ABFFE Children’s Book Art Auction The Holiday Children's Book Art Auction, sponsored by the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE), will end on December 3. More than 80 pieces of original art and prints of artwork created for children's books have been made available for the auction, including those from Judy Schachner, Tom Lichtenheld, Eric Carle, Tom Angelberger, Chris Raschka, Karen Barbour, Karen Higham, Molly Idle, and Aaron Becker. The annual auction, which supports the Kids' Right to Read Project (KRRP)—founded by ABFFE and the National Coalition Against Censorship—is the online version of the auction held during BookExpo America (BEA). New Teen Reading Survey Teenagers and young adults—ages 16 to 24—prefer print books over ebooks at a rate of 62 percent, according to a new survey commissioned by The Guardian. About 47 percent of the young people surveyed also preferred newspapers and magazines in print form over digital. Print is favored both for economic reasons as well as emotional ones, the survey reports. The survey was conducted by agency Voxburner, who questioned 1,420 young adults about their content and buying preferences. World Book Night Adds YA World Book Night’s Carl Lennertz, the organization’s executive director in America, has announced that three young adult titles will be added to its 2014 offerings. During the annual April event, about 25,000 volunteers distribute free books in their communities to those who don’t regularly read. The new picks are Zora and Me (Candlewick) by Victoria Bond and T.S. Simon; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (Amulet) by Jesse Andrews; and The Raven’s Warrior (YMAA Publications) by Vincent Pratchett. “Sadly, the call for books for at-risk teens across the country is growing, from underfunded schools to foster homes to tutoring programs, but it’s encouraging that our givers are seeing that need and want to reach out with a book,” Lennertz says. The publishers and authors have waived all royalties for the titles used in the event, which is comprised of 30 simultaneous book distributions across the country. Youth Career Connect Grants Available The Department of Labor has announced that it will fund $100 million in grants—to approximately 25–40 school districts, colleges, and other nonprofits—as part of its new Youth Career Connect program, designed to transform the high school experience in America. The goal is to prepare students for in-demand industries such as information technology; advanced manufacturing; and other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Projects should include work-based learning and mentoring, employer engagement, individualized career and academic counseling, and integration of post-secondary education and training. Applicants must also match 25 percent of the grant award. The awards will be made in early 2014, for implementation during the 2014–2015 school year. NY Times’ Top Kid Lit Picks The New York Times has announced its list of Notable Children’s Books of 2013. For young adults, the selections are Gene Luen Yang’s Boxers and Saints (First Second); Rainbow Rowell’s Eleanor & Park and Fangirl (both St. Martin’s Griffin); Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave (Putnam); Meg Rosoff’s Picture Me Gone (Putnam); Brandon Sanderson’s The Rithmatist (Tor); and Elizabeth Wein’s Rose Under Fire (Hyperion). For the middle grades, the selections are: Tim Federle’s Better Nate Than Ever (S&S); Charles de Lint’s The Cats of Tanglewood Forest (Little, Brown); Kate DiCamillo’s Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures (Candlewick); Shirley Hughes’ Hero on a Bicycle (Candlewick); Rose Lagercrantz’s My Happy Life (Gecko); and Kathi Appelt’s The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp (Atheneum). For picture books, the selections are: Monica Edinger’s Africa Is My Home: A Child of the Amistad (Candlewick); Benjamin Chaud’s The Bear’s Song (Chronicle); Bob Staake’s Bluebird (Schwartz & Wade); Deborah Heiligman’s The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos (Roaring Brook); Jonathan Bean’s Building Our House (FSG); Lemony Snicket’s The Dark (Little, Brown); Tom Ungerer’s Fog Island (Phaidon); Luke Pearson’s Hilda and the Bird Parade (Flying Eye/NoBrow); Aaron Becker’s Journey (Candlewick); David Wiesner’s Mr. Wuffles! (Clarion); and Sylvie Neeman’s Something Big (Enchanted Lion).