News & Features

  The Tightrope Walkers by David Almond Candlewick, March 2015 Reviewed from an ARC Oh, I am conflicted about this one. This is gorgeous, gorgeous writing — even the first line pulls you in and lets you know that you’re in for something unusual here (“I was born in a hovel on the banks of the […]

In its 21st year, the Small Press Expo (held on September 19–20 in Bethesda, MD) celebrated indie and self-published comics, diversity, and the female-led 2015 Ignatz Awards.

In today’s column, I introduce you to eight books by favorite authors. Whose favorite? Well, teens, for one. Also: the Alex committee, AB4T columnists, and the world at large. These are some much-anticipated releases by authors we are always excited to see come out with new work. In an attempt to get through all eight, I’m going to try to pair them up to make sense of them. We’ll see how I do.

Capstone will debut a Spanish-language version of its PebbleGo database in Spring 2016. PebbleGo Animales will feature articles on more than 250 animals and their behaviors for grades PreK–2.

Teen winners of a Banned Books Essay Contest in Colorado Springs were recently announced. “Teen Librarian Toolbox” blogger Heather Booth was named 2015 Illinois Young Adult Librarian of the Year. Readers have the opportunity to win a copy of Ann Jacobus’s Romancing the Dark in the City of Light.

Looking for inspiration in advance of Banned Books Week (BBW), from September 27–October 3? Look no further than SLJ's BBW Pinterest page, curated by blogger and collection development librarian Molly Wetta.

Ted Dawe's award-winning YA novel Into the River, about a Maori boy at a boarding school, is the first book to be banned in New Zealand in 22 years.

The Charleston Public Library in South Carolina gave 1,000 copies of Courtney Summers's Some Girls Are to teens after a high school removed the book from its summer reading list.

Picture books, say English language arts experts, provide excellent opportunities to teach higher-level skills while still providing an engaging experience for older students who might think they don’t like to read.