Authors & Illustrators

In most books, words and pictures go hand in hand to tell the story. In a select few, the plot is revealed through the illustrations on the pages and the imagination of a reader. Background knowledge, creativity, and key elements embedded in the narrative allow children to form their own ideas as they interpret the illustrations. The following wordless—or nearly wordless—selections by the editors at Junior Library Guild provide the perfect setting to increase fluency in storytelling.

Courage Has No Color, Tanya Lee Stone Candlewick Press Reviewed from ARC Karyn talked about the emotionally powerful Two Boys Kissing last week, and at the risk of completely echoing her review, I had such a similar reading experience with Courage Has No Color, which moved me to tears. The Triple Nickles dealt with racism in the [...]

The companion to Wein's "Code Name Verity" tells a very different World War II story with a different pilot, Rose Justice.

Oh, so very much has gone on this week!  Where to begin?  What to do?  Well, for starters, NYPL released a handy dandy list to accompany their current exhibit The ABC of It: Why Children’s Books Matter.  I helped make said list, which is officially called 100 Great Children’s Books, 100 Years.  So, two things.  [...]

At the Trump Soho hotel in Manhattan on October 1, Harlequin Teen and bestselling author Julie Kagawa unveiled her new dragon-focused series, "Talon." The first book in the series will be published on October 28, 2014. School librarians and Bammy Award nominees Deven Black, Jennifer Lagarde, Shannon Miller, Joyce Valenza, and Matthew C. Winner walked the red carpet on September 21.

Blockbuster author James Patterson treasures school libraries—and challenges you to help preserve them.

Earlier this fall, Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy in Avondale, Louisiana welcomed seasoned authors, Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, who came to speak to all the sophomores and juniors about their newest book, Fire with Fire, the second title in the Burn for Burn series. After the authors’ presentation, the two sat down with two fans for an intimate interview.

Our friends at Macmillan want to give you a chance to share in the hilarity of From Nowhere to Norvelt, but you have to work for it. Remember Miss Volker's obituary writing and penchant for history? Be prepared to share what would be your town's "This Day in History?" and enter to win a visit from the ever-charming Jack Gantos. You'll be glad you did.

A sequel to The Peculiar (Bachmann), a first novel reminiscent of works by Kate DiCamillo and E. B. White (Pennell), and Book 3 in the “Ashtown Burials Series” (Wilson)