News

Some books receive more “buzz” than others in the lead-up to publication. Today we review three books that have received more than their fair share. First, our starred review of the day – The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. Wolitzer’s fiction is always excellent and often provocative. Everyone, from the New York Times to EW and People, [...]

The first book in "The Colors of Madeleine Series," a fantasy about two teens living in different worlds, Madeleine in Cambridge, England, and Elliot in the Kingdom of Cello.

A Michigan parent’s complaint that Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition is too frank for middle schoolers and should be replaced with an older, expurgated edition has been rejected by the local school board.

Now that The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct is out for Xbox and PS3, zombies are officially everywhere, and as our reviewer says, "... who doesn't like to destroy zombies?" Gamers who like clever characters and inside jokes will find lots of brick-busting fun in Lego City Undercover. Brad Paisley shakes up a pure C&W vibe on his latest album Wheelhouse, which may leave some fans scratching their heads.

Happy Mother’s Day! It was Monica Edinger who alerted me to the fact that fresh on the heels of the Matilda musical is an upcoming British production of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.  She has the details and directed me to this truly unfair let’s-not-give-anything-away teaser trailer. This introduction is a bit better. You know [...]

This one is especially for Michigan folks. Teacher and Nerdy Book Club Blog co-mastermind Colby Sharp is up to more masterminding. He went and created nErDcamp, a daylong event with a literacy focus. The goal is to bring together a variety of educators to talk reading, writing, and thinking on July 11 in Battle Creek, MI. [...]

Author Michael Dahl helped give away hundreds of copies of his new picture book Goodnight Baseball (Capstone, 2013) on “Educators Day” at a Saint Paul Saints baseball game on May 9. The day is exclusively for teachers and students, and was the first exhibition game of the minor league baseball team this season.

The Highlights Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to excellence in children’s literature, has announced its creation of James Cross Giblin Scholarship, which aims to honor the talents, contributions, and generosity of the acclaimed children’s author, editor, and publisher.

Update May 14: More on This Story in a New Library Journal Article by Meredith Schwartz From Bloomberg: Cengage Learning Inc., the educational publisher owned by Apax Partners LLP, said it’s seeking to negotiate with creditors on a restructuring plan and may need to file bankruptcy as part of its turnaround efforts. “We will seek [...]