Industry News

More than 20 popular children’s book authors and illustrators were invited guests at SLJ's annual Day of Dialog event on May 29 in New York City. There, they joined their publishers and about 250 children's librarians for a daylong discussion and celebration of the latest releases and trends in children’s literature.

Jonathan Bean’s Building our House, Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park, and Robert Byrd’s Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin have been named the winners of the 2013 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards, revealed today at BookExpo America.

From Digital Book World (w/ Additional Links): More than 200 digital book entrepreneurs competed in the hackathon and the winner was announced today at Book Expo America after a final round in which each company was given six minutes to pitch its idea to a panel of technology experts. The Publishing Hackathon attracted 200 people in [...]

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.

Students entering the fifth and sixth grades in the fall of 2013 can enter the “A Book That Shaped Me” Summer Writing Contest. To participate, kids must write a one-page essay about one book, either fiction or nonfiction, that has had an impact on their lives.

Here’s the complete schedule for the annual event held Wednesday, May 29 at Columbia University, Faculty House. The 2013 gathering of publishers, authors, and librarians held in conjunction with BookExpo America features keynoters Kevin Henkes and Holly Black.

NYC Councilmembers and other library supporters gathered on the steps of City Hall to protest proposed cuts to library funding. Warren St. John and Jo S. Kittinger were both presented with Christopher Awards on May 23.

Children’s book author and former teacher Kate Messner has always had a passion for sharing books with kids, so when she recommended Hena Khan’s Golden Domes and Silver Lanternsto her Twitter followers for its portrayal of Islam, she did not expect the backlash she received. A few days after the original message, someone who does not follow her on Twitter replied with the below, continuing an intense multiday exchange with her about what he believes to be “the real Islam.”

More than a dozen New York City Council members, the presidents of New York’s three library systems, and several hundred librarians, library staff, supporters, advocates, and children from nearby schools rallied on the steps of city hall to protest $106 million in proposed funding cuts. Council members Jimmy Van Bramer and Vincent J. Gentile also pledged to introduce legislation that would create a baseline of stable funding for the city’s public library services.