STAFF

Author and educator Torrey Maldonado has once again asked his industry friends why  Juneteenth matters.

These four contemporary and historical fiction middle grade titles center LGBTQIA+ characters who fight to live authentically across time, and serve as important reminders that mantras like “protect trans kids” require both words and action.

From summer love to camp high jinks to a possible haunting at a beach house, these novels set over the summer have it all. 

Check out this month's star-studded picture books selections. Plus, you don't want to miss our recommendations for family music albums and the  latest roundup of professional development offerings.

Read about a book donation project for students in Uvalde, TX; a plea to Congress from the education community; News Literacy Project's educator and student of the year; and IMLS research on public libraries during the pandemic in this edition of News Bites.

Children's literature has lost another giant with the death of Jim Murphy; Colin Kaepernick to release a graphic memoir; SCBWI launches new fund and programs; and more in this edition of News Bites.

Author Rick Riordan wrote a blog post in response to fans upset with the Disney+ casting of Percy Jackson and the Olympians; publishers and educational organizations join ALA's Unite Against Book Bans; and more, in this edition of News Bites.

This month's star-studded list is filled with a healthy serving of graphic novels, a couple of recommended DVDs, and books by David Levithan, Kyle Lukoff, Anastasia Higginbotham, Emily X.R. Pan, and more.

To support teachers and librarians in the face of ongoing censorship, School Library Journal and Penguin Random House—in partnership with PEN America, NCAC, NCTE, FReadom, and Library Journal—have created a poster that vividly illustrates the importance of intellectual freedom.