Collections

Last month, we looked at four stories too unbelievable not to be true, and I thought those would be the strangest stories I heard this year.  That was before I heard about Marina Chapman, for whom being raised by monkeys is only the beginning of her troubles–and not even the most trying.  She was also [...]

From tragic turning points to budding first love, some of the most talented and up-and-coming authors for the middle grade audience shared their insights on the writing process, connection to their intended audience, and how humor plays a part in all of their works at SLJ’s annual Day of Dialog, held at Columbia University's Faculty House on May 29.

OK, I’ve talked about this before (and I’ll probably talk about it again!).  Not all nonfiction is narrative, and narrative non-fiction isn’t the only kind of non-fiction that teens will read.  When last we spoke, I offered some statistics to (possibly) back that claim up.  Today, I’m here to offer something much more substantial: three [...]

Published in SLJ’s October 2010 print issue, but still relevant today, the following article highlights resources that classroom teachers, librarians, and parents can use to broaden children’s worldview and prompt discussions about current events and news.

Susan Nussbaum has already won the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction for this, her first novel, Good Kings Bad Kings. The Bellwether Prize was created by Barbara Kingsolver to honor writing that addresses issues of social justice and the impact of culture and politics on human relationships. It is now administered by PEN America. Previous [...]

Junior Library Guild editors select new titles for independent readers that feature characters with some of the same problems that children deal with everyday: bullying, not-so-fun summer camp experiences, and the arrival of a new sibling. Reading about how these protagonists figure out their solutions just might help youngsters approach their own issues. And, these chapter books will remind them that they're not alone.

BookExpo is next week! Here are some of the adult books with possible teen appeal that I’m excited to see on the show floor. In no particular order (and with the understanding that cover art and signing/appearance times & places are subject to change): Guests on Earth by Lee Smith (Algonquin, Oct.) begins in New [...]

Writing about humor is a good way to suck all the fun out of it, so please—feel free to skip straight to the booklist.

Last week, Angela talked about buzz books–those books that everyone seems to be talking about; this week, I want to talk about the other end of the spectrum–books that no one is talking about.  None of the three books reviewed below has been reviewed (yet) by a library journal, nor have I been able to [...]