Industry News

In recognition of the Caldecott Medal's 75th anniversary, librarians at School Library Journal's Leadership Summit shared their favorite winners and discuss beloved picture books that were overlooked for this honor but still stand the test of time.

Random House authors N.D. Wilson, Jeanne Birdsall, and Rebecca Stead have lunch with librarians to discuss writing for middle school students; Meg Rosoff and Sophie Blackall attend the 14th Annual Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Conference in NYC.

The deadline has been extended until February 15 for the prestigious Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children. The annual award honors an individual who has shown exceptional Peggy Sullivanunderstanding and support of library services for kids. Sponsored by Peggy Sullivan, the former dean of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Rosary College, in River Forest, IL, and the American Library Association’s (ALA) one-time executive director, the award is administered by ALA. Nominees should also have management, supervisory, or administrative experience that has included public library service to children.

Katie and Nelson Dellamaggiore’s award-winning documentary Brooklyn Castle tells the story of five young chess players at I.S. 318, the impoverished Brooklyn school that has won more national chess titles than any other junior high in the United States.

Following 2013 ALA Midwinter, many awards for children's literature were announced, including the American Indian Youth Lit, Gryphon, and the Children's Book Committee Awards.

A week after the “big reveal” at the American Library Association's midwinter meeting, everyone is still talking about the latest award-winning titles. Young Adult Library Services Association committees select books for teens from 12 to 18 years of age, with a broad range of reading abilities and maturity levels. Whether they are edgy or informative, these buzz-worthy books will circulate among your students for years to come.

Want to strengthen your relationship with the local school board? Or maybe you just need to start one with them? Then the place to go is San Diego, CA, for the 73rd annual conference of the National School Boards Association. Along with educational workshops covering everything from evaluating the superintendent to safety and security, attendees will be treated to keynote addresses from actress Geena Davis, science advocate Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Diane Ravitch, a professor of education at New York University.

Anyone who works with teens should know about and embrace Hank and John Green. You can get to know the siblings through the VlogBrothers, a YouTube channel where Hank and John trade video conversations back and forth on every topic under the sun. This vlog inspired a host of followers christened Nerdfighters, not because they fight nerds, but because they are nerds who endeavor to be awesome.

In addition to best-selling mysteries and thrillers for adults, James Patterson also writes for young readers, and he's extremely proud of his "Middle School" series. The latest entry, I Funny, is told from the point of view of a middle schooler who uses humor to help him cope with a physical handicap and the loss of his family. In this case, laughter really is the best medicine for Jamie Grimm, the narrator of I Funny.