Public Libraries

Who doesn't love a booklist? SLJ's got 'em. From Best Books and Refreshing the Canon—our joint effort with NCTE—to Spanish-language picture books and titles on non-apparent disabilities, our most popular booklists of 2023.

Fiction and nonfiction about candy and the history of chocolate complement the film with Timothée Chalamet as the young Willy Wonka. 

While librarians, of late, have drawn some attention by mainstream press, the profession has always been central in SLJ's coverage. Of stories driven by school and public librarians, their perspectives and work, four drew the most views in 2023.  

SLJ's most viewed coverage of book banning and censorship, which remained front and center in 2023.

Pat Scales fields questions about a student who harasses others over reading choices, a verbally abusive mother, and a principal who lets parents observe class.

Among social media platforms filling the void as Twitter/X loses momentum, Bluesky leads in the children’s literature community.

If there’s one thing librarians can agree on it’s that library education could use some shaking up. Enter the Radical Librarianship Institute, which strives to “redefine the role of librarians, centering principles of inclusion and social justice.”

In its nearly 25 year history, the Printz has recognized literature that pushes boundaries and showcases diverse voices. Here are some highlights.

Colorado conservatives are calling on prosecutors to remove books from school libraries and take legal action against those promoting and possessing "obscene material"; a federal lawsuit has been filed against Iowa for its "don't say gay" law that includes removing books; author Robert Samuels writes about having his book kept from students during a school visit in Tennessee; and more.