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Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate offers a behind-the-scenes look at how she created The One and Only Ivan, a modern-day classic.

New York City middle school librarian and social media devotee Deven Black caught the attention of many in the library community a few weeks ago with an unusual blog post in which he lamented being underutilized by his school. SLJ caught up with Black for a candid interview on his unusual path to librarianship, why partnering with one’s principal is key to a successful school library, and the challenges (and triumphs) of professional development.

Observe Children’s Book Week (May 13–19) in your library or classroom with a free poster by Brian Selznick and an activity guide that celebrates the idea that “books can take you anywhere.”

A fun treatment of punctuation

"I think it's a tragedy that most of today's textbooks completely ignore media and the important process of scriptwriting."

It’s Nevada, 1869, and 15-year-old Jim and his injured horse, Promise, are struggling to make it across the 40-Mile Desert. They're rescued by Mutt, Golgotha’s Native American deputy, who encourages Jim to settle in his town. And it’s a good thing he agrees, because along with the sheriff and a few other key residents, they are about to fight a great battle to save the Earth, heaven, and hell—one whose seeds were planted when the world was first created.

Earlier this month, authors Jeanne Birdsall, Rebecca Stead, and N.D. Wilson met informally with librarians to discuss middle grade fiction ahead of the NYPL's children's literary Salon on the topic. Afterwards, SLJ followed up with the authors for more details. This is what they told us.

Though the Caldecott, Newbery, and Printz awards have all been announced, the excitement isn’t over yet! The Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Literary Awards have been revealed. Included among the winners are several previously recognized titles, such R.J. Palacio’s Wonder, Steve Sheinkin’s Bomb, and Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina.