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We have a huge backlog of wonderful reviews right now, so this week we’re giving you even more weekly reviews.  The great film reviewer Jonathan Rosenbaum once commented that “it’s pretty safe to say that there are more serial killers in movies than there are in real life” and puzzled over why so many viewers [...]

from Francisca Goldsmith, graphic novel guest blogger extraordinaire: Coding How We Speak Family Secrets Rutu Modan has proved to be an adept storyteller as well as creator of visually rich images of both characters and their settings. She’s been published to some acclaim in the US as the author and cartoonist of a collection of [...]

Nobody's Secret, the latest offering from Michaela MacColl, continues to get rave reviews. School Library Journal's reviewer says, "The fast-moving plot makes this a well-crafted page-turner. The dialogue rings true, both to the historical time and to the chronological ages and social status of the characters." And SLJTeen's reviewer agrees. M.G. Higgins's Bi-Normal is going on my to-read list. I just finished listening to David Levithan and John Green's Will Grayson, Will Grayson, and I'm wondering what advice their openly gay jock Tiny Cooper would give Higgins's protagonist, Brett Miller.

After surveying the kids in my facility, I created the following system to rate the books that they're reading: one star = Wack, two stars = Bootsy, three stars = Koo, four stars = Clean, and five stars = That book Go! A book that’s “clean” is “real.” A book that “goes” has action. For my readers, a book is ideally both action-packed and real. What makes a book either or both? As usual, it’s not that straightforward, but here’s one attempt to decipher the question.

The books below will effectively sharpen readers’ knowledge and understanding of the Roaring 20's, from carefully researched nonfiction to perceptive examples of historical fiction.

Junior Library Guild editors select picture books perfect for the younger set who beg for a scary story, but are safe enough to prevent nightmares.

This is Sonia Sotomayor’s 8th week on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Best Seller list, up to #4 from #5 last week. (Sandra Day O’Connor’s book, Out of Order, debuts at #11.) I am particularly excited to write about My Beloved World this week because I recently had a chance to booktalk it to a [...]

AB4T reviewer Connie Williams has been an enthusiastic supporter of Reyna Grande’s The Distance Between Us ever since she reviewed it here on AB4T last year. Recently, Connie hosted the author at her high school for what was a transformative experience for many of the teens in her community. I thought it would be inspiring to [...]

Check out School Library Journal's comprehensive guide to the 2013 Association for Library Service to Children's (ALSC) Notable Children' Books and the Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Best Fiction for Young Adults and Great Graphic Novels for Teens.