People

"From principals butchering my name at graduations to teachers and coaches destroying it in front of classes and teams, I have yet to hear someone pronounce Zgaljardic correctly," writes this teen. 

“If not me, who else?” Given the abuse Amanda Jones suffered—she was publicly accused of promoting pornographic materials in the library’s children’s section—“Why me?” might have been more like it. Instead, the school librarian took measure.

Educators have many obligations, some of the same, some new ones. That there is more to figure out, more to contend with, more to know, and more unknowns ahead, writes Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich. 

I resist, not necessarily by marching in the street but by staying informed as an educator, colleague, and as a bystander. I question policies and practices that align with doing what we’ve always done just because it’s what we’ve always done.

What goes into an exceptional book cover? Betsy Bird investigates. 

Seven months of learning loss. That’s the impact wrought by the pandemic, and low-income, Black, and Latinx children stand to suffer the most. Some cities are adapting the pod concept, working with community partners to serve at-risk students.

Concerns about challenged summer reading during quarantine; Most Challenged Books & LGBTQIA+ topics; banned books that will engage students. 

Jason Reynolds and Ibram Kendi, co-authors of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, kicked off SLJ's Day of Dialog. Here is the entire keynote conversation.

Book access inequities existed in our communities long before COVID-19. What can we learn now that will improve access for children and teens in the future?