News & Features

WHEN SEUSS AND POLITICS COLLIDE I’m a sucker for seemingly standard news stories where children’s literature unexpectedly pops up. That’s just what happened when Sen. Ted Cruz read Green Eggs and Ham from the Senate floor Tuesday night in the midst of an all-night speech against Obamacare. This seemingly incongruous choice of books (since Green [...]

Since 1982, Banned Books Week has been an annual opportunity during the last week of September for librarians and other freedom fighters around the country to celebrate banned and challenged books, shine a spotlight on censorship, and honor those heroes working for open access to materials and the right to read for all. This year’s campaign is proceeding in some unique and wonderful ways. How are you marking the occasion?

To better serve the growing Spanish-speaking population in Dallas, TX, the local school district’s library media services director, Gay D. Patrick, put out a call for volunteers. Since 2006, this group of intrepid school media specialists, the Luminarias committee, has been developing an annual list of 20 of the best bilingual and Spanish-language books for children. Their goal is to help fellow librarians curate quality materials to meet the needs of the young Hispanic community in Dallas, while staying true to the culture and the language.

The Helen Gurley Brown Trust has given $15 million to the New York Public Library to establish NYPL BridgeUp, a new educational and anti-poverty program that will provide academic and social support to New York City youth. The effort aims to support at-risk youth and prepare them for success in life.

A look at the impact of war on young people, this article focuses on children whose parents have been deployed to war zones, those who are refugees, and those who are victims of ongoing conflicts, including child soldiers.

If you have been following the Touch Press output along with us, you won't be surprised to learn they have recently released another exploration of a musical masterpiece. While in-depth, their apps aren't only for serious students of music; anyone interested in learning more about the art is sure to gain a meaningful appreciation.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) today announced grants for 42 library projects totaling $14,670,66. Recipients in 27 states and the District of Columbia received funding, including the American Library Association, which will research the efficacy of early literacy programs; Westport (CT) Library, which hopes to create a new model for maker spaces; and the Chicago Board of Education, which plans to improve school librarians' use of mobile technologies.

Thanks to a $1 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Y is expanding its Early Learning Readiness Program to an additional 19 YMCA sites nationwide, bringing the total number of participating cities to more than 40. The program aims to improve school readiness among children up to 5 years old, particularly from under-served and low-income communities, through a preschool-like experience.

The Randolph County (NC) Board of Education has voted to restore Ralph Ellison’s classic novel Invisible Man to school library shelves by a vote of 6 to 1, reversing its earlier ban of the book. Last week's ban received international attention from literary advocates.