever 14 years. The young adult programming manager give highlights from this year's festive, inclusive event, which took place on June 8.
Members of the Kid Lit community put out a call to action to colleagues and readers. ALA president Jim Neal adds his voice to the outcry.
When I’m reviewing books for professional publications, I stay quiet about them on social media. I’m always really excited once a review comes out to be able to talk about the book, finally! Here’s one of my most recent reviews, a starred review, which originally appeared in the June 2018 School Library Journal. ★Super Late Bloomer: […]
New awards celebrate graphic novels, and the first winners were revealed at Denver Comic Con.
Over the last two years, challenges of LGBT books, displays, and programming have risen. During June, library staff handle even more challenges and complaints than usual.
To properly serve immigrant communities, libraries are partnering with local organizations—and the patrons themselves—to boost collections in the populations' native languages.
We rounded up picture books, middle grade novels, and YA titles from the past year that either center the Caribbean American experience or are written by authors of Caribbean descent.
“I’ve never set out to teach a lesson, to lecture anyone,” says the author of more than 40 books.
Angela Carstensen takes a look back at three decades of YA—its evolution, groundbreaking titles, and the Margaret A. Edwards Award that honors its authors.
Yuyi Morales closed out School Library Journal's Day of Dialog with this keynote address.
High school sophomore starts literary and arts festival for teens that she hopes can become a national YA tour.
The debut author and creator of the "Mark Does Stuff" universe chats about his road to publication, teen activism, and what he’s working on next.
A Denver school librarian helps teens living in a “book desert” with no high school library.
Staff at the National Women's History Museum studied every state's K–12 social studies standards for U.S. history to see what women and "topics associated with women" were discussed.
There's a lot happening in this installment of New Bites, including grant opportunities, awards, a new imprint, an ALA summit, and more.
Gr 2-5 –Alva, along with coauthor Mills, narrates his experiences as a young child crossing the Mexican and U.S. border with his father.
Some community members in O'Fallon, IL, objected to a public library event centered around the children's book, "Justice Makes a Difference: The Story of Miss Freedom Fighter, Esquire."
Not all kids see the police as community stewards, but picture books do.
Sheba Karim discusses her riotously funny novel Mariam Sharma Hits the Road and what it's like to write a road trip book from the perspective of a marginalized character.
Publisher’s description Luke and Toby have always had each other’s backs. But then one choice—or maybe it is a series of choices—sets them down an irrevocable path. We’ll Fly Away weaves together Luke and Toby’s senior year of high school with letters Luke writes to Toby later—from death row. This thought-provoking novel is an exploration of friendship, […]
We've rounded up some of our recent YA favorites by and about people from the Asian/Pacific Islander diaspora. From a Korean-inspired sci-fi to the conclusion of Jenny Han's romance trilogy, these works will keep all teens reading the whole month (and beyond).
Looking for titles to highlight in May for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month? These 20 works, from recent award winners to debut middle grade outings, cover a diverse array of genres, time periods, and formats.
Khan-Cullors, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, was raised in a family and community impacted by poverty.
School Library Journal has launched a survey about children’s and young adult book collections in school and public libraries—we want to know how diverse titles are being selected and acquired in these institutions.
Monday, April 30, is Día, a national library program that fosters literacy for all children from all backgrounds.
Find out the best teaching programs in the country, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ); the choices for New York City's "One Book, One New York" campaign; and who won the Lippincott Award this year.
When I’m reviewing books for professional publications, I stay quiet about them on social media. I’m always really excited once a review comes out to be able to talk about the book, finally! Here’s one of my most recent reviews, which originally appeared in the April 2018 School Library Journal. The Gender Identity Workbook for […]
The author's character-building approach in "Across the Universe" takes her readers on an honest, authentic journey.
In an attempt to bring more "legitimacy and respect" to comics and graphic novels, graphic literature gets its own awards.
A school librarian’s reading initiative highlights social justice.
A range of parenting titles, from cookbooks to guides to child-rearing "in the age of Trump."
Cosplay builds confidence and critical thinking. It can also invite discussion about gender stereotypes, body shaming, media representations, and more.
Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went from the Football Field to the Art Gallery Written by Sandra Neil Wallace and Illustrated by Bryan Collier Published in 2018 by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers ISBN 978-1-4814-4387-6 Grades K-5 Book Review “Ernest looked around his neighborhood. It no longer appeared ordinary. In the movement […]
The author and National Ambassador for Young People's Literature has earned another honor.
Comedian John Oliver created a book about Vice President Mike Pence's family pet to challenge the one written by Pence's daughter Charlotte Pence.
Who loses? An educational policy analyst looks at the data on school libraries, the charter and choice movement, and questions about racial equity.
Reporting on the “state of the union” for Black girls and women in our society, the author offers suggestions on how educators can support them.
A New York library's reading and creativity program for kids welcomes those whose disabilities may prevent them from attending school with their community peers.
A list of videos, articles, and other resources to help librarians be more culturally literate.
It was time to stop complaining and do something about gender inequity in children's publishing, so #kidlitwomen was born to highlight issues and offer solutions every day of Women's History Month.
At a Bank Street conference, Latinx authors and illustrators agreed that the community has made strides and connected with readers, but voices still need to be amplified.
Information about upcoming We Need Diverse Books internship grants, Native American enhancement grants, the YALSA Hub Reading Challenge, and more.
In his first public statement about sexual harassment allegations, the author apologized for behavior, while denying some specific accusations and claiming a lack of memory on others.
Students at Birchwood High School, a South Carolina juvenile justice facility, wrote "AIDS in the End Zone" and "Shootout: A Tale from the Streets."
A former school librarian in Puerto Rico returns home after Hurricane Maria to help—and to tell the stories of the local people who are helping students, libraries, and schools recover.
Educators navigated tough conversations and highlighted issues such as systemic racism during the national Black Lives Matter at School week of action.
Publisher’s description Hope is a decision, but it is a hard one to recognize in the face of oppression, belittlement, alienation, and defeat. To help embolden hope, here is a powerhouse collection of essays and personal stories that speak directly to teens and all YA readers. Featuring Angie Thomas, Marie Lu, James Dashner, Nicola Yoon, […]
Publisher’s description Paris, at the dawn of the modern age: Prince Sebastian is looking for a bride—or rather, his parents are looking for one for him. Sebastian is too busy hiding his secret life from everyone. At night he puts on daring dresses and takes Paris by storm as the fabulous Lady Crystallia—the hottest fashion […]
The In the Margins Book Awards has revealed the top picks from books published in 2016 and 2017 that appeal to the reading needs and wants of marginalized teens.
The Newbery went to "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly; the Caldecott was won by "Wolf in the Snow" by Matthew Cordell; and "We Are Okay" by Nina LaCour won the Printz.
The Youth Media Awards will have a few new announcements in 2019 – and this may be only the beginning.
Author and poet Kwame Alexander takes on new publishing challenge.
Writer Don McGregor redefined the "Black Panther" comic series in the 1970s with an all-black cast. He talks to SLJ about his work, returning to the character, and the upcoming film adaptation.
ALA will add multicultural awards announcements to 2019 YMAs ceremony.
Publisher’s description In this accessible guide with an introduction by Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay, Marley Dias explores activism, social justice, volunteerism, equity and inclusion, and using social media for good. Drawing from her experience, Marley shows kids how they can galvanize their strengths to make positive changes in their communities, while getting support from […]
The toolkit is a valuable resource for all libraries to help create or revise selection and reconsideration policy.
The Northeast chapter of REFORMA had their second annual Spanish-language Book Buzz on Friday, January 12, with keynotes by authors Emma Otheguy and Ernesto Quiñónez. Here are some highlights.
Civil rights activist marched from Selma to Montgomery as a teenager. Now she seeks to inspire the next generation.
Lester, the legendary children's book author, musician, and civil rights activist, died at his Massachusetts home on January 18.
Teen Librarian Toolbox is excited to be partnering with Marie Marquardt for her #ReadForChange project. Hop on over to this post to learn more about the initiative. Today, she and Nic Stone join us for a conversation about racial injustice and Stone’s phenomenal debut novel, Dear Martin. It’s so amazing to be living in this time […]
Betsy Bird on the state of women in kids' books, with stellar titles on girls who run the world.
Not Divergent divergent, but diverse, unexpected, small press books diverging from the post-apocalyptic formula of yesteryear: that’s what we’ve got for you today. The Marrow Thieves won both the Kirkus Prize and the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award, and has shown up on the year-end lists for Kirkus and School Library Journal — not bad […]
The Walter Award has been announced, along with two honor books, and all three are books we’ve already talked about in terms of Printz contention — although we only support one of them strongly. Of course, the Walter is a different award, with a different purpose, but the committee is looking for “outstanding books” so it’s fascinating to […]
The Texas school district returned the book to high school libraries pending review.
It’s the second week of January, which means we’re discussing the Letter A in YA A to Z. Today we are talking about aromantic and asexual with librarian Bridgette Johnson. You can find out more about YA A to Z here. Before we delve too deep into our topic, let’s have some super basic broad […]
The winners and honorees of the third annual "Walter Award," given by the We Need Diverse Books organization, have been announced.
Image of girl having dress lifted by a robot draws criticism, will be removed from future reprints.
“Books change us. They can help us have the bigger conversations,” Jacqueline Woodson said during her inauguration ceremony at the Library of Congress.
Ten more YA titles that explore the lives of Black teens, police brutality, and systemic racism.
Teen Librarian Toolbox is excited to announce that we’re partnering with Marie Marquardt for her #ReadForChange project. Here’s some more about the initiative! Hello, 2018. Hello, Change. Throughout 2017, I traveled around the United States talking with students, librarians, teachers, and other YA and MG authors. And, wow. From Bowling Green, Kentucky to Santa […]
Susan Grigsby has embarked on the adventure of a lifetime, leaving the U.S. for a school librarian position in Singapore. Here she shares some prized new finds as she begins to explore a whole new world of children's literature.
Earlier this week, The New York Times posted an article about sensitivity readers that prompted a heated discussion on Twitter. Because of the holidays I didn’t follow all of the conversations happening, though I did see that author Joyce Carol Oates suggested that historically marginalized authors start their own small presses and literary magazines to […]
Manage the money, amplify student voice, and more tips from SLJ's 2017 Hero of Equitable Access.
You may remember Stanford History Education Group (SHEG) for its groundbreaking and utterly depressing report, Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Online Civic Reasoning. In the November 2016 Executive Summary, the researchers shared: When thousands of students respond to dozens of tasks there are endless variations. That was certainly the case in our experience. However, at each level—middle […]
The author/illustrator of an insightful graphic novel about a queer teen confronting hostility at a backpacking camp discusses the path to publication, inclusivity, and the power of the visual medium.
Today, author Danielle Ellison joins us as part of our Social Justice in YALit Discussion. You can find all of the #SJYALit Posts here. As much as I want to write this guest post, I also don’t want to. It’s a familiar feeling, for me, of why I was nervous to write my newest book […]
It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura HarperTeen, May 2017 Reviewed from a final copy So today we have a realistic coming of age/first love story, and it’s sweet and especially earnest. With one star review, this isn’t a book that’s making major waves; but it’s important to remember that starred reviews aren’t really […]
Here on this holiday weekend (for some, but not for others, I know!), I thought we could have a brief whirlwind of a realistic roundup. We’ve already featured a grouping of funny girls, today we have a slightly smaller set of lady-centric fiction. They’re not all funny, but they are all realistic, they are all […]
Publisher’s description The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian meets Jane the Virgin in this poignant but often laugh-out-loud funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican-American home. Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move […]
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