Events & Pd

November is Picture Book Month. Five winners and five finalists of the NYC Neighborhood Library Awards were announced September 17. Apply for the Stony Brook Southampton (NY) MFA in Children's Literature Fellows program. Kids in grades 2–5 can enter the LEGO Essay Contest.

Do you have plans for recognizing Anti-Bullying Month in October? One great way to wrap up the month is to join the national Mix It Up at Lunch campaign. Mix It Up at Lunch Day is set for October 29, but you can plan it for any day, any time of the year.

This weekend, thousands of educators, parents, and kids of all ages will join the crowd of DIY enthusiasts flocking to New York City’s 4th annual World Maker Faire New York to see more than 650 makers present original projects celebrating such areas as technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, and sustainability. The family-friendly festival of invention and creativity will also be offering a “How to Make a Maker Space” workshop ahead of the main event.

Monday, October 21, 2013, 12:00-1:00 PM ET Join Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature emeritus Jon Scieszka as they discuss Kate’s latest book FLORA & ULYSSES: THE ILLUMINATED ADVENTURES and the importance of humor in children’s literature. Kate DiCamillo is the author of many beloved books for young readers, including The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie. In her new genre-bending novel Flora & Ulysses, Kate delivers a laugh-out-loud story filled with eccentric, endearing characters. It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. Archive is now available!

From social media to publishing industry-led initiatives, the call for diversity in children’s and young adult literature has steadily grown into a loud roar in the past months. As part of School Library Journal’s SummerTeen virtual conference, the “Embracing Diversity” panel featuring Karen Arthurton, Jonathan Friesen, James Klise, and Amanda Sun, led to a lively and ongoing conversation about the importance of not only publishing books for kids by and about diverse people, but also getting them in the hands of readers. SLJ spoke to industry professionals who are raising awareness on the need for different perspectives in young adult books, and compiled a list of resources to find these titles.

Later this month, cartoonists Jeff Kinney, Dav Pilkey, Lincoln Peirce, and Stephan Pastis will present “Drawn Together: Cartoonists Benefit Moore, Oklahoma School Libraries,” two fundraising events for the city of Moore, OK, in which the kid lit stars will discuss their inspiration and creative processes and answer questions from the audience.

Later this month, the Bank Street College of Education’s Center for Children’s Literature (CCL) will begin a series of three free panel discussions moderated by Leonard Marcus, curator of "The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter," the critically acclaimed exhibition currently on view at the New York Public Library. The series will be followed by CCL's 4th annual BookFest @ Bank Street on October 19, featuring the award-winning Kate DiCamillo as keynote speaker.

Don't procrastinate: get your plans in place now for Teen Read Week, October 13-19, brought to you by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). This year's theme, Seek the Unknown, has a world of possibilities for libraries and teens to explore.

April Shroeder shares some advice on how to create unique and successful author visits for teens. Jay Asher and Ransom Riggs are some of the recent writers who have been hosted at the newly minted Gum Spring library, part of the Loudon County (VA) Public Library.