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Holly Louise Meade, an artist and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, died on June 28, 2013, at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital near her home in Sedgwick, ME, the local Newburyport Daily News has reported. She was 56.

Elaine Landau, author of more than 300 books that supported schools’ curriculum and children’s quest for information, died on June 29 in Miami, FL, due to complications from autoimmune disease. She was 65. Her death was announced by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Florida.

It’s the 4th of July and I am delighted to share another important declaration.   Our new ALA President, friend, former school librarian, and Syracuse iSchool professor, Barbara Stripling declares that libraries are essential to a democratic society. She shares: My presidential initiative, entitled Libraries Change Lives, will focus on increasing public understanding of the value of libraries, [...]

On Wednesday, July 11 through Sunday, July 15, while attending the Comic-Con International 2012 in San Diego, I ran around to as many of my favorite kids comics creators as I could and asked them all the exact same questions. Keep in mind, comic book conventions are crazy loud and crazy busy, so there is [...]

With her aunt's wedding day fast approaching, 16-year-old Ann Gilardi is determined to lose '45 pounds.' In her effort to do so, she learns more about herself−and her family−than she expected. Author K. A. Barson talks about the genesis of the book.

These new nonfiction titles can inform and inspire young readers as they learn about their world―from roots to stars. Junior Library Guild editors select the latest informational books for budding scientists.

The July issue features a baker’s dozen of starred DVD and audio reviews, from a fabulous made-for-TV version of Les Miserables to an audiobook about the making of the atomic bomb to a documentary about The Central Park Five. Be sure to check out all the starred reviews and visit Book Verdict for all the reviews in this month’s issue.

Packed with child appeal, these tantalizingly creative titles will fortify reading skills and engender enthusiasm for literature, as they challenge readers' imaginations.

Matt Phelan on Buster Keaton.