News & Features

Since 1990, November has been designated National Native American Heritage Month in the U.S. Share these titles featuring Indigenous characters with young children, tweens, and teens this month and all year.

The science behind board books, a brief history of the format, and a look at the publishing market. 

Alachua County (FL) Public Schools media specialist Patty Duval created code to help librarians and classroom teachers check books against new state laws; a fired Colorado librarian wins settlement; parents in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin speak out against district book bans; review panel keeps Sold and Nineteen Minutes on shelves in South Carolina district; and more. 

Museums centered on the Black experience are seeing more visitors and expect numbers to climb as books about race continue to be banned and teaching about history and race is restricted. In other censorship news, Alabama state superintendent mandates a library review policy in all school districts, open records requests reveal books removed in Iowa schools, and more.

Young readers will delight in these tales, both fun and (slightly) frightening, about preparing for and enjoying the holiday with family and friends.

Librarians and authors are angry and seeking alternatives after Scholastic Book Fair change that requires opt-in for an add-on case of diverse books for elementary fairs. PEN America calls on Scholastic to find a new solution instead of accommodating "nefarious laws."

As educators seek to discuss the Israel-Hamas war with students, SLJ has curated related resources and books.

Two principals in a Maine district remove and restrict six books after challenges; a Florida district proactively pulls 31 titles based on complaints in other counties; teens speak out for the right to read in North Carolina and California; and more in the latest Censorship News.

'Wimpy Kid' tour will highlight “extraordinary” local libraries, librarians at bookstore events around the country. Kinney donates $100,000 to distribute to libraries chosen by local users, along with diverse books to enhance collections, courtesy of multiple publishers.